The Revel CofE (Aided) Primary School

THE REVEL C OF E (AIDED) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 The Revel C of E Primary School - 2 - June 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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THE REVEL C OF E (AIDED) 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. The Revel C of E Primary School - 3 - June 2004

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 259

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Brockhurst Lane Monks Kirby Rugby Warwickshire Postcode: CV23 0RA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01788 832264 Fax number: 01788 833256

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr J Whittington

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The Revel Church of England (Aided) Primary School is set in rural surroundings, with its main school buildings located in the village of Monks Kirby, just north of Rugby. On the main site, there are eight classes for pupils from four to 11 years. An annexe to the school is located four miles away, in the village of Brinklow, and houses two classes for pupils aged four to seven years. The school is popular in the locality, with many pupils travelling further than is usual to attend and many using available school buses. There are 259 pupils on roll and very few vacancies. Extensions to the buildings on the main site are currently under construction and include an extra classroom, a room to house a computer suite and a school chapel. A further extension is planned for next year to accommodate the growing number of pupils. Few pupils join or leave the school other than at the usual times. There are ten classes, mostly of mixed age group, for reception to Year 6. Families

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

using the school represent mixed and wide-ranging social backgrounds but the socio-economic circumstances of most are above average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

On admission to the reception classes, the attainments of the children are generally above average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs (15 per cent) is a little below average, but includes a slightly higher than average number with formal statements of special educational need (5 pupils). Pupils’ special needs are mainly moderate learning difficulties or speech and communication difficulties. A below average number qualify for free school meals (6.4 per cent). Pupils are mostly of white British ethnic background, with a small number from minority ethnic heritages, such as Indian and Caribbean. One pupil is in the early stages of learning English. A small number of pupils are from families with Traveller heritage. In addition to the statutory National Curriculum, French is taught to pupils in Years 3 to 6. On leaving the school, pupils at the end of Year 6 transfer to a range of local secondary schools, including a

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

sizeable proportion who qualify to attend the local grammar school. The Revel C of E Primary School - 4 - June 2004 The school was awarded a Schools’ Achievement Award for the significant rise in test results in Year 6 for both 2002 and 2003. The Revel C of E Primary School - 5 - June 2004

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22380 Mrs Penny Parrish Lead inspector English Art and design Design and technology Music 9327 Mr Stuart Vincent Lay inspector 29504 Mrs Shirley Herring Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography Physical education 12394 Mrs Carole May Team inspector Science History Areas of learning in the Foundation Stage Special educational needs English as an additional language 27429 Mrs Margaret Smith Team inspector French

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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). The Revel C of E Primary School - 6 - June 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 36

The Revel C of E Primary School - 7 - June 2004

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The Revel is a good school that is increasingly popular. The very good leadership of the headteacher has enabled substantial improvement since the last inspection; standards are now well above average by the end of Year 6. The number on roll is rising rapidly and the buildings are being extended as the school expands. The attainments of most children starting school are above average. Teaching and learning are good, overall, but vary in quality through the school. Pupils achieve well in the long term and the school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses : • Pupils achieve well and standards are high by the end of Year 6. • The personal development of pupils is very good; pupils are confident, behave very well and show very good attitudes to learning. • Teaching is good, overall, but varies significantly in quality through the school. • Although satisfactory overall, there are weaknesses in the arrangements for children in the Foundation Stage (the reception classes) that are limiting their attainment. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below average at the end of Year 6 because resources are currently unsatisfactory, restricting teaching and learning. The new extension means, however, that a new ICT suite will be available in September. • The school has very good links with parents, who support their children’s learning very well.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection has been very good. Significant weaknesses have been turned into strengths with regard to the standards and behaviour of the older pupils. Communication with parents is much better. The quality of teaching has improved but inconsistencies still exist in some parts of the school. Standards in ICT are still not high enough by the end of Year 6.

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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 B C C mathematics A B B B science A B B 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

Overall, pupils’ achievement is good. The good standards evident in most test results in Year 6 over the past three years have now improved further. In the current Year 6, standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science, showing well above average improvement for these pupils between Year 2 and Year 6. Standards in Year 2 fluctuate and are not always as high as they could be because teaching differs in quality between the classes. Currently, standards at the end of Year 2 are above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics, science and all other subjects. In other subjects in Year 6, including French, attainment is above average except in design and technology and in music, where it is average, and in art and design and ICT, where it is below average. In the Foundation Stage, achievement from an above average starting point is satisfactory, overall, and most children are likely to exceed the goals set for the end of reception in all areas of

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

learning except physical development and creative development, where the goals are met. The Revel C of E Primary School - 8 - June 2004 For the pupils with special educational needs, achievement is good overall, but varies, depending on the consistent availability of teaching assistants to support their learning. The achievement of the pupil with English as an additional language is satisfactory, supported by the good standards in speaking and listening but limited by the school’s inexperience in meeting these particular needs.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils enjoy school and attendance is good. Very good personal development, behaviour and attitudes mean that by the time they leave school, pupils are well mannered, confident and articulate. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Children in the Foundation Stage develop personal skills and independence well but some opportunities for social development cannot be fully used due to limits on staffing.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching is good overall , but is of uneven quality across the school. Teaching is strongest in Years 5 and 6, where very good, and occasionally excellent, teaching and learning ensures high standards. There is a balance of strengths and weaknesses in other parts of the school, but the quality ranges from very good to unsatisfactory. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, a clear focus for learning is not followed and pupils do not learn as much as they should. The school’s good assessment systems help to target teaching and learning but are used more successfully in some classes than others.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The curriculum is good, enriched very well by effective links between subjects and French for pupils in Years 3 to 6. A very good variety of activities is made available outside lessons. Although satisfactory overall, the curriculum in the Foundation Stage has not kept pace fully with developments nationally. Nonetheless, admission arrangements are very good, and ensure a good start. The school cares for pupils well, seeks and acts on their views very well and there are very trusting and constructive relationships established between pupils and adults. Resources are generally satisfactory but there are gaps in the Foundation Stage and in provision for ICT.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is well led and managed . The headteacher, working in close partnership with the deputy headteacher and other senior staff, sets a clear vision for the work of the school and works tirelessly to monitor and continuously improve provision and standards. Although many governors are recently appointed, they are well aware of their duties; governance is satisfactory.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very pleased with the work of the school, and this is evident in its increasing popularity. The school is being expanded to accommodate more classes. Pupils show by their confidence, very good attitudes and good attendance that they are happy at school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is consistently high throughout the school; • make sure that provision for the Foundation Stage is fully in line with national guidance; • enable pupils’ learning to proceed at a satisfactory pace in ICT through increasing the quantity of computers available. The Revel C of E Primary School - 9 - June 2004

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good, overall, and very good for the pupils in Years 5 and 6. Pupils start school in reception with above average attainments, overall, and standards in the core subjects are well above average by the end of Year 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Years 5 and 6 achieve very well in English, mathematics and science and standards are well above average in these subjects by the end of Year 6. • Standards are below average in Year 6 in information and communication technology (ICT), mainly due to a lack of sufficient resources. The situation will shortly be resolved because a newly built ICT suite is due to open in September. • Standards are above average, overall, in English in Year 2, but pupils’ achievement varies between the two classes. • Standards are above average in most areas of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage (the Reception year). • Standards are above average in French, geography, history and physical education in Year 6.

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Commentary

1. Children’s attainments are above average, generally, on entry to the Foundation Stage. Their achievement is sound in most areas of learning and good in personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy. They exceed the early learning goals set for the end of reception in all areas of learning except for physical development and creative development, where the learning goals are met. Teachers get limited opportunities for support from teaching assistants, and this restricts children’s attainment.

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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 14.3 (16.9) 15.7 (15.8) writing 13.0 (13.8) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 14.9 (17.1) 16.3 (16.5) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. Results in national tests in Year 2 in 2003 were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics, due largely to the high number of pupils with special educational needs, who made up about a quarter of the year group. Over the past three years, the trend in results in Year 2 have not kept pace, overall, with those nationally. Standards in the current Year 2 are above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. These are the highest ever standards in writing and show very good improvement over recent years, reflecting the efforts the school has made to improve. The Revel C of E Primary School - 10 - June 2004 However, differences in the quality of teaching mean that there are significant differences in achievement and standards between the two classes of pupils in Year 2 in reading and writing, with attainment well above average in one class and barely average, overall, in the other. There are similar differences in attainment in

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Commentary

mathematics, but not as marked as in English. In all other subjects, including ICT, standards are broadly average in Year 2. The Revel C of E Primary School - 11 - June 2004 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 27.0 (28.2) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.8 (28.2) 26.8 (26.7) science 29.8 (29.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 24 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. Pupils’ results in national tests taken in Year 6 in 2003 were average in English, showing a fall from the above average results of the previous two years. The school attributed this to a fall in standards in writing and resolved to move standards forward more rapidly. Results in mathematics and science were above average, consistent with the above average trend established over the past three years. In the current Year 6, standards are well above average in all three subjects, showing very good improvement, overall, since the same pupils were in Year 2. Since the last inspection, results in Year 6 have exceeded the national trend. Challenging targets have been exceeded. Standards in Year 6 have risen very well in mathematics and science and exceptionally well in English. Almost all pupils now achieve the expected standard for 11 year olds and provisional results for the recent tests in 2004 show about two-thirds

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Commentary

attaining at a higher than average level. This reflects the very good improvements in the quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6. In addition to staffing changes since the last inspection, pupils in Years 3 to 6 have been organised into sets based on their previous attainment for lessons in English and mathematics. Improvements in science have been due to a greater focus on investigational work.

