Scunthorpe CofE Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th to 22 nd January 2004

p.1

PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.1

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. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 3 Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

p.2

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 3 to 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 208.5

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

School address: Gurnell Street Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire Postcode: DN15 6HP

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01724 842526 Fax number: 01724 842526

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 th February 1999

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School is voluntary controlled and is of average size. It provides for 208 children aged from 3 to 11. It is located in the town centre and nearly all of the pupils come from the immediate locality. This is a very deprived area with high level of unemployment and ill health, poor quality housing (often owned by private landlords), and a very high proportion of one parent families. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, at 47%, is well above the national average, as are the percentages of pupils with special educational needs (46%), and Statements of Special Educational Needs (4%). Pupils with special educational needs include a number with moderate learning difficulties, speech and language problems and behavioural needs. The school also has a high proportion (30%) of pupils of ethnic origins other than White-British (mainly Bangladeshi in origin), many of

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

whom speak English as an additional language and forty-four pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition. Four pupils are in public care. The number of pupils moving in and out of the area is relatively high, with thirty-four joining and thirty-two leaving at other than the start and end of the last school year. Attainment on entry to the Nursery class is very low compared to that expected for children aged three.

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

The school is involved in the following initiatives: Excellence in Cities; Leadership Development Strategy in Primary Schools; Sure Start; The Children’s Fund; Gatsby Early Years Enhancement Programme. It has gained a Healthy Schools Award (2003) and a Performing Arts Award (2002). Major staff changes have taken place since its last inspection, including the appointment of a new head from September 2002. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 5 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

p.4

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

p.5

PRIMARY SCHOOL

18059 Mrs R Harrison Lead inspector Science Art Design and technology Music English as an additional language Personal, social and health education and citizenship 19335 Mrs S Dixon Lay inspector 25577 Mr W Jefferson Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography History Religious education 10911 Mrs C Deloughry Team inspector Foundation Stage Special educational needs English Physical education

p.5

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Altecq Education Limited 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7JX

p.5

PRIMARY SCHOOL

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). Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 6 REPORT CONTENTS

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.6

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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

p.6

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 37

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 7

p.7

OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very effective school . Teaching and learning are very good and, as a result, pupils of all abilities and backgrounds achieve very well. Overall leadership and management are very good. The school gives very good value for money.

p.7

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Leadership and management by the headteacher are excellent. • Standards in English are below average at the end of Year 6. • Standards in information and communication technology, art and design, religious education and design and technology are above average. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is very good. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and their behaviour is very good. • Attendance is improving but is at present well below average. • The quality of the outdoor accommodation is unsatisfactory.

p.7

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made very good improvement since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching and assessment has improved considerably. As a consequence, standards in mathematics and science have risen and are now average at the end of Year 6. Standards have also improved significantly in information and communication technology information and communication technology, art and design, religious education, geography and design and technology.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English D E* E A mathematics E E D A science E E* D A Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average; E* - very low; Similar schools are those where pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

As a result of the very good teaching, pupils achieve very well. There is a wide spread of ability in each year group, with a high proportion of lower-attaining pupils in most classes. In addition nearly one third of the pupils have English as an additional language. Pupils achieve well in the Foundation Stage, although because of their very low starting point when they start at the nursery, very few attain any of the goals children are expected to reach by the end of the Reception year. Pupils continue to make good gains in their learning in Years 1 and 2, but standards in Year 2 remain below average in mathematics, science and most other subjects and well below average in all aspects of literacy, because pupils start from such a low base. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ achievements in English are very good and standards are below average. In mathematics and science standards have improved and are average. This

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

reflects very good achievement. This high level of achievement also extends to information Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 8 and communication technology, art and design, religious education and design and technology. Where standards are above average. There is no significant difference in attainment of boys and girls. Because of the very good teaching, pupils are doing much better than their peers in similar schools and there has been significant improvement on the results from the tests and assessments in 2003.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal development is very good. It is supported very effectively by the very good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are very happy at school and form very good relationships and have very positive attitudes towards learning. There has been a decline of over 95% in the number of exclusions since the headteacher’s appointment and there has been none this school year. Pupils’ behaviour is now very good. They are very caring towards each other and enjoy taking on responsibilities. Attendance is well below average. This is largely due to the number of pupils who take extended or religious holidays in term time and a small number whose parents take them out of school for casual days off. The school is working very hard to address this and additional support is provided to help these pupils achieve well. Punctuality is satisfactory although a few pupils are regularly

p.8

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is very good. Teaching is very good overall. Pupils learn very effectively and make very good progress because teachers provide them with challenging and interesting activities and pay very careful attention to the pupils’ individual needs. Assessment procedures are very good and information about pupils’ progress is used very effectively to match work to their needs. Excellent use is made of the wide range of support staff, including specialist teachers in order to help pupils make very good gains in their learning, especially helping those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. Provision throughout the school is very good. The curriculum, including visits and visitors to the school, is very good and enrichment activities are good. A range of very good initiatives, including the Healthy Schools Initiative and the personal education programme, enhance the work planned in lessons very effectively. The quality of

p.8

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

the outside accommodation is unsatisfactory but the school has plans to address this imminently.

p.8

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The overall quality of care, guidance and support is excellent and ensures all pupils have full access to the help they need to do well. Links with parents and other schools are very good. Partnerships with the main secondary school that pupils transfer to in Year 7 are particularly good and ensure pupils make a confident start in their new school. Links with the community are good and continue to be developed.

p.8

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good. Leadership and management by the headteacher are excellent. Since her appointment in 2002 she has had a dramatic impact on improvements and has gained the respect of all those connected with the school. She encourages and supports staff very effectively and has successfully developed a very good team. Leadership and management by key staff are very good. The work of the governing body is satisfactory. Governors work closely with the headteacher and her staff to ensure the school continues to improve and all statutory requirements are met.

p.8

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 9 Parents are very satisfied with the school and have no significant concerns. Pupils think their school is very good and are particularly positive about the staff. They feel very safe and well looked after.

p.9

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

p.9

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Continue with efforts to raise standards in English for pupils with very low attainment in their basic literacy skills and those who have low attendance. • Improve attendance and punctuality. • Improve the outside accommodation of the school. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 10

p.9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Overall achievement in the school is very good. Standards are improving all the time and are above those reported in the last inspection. Achievement in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 is good. Achievement is very good in Years 3 to 6.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

• At the end of Year 6, standards in information and communication technology, art and design, and religious education are above average. • From well below average in the last inspection, standards in mathematics and science are now average. • Pupils make very good progress overall because teaching is very good. • Standards in English remain below average at the end of Year 6. • The overall trend for improvement in 2003 was above the national trend at the end of Year 2.

p.10

Foundation Stage

1. Children enter the Foundation Stage with very low levels of attainment in all areas of learning. Almost all of the children have very little experience of learning prior to joining the nursery. The school has a very high number of children with special educational needs in each year group and nearly one third of all pupils come from homes where English is not the first language. Both of these factors limit children’s progress in the first few years in school. Although, as a result of the very good teaching they receive in the Foundation Stage, children make good progress and gain confidence in their learning, most of them fail to achieve any of the early learning goals successfully. Staff work methodically to monitor children’s achievements carefully, and teachers ensure subsequent work matches each child’s needs accurately. By the time they enter Year 1, pupils’ overall attainment is still well below the expected levels.

p.10

Key Stage 1

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

p.10

Key Stage 1

Standards in: School results National results reading 12.3 (13.1) 15.7 (15.8)

p.10

Key Stage 1

There were 22 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.10

Key Stage 1

2. In the Year 2 National tests and assessments in 2003, standards were well below the national average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. In reading, mathematics and science standards were very low, being in the bottom 5% of all schools nationally. This was also the case when results were compared with similar schools. However, Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 11 the overall trend for improvement was above that seen nationally. These results show a marginal decline on the previous inspection but the attainment on entry to the nursery at that time was not as low as it is currently. Pupils work hard and achieve well, and are greatly encouraged by the very good teaching they receive, but as nearly half of them have special educational needs and a third are learning English as an additional language, their attainment is well below average in English at the end of Year 2. However their attainment in mathematics and science has improved since the last

p.10

Key Stage 2

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

p.11

Key Stage 2

Standards in: School results National results English 25.2 (23.4) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 25.7 (23.8) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.1 (23.6) 28.6 (28.3) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.11

