Sidlesham Primary School

SIDLESHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 12 th February 2004

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SIDLESHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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SIDLESHAM 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. Sidlesham Primary School – 3

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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: 139

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Keynor Lane Sidlesham Chichester West Sussex Postcode: PO20 7NL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01243 641238 Fax number: 01243 641008

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr A Harland

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Sidlesham Primary School has 139 pupils on roll, aged 4 to 11 years. It serves the village of Sidlesham and other villages and towns on the Selsey Bill Peninsular. The home backgrounds of most pupils are average. The number who is in receipt of a free school meal is well below the national average. The original Victorian building was extended in the thirties and is surrounded by playgrounds, a sports field and wildlife areas. At the time of the inspection, there were 12 children under five in the reception class. The attainment of children at the start of school in Year 1 is average. Twenty-one pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and this is broadly average. About a half of these receive support from outside agencies. Currently there is only one pupil with a Statement of Special Educational Need. The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is very small. Sidlesham Primary School – 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23219 Phil Mann Lead inspector Special educational needs English as an additional language Mathematics Information and communication technology Physical education 9092 Ron Elam Lay inspector 29988 Lyn Thorogood Team inspector Foundation Stage 1 Science Art and design Design and technology Music 32505 Michelle Coles Team inspector English Geography History Religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education 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 inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

1 The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and ends at the end of the reception class. It is a distinct stage in preparing children for later schooling and is based on six areas of learning. These mainly refer to communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; and personal, social and emotional development, but also includes knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. Sidlesham Primary School – 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The overall effectiveness of the school is satisfactory and good levels of care are provided for all pupils. Teachers have established positive relationships with pupils and work hard to plan an interesting and varied range of learning opportunities for them. The basic skills in English and mathematics are generally well taught and the overall level of pupils’ achievement is satisfactory . The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall and the governing body provides good levels of support and involvement. This has been particularly so in their support of the headteacher in the very successful implementation of his long-term vision for the extensive development of the building and site. However, the development of individual subjects has not been managed so effectively. The delegation of responsibilities to senior staff and subject leaders lacks overall coherence and some are not fulfilling their roles as effectively as they could. Given the current

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OVERALL EVALUATION

circumstances of the school, the standards being achieved and resources available, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Standards are above average in reading across the school. Standards in English and mathematics are average for 7 and 11 year olds. • All pupils are achieving well in science, information and communication technology and art and design. Standards are above average for 11 year olds in these subjects. • Planning for the overall improvement of the school’s work is insufficiently rigorous. • Teachers monitor the work of pupils as necessary but assessment information is not used effectively to plan for the next stages in pupils’ learning. • The provision for children in the reception class is good and a strength of the school. • The school’s links and communication with parents are unsatisfactory. • Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The level of improvement since the previous inspection has been satisfactory overall. There has been some good improvement on the findings of the previous inspection but some issues still remain to be effectively tackled. Teaching and learning are now monitored regularly by the headteacher. Standards in design and technology are now much better and in line with those expected of 11 year olds. The organisation of the school day now promotes the effective teaching of literacy and numeracy skills and there is now an appropriate area for young children to play outdoors. Although the current plan for school development identifies the most important priorities it is not a coherent document that can be used successfully to drive forward further improvements. The levels of pupil attendance have dropped below the national average in recent years and this is having an adverse effect on pupils’ achievements. Some issues still remain with the quality of communication

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English D E B C Mathematics B E C E Science A D 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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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, pupil achievement is satisfactory . Inspection findings confirm that pupils’ standards for 11- year-olds are currently average in English and mathematics and above average in science. Sidlesham Primary School – 7 Standards are judged to be above average for seven-year-olds in reading and they are average in writing and mathematics. By the time pupils are 11 standards are above average in art and design and information and communication technology because these subjects are taught well and provision is good. Standards are average in all other subjects. The overall achievement of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Attainment on entry into the reception class is average overall with some fluctuations year on year above and below nationally expected levels of attainment for five year olds. These children achieve well overall in all areas of learning.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Changing circumstances of the school and fluctuations in pupil numbers in each year group in and out of the school have resulted in variations in the overall attainment in the national tests in recent years. When compared with schools with similar circumstances and based on free school meals standards are average in English, well below average in mathematics and below average in science. The school applied a satisfactory course of action to raise standards in mathematics in 2002-3 and this has resulted in some level of improvement during the current academic year and particularly so in number work.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is satisfactory overall with some good opportunities to extend pupils’ learning through enrichment activities.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Some teaching is good or better because teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and they have positive relationships with the pupils. This leads to some good pupil achievement in most classes. However, teaching at the beginning of the juniors is unsatisfactory or uninspiring. In these lessons the national initiatives such as the literacy or numeracy strategies are not being used effectively to provide good structure and pace to lessons. The result is that pupils become restless and uninterested so that their learning is often unsatisfactory. The arrangements for the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory with examples of good practice in the reception class. However, the information gained in other classes is not consistently used well to plan for the next stages in pupils’ learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is satisfactory , meeting all statutory requirements including provision for personal, social and health education. It is enriched by a range of visits, visitors and residential trips. The recent addition of a new sports hall has had a positive impact on the range of learning opportunities on offer. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum but planned activities do not always meet the needs of all pupils. There are satisfactory procedures for the identification and support of pupils with special educational needs. Good links have been established with other schools in the area.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Governance of the school is sound and the governing body ensures that all policies and practices meet requirements. Governors offer a good level of support and work well in partnership with the headteacher. The headteacher has engendered a positive ethos for learning in which all pupils feel valued. His strength of vision and purpose helps him to see building projects through to a successful completion. The current priorities for school improvement have been correctly identified but strategic planning is still insufficiently consistent to effectively promote subject development and the further raising of standards. Monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher and governors is good but information gained is not used effectively to identify areas for improvement. The overall management of the curriculum by senior staff other than the headteacher is unsatisfactory. However, the coordination of most subjects by other

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

teachers is sound with some good features. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. There are good systems in place to analyse data but this information is not used effectively to raise standards. Financial management of the school is good. However, the governors have insufficient information about the school’s performance to have a full understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. They are therefore unable to compare the school’s effectiveness with others within the principles of best value.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Sidlesham Primary School – 8 Overall parents are generally happy with what the school provides for their child and they are pleased with the positive atmosphere for learning that has been established. A significant number, however, are unhappy with the quality of information provided about their child’s progress as well as effective guidance on how they can support their child’s learning at school. The inspection team agree with these views and judge that the school needs to establish stronger links with its parent community through greater consultation and the sharing of curriculum information. A similar number of parents expressed some concern about the leadership of the school and the range of activities available for pupils outside of lessons. Inspectors judge that, although there are some aspects of school management, that need to be addressed, the headteacher provides competent leadership. The

