Ryhill Junior, Infant and Nursery School

Ryhill Junior and Infant School

Dates of inspection: 27 th - 30th October 2003

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Ryhill Junior and Infant School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Ryhill Junior and Infant 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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Ryhill Junior and Infant 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. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 180

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Chapel Street Ryhill Wakefield West Yorkshire Postcode: WF4 2AD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01226 722530 Fax number: 01226727969

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs S Nicholson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29 th June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Ryhill Junior and Infant School is situated in a semi-rural setting in the village of Ryhill, some five miles south of Wakefield. Principally, it serves the Ryhill village community, although some pupils come from smaller outlying villages. With 180 pupils on the school roll, this school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. During the last school year, the proportion of pupils (about 17 per cent) known to be eligible for free school meals was broadly in line with the national average. However, there is some unemployment in the area and a number of families experience hardship. Pupils’ attainments on entry to the school are about average, although a number of pupils face difficulties in their learning. There are 11 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs and two pupils who need specific support from a specialist teacher or trained assistant. However, the number of pupils who have special educational needs is well below average for a school of this

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

size. There are three pupils who come from ethnic minority backgrounds, although none speaks English as an additional language. This is low in comparison with schools nationally. The school experiences a high degree of pupil mobility. During the last school year, 36 (almost one in every five) pupils entered or left the school at times other than at the beginning of the Foundation Stage or the end of Year 6. During the last four years, the school has also experienced an enormous turnover of staff. Few of the school’s current staff were present at the school’s last inspection. This high turnover in pupils and in teaching staff, along with frequent and prolonged bouts of illness-related staff absence, has posed barriers to improvement in some aspects of the school’s work. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

19830 Mr G T Storer Lead inspector Special educational needs Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education 9874 Mr M Milwain Lay inspector 20646 Mrs M A Palmer Team inspector Foundation stage Mathematics Geography History Music 22657 Mr M Madeley Team inspector English Art and design Religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Limited 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire 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 inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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Ryhill Junior and Infant School is a sound school that has significant strengths but some

important areas for improvement. Pupils of all ages and abilities make good progress. In English, mathematics and science, almost all pupils achieve the expected standards for their age and many achieve above average levels both at the age of seven and by the time that they leave the school. The overall quality of teaching is good and there are regular examples of very good teaching throughout the school. The school provides a sound curriculum and the arrangements that promote pupils’ personal development are successful. The headteacher provides sound leadership. She receives good support from the deputy headteacher, key staff and from the governing body. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Children get a good start to their education in nursery and reception groups. • Pupils achieve high standards in core subjects 1 in Years 1 and 2 and continue to make good progress in Years 3 – 6, where standards are rising. • Standards in religious education are not high enough. • Teaching is good, although in subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers do not use assessment information systematically enough in planning the next stages of pupils’ learning. • This is a very inclusive school. Boys and girls and pupils with different capabilities do equally well. Pupils with learning or behavioural difficulties and those with physical disabilities receive good support. They are fully included, play a full part in the life of the school and make good progress. • Pupils have good attitudes and most behave well. They try hard and older pupils rise to the challenge to do their best. This good response improves the quality of their learning.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Relationships are very good. Pupils respect the individuality of others and care for those with special educational needs or disabilities. • Current procedures for evaluating the work of the school and planning for improvement are not rigorous enough. • This is a caring school in which the support for and welfare of pupils are high priorities.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has maintained a satisfactory rate of improvement since its last inspection, although a high turnover in teaching staff, along with frequent and prolonged bouts of staff absence, has posed barriers to improvement in some aspects of the school’s work. Nevertheless, standards in core subjects have improved and the proportion of good and very good teaching is higher than at the time of the previous inspection. Information for parents is better than it was and the school now complies fully with statutory requirements in this area. The school has made a sound start in developing the roles of subject leaders, improving the quality of the monitoring of the curriculum and in introducing a more structured approach to the use of assessment. However, in most subjects other than English and mathematics, the school still has a long way to go in these important areas.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

1 The core subjects are English, mathematics and science Ryhill Junior and Infant School The achievement of pupils is good throughout the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

When children enter the nursery, many are below average for their age. However, most make rapid progress in nursery and reception and so achieve almost all of the early learning goals 2 . Indeed, by the end of the reception year, a considerable number are above average in terms of their personal, social and emotional development and in some aspects of their communication and mathematical skills.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Almost all pupils continue to make good or very good progress in Years 1 and 2. For the last two years, standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 have been well above average. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils currently in Year 2 are on course to achieve similar standards, although actual scores might vary somewhat because, in this small group, the performance of just one or two pupils can have a marked effect on the school’s overall score. Nevertheless, the vast majority of pupils are likely to attain or exceed the nationally expected standard by the end of the school year.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The table above indicates that in 2002, whilst standards at the end of Year 6 were low in comparison to schools nationally, pupils had made good gains from the levels that they had achieved at the end of Year 2. The (unpublished) results for 2003 show a similar picture of pupils’ progress. Pupils currently in Year 6 are on course for higher standards. Their work suggests that fewer are set to fall below the nationally expected standard and that more are likely to exceed national expectations than in recent years and so maintain the good standards that they achieved in Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Most pupils achieve satisfactory standards in other subjects seen during the inspection, although few pupils achieve above average standards other than in the core subjects. Standards in religious education, however, are below those set out in locally agreed guidelines. Pupils with special educational needs are achieving well in relation to the individual targets that have been identified for them. Pupils from different ethnic minority backgrounds make similar progress to most other pupils and boys and girls perform equally well.

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Pupils achieve satisfactory standards in relation to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development. Arrangements that promote pupils’ moral and social development are particularly effective. As a result, behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. There is seldom bullying or other unpleasant behaviour in the playground. Staff and pupils treat each other with respect, which contributes strongly to the generally pleasant and harmonious atmosphere in and around school. Relationships at all levels are very good. Attendance and punctuality at the school are satisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good education for its pupils. Teaching and learning are good. Much teaching is stimulating and engages pupils’ interest. Teachers insist on good standards of behaviour and ensure all pupils are included and have the chance to succeed. However, other than in the areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage 3 and in the core subjects of the National Curriculum, teachers do not regularly assess and record pupils’ attainment and progress. As a result, teachers do not always use assessment information systematically to plan work for pupils with different capabilities. This inconsistent approach is unsatisfactory because it affects the rate at which pupils learn in many subjects. The school enriches its curriculum with a good range of educational visits, activities and special events that bring learning to life and motivate pupils. Standards of care for pupils are good and induction arrangements for new pupils are effective.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