Key Stage 2

3. In the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2003, overall standards in English were still well below the national average but average against similar schools. This is a decline on the standards reported in the last inspection. There was significant improvement from the previous inspection in mathematics and science where pupils achieved below the national average but in line with similar schools. Because these subjects lend themselves to practical activities, pupils find these easier to follow and as a consequence performance is better than that for English. In all three subjects attainment was very good when compared to pupils’ prior attainment, and when compared with the results from the national tests in 2002. Standards in the current Year 6 are below average for English and average for mathematics and science. The improvements are largely as a result of very good, teaching, the very detailed

p.11

Key Stage 2

monitoring and tracking of pupils’ progress and the very good provision of additional support where necessary. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is good at the end of Year 2 and very good at the end of Year 6, because the continuous very good support they receive helps them gain confidence in their learning, as they grow older. This also applies to pupils who learn English as an additional language. They take some time to assimilate the new language but by the time they enter Year 3 most have reached standards similar to their peers. A significant proportion of the highest attaining pupils at the end of Year 6 are those who learn English as an additional language.

p.11

Key Stage 2

4. The school’s high numbers of pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language is a major factor affecting the overall standards the school attains. This is particularly evident in literacy, where pupils start from a very low level in their English language skills. Teachers present pupils with challenging activities and expectations are high. Assessment information is used very accurately to ensure pupils make very good progress. In reading overall standards are well below average at the end of Year 2 and below average at the end of Year 6. The school places a good emphasis on developing pupils’ reading skills and as much time as possible is devoted to supporting individual pupils. As many of them have few opportunities to read or be heard reading outside school, a vast number practise their skills insufficiently to make better gains. Pupils’ speaking skills are below average overall. Teachers provide good

p.11

Key Stage 2

opportunities for pupils to discuss ideas and views regularly and most pupils join in Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 12 confidently especially as they progress through the school and gain confidence when speaking in front of others. Opportunities for other speaking activities, for example, role–play are not always planned for sufficiently. Because pupils’ experiences outside school are often limited, their vocabulary remains an inhibiting factor in raising standards overall. Standards in writing are well below average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. Pupils are hampered by their limited skills in reading and speaking, but teaching is very good. The current Year 6 pupils are set to at least match the results in English from last year.

p.11

Key Stage 2

5. In mathematics, there has been very good improvement since the last inspection, when standards were well below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The school has worked hard to ensure numeracy skills are developed step by step, and pupils’ achievements are monitored very carefully to check they are making good progress. Basic numeracy skills are developed well. High priority is given to provide pupils with practical tasks and develop their problem solving skills. Assessment information is used very carefully to ensure all pupils build on previous learning effectively. Pupils in Year 2 are working at below average standards. Pupils in the current Year 6 are performing at average levels.

p.12

Key Stage 2

6. Standards in science are currently below average in Year 2 and average in Year 6. The school has developed a very good curriculum that promotes ‘learning through doing’. This practical approach suits these pupils well and encourages them to explore and experiment with ideas and thus learn very effectively by applying their enquiry skills. Teaching and assessment strategies are very good and as a consequence pupils’ overall achievement is very good.

p.12

Key Stage 2

7. Standards in information and communication technology have improved and are now in line with expected levels at the end of Years 2 and 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, achieve very well overall. The information and communication technology suite has been of huge benefit in providing pupils with good opportunities to learn and begin to apply computing skills in other subjects. Access to material on CD-ROMs and the Internet is also helping raise standards in literacy as pupils learn to research and select information, for example, in design and technology and art. Whilst pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 have daily access to the suite, opportunities are sometimes missed to make greater use of the computers in classrooms for pupils to practise their information and communication technology skills more often.

p.12

Key Stage 2

8. Standards in religious education, art and design and design and technology are above average at the end of Year 6, largely as a result of the very good teaching and carefully planned curriculum. Achievement in these subjects is very good. From the work sampled, standards in all other subjects are at least in line with expectations, at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ personal qualities are very good. Their attitudes, behaviour and relationships are consistently very good. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is very good. Attendance is poor.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ very good attitudes have a very positive effect on their learning. • Behaviour has improved dramatically over the last year. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 13 • Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is excellent. • Pupils work and play alongside each other in harmony. • The poor attendance of a few pupils sometimes impedes their progress.

p.12

Commentary

9. Pupils’ enthusiasm towards their work and the school is very good. They are very happy at school and usually arrive on time. Regular attendance is promoted well and many pupils respond very well to this. However too many parents take holidays in term time or take children out of school for casual days off . This has a significant and detrimental effect upon their children’s learning. A learning mentor has recently been appointed to work closely with the families of pupils with attendance problems in order to bring about improvement.

p.13

Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

p.13

Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 6.9 School data : 1.6 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.

p.13

Commentary

10. Pupils make maximum use of their time in school and work very hard throughout the day. They listen very attentively to teachers and are very prompt to settle to work independently or in groups. Pupils with special educational needs form very good relationships with their classmates, teachers and support assistants. Their behaviour is very good and they work with enthusiasm and try hard. This impacts very positively on their achievement. Pupils’ interest in their work is excellent and they enjoy opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning extremely sensibly. They have very good opportunities to take responsibility in the whole school community, for example, through the school council or acting as playground buddies. Children in the Foundation Stage make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development because they receive excellent care, support and guidance.

p.13

Commentary

11. The very good behaviour in school compliments pupils’ very good attitudes and creates a calm, friendly and harmonious environment. The school’s high expectations are made clear and promoted consistently. Pupils understand what is acceptable, enjoy the praise they are given and appreciate the fairness of the rewards and sanctions to acknowledge their efforts. As a result, pupils’ self discipline and their moral judgements are very good. Relationships throughout the school are very good. Lunchtimes are very orderly and sociable occasions and pupils take care of each other in a very helpful and mature manner. There are still a few occasions, at this time of day, when pupils’ behaviour is less good but these incidents are dealt with immediately. The improvement in behaviour has been excellent since the arrival of this headteacher with no exclusions this year. There has been a decline in exclusions of over 95 per cent in

p.13

Commentary

the last two years, brought about largely as a result of the very firm but positive behaviour management strategies the school now implements. Pupils feel that the introduction of playground buddies has helped them to overcome some of their behaviour problems well. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 14

p.13

Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.14

Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.14

Exclusions

White – British 117 52 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 3 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 46 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.14

Exclusions

12. The very good social development of pupils is well supported in lessons and by a wide variety of clubs. Pupils benefit from and enjoy these opportunities and attendance is very good. Many pupils say they would like to stay at school longer. In lessons, social development is promoted very well with group and paired work and discussions. Pupils learn about the world around them and have a good understanding of their place in society. Pupils learn to value and respect themselves and others. A sense of delight and worth is present in the school environment, for example the excellent celebration of pupils’ work on display, and in the exciting learning that goes on in many lessons. Pupils are offered very rich experiences of their own culture and that of others. This is strongly reflected in pupils’ work for example in art and design, and in the very good relationships that exist in this diverse community.

p.14

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is very good . Teaching, learning, assessment and the curriculum are all very good. The school takes very good care of its pupils and provides them with excellent guidance and support . Links with parents and local schools are very good and links with the community are good.

p.14

Teaching and learning

Overall, teaching and learning throughout the school are very good . Assessment procedures are very good and inform planning very effectively.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make a very good start to their learning in the Foundation Stage. • Because of the very good teaching, pupils learn very effectively. • Pupils with special educational needs or with English as an additional language are supported very well. • Teachers make excellent use of support staff. • Assessment procedures are rigorous and ensure teachers plan work to match pupils’ needs effectively. • Opportunities for pupils to work independently are promoted well. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 15

p.14

Commentary

13. Achievement in the Foundation Stage, and in Years 1 and 2 is good and does not fully reflect the very good teaching and learning in these classes. This is because children start at the school with very limited experiences of learning. Nearly a half of all pupils have special educational needs and a third have English as an additional language. This means that most pupils have to work hard to learn new things and often in a new language. Excellent use is made of all additional support staff and volunteers to ensure children make good progress. Many find adjusting to the rigours of school life very challenging and all these factors impede their learning. As a consequence, they struggle to absorb all that they learn effectively, despite the excellent support they receive. This situation improves as they gain confidence and learning in Years 3 to 6 is very good. Both parents and pupils are very positive about the teaching staff, and pupils

p.15

Commentary

say they ‘love’ their ‘teachers’, because they are kind and help them, referring to all adults working in the classrooms.

