Steeton Primary School

STEETON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 – 21 January 2004

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STEETON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Steeton Primary School Page 2 January 2004 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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STEETON 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. Steeton Primary School Page 3 January 2004

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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: 283

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Market Street Steeton Keighley West Yorkshire Postcode: BD20 6NN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01535 653315 Fax number: 01535 653315

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr P Brunskill

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29 June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school serves the village of Steeton near Keighley. It is a popular school and it attracts some pupils from outside the immediate area. The school has an average number of pupils with special educational needs and a slightly above average number of pupils for whom English is an additional language, though few need additional support. The pupils come from a mixture of social backgrounds, few could be described as significantly deprived though equally few are privileged.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Importantly, at the time of the inspection, the school was undergoing significant building works to create new teaching accommodation and this inevitably caused some difficulties. Also, the substantive Headteacher had just begun a one-year leave of absence. Steeton Primary School Page 4 January 2004

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

18074 S Dobson Lead inspector Areas of learning in the Foundation Stage English as an additional language Science Art and design Physical education 19418 A Birch Lay inspector 29263 F Clarke Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology Music 30724 D Hiscock Team inspector Special educational needs English Geography History Religious Education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Anglia House Carrs Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 2LA

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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). Steeton Primary School Page 5 January 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

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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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 30

Steeton Primary School Page 6 January 2004

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a highly effective school which has maintained and improved on high standards over many years. It gives very good value for money because all pupils achieve very well in both their academic learning and their personal and social development.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are : • Very high quality of teaching and learning across the school, enhanced by the organisation of groups and specialist teaching, supports pupils in making very good progress in almost all subjects. • The school is very well led by senior managers and governors who implement robust systems to bring about school improvement. Management of the school is excellent. • The school community has a very positive ethos of hard work and all staff work to ensure that every pupil gains maximum benefit. • There is a very good, enriched curriculum which stimulates and engages pupils and teachers. • The current accommodation and resources restrict the potential to develop further in the Foundation Stage 1 , in information and communication technology (ICT) and in physical education (PE).

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has improved very well since the last inspection in 1998. Teaching and learning have improved as has the management and leadership of subjects. Pupils now reach higher standards in all subjects except for ICT where their achievement has remained the same. The school provides better opportunities for pupils’ personal development.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

All pupils achieve very well over their time in the school as a result of consistently good and often very good teaching and learning, based on a well planned curriculum. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve very well in all areas of learning 2 irrespective of their starting points and they are likely to reach the Early Learning Goals 3 . Pupils throughout the school achieve above average standards in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education. In information and communication technology (ICT) their standards are at least as high as expected nationally and in religious education they reach expected standards.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The results in the table below indicate clearly that the pupils achieve standards which are well above the national average in English, mathematics and science and they have done so for many years. The current Year 6 pupils are likely to achieve standards which are well above average in English and science and above average in mathematics . Pupils achieve well above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 when compared with similar schools.

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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 B A A B Mathematics A B A B Science A A A A Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

1 In this school, the reception classes 2 Personal social and emotional development, language literacy and communication, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development, physical development. 3 The goals children are expected to reach by the end of the reception year. Steeton Primary School Page 7 January 2004 Pupils’ personal development is very good. They have very positive attitudes to school and accept and participate in the ethos of hard work. Most of the pupils get on well with each other and show consideration especially for younger pupils. Behaviour is generally very good and there have been no exclusions . A minority of pupils report some bullying but state that it is always dealt with firmly by the staff. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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The school provides a very good quality education for all pupils. The quality of teaching is

very good with over half the teaching being judged very good or sometimes excellent . A further third of teaching was judged to be good, leaving only a small amount of satisfactory teaching (13%). One lesson was unsatisfactory but this was exceptional and was due to a misinterpretation of the lesson plan. Pupils with special educational needs are identified very rapidly and the very good quality of support they receive means that by the time they reach the upper part of the school the gap in attainment has narrowed and most achieve the same standards as other pupils. Pupils with English as an additional language are very well supported and make very good progress.

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The school provides a very good quality education for all pupils. The quality of teaching is

The curriculum throughout the school is very good. It is planned well to meet the specific needs of these pupils and interest and challenge them. It is a significantly enriched curriculum with visits, visitors, links with other schools, clubs and competitions adding to the richness of what is on offer. The school’s excellent management makes sure that all of the pupils are able to benefit despite accommodation difficulties. All pupils are well cared for and the school encourages and supports parents in helping their children.

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The leadership of the headteachers, both substantive and acting, and the governors is very

good. This very good leadership over time has developed a very positive ethos which has supported the maintenance of high standards. The management of the school is excellent . The school is currently in very difficult physical circumstances due to building work but this is extremely well managed with very little disruption to learning or pupil security. The resources of the school are used to the very best advantage to support the pupils. The school meets all statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Links with parents are good and for the most part, parents and pupils are very pleased to be a part of the school. They are especially pleased with the quality of teaching. The school has very good links with other schools and this supports pupils’ learning.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Provide more space and better access to up-graded resources in class and out of doors so that the learning opportunities in reception classes can be even better than they are. • Provide better access to ICT so that satisfactory standards can be raised. • When site development permits, provide better opportunities for physical education so that good standards can be raised further. Steeton Primary School Page 8 January 2004

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Children achieve very well in the reception classes. In Years 1 to 6 they make very good progress and achievement is very good in English, science and geography, and it is good in mathematics, art and design, design technology, history, music and physical education and in all these subjects, pupils reach standards higher then those expected nationally by the end of Year 6. There is very little difference between the achievement of boys and girls. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve very well. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well and by the time they reach Year 6, most have caught up with the other pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils reach above and often well above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 and these high standards have been maintained for the last 8 years. They achieve similar standards in most other subjects. • Pupils achieve above and often well above average standards by the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. • The very good achievement of all pupils is due to very effective teaching, including specialist teaching, and very good use of pupil groupings. • Pupils make a very good start to learning in the Foundation Stage and by the end of the reception year, many have reached or even passed the Early Learning Goals.

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Commentary

1. Children start school with overall average skills but with relatively good verbal language skills. In the Foundation Stage, the children achieve at least well in all areas of learning. The teachers, under some restrictions caused by the accommodation, work very hard to produce a meaningful and stimulating working environment both indoors and outside and this helps children to get off to a good start with their learning. Most importantly, the children are taught to see themselves as successful learners and they appear curious but confident in the school situation. This very good start means that in some crucial areas of learning, namely literacy, mathematics and personal development, children move into Year 1 having already got a very good, well-embedded set of basic skills.

