Copley Junior School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th – 22 nd January 2004

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SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Sprotbrough Copley Junior 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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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. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Community Age range of pupils: 7 to 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 187

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cadeby Road Sprotbrough Doncaster Postcode: DN7 7SD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Julia Holmes

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school educates 187 pupils aged from seven to 11 years of age. The large majority of pupils live in advantaged, supportive homes. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is also well below the national average. A very small percentage of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds and no pupil speaks English as an additional language. The number of pupils starting or leaving the school at times other than the normal times of admission or departure is low. The majority of pupils start the school with standards that are above the national average. The school received a curriculum award in 2002.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

28076 Mr D Byrne Lead inspector English, science, art and design, design and technology, history, physical education, special educational needs. 9224 Mr M Vineall Lay Inspector 8263 Mrs M Forsman Team Inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, geography, religious education, personal, social and health education and citizenship.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucester GL53 7JX

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’, which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Sprotbrough Copley Junior 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 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school that provides a very good quality of education. Good quality teaching and a very good curriculum result in pupils achieving well. Pupils behave very well and develop very good attitudes to learning. The school is well governed and managed and very well led by the head teacher. The school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Very good leadership and management by the head teacher create a very good ethos that values the individuality of each pupil and encourages good levels of independence. • The quality of teaching is good overall and is particularly good in Year 6. • Achievement is good in English, mathematics, information and communication technology, and art and design and there is very good achievement in history and music. • Achievement could be better in religious education and science. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good as a result of the very good quality of support provided by teaching assistants and the effective management of the co-ordinator. • Very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development contribute to very good attitudes, behaviour and levels of personal development. • There is a rich and varied curriculum that includes the very good application of basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Better use could be made of assessment and marking to involve pupils in evaluating how well they are doing and for identifying gifted and talented pupils. • Very good systems are established to support the personal development of pupils and to ensure their health, safety and welfare. • Attendance is well above the national average. • Parents are good partners with the school in the education of their children.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made good improvement since the last inspection in 1998, exceeding its previous high standards. Attainment is higher in English, mathematics, information and communication technology and history. The curriculum has been developed successfully so that pupils are much better at using skills of literacy and numeracy and information and communication technology across the curriculum. The very good ethos and strong and effective leadership and management provide a good capacity for sustained improvement in the future.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good overall. Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics, information and communication technology and art and design and very well in history and music. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 7

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Year 6 results

all schools similar schools by prior attainment Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with:

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Year 6 results

2001 2002 2003 2003 English B B A C mathematics B B B E science B C A D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average

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Year 6 results

Over the last five years standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2 have risen at a similar rate to schools nationally. In English and science the rise has been above the national trend but in mathematics there has been a slow decline. In 2003, pupils attained standards in the end of key stage National Curriculum tests that were well above the national average in English and science and above the national average in mathematics. Assessment data suggests that compared to the standards gained in the Year 2 end of key stage National Curriculum tests pupils did not achieve as well in 2003 as they could in mathematics and science and only satisfactorily in English. Inspection findings contradict this because evidence shows that pupils do well in extending and improving their good knowledge and skills as they move through the school. Pupils achieve particularly well in applying the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication

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Year 6 results

technology to support learning in all subjects.

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Year 6 results

Inspection evidence is that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are well above the national average in English and mathematics and above the national average in science. Pupils do very well in many aspects of English, but in particular in their ability to write in a variety of circumstances and in using books for retrieving information. In mathematics, pupils achieve well in numeracy and in data handling. In science, pupils develop a good knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas but could do better when performing scientific investigations. Achievement in art and design is good and in history and music pupils achieve very well. In religious education, pupils do not achieve as well as they could because of some gaps in the taught curriculum in the past. Girls do as well as boys in most subjects except in writing where girls do better. This is because boys tend to be more reluctant to write.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good . This contributes to very good attitudes, very good behaviour and the development of very good relationships. Attendance is very good .

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is very good . The teaching is good with very good teaching in Year 6 resulting in the vast majority of pupils working hard to do their best. Very good teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants ensures that pupils with special educational needs receive good levels of support. Teachers have a good knowledge of each subject of the National Curriculum except aspects of science and religious education. There is a very good curriculum that makes learning exciting and stimulating for pupils. Very good use is Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 8 made of educational visits to enhance lessons. The accommodation is good and the range of learning resources satisfactory. Pupils receive very good levels of care with very good attention being given to their health and safety. The school canvasses pupils’ opinions about the running of the school but does not involve pupils enough in evaluating their own

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

performance. There are very good partnerships with parents and very good links with the local community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The head teacher provides very good leadership. Governance is good. The leadership of key staff is good. A very good ethos is created through the very good team spirit that exists between staff who share a common vision for the school’s development. The school successfully achieves its aim of encouraging pupils to aspire to high academic and personal standards. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Financial management is good and every penny is well spent. The budget is very tight however, and a small deficit has been accrued. The governors are aware of this and have put a secure recovery plan in place.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have very good levels of satisfaction with the school. They feel the school provides a very good quality of education that ensures that their children achieve as well as they can. Some feel that the procedures for settling their children into the school could be better but inspection evidence shows that the induction procedures are as effective as they can be. Pupils enjoy school and are very happy with the quality of teaching and what they are taught. They feel they are involved in the running of the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Raise achievement in science and religious education. • Develop effective strategies across the school for involving pupils in evaluating how well they are doing. • Make better use of assessment procedures to identify gifted and talented pupils. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good and standards are very good overall. Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and information and communication technology and art and design. They achieve very well in history and music. Pupils could achieve better in science and religious education.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils do very well in applying their very good skills in English, mathematics and information and communication technology to support learning across the curriculum. • Pupils could do better in aspects of science and religious education. • Standards have risen steadily since the last inspection in English and science and there has been a recent improvement in standards in mathematics. • Girls do better than boys in writing. • Pupils have very good research skills in history and are confident to express themselves very well in music and art and design.