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

range of activities outside lessons is what can be expected in schools in similar circumstances.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils enjoy school and value the care and support that the teachers provide for them. They enjoy taking part in the range of activities offered. They would value greater opportunities to express their views and have a greater role in the school’s development.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Ensure that assessment information is used effectively to match learning activities to the ability of pupils and inform future planning. • Develop greater coherence to the leadership and management of the overall curriculum. • Ensure that long term planning for school improvement is more rigorous. • Improve the school’s links with its parents. • Raise levels of pupils’ attendance and improve punctuality. Sidlesham Primary School – 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall standards in English and mathematics are average for 7 and 11 year olds and pupil achievement is satisfactory overall. Achievement is good in science, information and communication technology (ICT) and art and design, where pupils attain above average standards.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are satisfactory overall with some good achievement in science, ICT and art and design. • The impact of the school’s recent initiative on reading is beginning to have an effect on the pupils’ love of books and improvement in literacy standards. • The achievement of children in the Foundation Stage is good.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.2 (13.8) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 15.2 (12.3) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 15.6 (13.2) 16.3 (16.3) There were 21 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.3 (25.4) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 26.6 (25.6) 26.8 (26.7) Science 29.1 (28.1) 28.6 (28.5) There were 14 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

1. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. The results in the 2003 national tests for 11-year- olds are above average in English and average in mathematics and science. When these results are compared with schools of similar circumstances and based on free school meals, they are average in English, well below average in mathematics and below average in science. The results of pupils in Year 2 taking the 2003 national tests are average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics when compared to schools nationally. When compared to schools with similar circumstances using free school meals data, standards are below average for reading and writing and well below average in mathematics. Inspection findings are at variance with these results where standards are judged to be average in English and mathematics for 11-year-olds and above average in science. Standards are judged to be above average for seven-year-olds in reading and they are average in writing and

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Commentary

mathematics. Eleven year olds are achieving above average standards in art and design and ICT because these subjects are taught well. Standards are above average in art and design and ICT by the time pupils are 11 because these subjects are taught well. Standards are average in all other subjects and this represents an improvement from the previous inspection, when standards in design and technology were judged to be unsatisfactory. The overall Sidlesham Primary School – 10 achievement of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory over time. There are no significant differences in the achievements of girls and boys.

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Commentary

2. The school’s circumstances have changed significantly since the previous inspection. This is primarily because of local circumstances and housing developments in the area resulting in significant numbers of pupils joining or leaving the school. The headteacher has undertaken considerable analysis of pupil data and uses the information effectively to track the individual progress of all pupils. This data supports the hypothesis that the overall attainment of pupils is now lower than at the time of the previous inspection. These changes in school circumstances have resulted in fluctuations in overall pupil performance. The size of each year group varies annually and can be quite small. Results in the national tests must therefore be treated with some caution.

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Commentary

3. Standards in reading are above average for both seven and 11 year-olds. This is a strength and can be partly attributed to the school’s recent focus on improving pupils’ attitudes to reading and a love of books in general. As a result standards in reading are improving across the school. However, the school recognises that some work still needs to be done in respect of the pupils’ ability to use effective library skills to locate books.

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Commentary

4. The overall achievement of children in the Foundation Stage is good. Children under-five are achieving well in the class for reception children because provision is good. Attainment on entry into the reception class is average but fluctuations in overall attainment of these children occur year on year. A good emphasis is placed on the development of the children’s social skills and as a result all children achieve well in this area of learning. Approximately half of the reception children will have started on the National Curriculum by the time they enter Year 1.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have good attitudes to school and their behaviour is good . There are good opportunities for the personal development of pupils. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weakness

• Behaviour in lessons and in the playground is good overall. • Relationships between teachers and pupils are positive. • Positive initiatives promote pupils’ sense of responsibility well. • Pupils’ social development is fostered through group work and shared activities. • Pupils are taught to understand the difference between right and wrong actions. • Spiritual awareness is developed through assemblies and other activities. • Pupils do not learn enough about other cultural traditions. • The level of attendance is below that of similar schools around the country.

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Commentary

5. Pupils’ attitudes to school are positive. In the Foundation Stage children quickly adapt to the routines in readiness for the day ahead. Older pupils settle down to quiet reading or writing. They are keen to come to school, and they respond well. Many examples were seen in lessons where pupils were enjoying what they were doing and behaving well. Occasional incidences of unsettled behaviour result from weaker teaching and thus pupils become bored. Behaviour in the playground and during lunchtime is consistently good. In assemblies, all pupils, including the youngest reception class children, listen well and pay attention. Older pupils are responsible for the music, seating and overhead projector, which they organise and manage themselves.

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Commentary

6. Relationships between pupils and their teachers are good, and pupils respond well to the guidance adults give them. They treat resources correctly and with care, and show independence in organising and putting away equipment even in the youngest classes. No Sidlesham Primary School – 11 unsociable or aggressive behaviour was seen and no offensive language was heard during the inspection. Pupils show respect to each other as well as to staff. They show concern for each other; for example, two Year 6 girls automatically put out their hands to support a classmate with an injury when she walked unsteadily. The older pupils provide good role models for the younger ones to emulate. The impact of these positive relationships is that pupils understand how important it is to take care of people and property, and consequently all pupils have the opportunity to take part in all school activities. There have been no exclusions in the previously

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Commentary

reported years. However, a pupil had to be excluded for a fixed period during the current academic year and has since been successfully accommodated back in school. Pupils’ social development is further promoted by the organisation of group work and collaborative activities. This includes playing music together and working together on various practical projects in subjects such as design and technology or science.

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Commentary

7. The provision for spiritual, moral and social development is good. Teachers offer good opportunities for pupils to consider moral issues in assemblies and in religious education lessons. Qualities of fairness and honesty, respect and trust form the main focus of stories and events pupils hear about in these contexts. The school effectively teaches the principles of right and wrong. This begins on entry and develops as pupils’ progress through the school. Pupils’ moral development is good. Spiritual development is also good. Assemblies offer good opportunities for reflection and thought. Pupils in the youngest classes have frequent opportunities to reflect and wonder, and take delight in things they have achieved. In the older classes, drama and role-play offers opportunities to empathise with characters and reflect on their circumstances. The school does not offer sufficient opportunities to help pupils learn

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Commentary

about and appreciate the interesting and range of contributions from people of other cultures.