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Commentary

2. Work in Years 1 and 2 is challenging but continues to boost pupils’ confidence and by the end of Year 2; pupils reach good standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

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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 17.3 (17.5) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 18.3 (16.0) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 17.9 (18.0) 16.3 (16.5) There were 39 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. In other subjects except for ICT, many pupils achieve standards which are higher than those expected nationally by the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

4. Pupils continue to achieve very well throughout Years 3 - 6. There are many reasons for this, most of which are linked to the very positive ethos of the school. The pupils behave very well Steeton Primary School Page 9 January 2004 and this means that class time is spent with everyone working. The teachers teach very well throughout the school and therefore pupils gain a lot from their lessons. The pupils are grouped for English and mathematics and this means that the teachers are able to concentrate on one particular ability band and this they find helpful. Specialist teaching in some other subjects also supports the raising of standards. By the end of Year 6, pupils reach well above average standards in English. Mathematics and science as can be seen in the table below. The school has been very successful in maintaining high standards over a considerable period.

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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 29.4 (28.7) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 29.4 (27.6) 26.8 (26.7) Science 31.0 (30.5) 28.6 (28.3) There were 43 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5. The only factor which limits standards slightly is the accommodation of the school. In PE, standards are better than those seen in most schools but with the talent and commitment of this staff, standards could be even higher if there was a suitable hall and a larger outdoor area. Standards in ICT are about as expected nationally. There is a good commitment from the staff to support ICT but access to computers, including the computer suite, is restricted by matters beyond the control of the school. The reception classes are somewhat restricted in the space they have available and they cannot offer as many creative opportunities as they would wish. The school site is quite restricted and this limits opportunities to develop children’s understanding and knowledge of the world.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The school has maintained a good level of attendance since the last inspection. Pupils are punctual, enabling lessons to start promptly. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and their behaviour is also very good. The spiritual, moral and social aspects of the school are very good , while the cultural dimension is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ interest in school life and the range of activities provided are very good. • The pupils develop an excellent desire to learn, they learn to take responsibility for their own learning and respond very well to the high expectations for pupils’ conduct. They are very confident pupils who achieve their potential. • The school works well to promote good relationships between the pupils and deals promptly and very effectively with any harassment that may occur. • The school’s action to promote attendance and punctuality is good. • Pupils’ self-knowledge, spiritual awareness, moral behaviour and sense of working together as a community are very good. These contribute to the pupils’ learning achievements throughout the school.

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Commentary

6. The school has maintained its good level of attendance since the last inspection. The vast majority of parents are keen for their children to learn and send them to school regularly and on time, even making the effort to avoid taking holidays in term time. The school works closely with the very few families whose children attend poorly. Steeton Primary School Page 10 January 2004 7. All of the pupils questioned indicated that they really like school. They enjoy their lessons, working conscientiously. The school council has a keen interest in being a part of school life, through working as monitors and suggesting new ideas, such as ways to recycle waste from the classrooms, educational trips and fund-raising initiatives. The large number of extra activities is well attended.

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Commentary

8. The staff stimulate an excellent desire to learn in pupils, encouraging them to take responsibility for their own learning and setting very high expectations for pupils’ conduct. Pupils are encouraged to work independently and in groups to research topics. This involvement generates very good attitudes to learning while maintaining high levels of very good behaviour. Pupils are confident in their abilities and achieve their potential. The very good relationships between pupils extend into the rest of the life of the school when the older pupils feel responsible for the younger ones and help them in the playground and between lessons. There have been a few instances when pupils have been jostled in the playground due to the greatly reduced play area available resulting from the extensive building work but pupils and parents agree that staff respond promptly and effectively in stopping them.

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Commentary

9. The staff display a deep sensitivity towards their pupils. This whole school ethos actively encourages the pupils to want to learn and be part of the community from an early age. The result of the very high expectations of the teachers and the very good behaviour of the pupils is the creation of an outstanding and totally inclusive environment in which to learn.

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Commentary

10. Pupils with additional needs in learning are as absorbed in their lessons as others. They say they like school because their teachers and support staff help them when they have difficulties. They listen carefully to their teachers and to each other and are confident to contribute their views. They learn to work well as individuals, in pairs or in a group and show increasingly well developed skills of co-operation.

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Commentary

11. Pupils’ writing shows characteristics of very strong spirituality and deep reflection which contributes to their personal development and learning. This was particularly evident in religious education, history and geography lessons. The very good procedures for encouraging good behaviour are well known by the pupils are part of the normal day to day expectations of the school and instances of needing such procedures are rare. The pupils are very supportive of each other and are supportive of the inclusion of all pupils. The school recognises that it needs expertise in Punjabi and Urdu as the multi-cultural and multi-faith elements of school life are not fully developed yet, although provision for other cultural aspects is good.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.8 School data 0.3 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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Exclusions

There were no exclusions in the last reporting year. Steeton Primary School Page 11 January 2004 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 198 0 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 9 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 23 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 5 0 0 Black or Black British – African 1 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very high quality education . Teaching and learning are very good and the quality of the curriculum is similarly very good .

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Teaching and learning

Both teaching and learning are overall very good in the foundation stage and throughout the rest of the school. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Eighty-five percent of the teaching is good or better and almost all the rest is satisfactory. This leads to a very good standard of learning. • The teachers promote equality of opportunity particularly well and pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are given every chance to catch up with their peers. Most succeed. • In every class there is a very high expectation that pupils will work hard and pupils of all abilities are challenged appropriately. • Teachers make very good use of assessment to inform their planning for learning. • On the few occasions when lessons are not good, this is mainly because the teacher has not stayed with the lesson plan and therefore children have not fully achieved the purpose of the lesson. • Pupils with special educational needs are taught very well.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 45 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

3 (7%) 20 (44%) 15 (34%) 6 (13%) 1 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen. Steeton Primary School Page 12 January 2004 12. Teaching is very successful in this school and therefore the pupils learn very well. This is mainly due to the efforts of the teachers to make lessons challenging, interesting and fun. These characteristics typify the lessons seen for all ages of pupils throughout the school.

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Commentary

13. A part of the success is the management of teaching and learning by the senior staff. By clever attention to school organisation, they have helped the teachers to plan more successfully and efficiently and have used the expertise of teachers very well. The teachers share the burden of planning and this gives them time to think more closely about the needs of their pupils.

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Commentary

14. The school’s support for pupils with special educational needs is very well managed. Education plans for these pupils are clear and the targets are measurable. New targets are set regularly and teachers are fully aware of what they need to do in order to support these pupils. Because of this continuous very good support, the gap between these pupils and the majority closes and most achieve well by the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

15. Many of the teachers have very high levels of personal skill in the subjects that they teach. English is taught particularly well by the staff who are guided well by an excellent co- ordinator. Similarly, there are examples of excellent geography work which challenges the pupils to achieve standards well beyond those usually found in primary schools.

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Commentary

16. One of the great strengths of the school is the quality and use of assessment. Teachers make formal and informal assessments of pupils and through some testing and observation have a very good idea of what pupils can do. Not all of the assessments are recorded; more valuably, teachers use their time to plan effective lessons. Planning shows clearly that they use assessment information well.