p.15

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 44 lessons

p.15

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.15

Commentary

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

p.15

Commentary

14. Strengths in teaching include the high expectations that teachers place on pupils to behave well and try hard. Explanations and instructions are made very clear, work is challenging and fun and lessons run at a very energetic pace.

p.15

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice The excellent science lesson observed in the Year 2 class moved at a dramatic pace, as pupils explored batteries and electricity. Having introduced a range of household appliances that worked using batteries, the teacher then proceeded to issue pupils with torches. For many this was their first encounter with a torch. They were awe-struck at such a simple privilege. The teacher ‘flashed’ around the class in a battery operated Santa hat and held pupils’ attention as she encouraged them to dismantle their torches, and draw the components. The challenge then was to see if they could re-assemble and recover a working torch. Initially, the pupils were amazed they were allowed to take their prized torch to bits but as the first few managed to re-assemble them, the atmosphere became electric. Pupils were thrilled and laughed with delight. Their success was infectious and others worked hard to get their torches to light up so they too

p.15

Commentary

could shine them on the ceiling and walls. The more able ones helped their friends by showing them what to do. The classroom was a buzz of excitement and pleasure. The learning was excellent because it was very much a ‘learning through doing’ experience.

p.15

Commentary

15. Throughout the school, teachers present pupils with challenging tasks and activities and use a wide range of ‘hands on’ approaches so that pupils learn through their experiences. Resources are selected very carefully to ensure they will enable the tasks to be carried out and support materials are carefully designed to match pupils’ needs. Visits and visitors further enrich pupils’ experiences. Teachers build in good opportunities to use information and communication technology to support learning, for example in art and design or geography research. Older pupils manage themselves very confidently and are prompt to settle to independent activities. They are so keen to learn and achieve success, that they are not reluctant to have a go or seek help and guidance when they are stuck. The school’s large numbers of support staff are put to Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 16 excellent use in helping individuals and small groups of pupils make good and often

p.15

Commentary

very good progress, especially as they move through Key Stage 2. Because relationships are so good, pupils turn to each other for support if no adults are immediately available. Lower-attaining pupils are helped sensitively in order to participate fully. Their peers watch and learn from the way adults work with these pupils and, when necessary, follow their good examples to make sure everyone achieves well.

p.16

Commentary

16. At the end of lessons, teachers encourage pupils to share their work with others, being appropriately praised and applauded for their efforts. Very good emphasis is placed on pupils thinking about what they have been learning and evaluating their success and considering what they might do next to improve. For example, teachers ask pupils, ‘Do you think you have learnt anything new today?’ or ‘How do you think you could have improved your work?’ Because it is routine to conclude lessons in this way, from an early age pupils are encouraged to speak in front of others and learn to give and take advice on their work. Teachers question pupils’ knowledge and understanding very skillfully, probing and prompting as necessary to draw explanations from them regarding their views or observations. They continue such questioning when marking pupils’ work. Comments are well constructed and carefully guide pupils into making the

p.16

Commentary

required improvements to achieve success.

p.16

Commentary

17. The school promotes very positive attitudes to learning and pupils respond enthusiastically. The assessment information available to all staff is very detailed and guides their planning of lessons very effectively. In this way teachers ensure that all pupils build successfully on what they have learnt already. Teachers ensure that the work set matches pupils’ abilities very accurately and if additional support is required, this is very carefully planned. Often, small groups of pupils with special educational needs or who are learning English as an additional language are withdrawn from their class to carry out the same work. In the security of a more intimate setting, they are encouraged to contribute more and as a consequence they learn more rapidly. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good both in these withdrawal groups and within the whole class, because the planning is so thorough and individual

p.16

Commentary

targets are accommodated well. The same applies to the teaching of pupils who have English as an additional language. The specialist language support teachers plan meticulously to ensure pupils pursue and achieve the individual targets set for them. The information exchange between the main class teacher and support staff is very effective in ensuring pupils learn very effectively.

p.16

Commentary

18. Occasionally, teaching lacks pace or is not always as carefully matched to pupils’ needs as it might be. In one or two lessons, the teachers’ presentations were too long and although pupils continued to listen very attentively, for a few there was too much to take in and they became distracted. For example, in a lesson in the reception class, the surroundings were noisy and too busy, so that a few children failed to sustain concentration and this limited their learning. In a mathematics lesson in Year 4, the work that the pupils were asked to do did not fully take into account their previous learning. This resulted in three or four pupils finding the challenge too high and their progress was very slow.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 17 • Very good well planned curriculum throughout the school. • Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. • Very good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. • Enrichment activities are good. • Resources provided are very good. • The accommodation is satisfactory overall.

p.17

Commentary

19. The curriculum enables all pupils to develop their capabilities in all subjects and areas of learning, and achieve very well. It ensures pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are kept fully involved in all that the school offers. It is evaluated rigorously and is very effectively developed to ensure the needs of all pupils are met as the profile of the pupils entering the school changes. The systems for planning and monitoring the curriculum are very good to ensure pupils gain a very good range of knowledge and skills. The in-depth delivery of the topics in history and geography is particularly successful and has done much to raise standards in these subjects. The meticulous, planning and organisation of the curriculum and the introduction of ability grouping for literacy and numeracy in the Foundation Stage contributes positively to children’s very good achievement. A high priority is placed on personal, social and health education,

p.17

Commentary

which is planned and timetabled for each age group and well promoted by teachers throughout the school day.

p.17

Commentary

20. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The special educational needs co-ordinator has worked very hard and developed very good procedures to ensure the work is carefully planned to match the pupils’ needs. The systems adopted are a recent innovation and now require monitoring, to ensure consistency of delivery. Class teachers draw up the Individual Education Plans, with targets and strategies for teaching, and the support assistants maintain daily records of the pupils’ progress towards the targets. These records then inform the planning of the work for the following week. The same rigorous procedures are applied when planning work for pupils learning English as an additional language. Planning and record keeping are very thorough and specialist support teachers work alongside class teachers to ensure the curriculum is delivered effectively, with the necessary emphasis on

p.17

Commentary

developing pupils’ vocabulary and overall understanding. These pupils also have Individual Education Plans to ensure they make very rapid progress.

p.17

Commentary

21. Pupils benefit from many enrichment activities. They are taken on educational visit and gain much from receiving visitors into school. A good range of extra curricular clubs is offered after school and during the lunch break. These include orchestra, choir, bookworm and a variety of sports. They are well attended and enjoyed, and appreciated by the pupils. The absence of a school field, however, severely limits the provision for games and opportunities for pupils to participate in competitive sport.

p.17

Commentary

22. The resources for children in the Foundation Stage and for all pupils throughout the school are very good. All the subjects of the curriculum are equally well supported. The accommodation is satisfactory. Internally the school is a well-maintained, attractive and stimulating environment. The high quality displays enrich the surroundings very effectively. The outside play areas do not yet match this same quality and are unsatisfactory. Plans are in place to enhance the facilities. The Foundation Stage pupils are provided for appropriately and the formation of a ‘Pocket Park’ will soon enhance this provision. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 18 Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 19

p.17

Care, guidance and support

The arrangements for pupils’ health, safety, care and welfare are very good. The personal and academic guidance is excellent. The arrangements for seeking and acting upon pupils’ views are very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils build very confident and trusting relationships with adults. • Pupils new to the school benefit from good induction arrangements. • The school’s aim to provide pupils with ‘A place to shine’ is being met successfully. • Pupils have very positive views about the school.

p.19

Commentary

23. The school provides pupils with a very caring and supportive environment where they are valued and respected. It is a very happy and well-ordered place. The health and safety arrangements are very good as are those surrounding child protection procedures. The very good relationships that exist in this school community and the very good provision for pupils’ social and moral development create a very caring, safe and supportive environment. This has a very positive effect upon their learning.

p.19

Commentary

24. The personal and academic support and guidance offered to pupils is excellent. Pupils are very well motivated and success is recognised and rewarded. The involvement of pupils in their own learning is excellent. They learn to appreciate and evaluate their work and understand the purpose of their lessons. They are aware of their targets in all subject areas and are clear about what they need to do to achieve them. Staff know and understand the needs of each pupil well. These needs are cared for and nurtured sensitively, resulting in pupils feeling happy and enthusiastic. They enjoy being singled out, for example, as ‘stars of the day or the week’, often selected for such honours not only by staff but by their peers too. The appointment of a learning mentor is enhancing this high quality support for those who need additional help.