2 Early learning goals – These are the standards that children are expected to reach by the end of their reception year. 3 The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and ends at the end of the reception class year. It is a distinct stage, preparing children for later schooling, and is based on six areas of learning. These mainly refer to communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal and social development, but also include knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical and creative development. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The headteacher has worked hard to maintain stability during a very turbulent phase in the school’s evolution but this has led to a short term approach to improving the curriculum and other aspects of the school’s work. Several worthwhile initiatives have not been carried through successfully because the school’s development planning and subsequent actions have not been robust enough to withstand the onset of events. Current arrangements for evaluating the work of the school and for planning for improvement are unsatisfactory because they are not sufficiently thorough or forward-looking. Members of the senior management team provide a good example to staff, both in their teaching and in their subject leadership. However, other staff with management responsibilities are not contributing effectively to school improvement because the school does not provide them with the time or resources needed

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

to do their job properly. Governors are conscientious in overseeing the work of the school. They know many of the school’s relative strengths and weaknesses and are beginning to hold the school to account for what it achieves.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents are very satisfied with the school . They are particularly pleased with how well school helps their children to settle in and promotes their personal development. They are also pleased with the quality of teaching that their children receive because they feel that staff expect pupils to work hard, yet treat them fairly. However, a minority of parents have concerns about the information that they receive about their children’s progress, about the homework that their children receive and about the extent to which the school seeks the views of parents. Inspectors endorse parents’ positive views, but find little evidence to support their concerns other than that relating to consultation, which, at present, only takes place occasionally.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils are also very satisfied . They are most happy that, although they have to work hard, teachers help them to make their work better and that there are adults to turn to if they are worried.

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

• raise standards of attainment in religious education; • introduce more systematic and rigorous procedures for evaluating the work of the school and give subject leaders and other staff with management responsibilities the time and resources to gather information about standards and the quality of aspects of the school’s work; • introduce planning that looks beyond the current year, identifies the steps needed to meet improvement targets and allocates the necessary resources to allow this to happen; • ensure that the headteacher and staff are not diverted from the school’s key improvement initiatives by unforeseen contingencies; • improve procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ attainments in subjects other than English, mathematics and science; • ensure that teachers use assessment information more systematically to identify what pupils with different capabilities need to learn next and how they need to adapt teaching to meet the

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

needs of all pupils in subjects other than English and mathematics. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of the Foundation Stage, children achieve most of the early learning goals. • By the end of Years 2 and 6, almost all pupils attain or exceed nationally expected standards in core subjects. • Standards in Key Stage 2 are continuing to rise. Pupils in Year 6 are on course to maintain the good standards that they achieved in the core subjects at the end of Year 2. • Standards in most other subjects are satisfactory, although few pupils achieve above average standards. • Standards in religious education are below those set out in locally agreed guidelines. • Pupils with special educational needs are doing well in relation to the targets that are set for them.

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Key Stage 1

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores 4 in 2002

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Key Stage 1

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.5 (15.0) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 15.5 (14.1) 14.4 (14.3) Mathematics 17.8 (14.9) 16.5 (16.2) There were 19 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Key Stage 2

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

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Key Stage 2

Standards in: School results National results English 25.3 (25.3) 27.0 (27.0) Mathematics 26.8 (25.5) 26.7 (26.6) Science 28.0 (27.0) 28.3 (28.3) There were 24 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Key Stage 2

1. Many children enter the nursery performing at levels that are below average for their age. However, almost all make good progress and achieve the early learning goals by the end of their reception year. Their progress is particularly good in the area of personal, social and emotional development and in certain aspects of communication and mathematical skills.

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Key Stage 2

4 Average point scores are a statistical method for comparing a school’s performance in a single core subject or in all core subjects with the performance of all schools or of similar schools. The school’s scores are derived from the levels that pupils in Years 2 and 6 achieve in the annual National Curriculum tests. Ryhill Junior and Infant School 2. In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2002, pupils’ scores in reading, writing and mathematics were well above the national average and the average for similar schools and were a considerable improvement in the previous year’s scores. Virtually all pupils attained the nationally expected standard and many achieved at the upper end of the average band or at the above average level 5 . The (unpublished) results from the 2003 tests and the work of pupils currently in Year 2 show that standards remain high. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils currently in Year 2 are on course to achieve above average standards in core subjects.

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Key Stage 2

This is statistically lower than 2002, but only because there are more pupils with special educational needs in this group. These pupils are making good progress but, in a small group, their performance is likely to reduce the school’s average point score.

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Key Stage 2

3. In Year 6 in 2002, standards in English were well below the national average, standards in mathematics were average and standards in science were below average. The school’s overall test scores at the end of Year 6 were below average in comparison to schools nationally. However, pupils had made good overall gains from the levels that they had achieved at the end of Year 2. The (unpublished) results for 2003 show a similarly good picture of pupils’ progress. Pupils currently in Year 6 are on course for above average standards in all core subjects. Their work suggests that standards are still rising. Fewer pupils will fall below the nationally expected standard and more are set to exceed national expectations than in recent years and so maintain the good standards that they achieved in Year 2.

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Key Stage 2

4. Pupils in both key stages are achieving satisfactory standards in most other subjects. Most reach the nationally expected standards by the time that they leave the school. However, few pupils achieve above average standards because teachers are not assessing pupils’ performance systematically enough to be able to set work that challenges and extends the performance of higher attaining pupils.

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Key Stage 2

5. In both key stages, all pupils are achieving the standards that they should and many are achieving well. Most pupils gain good levels of competence in literacy and numeracy and the necessary skills in information and communication technology (ICT) that allow them to make progress in other subjects. Pupils with special educational needs are doing well. They make good progress towards targets that have been identified for them because teachers and classroom assistants are conscientious in using pupils’ individual education plans as a basis for the tasks that they set and the support that they give. Pupils from different backgrounds make similar progress to most other pupils and boys and girls perform equally well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to schoolwork are good and almost all behave well. They develop good personal qualities and relationships between pupils are strong. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff in the Foundation Stage promote children’s personal, social and emotional development very effectively. • There are very good relationships between pupils. • Pupils are keen to learn. • Pupils behave well because staff use the behaviour policy consistently. • The school does not do enough to equip pupils to live in a multi-cultural society.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

6. Many children enter the nursery displaying immature behaviour and social skills that are relatively low for their age. However, most make very good progress in this area of their

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Main strengths and weaknesses

5 The nationally expected standard for pupils at the end of Year 2 is National Curriculum Level 2. Pupils who achieve Level 3 in Year 2 are exceeding national expectations. However, Level 2 is made up of Levels 2A, 2B and 2C and the proportions of pupils achieving each sub- level affect the schools average points score. Ryhill Junior and Infant School learning and achieve above average standards by the end of the reception year. This very good start provides a firm foundation for the positive attitudes, values and behaviours that pupils subsequently develop.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

