Shipton Bellinger Primary School

SHIPTON BELLINGER PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 27 th November 2003

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SHIPTON BELLINGER PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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SHIPTON BELLINGER 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. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 185

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 3 Parkhouse Road Shipton Bellinger Tidworth Postcode: SP9 7TW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01980 843369 Fax number: 01980 849426

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Martin Benton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Shipton Bellinger is a small primary school situated near Tidworth in Hampshire. Just over half the pupils are from families who have connections with the Army and many of them move into and out of the school each year. Almost all the pupils are white and they all speak English as their first language. Their attainment on entry to school is that expected for their age. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is broadly average, and a lower than average number have Statements of Special Educational Need. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21234 Douglas Hayward Lead inspector English, Information and communication technology, Art and design, Design and technology, Music, Physical education 0173 Sarah McDermott Lay inspector 26945 Sylvia Gatehouse Team inspector Foundation Stage, Science, Geography, History 24137 Gail Robertson Team inspector Mathematics, Citizenship, Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Ltd. 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’, which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Shipton Bellinger Primary School

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9 - 12

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9 - 12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12 - 17

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Shipton Bellinger is a very popular school that provides a good standard of education . Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to school and their work. The leadership and management of the school are good and the school provides good value for money .

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Good leadership and management by the headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors. • Teaching is good overall, and in a fifth of lessons it is very good. • It has good links with parents. They think that the school does a good job and that their children are happy there. • Standards in art and design are not high enough. • There is not enough monitoring of standards of work, teaching and assessment by subject co- ordinators. • Many improvements to the building and grounds have helped to provide a very good standard of accommodation. • Information and communication technology is not used enough in other subjects.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made good improvement since the last inspection . Standards in mathematics, science and information and communication technology have improved for infants and juniors. The response from the parents’ questionnaires shows that arrangements for homework are more consistent than they were. Assessment in English and mathematics is much better now, although assessment in some other subjects is not thorough enough. Not all subject co-ordinators monitor standards in their subjects, and monitoring has not improved since the last inspection.

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Year 2 results

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 reading A D B C writing A* C B C mathematics A* E C D Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals

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Year 6 results

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

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Year 6 results

Pupils’ achievement overall is good . Children in the reception class make good progress and achieve the standards expected of them by the time they start in Year 1. Pupils in Key Stage 1 Shipton Bellinger Primary School continue to achieve well . In the junior classes, pupils’ good progress is maintained. This is especially difficult in a school such as this, where many pupils move during their school career. The school can demonstrate that the longer pupils spend at Shipton Bellinger, the more progress they make. Based on the results they achieved when they were seven, the pupils who had attended Shipton Bellinger throughout the juniors made good progress in English and very good progress in mathematics and science. During the inspection, standards in Year 2 were above average in reading and writing, and average in mathematics and science. Standards in Year 6 were above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils with special educational needs make good

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Year 6 results

progress throughout the school and achieve similar standards to those of other pupils. Support for them in classes and small groups is very well planned . Boys and girls work well together and achieve similar standards. Standards in the foundation subjects are at least satisfactory overall except in art and design, where they are unsatisfactory , because pupils’ skills are not developed systematically.

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Year 6 results

The school makes good provision overall for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is very good for social and moral development. It is particularly good in helping pupils to learn about right and wrong and teaching them to work together successfully. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are very good and reflect pupils’ enthusiasm and very good attitudes to school. Pupils’ behaviour is good. They play well together, there is no bullying and they are proud of their school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good standard of education. Teaching is good throughout the school and about one lesson in five was very good during the inspection. The good quality of teaching is evident in the reception class and in infant and junior classes. In Year 6, it is consistently very good . Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good. Teachers trust them to behave, to work hard and to ask for help when they need it. The good standard of teaching has a positive impact on the progress that pupils make and the standards that they achieve. Teachers plan lessons well so that pupils learn new skills and information. Work is planned at the right level to make them think carefully about their answers. As they get older, there is more emphasis on planning lessons that encourage pupils to think for themselves about how to solve problems, or how to work most effectively together. These are strengths of teaching in Year 6. Teachers and assistants work very

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

effectively to support pupils who find learning in some subjects difficult.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Planning in most subjects is sound , so that pupils study the subjects they should. Visits to places of interest and visitors to school help to make subjects ‘come alive’ and hold pupils’ interest. Pupils use their literacy skills well in other subjects, although there are missed opportunities to use information and communication technology. The school is a caring place where pupils feel safe and secure. Children joining the reception class settle quickly and confidently and this helps them to make good progress in their learning. The quality of information about pupils’ learning and progress is not always detailed enough. The school is a very important part of the village. It forms very good links with the community and local schools.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher and governing body provide good leadership and management . They share a commitment to raising standards and making the school increasingly effective. The management of the Foundation Stage and special educational needs are good and the deputy headteacher provides a very good role model in classroom teaching. Staff work effectively as a team and support each other well. Although they have responsibility for specific subjects, not all of them have enough opportunities to monitor pupils’ work and the quality of teaching in those subjects.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have a very high opinion of the school. Many choose to travel from further afield in order for their children to attend. They feel that teachers are fair, look after their children and have high expectations of their work and behaviour. Parents support the school very well and attend functions Shipton Bellinger Primary School in large numbers. Pupils like the school very much. They say that they learn new things and that adults help them if they are stuck.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise standards in art and design; • improve the role of subject co-ordinators, to enable them to monitor subject teaching, standards of work, and introduce thorough assessment systems to monitor pupils’ progress; • extend the use of information and communication technology, to enable pupils to use their skills in other subjects; • improve the quality of information to parents about the range of their children’s work and the progress that they make. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Infant pupils achieve good standards . The trend of improvement in their results in national tests is above the national trend. In the most recent tests their results in reading and writing were above average. Junior pupils also achieve good standards . Boys and girls achieve similar standards of work.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Infant and junior pupils make good progress and achieve well. • Pupils who stay at Shipton Bellinger throughout their time in the juniors make very good progress. • Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve results that are similar to those of other pupils in their year groups. • Parents feel that their children make good progress and do well. • Standards in art and design are unsatisfactory. • Information and communication technology is not used well enough in other subjects.

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Commentary

1. Assessments show that most children start school at Shipton Bellinger with attainment that is very much the same as the majority of children at the same age. They make good progress in all the areas of learning and, by the end of their reception year, they achieve standards that are expected in the Early Learning Goals 1 and some achieve standards above those. This is very similar to the judgement made in the previous inspection.

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Commentary

2. Shipton Bellinger is an unusual school. Because of its links with the Army, many children who start there do not complete their schooling there. Some children do not even complete a single school year, and a significant number move elsewhere before they move from the infants into the juniors. Many junior pupils continue to move into and out of the school. In some year groups this can mean that there is over 100 per cent mobility. This makes it very difficult for the school to predict, with any degree of accuracy, the numbers of pupils expected to achieve national levels in tests at seven and eleven years of age 2 .

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Commentary

3. Pupils’ mobility also plays a major part in the rather inconsistent trend of results for infants and juniors over the last few years. A year group containing a significant number of pupils targeted to achieve higher levels can, in the course of a school year, be replaced by one containing a large number of pupils with special educational needs, many of whom are not expected to achieve the expected standard.