p.19

Commentary

25. The school has very good arrangements for seeking pupils’ views. All staff listen carefully to the views and concerns of pupils because ‘talk-time’ is built in to daily routines. The school council provides very good opportunities for pupils to explore ideas and improvements and use their initiative. For example, pupils have been instrumental in setting up a thriving ‘healthy tuck shop’, and coming up for ideas for improving playground provision. The school operates very much as one community and the views of all parties are equally valued. Pupils feel that that there is always someone who will listen to them and help them when necessary.

p.19

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnerships with parents and other schools are very good . The partnership with the community is good . The information parents receive from the school is very good . The after-school clubs benefits pupils’ learning well.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships with parents are very good. • The extended services the school offers are good and families benefit from this support. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 20 • The partnership with other schools and colleges is very good. • Parents view the improvements in the school very positively. • The numbers of parents who participate in school life regularly are small.

p.19

Commentary

26. Relationships with parents have improved over the last two years and are very good. Parents are kept very well informed about the life of the school and have very good opportunities to be involved in all that it does. The school office provides very good support to those parents who seek help and advice on a range of matters related to their children at home and at school. Parents are welcome into school and their views are sought and acted on well. The quality of information that parents receive about the life of the school is very good. Well written information about all aspects of the school’s work and the curriculum are readily available. Parents gain good insight into their children’s learning through class assemblies and special events. However, the school recognises that only small numbers of parents participate regularly and are seeking ways to involve more of them. The arrangements for reporting pupils’ progress are very

p.20

Commentary

good. Written reports are detailed and clear, they identify difficulties and offer good guidance for improvement. Homework is supported well by many parents but the school is keen to involve parents more in supporting their children’s learning at home and at school.

p.20

Commentary

27. There is very good support for parents of pupils with special educational needs. Parents are kept fully involved and informed about any decisions that need to be taken. The same is true of pupils who learn English as an additional language. Home visits are arranged if parents need to be contacted and cannot come to school. If families go on extended holidays to visit relatives abroad, pupils are given work packs to keep them in touch with school work, and on their return they are quickly assessed in order to help them make up lost ground as quickly as possible. Pupils new to the school benefit from good induction procedures. These include meetings and information packs for parents and home visits if wished. There are good opportunities for children entering the Foundation Stage to visit the school and make a gradual and settled start to their education.

p.20

Commentary

28. The school’s links with the community are good. Pupils make visits to places of interest and visiting specialists broaden pupils’ experiences. Pupils make visits to the local community and there are especially good links with the leaders of the various faiths represented in the school. The business community supports the school well by welcoming visits from pupils and supporting activities in school, for example the ‘Healthy Tuck Shop’ run by older pupils. The partnership with other schools is very good and has a very positive effect upon the quality of the experiences and opportunities offered to pupils and their teachers. Pupils benefit from links with schools in contrasting areas and the arrangements for transferring pupils to secondary school are very good. Links with other schools provide very good support for the head teacher and staff.

p.20

Commentary

29. The extended services provided by the school are good and they have a very beneficial effect upon learning. The school offers after school care facilities and homework support. There are additional support classes for pupils who need extra help and education workshops for parents. There are positive links with the nearby Sure Start Centre that provides a playgroup facility in school. This is successful in introducing young children and their families to the school environment and in helping them to develop their social skills. The school works very closely with local community groups to promote the facilities it has to offer to encourage their further involvement.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 21 Leadership and management are very good. The leadership of the head teacher is excellent . Governance of the school is satisfactory.

p.21

Mains strengths and weaknesses

• The head teacher displays excellent leadership qualities. • The senior management team is having a very strong impact in driving up standards. • Financial management and use of resources to improve provision are excellent. • Opportunities for staff development are excellent.

p.21

Commentary

30. Excellent leadership by the head teacher has won over the hearts and minds of the entire school community. She is moving the school forward very effectively and has successfully achieved a commitment in all staff to accept change and support new ideas. With a very clear vision for the school’s development, she has established excellent strategies to improve the quality of teaching, assessment and the curriculum. These improvements are having a marked impact on raising standards. Staff morale and team spirit are very good. The school has fully embraced its aspiration to be ‘a place to shine’.

p.21

Commentary

31. Management by senior staff is very good. Subject co-ordinators overall, carry out their management roles very effectively and are instrumental in developments that have helped to raise standards. The special educational needs co-ordinator has only recently taken on this role and has already implemented very effective procedures to monitor pupils’ progress accurately. Pupils’ very good attitudes are a direct result of the excellent commitment of all staff to respect each child’s needs as special and important. Although the two key stage leaders are relatively recent appointments to the senior management team, both are very good practitioners and their positive impact is very evident in the way the school is working consistently as a team. The headteacher has introduced rigorous procedures to monitor the performance of the school and the priorities for development are being followed through systematically. Staff are clear about the accountability that

p.21

Commentary

rests with them but are given the necessary support and guidance they need from her to succeed. Opportunities for staff development are excellent and the head has set up a programme that ensures all staff have access to the training they need to improve their practice effectively. The current workload of the head teacher is quite demanding and responsibility for whole school issues is not shared equitably by the deputy head teacher.

p.21

Commentary

32. Management of school finances and that of best value considerations are excellent. The head teacher has introduced very effective procedures to evaluate spending, particularly, for example, on the very high number of support staff and improvement of the internal fabric of the building, which is now very attractive and engaging. The impact of this spending is evident in the rapidly improving standards. Having inherited a large carry forward budget from 2002, she and the governors set about drawing up priorities for spending to support improvements in the curriculum and staffing. It was not possible to spend all the previous year’s high surplus in that financial year because there was insufficient time to recruit and appoint all the staff necessary in her first six months in the school, nor carry out the proposed improvements in the outside accommodation. The budget is much more carefully balanced this year. During the period of staffing

p.21

Commentary

turbulence two or three years ago, the chair of the governing body played a very supportive role. Arrangements are now in place for members of the governing body to develop ways of evaluating what the school does and to identify where it has strengths and areas for development. Governors’ commitment to see the school grow and flourish Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 22 is evident in the way they have supported new strategies and revised policies to ensure that statutory requirements are met. Its role as a critical friend is developing satisfactorily.

p.21

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.22

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 717 466 Balance from previous year 14 491 Total expenditure 679 159 Balance carried forward to the next 52 798 Expenditure per pupil 3 101

p.22

Commentary

33. The school faces many barriers to raising achievement. Most notable are the very low levels of attainment of many children coming into the school and a well below average rate of pupil attendance. These barriers are coupled with very high levels of social and economic deprivation in the area. After serious disruption caused by the long-term absence of the senior staff two years ago, the teaching staff is now settled and very committed to raising pupils’ achievement. A particular aide to overcoming these obstacles is the funding for high numbers of classroom support assistants recently put in place. In addition, the school has entered into initiatives such as Sure Start and the Gatsby Early Years Enhancement Programme. In light of all the barriers the school has to overcome, standards are improving rapidly and the school provides very good value for money. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is very good .

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

34. Children‘s attainment on entry to the nursery is very low. This reflects a decline in the social circumstances of the area in the vicinity of the school. However, because of the very good provision children make good progress and achieve well. They attend the nursery class for afternoons only in their first two terms, followed by one term of mornings and then two terms of full time, after which they move into a mixed Reception and Year 1 class. The Foundation Stage accommodation has recently been opened up to maximise the sharing of resources. It also allows the school to operate a system of grouping children, according to their stage of development in the different areas of learning. More able children take part in more structured sessions in numeracy and literacy during the morning sessions and this allows them to make rapid gains in these areas as they approach Year 1.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

35. The children’s good levels of achievement can be attributed to the very good teaching and very good leadership and management. The co-ordinator has placed a very high emphasis on very structured planning and assessment procedures to support the very good teaching and learning. Improvement in provision has been good since the previous inspection. Children with special educational needs and those who learn English as an additional language are integrated fully in all activities and where necessary bilingual staff help children join in by providing translations in their mother tongue. The meticulous organisation and the excellence of the teamwork established between teachers and the generous supply of very high quality support staff ensure the provision of a very good broad curriculum. The children’s progress is carefully assessed and monitored and the curriculum is scrupulously planned to match their

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships between adults and children are excellent • Staff have very high expectations of children. • Activities are very well organised.