7. The pupil questionnaire indicated that most pupils like their school because they learn new and interesting things in lessons. In the main, they feel that they are expected to work hard and get sufficient help when they are ‘stuck’. Inspection evidence substantiates these views. Pupils’ attitudes towards lessons are positive in all lessons and very good in response to teaching that is particularly effective. For instance, in Years 3/4, pupils worked really hard and thoughtfully at their mathematical investigations. In Years 1/2, pupils believed that they could write ‘better instructions than the book’ and set to work with great enthusiasm.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

8. Pupils’ behaviour is good, both in lessons and outside in the playground. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in and around the school and, in the main, pupils live up to these standards. The behaviour code is well known and adults keep closely to it so that there is a consistency of approach from all staff. The balance is maintained by the rewards system, which is used well by all adults to praise and motivate pupils. Transgressions are quickly dealt with and so the school rarely needs to exclude any of its pupils.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 142 1 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 2 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 35 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

9. There are very strong relationships between pupils. They do not see differences and so work and play together happily. Able-bodied pupils spontaneously include pupils with disabilities in their games and all pupils work collaboratively and help each other to learn. This level of co- operation and mutual support improves pupils’ learning considerably.

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Exclusions

10. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall, although opportunities for moral and social development are well planned and contribute to pupils’ positive attitudes and good behaviour. All staff are very positive role models and care about their school and its pupils. Pupils are proud of their school and feel a part of it. The residential visits bring pupils together as a team. Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. It benefits from visits, such as the Sculpture Park, and visitors, like the author and the police officer. However, there is insufficient emphasis on preparing pupils to live in a multi-cultural society.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.4 School data: 1.2 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

11. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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The overall quality of teaching and learning is good. However, teachers’ assessments of

pupils’ work in some subjects are unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is consistently good throughout the school. • Teachers manage pupils well and insist on high standards of behaviour. • Teachers use support assistants well to help pupils learn. • Pupils’ positive response in most lessons helps them to learn. • In most subjects, other than English, mathematics and science, procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ attainments are not systematic enough and teachers do not use assessment effectively to plan the next steps in pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0 %) 6 (26 %) 13 (57%) 4(17 %) 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

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Commentary

12. Teaching and learning have improved since the school’s last inspection. Teaching is consistently good throughout the school. Four out of every five lessons seen during the inspection were good or very good and there were examples of very good teaching in all phases 6 .

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Commentary

13. All teachers enjoy very good relationships with pupils. They have high expectations of pupils and insist that they behave well. They manage pupils effectively and establish classroom routines that promote effective learning. Teachers have wide-ranging subject knowledge. As a result, teaching is authoritative and accurate. Secure subject knowledge also enables teachers to pose skilful and probing questioning that helps pupils to develop essential understanding, for example during a complex science lesson in Years 5/6. In the best lessons, teaching is brisk and purposeful and so keeps pupils interested and involved. Teachers set tasks in English and mathematics lessons at different levels of difficulty so that pupils with different capabilities can succeed and make good progress in relation to their own prior attainment.

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Commentary

14. Teachers use resources well to improve pupils’ learning. In particular, they plan the role of the support assistants carefully. As a result, classroom assistants support the work of teachers well and contribute significantly to pupils’ learning. Support staff work effectively to ensure that pupils with special educational needs receive the support that they need to overcome their difficulties and make progress alongside others in the class.

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Commentary

15. The quality of learning mirrors that of teaching and is improved in both key stages by pupils’ consistently good attitudes and behaviour. All teachers use encouragement and praise very well to motivate pupils and to enhance their self-esteem and confidence. As a result, most pupils apply themselves well to the tasks they are given and older pupils rise to the challenge of demanding work. When required to work in pairs and groups, they co-operate and collaborate effectively.

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Commentary

6 A primary school includes three phases of pupils’ education: the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception), Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 3 (Years 3 to 6) Ryhill Junior and Infant School 16. The school’s procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and evaluating their progress are satisfactory overall. Staff in the Foundation Stage assess children’s attainments when they first enter the school and use periodic and on-going assessments to track their progress through to the end of reception. The school conducts the annual statutory and optional National Curriculum tests and supplements these in English, mathematics and science with additional half-termly or end-of-topic assessments. Teachers use this information effectively to track pupils’ progress, to identify pupils with special educational needs, to target additional support and to modify tasks to meet the needs of pupils with different abilities. Similarly, assessment

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Commentary

and recording procedures for pupils with special educational needs are also good. They form the basis for effective individual education plans, which help these pupils to make good progress towards the targets that are set for them. However, teachers do not consistently assess and record what pupils learn in other subjects. Therefore, teachers do not have accurate information that they need in order to build carefully on pupils’ prior learning. This is unsatisfactory because it results in tasks that are too easy for some and too difficult for others and prevent some pupils from doing as well as they can.

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Commentary

17. Pupils increasingly have targets to help them develop ownership in and take responsibility for their own learning. However, this important initiative in on-going assessment is still at an early stage of development and has not had sufficient impact on pupils’ learning or on developing their understanding of how they can improve. Most marking is good because it not only celebrates pupils’ efforts but also helps them to move forward with their learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan a stimulating programme of visits and visitors throughout the year. • The school makes good arrangements for the support of pupils with special educational needs. • Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. • The school very successfully ensures that all pupils have equality of opportunity and access to the curriculum. • Curriculum development in subjects other than English, mathematics and science is limited.

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Commentary

18. A good range of visits and visitors successfully promotes pupils’ interest, learning and enthusiasm for school. Visits include a residential trip to Hornsea, which contributes to pupils’ learning in geography and history. Such experiences make a valuable contribution to pupils’ personal development. Visitors include an author, local sportsmen and sportswomen and theatre groups, who help to bring learning to life for the pupils. However, after-school activities are currently restricted to football and netball.

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Commentary

19. Procedures for the identification and support of pupils with special educational needs are good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers and the well-trained support staff successfully enable pupils to participate actively in lessons and in the life of the school. As a result, they make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans.

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Commentary

20. The school’s emphasis on promoting pupils’ personal, social and health education successfully reflects its aims and values. The enthusiastic and capable co-ordinator has developed a scheme of work incorporating citizenship, as well as sex and relationship education and teaching about the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse. Throughout the school, pupils have regular, planned opportunities to develop greater self-awareness and confidence Ryhill Junior and Infant School by talking over a wide range of general issues and those that they face as part of everyday life.

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Commentary

21. The school is very sensitive to the needs of individual pupils and works hard to enable all pupils, including those with disabilities, to be included in every aspect of school life. Teachers and support staff are keen to ensure that the contributions of all pupils are celebrated and valued. All pupils have frequent opportunities to work together and to support each other’s learning. This makes a very valuable contribution to their academic and personal development.

