Swiss Gardens Primary School

SHOREHAM FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 th – 18 th March 2004

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SHOREHAM FIRST SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Shoreham First 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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SHOREHAM FIRST 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. Shoreham First School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First school School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4-8 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 242

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Swiss Gardens Shoreham-by-Sea West Sussex Postcode: BN43 5WH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01273 453176 Fax number: 01273 440265

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs J Ford

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Shoreham First School is a large school for pupils from four to eight years of age. When they leave, most go to the nearby middle school. The school is housed in two buildings on a large site, although there is no grassed area for pupils to play on. There has been a considerable amount of staffing turbulence in the past few years and, prior to the current headteacher’s appointment, the school had four temporary headteachers within a very short time. Attainment when children enter the school is below average in the key areas of personal and social development and communication and language and literacy skills. Five per cent of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, although only two of them are at an early stage of learning English. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is average and the percentage with Statements of Special Educational Need is below average. Shoreham First 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 Personal, social and health education and citizenship Special educational needs English as an additional language 9052 Helen Barter Lay inspector 26945 Sylvia Gatehouse Team inspector Foundation Stage Geography History Music Religious education 18505 David Matthews Team inspector Mathematics Science Design and technology Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Ltd 120 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). Shoreham First School

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8 - 10

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8 - 10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11 - 14

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Shoreham First School provides a satisfactory standard of education. It is a very caring place which supports pupils with special educational needs very well . Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school and work hard. Teaching is satisfactory overall. The good and very good teaching seen in some classes is not found consistently throughout the school. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The school is popular and well regarded . It provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Children in the Foundation Stage get a good start to their schooling. • Support for pupils with special educational needs is very well planned. • The quality of teaching is not consistent, and assessment is not used well enough in some classes to make sure that work is always challenging. • Monitoring of pupils’ work and the quality of teaching is not rigorous enough. • Pupils’ behaviour is very good and they have good attitudes to their work. • Standards in writing are not high enough. • The school forms good links with parents who know that it is a very caring place where their children are very well looked after.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. There have been many changes in leadership since the last inspection. These have made it difficult for the school to develop consistently during this time. Nevertheless, standards in mathematics, information and communication technology and religious education have all improved, very high standards of behaviour have been maintained and support for pupils with special educational needs is still very effective. The headteacher has introduced a much-needed development plan to give direction to the school’s work. Inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching and subject co-ordination, which have an adverse impact on how well some pupils achieve.

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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 C C C C writing C C D D mathematics C C C C 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 2 results

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. Children in the reception classes make good progress and their standards are as expected by the time they start in Year 1. They make very good progress in developing their social and communication skills, and many are well on course to exceed expectations by Year 1. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in the infants. Their standards are in line with those of other seven-year-olds nationally in reading and mathematics, but below average in writing. During the inspection standards in reading and mathematics are satisfactory. Standards in writing remain unsatisfactory. Where judgements are made, standards are in line with those expected in Year 2 in science and the foundation subjects and they are higher than expected in design and technology. Standards for pupils in Year 3 in English, mathematics and science are in Shoreham First School line with expectations. Standards in design and technology and information and communication

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Year 2 results

technology are above expectations, and in other foundation subjects they are in line. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve similar standards to those of other pupils. They make very good progress working in small groups where they receive very well planned support. Boys and girls achieve similar standards throughout the school. Pupils’ skills in literacy and information and communication technology are not used regularly or well enough in other subjects.

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Year 2 results

The school makes good provision overall for developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is good for their social and moral development and satisfactory for their spiritual and cultural development. Assemblies make a good contribution to their spiritual awareness. Pupils learn about right and wrong and value the part they play in the running of the school. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are good and have improved since the previous inspection. Pupils’ attitudes to their work are good. They enjoy their work and want to do well. Their behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school. They are very polite and well mannered and pupils work and play together very well.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a satisfactory standard of education overall. Teaching is satisfactory overall, although there are differences between classes. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage and in Year 3. In about a third of lessons it is very good. In the infants, teaching is satisfactory with just under half of lessons judged to be good. Although relationships with pupils are very good and teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to work together, lesson pace is often too slow and expectations of what pupils can do are not high enough. When teaching is good and very good, lessons are exciting, pupils are eager to learn and the enthusiasm of the teacher helps them to remember what they have learned.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school’s curriculum is satisfactory. Areas of learning in the reception classes are well planned and help to develop children’s skills. Good use is made of visitors to school to enliven subjects and special weeks help to make learning exciting and relevant. Pupils’ very good relationships with adults mean that they know they have someone they can trust and talk to if they are worried or upset.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher and governors provide satisfactory leadership and management. Following a period of instability, the head has raised the confidence of parents in the school. The new development plan provides a clear guide for future improvement. Governors support the school and have willingly gone on training courses to improve their expertise. There has been insufficient analysis of standards of teaching and learning.

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PARENTS AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils think the school is good. They say their children really like attending and that it does a very good job helping them to settle when they start.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise standards of teaching, to ensure consistent high quality throughout the school; • monitor standards rigorously; • use assessment to set consistently high expectations; • improve the quality of pupils’ writing. Shoreham First School

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is satisfactory overall. There are times when some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. For example, infant pupils do not reach the standards they should with their writing. Standards for seven-year-olds are average in reading and mathematics. Pupils in Year 3 attain the expected standards in English, mathematics and science.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the reception classes make good, and sometimes very good, progress. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in small groups. • Literacy and information and communication technology are not used well enough in other subjects.

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Commentary

1. Children start school with a very wide spread of ability, although many have below average language and literacy skills, and limited personal and social development. This means that many of them have difficulty using a wide range of language to express themselves, are not used to working closely with other children and have to learn how to deal with different situations in school. They make good, and sometimes very good progress, although their progress in writing is often not as good as in other areas. Nevertheless, by the end of their reception year, standards for most of them are as expected in all areas of learning 1 . In communication, language and literacy and personal and social development many exceed expectations. Progress for reception children now is better than it was in the previous inspection.