p.23

Commentary

36. Teaching and learning are very good. Although most children do not attain the expected goals in this learning area by the time they become five, and overall standards are below average, they all achieve well. The adults who work with them are excellent role models. They set a very good example of mutual respect and form excellent relationships with the children. They create a warm, friendly atmosphere in which the children feel secure, happy and sympathetically supported. Children gain in confidence in an environment where the daily routines are well organised and expectations of hard work and good behaviour are high. The system, during the afternoon nursery session, where children choose an activity and explain the reasons for their choice, is making a Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 24 valuable contribution to raising their confidence and independence. Children find the wide range of experiences provided interesting and exciting and this is having a very

p.23

Commentary

positive impact on their desire to learn.

p.24

Commentary

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• High priority is given to developing children’s communication and speaking skills. • Very good teaching by skilful teachers and support staff. • Children are supported very effectively in small ability groups.

p.24

Commentary

37. The organisation of children into small ability groups during the morning session allows the adults to provide a very good level of constant and individual support that is matched carefully to the children’s ability. A high priority is rightly placed upon developing speaking skills because of the very low level of many of the children on entry. Many of the children from families where English is not the home language speak very few if any words of English when they first start in the nursery. Adults take every opportunity to talk and encourage children to speak about their needs, experiences and the activity in which they are engaged throughout the day. Teachers provide very good and varied experiences, which capture the children’s interest and develop their early skills in reading and writing. Teaching and learning are very good. However, children start from such low levels in this area of learning, and many have little support at home

p.24

Commentary

to practise their skills. As a consequence, while overall provision is very good, progress and achievement are only good. Most children do not attain the early learning goals by the time they are five, with standards rising from poor to well below expectation at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.24

Commentary

38. Plenty of opportunities are provided for children to discover books. They enjoy having stories and rhymes read to them and discussing the illustrations with adults so they learn that print conveys meaning and is read from left to right. The attractive collections of good quality books provided in the reading areas increases their appreciation further and teaches them how to handle books independently. When they are ready, they are introduced to the early stages of the school reading scheme and begin to learn some of the letter sounds. Children are taught how to hold their pencils correctly to provide maximum control and soon start to make marks on paper to communicate messages during their games. Scrupulous care is taken in teaching the children to form letters correctly by tracing and copying and most make steady progress, learning how to write their names and other words relevant to their activities. By the end of their reception

p.24

Commentary

year the higher attaining children are able to produce simple words or brief sentences without support.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good and often excellent. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 25 • Very effective use of support assistants allows small groups of children to be taught in ability groups. • Very good structured planning is based on the very good assessment procedures.

p.24

Commentary

39. The very high quality of teaching helps children to learn well. Although the very low levels of skill and knowledge on entry mean that most do not attain the early learning goals before they enter Year 1, but they all achieve well. The excellent systems in place for recording and tracking the children’s progress inform the meticulous, detailed curriculum planning, which is closely matched to the children’s needs. The support assistants participate fully in the monitoring and planning so they are very well informed. Their expertise maximises the effectiveness of the teaching and learning in the small ability groups, and particular attention is paid to any children who are slow to take part because they lack confidence or struggle to express themselves because of their low literacy skills. A wide variety of games and activities are introduced to help children gain an understanding of patterns and numbers and to learn colours and

p.25

Commentary

shapes. They count, sort and match objects, sing songs and rhymes enthusiastically. They learn to recognise and begin to write numerals accurately. The adults are very careful to use the correct mathematical language at all times and seize every opportunity that arises throughout the day to reinforce children’s knowledge and understanding, for example, during registration or when weighing the ingredients for baking. The children’s enthusiastic response to the games and activities provided is impacting positively on their achievement, but many have difficulty in recalling their previous knowledge and require frequent reinforcement, which is always patiently and sympathetically supplied.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

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

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching assistants are used very effectively to support teaching and learning. • Planning is very good. • Opportunities for language development are good. • Children are enthusiastic and work well independently.

p.25

Commentary

40. Teaching and learning are very good and children work enthusiastically as they explore new activities and materials. Their knowledge and understanding of the world are very low on entry and although they achieve well and make good progress in the Foundation Stage most do not reach the expected goals before entering Year 1, and standards are well below average. Very few of them have opportunities or support at home to build on what they learn at school, and progress is not as good as the quality of provision. A wide variety of topics are planned and taught very well to the children, usually in very small groups so their individual needs can be met. The small groups also enable the adults to capitalise on the opportunities to widen children’s vocabulary and to encourage them to speak. Staff maintain constant observation and make notes of the progress and difficulties for each child, so that further support or advancement to the

p.25

Commentary

next step can be planned carefully. Children gain a considerable amount of knowledge about themselves and the world through a variety of well-planned activities, with a similar objective, to reinforce their learning of a particular topic. For example, they learn Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 26 about their bodies and facial features through drawing a likeness of themselves from a photograph, use mirrors to paint a self-portrait, cut faces from play-dough or decorate buns with sweets for their snacks. Children are regularly told Bible stories, which they thoroughly enjoy, and the reception class have been making a model of Noah's Ark as part of the topic on Animals, using the good range of construction toys and floor games very sensibly. Children have regular access to computers and most control the mouse well. The imaginative play areas do much to increase their understanding of, for

p.25

Commentary

example, Bob the Builder’s working life. A variety of visitors to the school enriches the curriculum and makes a positive contribution to the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.26

Physical development

Provision for physical development is good.

p.26

Strengths and weaknesses

• Children are very enthusiastic and achieve well. • Teaching is good • Outdoor play areas require enhancement.

p.26

Commentary

41. Although children make good progress and achieve well in this area a substantial minority do not attain the expected level by the end of their reception year. On entry to Year 1, standards are below average. Much has been done to provide a secure outdoor play-area and very good use is made of this, but it is in need of some enrichment to make it more attractive. Full use is made of the facilities however, and the children profit from regular opportunities to develop their climbing and balancing skills and learn to appreciate the use of space whilst playing on the apparatus and the wheeled toys. Teachers make very good use of their hall time to widen the children’s awareness of the possibilities of moving in different ways and directions, and to teach children about health and safety. The good teaching, with well-planned activities and plenty of teacher encouragement makes the well paced lessons good fun so the children respond very

p.26

Commentary

enthusiastically and make good progress. They are provided with numerous opportunities to handle scissors, pencils, crayons, brushes and malleable materials and cutters, to develop their finer skills. They find these difficult but try hard and achieve well owing to the constant support and guidance of the infinitely attentive adults around them.

p.26

Creative development

Provision in this learning area is very good.

p.26

Strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good and support staff are used very effectively. • Children learn through a very wide range of experiences. • Resources are very good.

p.26

Commentary

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 27 42. The very low level of attainment on entry means that, in spite of the good achievement, a significant minority of children do not reach the expected early learning goals in this area by the time they are five. Standards are below average on entry to Year 1. The curriculum is very well planned to provide the children with a wide variety of experiences well matched to their needs. Resources are very good and all the adults are enthusiastic, have very good knowledge and teach the skills very well. The children’s paintings are very carefully drawn and are of a good standard. The older ones know how to mix paint and are inspired by the display of self-portraits of famous artists to paint their own with very good results. Plenty of opportunities are provided to cut and paste in order to make collages and models, but many children find scissors difficult to handle and require plenty of adult support before they acquire the skill.

p.27

Commentary

Careful teaching and plenty of encouragement led to good concentration in the reception class and children making good attempts to produce different textures by shading with a pencil. They are introduced to a number of percussion instruments from different cultures and most of the reception class children are able to respond to different rhythms by clapping the beat, when listening to music.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good. • Leadership and management are very good. • Pupils achieve very well. • Standards in speaking and reading are below average.

p.27

Commentary

43. The 2003 national tests place standards at the end of Year 2 as very low in reading and well below average in writing. Comparisons at the end of Year 6 in 2003 show English to be well below the national average but in line with similar schools. Standards have improved since that time and are now well below average at the end of Year 2 and are below average at the end of Year 6. These judgements are similar to those made at the time of the previous inspection, but the attainment of pupils on entry has fallen since then. This means that pupils are now making good progress and achieving well, in Years 1 and 2, and very well in Years 3 to 6. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language.