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Commentary

8. The table below shows the attendance figures for the school. The level of attendance has steadily deteriorated since the previous inspection. The figure for the school is, in part, lowered by the inclusion of pupils who arrive late. Even making allowance for this, the level last year remains unsatisfactory as it is still below the comparable national figure. Absences are mainly due to medical reasons but a significant number of families insist on taking holidays during term time. The schools own analysis indicates that the low achievement of some pupils is linked to their low attendance. Punctuality is good for many pupils. However, a few families are regularly late. This poor punctuality disrupts the start of the day for the rest of the school. The school has quite properly tightened up on the recording of punctuality to very effectively highlight these late arrivals. Nevertheless the school has still to introduce effective procedures

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Commentary

in both areas to improve the level of attendance and to reduce the incidence of lateness.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year [%] Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.8 School data: 0.6 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days [sessions] missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Sidlesham Primary School – 12

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 70 White – any other White background 2 Any other ethnic group 2 No ethnic group recorded 65 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 quality of education is satisfactory overall with some good opportunities to extend pupils’ learning through enrichment activities.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall with just over a half of lessons observed being good or better. A small proportion of teaching is unsatisfactory or uninspiring.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers possess satisfactory levels of subject knowledge overall but the literacy and numeracy strategies are not consistently implemented across the school. • Procedures for the assessment of pupils’ progress are satisfactory but information is not effectively used to plan future work that effectively matches the needs of all pupils. • Relationships between staff and pupils are good overall and a positive ethos for learning has been established. • Teachers and support staff use a wide range of resources well to support pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 23 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.

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Commentary

9. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Some teaching is good or better because teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. This is effectively displayed in the teaching of children in the Foundation Stage and in science, art and design, and physical education for the youngest infant and older junior pupils. These teachers introduce lessons with confidence and ask questions of the pupils that challenge their thinking at their own level of ability. Learning intentions are carefully thought through and lesson planning is good. This leads to good pupil achievement in these subjects. A small proportion of teaching at the beginning of the juniors is unsatisfactory or uninspiring. This is because the national initiatives such as the literacy or numeracy strategies are not being used effectively to ensure that these pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. There is an absence of structure and pace to lessons in

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Commentary

Sidlesham Primary School – 13 these subjects for these pupils. The result is that these pupils become restless and uninterested and consequently their learning is often unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

10. The arrangements for the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. Teachers are provided with some very good data about the overall national curriculum levels of attainment for all pupils in English, mathematics and science. The arrangements for assessment are good in the reception class and the way that the information gained is used to inform future planning is an example of best practice. However, the information gained in other classes is not used effectively to plan for the next stages in pupils’ learning. The quality of marking is very variable for these classes and sometimes unsatisfactory because it is does not effectively lead pupils into new learning or set new targets for pupils to achieve. Generally tasks are well matched to the needs of pupils in lessons. However, teachers sometimes place too much emphasis on pupils producing more of the same work rather than by matching

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Commentary

different tasks effectively to the pupils' previous learning and ability to provide good levels of challenge.

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Commentary

11. The positive climate for learning that has been established is a strength of the school. Most teachers have developed very positive relationships with the pupils in their class and provide good levels of encouragement. This in turn motivates pupils effectively, and as a result many strive to succeed and work hard in lessons. These positive relationships are confirmed by the very positive comments expressed by pupils about their teachers in the questionnaire and to inspectors. Where teaching is uninspiring these relationships are less positive.

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Commentary

12. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall with some good levels of provision and support provided by classroom assistants for pupils in lessons and small withdrawal groups. As a result these pupils feel valued, become more confident and achieve at the same rate as their classmates. Well-designed individual education plans are constantly referred to by the class teachers and are good feature of this provision.

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Commentary

13. The school has continued to develop its level of resources to support teaching and learning since the previous inspection. These resources are used effectively by teachers and support staff to support pupils’ learning and make lessons as interesting as possible. This is particularly so in science, art and design and ICT. The newly built sports hall is used effectively to teach games skills in physical education.

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The curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is satisfactory. Pupils’ learning is further enriched with an interesting range of activities and links with the community.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The effective planning of the curriculum topic cycles ensures that learning is built on in a progressive way across mixed age classes. • Teachers teaching different pupils in the same year group within mixed aged classes do not always effectively share planning. • All pupils have equal access to the curriculum overall but sometimes it does not always meet their needs. • There are good procedures to ease pupils’ transition to the next stage of education. • Good use is made of visits and visitors to the school to make learning interesting and relevant to the pupils’ needs.

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Commentary

14. The school’s curriculum is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements including provision for religious education and the daily act of collective worship. There is good provision for pupils’ personal, social, health and citizenship education, which includes appropriate provision for education about drugs and alcohol misuse and sex. Sidlesham Primary School – 14 15. Planning overall is sound and allows pupils to build on knowledge and understanding gained earlier in their school life. This is exemplified by good practice in the Foundation Stage that carries over into Year 1. This steady development of knowledge and understanding is also satisfactorily guaranteed via topic cycles that operate on a two-year cycle for younger pupils and a four-year cycle for older ones. This ensures that subjects are not unnecessarily repeated and that subjects are covered at an appropriate level. However, teachers do not plan

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Commentary

together for the same year groups. This limits the ability of senior staff and co-ordinators to monitor the curriculum effectively and share good practice.

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Commentary

16. Overall, all pupils have equal access to all the subjects taught. However, because assessment information is not used effectively to plan for the next stages in pupils learning the curriculum doesn’t always effectively meet their needs. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. There are effective procedures in place for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans are well constructed by the class teachers and part-time special needs teacher and include very specific targets for these pupils. These individual education plans are stored effectively in teachers’ planning files and pupils’ needs are addressed through extra help in lessons or by withdrawing them for extra classes in literacy and numeracy. However, sometimes these pupils miss other subjects when they receive extra help.

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Commentary

17. The school has a good programme to prepare pupils for subsequent stages of education. Pupils from Years 5 and 6 spend time at the local secondary school, and teachers from this school meet the pupils. Consequently, pupils feel confident and secure about moving on.

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Commentary

18. A range of visits, visitors and residential trips satisfactorily enriches the curriculum. For example, Years 4, 5 and 6 pupils enjoyed a visit to HMS Warrior in Portsmouth as part of their history topic about the Victorians. The recent addition of a superb new sports hall has had a positive impact on the curriculum. Links with the wider community are satisfactory. For example, the vicar from the local church is a regular visitor and takes part in assemblies.

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Commentary

19. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory and support the pupils’ learning. Classrooms are bright and attractive, with a high standard of displays celebrating pupils’ work and achievement. There is no space for an ICT suite, although good use is made of the corridors to site computers and store resources. Staffing levels are satisfactory. Learning support assistants work well with staff and offer good support to pupils.

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Care, guidance and support

The arrangements for pupils' care, welfare and health and safety are good overall and support pupils' learning satisfactorily . The provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring are sound . The involvement of pupils in the school's work through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils trust the teachers and other staff and know there is always someone to whom they can turn. • The adults in the school are very caring and know the pupils well. • The school provides only limited opportunities for pupils to express opinions about life in the school. • The school has good arrangements to enable new pupils to settle in.

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Commentary

20. The governors are actively involved with the headteacher in touring the school to identify any potential hazards. Teachers ensure that pupils are made aware of health and safety issues Sidlesham Primary School – 15 during lessons such as science and design and technology. Risk assessments are carried out for visits out but not for some of the other activities that take place in school. The school intends seeking the advice of the safety officer in the local authority to ensure the overall procedures and risk assessments are satisfactory. The procedures for child protection are good. The school follows local procedures and staff have received guidance on how to deal with any concerns that may arise. The arrangements for first aid are good with several trained staff, records kept of treatment and letters for parents after minor accidents.