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Commentary

4. In Year 6, standards are above average in French, history, geography and physical education. They are below average in ICT because the school is short of sufficient computers to provide pupils with sufficiently frequent practice. Improvements in ICT have not kept pace, therefore, with the national trend. However, a new computer suite is part of the extension to the school building currently under construction. Standards are below average by Year 6 in art and design because it has not been a priority within recent years when the main focus has been to raise standards in literacy and numeracy. The school is now prepared to focus more attention on improving the creative side of the curriculum.

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Commentary

5. There are no notable differences in the attainments of boys and girls currently, although in past years there has been a tendency for girls to attain more than boys. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, overall, but progress is better in Years 3 to 6, where there is more support available from teaching assistants. The small number of pupils in the early stages of learning English make satisfactory progress. Although there is frequent support from a teaching assistant, this help is not as effective as it might be because it usually takes place away from the main class lesson.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good, showing a substantial turnaround since the last inspection, when the standards of behaviour were judged to be issues for development for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ moral and social development is very good and their spiritual and cultural development is good. The Revel C of E Primary School - 12 - June 2004

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. • The pupils’ obvious enjoyment of their work in lessons and for taking part in extra-curricular activities shows their enthusiasm for school. • Pupils’ attend regularly and punctually; attendance rates are above the national average.

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Commentary

6. Personal development is promoted very well, driven by the school’s mission statement that commits the school to treating everyone with courtesy, respect and consideration. Pupils are courteous, friendly and polite. This reflects a significant change since the last inspection, when the report described pupils’ behaviour as variable and, in some classes, unacceptable. The current very good situation reflects the hard work done to establish a successful code of behaviour in the new school, with rewards and sanctions that are understood and accepted by all. If necessary, the school uses firm sanctions to curtail occasional instances of unacceptable behaviour and one fixed-term exclusion has occurred this year.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 244 1 0 White – Irish 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 3 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 4 0 0 Black or Black British – African 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 2 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 3 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

7. As a result of the good levels of care, clearly defined school rules and very good relationships, pupils’ moral and social development is generally very good. Behaviour in assembly times, playgrounds, at break-times and at lunch is never less than very good. Boys and girls, older and younger pupils, and those from different ethnic backgrounds play together very well, obviously enjoying themselves, without any suggestion of fear or intimidation. Pupils develop very good self-esteem and social skills so that by the end of Year 6, they are well-mannered, confident and articulate young people. Some opportunities for social development are missed, however, in the Foundation Stage, where, for example, snack time is not used sufficiently to extend social skills.

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Exclusions

8. Pupils develop a good sense of spirituality as a result of well planned opportunities to explore feelings, such as when considering the responses of characters in Twelfth Night or the expressions portrayed in famous works of art. Pupils enjoy whole-school cultural performances and an air of pleasant anticipation preceded the special assembly about Noah’s Ark. The provision for cultural development is good and the curriculum includes effective studies of different faiths and customs spread across different subjects, including The Revel C of E Primary School - 13 - June 2004 French lessons for all pupils in Years 3 to 6, with the opportunity for pupils in Year 6 to join a trip to France.

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Exclusions

9. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very positive. Parents’ and pupils’ questionnaires confirm this and in lessons, pupils generally attend very well and work hard to achieve their best. Many pupils say that what they like most about the school is the friendly atmosphere and the interesting lessons. ”Teachers enjoy themselves,” remarked one of the older pupils. Pupils enjoy particularly the visits out of school to places of interest, and taking part in concerts, presentations and assemblies. Before the start of the infant choir practice at Brinklow, there was a real buzz of excitement at what they would be singing and doing. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning English or who have special educational needs enjoy school as much as all other pupils, joining in all activities well and working hard in lessons.

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Exclusions

10. Pupils’ enjoyment of school and their parents’ commitment to their education means that attendance figures are above the national average and unauthorised absence is very rare. Children arrive promptly each morning and there is a positive start to the day.

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Exclusions

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Exclusions

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.6 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education, overall, with significant strengths in the teaching for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The school’s aim of providing a happy, stimulating, safe and secure environment through which children develop a love of learning that may last a lifetime, is met. Very good links with parents and good involvement of the local community help to ensure that children are given as much help as possible to achieve well.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good , overall, showing good improvement since the last inspection. As at the time of the last inspection, however, teaching varies through the school. The very good teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6 is a main strength of the school, ensuring that standards are high as pupils transfer to secondary education. Teaching in the rest of the school is satisfactory, overall, but ranges from very good to unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is of high quality in Years 5 and 6 and, consequently, pupils achieve very well overall. • Teaching in the Foundation Stage does not pay full heed to national guidance. • The use of assessment as a basis for organising pupils and planning lessons is good. • Arrangements in English and mathematics for teaching pupils in Years 3 to 6 in sets according to their previous attainment help staff to meet learning needs well. The Revel C of E Primary School - 14 - June 2004 • Useful targets help pupils know where to focus their learning but teachers’ marking does not always dovetail into this carefully planned system to make it work well. • Insufficient provision is made to include the use of ICT in work in other subjects.

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Commentary

11. Teaching for the children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, overall, and it is good for communication, language and literacy and for personal and social development. Although good relationships and a lively atmosphere encourage children to want to investigate and learn, the inconsistent provision of teaching assistants limits the support children receive to extend their learning and also prevents the full use of space available, particularly outdoors. Nonetheless, teaching and learning are sometimes very good, such as when the teacher planned a range of imaginative activities that enabled all children to achieve well in literacy, helped by the good support from a teaching assistant and an adult volunteer. Occasionally, teaching is unsatisfactory when the curriculum and method of teaching is not suitable for the age group, as when children were involved in unsuitable activities when learning about the uses of electricity.

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Commentary

12. Teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 are satisfactory overall, but the quality ranges from very good to unsatisfactory. Very good teaching was observed, for example, in one of the classes for pupils in Year 2, where the teacher’s careful planning, very good knowledge and understanding of the subjects taught and high expectations of pupils led to lively lessons with well focused questions and, consequently, very good learning. These features were also typical of the high quality teaching seen consistently in Years 5 and 6, and reflected very clearly in pupils’ past work. Teachers in Years 5 and 6 are especially good at finding opportunities to practise literacy skills to high levels in other subjects. In Years 1 to 4, much of the teaching observed was good but this was not consistently backed up by evidence of similarly good teaching in pupils’ past work. Although teachers generally extend pupils’ good speaking and listening skills well

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Commentary

through thoughtful discussions as a whole class and, sometimes, productive discussions in pairs or small groups, individual written work is not so well taught in most classes in Years 1 to 4. In some classes, written work is untidily presented and marking is scant. Past work indicates that in some classes in Years 1 to 4, teachers tend to move on through the curriculum, for example, in English, before learning is sufficiently well accomplished.

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Commentary

13. Pupils’ individual or group targets set for literacy and numeracy form an important part of the good assessment systems and, where teachers include reference to them in their marking, help to accelerate learning well. This inconsistency in the use of targets is also apparent within lessons. All teachers set objectives for lessons that are usually made clear to pupils at the outset and, in good lessons, form an effective framework for learning. Where teaching was unsatisfactory, these learning objectives were neither followed closely enough nor expanded upon sufficiently to enable sound achievement. A minority of parents expressed concern about the effectiveness of arranging pupils into mixed age classes but inspection evidence found that these fears were ungrounded where the quality of teaching was of at least satisfactory quality.

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Commentary

14. Mostly teachers match their lesson plans well to pupils’ specific needs; there has been good improvement in this respect since the last inspection. The arrangement of pupils in Years 3 to 6 into sets for literacy and numeracy, based on their previous attainment, has been particularly successful in helping teachers to provide well for pupils’ learning needs. Assessment systems are established in all subjects and, where they are used well, provide a The Revel C of E Primary School - 15 - June 2004 useful analysis of pupils' skills that help to provide pointers for future teaching and learning. A ppropriate work is planned for pupils with special educational needs. In Years 3 to 6 especially, these pupils are often given very effective additional support from teaching assistants and, as a result, achieve at least as well as the other pupils in the class. The pupil at the early stages of learning English also has some additional support, but staff have not

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Commentary

been trained to meet this specific need and the tasks given are sometimes inappropriate.