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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

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Key Stage 1

There were 64 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Key Stage 1

2. Infant pupils do not consistently build on the progress they make in the Foundation Stage. Seven-year-olds’ results have remained fairly static in the core subjects for the last three years. They generally attain the expected standards in comparison with those of other pupils nationally. In comparison with pupils in similar schools, their results in the 2003 tests were average in reading and mathematics, and below average in writing. The school has now identified, quite correctly, that writing throughout the school can be improved. Pupils’ below average standards in writing affect the range and quality of writing that they can do in other subjects. Pupils’ basic skills in reading are often good. This means that they learn the sounds of individual and groups of letters, and use a range of other strategies well to help them work

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Key Stage 1

1 Early Learning Goals – these are expectations for children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements children make in 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. Shoreham First School out how to read unknown words. However, reading does not have a high enough profile in school (see paragraph 46) and this affects the progress that some pupils make.

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Key Stage 1

3. Although pupils in Year 2 achieve expected standards in national tests, there were occasions during the inspection, in writing and mathematics especially, when some pupils of average and above average ability were not being stretched. In last year’s tests, the percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 2 in reading and mathematics was above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. It would not be fair to say, therefore, that pupils as a whole are consistently underachieving, but there are certainly some who, during the inspection, did not reach the standards they should in the core subjects.

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Key Stage 1

4. Standards in the foundation subjects, where there was enough evidence to make judgements, were in line with those expected. In design and technology standards were above expectations. This was the only subject where pupils’ literacy skills were used well. Pupils in Year 3 make good progress in writing. This helps them to catch up and achieve expected standards in English, mathematics and science. Their standards in the foundation subjects are as expected, although in design and technology and information and communication technology, they are above expectations. Standards have improved since the last inspection in mathematics, information and communication technology and religious education.

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Key Stage 1

5. Boys and girls throughout the school attain similar standards. Pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and those from minority ethnic groups are quickly identified and supported extremely well. This is a strength of the school’s work and has been maintained since the previous inspection. The way in which their progress is tracked is exemplary. Targets in pupils’ individual education plans are challenging, yet realistic, and regularly reviewed. The most effective support for them comes in small groups when they are withdrawn from their classes. These include sessions to help develop pupils’ basic skills in literacy. They also include very good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills and for some pupils to learn how to develop skills which can help them to concentrate and behave appropriately in lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to school are good . Their behaviour is very good . Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good . Attendance is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very pleased with their school and have good attitudes to their learning. • Pupils’ very good behaviour is a significant feature of the school. • Pupils’ moral and social development are promoted well. • Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are good.

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Commentary

6. Pupils enjoy coming to school very much. They say that, ‘everything is really good’, that they like their teachers and that they get to do ‘fun things.’ Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are good. They listen well, contribute willingly to discussions and are happy to work independently and with others. When the pace slows in lessons, pupils still work hard and behave well. Pupils are very keen to talk about their learning. This was shown in their animated discussions with inspectors about their work in history where they were keen to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject.

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Commentary

2 Levels Key Stage 1 – 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 achieving standards above those expected for a child of his or her age. Shoreham First School 7. The school is a pleasant place to be because the pupils are cheerful, busy and very well behaved. They are polite, get on well with each other and with adults and behave responsibly in lessons and around the school. Pupils’ chatty, friendly nature contributes to the happy atmosphere around the school. Their playtimes are fun and sociable because they have a good choice of activities to keep them interested and they are good at sharing equipment and taking turns. The school’s expectations of pupils’ behaviour are consistently very good and adults set very good examples for pupils to follow.

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Commentary

8. Pupils’ moral and social development is good. They know the importance of caring for others and understand each other’s differences. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong and know what is expected of them. In personal, social and health education lessons, they listen carefully and sensitively to others’ opinions and are able to discuss issues responsibly. Pupils are very willing to take responsibility around the school from voluntarily holding doors open for others, to being sensible and capable members of the school council. As a result, their maturity is developing well. Pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Most assemblies offer pupils the opportunity to quietly reflect on their own and others’ lives. Pupils’ understanding of cultures other than their own is satisfactorily promoted through work in the curriculum although the school is investigating ways of developing this further.

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Attendance

9. Pupils’ attendance is good. It has improved since the last inspection and is now above the national average with little unauthorised absence. Pupils’ punctuality is good and is also much improved. The school makes clear its expectations for pupils’ attendance and as a result parents ensure their children come to school whenever possible.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.8 School data: 0.1 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

Exclusions : There have been no exclusions from the school in the last year.

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Attendance

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 179 White – any other White background 2 Mixed – White and Black African 3 Mixed – White and Asian 1 Mixed – any other mixed background 3 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 Any other ethnic group 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Shoreham First School

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching is almost always good in the reception classes and is occasionally very good. It is good in Year 3. Assessment is satisfactory . The curriculum is satisfactory and there are good opportunities to make learning interesting by inviting visitors in. The accommodation is good and the school makes good use of its buildings.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching is satisfactory overall. It is consistently good and often very good in the reception classes and in Year 3.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good, and sometimes very good, teaching helps children to settle quickly and make good progress in the reception classes. • There is inconsistency in the quality of teaching between classes. • Teaching is very good in small groups for pupils with special educational needs. • Assessment is not used consistently well to help all pupils achieve their highest standards.

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Commentary

10. Teaching is better now than it was when the last inspection took place. However, the inconsistency noted in teaching quality between classes then is still evident. The proportion of unsatisfactory teaching is seven per cent now, compared with twice that amount in 1998. More good, and slightly more very good teaching, was observed during the present inspection than before. The very good teaching observed in teaching small groups of pupils with special educational needs is still evident. In this inspection, 64 per cent of lessons were good or better, which is in line with national figures. All the very good and excellent lessons were taught by only three members of staff.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 45 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

11. One constant feature of almost all teaching is the very good relationship between adults and pupils. Because relationships are good and pupils are responsible, teachers are good at planning opportunities for them to work together; for example, as work partners or reading partners. This gives them good opportunities to discuss and try out different ideas, and varies the approach to learning so pupils are interested and involved.