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Commentary

21. As at the time of the previous inspection, staff show good concern for the needs of the pupils and provide good role models to encourage development. Parents are pleased with the level of support in the school, seeing it as a caring community where staff are approachable if there are any problems. In particular, parents agreed that their children were well supported when they first come into the school either into reception or if they arrive in other years. In part, this is because of the very good links between the reception class teacher and the playgroup that uses a room in the school. The families whose children have not used the playgroup are equally welcomed and provided with a wealth of information. For children arriving in other years, the school appoints a 'buddy' to help them to settle in. Pupils consider that they are supported very well by the staff and know whom they would go to if they needed help. They like

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Commentary

the family atmosphere and feel that they can be trusted. During Circle Time 2 pupils have the opportunity to talk about any problems and to discuss life in the school. However, the school has not yet set up a school council nor does it ask pupils to complete questionnaires to enable them to be fully involved in influencing what happens in the school.

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Commentary

22. The school provides satisfactory guidance to pupils to promote their personal development. The records kept by the teachers on personal qualities are informal but do enable them to build upon the strengths of the pupils. Their self-esteem is raised by the way they are praised by the staff. The teachers provide a variety of opportunities for the pupils to work in different ways to extend their social skills, for example, working in pairs, structured talking to a partner, work in groups, whole class discussions. The different tasks in the classroom and, for the older pupils, around the school encourage the pupils to act responsibly and to develop maturity. The satisfactory assessments made on pupils' academic progress enable the teachers to monitor the progress pupils are making.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are unsatisfactory . Links with the local community are satisfactory and with other schools they are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are generally supportive of what the school provides. • The school provides a limited range of information about school life and on pupils' progress. • The parents can make only a limited contribution to their children's achievement. • Links with the playgroup and local secondary schools enhance pupils' academic and personal development.

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Commentary

23. In their high response to the Ofsted questionnaire and at the meeting, parents showed they that they are generally pleased with what the school provides. Their children like school, the staff expect their children to work hard and they make good progress. Nevertheless, about a quarter of the parents are concerned about the information on their child's progress, homework and the extent to which the school seeks their views. The inspectors agree with those

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Commentary

2 During Circle Time pupils discuss a wide a wide range of personal and general issues. It is agreed by all pupils that no interruptions should occur and only one person at a time will speak. Respect for other pupils’ views will occur at all times and therefore pupils feel confident that they can talk with ease and free from any form of interference or interruption from other children. Sidlesham Primary School – 16 concerns and conclude that the quality and availability of information about the pupils’ learning and the opportunities for consultation about school improvements are limited.

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Commentary

24. The school sends home regular news and other letters about general matters and, each term, some information outlining what is to be taught in each class. However, in the mixed age classes, this is not sufficient to enable parents to understand what their child will be studying. In general little guidance is provided to parents on how they can help their children. The notable exception to this is for the parents of reception age children who receive an extensive amount of help. The prospectus contains a useful guide to the amount and type of homework that will be set, though this document is provided only to new parents. As at the time of the last inspection, this limits the extent to which parents can help their children at home. Teachers are readily available to talk to parents at the start and end of the school day. In particular, parents of the younger children are welcomed into school with their children before the start of the day.

p.16

Commentary

From the relaxed, informal conversations seen to take place during the inspection, it is apparent that parents are comfortable talking to the staff. The annual reports on pupils’ progress in the summer term generally have a good summary of what the children know and can do in English and mathematics. For the other subjects it is often inadequate, referring mainly to attitudes and enjoyment or work covered rather than the pupil's knowledge and understanding. In addition, the reports often lack targets for what the pupils should be doing to improve.

p.16

Commentary

25. A few parents help regularly in the classroom with more willing to help on trips out and provide support for one off activities. These include using their specialist knowledge, for example, to talk about young babies or to help with a craft lesson. Most parents come to the consultation evenings with the teachers or meet them shortly afterwards. The parent teacher association works hard to successfully organise both fund-raising and social events. However, a significant proportion of parents take their children out of school for holidays, causing some disruption to their learning. In addition, apart from one some time ago about homework, the school does not send out questionnaires to seek the views of parents.

p.16

Commentary

26. The good links with the playgroup that uses a room in the school result in their children being familiar with the school when they eventually arrive in the reception class. Contacts at the secondary level also help to smooth the transfer of pupils at the end of Year 6. They also enhance the curriculum with, for example, Year 5 pupils using the secondary design and technology facilities and others using the sports facilities including events against other schools. A group of local schools runs joint training sessions. These provide good opportunities to share good practice. A number of governors have connections with schools and other educational providers. The links with the community extend the pupils understanding of society at large and enhance the curriculum. These include the local church, taking part in village activities, visitors with experience of safety matters and drugs, visits to smallholdings

p.16

Commentary

and a museum. The school is planning to develop further links by enabling pupils and groups using the sports hall to work together.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher in partnership with governors has displayed a clear sense of vision to improve the school building and opportunities for learning. • Strategic planning is not consistent. • The school has not established a rigorous focus on evaluating teaching and its impact on standards. • Opportunities for staff to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning and share good practice are not firmly established. • There are good systems in place to analyse data. Sidlesham Primary School – 17 • Leadership and management of the whole curriculum are not effective in raising standards across the school. • The management of the foundation stage is good. • Governors have insufficient information about the school to have a full understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. • Financial management of the school is good

p.16

Commentary

27. The headteacher provides sound leadership and management for the school. He has a good knowledge of the needs of the pupils and the local area. He works in close partnership with the governors to create a caring school community. He gives good leadership in maintaining high standards in pupils’ behaviour and their positive attitudes towards learning. These are significant factors in encouraging pupils to achieve well. The school continued to be managed effectively during the recent building work, which has significantly improved facilities for both the local community and the school. The headteacher has been particularly influential in working with the governing body and the building contractors to see the building through to successful completion with minimal disruption to the pupils’ education.

p.17

Commentary

28. Systems for strategic planning are in place, but are inconsistent in use. Development plans for individual subject areas are drawn up by subject co-ordinators, and these contribute to the school development plan. However, co-ordinators are given insufficient guidance on how to compile their action plans, and do not have sufficient information about the way their subject is developed throughout the school. This is because there are few opportunities for staff to work together formally to monitor, evaluate, and share information on teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning in classes other than their own. Other senior staff do not have a shared commitment to evaluate standards of teaching and learning to ensure that pupils always achieve at a standard in line with their age and ability.