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Commentary

17. The staff together create an ethos of hard work to which the pupils respond very well. The pupils are almost always eager to learn and make no complaint when having to tramp through cold drizzle in order to get to the ICT room. Similarly they join in with great enthusiasm in outdoor games despite poor, cramped accommodation and miserable weather.

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Commentary

18. The pace of learning for pupils with special educational needs is very good. All teachers make good efforts to provide for individual needs where possible. The support staff build pupils’ skills systematically and successfully, particularly in the many additional groups they support in infant classes. The children work with confidence, demonstrate the same hard work and persistence in dealing with their studies as other pupils. Staff are very well briefed before the lessons that they support so they know what pupils are to learn. They have been well trained to provide relevant support for the specific problems that different pupils face. In many lessons they spread their attention to other pupils who find learning more difficult and need extra help. Between the teachers, support staff and the valuable reading support provided by volunteers, all pupils who struggle with their work have plenty of support and

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Commentary

cope well. As a result, the school narrows the gap in the attainment for pupils at the point of transfer to secondary education.

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The Curriculum

The school's curriculum is very good and fully meets statutory requirements. The school provides a very good range of opportunities for enrichment. Accommodation and resources for learning are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a very good whole-school approach to curriculum innovation. • Staff are well qualified and experienced to meet the demands of the curriculum. Steeton Primary School Page 13 January 2004 • There is very good provision for pupils' personal development through the schools' extremely positive relationships. • The school offers pupils a rich and varied curriculum which is enhanced through extra-curricular activities and through a wide range of visits and visitors. • Strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy are very good. • Some features of the accommodation restrict aspects of provision for ICT, physical education and the Foundation Stage. • The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is very good.

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Commentary

19. The teaching staff have attempted to make the curriculum as rich and exciting as possible and they try to link the subjects into interesting topics for the pupils. They plan very well together and the curriculum leaders take an assertive role to ensure that all of the year groups contribute to the development of a common set of skills and experiences. The school has a very good range of extra-curricular provision, which is very well organised by the staff. Pupils enjoy a variety of sporting activities and have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and join the school choir. Pupils' interest and enjoyment in learning is also stimulated through a range of visits, including residential visits, which support many areas of the curriculum and make a very good contribution to pupils' personal development.

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Commentary

20. The extremely positive ethos of the school, with its emphasis on co-operation and respect, together with the excellent role models set by staff in how to deal with people, provide extremely well for pupils' personal development. Pupils develop self-confidence and learn to respect others. There is a well-structured programme which incorporates sex education and raises pupils' awareness of the misuse of drugs.

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Commentary

21. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are very well established and the consistently high standards attained by pupils reflect the overall high level of competence and confidence of the teachers. There is a very good balance of expertise and experience, including a very well qualified support staff, to teach all age groups. The school monitors and evaluates the curriculum carefully and has a clear picture of those aspects which are successful. The school adopts innovative approaches to its provision and this supports the high standards achieved in English, mathematics and science; for instance, all pupils are taught in classes containing two age groups. Pupils from these classes are grouped with others of similar ability for mathematics. Older pupils are similarly grouped for English. These procedures enable teachers to address successfully the needs of individual pupils of all abilities.

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Commentary

Teachers within the school specialise in particular subjects which they teach across a whole age range. The expertise which teachers have developed has resulted in pupils achieving high standards in many of these subjects.

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Commentary

22. The curriculum caters very well for pupils with special educational needs. The school prioritises the early development of pupils’ skills in listening, reading, writing and numeracy. Many additional sessions are built into provision in Years 1 and 2. The children’s work programmes are particularly well planned and linked closely to their individual education action plans and strive to develop the skills that help pupils to learn for themselves. Pupils receive very good support from the adults who work with them.

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Commentary

23. The school has very successfully overcome some of the limitations in its accommodation, such as separate buildings and mobile classrooms, and uses the areas available in the best possible way. It is coping very well indeed with difficulties brought about because of the building work which is presently taking place. The current lack of space within the school has resulted in the bank of computers being housed in an area which also serves as a classroom. All classes are timetabled to have ICT lessons in this area but access to these computers is limited at other times, which affects the standards achieved. When building work is completed there will be a discrete computer suite. Additional school building is adversely affecting the outdoor provision for the Foundation Stage and new plans do not yet Steeton Primary School Page 14 January 2004 seem to offer an entirely satisfactory solution to this problem. Outdoor provision for physical

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Commentary

education has been temporally affected by the building work. The school hall is small for physical education lessons, which affects some aspects of provision for the subject.

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Care, guidance and support

This aspect is a strength of the school. Pupils’ care and welfare is good . This is essential at the present time due to the extensive building work. The school provides very good support, advice and guidance for pupils based on very thorough monitoring of attainment, behaviour and personal development. The school is very good at seeking, valuing and acting on pupils’ views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are rigorous health and safety procedures and very good support for pupils with special educational needs. There are effective procedures for child protection. • The school promotes the health and safety of pupils well. • Provision of very good support, advice and guidance through very detailed monitoring and very good assessment procedures. • Pupils’ access to well-informed support, advice and guidance is very good. • Induction arrangements for pupils are very good. • The school is very good at involving pupils in its work and development.

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Commentary

24. The staff are very active in ensuring the health and safety of their pupils through good awareness of the hazards around the school, especially with the building of the new classrooms, and of potential hazards in school. There are rigorous risk assessments for the school’s activities when planning to visit the local community and for the many educational trips. The school employs effective child protection procedures.

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Commentary

25. The staff provide very good support, advice and guidance to pupils, whose progress is monitored in great detail and assessed very thoroughly. Pupils are involved in the process as they set their own targets and are very determined to achieve them. The very innovative and successful setting of pupils into ability groups for different subjects is a result of thorough analysis of the individual pupils’ needs for that particular year.

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Commentary

26. Induction arrangements are very good for both the very young children and for new entrants starting in any class. As a result, the pupils settle in very quickly and learn the school routines very well. Pupils from minority ethnic groups have also settled in to school very well and are very happy here.

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Commentary

27. The school has an active and very enthusiastic school council. The councillors take their responsibilities very seriously and are a supportive voice for their peers. They have, to date, been the driving force in purchasing play equipment for use at lunchtimes, researching means for recycling waste in classrooms, supporting charities and organising the successful Christmas fair. Older children look after the younger ones when they are lost or feel lonely in the playground and assist the teachers in getting them ready for lessons.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The links the school has with the parents and the local community are good . The links with the other local schools and colleges are very good. Steeton Primary School Page 15 January 2004

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are provided with good information about the school, including very clear guidance for parents on hearing their children read. • Parental involvement with children who have special educational needs is very good. • The school is good at consulting parents for their views to improve the school. There is very good support by parents for assisting in the large number of educational trips. • Parents’ and grandparents’ assistance in school is very well managed. This support has resulted in very good progress in pupils’ learning. • Links with the local secondary school prepare pupils well for a smooth transfer from Year 6. • The school is forging very good links with the local colleges, the Life Education Caravan, the local cluster of schools, local businesses and a local environmental group.