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Commentary

15. Higher attaining pupils are generally challenged well and provision is much improved since the last inspection. The very high numbers of pupils attaining higher than average grades in the recent national tests in Year 6 are testimony to the very good provision for these pupils at the upper end of the school. The school’s flexible arrangements mean that pupils working well in advance of what is typical for their age are accommodated in classes where their needs will be met most successfully.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 51 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 51 lessons

1 (2%) 12 (23%) 20 (39%) 13 (25%) 5 (10%) 0 0

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 51 lessons

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. The Revel C of E Primary School - 16 - June 2004

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The curriculum

The school provides a broad curriculum that caters well for pupils’ needs and interests and encourages them to want to learn. The school’s accommodation and resources are broadly satisfactory, although there are some deficiencies.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good curriculum provides well for pupils’ in Years 1 to 6, enriched by a very effective range of interesting activities. • The limited availability of teaching assistants in the Foundation Stage restricts the most efficient use of time and accommodation. In addition, there are too few resources for outdoor activities. • Insufficient equipment is available to teach ICT well and this affects the learning of the older pupils especially. • There is a good range of clubs and activities arranged during lunchtimes and after school.

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Commentary

16. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and the needs of most pupils well. Pupils are enthusiastic about learning because the curriculum is generally interesting and stimulating. For the children in the Foundation Stage, the curriculum meets their needs satisfactorily overall, but there are times when arrangements are too formal and when opportunities are not planned sufficiently well, for example, to develop their social and creative skills. In part, this is due to the restricted availability of teaching assistants. As pupils progress to Year 3, the curriculum is extended to include French and, from Year 4, optional residential visits. The school prepares pupils very well for the transfer to secondary education.

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Commentary

17. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy are well established. Good provision is made for extending literacy skills across the curriculum through subjects such as science, history and geography, and this makes a significant contribution to the higher than average standards achieved in these subjects by the end of Year 6. Appropriate opportunities are found to practise mathematical skills through, for example, map-work in geography and measurement in science and design and technology. Insufficient work is planned across other subjects to promote the pupils’ skills in ICT and this is an area for development.

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Commentary

18. The school has a strong commitment to providing well for all pupils, whatever their specific requirements. Most pupils with special educational needs have appropriate individual education plans and the curriculum for these children is adjusted suitably for children in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6, where more teaching assistants are available, the curriculum is tailored well to pupils’ special needs. However, insufficient staff knowledge about the needs of pupils at the early stages of learning English means that sometimes work planned is unsuitable. The curriculum for personal, social and health education is good and this contributes well to the maturity and confidence seen in pupils by the end of their time in the school.

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Commentary

19. A wide variety of events, visits and visitors are arranged that enhance the curriculum very well. For example, the school has a book week, an arts week, a science day and an engineering day. Pupils from Year 4 onwards have the opportunity to join residential trips that extend their social development as well as their skills in French, geography, history and physical education. Members of different church groups and faiths visit the school to extend The Revel C of E Primary School - 17 - June 2004 pupils’ religious education and other visitors share their experiences to support work in subjects such as geography and history. Additional music lessons are available for instrumental tuition in brass, woodwind, strings, keyboard and guitar and pupils’ skills are put to effective and enjoyable use in the school orchestra.

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Commentary

20. Pupils have a good range of extra-curricular activities during lunchtime and at the end of the day, which are popular and well attended. Clubs available to junior-aged pupils include Latin, French, choir, orchestra, art, football and many other sports. Younger pupils can join the choir and a gymnastics club. As a result, the optional curriculum is one that encourages learning and offers something for most pupils. Unfortunately, some pupils are reliant on the school bus for transport and this reduces the numbers of those able to take part in activities arranged after school.

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Commentary

21. The school has satisfactory accommodation and resources, overall, although there are weaknesses in the resources available to meet the needs of the children in the Foundation Stage and for teaching and learning in ICT. The reception classes at both sites work in generally cramped classrooms and the space and equipment available for learning outdoors is insufficient. The times when teaching assistants are available are limited and this restricts the use of outdoor areas and the better use of extra spaces, such as corridors. The lack of large climbing apparatus at the annexe site significantly limits opportunities for physical development for pupils in Years 1 and 2. The school’s determination to improve its accommodation in order to provide extra space for the rising number on roll and resolve its problems in accommodating a sufficient range of ICT equipment has resulted in an innovative and well-designed extension, due to open

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Commentary

in September. Adaptations are planned for the annexe building to make space for a small computer suite.

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Care, guidance and support

The school provides good quality care, support and guidance for its pupils. It is particularly successful at involving them in its work and development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are effective arrangements to ensure the school is safe, secure and that pupils are cared for well. • The ways that pupils are introduced to the school are very effective so that they settle well. • The school gives pupils responsibility and values their opinions and help. • Good support is given to all pupils to help them achieve their best.

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Commentary

22. All matters concerning pupils’ welfare, health and safety are given high priority. Child protection procedures follow the local guidance and staff are trained and kept aware of these important matters. Health and safety routines are monitored effectively by the governors and staff and the procedures cover all of the essentials of first aid, medicines, accidents, school visits and classroom safety. The pupils’ welfare is also addressed through the personal, social and health education curriculum, where lessons deal with issues of health awareness and personal safety. The staff are properly concerned to ensure that the environment of the school contributes to pupils’ feelings of well-being, confidence and security.

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Commentary

23. Induction routines to help children settle into the reception class are very good and parents appreciate this feature of the school’s organisation. Parents have plenty of opportunities to visit school, meet staff and find out about school routines and expectations well in advance of The Revel C of E Primary School - 18 - June 2004 the admission date. They receive a good selection of school documents providing helpful information about the school. Children have several afternoon visits to build their confidence before full-time attendance begins. Teachers, in turn, visit the children in their own home to strengthen the partnership and help deal with any concerns. Additional and effective arrangements are made for children who transfer from the Brinklow site at the start of their third year.

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Commentary

24. The school is doing particularly well in involving pupils in the running of the school and in decision making. The school council is now well established and has, for example, influenced the way the good behaviour reward system, Golden Time, is operated, and has been involved in deciding how the new buildings should be used. Exceptionally, they have also been involved in meeting and talking to applicants for teaching positions in the school and making their own recommendations. To help pupils to share responsibility for their own progress, every pupil has targets for literacy, numeracy and, sometimes, behaviour and social development. They discuss with their parents and teachers together, enabling commitment on all sides and giving pupils a say in what they need to do to improve their achievement.

p.18

Commentary

25. Attendance and behaviour are monitored well and, where necessary, the school provides expertise, sometimes from specialists outside the school, to help pupils overcome their problems. The school is always concerned to ensure that pupils achieve their best. Pupils with special educational needs, those from traveller families and those at the early stages of learning English are cared for well.

p.18

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school is increasingly popular with parents and the home-school partnership is very good. The school’s links with the community and other schools are good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Information of very good quality and range is made available to parents. • Parents support their children’s learning and the success of the school very well. • Links with the local community and other schools are of good benefit to pupils’ education.

p.18

Commentary

26. Since the last inspection, when the quality of information for parents was an issue for development, the school has substantially improved its provision so that it is now a strength. The school has established a comprehensive system of consultations and meetings with parents to help them to understand more about the school and their children’s progress. The pupils’ annual reports are of a very high quality and give a very clear picture of what the pupil has achieved. Regular newsletters keep parents very well informed about the curriculum and general events. Before meetings of the governing body, there is a ‘surgery’ to enable parents to raise any matters of interest or concern. A small number of parents feel, however, that day-to-day communication is sometimes erratic, giving insufficient notice of events and with a disparity in dispatch between the two sites.

p.18

Commentary

27. Parents play an important part in their children’s success and in the life of the school, and this is a good improvement since the last inspection. Most parents are very supportive and keen for their children to succeed, encouraging them to complete homework and work hard to achieve targets set. Parents volunteer readily to help in class or with school events and this extra adult support improves the school’s provision for pupils significantly. The school orchestra, for example, is dependent on parental support and volunteers act as both instructors and players. The ‘Friends of the Revel’ association is extremely active and there The Revel C of E Primary School - 19 - June 2004 is a programme of both social and fund-raising events so that the school and pupils benefit from a very substantial donation every year.