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Commentary

12. Another effective teaching strategy is that at the start of lessons most teachers show pupils what they intend them to learn. This is known as the intended learning outcome. In good and very good lessons, teachers discuss in detail how this will shape the course of the lesson. During the lesson they usually assess whether pupils’ learning links with the planned outcome, and also check to see if the learning outcome has been achieved at the end of the lesson. This helps teachers to make rapid, accurate assessments of whether the work is at the right level and what pupils need to learn next. In satisfactory lessons, the intended learning outcome is not used as thoroughly to assess how well pupils have achieved. The inconsistency in the way that teachers assess pupils’ work to set targets for them to improve is also evident in the quality of marking in pupils’ books. The best examples are thoughtful

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Commentary

and realistic and offer good advice about what needs to be done to improve. In some cases comments are brief and do not analyse strengths and weaknesses in the work. Shoreham First School 13. In the very few unsatisfactory lessons observed, the common features were a lack of challenge, too much time spent by pupils sitting and listening, and low teacher expectations of the amount and quality of work that they could achieve in a set time. In lessons where teaching was satisfactory, but not as effective as in good and very good lessons, teaching is accurate and pupils understand what they have to do. Their learning and progress are at least satisfactory and tasks have sufficient challenge to keep pupils working. Some of the features that distinguish good and very good from satisfactory teaching are a higher level of challenge and imaginative teaching that leads to greater interest and learning. Sometimes

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Commentary

this means that pupils learn far more than might be expected. The inconsistency in the quality of teaching is not confined to one or two teachers. Some teachers who taught good lessons also taught satisfactory or unsatisfactory lessons. Nevertheless, one or two teachers taught nothing other than satisfactory lessons, and it is a lack of sparkle and imagination in those lessons that limits expectations of how well pupils can learn. Older pupils experience a range of teaching quality, although in one Year 3 class nothing other than good or very good lessons were observed, offering a high degree of challenge and resulting in exciting learning and good achievement.

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Commentary

14. The element of high expectation is clearly apparent in the work with groups of pupils identified with special educational needs, who are withdrawn for focused tasks. The teacher captures pupils’ imagination, develops their confidence and boosts their self-esteem. The teacher makes them feel that they are capable of tackling even the most difficult tasks successfully. In class lessons, the impact of learning support assistants lacks consistency as well. When teachers do not plan a clear role for them, they are sometimes not sufficiently well briefed about what they have to do and spend time during lesson introductions sitting passively rather than supporting specific individuals or groups. When they are well deployed by teachers, they have a significant impact on learning, working effectively with small groups offering help and advice, ironing out minor difficulties and helping pupils to concentrate.

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Commentary

15. The school has developed a wide range of long term assessment systems across the school. Class teachers predict pupils’ achievement at the end of Year 2, tracking pupils’ progress and forecasting their likely attainment in April. During the inspection there was evidence that some predictions of pupils’ levels were unrealistic, based on teachers’ day-to- day assessments of pupils’ work. The co-ordinator has not yet had time to monitor how well the systems are used, nor how effective the school’s marking policy is in helping pupils to know how they can improve their work.

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The curriculum

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum. There is a satisfactory range of activities outside normal lessons. The staffing, accommodation and resources are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improvements to planning since the last inspection help pupils to build up their learning in a logical way. • A few weaknesses in planning prevent pupils from applying and developing some important skills in other subjects. • Teachers enliven learning in a range of ways so that pupils enjoy school. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The curriculum for children in the reception classes is good. • The school’s accommodation is good.

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Commentary

16. The school has effectively addressed the weaknesses in planning identified in the last inspection. Teachers now plan subjects to build systematically on what pupils already know so that their learning moves on in a structured way in each subject year by year. The planning Shoreham First School for design and technology, for example, is particularly thorough and enables pupils to achieve well in this subject.

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Commentary

17. However, a few weaknesses in planning prevent the pupils from making better progress in some subjects. They are mainly to do with the inconsistency with which teachers link subjects. Some links work well to help pupils learn, but other links are poorly developed. Good links between science and design and technology result in pupils learning well in aspects of both subjects, for example when fitting electric circuits to the vehicles that they make.

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Commentary

18. Two weaknesses in cross curricular links are in the use of information and communication technology in other subjects and in a lack of systematic planning to ensure that pupils write for a variety of purposes across a range of subjects. Even where this does happen, teachers sometimes miss opportunities to correct basic spelling mistakes. The lack of opportunity for pupils to write in different styles in other subjects contributes to their unsatisfactory achievement in this important area.

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Commentary

19. Visitors to the school enrich pupils’ experiences well. Music groups excite and enthuse pupils while other visitors make valuable contributions to focus weeks, when pupils have plenty of time to focus on practical activities. Although the school makes good use of the local town, there are few visits further afield. It is aware of the need to balance a thorough assessment of the risk to pupils on such visits with the important benefits to their learning. The satisfactory range of popular after-school clubs is an improvement since the last inspection when there were none.

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Commentary

20. There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for those who speak English as an additional language. The co-ordinator for these pupils is particularly effective in ensuring that their learning is thoroughly focused on what they need to learn next. These and all other pupils receive good access to all the school’s curriculum opportunities, supported by a good number of classroom assistants.

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Commentary

21. The school’s accommodation is good. Teachers make good use of all the generous space available. The hall and the gymnasium are used well so that two physical education lessons sometimes take place at the same time. The school has done well to improve the outdoor play equipment, where pupils’ climbing and other activities support their very good behaviour at lunchtimes.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is good. Pupils are provided with good support, advice and guidance. The involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is very caring of all its pupils. • Target setting is not yet fully developed to help pupils know what to do to improve. • Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported. • There are good induction and transition arrangements for pupils joining and leaving the school.

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Commentary

22. The school continues to be the caring community reported at the last inspection. This is much appreciated by parents. The school understands pupils’ individual needs and difficulties very well and is pro-active in developing its links with outside agencies to ensure that they are well cared for in every respect. Procedures to ensure pupils’ health and safety are satisfactory and more is being done to assess any potential risks. Shoreham First School 23. All pupils receive good support, advice and guidance as they move through the school. Pupils have very good relationships with adults and say that teachers are helpful and that they can turn to any adult and that they will be listened to. They are also positive about the support they get from their peers, for example when working together as reading partners. They know that their views are valued and that any suggestions made are listened to carefully and acted

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Commentary

24. Pupils say that it is easy to ask teachers for help with their work. Because they get on with adults so well, they have confidence to ask questions and to ask when they don’t understand. They are positive about their targets in English and say that these help them to remember what they need to do to improve the quality of their writing. The use of targets to help pupils know what to do next is not yet fully developed in other subjects and this has an impact on pupils’ overall standards of achievement.