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Commentary

4. Recently introduced comparisons of results for eleven-year-olds in national tests are now made on the basis of how well they did in tests at seven years of age and their progress since then, which is referred to as prior attainment. In the most recent tests, the results of

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Commentary

1 Early Learning Goals – these are expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements children make in connection with communication, language and literacy,; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; and physical and creative development. There are many goals for each area of learning; for example, in language and literacy children should be able to write their own name and begin to write simple sentences. 2 Levels – by the end of Year 2, when pupils are seven, they are expected to reach Level 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. If a pupil is attaining Level 3 then he or she is reaching standards above those expected for a child of his or her age. By the end of Year 6, when pupils are eleven, they are expected to reach Level 4 in English, mathematics and science. If a pupil is attaining Level 5 then he

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Commentary

or she is reaching standards above those expected for a child of his or her age. Shipton Bellinger Primary School eleven-year-olds at Shipton Bellinger were above average in English and average in mathematics and science, based on their prior attainment. In fact, in the last four years, with the exception of science in 2001, prior attainment results have usually been at least average and have frequently been above, and occasionally well above average. This indicates that pupils are making good progress and achieving the best results they are capable of, whatever their ability. The data suggest that the school is making a real difference to these pupils’ achievement and that it is adding value to their results.

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Commentary

5. Additional evidence about how well pupils achieve comes from looking at the results of those pupils who have stayed at Shipton Bellinger throughout the juniors. If their results are taken separately, their achievement is all the more impressive. In fact, the most recent test results for these pupils show that their achievement was above average in English and well above average in mathematics and science compared with their results when they were seven years of age.

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Key Stage 1

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

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Key Stage 1

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.9 ( 15.4 ) 15.8 (15.8) writing 15.7 (14.5 ) 14.8 (14.4) mathematics 16.5 ( 14.4 ) 16.5 (16.2) There were 27 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Key Stage 2

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

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Key Stage 2

Standards in: School results National results English 25.7 ( 28.3 ) 27.0 (27.7) mathematics 25.5 ( 29.3) 27.0 (27.6) science 27.2 ( 29.3) 28.8 (29.1) There were 33 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Key Stage 2

6. The school attaches great importance to pupils learning basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, and the upward trend in those results for seven-year-olds is higher than the national trend. In the most recent tests, results were above average in reading and writing, and average in mathematics.

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Key Stage 2

7. Standards were in line with expectations in almost all the foundation subjects where it was possible to make a judgement. Where this was not the case, there was little or no written work (for instance, in music and physical education) or pupils were not due to study particular subjects until later in the school year. Standards for infants are average in information and communication technology, geography, history, and religious education. No judgement was possible in design and technology, music and physical education. For juniors, standards are average in information and communication technology, design and technology, geography, history, physical education and religious education. Standards are unsatisfactory in art and design for infants and juniors. Pupils do not consistently learn new skills, or use a sufficiently wide range of media.

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Key Stage 2

8. Pupils’ literacy skills are consistently well applied in a range of subjects. For example, infant pupils develop their story writing skills well by re-telling Bible stories, while junior pupils Shipton Bellinger Primary School discuss and write clear instructions for identifying which of two magnets was stronger. They use their numeracy skills well in a range of subjects, such as science and geography, recording their findings in different ways. Pupils do not generally make enough use of information and communication technology in other subjects. Where it is done, it is very effective. For example, pupils in Year 6 were using it extremely well to develop a multi-media presentation for their geography topic, and pupils in Year 4 were developing the speed of their mathematical skills using a number recognition program.

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Key Stage 2

9. Pupils with special educational needs and looked after children receive very good support throughout the school and make good progress. The school monitors pupils from the time they start in school, whether that is in the reception class or when they move from another school, identifying areas of concern such as poor concentration or difficulty learning to read. It uses its budget very well to provide co-ordinated and focused adult help in classrooms and in small groups. Pupils thrive with carefully planned work on an individual basis, or at a similar level with one or two others. The extra support that they receive has a positive impact on their attitudes and progress in class. Boys and girls achieved similar results in the lessons observed, despite a significant imbalance in numbers in some classes. The very few pupils from ethnic minority groups achieve standards in line with other pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to their work and towards others in the school are very good . Their behaviour is good. Pupils’ moral and social development is very good , and their spiritual and cultural development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ interest in, and enthusiasm for, school life are very good. • Pupils are very keen to come to school and arrive promptly. Their attendance is much better than in most primary schools. • Children in the reception class quickly become confident and self-assured. • Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and the playground, because they are clear about school rules and expectations. • There is little preparation for life in a multicultural society.

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Attendance

10. Attendance levels have improved since the previous inspection and are well above the national average for primary schools. Pupils are eager to come to school and parents are conscientious in making sure that their children attend regularly. Registration is prompt and families make every effort to get to school on time. Pupils’ very good punctuality and attendance mean they can achieve well, because they miss very little learning time.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.5% School data : 0.2% National data: 5.4% National data: 0.4% The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year

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Attendance

11. Pupils often arrive well before school starts and are reluctant to leave at the end of the day. They show interest and excitement in their work. They are keen learners and most Shipton Bellinger Primary School concentrate very well throughout the school day. This contributes to their good achievement. At break times they play together happily and energetically.

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Attendance

12. Standards of behaviour are good. Staff and pupils have worked together to devise sensible codes of conduct for classrooms and for playtimes. Nearly all pupils willingly observe these rules but, as in the last inspection, a few pupils are easily distracted and have to be reminded of what they should be doing. Pupils quite happily take on responsibility and are confident enough to give their ideas to the staff; for example, they have played an important part in developing the playground and planning an outside shelter for parents to wait, in the cold and wet weather.

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Attendance

13. Many pupils leave and new ones join when service families move to a new posting. Despite this turbulence, relationships are very good. Pupils reported there were no instances of bullying or other forms of harassment. They distinguish right from wrong and respect other people’s feelings.

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Attendance

14. Pupils’ spiritual development is fostered well through an enthusiasm for learning and a commitment by staff to providing as many first-hand experiences as possible. Creative art activities have not had a strong focus and do not play a big enough part in developing their imagination and creativity. The school uses visitors and visits very well to develop pupils’ understanding of their own culture, but too little is done in lessons and other aspects of school life to raise awareness, in this mainly white school, of life in a multicultural society.

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Attendance

Exclusions : There has been one exclusion for a very short fixed period for bad behaviour in the school year prior to the inspection.

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Attendance

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 184 1 Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education, which helps pupils to make good progress and to achieve well. The school is good at helping pupils to quickly adapt to a new learning environment. The curriculum is varied and well planned and all pupils are included in every aspect of the school’s work. The school’s systems for assessment are good in English and mathematics. They vary in detail and quality, but are satisfactory overall in science and the foundation subjects.