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Commentary:

1. Standards are higher than they were at the time of the last inspection. Attainment in the end of key stage National Curriculum tests in 2003 was well above the national average in English and science and above the national average in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools nationally, attainment was well above the average in English, above the average in science and in line with the average in mathematics. The trends in the school’s performance in all three subjects has been broadly in line with the upward trend seen nationally but there have been variations between the subjects. Since 1999, the trends in English and science have been above the trend seen nationally but in mathematics, there has been a slow but steady decline. Inspection evidence is that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved as a result of very good teaching in Year 6 and recently improved preparations for the National Curriculum

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Commentary:

tests. The school sets challenging targets for attainment in English and mathematics but recent improvements in achievement mean that the targets have been exceeded in recent years.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 28.6 (27.0) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 28.0 (26.8) 26.8 (26.7) science 29.5 (28.6) 28.6 (28.3) There were 44 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

2. Inspection evidence is that standards are well above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics, art and design, history and music. In each of these subjects pupils achieve well and improve their good knowledge and Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 10 understanding when they start the school in Year 3. Overall, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in science. Even though standards in science are above expectations at the end of Key Stage 2, this is primarily because pupils develop a very good knowledge and understanding of science. Pupils’ ability to plan and perform scientific investigations is only satisfactory and could be much better. Standards in religious education meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus, but gaps in the curriculum in the past mean that pupils are currently not achieving as well as they could. The vast majority of pupils achieve as well as they can although statistical

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

evidence indicates that girls do better than boys in writing. This is because they are more enthusiastic to write and boys’ attitudes indicate that they often find writing it a bit of a chore. The school is aware of this and considering ways of narrowing the gap. In subjects other than English, mathematics and science, the small minority of gifted and talented pupils are not always identified and given challenging enough work.

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

3. The assessment data suggest that given the good standards with which pupils start school, pupils do not do as well as they could by the end of Year 6. Inspection evidence contradicts this impression. Inspection findings are that pupils make good progress in extending their knowledge and skills in the majority of subjects. The very good curriculum enables pupils not only to develop good subject knowledge but also to develop a very good ability to apply their skills across a wide range of circumstances. In this respect pupils achieve very well. The main reasons for the good achievement in the school are the good quality of teaching, the very good curriculum that links subjects together, the very good attitudes and behaviour of pupils that enable all pupils to learn and the very good partnership between the school and parents.

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

4. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. Despite the good standards of pupils when they start school, over half are identified as needing support for special educational needs. In Years 3 and 4 in particular, very good support by class teachers and very well-trained and committed support staff results in pupils with special educational needs making rapid progress. By the end of Year 4 the vast majority of pupils do not need support. Where it is still required, teaching assistants offer very good quality support to ensure that the needs of the pupils are effectively met.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good , promoting amongst pupils very good attitudes, behaviour and levels of personal development. Attendance is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils form very good relationships with each other and with adults. • School is very popular with pupils who like learning especially when they are challenged. • In response to high expectations to act and think for themselves, pupils show very good levels of independence and the ability to use initiative. • Pupils are caring and supportive of others. • Attendance is well above the national average. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 11

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Commentary

5. The high standards at the time of the last inspection have been maintained. Standards in each area are very good and are very significant factors in the good levels of personal and academic achievement. Pupils develop very good social skills and a strong sense of right and wrong, demonstrated through the very caring way they treat others. Pupils have a good tolerance and understanding of people who differ from themselves and value the importance of treating others with respect. The head teacher and all staff have established a very good ethos that promotes very good levels of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils behave very well and enjoy learning. They are eager to learn and have the confidence to find things out for themselves. Boys however, are rather reluctant to write even though their standard of writing is still good. Pupils are mature and confidently take responsibility for their own

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Commentary

learning and show good levels of initiative. Discussions with pupils show that they really enjoy school and particularly like learning mathematics, English, information and communication technology and art and design. Pupils behave very well both indoors and out and there is no evidence of harassment or bullying.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.9 School data: 0.0 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

6. The overall level of attendance is well above the national average and pupils are very punctual. The school monitors absence effectively.

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Exclusions

7. There have been no fixed-term or permanent exclusions in the last twelve months.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is very good. The quality of teaching and learning is good and assessment is used effectively to guide planning in English and mathematics. There is a very good curriculum and very good levels of care, guidance and support. Very good partnerships exist with parents and the community and good links with other schools and educational establishments.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good with very good teaching in Year 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is a strength of the school with very good teaching in many subjects. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 12 • Teachers make very good links between different subjects so that pupils are confident in applying the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. • Lessons are well planned to meet pupils’ needs. They often involve very good use of resources to bring learning alive. • Pupils’ ideas are valued and good levels of inclusion are achieved but better use could be made of marking to involve pupils in their learning. • All teaching and support staff form a very effective team and parents are encouraged to provide support during lessons. • Better use could be made of assessment information to identify gifted and talented pupils.