p.18

Commentary

28. Good links are established with the local community. Pupils at Brinklow visit the fire station, for example, and the fire-fighters visit both sites to help pupils understand their work and to develop an awareness of danger. Local churches provide accommodation for special school assemblies and the community uses the school site, for example, for an out-of-school club and a holiday club and as a venue for the village fete. Useful links are established with other schools and pre-school settings to enhance transition arrangements. Occasional arrangements are made for pupils to visit local secondary schools to benefit from specialist teaching and facilities. Advice is sought appropriately from other professionals working in the community, such as speech therapists and paediatricians, to support the school’s work with pupils with special learning needs. The school is awaiting specialist advice on providing well for pupils in the early stages of

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The governance of the school is sound and all statutory duties are met.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good leadership and determination of the headteacher means that the school is continuously moving forward. • The deputy headteacher works in close partnership with the headteacher to promote high standards of teaching and learning. • The senior management team is enthusiastic and has a good capacity to improve provision further. • Responsibility for managing the Foundation Stage is not clear. • Most subject co-ordinators are doing an effective job although there is still work to be done on improving the consistency of good teaching and learning through the school. • The governing body has a good understanding of the main strengths of the school and the areas where further development is needed.

p.19

Commentary

29. The headteacher’s very good leadership is focused firmly on providing an education of high quality for all pupils and preparing them well for secondary education. Working in close partnership with the deputy headteacher, she has successfully led very good improvements in the effectiveness of the school since the last inspection. Considerable improvements were required, particularly in behaviour and provision for the older pupils. This has been achieved successfully through very thorough self-evaluation, which provides a clear agenda for effective change. Judicious deployment of key staff means that their impact is very effective, particularly at the upper end of the school. The senior management team provide very good role models for colleagues in improving provision within their own classes and subjects.

p.19

Commentary

30. The split site means that management of the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2 presents a particular challenge. The lack of a member of the senior management team on the annexe site means that good ideas and effective practice generated there are The Revel C of E Primary School - 20 - June 2004 not necessarily transferred to the main school site. Cohesion of the Foundation Stage is difficult because the co-ordinator also manages Years 1 and 2. The main influence on planning for areas of learning often comes from the subject co-ordinators for the older pupils. This means that the particular style of teaching advocated nationally for the youngest pupils is not always accomplished fully.

p.19

Commentary

31. The governing body has gone through a period of considerable restructuring over the past year and is working hard to establish itself as an effective supporter and ‘critical friend’ of the school. In recent months, roles and responsibilities have been defined and there has been a considerable commitment to training. The most secure part of governors’ work has been in the monitoring of the finances of the school and the liaison with the headteacher to plan, finance and bring about the first phase of new building. The other roles of monitoring of standards, curriculum and the wider work of the school are just beginning. Good information from the headteacher means that governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and this gives a firm foundation for decisions. At this point in its reorganisation, governance is satisfactory, but the commitment and enthusiasm of governors suggests they will play an

p.20

Commentary

important role in future developments. The Revel C of E Primary School - 21 - June 2004 Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.20

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 616,960 Balance from previous year 5.073 Total expenditure 607,257 Balance carried forward to the next 14,776 Expenditure per pupil 2,318

p.21

Commentary

32. The school’s improvement plan is a very clear document that ensures that staff and governors are united on the way forward. The priorities set are appropriate and action plans established for each subject on a three-yearly basis keep standards moving forward. The current focus is to improve facilities and resources for ICT and provision in the creative subjects. Success criteria are not always sufficiently linked to outcomes for pupils and this is an area for development that will help staff and governors to monitor progress more closely. The budget is allocated carefully to provide the best opportunities for pupils and the increasing popularity and growth of the school means that the former budget deficit has now been resolved. The headteacher and governors are adept at locating funds for specific projects, such as the current building programme, and pupils benefit from this innovation. Performance management targets set for staff are suitably linked to the school’s

p.21

Commentary

33. Subject managers are generally keen to see their subjects improve. Lessons have been observed in most classes in English and mathematics to check on the quality of teaching in the core subjects but restricted finance and recent staff absence have limited the expansion of the programme. The school has established much greater rigour in teachers’ planning systems since the last inspection and co-ordinators are suitably involved in checking what is being taught. Workbooks and other evidence of pupils’ learning are generally checked at regular intervals and weak areas identified dealt with as far as possible. The school is aware of the weaker areas of teaching and is taking appropriate action.

p.21

Commentary

34. The leadership and management of provision for pupils with special educational needs are satisfactory. Pupils are identified early and appropriate individual education plans established. A specialist teacher for special educational needs ensures that the provision for these pupils is appropriate. She has been instrumental in extending the involvement of parents in reviews and the up-dating of plans for provision. The Revel C of E Primary School - 22 - June 2004

p.21

SUBJECTS

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

p.22

SUBJECTS

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory , as it was at the time of the last inspection.

p.22

SUBJECTS

When children start school in the reception class, their attainments are generally above average in most areas of learning. Achievement is sound, overall, the children make satisfactory progress and by the end of the reception year, attainment is maintained at above average levels in most areas of learning. Attainment is above average in personal, social and emotional education, in communication, language and literacy, in mathematical development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. In physical and creative development, standards are average.

p.22

SUBJECTS

Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are satisfactory overall. The curriculum covers all the required areas of learning and the new national assessment scheme has been implemented well. The lower attaining children are often provided with additional adult support. Staff say that although teaching assistants or other adult support was generally available in lessons observed, this is not usually the case and there are insufficient numbers of support staff to enable teachers to use the space available fully and to take all opportunities to promote learning. This curtails the implementation of the curriculum to some extent. Resources for developing the children’s large motor skills are limited, especially at the Brinklow site. In addition, neither site uses the outside space well enough to meet the requirements of the national curriculum for the Foundation Stage. The school is aware that this is an area for

p.22

SUBJECTS

development and appropriate plans are in hand to improve matters.

p.22

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children settle into school very quickly and know both class and school routines well because induction processes are very good. • Children enjoy school and are keen to learn. • Relationships between the staff and children and between the children themselves are good. • Children are able to select tasks and to concentrate for long periods of time when given the opportunity to do so. • Opportunities are missed to promote social skills and healthy eating during snack times.

p.22

Commentary

35. Children generally start school with above average skills and positive attitudes towards learning. Standards in this area of learning are maintained and most children exceed the early learning goals by the end of their first year in school. Teaching is good, overall, but learning is limited sometimes because staffing levels do not always allow plans for the children to extend their understanding in small groups or individually with an adult. The Revel C of E Primary School - 23 - June 2004 Teachers and their assistants ensure that children quickly learn the correct way to behave. The very good induction process, which includes staff visiting children in their homes and pre-school settings, helps them to settle quickly and, as a result, children enjoy school and are keen to learn. Good relationships between staff and children are well established and adults encourage the development of social skills in a variety of

p.22

Commentary

ways. Children are constantly encouraged to take turns and share. All are encouraged to join in, try new things and to persevere with tasks. Sometimes, opportunities are missed to develop the children’s personal and social skills further. For example, snack times have not been developed into an integral part of the curriculum and opportunities to develop social skills, to promote healthy eating and to practise good social conversational skills are lost.

p.23

Commentary

36. Children with special educational needs and those from travelling families are well integrated and receive good support, especially when there is an extra adult available to provide teaching assistance.

p.23

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and standards in speaking and listening and in reading are above average by the end of the reception year. • Teachers and support staff place high priority on speaking, listening, reading and writing. • The skills needed for reading and writing are generally taught well. • Teaching assistants are used well, where available, to help move children’s learning forward.

p.23

Commentary

37. When the children start school, their speaking and listening skills are above average. They are very articulate and have positive attitudes towards books and stories. Teaching is good and the teachers build on these skills well. Children continue to develop their speaking and listening skills because they are given opportunities to share news and contribute to question and answer sessions when working as a whole class with the teacher and when being taught in small groups. Adults make skilled use of questioning to encourage children to enlarge upon their initial answers and make them think hard.

p.23

Commentary

38. Attainments in reading and writing are generally average as the children start school and the development of these skills is given a high priority. Many lessons include the reinforcement of initial sounds and the reading of simple words. As a result, children make good progress in reading and the standards they achieve are above average. In writing, children’s achievement is sound and they achieve the expected standard by the end of the reception year. Children make a good start on learning letter sounds and spotting similarities between words. For example, in a very good lesson, the children were encouraged to identify rhyming words and to think of their own rhymes; in a good lesson, the children immediately spotted the words with the same first sound on a flip chart and could recognise alliteration. Children enjoy books and stories and, when reading simple sentences, they read with good expression.