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Commentary

22. The school recognises the need to draw up curriculum plans designed to ensure systematic coverage of the content of each subject and to avoid unnecessary repetition as pupils move through the school. However, in subjects other than English, mathematics and science, co- ordinators’ attempts are hampered. This is because they do not have the chance to monitor how plans are being put into practice in their subject and to evaluate the effect of this on pupils’ learning. This is unsatisfactory and is inhibiting the overall development of the curriculum.

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Pupils receive good guidance and support. The school’s health and safety procedures

ensure that pupils learn in a safe environment.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides good standards of care and support for pupils. • Health and safety procedures are rigorous and thorough. • There is a lack of formal monitoring of pupils’ personal development.

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Commentary

23. This is a very inclusive school where the needs of each pupil are considered and standards of care are good. The staff know their pupils and each one is treated as an individual. There are sound procedures for child protection in place. Almost all pupils feel that there is a trusted adult who they can go to if they are worried and, in addition, there are trained staff who offer confidential counselling to pupils in Year 6.

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Commentary

24. The school takes very seriously the need to ensure the welfare, health and safety of its pupils and staff. The caretaker is very conscientious. He ensures that the building is clean and well maintained. Along with the deputy headteacher, he carries out regular health and safety inspections of the premises. A written report is presented to the governors, who take prompt action in matters of pupils’ wellbeing in school. The school actively seeks to identify and to minimise any potential risks to pupils and staff. The governor who oversees matters of health and safety routinely checks risk assessments, for example before pupils are taken on school visits.

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Commentary

25. The relationship between pupils and staff is good and teachers are aware of each pupil’s level of personal development. There is a system of awards in place that recognises the achievements of individual pupils, who are encouraged to contribute to their own record of achievement. There are, however, no formal recording or monitoring systems in place to track pupils’ personal development. This is in contrast to the monitoring of academic development, which is carried out with considerably more rigour. Pupils have little opportunity to express their views about the work of the school, although the recently formed school council goes some way towards remedying this situation. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a sound relationship with parents and the community.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s information for parents has improved since the last inspection. • Family literacy programme enables parents to make a good contribution to their children’s learning. • There are good curriculum links with the high school. • There are no regular formal procedures for obtaining and responding to the views of parents.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

26. The results of the pre-inspection questionnaire to parents together with the comments made at the parents’ meeting indicates that the majority of parents are satisfied with the work that the school does. There are no formal consultation procedures by which the school can obtain parents’ views but, nevertheless, the school has a sound relationship with most parents.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

27. Information for parents is better than it was at the time of the last inspection. The school prospectus and governing body’s annual report provide all of the information that they should and regular newsletters keep parents well informed of events in school. The family literacy scheme and other curriculum information events successfully encourage parents to be involved with their children’s learning. Through parents’ evenings, pupils’ annual progress reports and informal contacts between parents and staff, the school provides satisfactory information about pupils’ progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

28. The school maintains good links with its partner high schools. Visits to Ryhill by staff from the high school, and ‘taster days’ at the high school for pupils in Year 6 ensure that they move smoothly to secondary education. These positive links also enhance the quality of the curriculum. Visits from high school staff and pupils contribute to pupils’ learning in music, drama, science and physical education.

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line with current requirements. The leadership provided by the headteacher and other key

staff is satisfactory. The school is managed in a satisfactory way.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Governors are conscientious in overseeing the work of the school and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. • School self-evaluation and planning for improvement lack rigour. • Senior staff and governors do not have a clear view of the way ahead. • Co-ordinators for English, mathematics and special educational needs are effective in raising standards and developing the curriculum, but other co-ordinators are not. • The school’s leaders are very committed to inclusion and the promoting of equality. • The school provides effective support and professional development for staff.

p.15

Commentary

29. The governing body performs its duties satisfactorily. Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They have gained some of this information first hand from visits to the school, by governors responsible for mathematics and special educational needs. However, they do not play a full part in driving school improvement, because many of them are relatively inexperienced. Statutory requirements are met and governors are well on top of recent changes in their responsibilities. Ryhill Junior and Infant School 30. The headteacher has worked hard to maintain stability during a very unsettled period in the school’s development that has resulted in a high turnover of staff. However, the school’s procedures for evaluating the quality of its work and for forward planning are unsatisfactory. They are neither wide-ranging nor rigorous enough to give managers a clear picture of what

p.15

Commentary

most needs to be improved, of how this might be achieved or of contingencies that are likely to require changes in organisation or provision. As a result, strategic planning is too short term to provide clear direction for the school. The school identifies key targets, but worthwhile initiatives have been lost because the school’s development planning and subsequent actions have not been robust enough and staff have been diverted into dealing with unforeseen events or less important matters.

p.16

Commentary

31. Senior staff provide a good example to colleagues, both in their teaching and in their subject leadership. The management of English, mathematics and special educational needs is good. Standards have improved because these co-ordinators have regularly checked the performance of pupils and staff and used the information from their monitoring effectively to remedy weaknesses in the curriculum, to deploy support staff more efficiently and to identify pupils who need additional support. Other co-ordinators have not had the time or the support to achieve this in their subjects. Consequently, the management of the curriculum as a whole is unsatisfactory. The school’s management does not have a complete overview of what is being taught in every subject and to whom it is being taught. The need to rearrange the age groups in classes almost every year has meant that previously sound curriculum planning needs to be reviewed to ensure that all pupils have opportunities to fully develop their

p.16

Commentary

knowledge, skills and understanding in each subject.

p.16

Commentary

32. The school puts its inclusion policy fully into practice. Pupils who previously disliked school and found it difficult to behave are transformed at Ryhill. They enjoy most lessons, have found friends and behave sensibly now. Pupils and teachers welcome pupils with special educational needs, including those with physical disabilities, into the class. There is a high awareness of the different learning needs of boys and girls amongst teachers and teaching assistants. The school has gone out of its way to consider the specific religious beliefs of a group of children and the wishes of their families by, for instance, having two types of assembly.

p.16

Commentary

33. The school provides good support and professional development opportunities for all its staff. Newly qualified teachers receive effective support from an experienced colleague and have full access to advice and training provided by the local education authority. Teachers and teaching assistants have received training, which makes them more effective. However, in some instances, the school does not get the benefit that it should, because staff are not given the time or resources they need to put their ideas into practice or to monitor the impact of suggestions that they have made.

p.16

Commentary

34. Office staff are professional, well organised and efficient. The secretary monitors spending closely and is able to provide completely up-to-date information to the headteacher or to the governing body whenever they need it. She makes good use of new technology, which adds to the overall efficiency of the management and administration of the school.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.16