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Commentary

28. Parents are generally very pleased with the school. They are provided with good information about the school, especially through the comprehensive school prospectus. There is very clear guidance for parents on how best to support their children’s reading, full curriculum details for the younger pupils and regular newsletters that include topic information for the older pupils.

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Commentary

29. Parents agree that the headteacher and staff are very approachable and make themselves readily available to listen to them and discuss concerns. Pupils who have special educational needs are identified very early in their school lives and liaison with their parents is very supportive. The school regularly consults parents to seek their views about how to improve the school for their children. Highly detailed analysis of the parents’ responses enables the school to respond appropriately to any concerns or suggestions.

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Commentary

30. Parents assist very well in the large number of educational trips and extra-curricular activities. The parent-teacher association is very supportive in raising funds for the school, for example to create play areas for the younger children and other items from the school’s “wish” list. Parents’ and grandparents’ assistance in school is very well managed. These helpers know exactly what is expected of them before the lesson. This supports pupils’ progress in learning, particularly in reading for pupils who have found this aspect difficult in the past.

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Commentary

31. The school has developed good links with the community. There is a close liaison with two local further education colleges, the local secondary school with which it is part of an ICT forum involving other primary schools. The local hospital involved the older pupils in first aid skills such as resuscitation and also demonstrated the work of theatre staff. This was particularly well received by the pupils and contributed to their early careers and citizenship education.

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Commentary

32. The school has been involved in a great deal of work with the local secondary school to ensure the smooth transfer of pupils. A local environmental group is organised to work with the pupils to landscape the playing field and surrounding area once the new classrooms have been built and the playgrounds have been reinstated. The visit of the Life Education Caravan each year strongly supports learning in the areas of assertiveness skills, how to be more confident, drug awareness and citizenship. This has a positive impact on the personal development of the pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the headteacher, senior staff and subject leaders is very good . The school is very well supported by the governors. The leadership from the headteacher is clear and very well considered and he gives very good curriculum leadership. This supports all staff in the development of their very good leadership skills. Management, seen very clearly under the current Steeton Primary School Page 16 January 2004 difficult physical circumstances of the school, is excellent. The school runs smoothly to the benefit of all the pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a very strong sense of direction towards continuous improvement as a result of strong and effective leadership. • The excellent management of the school ensures that all pupils are able to benefit from what the school offers and school resources are used to best advantage. • The governors, strongly led by the Chair of Governors, offer very strong support for the school, take a very active role in school leadership and management and fully meet all statutory requirements. • The school makes very good use of management information to evaluate the successes of the school and to decide on targets for improvement.

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Commentary

33. All of the staff are fully committed to providing the best possible education which they can for all pupils. They take great care to ensure that all of the pupils, irrespective of their level of need, get the best they can from education. The headteacher and senior managers continually check the performance of the school, through observations of teaching and learning and by analysing data and plan carefully for the use of resources. The whole staff continually seek ways to improve the educational provision and are very open to suggestions. The managers support this attitude and commitment very well by providing well considered professional development opportunities.

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Commentary

34. The management systems of the school are exceptional. In seeking to improve the quality of education and the standards achieved, they have developed class structure and ability groupings which are very successful. In addition, the staff are deployed so that they are able to teach to their subject strengths and this too is highly successful; pupils benefit from good levels of expertise. The day to day management of the school is highly efficient; very little time is lost in the school day despite the difficulties of the building site and of pupils having to move between buildings. Almost all the time the pupils are in school is devoted to learning.

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Commentary

35. The governors are well organised and offer very good support to the school. They are very heavily involved in the development of the school site and have been a very good support to the headteacher. They work particularly closely with the school on financial planning, which is efficient and effective.

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Commentary

36. All statutory requirements are met. The school has a well-embedded performance management system and the newly qualified teacher is supported very well. The very good systems to support the development of teachers and teaching have a very significant impact on the quality of learning.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 662,334 Balance from previous year 58,117 Total expenditure 682,337 Balance carried forward to the next 38,114 Expenditure per pupil 2,428 Steeton Primary School Page 17 January 2004

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall provision is very good, despite the accommodation and resources which are just satisfactory. The teachers make very good assessments of what the children can do and the teaching and learning is very well planned. The teachers have correctly balanced the need for adult directed and child self-initiated activity. The teachers work hard to overcome the difficulties posed by the limited accommodation and resources and attempt to create a stimulating learning environment.

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The accommodation, because of the current unsatisfactory furnishing, restricts the range of opportunities which can be provided.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is organised so that children are interested and excited participants in learning. • The children are supported in developing very positive relationships with adults and other children. • All children make good gains in confidence.

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Commentary

37. Children are given many opportunities to work in groups, as a whole class and as individuals in a range of different settings. The staff work hard to ensure that outdoor learning is maintained despite the difficulties of the current situation. The children work together well, creating their own games in the role play area or teaching each other mathematics from the chair which the teacher has recently vacated.

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Commentary

38. The staff always give children the opportunity to be heard and their efforts in recorded work are celebrated through displays of work and photographs. This helps children to value themselves and the efforts of others. The teachers maintain a very orderly environment and therefore children quickly learn to co-operate, to take turns and to accept that other children have needs.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers create a lot of opportunities for speaking and listening and mostly, children are active participants in lessons. • The children are taught the structure and elements of language in enjoyable ways.

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Commentary

39. Throughout the school day the teachers take every opportunity to get the children to talk, to explain and to question by providing them with a series of interesting things to do. This was seen, for example as the children explored the rocks, ‘gems’ and shells in the sea world activity which had been provided. Children discussed the colours of the stones, decided which was their favourite and even talked about how to make them into sets. The model fish Steeton Primary School Page 18 January 2004 which had been provided caused great interest as one boy recounted the way in which he had seen a sea-horse move on a television programme.

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Commentary

40. The teachers are successfully teaching the elements of literacy and many children already have a very good knowledge of sound/letter relationships. Some of the children have begun to write short sentences for themselves as a part of their play writing or, sometimes, as a part of more structured group activities. These are successful as the children are encouraged and supported to write for themselves, thus gaining confidence as well as skill. Crucially, the teachers structure the time so that activities are short and enjoyable and interesting for children. Teachers use a good range of books with children to capture their interest and imagination.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers provide a good range of practical activities to support children’s learning. • The children are supported in developing good mathematical vocabulary which supports subsequent learning.