p.23

Commentary

The Revel C of E Primary School - 24 - June 2004 39. Children try hard in their lessons and, where teaching assistants are available, they make a very positive contribution to the children’s learning. For example, when the children were learning to use words that describe, one group was working in the classroom with the teacher who was encouraging children to use appropriate adjectives in their free writing while a group of lower attaining children was working outside with the teaching assistant. This activity was carefully planned, and children selected from a range of well chosen items and tried to find words to describe them. The teaching assistant was skilled at using questions and prompts to extend these descriptions, encouraging fluent and articulate speech.

p.24

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory . The Revel C of E Primary School - 25 - June 2004

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers often teach mathematics in naturally occurring contexts that are relevant to children’s needs and experiences. • Standards are generally above average. • Tasks planned are generally well suited to the children’s needs but, sometimes, the use of worksheets and formal recording detracts from the mathematical ideas taught and does not enhance learning.

p.25

Commentary

40. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers build appropriately on the mathematical skills that children bring to school and the teaching and learning of mathematics is often appropriately set in naturally occurring contexts. For example, the children count the number who require a school dinner and those who are having sandwiches. The terms ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ are used regularly and misunderstandings corrected as a matter of course. Children are set mathematical tasks in small groups using well- designed games and activities that help them to learn in a practical way. Adults ask children questions whilst they are engaged in a variety of activities, and they are good at getting them to count and recognise numbers, shapes and size. As a result, children’s achievement is sound, they make appropriate progress and they attain above average standards by the end of the reception year.

p.25

Commentary

41. Teachers use assessment carefully to plan tasks that are generally well suited to the needs of the children and these are enhanced by the opportunity for discussion with staff. For example, children worked with adults to extend their addition and subtraction skills using practical counting opportunities. Others were given the appropriate and exciting challenge of finding as many ways as possible of combining eight connecting cubes. Some worked with an adult to practise using money in the class shop and excitedly searched for buried coins to count. However, the work in children’s files shows an overuse of worksheets for recording and these do not promote learning so well. Also, in a mixed age class, whilst a more able child in reception clearly understood the concept of counting in tens from any two digit number, he spent too long time on the formal task of trying to record this work in an exercise book. In this lesson,

p.25

Commentary

the children in reception spent a long time sitting listening to an introduction geared to older children. Whilst the teacher tried to include them by, for example, asking one to hold the basket and another to check that each column contained ten cubes, their learning time was not well used.

p.25

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average at the end of the reception year. • Topics planned often cover several areas of learning, in accordance with the planning guidance issued nationally for the Foundation Stage curriculum. • Opportunities for practical investigation are frequently provided, but sometimes the content of lessons is inappropriate. The Revel C of E Primary School - 26 - June 2004 • Many worksheets are used. These do not contribute well to the children’s learning and indicate weaknesses in the use of time.

p.25

Commentary

42. Teachers’ planning indicates that all aspects are taught, and records and discussions indicate that children achieve above average standards. Teaching is satisfactory, overall, but there are strengths and weaknesses in the teaching methods used. On many occasions, topics are suitable and methods of recording information are appropriate. Children's past work indicates, however, that too many published worksheets are used that are not wholly suitable to the task in hand. The best examples of worksheets seen amongst children’s work are those produced by teachers and designed especially for the tasks given, such as during a topic on ‘growing’ when the children grew beans and made a diary of their bean’s progress. After a visit to the class by a new baby and a one-year-old, the teachers provided well for the children to identify the differences between the babies and themselves.

p.26

Commentary

43. Although evidence of past work and discussions with staff and children indicate that the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, overall, one lesson observed was of unsatisfactory quality. Whilst the children were very articulate and displayed a good general knowledge about the uses of electricity, the subject matter was handled in a way unsuited to such young children. The method of teaching did not offer sufficient scope for children to develop and practise their skills in the practical and active way described in the national curriculum for the Foundation Stage.

p.26

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children’s fine motor skills develop well. • Resources for developing large muscle control are insufficient, overall. This affects the quality of lessons both inside and outdoors at Brinklow, and outdoors at Monks Kirby.

p.26

Commentary

44. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, overall. Teachers use the school halls and the playground for more formal lessons, and their subject knowledge and class management skills are very good. As a result, children reach the standard expected by the end of the reception year. However, in the outside play areas at both sites, there is a lack of appropriate equipment for practising climbing and balancing, and insufficient wheeled toys to practise control and co-operative work.

p.26

Commentary

45. In the classroom, fine muscle control is developed well through the use of chalks, pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, paint, small toys and construction kits. The outdoor area is generally under-used as a venue for activities across the whole curriculum, largely because teaching assistants are not available full-time. This curtails the use of open air spaces to extend the children’s experiences, and opportunities are lost to practise further the full range of skills learned indoors. The Revel C of E Primary School - 27 - June 2004

p.26

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good provision is made for imaginative role-play at both sites. • Art and craft skills are taught well when children are working directly with an adult. • Insufficient opportunities are provided for children to practise the skills that they are taught during their play.

p.27

Commentary

46. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers’ plans show that all aspects of this area of learning are taught and records show that most children attain the expected standard at the end of the reception year. During the inspection, very good opportunities were provided for children to develop their imagination through role-play. Each class has a well-resourced area for dramatic play and children work co-operatively in these areas, sometimes concentrating for significant stretches of time.

p.27

Commentary

47. The children’s past work shows that they are taught skills in a wide range of art activities. However, many of the examples showed that the children were given a great deal of adult help and support. This means that the children all produce high quality work. However, insufficient opportunities are provided for children to practise the skills taught on their own through activities such as free painting and making models using reclaimed materials and collage. This is especially true at the Monks Kirby site, where the classroom is very small and the corridor area is not used to its full potential, partly because of insufficient additional adult support to supervise this area and partly because this is where coats are kept.

p.27

English

Provision for English is good , overall, and sometimes very good.

p.27

English

• Standards are above average, overall, by the end of Year 2 and well above average by the end of Year 6, showing good improvement on results in national tests in 2003. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, but varies from excellent to unsatisfactory. • The speaking skills of most pupils are above average; this supports their learning well in both reading and writing. • The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and has led standards in English forward very well since the last inspection. • Pupils are generally very interested in learning and most supplement their learning well through practice at home. The Revel C of E Primary School - 28 - June 2004 Commentary

p.27

English

48. At the time of the last inspection, standards in English were below average in Year 6 and an issue for development. The school’s very effective action has led to very good improvement by the end of Year 6, where standards are well above average in all aspects of the subject. The school’s strenuous efforts to improve teaching and learning have included better focused planning and assessment, leading to target setting and a greater awareness of pupils’ next steps in learning. Expectations for what pupils can achieve have risen significantly, especially for Years 5 and 6, where pupils’ achievement well exceeds what is usually expected. The very good, and sometimes excellent, teaching evident in Years 5 and 6 is not consistent, however, through the school.

p.28

English

49. Standards by the end of Year 2 are above average, overall, in both reading and writing but vary significantly between the classes. Pupils achieve very well in one class but generally satisfactorily in the other. Teaching inspires and engages pupils well in one class and follows a systematic, persistent and ambitious teaching of skills. In the other, learning objectives are not always focused sufficiently clearly and teaching sometimes moves on to the next topic on the curriculum too soon. These fundamental differences in the quality of teaching are exacerbated by more effective teaching arrangements in one class than the other. Where standards are high, the class is divided between two teachers on most days, enabling skilled staff to track each pupil’s progress closely. In the other class, there is only limited regular help from a teaching assistant. In Years 3 and 4, lesson observations and a review of pupils’ past work indicate that the teaching

p.28

English

also varies in quality and although pupils improve their reading skills well, their progress in writing is inconsistent and only satisfactory overall.

p.28

English

50. The strand that runs most consistently through the school is the good quality of the pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Where teaching is good, or better, teachers are skilled at questioning pupils and seeking a variety of answers and opinions. Pupils are encouraged to think for themselves and to justify their answers and this strength is carried through to other subjects, such as science, mathematics and history. In a lesson in Year 1, pupils worked with talking partners to discuss the unfolding story being written with the teacher. Their individual work consequently showed good progress in the use of interesting words and well expressed ideas. In a Year 3/4 class, pupils worked in groups to dramatise the chosen end to a story, and good discussions made a significant contribution to subsequent written work. The pupils with special educational needs worked with skilled teaching assistants, who questioned pupils well to prompt

p.28

English

good dialogue and very good progress was made. In the other Year 3/4 class, the teacher’s own good interest in literature was apparent as she shared a wealth of descriptions of the sea with pupils that inspired a good range of vocabulary within pupils’ written work. In a lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils became very enthusiastically involved in an excellent discussion of an excerpt from Twelfth Night. Again, drama was used to help pupils explore the relationships between the characters and establish a firm foundation for further debate. The intertwining of discussion, drama, reading and writing is often the key to very good achievement. Teachers are unfamiliar, however, with teaching pupils in the early stages of English and concentrate too heavily on using extra teaching support made available for teaching letter sounds rather than for improving the experience and fluency of speaking and listening.