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Commentary

25. Pupils with special educational needs, from minority ethnic groups and those speaking English as an additional language receive very good quality support (see paragraph 5) . Induction arrangements for children who are new to the school are good so that they quickly become confident and settled. This has a good impact on their learning and standards of achievement. Arrangements for pupils’ transfer to middle school are also well established, with good opportunities for pupils to visit the school and to meet with older pupils. As a result, pupils say that they are looking forward to moving on and feel confident that they have been well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s partnership with parents is good. Links with the community are satisfactory. Links with other schools are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents think the school is good and have renewed confidence in it. • Some parents feel they do not receive enough information about what their children are learning. • The school has good and developing links with other schools.

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Commentary

26. Parents have good views of the school and the education provided for their children. Following a period of change, they now feel that the school is moving forward and that there has been improvement in many areas. They are pleased that their children enjoy coming to school, that they are well taught and that they are being helped to grow up.

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Commentary

27. Most parents are happy that they can see teachers or the headteacher quickly because they are available to speak to at the end of the day. Most feel that their concerns are dealt with well. Some parents, however, feel that they are not as well informed as they might be about what their children are learning, their progress and how they can help them at home. Inspectors find that pupils’ reports satisfactorily inform parents about pupils’ progress and that there are good opportunities for parents to meet teachers at regular consultation meetings. Reading diaries, however, are not used as consistently as they might be to guide parents on how they can support their children at home. The school does not provide as much curriculum information as it might and is looking at ways of improving this.

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Commentary

28. The school has good and effective partnerships with other local schools. Links with the middle school are good with established transition programmes. The development of joint policies, such as for attendance, with other first schools is efficient practice. There are good links with the local secondary and special schools, including the provision of work experience placements for older students. The school makes satisfactory use of its links with the community to make pupils’ learning more interesting. Shoreham First School

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership, management and governance of the school are satisfactory . The headteacher has created a very caring school and has established a clear direction for improvement. Governors have a satisfactory impact on the school’s development. Management of the school is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has helped to raise parents’ confidence in the school and has introduced new purpose. • There is not enough rigorous monitoring of standards of teaching and pupils’ work. • Governors are beginning to play an increasingly active role in shaping the direction of the school. • Important issues from the previous inspection have not been resolved.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 602,535 Balance from previous year 46,125 Total expenditure 608,332 Balance carried forward to the next 40,328 Expenditure per pupil 2,404

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Financial information

29. The headteacher has helped to provide much needed stability to the school. She has raised its profile in the community and has helped to lift parents’ confidence in it. Pupils like her, she has a high profile on a day-to-day basis and parents feel she will listen to them. She has introduced a much-needed school improvement plan to give the school clearer direction about the issues it needs to address in the short and long term. Clear targets for improvement have been set, personnel responsible identified and completion dates and costs outlined. Success criteria are in place, but some are too broad and not easily measurable to establish whether or not there has been improvement. The headteacher works very closely with the deputy headteacher, who provides an outstanding example as a class teacher and has played a major part in improving the provision in the Foundation Stage.

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Financial information

30. Despite the improvements that have been introduced, there are still some outstanding issues that have not yet been successfully addressed. Pupils’ standards have not risen in comparison with those in other schools nationally for three years. The quality of teaching, recognised as being inconsistent in the previous inspection, remains so. The recently introduced school improvement plan does not give enough attention to these issues. For example, the role of subject co-ordinators has been correctly identified as in need of development, but plans do not include clear enough guidance about how to raise standards.

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Financial information

31. The governors are very supportive of the school and have begun to play a greater part in the leadership and management of the school. The chair of governors meets regularly with the headteacher and knows the school well. Governors have attended many training courses to improve their own expertise and have become more skilled in interpreting school and national data. They fulfil their statutory duties. However, their role does not give enough attention to improvement. There is not yet a sharp enough focus on raising standards and improving the quality of provision in school.

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Financial information

32. Where subject co-ordinators are effective, the impact of their role is quite clear in raising standards. For example, the leadership of the special needs co-ordinator is very good and the provision for these pupils is very effective in raising their achievement. High quality Shoreham First School support for pupils with special educational needs has been maintained since the previous inspection. Good quality leadership of information and communication technology and design and technology has also been effective in raising standards.

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Financial information

33. The school provides a satisfactory standard of education overall. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, although there are high levels of good teaching within certain classes. It forms good links with parents and pupils are very well cared for. The headteacher and governors now provide satisfactory leadership and management and there has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection, despite a great deal of staff instability. It provides satisfactory value for money. Shoreham First School

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

34. There is no nursery. Children join one of three reception classes with a very varied range of experience from many playgroups. Attainment on entry is below average overall. This is particularly marked in social development and in communication skills. Consequently, staff place a heavy emphasis on these areas of learning. Children with special educational needs, those from ethnic minorities and the very few for whom English is an additional language are all fully integrated.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

35. All children have a good start and good opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in all six areas of learning. Their environment is well managed and bright with stimulating displays. Improvements since the last inspection include a safely fenced outdoor play area accessible to all three classes. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. The very good relationships between children and all staff create a very happy, welcoming atmosphere. Staff plan and work together closely and make termly assessments of children’s achievement using the local authority’s developmental profile. Ongoing assessment systems are also beginning to be used to guide teachers’ planning. There are good links with parents who value the frequent informal contact with staff. Children are very well prepared for Year 1, especially in language and social skills.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children rapidly settle into school routines because of very good care, guidance and support provided by all staff. • Staff constantly encourage children to become independent and develop a sense of respect for others and their environment. • Children behave very well and show sensitivity and tolerance towards others.