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Commentary

41. Throughout the reception classes the children are able to use resources which support their mathematical learning. In one session, the teacher introduced the names and properties of shapes very well, engaging the children through the use of a glove puppet to outline the shapes. The teacher regularly repeated the name of the shape and its properties and very soon the children were able to answer simple questions. This was then developed by the children making shapes from straws as a part of the whole class activity. Work with play- doh, sorting, printing, building with shapes and drawing further consolidated children’s learning through independent work. By the end of the session, most children had learnt a great deal about two-dimensional shapes.

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Commentary

42. There are regular opportunities for children to count and to play with numerals. Most of the children have learnt to count at least to 20 and many can already recognise which number is missing from a line.

p.18

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers provide opportunities for children to explore technology through the use of a range of construction materials and through the use of ICT. • Activities in class and the local area, help children explore the natural world and specific ‘topics’ help them to understand social and cultural factors.

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Commentary

43. In the classroom the children have access to a large range of large and small construction equipment and this they use regularly as a part of their work. Some children, for example, used large construction equipment to create a theatre with a seating area, where members of the group could perform. They create pictures using a drawing program to show their ideas. Steeton Primary School Page 19 January 2004 44. The staff plan visits which give the children experience of travel by railway and coach, for example to the seaside, in order to extend children’s understanding of the world. They also visited the local church to learn about its function and worked with the vicar.

p.18

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers pay good attention to the development of fine motor control as well as large body movements and they provide a very good range of opportunities despite the accommodation.

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Commentary

45. The teachers encourage and support children in developing hand/eye co-ordination, posture and pencil grip for writing and are mostly successful because they know from good assessment when children are ready to take up, for example, the challenges of writing.

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Commentary

46. The reception classes have recently lost the designated space for outdoor play due to building works. Nevertheless, the two teachers have made a huge effort to maintain the provision for the development of gross motor skills. They have activity times in the hall where children can climb, balance and slide as a part of their play. This is further reinforced in regular outdoor learning sessions, where a mixture of physical (and other) activities is provided. Much of the large outdoor equipment is in need of renewal.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is very well planned and opportunities are regularly offered for children to develop creatively through painting, sculpting, drawing and musical activities. • The range of opportunities offered at any one time is restricted by the space available.

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Commentary

47. The teachers provide the children with lots of chances to represent their ideas and feelings through drawing and painting and there are many examples of good work. In the autumn, for example, the children used colour very expressively when doing leaf printing. They have also worked creatively with clay and even with food showing a good standard of presentation and attention to a finished product.

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Commentary

48. The children are constantly encouraged to be creative in their use of language; to describe what they are doing, thinking and feeling as they engage in activities both indoors and outside. They are taught songs and rhymes, linking these to actions. The children very much enjoyed learning and performing ‘Noah’s Ark’ which they accompanied with untuned instruments. Many of the children have already learned to hold a steady beat in time to the music.

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Commentary

49. Because the space in the classrooms is cramped, the staff cannot offer as many creative activities as they would wish. Steeton Primary School Page 20 January 2004

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils reach above average standards at the age of seven and well above at 11 years. • Pupils’ achievement in writing is exceptional. • In reading and listening pupils achieve very well. • The quality of pupils’ spoken language for learning is very good. • Additional support for groups of pupils is very effective. • The use of literacy across the curriculum is hugely effective. • Leadership and management are outstanding.

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Commentary

50. The school’s test results for seven-year-olds show a pleasing picture over time; those for 11- year-olds are very strong and the strengths in pupils’ skills of literacy enhance the quality of the curriculum. Inspection findings match the school’s own accurate assessment of the strengths in pupils’ work.

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Commentary

51. Pupils have a very good start in the reception class and by the end of Year 2 most pupils have achieved very well in reading. They are confident in trying out new words, tackle increasingly difficult books and thoroughly enjoy reading. They make a flying start because there is very effective teaching of early reading skills and the school encourages pupils to think about the stories and information they read. The extensive range of catch-up sessions for different groups of pupils form an additional layer of teaching and learning that deals successfully with pupils’ needs in learning. As a result, most pupils have gained the important skills necessary for future learning and they expect to learn. For example, in one session, lower attaining pupils in Year 1 dealt with complex letter blends such as “bolt” and “skip” This is a high level of challenge.

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Commentary

52. Pupils’ achievement in writing is exceptional. Most infant pupils make very good progress in using correct punctuation and spelling, and they develop a neat joined handwriting style from the earliest opportunity. They are able to express simple ideas with growing accuracy and the rich variety of opportunities to write in other subjects broadens the range of words and phrases they use; adding greater depth to other subjects. Higher attaining pupils use an imaginative choice of words in the stories they write and most of them understand how a story is built because teachers are creative in their teaching methods and choice of resources.

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Commentary

53. In the juniors, pupils’ increasing communication skills are apparent in their confident and knowledgeable handling of terminology for each subject, including the grammar used in English. Their class discussions, their answers to adult questions and the questions they ask, show an increasingly precise use of language as they explain and define ideas, and make links between them. The strengths that pupils have developed in manipulating the language of information, form a hub into which all the subjects feed from and contribute to. For example, in geography, higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 use a range of vocabulary that helps them to make astute comments about the effect of human action on the development of a settlement. They know how to harness powerful language into a cogent case and can organise it into a logical argument. They use it with precision. In both the infants and juniors, teachers have concentrated on helping pupils to explain themselves and

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Commentary

use literacy terminology. This has improved the quality of factual and imaginative writing. At best, this is evident in a sophisticated style of a piece of writing in science where a pupil Steeton Primary School Page 21 January 2004 married the sophistication of humour with scientific information to tease the reader in his description of “ The Life Cycle of a Plant” “ Have you ever thought about the life cycle of a plant? No, I’m sure you haven’t….. I am going to tell you. “

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Commentary

54. The consistency of pupils’ achievement builds a high level of skill and sensitivity to the effect that a piece of writing has on readers. In turn, pupils’ writing gains in accuracy, empathy and depth. Most teachers understand very well how pupils learn to write best. They have a common understanding of how to improve writing because they share their professional knowledge and strive to make the work of pupils even better.

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Commentary

Example of outstanding practice In one outstanding lesson, a class of Year 3 and 4 pupils used their understanding of how the structure of a story moves in a circle, to plan their own. They created characters, breathed life into them with a little detail and placed them in a setting of their choice. The central message of the traditional tale they had read sat in the middle of a planning grid to form the purpose of their new story. Pairs of pupils discussed the meaning of the story: “Too much stirring disturbs the lying still”. Following a sharing of ideas about this perplexing meaning with the whole class, the teacher demonstrated how to map out the chain of events and how to trace these back through the story cycle to establish clear links to the central moral. The effect of the visual linking of pupils’ ideas brought a flurry of excited discussion and activity as pupils backtracked along their story chain to see if it worked. This skilfully crafted session seized on successive

p.21

Commentary

moments in the lesson to teach pupils how to connect up their own ideas.