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Commentary

8. The high quality of teaching and learning has been maintained since the last inspection with improvements in the way that subjects are linked together and the use of information and communication technology to support learning.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

1 (3%) 7 (23%) 19 (63%) 3 (11%) 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

9. Teachers work very hard to make sure that all pupils are included in all aspects of school life. The good standards with which pupils start in the school and the very good levels of support for pupils from home are recognised by teachers. They work hard to build on the good start of pupils so that pupils are challenged and extend and improve their knowledge, understanding and skills. A good subject knowledge of the National Curriculum helps teachers to adopt a wide range of effective strategies to motivate pupils to learn. Very good links between subjects are effectively planned. As a result pupils develop the confidence to apply skills of reading, writing, numeracy and information and communication technology to support learning in many subjects. Teachers do very well in promoting pupils’ skills of communicating in a variety of different ways. Pupils express themselves very well through speaking, writing, art and

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

design, dance and music as well as using the computer. Teachers value the individuality of pupils and successfully encourage pupils to state their feelings and views. Lessons are often enhanced by the very good use of resources to develop the relevance of what is being taught. Good partnerships between parents and the school help teachers to bring learning alive by helping in lessons for example, supporting textile activities in Year 4, and by funding their children to participate in the very good range of educational visits. As a result, pupils really enjoy learning and willingly and confidently try out new ideas and explore different perspectives in the way they learn.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

10. The quality of teaching of English and literacy and of mathematics and numeracy is good. In Year 6, some very good and at times excellent teaching results in pupils doing particularly well. This very good teaching is typified by very high expectations made of all pupils, a good balance between pupils working independently and teachers directing very good use of homework to link learning between school and home. The only relative weaknesses in teaching in the school are in aspects of science and religious Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 13 education. Most teachers are unsure of how to get the best out of pupils’ in developing the way they perform and record scientific investigations. Some aspects of the religious education syllabus are not fully understood and there have been gaps in what is taught. As a result of these relative weaknesses, achievement and standards in both religious education and science are not as high as they could be.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

11. Very good relationships between teachers and support staff enable each pupil to receive the support they need. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well by skilled and committed teaching assistants. All adults working in the school show very high levels of care and support for pupils and this enables pupils to feel secure and confident in lessons. Great store is placed on developing pupils’ self esteem and this gives pupils the ability to try out ideas and develop new skills.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

12. Procedures for assessment are satisfactory overall and good in English and mathematics. Teachers use data from tests to guide planning but not enough use is made of marking to involve pupils in their own learning. Given the high levels of maturity and sense of responsibility of most pupils, not enough is done to involve pupils in setting their own targets for achieving even better. Current assessment systems for subjects other than English, mathematics and science are satisfactory. Even though teachers generally make good provision for meeting the needs of higher-attaining pupils, the information gathered from assessment is not used as well as it could be to identify pupils who are potentially gifted and talented.

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The curriculum

Provision for the curriculum is very good . The quality of the accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good links are made between different subjects. • The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are carefully evaluated and interpreted to meet the needs of pupils. • The curriculum is brought alive for pupils through the very good provision of educational visits and visitors.

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Commentary

13. There is a broad and rich curriculum that caters for the interests, aptitudes and needs of pupils. Very good leadership of the curriculum by the head teacher and his deputy is promoting a very strong curriculum. This ensures high academic standards whilst also encouraging very good level of pupils’ personal development. Pupils are provided with a rich and exciting experience in their time in school that results in them learning a wide range of things in a variety of different ways. There is a good focus on the essential building blocks of learning of literacy and numeracy and good provision for science, information and communication technology, the arts and aspects of the humanities. The head teacher and staff approach the curriculum in an innovative and thoughtful way and this results in some very good links between learning in different subjects. This successfully gives pupils the chance for them to develop a good capacity for using their

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Commentary

skills and knowledge across the whole curriculum.

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Commentary

14. The school has effective ways of planning each subject of the National Curriculum so that as pupils move through the school, they steadily improve and develop their knowledge and understanding. Sensible adaptations are made to the national strategies Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 14 for literacy and numeracy to meet pupils’ needs. Very good use is made of literacy and numeracy skills to support learning in all subjects. Planning recognises very effectively ways that specific skills, for example, in writing, can be developed as part of lessons in subjects such as history or science. Religious education is taught in accordance with the Locally Agreed Syllabus and recent improvements have ensured that each part of the syllabus is given enough attention. The curriculum has been remodelled since the last inspection and has improved because of the very good links made between different subjects.

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Commentary

15. There is an effective model for the planning and teaching of personal, social, health and citizenship education. The curriculum makes pupils aware of the challenges of living in a society that includes the risks of drugs and of the significance of relationships between men and women. The curriculum is enhanced and made interesting and relevant to pupils by the very good use of educational visits and visitors to school. Residential and day visits successfully broaden the taught curriculum and make an invaluable contribution to pupils’ social and cultural development. A good range of extra- curricular clubs is well attended by pupils. The provision for pupils with special educational needs meets statutory requirements and enables these pupils’ needs to be planned for and met well.

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Commentary

16. The quality of the accommodation is good overall although the space available for learning in classrooms is limited and storage space is at a premium. This makes it hard for teachers to give as much attention as they would like to some aspects of subjects such as three-dimensional work in art and design. The resources for learning outdoors are very good and make a very positive contribution to the quality of education in particular in the areas of environmental science and aspects of sport. Resources for learning are adequate overall and match the needs of pupils. There is a suitable number of well-qualified teaching staff. Whilst the quality of teaching assistants is very good, the level of available classroom support is relatively low.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is very good. The school provides very good support, guidance and advice. The school provides good opportunities to seek the views of pupils.

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Strengths and weaknesses

• The school has very good procedures to ensure a safe, secure and healthy environment. • Very good relationships are developed across the school. • There are good levels of personal development. • Pupils are successfully encouraged to be involved in giving ideas about how the school is run.

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Commentary

17. All matters relating to ensuring a safe, secure and healthy environment within the school are dealt with very well and with great rigour. The school's health and safety policy is effectively supervised by the governing body and rigorously implemented by the head teacher and staff. Procedures for child protection are very effective. Risk- assessments are carefully performed, for example, the preparations for educational visits are very rigorously assessed. The principles of attention to health are being well Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 15 established and initiatives to promote healthy eating and exercise and diet are very evident in particular in the very good quality of the school meals.

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Commentary

18. At the heart of the caring nature of the school lie the very good relationships that exist between all staff and all pupils. Pupils approach teachers confidently if they have concerns and teachers have a good individual knowledge and understanding of pupils. This is typified by the way that pupils constantly approach the head teacher and other staff wanting to share all sorts of things happening in their lives. The children are very open and friendly and create a very harmonious school community.