p.17

Commentary

36. Children make very rapid progress and achieve well because of good teaching and good support from assistants. Children like school and are eager to get busy with activities as soon as they arrive. They all take responsibility for their own registration and help themselves to equipment sensibly. Behaviour is very good and children have very positive attitudes to their work. Most concentrate well, showing qualities of perseverance and determination. Children very quickly learn to live alongside others harmoniously because all staff are committed to the same goal, providing high levels of support and guidance. They all work tirelessly to enhance children’s self-confidence and self-esteem through praise and encouragement. The quality of teaching is good. The teachers’ management of behaviour is very good and their expectations are high. Consequently, most children are well on course to exceed the expected standard by the end of the reception year. This represents very good

p.17

Commentary

progress and achievement given the low attainment on entry. Shoreham First School

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers use good strategies to encourage children’s speaking and listening skills, especially in drama lessons when teaching is very good. • Children have good opportunities to use their speaking and listening skills in other areas of learning. • Children enjoy books and have very positive attitudes towards reading activities. • Ongoing assessment is not fully in place.

p.18

Commentary

37. Children achieve well and reach good standards in developing speaking and listening skills because teachers provide many good opportunities, for example whole class discussions and story times. Good teaching in writing includes practising individual letter shapes and chances to write about events in their own lives. Children make good use of their emerging skills when writing descriptions of slippers they made or captions about scooters. They are eager to read, handle books carefully and talk enthusiastically about their favourite stories and characters. All children are in the habit of taking books home every night and useful contacts between home and school are maintained in their reading diaries. The quality of teaching is good. A particular strength is the teaching of drama, because of very well structured lessons, clear learning objectives and high expectations. Because of the consistently good teaching,

p.18

Commentary

most children are well on course to exceed the expected standard by the end of the reception year. This represents very good progress and achievement given the low attainment on entry.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching includes a strong emphasis on practical activities. • Children enjoy mathematics and are eager to learn. • There are good links with other areas of learning to make mathematics meaningful. • Ongoing assessment is not fully in place.

p.18

Commentary

38. Children make good progress and achieve well because teaching is good. They are eager to learn because teachers make activities interesting and challenging. For instance, children construct repeating patterns using colour and shape, but the teacher extends their understanding further, by challenging them to make repeating patterns, using themselves as they stand in a circle. This generates a lot of fun but also makes children think very hard. Most children count confidently up to 20 and many recognise numbers up to 100, making good use of the number line outside. For instance, they accurately count until they find the number that represents their Grandad’s age, 75. Teachers use many opportunities to consolidate children’s learning such as counting children as they line up for assembly. At the beginning of the day children count how many are present and calculate in their heads how many are absent. Most children recognise and use terms such as circle, square and triangle

p.18

Commentary

confidently and correctly use ‘ more than’ , ‘less than’ and ‘smaller’ when playing in the water or sand trays. Because of good teaching, most children make good progress and are well on course to reach the expected standard by the end of the reception year. Shoreham First School

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide a stimulating environment to raise children’s awareness of the world around them. • Teachers have high expectations and set children challenging tasks. • The lack of reliable printers prevents children having the opportunity to evaluate their work in information technology and make any changes.

p.19

Commentary

39. The quality of teaching is good so children achieve well and make good progress. They enjoy a wide range of attractive activities that capture their attention and promote curiosity. For instance, a bowl of frog spawn is a delightful source of awe and wonder as children observe emerging tadpoles through magnifying glasses. Children work with intense concentration as they rise to the challenge in investigating which materials are magnetic and which are not. They use vocabulary confidently, and are beginning to develop the skills of predicting and testing. Teachers plan good opportunities for communication skills as they expect children to listen and contribute to discussions. Most children use computers with dexterity and confidence. They are familiar with the processes of saving and retrieving, but at present they cannot print their work in class because the equipment is unsatisfactory. A particularly

p.19

Commentary

successful activity involves programming movable robots along the floor, using a series of commands correctly entered. Children take turns sensibly and handle the resources with care. Most children are well on course to reach the expected standard by the end of the reception year.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The outdoor play area is an improvement since the last inspection. • The teaching of gymnastics is excellent. • Ongoing assessment is not yet fully developed.

p.19

Commentary

40. Children enjoy their outdoor area, which is accessible to all classes and continuously supervised. They have safe access to an adjoining playground when using large wheeled toys that children control adroitly, turning, reversing and stopping with ease. Children have good opportunities to balance and skip, but there are fewer spontaneous opportunities to climb, jump or swing. Teachers devise particular activities to develop children’s nimbleness, such as picking up small seeds or beads, kneading dough and using handtools such as hole- punchers. A particularly strong feature of this aspect of children’s learning is the regular use of the school’s gymnasium and its equipment. Children make excellent progress in gymnastics and achieve very well, because there are clear objectives, a strong sense of purpose and high expectations. Most children are well on course to reach the expected standard by the end of the reception year.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children enjoy this area of their learning and rise eagerly to new challenges. Shoreham First School • There are good links with other subject areas as well as specific teaching of art, music and drama. • Children have many opportunities to use computers in developing their creative knowledge and understanding.

p.19

Commentary

41. Children make good progress because of good teaching in art and drama. Singing in assemblies and during clearing up times indicates that children enjoy singing. They sing tunefully, with clear words and crisp rhythms. Children experience a wide range of materials as they create works of art, using salt dough to construct caterpillars with segmented bodies. They quickly learn the correct technique to help them mix paint successfully using sponges and palettes properly. Classrooms and corridors are alive with colourful displays of children’s achievements in art techniques. For instance, they have designed and constructed their own slippers and written short evaluations of their results. In role play areas they work together well, putting themselves into other people’s shoes as shopkeepers and customers. Children enjoy using computers to make their own pictures and patterns and do so confidently. A

p.20

Commentary

particular strength is work in drama when children make very good progress in expressing their feelings and learn to interpret how others feel from their facial expressions. This is challenging work but the children use their personal skills of perseverance and determination to good effect. Most are on course to reach the expected standard by the end of the reception year. Shoreham First School

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of writing in the infants are unsatisfactory. • Pupils’ have good speaking and listening skills. • Pupils make good progress in developing their literacy skills in Year 3. • There is a lack of monitoring by the subject co-ordinator to raise standards.