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 449,244.00 Balance from previous year 21,886,00 Total expenditure 462,888.00 Balance carried forward to the next 8,242.00 Expenditure per pupil 2,398.38 Ryhill Junior and Infant School

p.16

Commentary

35. Sound financial planning supports the school’s educational aims and values. All spending is closely monitored and the school uses its budget satisfactorily. The balance carried forward into this year’s budget was small because the school spends most of what it receives on its current pupils. The headteacher and key staff monitor pupils’ achievements by comparing their results with pupils nationally and with their prior attainment. The school is proud of its rising standards and its determination to continue to improve drives the allocation of available resources, for example, on good quality classroom assistants. The school seeks to secure best value when purchasing goods and services. However, current financial planning does not take full account of the school’s long-term resourcing and staffing priorities and funds are not set aside for planned expenditures. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

36. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The children enter school with below average personal, social and communication skills and limited knowledge and understanding of the world and aspects of physical development. Teaching is good and frequently very good so that the children make good overall progress in the nursery and reception class. They attain average standards and are on course to attain the early learning goals for children of their age. Teaching is particularly successful and the children achieve very well in personal, social and emotional development and aspects of communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. The nursery nurse and classroom assistants support groups and individuals purposefully and promote the children’s learning very effectively. The teacher and support staff assess and record the children’s skills very carefully. They systematically use the

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

information they gain to identify individual children’s development and learning priorities.

p.18

Personal, social and emotional development

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

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers, nursery nurse and teaching assistants successfully ensure that the children settle very securely into school life. • The teachers and support value each child’s efforts and very effectively boost their self-esteem. • The children quickly learn and accept the boundaries that are set in school.

p.18

Commentary

37. The parents meet the staff and the children visit the nursery before they start. These well- planned arrangements successfully promote a smooth transition between home and school. The teachers, nursery nurse and teaching assistants ensure that the nursery and reception classes are very welcoming and classroom systems are firmly established. As a result, all boys and girls grow in assurance in their approach to activities and daily routines.

p.18

Commentary

38. Staff consistently give lots of individual praise and encouragement so that the children are motivated to do their best and show pride in what they have achieved. Teachers plan topics that extend the children’s self-knowledge, for example ‘Ourselves’, and activities, such as looking closely at themselves in mirrors and drawing self-portraits. These arrangements very successfully build the children’s confidence in learning and in their relationships with others.

p.18

Commentary

39. The teachers have high expectations of the children’s involvement and behaviour. The children quickly learn what is expected of them and they respond eagerly. They settle calmly to tasks and maintain interest, when working independently and as part of a group. They handle books and equipment carefully. They respond promptly to instructions and behave sensibly in their classrooms and outdoor area and when they move around school. The very successful teamwork of the adults in the nursery and reception class gives the children a very effective model of co-operation, concern for others and a thoughtful approach to work. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

p.18

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers carefully plan worthwhile opportunities for the children to improve their communication skills. • The children enjoy sharing a varied range of stories, rhymes and non-fiction books. • The teachers successfully promote children’s writing skills through imaginative activities.

p.19

Commentary

40. The children have regular opportunities to talk purposefully to adults and each other, as when children in the reception class describe their favourite presents and select the best words to describe them. The teachers and support staff consistently ask well-directed questions, which successfully promote the children’s concentration and extend their speaking and listening skills. As a result, children make good progress in developing these skills and reach the standards expected for their age.

p.19

Commentary

41. The teachers successfully implement a programme of lively, early reading activities. In the nursery, the children are keen to bring in items that begin with ‘the letter of the week’. They begin to associate letters and sounds and recognise familiar words. In the reception class, the children very successfully extend their learning, as when they make masks to reinforce their skills in reading and following instructions. From their earliest days in school, the children regularly take home a range of books to share with their parents. They achieve very well and in the reception class almost all are on the initial stages of reading.

p.19

Commentary

42. The youngest children have daily opportunities for meaningful mark-making as part of their play, such as ‘writing’ a prescription for a patient when taking the part of a doctor in the ‘Doctor’s Surgery’. The children understand that writing conveys meaning. They regularly practise writing patterns, begin to form their letters carefully and engage in increasingly challenging writing tasks. By the end of the reception year, the children attain average standards. They write their own names and simple words, phrases or sentences independently.

p.19

Mathematical development

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children make good progress in counting and recognising numbers. • The teachers plan stimulating activities that successfully promote children’s mathematical development alongside other areas of learning.

p.19

Commentary

43. Children develop a good sense of number, order and sequence through regular counting routines. The teacher plans a good balance of games and practical activities to encourage children to practise these skills. They regularly join in number rhymes and songs, which successfully reinforce their learning. Many are on course to exceed expectations in this aspect of mathematical development.

p.19

Commentary

44. The children engage in carefully prepared activities, such as building the houses of the Three Little Pigs , which reinforce and extend their knowledge of colours, two- and three-dimensional Ryhill Junior and Infant School shapes whilst extending their art and craft experiences and supporting their literacy work. Such activities encourage children to see learning as fun.

p.19

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Provision in this area of learning is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children acquire a secure knowledge and understanding of the world through practical activities and well-planned topics. • A broad range of visitors successfully engage the children’s interest and promotes learning.

p.20

Commentary

45. The children learn about the properties of sand, water, clay and dough by handling and working with them. They make good progress in learning about living things through activities, such as planting sunflower seeds and taking seasonal walks in the school grounds.

p.20

Commentary

46. The teachers are committed to extending the children’s experience by arranging a stimulating programme of visitors and activities in the school locality. For example, local police officers, fire fighters, the ‘post lady’ and school crossing patrol warden visit school and bring to life the children’s learning about People Who Help Us.

p.20

Physical development

47. It was not possible to make an overall judgement of provision or standards, but planning, documentation and limited observation indicate that the children in the nursery have ready access to a secure, well-equipped outdoor area. This provides opportunities for children to learn by working on a more active scale than is possible indoors and marks an improvement since the last inspection. The children in the reception class have more limited, daily opportunities to use these facilities. The teachers also plan regular physical education lessons in the school hall. Within the nursery and reception classroom, there is a satisfactory range of equipment, such as jigsaws, construction materials and simple tools, including scissors, to promote children’s manipulative skills.

p.20

Creative development

Provision in creative development is satisfactory overall and some aspects are good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers plan thoroughly to ensure that the children have opportunities to engage in a stimulating range of creative activities.