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Teaching and learning

Good teaching helps pupils to make progress and achieve well. Teachers are especially effective in helping the many pupils who move into Shipton Bellinger to settle quickly and carry on quickly with their learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is consistently good in all age groups and in a fifth of lessons it is very good. • Support assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’ progress and achievement. • There are very good relationships between teachers and pupils. Shipton Bellinger Primary School • Parents have a very high opinion of teachers and how they help their children to learn. • Good assessment systems in English and mathematics help teachers to plan suitably challenging work. • Systems to assess and track pupils’ performance in some other subjects are not yet firmly established.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 39 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

15. Teaching is better now than it was in the previous inspection. The proportion of lessons that are at least good has improved significantly (from 57 per cent to 70 per cent). There has also been a slight increase in the proportion of very good lessons, from 15 to 21 per cent. New teaching appointments, a more shared approach to teaching and learning and more focused monitoring of teaching by the headteacher and deputy headteacher are mainly responsible.

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Commentary

16. Teaching is good overall in the reception class, the infants and the juniors, although it is consistently very good for the oldest junior pupils. Almost all parents think that teaching is good, and their children share this opinion. They say that teachers are approachable, so they are able to discuss concerns at short notice and ensure that learning is not hindered. This is especially important in a school where so many pupils come from Army families where mobility and parental absence can upset pupils and parents. Pupils say that they know they can ask teachers for help if they get stuck. Parents are happy with the amount of homework that is set and say that they know what to do to help their children. This is an improvement on the last inspection. During the inspection, homework that was set supported the work that pupils were doing in school and in several cases prepared them well for future lessons.

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Commentary

17. Classrooms are industrious places where teachers expect pupils to work hard. There are very good relationships that help pupils to learn. For example, they know that should they find their work difficult, their teachers will do all they can to explain again how they can do it correctly. This creates a climate where pupils are willing to try to answer questions or suggest ideas, knowing that the teacher will be glad that they have tried. On hardly any occasions were teachers heard to say that pupils had got a ‘wrong’ answer. Usually they have very good strategies, such as saying, ‘That’s a really good idea! Has anyone got any other ideas that can help us?’

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Commentary

18. A major reason why pupils achieve well is that work is planned at the right level for them. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported. They might find it difficult to learn to read or use numbers. In those cases teachers plan work very well for them in class at just the right level for them to succeed, without making it so difficult that they cannot do it or so easy that they finish quickly and waste time. Additional group work for pupils of similar abilities is also extremely effective. For instance, adults use specially designed games to help pupils to learn the sounds that particular groups of letters make, or to help them to learn how to add numbers quickly and accurately. Sometimes, pupils disturb others working near them or they find it difficult to cope with changes of school or prolonged absence by a parent. Then, extra adult support in small groups and in classes is particularly effective in helping them to

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Commentary

learn how to listen and concentrate so that they can get on with their work without interruption, learn how to work with others and achieve the best standards they can. Teachers plan work well for higher ability pupils and in Year 6 in particular, pupils extend the range of their work very well in many subjects. For example, they carry out challenging Shipton Bellinger Primary School research using the Internet and work in small groups to make decisions about the resources they need for a design project and evaluate how well they are doing.

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Commentary

19. Teachers try very hard to make learning interesting and exciting. Classrooms are bright and attractive, with many displays to make pupils think about their work, often with examples of pupils’ writing and with many artefacts on display that are linked to their topics. They understand that pupils learn best when it is presented in ways that capture their attention, and use visits out to places of interest and visitors to school very effectively. During the inspection a whole day was successfully and effectively given over to helping infant pupils experience what school was like during Victorian times.

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Commentary

20. The school has worked hard to establish good systems so that each pupil’s attainment in English and mathematics is plotted and their progress tracked. Challenging, yet realistic, targets for future attainment are set and discussed with each pupil and their parents. Targets are negotiated and regularly reviewed and adjusted in the light of individual performance and achievement. Good quality individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs contain targets that are specifically designed to meet their particular needs. Pupils joining the school are swiftly assessed so that their attainment can be recorded and their subsequent progress can be tracked without delay.

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Commentary

21. The quality of assessment in other subjects varies and does not always help teachers to plan consistently challenging work, so that standards steadily improve. The school has acknowledged this weakness and is taking steps to address it by focusing on assessment as an area for improvement. For example, the school has purchased individual booklets that contain learning objectives across all subjects of the National Curriculum for each pupil. The school now intends to trial these in the year ahead. The best examples of teachers’ marking are extremely supportive, provide clear advice about how pupils can improve and are well matched to pupils’ targets. Good quality marking is evident in many classes. Where it is less effective, teachers’ comments are fulsome in their praise for pupils’ efforts, but lack advice about how future work could be improved.

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The curriculum

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum, with strengths in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage and those with special educational needs. The planned programme for personal, health and social education is very good . The school arranges a good programme of visits and visitors to give its pupils exciting experiences. The accommodation is very good and has been enhanced through the generosity of a local benefactor.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Art and design is not well enough planned to ensure that pupils steadily learn new skills. • Provision for all pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The school plans a wide variety of interesting visits out and visitors to school. • Pupils benefit from a well-planned programme of personal, health and sex education. • Good use is made of the accommodation. • Children in the reception class do not have enough wheeled toys to play with in the outdoor area.

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Commentary

22. The curriculum for children in the reception class is stimulating and exciting and meets all requirements. Children are interested in their learning and quickly become independent. They do not have enough wheeled toys or adventure play equipment to fully maximise their physical development. Shipton Bellinger Primary School 23. The curriculum for infant and junior pupils meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. This is a similar finding to the last inspection. The quality and range of learning activities are good. The school has a thorough sex education and drugs awareness programme for older pupils. The curriculum is heavily biased towards English and the time allocated for other subjects is sometimes brief. For example, in art and design, subject knowledge and skills are explored too superficially to have a lasting impact. The school is aware that its current daily timetable organisation lacks flexibility. The headteacher and deputy know that by reorganising

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Commentary

fixed times, such as those for assemblies and class reading, additional time can be created. They are planning to do this, so that foundation subjects can be taught on a much more frequent basis, rather than blocking periods of time for them over the course of a school year.

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Commentary

24. Curriculum planning is sound overall. The best examples are where several subjects are linked to create a richness of experience which pupils find an exciting way to study. For example, pupils in Year 6 design a shelter for parents to use. They use their literacy skills to write plans and evaluations, their numeracy skills are valuable in calculating measurements of materials and working out costs, and they use their collaborative skills well to work very effectively in small teams. However, throughout the curriculum pupils do not use and develop their expertise in information and communication technology well enough. In one or two classes, however, very good use is made of information and communication technology to enhance pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

25. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. All teachers effectively plan for the additional adult support. When pupils are withdrawn for small group lessons, these are well focused and matched to pupils’ specific need as identified in their individual education programmes. All pupils, regardless of ability, gender or ethnicity have equal access to the good range of extra-curricular activities. Improvements have been made to the range of clubs, visitors to school and visits since the last inspection.

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Commentary

26. Many very good improvements have been made to the school building and grounds. A bright and well-stocked library is the latest addition. Pupils reported that they enjoy borrowing books from the library. Money provided by a local benefactor has provided the school with a stimulating outdoor recreational area. More money is available for a music room. The appearance of the school is important in helping to promote pupils’ creative, aesthetic, and spiritual awareness. Staffing levels are good, because the school is committed to providing education for pupils in single year groups.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is satisfactory overall . Teachers have close, caring relationships with the pupils and give them good support and guidance . Pupils have a satisfactory say in the running of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff help to settle new children very effectively. • Pupils with particular educational and social needs are supported very well. • Staff have not had sufficiently recent training in the latest guidance on child protection and physical restraint procedures. • Pupils are not sufficiently involved in the work and development of the school.