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Commentary

55. Pupils who find learning difficult are supported very well during lessons. In some lessons, pupils make rapid progress over a short period of time because of this concentrated attention. All make strong progress against their difficulties and cope as well with the same reading and writing tasks as the rest of the class. So much so that at the point of transfer to secondary school the gap between pupils attainment has narrowed considerable since they started in Year 1. In 2003, these pupils attained close to their capacity in the national tests.

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Commentary

56. Pupils are taught how to search for information and how to extract the most relevant facts from text especially well; they share a very good range of information books with their teachers either in small groups or as a whole class. This provides further impetus to the critical skills of enquiry in other subjects. Most pupils like listening to stories and appreciate their library session and the opportunity to take their books home. They read for pleasure and for information and many of them relish the book they have chosen and are eager to dip into it before they get home. The result is that they enjoy imaginative literature and books that provoke and feed their curiosity. In turn, this adds interest and quality to their writing and makes the difference to the standards they achieve.

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Commentary

57. Literacy lessons are often of very good quality and teachers have very good subject knowledge, which means that pupils develop the skills of using grammar, punctuation and spelling at a consistently good pace. Teachers set high expectations and challenge all pupils to think for themselves.

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Commentary

58. Outstanding leadership and management of the subject have meant that learning is rigorous and planned to have a huge impact on pupils’ learning. A very careful eye is kept on the progress of all pupils, and the meticulous tracking by staff means that weaknesses in the work of individuals or a group of pupils are identified and action is taken swiftly to remedy problems. The school’s current development plans show that they have worked assiduously under this perceptive and dynamic subject leader and have identified the challenges ahead. They know that these are rooted in the need to develop the technological side to literacy using computers more. Steeton Primary School Page 22 January 2004

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

59. Pupils thrive on the huge range of opportunities to develop their speaking and listening, reading and writing skills in other subjects. The central focus on using language for learning enhances skills for their future education.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

The overall provision for mathematics is very good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching throughout the school is very effective. • Work is well matched to each pupil's attainment level and achievement for all age groups is consistently good. • Pupils enjoy lessons and have very positive attitudes to the subject. • Leadership of the subject is very good and this supports good teaching.

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Commentary

60. The curriculum is broad and covers all aspects of the subject in sufficient depth to enable pupils to achieve well in relation to their capability across all areas of mathematics. Standards are above average for Year 2 pupils. Standards reached by Year 6 pupils are above average which represents very good achievement for this particular cohort of pupils whose attainment when aged seven was well below the national average.

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Commentary

61. Teaching to groups of pupils with matched prior attainment has a very positive impact on pupils' progress. Levels of challenge for very able pupils are appropriately high and they are enabled to reach the higher levels. Year 2 pupils were challenged not only to add various combinations of six silver coins but also to establish patterns which would make the task easier. This encouraged them to think beyond the problem. In a similar manner, Year 6 pupils were required to develop and use a variety of strategies to calculate the area of compound shapes. Teachers and classroom assistants give very clear explanations and demonstrations to help less able pupils to achieve well.

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Commentary

62. Most of the teaching is very good. Teachers expect pupils to work hard and lessons proceed at a fast pace. Pupils enjoy their lessons and have positive, confident attitudes to the subject. Their mental calculation strategies are being developed well and they are given opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge, learning to solve problems. Teachers ensure that all pupils are actively engaged in the activities through effective use of resources such as individual whiteboards which provide teachers with opportunities to assess pupils' understanding. Teachers ensure that pupils see connections between different aspects of mathematics.

p.22

Commentary

63. The subject is very well led and managed. Test results are carefully analysed to identify any weaknesses in pupils' learning, and subsequent planning takes account of this. Assessment information is used carefully to track the progress of individual pupils and to set targets for them. The tracking process is also used to evaluate the effectiveness of aspects of provision such as the RM computer maths programme, group support and the use of materials from the Springboard programme.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

64. Pupils are confident when using their mathematical skills in other subjects. They make good use of measuring and calculating skills in design and technology and science. Graphs and charts play an important part in projects such as the recent traffic survey conducted by Years 3 and 4 pupils. Steeton Primary School Page 23 January 2004

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a very good curriculum which covers all areas of science and all of the teachers expect pupils to think for themselves and record their own ideas. • There is very good provision for experimental and investigative science in all classes and a very good focus on the language of science. • The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall and is never less than good and this supports pupils in reaching high standards. • The subject is very well led, the subject leader is knowledgeable and is able to support the other teachers. The co-ordinator monitors the quality of teaching and learning and has a very clear understanding of strengths and areas for development of the school.

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Commentary

65. The science curriculum is very well structured. It has been matched to the needs of the mixed aged classes of pupils and each topic is re-visited sufficiently to ensure that the pupils’ learning progresses well over time. The science curriculum also provides a lot of opportunities for pupils to experiment and investigate and through this type of work, pupils gain a clear understanding of scientific methods and approaches and they are therefore able to interpret science information logically.

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Commentary

66. Throughout the school there is an insistence that the pupils record their own ideas and findings when working on science. Even when worksheets are used, most of the pupils record their own answers. This means that when teachers mark the work, they know instantly whether the pupils have understood the science or not. This is seen very clearly in the investigations on sound completed by the oldest pupils.

p.23

Commentary

67. The teachers prepare lessons very well and they plan together, taking the advice of the co- ordinator if they have any difficulties. The school has well organised resources which the teachers use effectively. When teaching the younger pupils in Years 1 and 2, the teachers demonstrate a good understanding of the pupils’ developing knowledge and skills, giving them opportunities to test their knowledge after sorting and categorising materials.

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Commentary

68. Over recent years, the effect of consistently good and very good teaching has been that the pupils achieve very well and reach standards which are well above average.

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All aspects of the ICT curriculum are taught and standards are improving. • Resources have improved since the previous inspection. • The area where computers are housed also serves as a classroom which limits their accessibility.

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Commentary

69. There have been many changes in ICT since the last inspection, which are reflected in a more demanding curriculum. Although standards appear to be similar to those reported in the previous inspection and are in line with the national average in Year 2 and 6, there has Steeton Primary School Page 24 January 2004 been an improvement. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are developing an appropriate range of skills and now have a range of learning experiences in control technology.