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Commentary

19. Good levels of personal development of individual pupils exist. Pupils exhibit very mature behaviour, especially in Year 6, where they readily accept responsibility for numerous tasks, including caring for younger children. Children are consulted regularly on relevant issues, for example, the quality of food provided for lunch and how to spend £100 on playground/games/equipment. The trust that adults place in pupils is reflected in the way pupils show very good levels of responsibility in their own learning.

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Partnerships with parents, other schools and the community

Very effective partnerships exist with parents and the community and good links with other schools.

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Strengths and weaknesses

• Very effective links are made with parents that involve them in the life and work of the school. • Parents have very good attitudes to the school and its work. • The school has good communications with parents. • Very good links exist with the local community and with other schools which help to extend opportunities for learning outside the classroom.

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Commentary

20. The school has built a strong partnership with parents and this benefits the quality of the pupils’ education. Many parents are willing to help in school and to contribute to the activities of the Copley School Association to raise a significant amount of funds for providing additional resources and enabling pupils to attend educational visits.

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Commentary

21. Parents are very satisfied with what the school provides and most are keen to support and help the children’s learning. Parents express favourable views about the school especially about the way that children are encouraged to learn and work hard. There are good quality communications with parents using a variety of means including letters, newsletters, and information about what their children learn. Parents receive good quality individual, diagnostic reports about their children. The school values the input of parents’ views and consults with them about a range of issues. A small minority of parents express reservations about the quality of induction into the school. Inspection findings are that the process is good overall with a good range of strategies to ease the impact of changing schools. Staff are very sensitive to the fact that a small minority of pupils have difficulty adapting to the rather different atmospheres of an Infant

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Commentary

22. Very good links are established with the local community and these enhance the quality of education for pupils. Very good use is made of educational visits to a wide range of places in the locality. These include visits to nearby museums and galleries. There is Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 16 good involvement of pupils in local arts festivals and competitions and visits to retail companies. Pupils’ learning is enhanced by a good range of links with the a variety of community groups for example, local churches, dance and theatre groups and coaches from Doncaster Rugby Union Club. The community also benefit by using the school for example, for adult education classes and for football training.

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Commentary

23. Links with other local educational establishments are good and make an effective contribution to the quality of education provided by the school. The school plays a leading role in the local consortium of schools and works closely with local secondary schools. These links benefit staff through staff development and extend options for loaning resources. Very good links with a secondary school with technology status not only develop technology work, but also give the school help in a range of subjects including mathematics, science and physical education. Two initial teaching training colleges benefit by the school regularly supporting student teachers on school based experiences.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The head teacher provides very effective leadership and ensures that the school is well managed. A good governing body effectively performs its statutory duties.

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Strengths and weaknesses

• The head teacher is a highly respected and effective manager who has developed a culture of being open to new ideas. • The school makes good use of all available data to establish how well it is doing and where to improve. • Everyone involved in the school has very clear roles and works together very effectively. • The budget is very tight and reduces opportunities to make significant investments in resources. • Governors are an integral and valued part of the school’s management.

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Strengths and weaknesses

24. The leadership and management of the school are good. The head teacher provides very good leadership and ensures that the school is moving forward in a clear and purposeful direction. A very good ethos has been established that results in pupils achieving very good levels of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Very effective teamwork between the head teacher and his deputy contributes to the development of a strong staff team spirit amongst both teaching and support staff. This contributes to a shared vision about how to achieve the best possible quality of education to meet the needs of pupils. Each member of staff has a very clear role that is supported and monitored through a well-managed performance management system.

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Strengths and weaknesses

25. The head teacher successfully encourages a culture of self-evaluation coupled with a willingness to consider innovations to the curriculum. This contributes to the very good curriculum provided by the school and to the well-established and effective strategies for improving the school. There are good procedures for consulting with and involving all staff as well as listening to the views of parents. Effective staff development systems exist that combine the training needs of individual staff with the agreed targets for the school’s development set out in the school improvement plan. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 17 26. Subjects are well led by willing and enthusiastic staff and satisfactory procedures are in place for checking on the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Restrictions in resources and staffing reduce opportunities for subject co-ordinators to do all that they would like in terms of how they monitor the quality of teaching and

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Strengths and weaknesses

learning. The provision for special educational needs is well-managed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator. The teaching assistant team is effectively led and managed to meet successfully the needs of all pupils identified with special educational needs.

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Strengths and weaknesses

27. The governing body is an effective group that performs the role of being a critical friend very well. Good procedures are established that ensure that governors are aware of the main strengths and weaknesses of the school. This enables the governing body to keep a close eye on all aspects of the school development and ensure that the school fulfils all of its statutory duties.

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Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 443 374 Balance from previous year 7 397 Total expenditure 451 884 Balance carried forward to the next -1 113

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Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

28. Finances are managed well. All available funds for staffing and resources are very carefully spent in order to get the best possible value for money. The head teacher and governing body ensure that the school budget is effectively managed and monitored but the school has accrued a small deficit. This is a strategic decision by the governing body and is accompanied by a secure recovery plan. Barriers to learning in the school exist in the comparatively high expenditure on staffing. This is justified by the very good quality of education provided for pupils but it places a great strain on what can be spent on resources. To some extent, the limited funds available for resources are overcome by the efforts of the Copley School Association that raises considerable funds to provide additional resources for pupils. Aids to learning are very evident in the high level of support from parents. Given the average income per child, the good quality of

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

teaching and learning and the very good curriculum provided for pupils, the school gives good value for money. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 18