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Commentary

27. There are very good arrangements to settle children who start in the Reception class. Staff often move between the Reception class and the pre-school to work with different groups and to share professional development. Parents have many good opportunities to get to know the staff and routines before their children start. The many pupils who start at Shipton Shipton Bellinger Primary School Bellinger at an older age, often because of Army postings, are also introduced very effectively. They are given a full tour of the school and then a ‘buddy’ helps them to settle quickly.

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Commentary

28. The school is particularly good at supporting pupils who have special educational needs, or who are finding it difficult to behave. Teachers and learning support assistants are adept at ensuring work and activities are well matched to the needs of pupils who find learning difficult, so that they can make as much progress as others in the class. The headteacher keeps a well-maintained record of behaviour incidents, so that staff are able to give particular guidance to identified pupils to improve their behaviour. Whatever their circumstances, every pupil is made to feel a special part of the school.

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Commentary

29. Pupils are safe and secure while in the school’s care. Procedures for the health, safety and welfare of the pupils are good. Governors are fully involved in assessing potential risks and the school is quick to remedy any hazard. However, the headteacher and deputy headteacher, as the persons nominated to liase with the social services department, have not had recent training in current child protection procedures, nor has the good practice of updating all staff, both teaching and non-teaching, been followed.

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Commentary

30. Teachers and support staff are good at listening to and acting on pupils’ concerns. Nearly all pupils know to whom they should go if they are worried, and this was reflected in the results of their questionnaires. Currently the older pupils have good chances to take on responsibilities, such as acting as house captains or setting up the assembly hall. Personal and social development lessons are effective in teaching pupils to grow up maturely and responsibly. However, there is not a sufficiently formal way for all pupils to be more involved in the running of the school. As yet there is no school council and there have not been any surveys to gauge pupils’ views and opinions. The recent involvement of pupils in providing suggestions about new playground markings is a good start in introducing all pupils to citizenship and the democratic process.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents are good . Parents are very loyal to the school and appreciate all it does for their children. The school provides satisfactory information to parents. Links with the community and other schools are very good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very supportive of the school. • The school is very much at the heart of the village community. • There is a strong liaison with the pre-school and with the local secondary school. • Parents do not receive sufficient information about the subjects their children study, or the progress they are making. This was a key issue in the last inspection report.

p.16

Commentary

31. Parents are very loyal to the school. Many current and past parents help in the school and raise money. The parent-teacher association is very well organised and raises significant funds towards welcome extra resources. During the inspection week a father employed in the pharmaceutical industry took time off to share his experience with pupils in Year 6 to provide them with very good information about the workplace. A very good number of parents attend the parent teacher meetings because they are keen to find out how their children are doing and they want their children to achieve well. The school events in the hall, village centre or sports field are extremely well attended. The pride that the parents show in the school rubs off on their children as they come to school happily and confidently each morning. Shipton Bellinger Primary School 32. The school is highly regarded in local community and shares its facilities with local groups.

p.16

Commentary

The very generous donations from a local benefactor have made the exciting, well-planned adventure garden a reality. Pupils go out into the village to find out more about local history, the architecture of buildings and the mapping of the locality. Through these local links the curriculum is enriched and pupils learn how important and satisfying it is for communities to work together.

p.17

Commentary

33. Strong links with the adjacent pre-school are particularly beneficial for the youngest children. The transfer into Reception class is seamless and the children are confident and happy from the start. The vast majority of Year 6 pupils move on to the local secondary school. Well- established liaison with the staff of the local secondary school ensures that transfer is smooth and learning continues with as little disruption as possible.

p.17

Commentary

34. Parents receive very good general information about school events and celebrations. Newsletters are plentiful and informative. The prospectus and annual governors’ report are lively, interesting and give a good flavour of the school. Information about homework is much better than it was at the time of the last inspection. Homework is far more regular and there is now a useful guide for parents on how they can support their children’s work from home. On the other hand, information about the curriculum and pupils’ progress is not as comprehensive as it could be. Curriculum information letters and the school prospectus give very basic explanations about the subjects to be covered. Although parents have adequate opportunities to meet their child’s teacher to find out how their child is getting on, a significant number indicated in their questionnaires that they were unhappy with information about their

p.17

Commentary

children’s progress. The team agrees that this area could be improved. Pupils’ written reports provide useful information on their ability and effort, but are not sufficiently clear about the progress they have made over the year in each subject area. This is an area that was an issue in the previous inspection. Without sufficient curriculum and progress information, parents are at a disadvantage in being able to help their children to achieve as much as possible.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher and governors provide good leadership and management.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and help shape its direction. • Parents think highly of the school’s leadership and believe that the headteacher’s good leadership and management has helped to improve the school. • One or two issues from the previous inspection have not been fully resolved. • Many of the subject leaders are new to their responsibilities and have not had formal opportunities to monitor their subjects.

p.17

Commentary

35. The headteacher provides good leadership in promoting the school’s caring ethos and strong sense of purpose. Since the last inspection the headteacher has established an effective team who work together with exemplary commitment, including learning support staff and those who work in the school office and canteen. Both he and the deputy headteacher work closely with the governors to provide an agreed direction to the work of the school. For example, the analysis of performance data is regularly shared with governors, keeping them fully informed about standards and targets. The deputy headteacher provides excellent support and is an outstanding role model for other staff as a class teacher. Shipton Bellinger Primary School 36. The governors are very knowledgeable about the school. They are very experienced and have effective systems in place to ensure they are kept fully in the picture on all fronts. These

p.17

Commentary

operate very efficiently because committees and meetings are well organised. Governors work together with staff as a team very well and regard their roles as critical friends seriously. For instance, they do not shy away from challenging views about proposed expenditure or forecasts of pupils’ performance. They are aware of some difficult financial decisions that lie ahead, and are already considering ways of minimising the impact of a falling balance in the next budget year.

p.18

Commentary

37. The headteacher has delegated management of subjects in the curriculum, maximising staff strengths. However, many staff are new to their roles and have not yet mastered their responsibilities, such as monitoring subjects through formally evaluating teaching, learning and standards. Similarly, while governors have considerable informal knowledge and views about standards, they have few opportunities to gather information in more formal ways, for example by observing teachers at work and by looking at pupils’ workbooks to begin to form ideas about expected standards.

p.18

Commentary

38. The school improvement plan and the subject leaders’ action plans are comprehensive. However, many plans are not sufficiently fine-tuned and there are too many priorities to be tackled simultaneously. The headteacher and governors are aware of the need to review the plan with sharper targets, outcomes and success criteria within a manageable timescale.

p.18

Commentary

39. The management of special educational needs is good. Pupils’ individual education plans are carefully monitored and they and their parents are closely involved in setting targets for improvement. Learning support staff are very effectively deployed and work closely with class teachers. Their support is very effective in helping pupils to make progress. The school office runs very smoothly and finance systems are very efficiently managed in close consultation with the chair of the governors’ finance committee. The building and its grounds are very well cared for, providing a stimulating and secure environment for staff and pupils. A flourishing indicator of the partnership between the school and the governing body is to be seen in the school’s highly successful and over-subscribed gardening club. Pupils and governors talk about this enthusiastically, clearly taking justifiable pride in their work.