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Commentary

70. Over the last few years the school has done much to improve its supply of hardware and software. Both are now satisfactory for the needs of the curriculum. The school also benefits from regular technical support. However access to the computer suite is somewhat limited by it also having to serve as a classroom. This restricts its potential to be used to support other subjects in the curriculum.

p.24

Commentary

71. The quality of teaching observed was variable but never less than satisfactory. Teachers are developing competence and confidence and use the computer suite to enable pupils to develop an adequate range of computer skills. In lessons judged to be good there was an emphasis on using correct vocabulary and terminology. Explanations and demonstrations throughout were clear and careful questioning enabled pupils to recall previous learning.

p.24

Commentary

72. The subject is led well by the co-ordinator who has placed the school in a strong position to improve standards further. She has ensured that issues such as insufficient time allocation and limited equipment mentioned in the previous report have been resolved. She has worked hard to support colleagues and to ensure that in-service training activities are relevant and useful to staff. Training provided under the New Opportunities Fund is giving teachers greater confidence in teaching the subject. The forthcoming new school building is an opportunity to improve provision further in the subject.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

73. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils' social development in the opportunities it provides for the development of collaborative skills and of responsible attitudes towards handling equipment. In a Year 6 lesson the schools' only interactive whiteboard was used well to demonstrate how doubling first the length and then the breadth of a given rectangle affected its area. While work in the ICT suite was generally satisfactory, the use of computers in other subjects is somewhat inconsistent. Sometimes, during the inspection, the computers were left unused when they could have made useful contributions to learning.

p.24

History

No judgement could be made about the quality of provision for history. One lesson was seen and a broad range of pupils’ work was scrutinised.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Pupils attain better than most pupils aged 11 years. • The quality of pupils’ writing is very good. • The subject is well led and managed. • Pupils have limited access to information technology to research for themselves.

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Commentary

74. Discussion with pupils in Year 2 indicates that their understanding of the passage of time is broadly typical of pupils age seven. They can talk about differences between objects used in the home in Victorian times and compare them to those used in homes now. In year 6, pupils write with empathy in letters as an evacuee or a parent in World War II. These warm letters indicate a depth of understanding of key events of the period. The tone and quality in the descriptions of feelings shows that pupils write from a strong repertoire of literacy skills and knowledge. Their newspaper reports are strewn with actual quotes from key wartime Steeton Primary School Page 25 January 2004 figures and brought to life by comments of the people: One pupil wrote as a wartime mother: “I miss them, I hate the night because that’s when I miss them the most….”

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Commentary

75. This quality of writing reflects the consistently good achievement in Year 3 - 6. Imaginative and thoughtful use of literacy in lessons encourages pupils to “step into the shoes of people in the past” and this makes the subject come alive for pupils. The skills of historical enquiry are planned as a common thread through the school and the range of visits to historical places such as York , indicates that the curriculum is rich. Pupils learn to answer key questions and to pose their own, to interpret the evidence they use and to form conclusions. In the one lesson seen during the inspection, taught by one of the specialist teachers, the quality of teaching was very good. Years 3 and 4 pupils sought to find out “Who built the Great Exhibition Hall?” and “Whose idea was it?” Pupils rehearsed their ideas with a partner, pulled out the main ideas in secondary historical sources and used a paper database to sort

p.25

Commentary

76. Good subject leadership has supported good improvement to pupils’ skills of historical enquiry and tailored resources to match the learning needs of different groups of pupils including the minority of pupils from different ethnic heritages. As a result, pupils say that they enjoy the subject. Computers are used as a source of information, but pupils have limited access to extend their research well enough.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well; they have gained a much higher level of understanding and skill in the subject than most pupils by the time they are ready to transfer to secondary education; • The quality of pupils’ discussions and explanations is high. • The quality of pupils’ writing is impressive. • The specialist teaching deepens pupils’ knowledge and forges fascination with the subject. • The work of the subject leader is outstanding. • Pupils’ have limited access to information technology to enhance their work even more.

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Commentary

77. The quality of pupils’ individual project work in Year 6 demonstrates the enthusiasm and skill that pupils have developed in the course of their studies. They use skills of research that are distinctive to geography to pursue chosen avenues of enquiry. Many pupils enhance their work using home computers and a good number of parents contribute by visiting a rural location or a town with their child. Pupils enjoy the subject and work with a zeal that spills into their day to day lives. Pleasingly, this keenness reflects the creative profile of the subject in the life of the school. There is much first hand experience built into the curriculum and this forms a rich vein of opportunity that helps pupils to apply the knowledge and skills taught in literacy and mathematics. So much so that pupils in years 5 and 6 can see links between the themes and ideas that they study. This knowledge informs their very clear views about

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Commentary

the use of land the effect of humans on the landscape and the wider global environment.

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Commentary

78. Pupils achieve very well from the time they start Year 1. The pleasing quality of pupils’ work is a result of the consistently high quality of teaching. Teachers have very good knowledge of the subject and they know how the pupils will learn best. They expect pupils to explain and define geographical terms, challenge them to think about geographical questions and build successfully on pupils’ existing skills in using maps and atlases. Their innovative approaches deepen pupils’ understanding. For example, in a shared class activity, year1 and 2 pupils used a see-through grid of co-ordinates over a large aerial photograph to grasp Steeton Primary School Page 26 January 2004 position accurately – to great success. In addition, teachers help pupils to speak with clarity and accuracy when framing questions or pondering key questions. As a result, pupils’ in Year 6 use vocabulary such as “nucleated and linear settlements” to describe the growing

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Commentary

and changing dimension of a local village. They have views about the impact of change on their own small village – and they say so in the letters they write following the surveys they undertake. The quality of their writing is enriched by the wealth of data collection from first- hand surveys and interviews they carry out. The options they generated for a local bypass would impress the local planning department!

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Commentary

79. The enrichment of residential visits forms an integral and exciting quality to pupils’ studies. In one example, year 5 and 6 walked the city of York by day and evening to gauge the character and feel of the faces of the city.

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Commentary

Example of outstanding practice The excellent leadership of the subject has ensured that geography teaching throughout the school is of the highest order. The subject leader has a passion for geography that is infectious. He has forged a powerful professional team of teachers that looks critically at the impact their teaching has on how well pupils achieve. This dynamic and highly professional dialogue has enhanced the quality of teaching and learning in the subject by continual improvement. Exceptional management of the subject has tailored resources and teaching plans to meet the needs of all pupils. Specialist teaching in key stage 2 adds a vibrancy and refinement to learning. Only the limited access to computers forms a ceiling for pupils’ attainment.

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Religious Education

80. Discussions took place with the subject leader and with pupils. Pupils’ work was analysed, and one lesson was seen. Therefore, no overall judgement can be made on the provision in this subject.

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Religious Education

81. Standards of attainment are close to those expected in the locally agreed syllabus for pupils at the ages of seven and 11 years overall, but in some aspects, are better than this. They have, for example, developed a very secure knowledge of other faiths. All of the strengths identified in the previous report have been maintained through an improved, much broader and more stimulating curriculum.

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Religious Education

82. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 show an awareness of the symbols of Christianity. In the junior classes, pupils have produced a satisfactory volume of work that reflects good coverage of the facts of the subject. Discussions with them show that they understand the key principles in different faiths such as Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism, and know that these are important to peoples’ beliefs. They understand that the lives of different faith believers are influenced by their families and the values of each faith. They say that they enjoy the lessons. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 comment that they like the time the lessons provide for “thinking and discussion”.