p.21

Commentary

42. Pupils’ achievement in speaking and listening is good. Their standards are better than those expected for infants and juniors. They make satisfactory achievement in reading and their standards are in line with those expected. Infant pupils’ achievement in writing is unsatisfactory. It is satisfactory for juniors. Standards in writing are lower than expected for infants, but in line with those expected in Year 3. Pupils with special educational needs and those from ethnic minorities attain standards similar to those of their peers. Boys and girls attain similar standards. Pupils’ good speaking and listening skills play a major part in how well they are prepared to listen in almost all lessons and how willingly they offer ideas and suggestions during lessons. Those whose speaking and listening skills are not as well developed as most others receive very well planned and focused support in small groups.

p.21

Commentary

This type of activity is particularly important for the very few pupils speaking English as an additional language.

p.21

Commentary

43. Standards in writing for infants are below expectations. Pupils sometimes spend too long sitting on carpets in lesson introductions and lose interest. Because they are so very well behaved their loss of interest is not marked by bad behaviour, but often by the limited content of their writing. This is not helped by having very few opportunities to write about first hand experiences or topics that are meaningful for them. Pupils frequently do not finish their work. When they do write, their basic skills in spelling, punctuation, grammar and presentation are usually forgotten. The school has identified that writing is an issue to address quickly and has enlisted the help of the local education authority.

p.21

Commentary

44. A very good literacy lesson in Year 3 showed just how successful pupils can be as writers. The subject content was stimulating and pupils were immediately involved and excited. Pupils of all abilities were well supported by adults in class and expectations of how much work and the time available were made explicit. The intended learning outcomes were made clear and were shared with pupils during and at the end of the lesson (see paragraph 12) . This meant that they were constantly reminded to stay on task and the teacher monitored the content and quality of their work as it was being done.

p.21

Commentary

45. Pupils’ standards in reading are those expected for infants and juniors. Many pupils use a good range of skills when they come to a word they do not recognise in their reading books. Reading does not have a particularly high profile in school, however, and this accounts for some areas of weakness in pupils’ reading. Very few of them have developed a preference for particular types of books or authors and few said that reading was a favourite activity. The spacious library was not seen in use at all during the inspection and older pupils were not confident about how to find non-fiction books. They do not value the library and it does not make an important statement about the status of books and reading. The pupils’ home- school reading diaries give the same message. They are untidy and no pride is taken in completing them. Their function is not clear to the school, to parents or to the pupils. Parents

p.21

Commentary

are expected to fill in details of when their child has read, but teachers do not consistently Shoreham First School acknowledge their comments about the level of difficulty of a book, or whether their child has enjoyed it.

p.21

Commentary

46. Standards of teaching range from very good to unsatisfactory and reveal inconsistency in quality, which is a barrier to pupils’ progress. Very good lessons are extremely well planned and effective. Lesson pace is brisk, the content is interesting and pupils respond by working hard and achieving well. In less effective or unsatisfactory lessons pupils do not play an active enough part and often produce work that can be improved. That is, teachers’ expectations are not high enough.

p.22

Commentary

47. Standards in speaking and listening have improved since the previous inspection. In reading and writing they are not as good as they were for infants. In writing they are the same for juniors, but slightly lower in reading. The management of the subject is unsatisfactory. Although the co-ordinator has observed a few lessons, there is not a focused approach to monitoring standards of teaching or pupils’ work. For example, a scrutiny of pupils’ books has never been carried out to make a judgement about pupils’ progress or achievement.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

48. The use of language and literacy skills across the school is not well, or consistently, developed. Pupils’ good speaking and listening skills are used well in encouraging collaborative discussion and when opportunities for drama and role-play are planned. However, infant pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to develop their writing skills in other subjects, which are usually planned without a clear focus on developing their literacy skills, for example the use of specialist subject vocabulary. The level of written work that infant pupils are capable of achieving is evident in design and technology, where their planning and evaluation are good examples of using and developing writing skills in other subjects. Junior pupils often have good opportunities to use their developing writing skills in a range of subjects, sometimes writing factual accounts and sometimes imaginatively; for example, in their work in history.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improvements to teachers’ planning since the last inspection . • There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. • The school is not rigorous enough in sharing very effective teaching, or addressing the weaknesses.

p.22

Commentary

49. All pupils’ achievements, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, are now in line with expectations by the end of the infants and also by the end of Year 3. Because the school now has secure plans to develop pupils’ skills when they use and apply mathematics, this aspect of their learning is now also satisfactory. Just occasionally the more able pupils do not always do as well as they could, for instance in lessons where teaching does not provide continuous high-level challenge.

p.22

Commentary

50. Despite satisfactory progress overall through the infants and Year 3, the progress that pupils make in individual lessons varies considerably because the quality of teaching is inconsistent. Teaching is satisfactory overall, with strengths and weaknesses in all year groups. Unlike the previous inspection, teachers now have sufficient expertise in the subject to be able to teach it effectively. The most significant weaknesses that occasionally limit pupils’ progress in some lessons are slow pace and work that is not always challenging enough. Where the pace of lessons is not brisk enough, as in the summary of a Year 3 lesson, it fails to capture the interest of all pupils so that some important learning is missed. Shoreham First School In one Year 2 lesson the slow pace of teaching about handling data did not enthuse pupils. Sometimes the work that teachers give to pupils is too easy or too hard because they do not

p.22

Commentary

always accurately assess what pupils are capable of doing and use this information to plan what they ask them to do next. For example, in a Year 1 lesson the teacher asked the lower ability pupils to work on the value of each digit in a two-digit number, which was too hard for some of them. At times the brighter pupils are insufficiently challenged. For example, one teacher did not allow a more able Year 2 pupil to use his imaginative idea of one symbol representing five units in a data-handling task. The element of challenge was therefore reduced for this pupil.

p.23

Commentary

51. Despite the weaknesses, teachers usually value what pupils say and they have good relationships with them, fostering their very good behaviour well. During the inspection there was some very good teaching. A prime example is a Year 3 lesson when the teacher showed real understanding of how pupils learn. She gave the pupils clear explanations and made learning meaningful and fun, as when making deliberate mistakes for them to spot and enjoy. She built on her very good relationships with them by really challenging their mental abilities at the start of the lesson with difficult and quick fire questions. This resulted in pupils thinking very creatively about a wide range of different ways that they might add three two-digit numbers.