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are very high by the end of Year 6. Pupils achieve well. • Good teaching successfully extends the good standards that pupils start school with. • Writing pervades all parts of the curriculum and contributes to high standards of written communication although achievement in imaginative writing could be even higher. • Pupils read very well and are very skilled in using books to retrieve information. • Pupils make very good progress in the quality of handwriting in Year 3. • The subject is effectively led and managed with sensible adaptations made to the National Literacy Strategy. • Very good use is made of language and literacy across the curriculum.

p.18

Commentary

29. The trends in the school’s results in English have been rising since the last inspection. In 2003, attainment was well above both the national average and the average for similar schools. Inspection evidence indicates that standards are well above the national average and that pupils achieve well. Statistical data suggest that the rate of improvement between Years 3 and 6 is only satisfactory but inspection evidence shows that in their time in the school, pupils make good progress in extending and improving their knowledge of English. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well. Despite the high standards that pupils start school with, an extremely high percentage of pupils (over 50%) arrive in school with Individual Education Plans mostly related to needs in English. By the end of Year 4, this percentage has reduced significantly to less than 10 per cent. Although standards in writing are high, girls

p.18

Commentary

perform better than boys in end of key stage National Curriculum tests. Inspection evidence suggests that this is because a number of boys are reluctant to write. The school has begun evaluating ways of improving provision to better meet the needs of boys.

p.18

Commentary

30. Speaking and listening skills are very good. Good teaching develops and extends the speaking skills of pupils as they move through the school. The vast majority of pupils develop a very good ability to express complex ideas coherently and cogently. Pupils are very good readers. This is because of a combination of very good support at home and good teaching in school. They have very good skills in using books for locating and retrieving information to support learning across the curriculum. Standards in writing are very good and pupils achieve well. The quality of handwriting by the end of Year 6 is very good. Almost all pupils start school writing in print but by the end of Year 3, they have developed a mature and fluent handwriting style that contributes to a very high quality of presentation of work. Pupils have particularly good skills of writing for a range of purposes, especially in association with subjects such as history. Pupils write neatly

p.18

Commentary

and effectively use paragraphs to structure their writing and mostly make good use of punctuation. Spelling is mostly good but is weaker than other aspects of writing. Pupils make use of a very good range of adjectives and verbs to bring their writing alive. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 19 31. The quality of teaching and learning is good with some excellent teaching in Year 6. Pupils respond very positively to well-planned lessons that include a wide range of exciting and relevant activities. During lessons they work very hard and do their best to meet the high standards teachers expect of them. Opportunities to broaden public speaking are regularly provided, for example, by participating in drama activities. Outstanding teaching in Year 6 is typified by very high expectations being made of pupils and very carefully planned lessons that value what pupils think whilst also giving some direct teaching points. The class teacher has a real love of reading and this

p.18

Commentary

enthusiasm is passed on to all pupils who are highly motivated as a result. Across the school, teachers ensure that books are a very significant part of the pupils’ education. This results in pupils developing high levels of enthusiasm for reading. Writing skills are taught very well. The structure typifying a range of writing for example, non- chronological, imaginative and persuasive is effectively practised and developed. Very good support is provided by teaching assistants for pupils who have difficulties with aspects of English. Homework is used very well across the school to broaden pupils’ education and this contributes to the good achievement in reading and writing. Teachers make good use of assessment to monitor the progress of pupils and to identify those in need of support. Marking is prompt and accurate but there is not a consistent way of linking marking with the setting of targets for pupils’ improvement. A

p.19

Commentary

very effective team of teaching assistants make a very valuable contribution to the quality of education of pupils with special educational needs and their very good achievement.

p.19

Commentary

32. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator works hard to constantly evaluate how well English is being taught. Sensible initiatives are considered and evaluated, for example the value of establishing a way of setting targets for learning in class. The National Literacy Strategy is taught with effective adaptations to meet the pupils’ needs. Despite a small budget for English, the subject is satisfactorily resourced. A very good range of additional activities, such as the visits of theatre groups, enriches the quality of the English curriculum and adds to the relevance of learning for pupils. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are better than they were in 1998.

p.19

Language and literacy across the curriculum

33. Very good use is made of language and literacy across the curriculum. Teachers successfully develop good levels of achievement in pupils for using speaking, reading and writing for a wide variety of purposes. Many opportunities are planned for pupils to express their ideas in front of others and to develop arguments and viewpoints in a variety of subjects. High expectations for locating information to support research as part of a range of subjects have resulted in pupils developing very good library skills. A very high standard of writing is applied to support work in many subjects but most noticeably in history. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 20

p.19

Strengths and weaknesses

• The breadth of the curriculum is a strength of the provision. • Pupils are achieving well from a good entry level. • Teachers’ subject knowledge promotes effective learning. • Provision for able and talented pupils is not planned in the long term. • Mathematics is used very well across the curriculum.

p.20

Commentary

34. The trends in attainment in mathematics have shown a slow but steady decline since the last inspection. Recent improvements in teaching and expectations especially in Year 6 have boosted pupils’ performance. Inspection evidence shows that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved significantly and are now well above national expectations. In the 2003 National Curriculum tests, pupils in Year 6 achieved standards that were above the national average and in line with the average for similar schools. These results indicated that pupils were not achieving as well as they should be when compared to their attainment when they started the school. Inspection evidence, however, does not confirm the indication that achievement is not high enough between Years 3 and 6. Pupils achieve well from a good level of attainment when they start the school. Pupils learn well in each area of the subject including numeracy. The

p.20

Commentary

mathematics curriculum is broader than often found. This results in pupils making good progress in extending their knowledge and understanding of mathematics and developing very good skills of applying their mathematical knowledge to a wide variety of circumstances. There is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls.