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Religious Education

83. There are strong messages that link to pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development in the displays around the school walls. In one of these, infant pupils wrote: “People are precious….” and they noted events and moments in their lives that they held dear. The values that the school aims to transmit to pupils are seen in the way they work, play and talk with each other. They show respect and care for others as they move frequently about the school.

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Religious Education

84. Most pupils have good recall of the knowledge gained during their lessons, from studying religious objects and from listening to the views and beliefs of visitors from different faith communities. Steeton Primary School Page 27 January 2004

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is very well planned, especially the scheme of work, so that the pupils’ skills build over time and teachers are supported to teach well. • Despite lack of space, teachers ensure that the pupils have plenty of opportunities to develop their skills through practical, large and small-scale activities. • Pupils’ experience of art is extended significantly through visits and visitors.

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Commentary

85. The co-ordinator has a very good working knowledge of the curriculum and has developed a scheme of work which takes full account of mixed age groups. It is planned so that skills build progressively. For example, during the week of inspection Year 3 and 4 pupils were working on chair designs and construction. The Year 3 pupils have not undertaken some of the earlier units linked to this topic and therefore the scheme has adapted the national guidance so that pupils spend some extra time working on structures. In one excellent art lesson, the teacher gave pupils a range of opportunities to make and test paper structures before adapting them to suit a pre-drawn design.

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Commentary

86. Art resources are very well organised and this further supports teachers in undertaking practical art lessons. There are examples of pupils working co-operatively on large-scale artwork and sculpture.

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Commentary

87. The staff and many pupils participate readily in activities outside the school day. The beautifully decorated banners in the school hall are the result of a Saturday ‘art club’. It is testimony to the staff’s enthusiasm that they have mounted and displayed their own work from a professional development session.

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Physical Education

Provision for physical education is good despite lack of suitable accommodation.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The specialist knowledge and skills of the staff are used to very good advantage to help pupils achieve good standards. • The curriculum is planned well to ensure that all pupils develop a good range of skills. • The facilities for physical education are unsatisfactory. • The out of school clubs add considerably to the quality of the subject.

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Commentary

88. Throughout the school there is a good allocation of time to physical education and good management throughout the school means that very little time is wasted. The younger pupils work with their class teachers on a range of activities including dance, gymnastics and the development of games skills and by the time they are seven years old they have developed good body control skills for their age.

p.27

Commentary

89. In the junior years, physical education is organised so that pupils are taught by a teacher who has particular interest or skills in that particular field. For example, Years 5 and 6 pupils are Steeton Primary School Page 28 January 2004 taught games skills (line ball), gymnastics and dance by teachers who stay with that activity and teach all the pupils in the year groups over the school year. The teachers are therefore able to develop their specialist knowledge and the pupils benefit. This is clearly seen in the very good standard of dance, the very good ball control skills and the careful and reflective paired work seen in the physical education lessons. In all three activities pupils are reaching standards higher than those expected for their age.

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Commentary

90. The above standards are achieved because of staff commitment and despite the accommodation. The school hall is small and this restricts opportunities for gymnastics and the other space used for dance is similarly cramped. Outside, due partly to the current building work, the space for games is very restricted and only the excellent management of the teacher and the self-control of the pupils has meant that pupils’ skills continue to improve.

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Commentary

91. The teaching staff hold a number of well attended sports clubs for pupils during lunch times and after school. The running club is particularly successful. The headteacher organises running practice in any space that can be found and compensates for the poor facilities by building fitness through well planned circuit training.

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Music and Design Technology

Provision in music and design and technology is very good.

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Music and Design Technology

Only one lesson was seen in each of these subjects and therefore no judgements are made on the overall quality of teaching throughout the school. In addition to these lessons, several musical activities were observed and there were samples of pupils' completed work in design and technology available for examination. Discussions took place with the subject leaders and pupils about their work in these subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in the work seen and in the activities observed were consistently above average and the quality of singing and instrumental work was very good. • Teachers use their own expertise and interest well to generate enthusiasm and motivate pupils. • The subjects are very well managed.

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Music

92. The strong commitment of the co-ordinator and the school to ensuring that music thrives is commendable. There are many opportunities for pupils to learn to sing, play an instrument and take part in musical events and performances. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards overall for younger pupils but standards for junior pupils are above average. The level of interest and expertise among staff is a key factor in the good level of provision offered by the school as they organise musical groups and extra-curricular clubs to encourage as many pupils as possible to take part. These activities together with occasional performances by professional musicians widen the opportunities for building pupils' understanding, skills and interest in the subject. Teaching in the one music lesson observed was very good. The lesson proceeded at a brisk pace which sustained pupils'

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Music

interest and enthusiasm. Pupils rose to the challenge of working together, playing melody phrases on a wide range of tuned instruments with more able musicians exploring different ways of combining two or more phrases. The teachers' organisation was excellent.

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Design and Technology

Steeton Primary School Page 29 January 2004 93. Standards in design and technology are above average at the age of seven and 11. The very effective co-ordinator ensures that pupils cover the full breadth of the curriculum and complete a good range of tasks which involve planning, designing, making and evaluating. Year 1 and Year 2 pupils have made a variety of puppets including moveable rod puppets. The work shows that pupils have a firm understanding of the design process and are developing good making and evaluating skills. Their sewing skills are particularly good. Much effort has been placed in the development of the subject, for example in bread making where the co-ordinator has recently modified the curriculum so that pupils have a clear understanding of the design and development process rather than simply relying on technology. Work produced by Years 5 and 6 pupils is also of a high standard. Work on

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Design and Technology

textiles shows well-developed skills of measuring, cutting, assembling and sewing. Teaching in the one lesson observed was good. Pupils were helped to develop the range of skills involved in using tools such as knives, peelers and graters for making a fruit salad. Explanations were clear and very good organisation enabled pupils to have genuine choice and achievement as they applied their skills in their exploration of the different media.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Too few lessons were seen to judge the overall quality of provision.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ personal and social development is very good. • Pupils have developed a good knowledge and understanding of a range of personal issues including health education and drugs education. • The subject is taught regularly and all of the staff shows commitment to the programme. • The pupils appreciate the opportunities provided to talk about personal and health issues.

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Commentary

94. The school is very keen to support this area of pupils’ learning and development and there are regular timetabled lessons for this. The curriculum is very well organised and planned and it is co-ordinated well.

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Commentary

95. The pupils and staff enjoy the style of much of the work which involved discussion and exploration. They particularly appreciate the opportunity to comment on and discuss issues which are important to them and the staff across the school have managed to create an atmosphere of trust with the pupils. Steeton Primary School Page 30 January 2004

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The overall effectiveness of the school 2

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 2

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

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The leadership and management of the school 2

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

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The leadership and management of the school 2

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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