p.18

Commentary

40. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection. The quality of teaching is good overall, and in about a fifth of lessons is very good, which is slightly higher than national figures. It forms good links with parents and is very highly regarded in the community. Pupils are well behaved and have very good attitudes to their work. The headteacher and governors provide good leadership and management. The school’s costs are higher than average, but because of its good standard of education, it provides good value for money.

p.18

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 514,207 Balance from previous year 32,611 Total expenditure 501,904 Balance carried forward to the next 7,000 Expenditure per pupil 2,712 Shipton Bellinger Primary School

p.18

The school’s provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and has improved since

41. Children receive a good grounding for their transfer to Year 1. They begin school together as one group, full-time, each September. This helps them to settle well and form friendships with one another. Children love school. Parents appreciate the very good arrangements for beginning school, and like the daily informal contact with staff.

p.19

The school’s provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and has improved since

42. The co-ordinator sets a high standard in teaching. Her leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. The class is taught by two separate teams of staff, including an experienced early years assistant, who knows the children very well and is particularly alert to their needs. There is close liaison between the two teams, with weekly meetings to exchange information and share planning. Parents say they have no concerns at all about this job-share arrangement, because all staff are equally available and routines are identical. They feel the class runs smoothly and their children take the arrangement in their stride. Children achieve well because of consistently good teaching, and a wide range of exciting activities that arouse interest, and are carefully matched to their needs. All staff are fully committed to implementing the school’s strong stance on educational inclusion.

p.19

The school’s provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and has improved since

43. Children’s progress is regularly assessed formally and informally, and good use is being made of the new National Profile. Observations during the inspection indicate that most children are well on course to reach the Early Learning Goals in all six areas of the curriculum by the time they move into Year 1, and some will achieve beyond these.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in this area of learning is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good relationships between staff provide good role models for children. • Staff are good at encouraging children to get along together courteously and to show consideration for others.

p.19

Commentary

44. Children settle very well into their daily routines. They show respect to their teachers and helpers, and consideration for each other. Most are mastering the art of taking turns in conversation, listening carefully and resisting the temptation to interrupt. They have quickly adopted the ‘hands-up’ convention to answer questions in whole-class activities. Many show consideration for others and readily share resources, such as coloured cubes. At the end of sessions, they willingly tidy away their things, putting them conscientiously into the right place. They line up quietly and move sensibly to other parts of the school, for example to the hall for assembly. Children are friendly and kind towards each other, and they have very good attitudes to their work because activities are fun and they know exactly what to do. Their behaviour is good because staff encourage them to be aware of the needs of others and

p.19

Commentary

explain why. For example, the early years assistant reminds children going to wash their hands that they need to do so quietly because other children nearby are still working. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in this area of learning is good , especially in developing children’s speaking and listening skills.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good provision during the school day for children to practise their speaking and listening skills. • Consistent support by parents at home that develops children’s good attitudes to books.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

45. Teachers are good at helping children to develop their speaking and listening skills. Nearly all children listen extremely carefully to each other’s contribution in ‘show and tell’ and story times, and pay close attention to instructions so they settle to their tasks with confidence, knowing what is expected of them. They are developing good questioning skills, following the very good models set by staff, asking ‘what’ , ‘who’ and ‘why’ questions politely, and sustaining sensible conversations. Several write their Christian names correctly. They are beginning to practise how to write letters properly by tracing over dots, and the more able children are learning how to write a sentence helped by their teacher.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

46. Most children are developing very good reading skills. Children are very keen to read and willingly take their book bags home each night. They are proud to show the remarks that their parents have written in their reading diaries. About two thirds of the class are already reaching very good standards. They read confidently and with understanding, enjoying the humour of the stories, and make sensible predictions about what might happen next.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in this area of learning is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers make meaningful links between numeracy and other subjects throughout the school day. • Children are encouraged to use mathematical vocabulary properly.

p.20

Commentary

47. Teachers are adept at promoting children’s understanding of mathematics in day-to-day events. For example, during registration and circle times, teachers identify how many are present and absent, recite the days of the week, and draw children’s attention to the time. Children learn to count from zero to ten, using their fingers. They count forwards confidently, and are practising counting backwards with increasing accuracy. They are beginning to identify patterns, using the terms ‘random’ and ‘regular’ accurately, and persevere in matching coloured cubes to match an interlocking design accurately. They confidently count the numbers of cubes in each set, and identify which is biggest and smallest. Children enjoy an exciting game introducing them to the idea of ‘taking away’ . This activity helps to develop their personal and social awareness because they work well together in pairs, sharing a dice

p.20

Commentary

and checking each other’s calculations. Very good use of information and communication technology is included under the supervision of a parent. Children match numerals and sets well, making good and accurate use of the mouse. A group of less able children shared their investigations with the whole class. There was absolute silence from the rest of the class as they arranged counters to show as many number pairs as possible to make five. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good use is made of local places of interest to enrich children’s experiences. • Good use is made of information and communication technology, enabling children to develop their keyboard and programming skills. • Staff provide challenging activities that stimulate children’s curiosity and promote interest in the world around them.

p.21

Commentary

48. Teachers plan relevant and exciting activities to help children gain a good understanding of the world they live in. For example, they visited a local farm to see animals at close quarters, and joined in the school outing to a technology centre and exhibition for hands-on experience of computers. In their new outdoor play area, they enjoy programming a robot, directing it carefully around a maze they constructed out of large building blocks. In the garden area they carefully use magnifying glasses and collect and observe minibeasts. They learn to appreciate what it was like to live long ago by dressing up as kings, knights and dragons, inhabiting a tent and an inflatable castle that transforms the play area into Camelot. Children gain a good understanding of other people’s traditions and cultures as they decorate paper cut-outs of their own hands, similar to ‘ khamsas’ displayed in a nearby shopping centre, and

p.21

Commentary

they enjoy interviewing Elmer the Elephant about what it is like to live in a jungle. Teachers plan challenging tasks to make children really think. For instance, in finding out about their sense of hearing, a range of exciting group activities keeps children on their toes. ‘This is going to be tricky’, remarked one child as the teacher described the tasks and made her high expectations clear. Because children are highly motivated and well-organised, they successfully complete their investigations using balloons, paper ear trumpets and shakers as well as computers and tape recorders.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide many good activities for children to practise their fine motor control. • There are not enough large wheeled toys for use outside, nor are there facilities for adventurous play.

p.21

Commentary

49. Children are taught well how to play safely, with due care of others’ needs. There is usually a clear purpose to their structured play times, for example travelling in one direction, controlling their wheeled toy at a sensible speed. There are also good opportunities outside to practise motor control in the sand and water trays, and to explore painting using large brushes. Children use large apparatus carefully, such as benches in the school hall, and use a variety of small apparatus well, like hoops and balls. However, they do not have enough time outside to practise their balancing, jumping, sliding, climbing and swinging skills due to a lack of fixed equipment. Good links with literacy are provided when children draw and write in class, carefully using pencils and crayons, scissors and glue-sticks. Children develop greater dexterity very well by using the keyboard and mouse at the computer station, threading beads

p.21

Commentary

and building with constructional apparatus. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers devise very interesting activities to stimulate children’s interest. • Good planning ensures that children listen to music from different times and cultures. • Children are good at evaluating items that they design and make.