p.20

Commentary

35. Attainment is consistently above national expectations throughout the school and well above expectations among higher-attaining pupils. Lower-attaining pupils make very good progress. Attainment in the aspects of number and data handling are particularly good for example in the use of formulae and calculation methods. Pupils readily use graphs and charts to communicate findings and show insight in their interpretation of data. Integrated curriculum topics provide occasions for investigations in a variety of different subjects and situations for example, as part of research based on a visit to Doncaster market by Year 3.

p.20

Commentary

36. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall with some very good teaching in Year 6. Throughout the school, teachers’ subject expertise enables them to instil confidence so that pupils develop flexibility in thinking and speed in recall. Pupils are expected to work hard and in Year 6 in particular, higher-attaining pupils are given a wide variety of very challenging activities that encourage them to use their good knowledge and understanding of mathematics. Pupils enjoy mathematics and speak of the subject in very favourable terms. During lessons they work well with each other and in groups. Strengths exist in the breadth of the curriculum and in the application of mathematics across the curriculum. The integrated topics which link numeracy with other subjects such as design and technology and history are very well planned not only providing an occasion for the use of numeracy skills but good opportunities for the

p.20

Commentary

right level of challenge. Good use is made of homework which is planned well to dovetail with class work. At times expectations are not as high as they could be in terms of the quality of pupils’ presentation of work and the layout of calculations. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 21 37. The quality of leadership and management is good overall. The co-ordinator has a good overview of the subject and has initiated an action plan to improve standards further. The co-ordinator uses the very full information from assessment data to evaluate and predict performance. Assessment procedures are effective in planning what pupils need to do next but more could be done to involve pupils in setting targets for their own improvement and in identifying pupils who have a particular talent for mathematics. The quality of resources is adequate for the delivery of the curriculum. Standards are similar to those judged in the last inspection.

p.20

Mathematics across the curriculum

38. There is very good use of mathematical skills as tools for communicating information. Teaching and learning frequently involve integrated topics such as the Pizza Production when pupils made very good use of spreadsheets to calculate costs and profits. These activities provide pupils with valid contexts for the use of their numeracy skills. The youngest pupils solve money problems in the role of Hogwarts students buying their wizardry supplies. Pupils’ understanding of number methods is extended by the study of Roman and Greek numbers. The visit of the oldest pupils to Beamish Museum provided challenges relating to geometry and algebra. Specific opportunities for numeracy in science could be extended further.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well in their knowledge and understanding of science but could do much better in performing scientific investigations. • Very good teaching in Year 6 demands that pupils are challenged to think about what they do and explain why events happen. • The subject is very well led but the impact of management is not as good as it should be. • Good use is made of outdoor facilities to support science in the environment

p.21

Commentary

39. Standards in science are higher than they were at the time of the last inspection. In the 2003 National Curriculum tests, every pupil achieved the standard expected for their age with over a half of pupils exceeding the national expectations for their age by reaching level 5. These results were well above the national average and above the average for similar schools. Statistical data suggests that the achievement of pupils in Years 3 to 6 is lower than it could be given the levels that pupils start school with in Year 3. Inspection evidence is that achievement is satisfactory overall. There is good achievement in terms of scientific knowledge but pupils’ skills of planning, performing and recording scientific investigations could be better and in this area of science, achievement is unsatisfactory. There is no statistically significant difference between the attainment of boys or girls.

p.21

Commentary

40. As pupils move through the school they steadily improve their knowledge of scientific terminology and ideas associated with the main areas of the subject. A good knowledge and understanding is developed of basic ecological principles, the function Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 22 of parts of the human body and ways of ensuring a healthy body. As part of an experiment in Year 6, pupils demonstrated a very good knowledge and understanding of basic particulate theory to explain the reasons why solids, liquids and gases behave differently. Pupils have a very good knowledge of forces and their effects and the basic principles of electricity, conductivity and insulation. The high levels of knowledge and understanding are not matched by the ability of pupils to perform investigations. Although many pupils are competent in this area, their skills have not been developed fully across the school.

p.21

Commentary

41. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall with very good teaching in Year 6. There are strengths in the development of scientific knowledge but a weakness in the teaching of scientific investigations. Teachers make very good use of exploiting pupils’ advanced skills of using books for research to develop impressive standards of written recorded work. Practical activities are planned as part of science lessons, but these are predominantly activities that are experiments to illustrate a scientific idea rather than to extend and develop pupils’ skills of investigation. As a result, pupils do not do as well as they could in developing empirical skills of measurement involving gathering, recording and interpreting data to support or contradict hypotheses. In Year 6, there is a very good recognition of the need to raise achievement in scientific investigations. Lessons are very well planned with high expectations for pupils to work

p.22

Commentary

collaboratively as well as independently in order to perform fair tests to solve scientific problems. Throughout the school, pupils enjoy science and show very good levels of attention and effort during lessons. They enjoy learning new facts and work hard in homework activities. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory and help the co-ordinator to monitor the quality of teaching and learning.

p.22

Commentary

42. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The subject is led by an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and determined co-ordinator who has a very good view of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject in the school. The impact of management on raising standards in scientific investigations is limited because the co-ordinator has too little time to support colleagues. There is a satisfactory curriculum in place that ensures that pupils learn at steady rate in each area of science as they move through the school but not enough time is given to developing pupils’ skills of performing scientific investigations. The policy is in need of updating to match recent improvements to the curriculum. Resources are adequate. Good use is made of the school grounds to support studies associated with the natural environment. The quality of the school’s provision has improved since the last inspection.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

p.22

Strengths and weaknesses

• Aspects of communicating and presenting are well above expectations. • Pupils’ confidence encourages progress. • Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. • Recent improvements in resources and accommodation have broadened the curriculum. • The subject is very well managed because of the enthusiasm and knowledge of the co- ordinator. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 23

p.22

Commentary

43. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is above national expectations. Younger pupils are attaining standards that are in some respects well above what is expected. Pupils from all groups achieve well. Across the school pupils make good progress from the levels with which they start school. They soon acquire confidence and are prepared to explore beyond average expectations. Younger pupils experiment with the effect of formulae in spreadsheets. The oldest pupils develop very good skills creating sequences of instructions to control events while keeping to the accuracy of a given scenario.