p.20

Commentary

The children develop satisfactory creative skills. They join in readily with action songs and number rhymes, building up a wide repertoire. They enjoy exploring loud and quiet sounds using percussion instruments and a range of household objects in their outdoor Sensory Garden. The children confidently stick paper, card and fabrics to create collages. They mix paints to create different colours and demonstrate an increasing awareness of pattern and texture, particularly when they paint with their hands. The teachers provide well-thought out role-play areas in classrooms and outdoors. These are carefully linked to children’s topic work, such as the optician’s supports the children’s learning about their sight and other senses. They very successfully engage pupils’ interest, encourage collaboration and promote their use of imaginative language. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average in Year 2 and Year 6. • There has been good improvement since the last inspection. • Teaching is good throughout the school. • Subject management is effective.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

48. Standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are above national expectations and this is an improvement on the last inspection when standards were average. Pupils join Year 1 with average skills and because teaching is strong they achieve well by Year 2. During Years 3 to 6, pupils maintain the high standards from Year 2, achieving well, because teaching challenges them. The few pupils with special educational needs also achieve well because they are well supported by their peers, teachers and teaching assistants.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

49. Current standards in Year 2 are similar to the national test scores in 2002, with large numbers of pupils reaching the higher grades (Levels 2A and 3), especially in reading. Standards have been steadily rising over the last five years. In Year 6 standards are now higher than those that pupils achieved in recent national tests. In 2002, as in previous years, standards were below national averages, with a particular weakness in writing. The school has put in place a good ‘target’ system to improve writing standards, which ensures that pupils know how they can improve. Boys and girls do equally well. Apparent differences between the performance of boys and girls are not significant because groups of pupils are so small.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

50. Speaking and listening skills are above average. Pupils are usually confident when responding to a question. They regularly reply in full sentences. Year 3 pupils, for instance, use the technical vocabulary of letter sounds to explain clearly how they spelt ‘unlock’. Teachers use the technique of pupils talking to their partner well. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers and to each other.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

51. Pupils read well and most have very positive attitudes towards books. Most pupils read with confidence and usually practise every day at home. Parents of younger pupils give particularly good support. In Year 2, pupils use a good range of strategies to establish meaning, like sounding out unfamiliar words or looking at the picture. In Year 6, pupils read well for pleasure and for information. Most are familiar with well-known authors. Higher attaining pupils read very challenging books and express clear preferences as to the authors they like and why they like them. They find information in their books on Islam using a good range of techniques. Most use the contents and index pages efficiently and then they ‘skim’ read the text for key words.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

52. In Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ writing skills are above those normally expected for their age. Year 2 pupils extend their writing skills by learning to plan a story or by writing a clear, and moving, description of autumn. They are confident writers and expand on simple instruction well by adding more detail, including adverbs like ‘carefully’. Year 6 pupils write well in many styles. Their story writing for the ‘Stranded’ desert island work is thoughtfully composed and shows good knowledge of the use of speech marks by higher attaining pupils. They are very familiar with the techniques of drafting and redrafting, which they use to help produce good quality work.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

53. Teaching and learning are good through the school and, as a result, standards are rising. Teachers use the national guidelines well, modifying them to best suit the needs of their classes. Teachers challenge pupils with interesting tasks and their expectations of what pupils Ryhill Junior and Infant School can achieve are high. Pupils rise to the occasion, for instance in a Year 2 class they knew they could write more detailed instructions than were in the finger puppet book. They worked very hard at their task, as do most pupils, and are rightly proud of the finished products. As well as challenging pupils, teachers regularly praise and encourage their pupils in order to build confidence and self-esteem. Teaching assistants play a very important role. They support the learning of lower attaining pupils; encouraging them to take part, as well skilfully delivering specialist additional programmes to identified pupils.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

54. The subject is led well by a knowledgeable and experienced co-ordinator. She analyses pupil assessments very carefully and uses the information to alter the emphasis of teaching or to identify pupils who would benefit most from additional support and that is why teaching and learning are improving. Reading resources are good and allow the school to have a set of home readers as well as extensive group reading books for class use.

p.22

Literacy across the curriculum

55. There are well-planned opportunities for pupils to use and extend their literacy skills in other subjects. Year 6 pupils write letters home in the ‘voice’ of an evacuee as part of their history topic. Younger pupils use a word processing package on the computer to record their recipes in design and technology. Report writing is covered well in science. Pupils use non-fiction books well to gather information about World War 2 for their work in history or about Islam for their work in religious education.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics are rising. • The quality of teaching is good. • The co-ordinator leads the development of the subject successfully.

p.22

Commentary

56. Standards are higher than at the time of the previous inspection. In the 2003 national test for seven-year-olds (national results not yet published), almost all pupils attained average standards and more than a third attained a higher level. This represents a marked improvement on results in recent years. Current Year 2 pupils are making good progress and are on course to maintain these high levels of attainment. There is an overall trend of improvement in results at the end of Year 6. However, in the 2003 national tests for 11 year- olds (national results unpublished), pupils’ results were slightly lower than in the previous year when they attained average overall standards. The current Year 6 pupils are achieving well and overall results are set to rise, with a similar proportion as last year on course to attain the average standard but a greater proportion on course to exceed this level.

p.22

Commentary

57. The National Numeracy Strategy is successfully established throughout the school. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and they are clear about what they want pupils to learn. They share these aims with the pupils at the beginning of lessons so that lessons have a sharp focus, teaching points are clearly made and reinforced and pupils make good progress in learning. Lessons usually start with lively mental agility work and pupils are well motivated by quick-fire question and answer sessions. Sessions are well structured. Teachers bring pupils together at the end of lessons for a worthwhile recap of what has been achieved by individuals and groups of pupils. Teachers use this opportunity effectively to reinforce what pupils have learned, praise their efforts and boost their confidence. Teachers and classroom assistants are very responsive to pupils' individual needs and readily give explanations. This promotes

p.22

Commentary

pupils’ involvement and positive attitudes towards mathematics. Pupils make most progress in Ryhill Junior and Infant School lessons when teachers encourage them to explain the methods they use in reaching conclusions and completing tasks. This successfully extends pupils’ thinking, whilst enabling the teacher to assess their understanding. Teachers successfully use the results of their observations, marking and regular assessments to ensure that tasks are usually well adapted for the different levels of attainment within the class. Teachers manage whole-class sessions well and pupils’ behaviour is very good. Teachers make clear their expectations of how pupils should lay out their work and almost all pupils respond with neat workbooks.

p.22

Commentary

58. The co-ordinator provides good leadership. He is committed to raising standards in the subject. He uses the information gained from a thorough analysis of test results to identify target areas for improvement. This is raising standards over time. However, he currently does not have opportunities to observe classroom practice. This lack of provision for systematic monitoring reduces his capacity to give advice, encouragement and support to colleagues throughout the school.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