p.22

Commentary

50. Children explore and use a range of different materials and resources well, for example paints, crayons, chalk and modelling materials. They use scissors and glue sticks carefully and show good levels of accuracy when sprinkling glitter and sequins. They enjoy painting, taking control of their own pictures and equipment, putting on aprons and tidying up afterwards. They enjoy planning and making their own musical instruments, such as shakers, filling them with different materials and listening to the kinds of sounds they produce. They delight in singing and are eager to use their own instruments to accompany themselves. They carefully study how beads and shells are used as decoration by people from other lands such as Morocco, and are very interested in their symbols of strength and power such as ‘ khamsas’ displayed in a local shopping centre. They make their own ‘ good luck hands’ , using sequins and glitter to very good effect. In suitable weather they use

p.22

Commentary

modelling clay outside and sensibly try using different brush sizes when painting large-scale patterns and pictures.

p.22

English

Provision in English is good for infants and juniors. Pupils achieve standards above those expected.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching of reading and writing. The school is successful in helping pupils to develop good attitudes to English. • Very good deployment of support staff, who help pupils with special educational needs to make good progress. • Good use of pupils’ literacy skills in other subjects. • Very good leadership by the subject co-ordinator.

p.22

Commentary

51. Pupils make progress and achieve good standards in English. Compared with those in all schools nationally, in the most recent tests infant pupils’ results were above average in reading and writing. Junior pupils’ results in English were above average in English based on prior attainment. Good standards are found because the subject is taught well, pupils enjoy a wide range of reading and writing activities, and they learn to enjoy books. Literature has a high profile in school and pupils use their skills well in other subjects on a regular basis. Standards were also above average in the previous inspection. There is no difference in the achievement of boys and girls, and pupils with special educational needs achieve well Shipton Bellinger Primary School because work is well planned for them and they receive very good support from assistants in classes and in small groups.

p.22

Commentary

52. The school has chosen to devote part of each day to specific reading activities, with teachers providing support to different groups of pupils each day. During the inspection the quality of teaching in these sessions was at least good, and occasionally very good. Teachers have excellent knowledge of the texts which enables them to ask searching questions that make pupils concentrate and think very hard about their answers. Because teachers ask them to look beyond the obvious, pupils begin to explore the hidden meaning in books. For example, in Year 6, pupils studied a book by Helen Cresswell and successfully identified how the author portrayed changes of mood.

p.23

Commentary

53. Pupils enjoy reading and become increasingly selective about their choice of books. Younger pupils’ reading diaries are completed conscientiously by parents and help to identify the progress that pupils make or any problems that they encounter. They are taught different strategies well at an early age that will help them to become confident, fluent readers. For example, they use pictures well to provide them with clues for reading words they do not recognise. Older pupils tackle unknown words using ideas from the context of the story and their knowledge of sound blends. Older pupils are confident and selective readers and are so enthused with literature that many like reading each other’s stories. The school recognises the importance of reading, and the new school library provides a very good resource which older pupils have the responsibility of organising.

p.23

Commentary

54. Pupils develop good writing habits, such as a neat handwriting style and good spelling. Infant pupils cover a wide range of different types of written work, such as descriptions, lists of instructions and poems. Their good work continues in the juniors, with teachers planning increasing opportunities for pupils to undertake independent writing tasks. Older pupils have good chances to draft their work, which shows their ability to sustain interesting and original ideas throughout a description by using words adventurously and for increased impact. For example, ‘The sun had finally risen and the rain had cleared. “It’s dangerous”, Billy said, crossing his sepia coloured arms, covered in mud from the filthy marshland’.

p.23

Commentary

55. The subject is very well led by the co-ordinator. Teaching in English is consistently good throughout the school and reflects the hard work that has been put into developing the National Literacy Strategy in school. Learning support assistants are usually well deployed in lessons and in small groups supporting individuals or groups. They have a positive impact on helping pupils to achieve well.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

56. During their time at school pupils are encouraged to value their literacy skills because they use them frequently in other subjects. Pupils in Year 6 write for a wide range of purposes, from reports in science and learning spellings for a history topic to ‘newspaper’ reports about life in Victorian times and lists of instructions and written evaluations of their ideas for making sandwiches. Good links with literacy are developed in science lessons through the use of specific subject vocabulary such as , ‘attract’ , ‘repel’ , ‘opaque’ and ‘predict’ . In Year 3, very good use of pupils’ speaking, listening and writing skills is developed as the teacher guides pupils to write their experiment plans step by step, involving discussions at each stage. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good teaching in mathematics. • There is very good support for pupils with special educational needs, which enables them to make good progress. • Good assessment procedures are in place to track pupils’ progress across the school. • The pupils experience a curriculum that has good emphasis on real problem solving.

p.24

Commentary

57. Standards in mathematics are average in Year 2 and good in Year 6. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. In the 2003 national tests, results for pupils in Years 2 and 6 were below the national average. However, these results represent good achievement for both age groups. Samples of work confirm good achievement and better standards than national test results indicate. In the 2003 cohort, there was a significant number of pupils with special educational needs in Year 6 and this meant that test results were not as good as the previous year, although achievement for these pupils was still good.

p.24

Commentary

58. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Well-focused support ensures that all pupils achieve equally well. The school has high aspirations for all its pupils. This is shown in the results of pupils who have remained in the school from reception to Year 6. These pupils make very good progress and attain very high standards.

p.24

Commentary

59. The school seeks to provide the pupils with a challenging mathematics curriculum based on learning and applying mathematical skills and knowledge to real problems. Pupils use computer programs well to practise mathematical skills, but too little information and communication technology is used to record data and very little use is made of database programs.

p.24

Commentary

60. Good teaching helps pupils to make progress. Teachers have very good relationships with pupils. They make pupils feel confident and secure in the lessons. Teachers and teaching assistants question pupils very skilfully to develop a good understanding of what pupils know and to find out if pupils are thinking mathematically. Teaching assistants are very perceptive about pupils’ learning and give very informative feedback to teachers. Teachers praise pupils for their efforts, motivating them to learn and take an active part in their learning. The learning of multiplication tables, along with other mathematical tasks, is encouraged as homework, and has a positive influence on learning.

p.24

Commentary

61. The school has worked hard to establish good systems so that each pupil’s attainment in mathematics is plotted and their progress tracked. Challenging targets for future attainment are set and discussed with each pupil and their parents. Targets are negotiated and regularly reviewed, and adjusted in the light of individual performance and achievement. Two subject co-ordinators share the role and provide sound leadership. Both teach mathematics very well. Test results are carefully analysed to identify areas of weakness and effective action is taken to improve those areas. So far this term, however, they have not undertaken their monitoring role of the teaching and learning of mathematics.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

62. There is good use of numeracy skills in other subjects and aspects of school life, such as science when pupils use charts, graphs and tables well to record their results and to work Shipton Bellinger Primary School out profits from the tuck shop sales. As yet, however, teachers’ plans are not monitored to ensure that mathematics is incorporated into as wide range of subject areas as possible.