p.17

Commentary

29. The headteacher and some members of the governing body observe teaching regularly. These observations highlight areas of strength, but they do not always give teachers sufficiently clear ideas on how to address areas of weakness. There is some monitoring and analysis of pupils’ work by subject co-ordinators but this is not used consistently to develop learning. The headteacher is using an increasing range of information and data effectively to track standards of attainment. However, the school has not established a sufficiently rigorous focus on evaluating teaching and its impact on achieving consistently high standards in all classes.

p.17

Commentary

30. There are inconsistencies in the leadership and management of some subjects and this is restricting the school’s ability to increase the rate of pupils’ achievement. The overall management of the curriculum by senior staff other than the headteacher is unsatisfactory although the leadership of most subjects by co-ordinators is sound. This weakness is most marked in the leadership and management of mathematics where it is unsatisfactory. The numeracy strategy is not implemented effectively for the youngest junior pupils and the current organisation of teaching groups in the juniors does not fully cater for the very wide range of ability amongst the pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.

p.17

Commentary

31. The leadership and management and organisation of the Foundation Stage are good. The needs of these young children are effectively catered for and this is a strength of the school.

p.17

Commentary

32. The management of special educational needs is satisfactory. The school satisfactorily uses specific funds for special educational needs pupils. The school also effectively funds the provision of an additional support teacher and classroom assistants to meet the needs of pupils who require extra help.

p.17

Commentary

33. Governors are involved in school planning, which is increasingly focused on improving the school. The governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well, with all required policies regularly updated. The governing body has a good range of experience and expertise and it Sidlesham Primary School – 18 uses them satisfactorily to shape the direction of the school and to question the headteacher, for instance, on budget decisions. Governors are kept well informed about developments in the school, but have insufficient information about how the school’s performance compares with others to have a full understanding of its strengths and weaknesses.

p.17

Commentary

34. The school has a satisfactory induction programme for newly qualified teachers, which ensures that new staff settle in quickly. Regular monitoring and discussions ensure that newly qualified staff develop their teaching skills effectively. Student teachers undertake placements at the school, and the procedures for meeting their needs are satisfactory.

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 343,601 Balance from previous year 9,835 Total expenditure 325,579 Balance carried forward to the next 18,021 Expenditure/pupil 2,292

p.18

Commentary

35. Financial management is good overall. Financial administration is efficiently carried out on a daily basis. The administrative staff provide a good level of support for the head and governors. The finance committee of the governing body apply the principles of best value when obtaining goods or services, but lack of information about how the school compares with others means that they are not fully used to inform all management decisions. Sidlesham Primary School – 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

36. The arrangements for children in the Foundation Stage are good . Teaching is good , which represents an improvement since the last inspection. Across all areas of the curriculum planning is good , and enables all children to make good progress regardless of ability. Before starting school, many of the children attend the playgroup, which is located within the school building, and good links with this facility ease entry to the reception class. Parents are made to feel welcome in the class, which helps children feel secure in the new environment. Children make good progress in all areas of learning because the curriculum in the foundation stage promotes the Early Learning Goals successfully. An improvement in provision since the last inspection is the new outdoor play area. The area has not been used fully this year because of health and safety problems, and thus has not enhanced children’s physical or social

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

37. Most children enter the reception class with average levels of attainment, and because teaching is good they make good progress in all areas, and most exceed the Early Learning Goals in social, personal and emotional development, creative development, communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development. There is a good balance between activities directed by adults and those chosen by children, encouraging independence.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching in the Foundation Stage ensures that children make good progress. • Detailed daily plans and well-organised routines ensure that staff and children are always purposefully engaged in carefully structured activities that match their ability. • Parents and carers are made to feel welcome, and the good links between the school and local pre-school provision eases entry to the reception class. • Standards in personal, social and emotional, creative, language and literacy and mathematical development are good. • New outdoor provision is well designed and equipped and offers good facilities for outdoor play and physical development. • Health and safety issues have prevented the use of the outdoor area in recent months, restricting the children’s physical and creative development.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

Commentary

38. As a result of good teaching and effective support children settle quickly into the well-structured day-to-day routines of the reception class. By the time they reach Year 1 they meet or exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Children enjoy school, and at the start of each day come in readily and settle quickly to an activity or for registration. They quickly gain confidence in moving around the classroom and the school, and take turns and share equipment. They take care of resources and tidy up after each activity, showing a good level if independence. They walk sensibly to the hall for school assembly, and concentrate and behave well in a larger group. Children show good levels of independence when changing for physical education, and all dress themselves correctly. Sidlesham Primary School – 20

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.20

Commentary

39. Children enter the reception class with average language skills, and make good progress. They enjoy stories and quickly learn to handle books correctly. Most children quickly become established on the early stages of the school’s reading scheme, and make rapid progress in learning letter sounds, using them to help to read or spell new words. The most able read their first books with confidence and evident pleasure. All children make good progress in speaking and listening because staff take every opportunity to encourage them to participate in conversations and discussions. Children’s vocabulary develops well and they gain confidence in speaking with their classmates and to adults. Staff also demonstrate writing, and ensure that all children hold their pencils correctly in a range of writing, tracing and copying activities. All write their names unaided and many write short sentences with minimum support. Because of

p.20

Commentary

this good provision all children are on target to meet and most will exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the time they reach Year 1

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.20

Commentary

40. Children all make good progress in the development of numeracy skills. Building and construction activities help children develop knowledge of shape and size. Joining in with number rhymes and songs promotes children’s progress with knowledge of numbers. For instance, the more able count beyond 20, recognise these numerals on a number line and write them correctly. All children correctly use mathematical language such as ‘taller than’ ‘shorter than’ and ‘the smallest’, and write numerals to ten. Because they make good progress most children will exceed the outcomes of the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.20

Commentary

41. Children make sound progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world. They learn about their bodies and how they move and work. They show understanding of the effects of exercise, for instance, that it increases their heart beat. They are interested in a life-size skeleton and name its parts. They use computers and listening centres as a matter of routine, the more able using a mouse confidently to control movement on the computer screen. Most children are likely to meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the time they reach Year 1.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.20

Commentary

Sidlesham Primary School – 21 42. Most children enter the reception class with average levels of co-ordination and physical development, and because provision is satisfactory they progress at the expected rate and are likely to meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the time they are five. The new outdoor play area represents an improvement in provision since the last inspection, but it has not been in use recently because of health and safety concerns, so has not contributed significantly to physical development. In the hall, children run, jump and hop, showing good balance and awareness of space. In the classroom they develop cutting, colouring, and other manipulative skills, and achieve standards similar to those reported in the last inspection.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.21

Commentary

43. Children make good progress in this area because teaching is good, and by the end of the reception class they meet or exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Children enjoy role-play in the ‘hospital corner’, and make appointments for a visit to the ‘eye clinic’. A good range of art and craft activities include painting, printing and model making are available, and children quickly learn basic techniques and use and control materials effectively. They name colours correctly, including ‘purple’ and ‘turquoise’. Children tunefully sing a variety of songs from memory, and show an awareness of melody, pitch and rhythm. They identify two contrasting rhythms, and rapidly switch between one and the other, showing well-developed musical skills.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in reading are above average throughout the school. • In some classes, pupils do not achieve as much as they might. • Marking gives pupils insufficient information about how they can improve. • Insufficient use is made of assessment information to inform planning. • Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory but some aspects are underdeveloped.