p.23

Commentary

44. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good and in some aspects very good. Teachers plan imaginatively and knowledgeably so that all pupils have scope to extend themselves rather than just attain what is expected of them. Higher attaining pupils benefit from the challenge and also from the ready access to computers for performing independent work. Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong and they have the vision to appreciate possibilities for developing information and communication technology across the curriculum. As a result, computers are successfully integrated into many other subjects and consequently pupils apply their skills to a variety of different circumstances. Pupils enjoy information and communication technology and most work independently and sensibly at computers. Pupils are encouraged to participate in managing the school’s information and communication technology provision. An elected committee of pupils maintains the school website by selecting

p.23

Commentary

45. The quality of leadership and management is very good. The sharing of responsibility between two co-ordinators is working very well and clearly impacts on the quality of the provision and on the standards of attainment. The curriculum is well planned and evaluated and the co-ordinators are constantly seeking ways of improving the provision. The school is trying out a comprehensive and useful assessment process which includes self-evaluation by pupils after each unit of work. There has been a very significant improvement since the last inspection in standards and resources. This has resulted in rapid progress. Resources and accommodation are now good and are well chosen for their impact on teaching and learning.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

46. The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum is very good. The co-ordinator is developing the planned use of information and communication technology in other subjects but teachers are already alert to occasions when information and communication technology resources can be used to enhance other subjects and also extend their skills. There is frequent use of computers in numeracy and literacy and the integrated topics provide occasions for the application of specific skills. Digital images of work performed in design technology are incorporated into pupils’ work using publishing techniques. Graphics tools are used to create images in the style of famous artists. Weather information for Geography is downloaded from the Internet. Pupils know they can use email facilities to send their homework to the head teacher. Information and communication technology is used extensively to support pupils with special educational needs and lower attaining pupils

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

to reinforce basic skills. It is recognised by both teachers and pupils as a cross- curricular tool. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 24

p.23

HUMANITIES

The limitations of time made it impossible to report geography in depth.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils do very well and attain standards that are well above national expectations by the end of Key Stage 2. • There is a very exciting and stimulating curriculum that inspires pupils and contributes to the very good links being established between history and other subjects. • Good teaching results in pupils developing very good skills when performing research. • Assessment could be better.

p.24

Commentary

47. Good quality of teaching successfully challenges and extends the good levels of general knowledge about history that many pupils have. As a result, pupils achieve very well. As pupils move through the school they develop and improve their ability to find things out for themselves and by the end of Key Stage 2 the standards attained are very high. Standards are higher than they were judged to be at the time of the last inspection.

p.24

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching and learning is very good. Teachers are enthusiastic about the subject and this is transmitted to the pupils who also show high levels of enjoyment when learning history. Very good use is made of artefacts borrowed from the local loans service to bring the past alive. Pupils are very well behaved and enjoy observing artefacts such as a Roman helmet and breast-plate as they study the life and times of this period. Very good research skills are developed amongst pupils to support their class-work. Pupils are very skilled in using books and CD-ROMS to locate information. This is then interpreted very effectively into the pupils’ own words. Very good use is made of educational visits to deepen the knowledge and understanding of pupils. During a visit to Gainsborough Hall, pupils are immersed in activities that give them a chance not only to learn about the life and times of Elizabethans but also, through

p.24

Commentary

drama-based activities in which they dressed up in costumes of the period, develop a feel for what life was like. Homework is used very effectively to support learning and pupils take great pride in completing projects at home based on different aspects of historical study. Pupils make very good use of literacy skills to support learning in history. The quality of written and artistic work is very high.

p.24

Commentary

49. History is very well led and managed. Planning is very good because it incorporates not only the essential historical objectives, but also ways of enabling pupils to apply skills of literacy, art and design and information and communication technology. Although the resources within the school are only satisfactory, the efforts of staff to extend the resources through loans and educational visits result in pupils benefiting from a good range of resources. The contribution made by parents and the contribution of the Copley School Association in funding educational visits is invaluable. Assessment is satisfactory but better use could be made of information to identify potentially gifted historians. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 25

p.24

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.25

Strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching at the end of the key stage is very good but only satisfactory elsewhere. • Pupils are not achieving as well as they could. • Until recently, there have been gaps in the curriculum taught to pupils. • Recent changes have resulted in the subject being well led.

p.25

Commentary

50. By the end of Year 6 pupils are attaining standards that are in line with expectations. There have been gaps in the curriculum over recent years that have failed to fully develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Recent improvements in the quality of planning for the subject have improved the quality of what is taught and pupils are now achieving satisfactorily but they could do better. Standards are similar to those at the time of the last inspection.

p.25

Commentary

51. The quality of teaching and learning is currently satisfactory but in the past there have been some weaknesses in the coverage of the curriculum. These have contributed to a comparatively limited progress that is made by some year groups. Pupils are not secure in all aspects of religious education, as some faiths have been covered better than others. Younger pupils have good recall of the main features of Hinduism and older pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of Sikhism. The study of Judaism is relatively new. All pupils have a working knowledge of Christianity but much of it derives from assemblies and school events rather than from lessons. When required, pupils show a considerable capacity to understand a wide range of religious perspectives but their potential to think about and compare the relative beliefs of a range of religions has not been developed as well as it could be. In a lesson in Year 5, pupils demonstrated

p.25

Commentary

very high levels of thinking during a debate about Creation. This level of thinking shows the potential of all pupils across the school if expectations were higher and the Agreed Syllabus was consistently taught across the school.