p.24

SCIENCE

Provision in science is satisfactory in infant classes and good in junior classes.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Older pupils especially achieve well because of good teaching. • Pupils make good use of their literacy and numeracy skills, especially in Year 6. • Not enough use is made of information and communication technology, except in Year 6. • There is not enough monitoring of standards of work and teaching by the co-ordinator.

p.25

Commentary

63. Teachers ensure that all pupils have full access to all aspects of science. In lessons there is no difference in the performance of boys and girls. Teachers are even-handed when questioning and all pupils take part in interesting extra-curricular events to support their learning in science. Standards for juniors are above average and are higher than in the previous inspection. Standards for infants are as expected, as they were in 1998.

p.25

Commentary

64. The sudden dip in junior results in 2003 was due to a large number of pupils with special educational needs. The school’s analysis of test results shows that pupils who attend the school from the infants reach higher levels in tests because they receive consistently good teaching and a curriculum that meets their needs throughout their time at the school. Standards in lessons observed in Year 2 are satisfactory at present, but pupils are on course to reach higher levels as the year proceeds, given the overall quality of teaching and the good support provided by classroom assistants, especially for pupils with special educational needs. Standards in Year 6 are already high as a result of very good teaching, which builds on the very good teaching that these pupils received in Year 5.

p.25

Commentary

65. Teaching in science is sound overall, with some good features, for example good planning which includes appealing and interesting activities. Teachers plan well for pupils to experience awe and wonder; for instance, at the unexpected power of magnets. These factors make lessons fun and interesting. However, in group or paired work, some pupils do not join in whole-heartedly because the groups are too large or there are too few resources to share. Occasionally, then, standards of behaviour begin to deteriorate because the pace is too slack and teachers do not make their expectations explicit. Teaching in Year 6 is very good and, as a result, pupils work assiduously with the maximum effort and achieve high standards.

p.25

Commentary

66. In Year 6, very good use is made of information and communication technology, as higher attaining pupils record their results on a spreadsheet, and use this data to construct graphs when their tasks are complete. They use and understand specialist vocabulary such as ‘viscous’ , and they put their mathematical skills to very good use reading Newton meters accurately in their work on force. The school helps pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding of science by organising visits to special centres of interest.

p.25

Commentary

67. The co-ordinator is new to her role and has not yet determined how to tackle areas of weakness. For example, assessment systems are not consistent, and there has been too little formal monitoring of teaching, learning and standards in the past. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• New, reliable hardware has made a big difference to pupils being able to use computers. • Staff are well trained and confident with computers. • Information and communication is not used consistently well in other subjects.

p.26

Commentary

68. Standards for infants and juniors are as expected. This is a major improvement since the last inspection, when they were judged to be below average. Progress for pupils throughout the school, which was judged to be slow and haphazard, is now well planned and methodical. All pupils have equal access to computers.

p.26

Commentary

69. The school has prudently invested in new computers, which are based in classrooms. Pupils’ work and teachers’ plans indicate that in some classes computers are used frequently, but this is not the case in all classes and computers were not used regularly during the inspection. Teachers in some classes are very good at seizing every opportunity to use computers in nearby classes when others are using the hall for music or physical education. Pupils steadily develop their skills so that, by the age of eleven, they are competent and confident users. Although many pupils have access to computers at home, few use them for any purpose other than games. Therefore, although their knowledge of key functions is good, few develop their skills in word processing or accessing the Internet at home.

p.26

Commentary

70. Pupils are enthusiastic users. Because the number of computers is limited, and they are based in classrooms, pupils inevitably have to work in pairs and they do this very well, sharing ideas and responsibilities. In some classes pupils use computers well to work together on programs that will consolidate their basic language and number skills. The level of co-operation in Year 6, when pupils discussed their use of a program to prepare a multi- media presentation linked to their geography topic, was excellent.

p.26

Commentary

71. The introduction of new hardware has meant that the school has had to work out a new time frame for updating software and ensuring that machines are used to their full potential. This it has achieved successfully, as well as introducing valuable, new assessment booklets to track pupils’ progress as they master new skills.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

72. The school is aware that more can be done to develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum. It has become far more aware of technology recently and its very useful new web site has recently been launched. In one or two classes, teachers have made very good use of computers to develop pupils’ skills and interest in other subjects and have shown just what is possible. Computers in those classes are regularly in use, regardless of the subject, and used very well to develop expertise in all the required elements of the National Curriculum. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

p.26

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The new co-ordinator has determination and wants to succeed. • Monitoring of the subject, including assessments of how well pupils are doing, is a weakness.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

73. During the inspection no lessons in religious education were timetabled, because the subject is not taught during the current term. There was very little pupils’ work to scrutinise. However, on the basis of discussions with pupils and staff, and looking at displays and planning, standards are seen to be in line with those expected at both Year 2 and Year 6. This is in line with the judgement made in the previous inspection.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

74. The school makes good use of the local church as a resource for festivals, such as Christmas and Easter. Pupils recall the main features such as the altar and stained glass, but are less secure about the purpose of the pulpit and font. They know the importance of the Bible to Christians and identify the differences between the Old and New Testaments. They recall the main events of the life of Christ, but are less secure in their knowledge of the leaders of other faiths. They appreciate the importance of showing respect for the way other people worship, describing in detail the way that Muslims use water before worshipping in the mosque, and the respect that Jews show towards their special book, the Torah.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

75. The school provides sound opportunities to enrich pupils’ understanding by involving others in the community. For instance, the vicar is a regular visitor both to assemblies and to lessons, and a story-teller has enabled Year 6 pupils to gain a deep insight into the books and stories of the Old Testament. The co-ordinator is new but has already attended the co-ordinator’s course and now intends to review the present scheme of work and adopt the locally agreed syllabus. There has been no monitoring of teaching, learning and standards, and assessment in religious education is unsatisfactory.

p.27

Geography

Provision in geography is satisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of activities and events beyond the school day to enrich pupils’ knowledge and understanding. • Unsatisfactory arrangements for the subject co-ordinator to monitor teaching, learning and standards, and assessment arrangements.

p.27

Commentary

76. Very little work from pupils was available to judge standards and only two lessons were timetabled in Years 2 and 6. Evidence has been obtained from discussions with pupils and staff, and by looking at displays and planning. These indicate that standards are in line with national expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, as they were in the previous inspection.

p.27

Commentary

77. The quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to very good. The very good teaching includes making assignments absolutely specific and very good provision of resources, such as non-fiction books and computers. Consequently, pupils settle to their work very quickly Shipton Bellinger Primary School and have outstanding attitudes throughout the lesson. They are very interested in their work, and make very good use of their literacy skills, reading, retrieving and interpreting information in their own way. Pupils understand the purpose of contour lines on a map, and identify similarities and differences between mountainous environments.

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Commentary

78. Pupils knowledgeably explain their understanding of life in an Indian village, compared with their lives here. They accurately name the main mountain ranges, oceans and continents of the world and fully understand terms such as erosion and points of the compass. They recognise the impact on the environment of litter and graffiti and, in particular, because they live in a rural area, are well aware of the adverse affect of street lighting in preventing observation of the stars and planets. Year 2 pupils enjoy studying the features of an island. They correctly define an island as, ‘the top of a mountain sticking up out of the sea’ . Good use is made of their speaking and listening skills in discussion, but they are not yet recording their own work in writing or graphically, and rarely use information and communication technology.