p.28

English

The Revel C of E Primary School - 29 - June 2004 51. Reading skills are secure for most pupils throughout the school. Standards are above average from the end of the reception year to Year 2. There is a dip to broadly average in Year 3, which nevertheless shows good improvement on the well below average national test results for these pupils in 2003. Standards in Year 4 are above average, and well above average by Year 6. Teachers take a lively interest in teaching reading and generally take every opportunity to extend pupils’ skills. In a Year 3/4 class, the teacher’s obvious relish for effective vocabulary encouraged pupils to share her enthusiasm and pupils identified, for example, words such as ‘peacock patterned’ as an apt description of the sea. By the time the pupils are in Years 5 and 6, most develop a high level of skill in studying texts. In an excellent lesson, pupils analysed the motives

p.29

English

and choices of characters in an excerpt from Twelfth Night very perceptively and enriched their own personal development very well in the process. Occasionally, however, the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory and the teacher does not succeed in focusing pupils well enough on the content of texts. This was the case in a Year 1/2 class, where plans to study humorous poems gave little practice in reading and scant attention to vocabulary in use. Consequently, pupils’ understanding was insufficiently improved and this was evident in their own attempts to write humorous verse.

p.29

English

52. The school has worked hard to improve standards in writing and test results show good improvement year-on-year in most classes. Standards are high in one of the classes for pupils in Year 2 and in the classes for pupils in Years 5 and 6 because teachers have a very good understanding of how to take pupils’ writing skills forward. In these classes, the teaching of writing is very good, overall, and inspires pupils to make their best efforts. Learning is underlined well through effective marking of pupils’ work, identifying clearly successes and the next steps forward. A higher attaining pupil in Year 2 wrote, “ I am fond of stories because I love having the exciting feeling of what I wrote.” Throughout the school, pupils’ speaking skills support good composition and expression of ideas. In Year 1, where pupils are given frequent opportunities to share writing drafts as a class, good progress is evident in the use of well-chosen vocabulary

p.29

English

in their written work. Most pupils use their secure understanding of letter sounds and blends well but, for the younger pupils, spellings sometimes stay at the experimental stage too long. There are no clearly defined systems in use, for example, to establish a gradually increasing range of spellings which are expected to be correct. Although, by Year 6, standards are high in punctuation, increasingly complex sentences, detailed description and clear story lines or arguments, standards in spelling are not as high. Handwriting varies between classes. It is very good for most pupils by Year 6 but presentation and handwriting lacks sufficient care in some other classes lower down the school.

p.29

English

53. Generally the extra support arranged for pupils who experience difficulty with learning works well and leads to good progress towards targets set. This is particularly apparent for the pupils in Years 3 and 4, where there is a good supply of teaching assistants due to the higher than average number of pupils with special educational needs. For some of the younger pupils who are slow to achieve independence in their writing, the school’s range of strategies is limited, however. A small number of lower attaining pupils, sometimes with special educational needs or with English as an additional language, copy adults’ writing too often and this delays progress.

p.29

English

54. The subject is very effectively led and managed by the deputy headteacher, who is strongly committed to moving standards forward and provides an excellent role model for colleagues. The school’s drive over the past three years to improve standards in The Revel C of E Primary School - 30 - June 2004 writing through the school has paid off very well by Year 6. However, teachers’ marking indicates that not all staff are fully clear on the next steps in teaching writing or possible strategies for teaching pupils with specific difficulties. There is no portfolio of work available that demonstrates the standards required at each level of the National Curriculum to support staff in assessing pupils’ work.

p.29

English

Enabling higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 to understand Shakespeare’s style through the study of an excerpt from Twelfth Night.

p.30

English

In yesterday’s lesson, the pupils had read an excerpt from Twelfth Night, studied the actions and motivation of the characters and worked in groups to reproduce the drama. Roles were allocated amongst themselves and the groups posed in role for photographs. No costumes were used. The teacher generated a high level of enthusiasm by fast paced questions recalling yesterday’s work. All eyes in the room were on her as she focused pupils’ attention sharply on the key points in the story and the contribution of the different characters, whose names were displayed as the debate unfolded. This very good analysis was effectively consolidated by single sentence descriptions, put in each pupil’s place before the start of the lesson, of the action or thoughts of individual characters. Surprisingly quickly, and without spoiling the pace of the lesson, pupils placed their sentence by the character’s name to which it belonged. Perceptive questioning by the teacher

p.30

English

challenged pupils to think again and pupils welcomed the new light shed on their thoughts. A review of the stills taken of yesterday’s lesson led pupils to try to guess the roles portrayed, from evidence of position in the action and facial expressions. The teacher extended the pupils’ vocabulary continuously through comments such, “Yes, he certainly looks pleased with himself – self-important”. Without exception, all pupils were captivated by the work and said that they would like to read more of Shakespeare’s work. Pupils began individual diary accounts from the point of view of a chosen character, with the high quality of analysis and description included providing ample evidence of the effectiveness of the preceding discussions. The lesson ended with a brisk study of an extract of dialogue taken directly from the play, with pupils attempting to rephrase each sentence in modern English. A student teacher transcribed suggestions rapidly onto the interactive whiteboard. Sentences, such as

p.30

English

‘For once I play along with you, as I have nothing else to do’, emerged. The lesson ended on a note of celebration – of the work of Shakespeare and the pride pupils felt in their own achievement.

p.30

Language and literacy across the curriculum

55. Good opportunities are planned, overall, for pupils to use their skills in reading, writing and discussion in other subjects. In Years 5 and 6, the quality of written work in history and geography is impressive and contributes significantly to the high standards in both English and the humanities. Very thorough and wide ranging analyses of differences, for example, between Victorian Britain and the present day gave valuable opportunities for the development of language and literacy. Pupils’ written work in all subjects, as a result, is lively and rich in descriptive vocabulary. Research tasks set in English for practice in gathering and organising factual information included, for example, work on the history of the Titanic and an overview of the solar system. After the residential visit to France, pupils in Year 6 each presented to parents a short oral review of something they found of particular interest. Computers are used for word processing throughout the school but

p.30

Language and literacy across the curriculum

the limited number of computers available restricts opportunities for practice.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

The Revel C of E Primary School - 31 - June 2004 • The quality of teaching is good and pupils achieve well. • The well-planned curriculum is relevant and prepares pupils well for the next stage of education. • Few resources are available to enhance teaching and learning.

p.31

Commentary

56. Standards are higher than might be expected for pupils at the end of Year 6. The fluent French spoken by the teacher provides a very good model for pupils, improving both their understanding and their pronunciation. Lessons are taught in French, with occasional explanations in English to help the lower attaining pupils to participate fully. As a result, pupils achieve well, showing by their responses that they understand a range of greetings, instructions, questions and comments, spoken at normal speed. They have learned vocabulary to support conversations about the weather, shopping, and buying food and drink, and can speak in short sentences with confidence. A variety of strategies, such as games, competitions and role play make lessons interesting and pupils respond with enthusiasm. Though the emphasis is on speaking and understanding, pupils also learn to read and write short phrases, and keep a record of

p.31

Commentary

new vocabulary learned. In a link with a secondary school, pupils produced some impressive work on menus, with good use of ICT.

p.31

Commentary

57. The teaching of French is well established in the school and co-ordination is good. The curriculum planning and schemes of work are good and sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of the pupils. For example, the pupils in Year 6 were well prepared for their trip to France through role-play of likely conversational situations. Pupils said they had understood quite a lot of what was said to them and had been able to ask for more at mealtimes, to buy an ice cream and to follow a town trail. The emphasis in lessons on understanding the common roots of European languages helps pupils to decode unfamiliar French words. One boy said this had helped him to follow the town trail. Pupils are being well prepared to continue the study of modern foreign languages in their secondary schools.

p.31

Commentary

58. A wider range of resources, including ICT, would improve the provision for the teaching of French. The co-ordinator makes and uses resources well but a greater variety could improve both teaching and learning.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good in Years 5 and 6, with high expectations of pupils, who consequently learn at a fast pace. • Pupils achieve very well in Years 3 to 6 because work is well matched to their different needs. • Pupils have developed very good arithmetic skills by the time they leave school. • There are considerable inconsistencies in the quality of teaching for pupils in Years 1 and 2. • The subject is managed well. • Assessment procedures are good. The Revel C of E Primary School - 32 - June 2004 • There is insufficient use of ICT to support learning.