p.23

Commentary

52. Since the last inspection the school has effectively addressed weaknesses in its planning for mathematics and this has helped to improve pupils’ achievements. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership of the subject. However, the school is not rigorous enough in identifying very effective teaching so that all teachers can share what works very well and apply the successful strategies to their own teaching. Similarly weaknesses are not swiftly spotted and dealt with so as to raise pupils’ achievement above its satisfactory level.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

53. There are sound links between mathematics and other subjects to support pupils’ learning. In a Year 2 lesson the teacher used discussion well to get the pupils to explain their thinking about the differences between two bar charts showing the results of two traffic surveys. Sound links with science include Year 3 pupils using millilitres to measure water for their investigations. Links with some subjects, including information and communication technology, are not as effective as they could be. The school is beginning to examine how teachers plan links between the full range of subjects, including mathematics, and other areas of pupils’ learning.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improvements since the last inspection have had a positive impact on pupils’ learning. • Examples of good teaching in some lessons contribute well to pupils’ scientific understanding. • Plenty of opportunities for speaking and listening contribute effectively to pupil’s learning in science. • Sometimes teachers do not take sufficient account of pupils’ different abilities when they plan their work. • There is insufficient rigour in building on the good teaching and addressing weaknesses to raise achievement.

p.23

Commentary

54. Changes to the way science is planned have enabled the school to improve pupils’ achievements in the important area of scientific investigation. In this aspect of their science learning, as in all others, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and Shoreham First School English as an additional language, achieve the standards expected for their age by the end of the infants and Year 3.

p.23

Commentary

55. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Examples of good teaching ensure that pupils learn in a meaningful, enjoyable way. As a result their learning moves along well. The frequent chances that teachers give to pupils to discuss their work, effectively develop their scientific understanding as well as their speaking and listening skills.

p.24

Commentary

56. Teachers do not always take sufficient account of pupils’ differing levels of ability and attainment. As a result the work that they give to some pupils does not always closely match what they need to learn next. This weakness is best illustrated in the work that pupils have recorded in Year 2. The close similarities in the ways that pupils of different abilities have sometimes recorded their work shows that teachers do not always challenge the more able pupils as well as they might.

p.24

Commentary

57. Several improvements since the last inspection have had a positive impact on pupils’ achievements and how science is taught. Work is now planned logically from year to year. Teachers now have sufficient confidence and understanding to teach science effectively and there are enough resources for pupils. The subject co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership. He organises special science weeks that are very effective in helping pupils throughout the school to focus in detail on aspects of science such as the way things move. These weeks support pupils’ positive attitudes to science because they engage them well in first-hand learning. However, there have been insufficient opportunities for the co-ordinator to have a good enough impact on teaching and learning. He has observed too few lessons to be able to identify the good teaching and to build on it throughout the school and to spot areas of

p.24

Commentary

weakness and deal with them rigorously in order to improve pupils’ satisfactory achievements.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision is satisfactory for infants and good for juniors.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good subject leadership has helped to raise standards. • New computers provide more opportunities for pupils to use them. • Information and communication technology is not used enough in other subjects.

p.24

Commentary

58. Infant pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, achieve expected standards. They are higher than expected for pupils in Year 3. They are much better than in the previous inspection, when they were judged to be unsatisfactory. The improvement is due to several factors: • the good work of the subject co-ordinator in supporting colleagues and monitoring standards; • the impact of national training; • an increase in modern and reliable hardware in the computer room.

p.24

Commentary

59. Many pupils have computers at home and already know how to load, save and retrieve programs. Their mouse skills are very good and they are confident using computers. They develop their existing skills well and learn new ones such as programming a robot to move in specified directions. Older pupils use computers to e-mail pupils in other schools and to access information from the Internet. All are well aware of the potential dangers of the world- wide-web and know exactly what they should and should not do. The school has a good internet policy which parents have signed, and teachers provide regular reminders about Internet use. Pupils also make good use of the digital camera to record their feelings and Shoreham First School make a very effective display of these in the computer room. When working together, their very good behaviour is apparent, as are their positive attitudes to work.

p.24

Commentary

60. The quality of teaching ranged from good to unsatisfactory. In good lessons teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and their own very good personal knowledge enables them to solve most problems that might occur and answer any pupils’ questions if they get stuck. When teaching is unsatisfactory, lesson pace is so slow that pupils lose interest and do not achieve as well as they could.

p.25

Commentary

61. The subject co-ordinator has a clear idea of how well pupils progress and what needs to be done to further improve pupils’ skills and, more importantly, how to apply their skills in different situations and in different subjects.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

62. Although pupils’ skills have improved considerably, the way in which computers are used to support other subjects has not improved at the same pace. There are many examples of under use of computers, for example very little handling data in mathematics and few examples of recording findings in science. Computers were not used consistently during the inspection in classrooms. This means that pupils are unable to apply their good skills on a more frequent basis than their lessons in the computer suite.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Sufficient time is now allocated every week to ensure that the scheme of work is covered. • Children enjoy religious education and have positive attitudes in lessons. • Leadership and management have not included monitoring the quality of teaching and learning.

p.25

Commentary

63. By the end of Year 2, pupils reach standards at the expected level. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and children make satisfactory progress. Teachers plan time for discussions. For instance, after imagining the beautiful features of the Garden of Gethsemane, Year 2 pupils offered thoughtful ideas like, ‘I think it would have been very peaceful, very quiet’. Teachers provide satisfactory opportunities for pupils’ cultural development through studying world faiths such as Judaism, as well as Christianity. Although lessons have clear objectives, the pace is not sufficiently dynamic and parts of lessons lose momentum, lacking a sense of purpose. Achievement is satisfactory. Satisfactory assessment systems are in place and completed at the end of each unit.

p.25

Commentary

64. Pupils have positive attitudes in religious education lessons and behave well. They show interest in discussions and are curious about the range of artefacts teachers use such as a large picture and a shamma. Good links with literacy are made when Year 3 pupils choose a piece of writing that is special to them, to help them understand fully the importance of the Bible to Christians. The school has satisfactorily addressed the issues arising from the last inspection. However, monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in religious education has not yet been a focus.