p.21

Commentary

44. Standards in English are average. They are above average for both seven and 11 year olds in reading. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily and make steady progress during their time in the school. Improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory overall bearing in mind the rapidly changing profile of the pupils being admitted into the school and the wide variation in overall attainment year on year. These factors have a particularly strong influence on the results gained in national tests when numbers in each year group are relatively small. In the 2003 national tests, attainment in English was above average for 11 year olds. It was average in reading and writing for seven year olds. When these results are compared with similar schools, pupils’ standards are average for 11 year olds and below average for seven year olds in reading and writing. This

p.21

Commentary

represents an improvement on the previous two years results for the respective national tests.

p.21

Commentary

45. Standards in reading are above average. Pupils in Year 1 read confidently and use a good range of skills when trying to read unknown words. Most Year 6 pupils read expressively and accurately. All pupils enjoy reading as a result of the schools’ recent initiative to develop Sidlesham Primary School – 22 positive attitudes amongst the pupils towards this activity. Non-fiction texts are read with good levels of comprehension but the pupils' skills in using library facilities are weak. Although older pupils are aware of the classification system used in most libraries, they have little or no experience of using it or of using computer searches to locate specific information.

p.21

Commentary

46. Standards in writing are average by the end of Year 6. Pupils write effectively in a range of styles. They use interesting vocabulary in creative writing and understand the features of persuasive and discursive writing styles. Standards in spelling and punctuation are at average levels. Handwriting is average but presentation is good. This is because the staff both set and maintain high standards for the display of pupils’ work around the school.

p.22

Commentary

47. Planning for mixed age classes is satisfactory with some good examples of plans in the younger age classes. Teachers’ daily lesson plans are detailed with good references made to pupils’ individual education plans. However, teachers do not always match work well to pupils’ individual needs, which means that sometimes these pupils do not always make as much progress as they could.

p.22

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. In classes for the youngest infants and older juniors, teachers have created a good learning ethos in which pupils are keen to succeed. In these lessons, teaching proceeds at a lively pace, pupils recognise the relevance of what they are asked to do and teachers have high expectations. In the small number of lessons observed for pupils at the beginning of the juniors the teaching is dull and mundane. The literacy hour is not effectively implemented for pupils in this class and in one lesson observed the teaching was unsatisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

49. The quality and use of assessment information to inform planning is not satisfactory. Teachers mark pupils' work regularly, but they do not take the opportunity to indicate what steps each pupil needs to take to improve their writing. There is no evidence to suggest that teachers systematically use information gained from marking the pupils’ work to help them plan work that would help pupils to move on. In most lessons all pupils are given the same tasks. Although there are suitable mechanisms to assess the levels pupils have reached, this information is insufficiently used to vary the programme for individual pupils. Those with lower levels of attainment usually receive good support from the extra adults in the classroom, but their work is not broken down into the small progressive steps they need to achieve success. Teachers record what they expect pupils to learn from each lesson, but these objectives tend

p.22

Commentary

not to indicate the precise levels pupils should reach.

p.22

Commentary

50. There is a systematic approach to the monitoring of teaching and learning. The headteacher regularly scrutinises pupils’ work, observes lessons and examines teachers’ plans. There are good mechanisms in place for the collection and analysis of data for each pupil and information technology is used well to support this. In addition, good examples of data collection about pupil performance were seen in individual classes.

p.22

Commentary

51. The co-ordinator leads the subject satisfactorily and some aspects of her leadership are good. For example, she is keen to improve standards in the subject and has implemented several improvement strategies. However, management of the subject is not good. This is because her role in monitoring the teaching and learning is not well developed. She examines planning and written work but has no opportunity to observe teaching or to spread her own good practice throughout the school by teaching alongside her colleagues. She is aware that the better use of assessment information to set more specific and measurable targets for pupils is an area for development. Strategic planning is limited. There is an action plan in place that contains details of where improvements in English are required. However, the success criteria are not tightly defined and therefore it is difficult to measure whether initiatives have been

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

Sidlesham Primary School – 23 52. Good use is made of language and literacy across the curriculum. Links between subjects are used effectively to increase the relevance of pupils' work. For example, a mother and baby visiting to talk about the Christening ceremony provided a good stimulus for subsequent writing about it in the religious education lesson. Work undertaken in other subjects often provides the context for work in literacy lessons For example, Year 6 pupils' knowledge gained in history lessons about the Victorians was used very effectively to enhance their diary writing about a day in the life as a Victorian.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Overall, pupils are making good progress in their number work. • Overall standards have fluctuated since the previous inspection. • Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory. • The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but the national numeracy strategy is not implemented consistently in all classes. • Assessment information is not being used well to group junior pupils into effective teaching groups.

p.23

Commentary

53. The overall rate of achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory across the school. Inspection findings confirm that overall standards are average for seven and 11 year olds. Standards are above average in number work by the end of the juniors because most teachers place a strong emphasis on the teaching of these skills effectively at the start of their lessons. This was observed in several lessons both for infant and junior pupils. In these lessons teachers led mental arithmetic sessions at the start of lessons with confidence and at a brisk pace. Questions were used effectively to challenge pupils with differing levels of ability and good levels of support were provided during the main part of the lessons to individuals or groups of pupils.

p.23

Commentary

54. At the time of the previous inspection the standards of 11 year olds were judged to be well above average. Since then there have been considerable fluctuations in the standards attained in the national tests. Equivalent results were obtained to the previous inspection findings in 2000 but these national comparisons have varied since then. This is mainly due to the rapidly changing profile of the pupils being admitted into the school and the wide variation in overall attainment year on year. These factors have a particularly strong influence on the results gained in national tests when numbers in each year group are relatively small. When the 2003 results are compared with schools with similar numbers of free school meals the standards are well below average for 11 year olds. A review of data held by the school confirms that this particular year group contained a larger proportion of pupils with learning difficulties.

p.23

Commentary

55. During 2002 and 2003 the school placed a strong emphasis on improving the quality of teaching and learning in mathematics. This is confirmed by a detailed action plan initiated by the previous co-ordinator, the overall level of improvement to the teaching of mathematics during this period and a good emphasis on raising standards. Inspection findings indicate that this level of improvement has not been sustained during the current academic year by the new co-ordinator and leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory overall. This is because of a lack of rigour to the monitoring of teaching and learning. For instance, there are inconsistencies in the allocation of extra support to pupils in Year 6. Although the teaching of a small group of these pupils in a dedicated teaching area by a part-time teacher is good there is no evidence that this is co-ordinated with the teaching of mathematics to their classmates by

p.23

Commentary

their respective class teacher. As a result, staff resources are not being used to best effect and considerable differences exist in the allocation of teaching time in mathematics for both Sidlesham Primary School – 24 these groups of pupils. This had not been noted by the subject co-ordinator in her capacity as deputy.