p.31

Commentary

59. Standards are average in Year 2. This is a good improvement from the results of the national tests in 2003, when standards were well below average, and is similar to the findings of the last inspection. Standards are well above average in Year 6, with a high proportion of pupils attaining at higher than average levels. This shows good improvement from results of national tests in 2003 and very good improvement from the last inspection, when standards were judged to be average. The higher standards are due to very good improvements in teaching, particularly in Years 5 and 6, including much better plans for teaching that take good account of the needs of different groups of pupils. In addition, extra teaching was arranged to help pupils who were on the borderline of achieving the level expected for their age.

p.32

Commentary

60. Achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, but there is a considerable difference between the classes according to the quality of teaching. The sound support arranged for pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language enables them to achieve at a similar rate to others in their age group.

p.32

Commentary

61. By the end of Year 2, most pupils have a good understanding of hundreds, tens and units. Past work in books shows that pupils in one class have covered a wider range of activities, which include simple multiplication, and mathematical problems and puzzles, whereas the development of skills is less systematic in the other class. Work in other aspects of mathematics is similarly varied between the two classes but pupils have a sound understanding of shape and measurement, overall, and can display information in graphs at a suitable level for their age. Some higher attaining pupils are developing a good understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction and can use this to check their work.

p.32

Commentary

62. Achievement is very good, overall, in Years 3 to 6, with progress accelerating in Years 5 and 6 because pupils respond very well to the teachers’ high expectations in these classes. The arrangement for teaching pupils in different sets, according to their level of understanding, helps teachers to meet pupils’ needs very well. Consequently the achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is very good.

p.32

Commentary

63. In Year 6, the strong emphasis on learning tables and the very good pace of the mental mathematics sessions leads to the vast majority of pupils having very good recall of facts and very good arithmetic skills. A strong aspect is the constant requirement for pupils to explain their work at their own level. This helps pupils to develop a good depth of understanding, which they use well to solve problems. Higher attaining pupils are confident when calculating long multiplication and division and when working on other aspects, such as drawing angles accurately and determining probability. The lower attaining pupils respond well to the systematic teaching of skills, with appropriate practical activities to support understanding, and so the vast majority attain the level expected for their age.

p.32

Commentary

64. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, overall, in Years 1 and 2 but there are variations between the classes. In the majority of lessons observed, teaching was good with a strong emphasis on pupils explaining their answers to develop understanding. This was seen in a lesson in Year 2, where pupils explained clearly what they had noticed when The Revel C of E Primary School - 33 - June 2004 multiplying single digits by ten and used this learning to work out 100 times 10. In a lesson that was judged to be unsatisfactory in a mixed Year 1 and 2 class, the work was insufficiently challenging for the majority of the pupils in Year 2. Addition calculations were limited to numbers up to 12, for example, when one higher attaining pupil had working knowledge of negative numbers.

p.32

Commentary

65. Teaching is very good, overall, in Years 3 to 6. It is particularly strong in the older classes where the pace of lessons, very clear explanations and good attention to detail, such as setting out work with precision, helps pupils to learn at a very good rate. Where available, the skilled teaching assistants provide very effective support for the pupils who need additional help. This was evident in a mixed group of Year 3 and Year 4 that included a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs: two teaching assistants gave extra explanations to help pupils to take part in the class discussion and then made very good use of counting equipment to help them to understand simple fractions and money calculations.

p.33

Commentary

66. There are good assessment procedures throughout the school to check pupils’ progress and to plan work to suit pupils’ needs. A good aspect is the way in which pupils in Years 3 to 6 help to set their own targets and to discuss how far they have been successful with the teacher. This motivates pupils well, concentrates their efforts and has helped to raise standards. Where available, the teachers make good use of the laptop computers and interactive whiteboards to enliven explanations, though overall there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to use ICT to promote learning in mathematics.

p.33

Commentary

67. The subject is led and managed well and this is a strong factor in the very good improvement since the last inspection. The very good classroom practice of the co- ordinator provides a very good model for colleagues. The quality of teaching and learning has been monitored through reviewing teachers’ plans and by some classroom observations, though a period of absence following an accident has contributed to the fact that the disparities in teaching in Years 1 and 2 have not been resolved.

p.33

Mathematics across the curriculum

68. The use of mathematics in other subjects is satisfactory . Pupils use a range of graphs in science and, in geography, younger pupils completed a pictograph showing how they travel to school. Events in history are plotted carefully on time lines and pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 use their arithmetic skills well in geography when interpreting scales on a map.

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A strong emphasis on investigations has helped to raise standards to well above average by the end of Year 6. • Pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6 as a result of teaching that is generally good. • Standards by the end of Year 2 are average but improving. There is an increase in the number of pupils attaining higher levels. The Revel C of E Primary School - 34 - June 2004 • Assessment is used well to help pupils to improve their learning. • The subject is led and managed well.

p.33

Commentary

69. The well above average standards attained by pupils in Year 6 are the outcome of consistent improvement in recent years and are much higher than those reported in the last inspection. Two thirds of pupils in Year 6 are achieving at a higher level than average. In Year 2, standards are average, showing very good improvement on the well below average attainment of 2003. Again, the greatest improvement has been in the number of pupils attaining higher levels in the subject.

p.34

Commentary

70. The quality of teaching is good, overall, but varies from very good to unsatisfactory. The very good teaching is in Years 5 and 6 and is the main reason why pupils achieve and learn so well by the end of their time in the school. Very good teaching was also seen in one of the classes for pupils in Years 1 and 2, making a strong contribution to the rise in standards. Significant features of the very good teaching are the way pupils are questioned in order to get them to think for themselves, and the encouragement staff give them to work and discuss their understanding with other pupils. For example, in the lesson for pupils in Years 1 and 2, pupils worked in groups with a good degree of independence, planning and carrying out an experiment to investigate how materials change when heated. Very good questioning by the teacher checked the pupils’ understanding very effectively. One of the higher attaining pupils was able to explain why

p.34

Commentary

his plan needed adjusting and another observed that he had discovered that it was not only cold things like ice that would melt.

p.34

Commentary

71. In a very good lesson in a class for Years 5 and 6, the pupils were able to take a good degree of responsibility for investigations into air resistance. Their very good social skills came into force and they were able to listen to each other very well and weigh up suggestions, carefully assessing the merits of each one. They clearly understand the concept of a fair test and talked in scientific language, using terms such as variables and constants . Pupils are very highly motivated and, in discussion, many of the older pupils say that science is their favourite subject.

p.34

Commentary

72. Teaching of such high quality is not consistent through the school, however. Teaching was unsatisfactory in a class for pupils in Years 3 and 4, when investigations of melting and freezing were conducted at a very simple level, failing to promote sufficient learning. Pupils were not sufficiently challenged and were asked, for example, to draw a melting ice-cube without attention to measurement. Pupils were ill-prepared, therefore, to study the changes in detail and important opportunities were missed to practise keeping observation records.

p.34

Commentary

73. The very positive and conscientious attitudes of pupils in Years 5 and 6 are reflected in the work in their books, which are a joy to read. All work produced is very neat and there are very good links with subjects such as mathematics, where graphs are used for recording mass and data collection. A wide variety of different forms of recording are used, where the skills taught in English lessons are applied. Pupils take notes, label diagrams clearly and even use imaginative writing, as, for example, when pretending to be a sailor on Captain Cook’s ship explaining the effects of suffering from scurvy. The use of ICT in the subject is limited and resources available are insufficient, for example, for pupils to make use of control technology. The Revel C of E Primary School - 35 - June 2004 74. Assessment is good. In Years 1 and 2, teachers keep notes of how well children of different abilities have done in the lessons taught, and by Years 5 and 6 pupils are

p.34

Commentary

expected to keep tack of their own progress towards targets set in addition to the teachers’ records. For this age group, teachers provide helpful comments in pupils’ books when marking work. This helps the pupils to understand what they need to do in order to improve.

p.35

Commentary

75. The leadership and management of the subject are good, overall. Although the co- ordinator has only recently taken over the role, she is working closely with a member of the senior management team to maintain the progress and momentum that has built up since the last inspection. Targets for the achievement of groups of pupils have been set and new systems for testing and tracking pupils enable more accurate predictions to be made. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory, overall, but many resources are old and well-used and in need of replacement.

p.35

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is unsatisfactory . The Revel C of E Primary School - 36 - June 2004

p.35

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are insufficient resources available. • Standards are below average in Year 6, related to the lack of ‘hands on’ experience in compiling and using databases. • Teachers are making good use of the new laptop computers and interactive whiteboards, where available, to demonstrate computer skills and the effective use of ICT.

p.36

Commentary

76. Standards are average in Year 2 and below average in Year 6. This is a similar picture to the last inspection, where standards in ICT were set as an issue for development. While there have been some improvements related to an increase in teachers’ confidence following training opportunities, improvements have not kept pace with the national trend. The major barrier to improving standards in Year 6 has been the lack of resources that has restricted the curriculum and set significant limitations on pupils’ opportunities for practising skills. However, the school has made strenuous efforts to rectify the situation and a new computer suite, currently under construction, is to be opened in September.