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Commentary

79. The school makes good use of local places to enrich and develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For instance, a visit to Bude provides good opportunities for pupils to observe coastal features close up. However, some areas of geography are insufficiently well developed in order to improve standards in the subject. The co-ordinator has other considerable responsibilities in the school and she has not had time to monitor the standards of teaching and learning in geography throughout the school. Assessment does not provide sufficient evidence of pupils’ progress.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Interesting activities and good ‘hands on’ activities bring the subject to life. • Monitoring of the subject is unsatisfactory. • Computers are rarely used to enrich pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

80. During the inspection there were limited opportunities to observe history being taught. Information about standards has been drawn from looking at pupils’ work, teachers’ planning, displays around school, and in discussions with staff and pupils. These indicate that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve standards that are in line with those expected nationally, as they were during the previous inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

81. Pupils in Year 1 enjoy experiencing a wide range of activities associated with Victorian times. They throw themselves into the spirit of it all by dressing in suitable clothes, for example waistcoats and flat caps, shawls and long skirts, as do their teachers, support staff and visitors. Pupils in Year 5 also study the Victorian period, and study the period in more detail, showing great concern with the hard manual work that children had to do such as chimney- sweeping, and how they felt about their lives. This helps to develop good awareness of the social conditions of the time. Good use is made of drama to illustrate the harshness of their lives.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

82. The quality of teaching varies from good to satisfactory. In good lessons, time is used well and pupils make good progress because they are fully engaged and well motivated. Progress is not as good when they all have the same task whatever their needs, resulting in the more able pupils not being challenged enough. Occasionally, groups are too large, and this means that some pupils do not play a big enough part in lessons. Consequently they lose interest. Shipton Bellinger Primary School 83. Teachers make good links with literacy by exploiting pupils’ speaking and listening skills in discussions, and by recording their written findings, but there is not enough use of computers to enrich pupils’ learning in history, for example by accessing the Internet for information and by word-processing writing. The co-ordinator has only recently taken responsibility for the subject and has not yet had time to monitor the teaching, learning and standards in the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No art or music lessons were observed during the inspection, although pupils were observed singing hymns in assembly. Only one design and technology lesson was taught to juniors during the inspection. No overall judgement has been made on music throughout the school, or on design and technology and physical education for infants, where there is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement.

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Art and design

Provision in art and design is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Work is not well enough planned to make sure that pupils steadily learn new skills as they move through the school. • There is little pupils’ artwork on display around the school. • The subject is not well managed.

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Commentary

84. Although no lessons were observed, judgements are made on the basis of a scrutiny of classroom walls, pupils’ sketchbooks, teachers’ plans and discussions with pupils and teachers. Standards are below expectations and pupils, including those with special educational needs, do not cover a wide enough range of work to develop their skills with a range of media. Standards have fallen since the last inspection.

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Commentary

85. Although classrooms are bright and welcoming, much of the display takes the form of teachers’ work or pupils’ illustrations that accompany, for example, their written work. There is very little current evidence from displays that pupil are using a range of different media. Their sketchbooks are infrequently used and do not generally show any development of their ideas. Pupils have few chances to work in three-dimensions and, apart from the older pupils, have little knowledge of artists and their different styles.

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Commentary

86. The subject has not been given sufficiently high profile to identify what needs to be done to improve standards. The subject co-ordinator has many demands and has had insufficient time to monitor planning, pupils’ work or subject teaching.

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Design and technology

Provision in design and technology for juniors is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher has very good subject knowledge. • Pupils work together very well. • There are very good resources for pupils to use. Shipton Bellinger Primary School 87. In the one lesson observed, standards were above average, but taking into account the range of work and the opportunities to develop their skills over a period of time, standards are as expected for juniors. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are included in a range of activities. In the lesson observed there were single and mixed gender groups and there were no differences in the attainment of boys and girls.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

88. The work in the one lesson observed was well linked to a purposeful topic, partly initiated by pupils, to design an outdoor shelter at school where parents could wait. There were good links with mathematics as pupils had to accurately cost their proposed shelters and very good opportunities for them to collaborate and develop their ability to evaluate their designs. Teaching was very good. The teacher’s personal confidence and skill in design technology enabled pupils to use a wide range of tools safely, thus extending the possible range of their work. Teaching points were expertly made and the teacher intervened at just the right moment, without directing pupils too much, to encourage them to think of alternative methods or resources.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

89. Pupils’ attitudes are excellent. They fully understood the potential safety hazards of using hot glue guns, saws and drills and did so with great care. They carefully consider others’ ideas as well as being confident enough to debate their own proposals. The headteacher has responsibility for managing the subject and understands that there is room to improve aspects of subject co-ordination such as developing worthwhile assessments and monitoring planning.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education for juniors is satisfactory. Pupils achieve standards in line with those expected.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school makes very good use of cramped indoor accommodation. • The subject is well managed by a knowledgeable co-ordinator.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

90. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, have access to a range of activities that the school provides. Pupils have good levels of co-ordination and use space and equipment well. They work well together to develop their skills and their performance improves during lessons because they work hard and listen carefully to advice from their teachers.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

91. The amount of time devoted to the subject is good. Lessons are long enough for pupils to carry out all the necessary warm up activities and then have enough time to practise, individually and in groups. Outside space is used well, whenever possible, for team games such as hockey and rugby. Teaching was good overall, with some very good features. Teachers are very good at encouraging pupils to work increasingly independently. Lessons get off to a brisk start and they have trained pupils to move and use resources carefully and co-operatively. Lessons provide very good opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their movements to others and for pupils to critically evaluate them and offer constructive advice.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

92. The subject is well managed. The co-ordinator has a high level of personal skill and knows how to get polished performances from pupils. Resources are good and extra-curricular sports activities well organised. She has had the opportunity to demonstrate lessons to other teachers, but has not yet been able to observe lessons. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Older pupils have a good understanding of what it means to be a ‘young citizen’ . • The school is successful in helping pupils to become mature, independent and responsible. • There is no school council to provide a formal channel for their views.

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Commentary

93. Good teaching encourages pupils to talk confidently about a wide range of topics and to express their feelings about issues. Much time and effort is put into the emotional development of all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs. Pupils demonstrate maturity and self-knowledge in discussion about potentially sensitive issues such as the pharmaceutical industry, care of the world around them and the environment. Pupils talk thoughtfully and maturely about the need to care for each other and describe in some detail various projects that they are involved in. For example, running the school tuck shop. They know it is important to have a varied diet and sell only ‘healthy snacks’ . Litter from the tuck shop was a concern of pupils in Year 4, so they successfully designed posters to inform all pupils about the nuisance of this anti-social problem.

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Commentary

94. Good standards are reached through the good programme of work based on the local education authority’s scheme of work. The development of the subject is managed soundly by a keen co-ordinator. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the subject and look forward to their lessons. They respond well and by the time they reach Year 6, they have become very responsible and mature. Shipton Bellinger Primary School

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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