p.25

Commentary

52. The quality of leadership and management has improved considerably recently and is now good. The co-ordinator has reviewed the curriculum coverage and is implementing an action plan to raise the expectations of teachers so that pupils achieve as well as they can. She has correctly identified the areas for improvement. The whole school focus on celebrations such as Christmas and Easter provides good opportunities for cross-curricular links such as imaginative writing about the Christmas donkey and painting in the style of traditional icons. The curriculum is enhanced by some visits and contributions from visitors. The school has good links with the local church and the “Open Book” group provides thoughtful assemblies that are appreciated and remembered by the pupils.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No lessons were observed in design and technology or physical education but samples of good quality design and technology work were noted. It is not possible, therefore to make a firm judgment in either subject about provision or standards but limited evidence indicates that planning fully covers the requirements of both subjects. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 26

p.25

Strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well. Standards are well above national expectations. • Good teaching enables pupils to develop very good skills of two-dimensional work but have limited opportunities to develop skills of three dimensional art and design. • Pupils develop an in depth knowledge and understanding of the work of a range of great artists. • Assessment systems could be better.

p.26

Commentary

53. Pupils achieve well. Pupils start school with good standards. Effective teaching develops and improves the standards well as they move through the school. By the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards that are well above expectations, a position that has been maintained since the last inspection.

p.26

Commentary

54. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of two-dimensional art and design and this results in pupils being provided with exciting and challenging activities. Painting and sketching skills are developed very well across the school. Pupils develop very good techniques of mixing paints and using suitable brushes to create good effects that bring paintings to life. Pencils are also used to good effect in creating a range of shade and tone to generate three-dimensional effects in sketches. Throughout the school pupils show great enthusiasm and confidence in using art and design techniques to support learning across the curriculum. Pupils successfully use them as a means of expressing themselves for a variety of purposes.

p.26

Commentary

55. Pupils develop a good understanding of the techniques and styles of a range of famous artists. As part of the study of the work of William Morris, pupils in Year 4 have created some high quality textile designs that replicate the style of Morris’s designs. Older pupils demonstrate very good skills of painting by recreating outstanding paintings of, “The Lily Pond” in the style of the French impressionist Monet. Teachers are improving their use of information and communication technology to support learning in art and design. A computer programme has been effectively employed to enable pupil to create motifs that are built into repeating patterns in the style of William Morris. Pupils really enjoy art and design and state that they enjoy being creative by using the range of techniques they develop across the school. Limitations in the available resources reduce opportunities for teachers to develop the same very high standards in three-

p.26

Commentary

dimensional work although they are satisfactory overall. Throughout the school, teachers value the pupils’ work by using it to create very high quality displays. This promotes amongst pupils a sense of pride in their work

p.26

Commentary

56. The subject is well managed and led. Standards are high and maintained through good teamwork between staff. Resources are adequate but the lack of a kiln and limitations in the amount of space available for storing three-dimensional models make it difficult for teachers to teach art and design as well as they could. The curriculum is well planned and adapted to meet the needs of pupils. Very good links are made with other subjects. Although there is a satisfactory way of assessing pupils’ progress and attainment, more could be done to use the information to identify and give even more challenge to pupils who are potentially talented. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 27

p.26

Strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is very good and standards have improved since the last inspection. • Teachers’ good subject knowledge and ability to organise a good range of activities is a real strength. • The quality of pupils’ performance is very high. • Pupils have access to a very good range of musical activities beyond what is taught in class. • Better use could be made of assessment.

p.27

Commentary

57. By the end of Year 6 pupils attain standards that are well above expectations. Pupils are very well motivated and achieve very well.

p.27

Commentary

58. The quality of teaching and learning is very good with a very god contribution made by a peripatetic teacher. All aspects of the subject, performance, composition and appreciation of music are taught very well. Teachers have high expectations and organise learning very well so that pupils are able to acquire knowledge and understanding which is well above expectations for their age. The standard of singing is high. Pupils enjoy singing together as a whole-school group and pupils in the choir have the opportunity to extend their skills, for example, in complex part-singing. Their recent performance at the Sheffield arena is a matter of great pride to them. All pupils learn at least one instrument as everyone is taught to play the recorder in Year 4. Pupils read conventional notation and use it for example in recording rhythm patterns. Appraisal skills are very well developed because pupils are exposed to a rich variety of music.

p.27

Commentary

Older pupils demonstrate confidence in evaluating music both for its impact and for its construction. Pupils really enjoy making music and show very good attitudes and levels of confidence when doing so.

p.27

Commentary

59. The quality of leadership and management is good. The co-ordinator leads by example and is involved in many aspects of the music provision, which is having a considerable impact on standards. The curriculum is well planned and delivered but the procedures for planned assessment could be improved so that there is a clear identification of pupils who are potentially gifted and talented. The provision for extra-curricular opportunities is good. The school has a commitment to first-hand experiences for pupils. Peripatetic tutors provide a broad range of instrumental tuition which is supported by parental contributions. A good number of pupils achieve high standards in individual performance and are able to join the school orchestra. The choir is well supported and involved in many school and local events. There is a good range of resources following considerable expenditure on the repair of instruments.

p.27

Personal, social, health and citizenship education

60. The quality of provision is good overall. The school works hard to ensure that pupils have a good range of opportunities to develop their awareness of issues related to sex and relationships and of issues around drug abuse. The school promotes healthy lifestyles and encourages pupils to eat healthily through lessons such as science and through very good quality school dinners. Citizenship is promoted well across the Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 28 school. Pupils are encouraged to be responsible for caring for the environment through initiatives such as encouraging the recycling of paper. Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 29

p.27

The overall effectiveness of the school 2

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

p.29

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 2 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.29

The quality of education provided by the school 2

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

p.29

The leadership and management of the school 3

The governance of the school 3 Sprotbrough Copley Junior School - 30 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

p.29

The leadership and management of the school 3

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

p.30