p.25

Commentary

65. The co-ordinator has worked hard to improve the provision in religious education since the last inspection and has established a policy and a scheme of work to guide teachers’ planning. A good portfolio has also been begun with samples of pupils’ work. The locally agreed syllabus is now securely in place . Shoreham First School

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy geography lessons and are curious about their locality and the wider world. • The school makes good use of visits to enrich studies about the locality. • Literacy and mathematical skills are not developed well enough. • Leadership and management of the subject have not included monitoring the quality of teaching and learning.

p.26

Commentary

66. Infants and juniors achieve expected standards. Year 2 pupils enjoy using maps of an island and identify specific. The development of geographical skills from year to year is satisfactory. Year 1 pupils identify features in the neighbourhood on a walk to the River Adur, recording their observations in drawings with written labels. Pupils in Year 2 are becoming confident in using points of the compass to pinpoint features on a map such as cliffs and bays.

p.26

Commentary

67. Teaching is satisfactory overall. In the lessons observed it ranged from satisfactory in Year 3 to good in Year 2. Pupils like geography and are interested in their work. Older pupils are interested in designing posters about holiday destinations around the world, but lesson pace is sometimes not sufficiently dynamic and expectations of how much pupils can achieve are not high enough. Teachers make good use of the neighbourhood to enrich the work in class, such as visits to Shoreham Airport to investigate land use. Although information technology is used well in recording the results of a traffic survey, links with information technology are under-developed. Assessment systems and their use by teachers at the end of each unit are satisfactory.

p.26

Commentary

68. At present there is no co-ordinator, but improvements since the last inspection include a clear policy, a useful scheme of work, and a portfolio of pupils’ work. There has been a lack of focus on raising standards in geography through monitoring the quality of teaching and learning. Pupils’ use of their literacy and mathematical skills is limited, and the presentation of their work is not always good enough.

p.26

History

69. No lessons were timetabled during the inspection and the limited amount of work available for scrutiny was not enough to inform a decision about standards. Long term planning shows that history is taught and assessed in units of work. The subject portfolio records pupils’ work showing satisfactory links with literacy and art. In conversation, pupils clearly remembered past history lessons and showed interest in the subject. There is no co-ordinator at present and no monitoring of lessons has taken place to assess the quality of teaching and learning.

p.26

Art and design

70. No lessons were observed during the inspection, so no judgement has been made on provision. In the previous inspection, standards were in line with expectations. Discussions with pupils show that they experience a broad curriculum, including three-dimensional work and the use of computer painting programs. They have a sound knowledge of famous artists and appreciate that they have many different styles. Pupils have individual sketchbooks, but they are not used regularly enough to show teachers any development in their art skills. Work on walls shows that pupils’ art, well displayed helps to make their classrooms bright, attractive places in which to work. Work around the school indicates that art ‘focus weeks’ help to give pupils a wide range of experiences. Completed work is of a high standard. No Shoreham First School formal monitoring of art takes place in school and the development of pupils’ skills is not

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well. • The two co-ordinators have a good impact on provision in the subject. • The curriculum enables pupils to work at depth in the tasks that teachers set. • Teachers help pupils to judge their finished work very analytically.

p.28

Commentary

71. As in the last inspection, pupils throughout the school do well in design and technology, reaching standards above those expected for their age by the end of Years 2 and 3. They achieve well and much of this effectiveness is due to the way that the two co-ordinators organise the curriculum. The work that they plan enables pupils throughout the school to have enough time to focus in detail on each of their projects. As a result, the pupils get deeply involved in planning, making and evaluating their work and produce good quality finished products such as hand puppets and wheeled vehicles. Teachers make good use of focus weeks, when pupils effectively use their knowledge from other subject. Visits to look at the structures of play equipment in a local park make learning interesting and meaningful for Year 1 pupils.

p.28

Commentary

72. Teaching is good. From the lesson seen and from pupils’ past and present work teachers give pupils the skills that they need to achieve well. For instance, they teach Year 1 pupils a range of ways to join different materials that they can use in future tasks and they are particularly good at encouraging pupils to evaluate their finished work with a critical eye. Occasionally teachers miss opportunities to improve pupils’ writing by not correcting basic spelling errors in their work.

p.28

Music

73. It was not possible during the inspection to observe standards in teaching and learning in music since very few lessons were timetabled, and there was very little in the work sample to help form a secure judgement about the quality of teaching and learning. In the one assembly when the whole school sang through previously learnt songs, pupils sang strongly, in tune, with clear words and crisp rhythms, and with evident enjoyment.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Some pupils achieve well in dance where teaching is good. • School makes good use of its accommodation.

p.28

Commentary

74. Just as at the time of the last inspection, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory, with occasional good achievement in dance in different year groups. By the end of Years 2 and 3 pupils reach expected standards in the subject, with a good number of pupils expressing themselves imaginatively in dance throughout the school. Teaching is satisfactory with features that effectively help pupils to do well in dance. Teachers, particularly the subject co-ordinator, join in during dance lessons to provide good examples to pupils about how to move in different ways. Just occasionally teachers do not focus well enough on enabling pupils to refine and polish each aspect of their movement before moving on to another task. Shoreham First School 75. The school uses its spacious accommodation well. For example, two physical education lessons sometimes take place at the same time in the gymnasium and in the hall, allowing

p.28

Commentary

frequent use by pupils. The school has done well to develop part of the playground space into an area where pupils can climb and explore large equipment.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is very successful in helping pupils to become mature, independent and responsible. • The school council provides a very good means of giving pupils a say in the running of the school.

p.29

Commentary

76. Pastoral care, and the way in which the school provides opportunities for pupils to develop in maturity are strengths of its work. A great deal of time is put into the emotional development of pupils, including those with special educational needs, those from minority ethnic groups and the very few who do not speak English as their first language. Very young pupils demonstrate considerable maturity when they talk about their contribution to the school council. The success of the school’s system of encouraging pupils to decide whether they want to go outside at playtime is quite remarkable. Through the good example set by staff, pupils have developed a keen sense of right and wrong. Relationships between adults and pupils are very good and boys and girls get on very well, as do pupils from different ethnic groups. Shoreham First School

p.29

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.30

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.30

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.30

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.30

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 4

p.30

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).

p.30