p.27

Commentary

44. Listening is very good overall, but standards in speaking are well below average at the end of Year 2 and below average at the end of Year 6. While overall most pupils make very good gains, opportunities for them to practise their skills outside school are limited, and this impedes their achievement. This is particularly so for very low attaining pupils, and a significant number of those who learn English as an additional language. Most teachers’ introductions and explanations are very interesting and stimulating so most pupils listen very well and are keen to participate in question and answer sessions. Many pupils, however, enter Year 1 with very low speaking skills. Their vocabulary is very limited and they experience difficulties in structuring full sentences. The teachers focus very well on the weaknesses and make full use of the opportunities that arise, throughout the day, to broaden the pupils’ vocabulary and to encourage them to answer

p.27

Commentary

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 28 in extended sentences, which are grammatically correct. This concentration on the spoken word and emphasis on the usage of specialist language, in all subjects, is making a positive contribution to the pupils’ achievement. Occasionally, in one or two classes, insufficient activities are specifically planned to develop their speaking skills regularly, for example, through role-play.

p.28

Commentary

45. The school is aware of the fact that reading is the weakest area of the English curriculum and is implementing necessary strategies to raise standards. Pupils with special educational needs are given very good individual support to help them achieve well. Those learning English as an additional language are equally well supported and because these pupils are often highly motivated they make very good progress by the end of Year 6. Most pupils sight read words with satisfactory levels of fluency, but frequently experience difficulties when deciphering unfamiliar words because they do not readily make use of letter sounds. In order to overcome this problem, the school has recently introduced a programme of “Jolly Phonics” in Years 1 and 2, and this is beginning to take good effect. The good and often very good teaching, during the literacy hour and guided reading sessions results in the pupils’ good understanding of

p.28

Commentary

the texts. They talk about the plot and the characters with good levels of comprehension. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 read with good expression and are encouraged to do so within their group reading sessions, which often include taking part in short plays. The higher attainers use inference well and are able to make imaginative predictions regarding what might happen next in their stories. A small minority of pupils in Year 6 are avid readers and have developed a taste for favourite authors and books of a specific genre. A significant number, however are not sufficiently enthusiastic about reading to improve their performance. They take their books home but do not all read on a regular basis to an adult. The school does much to encourage reading, by providing very good quality, interesting books both in school and in the library, setting up a home/school diary system and running a “bookworm” club. Insufficient time, however,

p.28

Commentary

is allocated to silent reading or reading individually to an adult during the school day, so pupils have frequent practice with the possibility of moving through the scheme more rapidly and thus advancing their skills.

p.28

Commentary

46. Aspects of the writing mainly the formal writing, are in line with national expectation, although overall, well below at the end of Year 2 and below average at the end of Year 6. Pupils write for a variety of purposes and audiences and many are writing simple well-sequenced sentences by the end of Year 2 and are thoughtfully choosing interesting vocabulary and writing at some length in Year 6. Handwriting is systematically taught and practised, but only recently has a focus been placed on using a joined script and many pupils fail to adopt it consistently in their books. Presentation is very good. The high levels of achievement of the pupils is attributable to the quality of teaching, which is very good in most lessons stimulating the pupils’ interest with work that is carefully matched to their abilities and needs. Teachers have a high expectancy of behaviour and standards of work, and because relationships are very good the pupils

p.28

Commentary

respond positively to the challenge and give of their best. Excellent use is made of the high quality classroom assistants, especially in supporting pupils with special educational needs. Pupils learning English as an additional language are given specialist support on a regular basis, with planning being very carefully thought through to ensure they have full access to the same work as their peers. The relationships between support staff and class teachers are excellent and information gathered from assessments is shared fully through regular planning meetings. The setting of individual targets and the high quality of marking, in all but one class, further encourages pupils to achieve well as they are kept fully aware of their strengths and what they need to do to improve. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 29 47. The very good leadership and management of the subject impacts very positively on

p.28

Commentary

the standards achieved. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic, has excellent understanding and high aspirations for the subject. The curriculum, assessment systems, tracking of pupils’ progress and monitoring of teaching and learning are all very efficiently and effectively organised with an aim to raise standards further, and to ensure the targets set are challenging but realistic. Improvement has been good since the last inspection.

p.29

Literacy across the curriculum

48. Literacy is used well in other curriculum areas, with teachers seizing opportunities to extend pupils’ vocabulary, including the use of specialist language and reinforcing the writing skills introduced in the literacy hour. Pupils have many good opportunities to contribute to discussions and extend their ideas into independent writing. Many lessons have challenging question/answer sessions where pupils gain the confidence to use their language skills. Where necessary additional support and guidance is provided for pupils learning English as an additional language or those with special educational needs so that they too achieve well.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement and teaching are very good. • Procedures to assess and monitor pupils’ progress are very good. • Teaching assistants provide very good support. • Information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning is not yet developed well in all classes.

p.29

Commentary

49. Standards in Year 2 are below average and by Year 6 they are average. This represents good improvement compared with the results of the National tests in 2003 when pupils in Year 2 were well below average and in Year 6 they were below average. The achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational need and those with English as an additional language is very good when comparing their attainment, with what it was when they entered nursery education. At the time of the previous inspection, standards were well below average at the end of both key stages. Improvement has been very good since the last inspection.

p.29

Commentary

50. Teaching and learning are very good overall. Assessment procedures are very effective in helping teachers gain a very clear understanding of what pupils have learnt successfully and what they need to do next. In most classes, marking of pupils’ work is accurate and informs pupils of what they should do to improve. The information gathered is used very effectively to identify pupils’ individual needs and thus provide the necessary support to ensure they all make very good progress. Pupils in Year 6 benefit from receiving effective, valuable support twice weekly throughout the year in order to ensure they are well prepared for the national tests and their subsequent transfer to secondary school. Opportunities to make effective use of information and communication technology to support teaching of data handling and recording are sometimes missed in two or three classes to raise standards in this area further.

p.29

Commentary

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 30 51. Planning is very thorough and where particular areas of the curriculum are identified as requiring further work, additional materials and resources are made available to support learning. Lessons are conducted at a lively pace, and teachers are particularly good at asking probing questions to check pupils’ understanding. Because pupils’ speaking and listening skills are given high emphasis from an early age, most are keen to respond and join in class discussions confidently. They have excellent relationships with staff and with each other and are not reluctant to offer ideas and suggestions when explaining the strategies they might apply to solve specific problems, for example. Expectations are high for pupils’ behaviour and effort and the vast majority of pupils take their work very seriously because they want to please. Teachers provide very well

p.30

Commentary

for the many and diverse needs of all of their pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. A good number of very effective classroom assistants contribute significantly to pupils’ very good progress.

p.30

Commentary

52. Pupils have very good attitudes to mathematics and many say it is their favourite subject. They particularly enjoy the competitive and fun elements of the mental starters and will each other to succeed if it is not their turn to contribute. They take great pride in their work, which is generally very well presented. Pupils co-operate very sensibly and nearly all show a clear willingness to succeed. These factors make a very strong contribution to their very good achievement.

p.30

Commentary

53. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator is a subject specialist. She monitors pupils’ workbooks satisfactorily each term, although weaknesses in teaching and learning are not always accurately identified. She has, with the support of the local authority, begun to monitor teaching and learning more rigorously. Resources to support teaching are very good.

p.30

Mathematics across the curriculum

54. The school provides pupils with a good range of opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge and understanding confidently. They recognise the importance of the subject in many aspects of life. A very good example is the accurate use of measuring skills, when pupils draw very clear planning sheets of their designs before constructing fairground rides in design and technology. Similarly, they learn to measure and record data for their science investigations neatly so they can read the information accurately when plotting graphs.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are very good. • Assessment procedures are very good and inform planning very effectively. • Support staff are used very effectively throughout the school. • Leadership and management of the subject are very good.

p.30

Commentary

Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 31 55. The school has made very good improvement since the last inspection when standards were well below average. Standards are now below average at the end of Year 2 and average at the end of Year 6. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and achievement in Years 3 to 6 is very good. This is the case for pupils of all abilities including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. Achievement is only judged as good in Years 1 and 2 because well over half of the pupils either have special educational needs or are learning English as an additional language and therefore their progress is hampered by their low literacy skills. Very good help is provided for these pupils from teachers and additional support staff and as these pupils gain in confidence their progress improves steadily through Years 3 to 6.