p.23

Commentary

56. The quality of teaching and is satisfactory overall. The national numeracy strategy is being implemented effectively in many classes within the school and evidenced through the good teaching of pupils at the start of the infants and for classes of pupils in Year 4, 5 and 6. Resources such as number cards, games and whiteboards were used effectively in these classes to stimulate and motivate pupils of all abilities. This results in some good achievement in number work for these pupils. However, the core components of the strategy are not being implemented effectively in the subject co-ordinators class of pupils in Year 2 and 3. A different approach is being used to teach these pupils and their widely varying abilities are not being fully catered for. This is a significant weakness within the subject and is not providing a good role model for other members of staff.

p.24

Commentary

57. Teachers use satisfactory procedures for recording the individual progress of pupils against the learning objectives identified within the national strategy. The headteacher monitors the individual progress of all pupils very effectively and provides detailed analysis of these results to teachers and governors. Overall, teachers use this information to satisfactorily group the pupils in their class according to their ability. However, this information is not being used effectively to group junior pupils into effective teaching groups. Consequently teaching groups within these mixed aged classes often cover too wide an ability range. Planning between junior classes is not co-ordinated effectively and teaching resources are not being used efficiently to further raise standards. These important factors are militating against pupil achievement and limiting the school’s ability to raise standards further.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

58. Opportunities for the development of mathematical skills are satisfactorily incorporated into the teaching of other subjects. This includes some good data handling in ICT that is integrated into the teaching of science. Pupils are also encouraged to develop their skills of measurement in science and geography. All of these extra opportunities for practising number work effectively support the pupils’ achievements in mathematics.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The standard of pupils’ work by the end of Year 6 is good. • Teachers give clear explanations and demonstrations. • The focus on practical and investigational activities promotes pupils’ scientific and social skills. • Lesson planning is clear and thorough and provides a good level of challenge for more able pupils. • The good links between science, mathematics and ICT help pupils record what they know. • Homework is well used to supplement learning. • Pupils are well managed and there are high expectations of their behaviour.

p.24

Commentary

59. In the infant classes standards in science overall are average. Pupils build upon the good provision for practical work and make good progress. By the age of 11, standards are above those expected nationally. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils in the current Year 6 who are capable of reaching Level 5 are given suitable work and a good level of support to achieve it. Good provision for those of lower ability includes carefully structured activities and designated support from the classroom assistant. Sidlesham Primary School – 25 60. Teaching is good overall. Planning is good, and is based on national guidelines. Teachers prepare and resource their lessons well, and ensure that pupils fully understand material already covered and are clear about new information and how to proceed with their investigations. The use of practical and investigative approaches enables pupils to exchange ideas and begin to solve problems. For instance, in a Year 5 lesson pupils work together to

p.24

Commentary

discover and compare proportions of different food groups present in packaged meals, and make tables of their results. Pupils show good levels of knowledge about how scientific principles relate to their own lives. For example, Year 6 pupils show very good understanding of the way in which forces influence everyday activities, such as swimming, cycling or casting a fishing line. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour, and pupils work together and co- operate well during lessons. They handle resources and equipment with care, tidying up independently when an investigation is completed.

p.25

Commentary

61. Pupils are encouraged to record their work in a variety of ways, including graphs, charts and diagrams. Printed frameworks help those with less well-developed literacy skills to record what they know and have found out. ICT is used well to record and analyse data and to make graphical representations. Homework, which is regularly set, reinforces work undertaken in lessons. Pupils use the Internet to research topics and take pride in presenting the teacher with new information.

p.25

Commentary

62. The subject co-ordinator is in the process of auditing and re-organising resources for teaching, and is completing a portfolio of examples of work at a range of levels for each topic to effectively support the assessment of science. She has attended several training courses since taking over responsibility for the subject last year. Opportunities to monitor pupils’ work or support colleagues have been limited. Overall, the leadership of science is satisfactory.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The rate of pupils’ achievement is good overall. • Teachers plan a wide range of learning activities in other subjects as a means of developing pupils’ skills in ICT. • There are no procedures for effectively assessing the progress pupils make across the school.

p.25

Commentary

63. Levels of achievement are good and pupils’ standards are above average by the age of 11 despite the limitations posed by the building, which make it difficult to teach skills to a whole class in a designated suite. These above average standards have been maintained since the previous inspection. All pupils display very positive attitudes to learning and co-operate very well with a partner at the computers. Pupils are very keen to display their work that is stored on the school’s intranet. For instance, more able pupils in Year 6 can discuss at length how they made a delightful multi-media video sequence as a record of their recent trip to Portsmouth. These and other Year 6 pupils have further extended their competence in ICT through the creation of their own website pages, some of which were included in locally organised competition. Submissions to this competition in previous years have resulted in the award of

p.25

Commentary

first prize. These good standards have been maintained since the previous inspection.

p.25

Commentary

64. There were limited opportunities to observe the teaching of ICT skills during the inspection and no overall judgement on the quality of teaching can be made. A review of teachers planning however confirms that a wide range of learning activities are planned to develop the pupils’ skills in ICT. This is particularly so through the teaching of other subjects. For instance, pupils in Year 2 are provided with opportunities to develop their keyboard skills when they type sentences and simple poems on the word processor. Pupils in Year 6 are taught how to use a database as part of their studies on various food groups. These pupils effectively enter data Sidlesham Primary School – 26 into the spreadsheet in readiness for interrogation and presentation of their findings in graphic form.

p.25

Commentary

65. Extra learning opportunities are provided by the headteacher who teaches small groups of older junior pupils in a wide range of more complex skills. He provides satisfactory leadership and management of the subject overall and has ensured that a detailed and effective long-term plan until 2006 is in place. This includes the further development of more mobile resources in order that classes of pupils can be taught ICT skills more effectively in the future.

p.26

Commentary

66. Although pupils’ work is stored efficiently on the school’s intranet for ease of storage and retrieval there are no procedures for effectively assessing the progress pupils make across the school. This limits the ability of the teachers to carefully match the activities to the ability of pupils.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

67. Despite organisational difficulties, teachers make good use of ICT to support teaching and learning. Good links are made with other subjects such as English, mathematics, science and art and design. The Internet is used effectively to encourage pupils to undertake research in history projects and other related activities. Pupils are also provided with good opportunities to use their numeracy skills through data-handling activities. Older junior pupils are encouraged to use a computer at home in order to complete homework tasks and undertake simple research.

p.26

HUMANITIES

68. In humanities, work was sampled in history, geography and religious education. Only one lesson could be observed in religious education. It is therefore not possible to judge the overall quality of provision in these subjects.