59. Teachers know the value of linking aspects of subjects in order to strengthen pupils’ learning. There are worthwhile examples of pupils’ work in ICT, science and art and design that make a satisfactory contribution to their mathematical understanding. For example, younger pupils print with two- and three-dimensional shapes and pupils in Years 5 and 6 use line graphs to present the results of their scientific investigations.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in science are rising. • The recently appointed subject leader has introduced systematic assessment procedures but is not given the time she needs to monitor standards and quality effectively. • Teachers have high expectations and pitch work at a challenging level. • Investigative and experimental work is well represented in teachers’ planning. • Teachers are not using assessment information to modify tasks to meet the needs of pupils with different capabilities.

p.23

Commentary

60. In 2002, teachers’ assessments of pupils at the end of Year 2 indicated that pupils’ attainments were average. In 2003, standards improved. All pupils achieved the expected standard for their age and the proportion of above average results increased. Pupils had made good progress in Years 1 and 2. Lesson observations and the work of pupils currently in Year 2 confirm this picture of good progress, although this year’s results are likely to be somewhat lower than in 2003. This is because there are more pupils with special educational needs in this small year group and, whilst they too are making good progress, the lower level of their performance will affect the school’s overall results. The 2002 and 2003 (unpublished) results for pupils in Year 6 were below the national average. However, in the context of well below average standards in the preceding three years and the low standards attained by this

p.23

Commentary

same group at the age of seven, their achievements at the age of 11 were good. Evidence from lessons and the work of pupils currently in Year 6 indicate that standards are still rising and are now firmly in line with those in schools nationally. In the current Year 6, almost all pupils are on course to attain the nationally expected standard and the proportion of above average scores is set to rise again.

p.23

Commentary

61. Standards are rising because the recently appointed co-ordinator for science has made standards the most important focus of her development work. Her informal monitoring Ryhill Junior and Infant School indicated that teachers were not giving enough emphasis to the teaching of investigative skills. The co-ordinator has remedied this weakness through a combination of improved guidance and support. As a result, teaching and learning are better than they were. Pupils’ completed work shows that most now receive a regular ‘diet’ of investigative and experimental work that takes their understanding to a deeper, conceptual level. Similarly, work in all year groups is set at a sufficiently demanding level to enable higher attaining pupils to achieve above average standards in many aspects of their work. The co-ordinator has also introduced a system to enable teachers to assess pupils’ skills in scientific investigation. However, she has

p.23

Commentary

not been able to check the progress of this important initiative or to evaluate standards or the quality of teaching and learning in individual classes because she has not been given the necessary time to carry out these tasks. This lack of provision for monitoring is unsatisfactory because it reduces the pace of development in this subject.

p.24

Commentary

62. The teaching of science is good. Teachers have good levels of knowledge and understanding and they prepare carefully for their lessons. As a result, their teaching is clear, authoritative and accurate, and they use questions skilfully to make pupils think more deeply and to extend their understanding. They have high expectations and successfully establish habits of good behaviour and positive response that enable them to manage complex practical activities effectively. Teachers are not using assessment information effectively to modify tasks to meet the needs of pupils with different capabilities. However, they make particularly good use of classroom assistants to support the learning of younger or less able pupils or those with special educational needs and so these pupils are usually able to succeed and make good progress alongside others in the class.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

63. Inspectors saw only one ICT lesson. This lesson, along with examples of pupils’ completed work and discussions with pupils, forms the basis of judgements on provision and overall standards. However, there is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about the overall quality of teaching and learning or about pupils’ response to these subjects.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are higher than at the time of the previous inspection. • The school has improved its resources and facilities for the teaching of ICT. • Teachers and classroom assistants have sufficient knowledge and understanding of ICT to teach basic skills effectively. • Teachers are not using assessment data to plan work for pupils with different capabilities. • Procedures for checking on standards and the quality of provision are not established.

p.24

Commentary

64. Standards are higher than at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils are achieving satisfactory standards in all aspects of ICT. Most pupils are on course to achieve the nationally expected standard by the time that they leave the school.

p.24

Commentary

65. Standards have risen because the school’s resources and facilities for teaching ICT are better than they were at the time of the last inspection. There is a computer suite that will accommodate a whole class and projection equipment to enable teachers to demonstrate more effectively. The school also has the necessary software to teach all aspects of the ICT curriculum. In addition, teachers and classroom assistants have undertaken extensive training. As a result, they are both competent and confident when teaching ICT. For example, in an effective Years 1/2 lesson, the teacher kept the pace of pupils high because her demonstrations were brisk and to the point and her ‘trouble-shooting’ was very efficient. Her questions really made pupils think deeply and so improved their understanding. Ryhill Junior and Infant School 66. However, there are currently no arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainments in ICT and so

p.24

Commentary

staff are not using assessment information to inform their planning. Consequently, planning rarely takes account of the different needs and capabilities of the pupils. In most lessons, all pupils undertake the same task and, even though teachers and classroom assistants work hard to support pupils with learning difficulties and to challenge the higher attainers, these pupils do not always make the progress that they should. This lack of specific planning is unsatisfactory.

p.25

Commentary

67. Pupils also contribute to the overall quality of learning in ICT lessons. Younger pupils are excited by the equipment that is available to them, but on most occasions channel their excitement into productive work. They have the confidence to work independently but also collaborate very well and give constructive help that enables others to succeed.

p.25

Commentary

68. The co-ordinator for ICT has done a satisfactory job in leading new developments in her subject. However, there are no arrangements for the co-ordinator to monitor aspects of the subject by observing teaching and learning in other classes, because much of the co- ordinator’s time has been taken up in solving technical problems. This inefficient use of the co- ordinator’s time is unsatisfactory because it has restricted development and innovation in the subject.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

69. Pupils use ICT satisfactorily as an aid to learning other subjects. Examples seen or discussed during the inspection include: - the word-processing of poems and stories using different colours, fonts and borders; - the combining of words and pictures in ‘Powerpoint’ presentations; - the use of information handling software to create graphs to display science results; - the use of the Internet as a source of historical information; - the use of creative tools to make pictures in the style of Mondrian; - the use of the programmable robot device to reinforce mathematical or geographical understanding. However, this worthwhile application of skills is restricted because there are few free-standing computers in classrooms and teachers have to book limited time slots in the ICT suite.