p.31

Commentary

56. The subject is led and managed very effectively. The curriculum has been developed very carefully to take into account the diverse needs of all the pupils in the school. Because children start at the school with very low attainment in their knowledge and understanding of the world, the very good curriculum the school delivers is heavily focused on ‘learning by doing.’ There is high emphasis on developing pupils’ enquiry skills and then underpinning what they discover with information that develops their knowledge and understanding effectively. This ‘hands on’ approach suits the needs of these pupils well, because they relate to practical tasks more confidently. As a consequence, they learn quickly and retain the information more accurately when applying it in new situations. For example, pupils know they need to conduct fair tests in order to get results that are valid, and they accurately identify the variables they need to

p.31

Commentary

consider, for example, in their work on circuits in Year 6. The specialist English as an additional language teachers ensure their groups of pupils cover the same ground as their peers. They place greater emphasis on ensuring pupils have the language they need to explain what they discover accurately by working through investigations at a pace that does not confuse or muddle pupils’ learning. The very detailed assessment procedures are applied rigorously to monitor every pupil’s achievement in order to ensure very good progress. The co-ordinator monitors test results in order to identify areas that need further improvement and information is shared across the school very effectively.

p.31

Commentary

57. Teaching and learning are very good. Because of the very good curriculum that is being followed consistently, teachers plan work that builds on pupils’ prior learning very effectively. The assessment information is used to set targets for all pupils and teachers identify any specific help particular pupils might need with their practical or written tasks. Support staff are deployed extremely well. Staff use skilful questioning to test and challenge pupils’ understanding and the expectations are high in insisting pupils offer answers but with reasons as to why that is their answer. They are encouraged to participate fully in written and practical activities and sensitive interventions ensure all contribute confidently when working in groups. Lessons are organised and resourced very effectively. Planning ensures there is a good balance between independent activities and whole class discussions. Where relevant, work is

p.31

Commentary

recorded on computers and pupils retrieve information for data handling, for example. The presentations at the start of the lessons are well designed to set pupils challenges and the summing up of activities ensure pupils explain what they have learnt and whether their predictions and hypotheses were accurate or not and why. There is a good emphasis on recording information and pupils’ work is presented very neatly, and the quality of marking is very good so that pupils are clear about how to improve their work further. Higher attaining pupils are encouraged to explain what they learn independently in their writing but pupils who struggle to organise their written work accurately are given frameworks to support their recording. Just occasionally the worksheets are not clear enough for a few of the lowest attaining pupils to grasp fully Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 32 without help. Because teachers make learning fun, deliver lessons at a lively pace, and

p.31

Commentary

offer pupils all the support and guidance they need to succeed, learning is very good.

p.32

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is very good .

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards achieved at the end of Year 6 are above average. • Teaching overall is very good • The management of information and communication technology by the co-ordinator and a very competent classroom assistant is very good. • Teaching staff are gaining confidence in the use of associated hardware. • Insufficient software to support greater use of information and communication technology across the curriculum

p.32

Commentary

58. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with expectations at the end of Year 2 and above average at the end of Year 6. Pupils’ overall achievement is very good and improvement since the last inspection is also very good.

p.32

Commentary

59. Pupils in Year 2 use information and communication technology confidently in word processing their writing in many subjects. For example, they write well-designed labels to annotate displays and enter text into speech bubbles accurately. Pupils use a good selection of functions that enable them to space, edit and punctuate their work accurately. They have individual floppy disks on which they save work in order to modify and correct errors. Pupils in Year 6 are very competent in researching and downloading information from the Internet. They adapt and edit it appropriately to suit their purpose, before inserting the material, for example, into text boxes that form newspaper front pages. They are involved in developing multi-media presentations, for example, for entertaining an audience of infant pupils. They are very confident in their experimentation of a wide range of skills and techniques, often working independently to

p.32

Commentary

develop ideas and techniques that include, for example, colour, text and moving characters and are successfully importing sounds to their animation. Additional activities include control technology linked to projects in design and technology.

p.32

Commentary

60. Teachers place a very good emphasis on encouraging pupils to think about their work, evaluate its effectiveness and consider refinements that will improve the overall quality. Because such discussions are regular features in good lessons, pupils are happy to share their views in front of others and appreciate constructive comments from staff and peers equally well. Such discussions also help pupils learn from each other well. Lessons are planned and organised very well, and pupils of all abilities enjoy the work they are required to do, work enthusiastically and make very good progress. Teachers take every care to monitor pupils’ access to the Internet and e-mail facilities.

p.32

Commentary

61. The development of information and communication technology has been a priority for the school. The very good subject leader has had a major impact on the raising of standards. She receives very good quality support from a very capable classroom assistant, who took over subject responsibility one year ago. The well-equipped computer suite has been improved significantly, with a recently developed extension in the library area. This enables teachers to work with the whole class using the Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 33 interactive board and introduce pupils to new skills and techniques, before they practise their skills independently. Provision of a good number of laptop computers means that pupils have good opportunities to practice their skills in other lessons.

p.32

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

62. The information and communication technology Development Plan identifies a need to further develop this aspect of pupils’ learning, although use of information and communication technology is currently good and improving steadily. Classroom based computers are under-used, mainly because of weaknesses in software provision. However, very good examples of use of information and communication technology were seen in science where pupils record data, and in literacy where pupils research and edit materials to illustrate their stories and refine their word processing skills so that their finished work looks attractive. Pupils use information and communication technology programs confidently to develop their ideas in art and design, experimenting with importing digital images, colour blending and sketching skills.

p.33

History and Geography

63. It is not possible to make secure judgements regarding provision in history or geography as these subjects were only sampled. No history lessons were seen during the inspection. Two geography lessons were observed. From scrutiny of displayed work and observations of school documentation, the following judgements can be made.

p.33

History and Geography

64. The amount of curriculum time allocated is good. The subjects have been carefully thought through to reduce the number of topics that pupils study but to ensure what is studied is done so to a depth that allows pupils to explore the contents in detail. Time is devoted to discussion and analysis of information and, as a consequence, pupils’ speaking, listening and extended writing skills are very well supported. For example, pupils in Year 6 write convincing newspaper reports on a wide variety of topics associated with the World War 2 bombing raids on the steelworks of Scunthorpe. The resulting work on display was of a good quality, indicating how hard pupils had worked and how much they had learnt. Pupils’ work is attractively displayed to promote learning and celebrate their efforts. Good use is made of information and communication technology to further enhance the effectiveness of displays, for example with interesting

p.33

History and Geography

annotations, digital photographs and well designed captions and headlines.

p.33

History and Geography

65. A recent policy decision to re-introduce out-of-school visits has been a very positive development. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 study the local area to develop their mapping skills. They examine maps of the British Isles to locate where they live and begin to develop a good sense of scale, especially when they follow this up with other countries they have visited. During the inspection, pupils in Year 1 visited a local supermarket. This enabled them to develop good concepts of ‘routes’ and ‘location’ and also to view the variety of in-store produce and consider where it might have originated. Older pupils visit the Humber Bridge and estuary and learn about land and sea features, and how man alters these for commercial reasons. Such visits provide pupils with good first hand experiences that encourage them to think about what they see around them. Pupils develop their artistic skills making good quality sketches that effectively show

p.33

History and Geography

how the bridge is suspended. They write good evaluations of their fieldwork experiences, and then extend their research by downloading from the Internet Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 34 information related to flooding, fish populations and river systems. Both subjects support pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development very well.

p.33

Religious education

Provision in religious education is very good.

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improvement since the last inspection is good. • Standards at the end of Year 6 are above expectations because teaching is good. • The subject makes a very good impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. • Assemblies make a very good contribution to pupils’ understanding of other faiths and beliefs . • Very good leadership has ensured that the subject has developed well since the last inspection.

p.34

Commentary

66. Pupils achieve very well and reach standards expected for their age at the end of Year 2, but the quality of pupils’ recorded work is limited by the difficulties many pupils have with their writing. Standards are above average in Year 6 because teaching is very good and many pupils use their experiences outside school to enrich their learning. Leadership and management are very good. The subject leader monitors pupils’ books. She then monitors teaching and learning in those classes where there is a need to support planning and curriculum delivery. There has been good improvement in provision since the last inspection.