p.26

Geography and history

69. Discussions with pupils and examples of their work suggest that a good range of work has been covered at a satisfactory level of challenge. Good attention has been paid to satisfactory skill development and the work displayed is imaginatively presented. This would indicate that standards in history and geography meet expectations across the school and teachers’ planning shows that statutory requirements are met.

p.26

Religious education

70. In religious education, work was sampled, with only one lesson seen. It is therefore not possible to judge the overall quality of provision in this subject. Discussions with pupils and examples of their work suggest that a satisfactory range of work has been covered. This however confirms that standards in the subject meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus across the school and teachers’ planning shows that statutory requirements are met.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71. Work in design and technology and physical education was not inspected in depth. Only two lessons were observed in physical education and none in design and technology. Therefore no judgement on overall provision can be made in these subjects. Evidence on standards has been gained through the review of teachers’ planning, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils in Year 6. Sufficient evidence could be gathered in art and design and music and therefore judgements about provision and standards can be made in these subjects. Sidlesham Primary School – 27

p.26

Art and design

Provision in art and design is good and standards are above average.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching helps pupils to develop techniques and skills to improve their competence. • Pupils who are gifted in art are given suitably challenging activities to further develop their skills. • Pupils are encouraged to be independent in selecting the appropriate materials to make their pictures. • Pupils evaluate their own and others’ art well. • The work of established artists is satisfactorily used as a starting point for pupils’ own art. • There is limited evidence of the study of art from other cultures.

p.27

Commentary

72. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are good when compared with those seen nationally. This represents an improvement since the last inspection, when standards were in line with expectations. Pupils with special educational needs and those of very high ability achieve well because tasks are modified according to their needs.

p.27

Commentary

73. The school provides a well-balanced curriculum that covers all the elements of the national curriculum for art. Planning for teaching is good, and pupils have a range of experience including study of the work of established artists, such as the French Impressionists. Pupils in Year 4 and 5 produced some high quality watercolour paintings in the Impressionists’ style after studying and evaluating their work. Teaching is good overall. Pupils are encouraged to make their own choices and to investigate a variety of materials and processes from an early stage. For instance Year 1 and 2 pupils decide which papers and techniques to use, and thus learn to select the best way to achieve the effect they want. There is direct teaching of skills and techniques, for example, in a very good lesson for a class of Year 4 and 5 pupils. In this lesson the pupils were expertly shown how to proportion the features on a portrait effectively

p.27

Commentary

and as a result produced work of good quality, which they were proud of.

p.27

Commentary

74. Pupils evaluate their work thoughtfully, and offer supportive comments about their classmates’ pieces. Careful questioning by the teacher helps them to express what they want to say and enhances their critical vocabulary. This supports speaking and listening skills well.

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Commentary

75. Resources for art are satisfactory, and the subject is soundly led. A range of examples of the work of established artists is available but the art of other cultures is not used extensively. This limits the contribution of art to pupils’ social and cultural development.

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Design and technology

Standards in design and technology are average .

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Main strengths and weakness

• Planning for design and technology enables good links to be made with other subjects, such as science, information and communications technology, history and art and design. • Pupils show good skills of evaluation. • Design and technology is not taught every week, which restricts the development of making and construction skills.

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Commentary

76. In the previous inspection the provision for design and technology was found to be unsatisfactory. Although it was not possible to observe any lessons, pupils’ work, photographs, plans and discussions indicate that work in this area is now satisfactory. This is a good level of Sidlesham Primary School – 28 improvement. Pupils in both infant and junior classes show designing skills that are at the expected levels. In Year 2, pupils design and make carrier bags, reinforcing the handles for extra strength, after evaluation. Year 6 pupils draw plans to make model cars, modify them and build the cars, which then take part in a race. Good written evaluations of the designs include thoughtful suggestions about how to improve both performance and appearance of the vehicles.

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Commentary

77. Planning for teaching is based on national guidelines, and is organised so that useful links can be made with other curriculum subjects. For instance, the making of Tudor banners from canvas, wool and felt helps to develop both designing and sewing skills and knowledge and understanding of the Tudor period, which was being studied in history lessons. The organisation of the curriculum means that design and technology alternates with other subjects, and disappears from the timetable for part of the year. This restricts the consistent development of the practical skills of making and constructing.

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MUSIC

Provision in music is satisfactory . Standards are average for seven and 11 year olds.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ singing is tuneful and enthusiastic. • Music makes a positive contribution to the social, spiritual and cultural development of pupils. • Music promotes good development of pupils’ listening skills. • There is limited use of percussion instruments.

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Commentary

78. The satisfactory standards reported in the last inspection have been maintained. All pupils have a music lesson each week, and thorough planning ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 achieve at the expected levels in all aspects of music, and show positive attitudes to the subject. Pupils sing well in both music lessons and in assemblies, because teachers communicate effectively the feelings of pleasure and satisfaction that singing can generate. Music played in assemblies extends pupils’ knowledge of composers and their works, including the music of other times and cultures.

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Commentary

79. In lessons, listening skills are promoted as well as music-making skills. For instance, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils listen to a range of pieces, and discuss what mood each suggests. Pupils offer ‘frightening’, ‘lively’ ‘sad’ and ‘cheerful’ in response to the music, giving thoughtful examples of situations they are reminded of, such as ‘skipping around outside on a nice day’ and ‘feeling upset when my hamster died’. Good listening skills are also demonstrated as Year 1 pupils listen to and copy a complicated rhythm by clapping in unison. Cries of ‘Wow! We did it!’ showed their delight at this achievement.

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Commentary

80. Older pupils have the opportunity to learn to play the recorder and the violin. Performing together in groups, for instance, in assembly, successfully promotes social development. The use of percussion instruments in both lessons and in assemblies is limited, restricting opportunities for further development of pitch and rhythm.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

81. It was only possible to observe two lessons for pupils in Year 5 and 6 during the inspection, one in dance and the other in games. Both of these lessons were effectively taught and confirm that standards are average overall for pupils of this age. Pupils are making satisfactory gains in their achievement of physical skills in a range of activities and sports consistent with the National Curriculum programmes of study. All pupils observed displayed good attitudes towards their learning and co-operated effectively with a partner or in a small group to Sidlesham Primary School – 29 complete their set tasks during the lesson. The newly completed sports hall has improved the quality of indoor provision significantly. As a result, an increasing number of enrichment activities are being provided for pupils to take part in out of lessons. The school continues to provide swimming as part of its physical education programme.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

82. Only lesson could be seen in this area of the school’s work and so no judgements are made about overall provision. The school places a satisfactory emphasis on pupils’ personal development and the timetabling of Circle Time provides all pupils with good opportunities to discuss issues that are important to them. The programme for personal, social and health education is good and includes work on diet, health, sex, drugs and personal safety. This programme helps pupils gain confidence, interact successfully with other people and know how to have a healthy lifestyle. Sidlesham Primary School – 30

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 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 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 5 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 5 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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