p.25

HUMANITIES

70. In humanities, work from Years 3 to 6 was sampled in history and one lesson was seen. No geography was being taught at the time of the inspection, so no work was sampled and no lessons were seen. Therefore, it is not possible to form an overall judgement about provision in these subjects. Nor is it possible to make a judgement about the standards in geography. There are, however, clear indications that standards in history are satisfactory overall. Pupils in Years 1/2 distinguish between aspects of their own lives, such as their toys and those of the past. In Years 3/4, pupils’ work demonstrates sound enquiry skills and an emerging sense of the passing of time. Pupils in Years 5/6 have a good grasp of chronology and knowledge of the events leading up World War Two. They demonstrate a thoughtful approach to the subject and a good insight into what it was like to be a child at that time.

p.25

HUMANITIES

71. In both subjects, teachers plan interesting and relevant visits that pupils are keen to recall. In geography, for example, a residential visit to Hornsea enables pupils in Years 3/4 to explore a contrasting locality and to discover the features of a seashore environment. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 speak enthusiastically about their recent visit to Eden Camp and how they gained a greater understanding of the wartime experiences of servicemen and civilians, notably women.

p.25

HUMANITIES

72. The geography and history co-ordinators are keen to improve provision in their subjects and they plan to introduce consistent assessment procedures and portfolios of pupils’ work. However, they do not have opportunities to observe teaching and to evaluate aspects of Ryhill Junior and Infant School pupils’ learning at first hand. This limits their ability to maintain an overview of standards in their subjects.

p.25

Religious education

The overall provision is unsatisfactory .

p.26

Religious education

73. Judgements about the school’s provision for religious education and about standards in Year 6 are based on a sample of work from pupils in Years 3 to 6, discussions with pupils and with the subject co-ordinator, the analysis of planning and the observation of one lesson in Key Stage 2. There is insufficient evidence to make reliable judgements on standards in Year 2 or on the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ response in religious education lessons.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Year 6 are below average. • Provision has not improved enough since the last inspection. • The curriculum is not organised well enough. • There are good opportunities to develop pupils’ literacy skills. • There are no assessment procedures and no monitoring of teaching and learning.

p.26

Commentary

74. By Year 6, standards are below those expected by the locally agreed syllabus and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Many pupils have a sound knowledge of world faiths. They retell the history of Islam making good use of their literacy skills to compose it in their own words. They know what a mosque is and how it is used. However, pupils do too little work on ‘Learning from Religions’. They do not have sufficient knowledge of the similarities and difference between the major world faiths and why, for instance, people are Moslem. In their writing, they record facts well but do not explore important issues.

p.26

Commentary

75. The sample of pupils’ work also showed that teachers effectively promote the use of literacy skills through the tasks that are set in religious education lessons. Imaginative tasks in a Year 4 lesson allowed pupils to write movingly about a pilgrimage by writing a postcard to a friend or preparing an interview. Similarly, Year 3 pupils have written a quality booklet retelling the story of Rama and Sita in their own words and with their own illustrations. The school has a sound collection of objects relating to the topics studied and these often provoke lively discussions. Teachers also make good use of a book loan system to bring in large quantities of non-fiction texts for the pupils to use. Pupils are familiar with contents and index because they want to find out information on their topic.

p.26

Commentary

76. The curriculum is not organised well. Each year, topics are arranged for every class. However, the composition of classes often changes from year to year and this leads to the possibility of pupils missing important topics unless staff devise short-term plans to bridge the gaps in pupils’ learning. Insufficient improvement has been made since the last inspection because the subject has not been a school priority. The new co-ordinator has been given too little time or opportunity to make an impact on standards or the quality of provision for the subject. Teachers do not assess pupils’ attainments in religious education. Any records relate to topics studied and not what pupils have learned.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. This area of the curriculum was not included in the main focus of the inspection. Inspectors saw a small number of design and technology, music and physical education lessons, but art and design was not on the timetable during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about some aspects of their work, sampled a small amount of work from the first half term of this school year and examined planning and policy documents. What inspectors saw was Ryhill Junior and Infant School mainly satisfactory. However, there is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements about provision, standards or the quality of teaching and learning in these subjects.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. In the art and design sample, there was only one piece of work by each pupil in Year 6, which was based on ‘landscape’ drawing. Pupils designed their scene well, making good use of perspective, and composed their pictures effectively. Their use of pastels showed a sound understanding of colour mixing. Year 2 pupils have drawn portraits. They show that pupils have good observation skills because every one on display was detailed.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

79. Discussions with pupils about their work in design and technology indicate that teachers give suitable emphasis to the important skills of investigating, planning, making and evaluating products. In the lessons seen, effective links with subjects, such as science, ICT and music, captured pupils’ imagination and gave added meaning and purpose to their work.

p.27

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

80. In music , one lesson was seen but no work was available. Therefore, it is not possible to form an overall judgement about provision in the subject. From talking to pupils in Years 1/2, it is evident that they have regular opportunities to sing, listen to and play percussion instruments and develop their musical ideas. Provision for pupils in Years 3 to 6 is varied. Younger pupils experience a good range of musical activities. However, pupils in Years 5/6 had no music lessons in the half-term preceding the inspection.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

81. Teachers’ planning and policy documents indicate that all elements of the National Curriculum for physical education receive regular attention. In the lesson observed, pupils made satisfactory gains in developing their dance skills. Pupils with special educational needs received good support and encouragement. This enabled them to take a full part in lessons, experience success and make good progress.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. In most of these subjects, the school enhances the basic curriculum with a good range of visits, visitors and special events. Visits to places, such as the Sculpture Park, extend pupils’ knowledge of art by allowing them to consider techniques other than pictures making. Visitors from local sports clubs and the secondary school contribute to the teaching of games skills and pupils in Years 3/4 and 4/5 have weekly violin lessons from a skilled, visiting teacher. They are keen to learn and are making good progress. The subject leaders organise much of this provision, provide documentation to support teachers’ planning and maintain resources at a satisfactory level. However, they do not have opportunities to observe teaching and to evaluate aspects of pupils’ learning at first hand. This limits their capacity to secure consistent practice and plan for further improvement in their subject areas.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION (PSHE) AND CITIZENSHIP

83. It was not possible to observe lessons in this area of the school’s work and so no judgements can be made about overall provision. The school sees pupils’ personal development as an important part of its work and the recently appointed co-ordinator has done well to establish PSHE within the curriculum and to produce a detailed and thorough programme of work. This programme includes work on diet, health, sex education, the misuse of drugs, personal safety and citizenship. Every class has timetabled PSHE lessons or circle time 7 and effective links with physical education, science and design and technology ensure that pupils develop a safe and healthy lifestyle, gain confidence and learn how to interact positively with others. Recent elections for the school council gave all pupils the opportunity to experience democracy at work and for the elected members to act on behalf of others and to influence aspects of

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION (PSHE) AND CITIZENSHIP

7 Circle Time – when younger pupils sit together and share thoughts and feelings or talk about things that are important to or concern them. Ryhill Junior and Infant School

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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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