p.34

Commentary

67. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is very good overall. Teachers create very good opportunities for pupils to look at the faiths they study and consider moral issues that form the basis of acceptable behaviour, for example, giving to the poor and looking after others. Pupils’ level of maturity is very good when reflecting on such matters. In a very good lesson in Year 6, the co-ordinator helped pupils begin to understand ‘karma’ following re-incarnation. They discussed and wrote how they could have good/bad ‘karma’ if they followed Christian teaching. Pupils have good opportunities to develop their literacy skills because there is a very good emphasis on discussion and sharing of views and ideas and older pupils have time to reflect on these in their independent writing. The school makes a clear distinction between learning about religion and learning from religion. They use a very good range of

p.34

Commentary

interesting resources to support their teaching. The vicar is well known and much valued by pupils, as one of a number of faith leaders who visit the school regularly to conduct assemblies that enhance learning very effectively. Those pupils who follow their faith closely in their home lives are given every opportunity to talk about their practices and share information with others. This promotes a very good sense of worth and self esteem. Teachers provide pupils with thought provoking situations that support their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development very well. As pupils grow and mature, they use their learning well to build up faith and trust in others and thus develop very good relationships with others in the school. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 35

p.34

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No judgements regarding provision are made for design and technology and music because these subjects were only sampled.

p.35

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

68. In design and technology no lessons were observed during the inspection. However there was a very good range of evidence available to see and the overall quality of this work was very good. Pupils have regular opportunities to design and plan what to do next, choosing from a very good range of materials available to them. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 have made delightful ‘waistcoats for teddy’, and these have all been decorated with trimmings pupils have chosen individually. To enhance pupils’ work, staff have built a wardrobe with little coat-hangars to store the waistcoats. The display is fully annotated with pupils’ explanations of the ‘design, make and evaluate’, processes describing what they did well and how they could improve their work. This level of detailed analysis is very good for pupils at this age. These processes continue to be developed very effectively as pupils move through the school. There are very

p.35

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

good displays, for example, that show pupils’ careful construction of waterproof shelters (linked to work on World War 2), of drums with different skins to change pitch, (linked to music and sound in science), of fairground rides with moving parts and slippers using a range of fabrics. All have very detailed annotations to show how pupils have set about the designing and refining of their finished articles and comments indicate a good understanding of why some materials were more effective than others. Older pupils have very good opportunities to visit the nearby secondary school to work on some of their projects in better equipped workshops with help from staff from that school. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 have baked cakes using recipes from the war and in this way developed a better understanding of how different life was then in their study of that period.

p.35

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

69. In music , pupils have good opportunities to join extra curricular clubs such as the choir, which regularly sings in the local community. The school is active in attending local music festivals to broaden pupils’ experiences. Provision is further enriched by pupils having good opportunities to develop their enjoyment of music of different styles, for example, in assemblies, and occasionally when visiting artists perform in the school. All pupils are encouraged to take part in the musical performances held at various times of the year for parents and members of the community.

p.35

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good and ensures pupils attain very high standards. • Pupils’ work is displayed very attractively throughout the school and pupils are proud of their achievement. • Resources are used very well to enable pupils to develop a very good range of skills

p.35

Commentary

70. Standards are above average. Achievement is good in Years 1 and 2, where pupils are hesitant in their confidence to explore and experiment without guidance. As they mature and develop in their knowledge and skills, achievement at the end of Year 6 is very good. Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds make very good progress because Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 36 teaching and learning are very good. Improvement in the subject has been very good since the previous inspection when standards were judged to be below average.

p.35

Commentary

71. Very high emphasis is placed on display, and pupils see, from the work around the school, the range of skills and techniques practised in different classes and learn from these. For example, the corridor of portraits, done by children in the Foundation Stage right through to Year 6, illustrates for pupils what they can aspire to as they move through the school. Because pupils enjoy practical activities and especially tasks where they can explore their ideas, they learn very effectively. They talk very excitedly about how they created particular effects and their learning is enhanced through exploring, in great detail, the style of many artists as they practise new techniques. The subject enriches pupils’ experiences of other cultures, and teachers plan for this aspect well. In addition, there is very good attention paid to helping pupils consider their designs and then spend time evaluating their work through class discussions. Questions such as ‘

p.36

Commentary

why do you like this?’ or ‘what would you do to improve this?’ help pupils recognise how well they have achieved and teachers keep very good records to monitor pupils’ achievements. Leadership and management of the subject are good. Time has been given to monitor teaching and learning to ensure all teachers have the confidence to deliver the curriculum effectively. The teacher in Year 6 teaches art to both Years 5 and 6 as this is her strength and such arrangements ensure pupils make very good progress.

p.36

Commentary

72. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop a good sense of colour blending using paints and chalks. They are provided with a very good range of materials to select from and their attention is drawn to fine detail, for example, in their observations regarding still life sketches of fruits and leaves. Fabric art and weaving are particularly well designed and made because pupils enjoy applying a wide range of colours and textures to produce work that is attractive and interesting to look at. Skills such as using tone and texture that accentuate particular features are taught well. Pupils in Year 4, for example, explored fine techniques such as cross-hatching very carefully in order to create shade effects using just one colour. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 create very striking images of buildings following ideas they have gleaned from observing the work of Lowry. The attention to detail is very good. Examples of three-dimensional art are also of a good

p.36

Commentary

standard and often the work is related to other subjects, for example, history or design and technology. The clay tiles pupils designed and made show how carefully they work to perfect ideas. They apply their understanding well, for example, recognising that clay will not be easy to work with if it is too wet or too dry. The level of detail many pupils crafted on their tiles was very good, illustrating pupils’ careful handling of tools to embellish their work with fine features and shapes.

p.36

Physical education

Provision for physical education is good .

p.36

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in swimming are excellent. • The two large school halls are used to full advantage. • The school lacks a playing field. • Teachers provide insufficient opportunities for pupils to observe and evaluate the work of others. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 37

p.36

Commentary

73. Standards in physical education are in line with expectation and similar to those at the time of the previous inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. Attainment in swimming is excellent, with all pupils in Year 5, in 2003, reaching the standard required by the National Curriculum.

p.37

Commentary

74. The school makes good use of the two halls so that pupils have regular lessons in gymnastics, dance and games. This is having a very positive impact on their progress and achievement in developing pupils’ skills of travelling, balancing and practising striking and fielding, using large and small apparatus. The playground provides limited space for outdoor games, and the fact that there is no school field on site is a distinct disadvantage as it precludes any participation in competitive sport on a regular basis. However, wherever possible, the sports field about half a mile away is used and pupils also have occasional access to facilities at the nearby secondary school.

p.37

Commentary

75. Teaching is satisfactory and often good. Pupils are suitably aware of the reasons for ‘warming up’ and ‘cooling down’ sessions and the effects of exercise on breathing and the heart. Good links are made to the school’s ‘healthy living’ initiative and work in science. The lessons are well planned with the skills being taught and practised, so that they build on from one to another in a logical sequence. Pupils behave well and co- operate with each other very sensibly. They enjoy the subject and look forward to the fun elements teachers introduce in lessons. Teachers provide clear explanations and plenty of encouragement, but they sometimes fail to make use of the abilities of the higher attaining pupils to demonstrate their skills so others learn from them. In addition, opportunities are missed for pupils to evaluate the work of others and to make suggestions for improvement in order to raise performance.

p.37

Commentary

76. Leadership and management are good. There is a structured scheme in place and regular assessments are made on completion of each unit. Resources are good. Provision for after school sports clubs is satisfactory. These clubs are well attended and have a positive impact on standards and pupils’ enjoyment and achievement.

p.37

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Only one lesson was seen in this area of the school’s work and so no judgements are made about overall provision, although the subject features strongly in the overall curriculum.

p.37

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

77. Pupils’ personal development is regarded as an essential part of the school’s work, from the time children enter the nursery. Because most children have very limited experiences prior to starting school, the school places a strong emphasis on their personal and social development in the Foundation Stage so that they become more aware of the world around them and of their place within the classroom and school. Throughout the school, there is a good programme of activities including work on healthy eating, general health awareness, sex, drugs, bullying and personal safety. A very good lesson for pupils in Year 6, on this latter subject, led by the school caretaker introduced them to the hazards presented by faulty wiring and appliances around the home and in school. The lesson clearly had a great impact on pupils’ awareness of the dangers and how they, as health and safety inspectors might deal with them or teach

p.37

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

others how to eliminate the dangers. Such presentations by staff and visitors help pupils explore a range of issues as they move through the school. They demonstrate their understanding well in the way they care and look out for each other in school. The school enables all pupils to develop a safe and healthy life style, gain confidence and Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 38 interact with others. For example, pupils have set up a ‘ healthy eating tuck shop’ having explored what food items they should sell. Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 39

p.37

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 2 How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 2

p.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 2

p.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 6 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 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 1 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 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.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

p.39

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). Scunthorpe Church of England Primary School - 40

p.39