p.36

Commentary

77. Achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 because the requirements of the curriculum for these younger pupils can be met, just, with the resources available. However, achievement is unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6 because pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and develop their skills on a sufficiently regular basis or in enough depth.

p.36

Commentary

78. In Year 2, pupils can use a word processor with sufficient skill for their age and print out their work independently. They can also use the computer to draw graphs, produce pictures and operate a satisfactory range of programs. In Year 6, pupils have developed their word processing skills successfully to a higher level and can insert pictures into the text. They can also download information from the Internet, such as to extend their projects on rivers. Their experience of compiling and using databases and spreadsheets, however, is very limited. Electronic mailing systems are not in use to allow the exchange of information.

p.36

Commentary

79. Teaching is satisfactory, overall, within the limited parameters available. Teachers demonstrate skills systematically and well, using the computers in the classroom or by using the laptop computers and whiteboards available in some classrooms. Learning is restricted, however, by the lack of ‘hands on’ experience for each pupil during demonstration sessions, especially. For example, the teachers in Years 5 and Year 6 clearly explained how to enter information onto a database, illustrating the benefits of using computers for storing large amounts of data by comparing this to the laborious lists compiled for the local census of 1841. Unfortunately, only three pupils had the chance to use a computer to practise the skills demonstrated in the lesson.

p.36

Commentary

80. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The school recognises the current shortcomings and has done all in its power to improve resources as quickly as possible. The co-ordinator is already making plans for plugging the gaps in pupils’ learning as soon as the computer suite is completed. The Revel C of E Primary School - 37 - June 2004

p.36

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

81. The use of information and communication technology to support learning in other subjects is unsatisfactory. Pupils are making good use of the digital cameras, such as for recording a still life arrangement to help with their work in art and design. Pupils also use the Internet, both at school and at home, to research information for topics in geography and history. The use of computers, however, is not routinely incorporated into planning for lessons, for example, in mathematics or in science. The Revel C of E Primary School - 38 - June 2004

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average by the end of Year 6. • Teachers pose very good questions that promote thoughtful discussions. • Pupils take a pride in the presentation of their work. • There is limited use of ICT to promote learning.

p.38

Commentary

82. Standards are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. This represents very good improvement since the last inspection, when standards were below average in Year 6. Improvements are due to teaching of higher quality for the older pupils and the introduction of a new scheme of work, including more interesting activities.

p.38

Commentary

83. Achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6, where work is well matched to the needs of different groups of pupils. Older pupils respond well to the teachers’ high expectations and this is reflected in the pride they take in their work. The quality of the presentation of writing, diagrams and drawings in pupils’ books in Years 5 and 6 is a delight to see.

p.38

Commentary

84. Teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. As a result, pupils gain a sound understanding of the local area by Year 2, shown when, for example, they identified different features on a mystery walk. They are learning to use atlases and globes, and higher attaining pupils can name some oceans and seas. This was evident in the lesson observed in a mixed Year 1/2 class, when the teacher made good use of atlases to help pupils identify major bodies of water, though the vocabulary used was too difficult for some of the younger pupils.

p.38

Commentary

85. Teaching is good in Years 3 to 6 and pupils learn well. By Year 6, pupils have a good knowledge of the physical and human features of other countries, such as China. They show a good understanding of technical vocabulary when describing the formation of rivers and their projects on a major river show good, independent research skills. A strong feature of the teaching observed in Years 4 to 6 was the good use of interesting resources, such as well selected photographs, that caused pupils to consider why developments and activities take place where they do. Very good questioning led older pupils, for example, to identify both the benefits and drawbacks of living in a tourist destination.

p.38

Commentary

86. Teachers make good use of the school grounds and the local area to extend and consolidate pupils’ learning. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, for example, worked to identify safety features in the local environment and in the class for pupils in Years 4 and 5, pupils researched and drew a ‘noise’ map. Residential visits for older pupils enrich learning further. For example, pupils in Year 5 improved their map reading skills when orienteering in Shropshire. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development as they learn about Africa and India from visitors from those areas. The The Revel C of E Primary School - 39 - June 2004 annual visit to France, available to pupils in Year 6, provides further valuable experience for those who take part. Opportunities for pupils to develop their literacy skills are used well and pupils in Years 5 and 6 especially write good accounts and descriptions.

p.38

Commentary

Pupils make sound use of numeracy skills, as when working out scales on a map. The use of computers in school for individual research is limited.

p.39

Commentary

87. The subject is led and managed well. The decision to include geography on the timetable for the whole year has helped to ensure that pupils build on their skills and knowledge systematically and in good depth, and has contributed to the rise in standards.

p.39

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average by the end of Year 6. • The development of historical skills is consistently good from Year 1 to Year 6. • The subject is used very well, particularly in Years 5 and 6, for the development of language and literacy. • Visits out of school enhance learning effectively. • The subject is led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator.

p.39

Commentary

88. Standards are average by Year 2 and above average by Year 6. Very good improvement is evident for the older pupils, where standards were below average in the last inspection. Gaps in the syllabus have been closed and the development of historical skills is given greater priority, especially in Years 3 to 6. The standard of pupils’ literacy skills has improved and, consequently, pupils’ research skills and recording of work are of a higher standard. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 and achieve well in Years 3 to 6. A review of past work gives ample evidence that there is a good breadth of topics studied and that there are good links with personal, social and cultural education and geography, and very good links with English lessons.

p.39

Commentary

89. The teaching of history is good overall. No lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2, but pupils’ past work indicates that teaching is at least satisfactory and appropriate assessment procedures are in place. In the lessons observed in Years 3 to 6, teachers built on pupils’ previous learning well, used correct historical terms and gave good opportunities for pupils to apply the historical skills of research and to engage in role play to enhance their understanding. In the lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4, the teaching assistant worked very well with a group of pupils with special educational needs; the task provided was very well planned and enabled the pupils to achieve well. In a good lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6, pupils compared Rugby today with how it looked in 1850. The lesson involved pupils well in studying local planning issues, and comparing maps of 1850 with those available currently.

p.39

Commentary

Discussion was based on a comparison of the different lifestyles and included an informative debate about the advantages and disadvantages of railways. The lesson generated considerable interest and skilfully linked different subjects of the curriculum.

p.39

Commentary

90. The subject is led well by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator who supplements the school’s resources well with loans from the local museum service. As a result, attractive interactive displays enhance the pupils’ learning. Good use is made of places of interest in The Revel C of E Primary School - 40 - June 2004 the area to study historical features. This helps to develop and enhance pupils’ learning through visits to places such as Warwick Castle, and the museum in Rugby. The trip to France for pupils in Year 6 includes a visit to the museum at Bayeux. The school takes good advantage of the museum’s useful website to help pupils gain additional information and resources. Although ICT plays a limited part in the school curriculum, pupils often complete research on computers at home and parents are very supportive.

p.39

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The school recognises that standards in subjects in the creative side of the curriculum are not as secure as in most other subjects and this relative weakness has been identified within the school’s improvement plan as an area for development. Insufficient evidence was available to make clear judgements on provision and overall standards in design and technology or in music.

p.40

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Provision in art and design is satisfactory .

p.40

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

• Pupils enjoy the subject, concentrate well and enjoy making decisions and choices as they complete their work: they benefit well from the opportunities provided for personal development. • Standards are average by Year 2, but below average by Year 6. • The curriculum is supplemented well by visits to galleries and by art workshops held in school.

p.40

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. A review of past work and displays in school indicates that by the end of Year 2, standards are average, overall, and sometimes above average. Although most work completed in Years 1 and 2 indicates satisfactory teaching and achievement, pupils’ achievement is good in the co-ordinator’s class. In a well planned unit of lessons, for example, pupils’ skills were extended well through the use of varied media to depict the features of a rainbow trout. Pupils in Year 2 produced good drawings, showing careful attention to detail, capturing effectively the colour and character of the fish, and providing evidence of a developing sense of design. Fish made from clay were very carefully shaped and marked. A computer-based design program extended pupils’ skills further in the representation of fish. A higher attaining pupil controlled the on- screen tools well and achieved a captivating design with good detail highlighted.

p.40

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. Achievement in Years 3 and 4 is satisfactory but is unsatisfactory, overall, in Years 5 and 6. In Years 3 and 4, work samples indicate satisfactory progress and teaching, with strengths in helping pupils to develop confidence and independence. Pupils observed working, showed great enjoyment in designing a collage picture to represent the course of the River Nile, and choosing materials to complete their work. A good level of confidence and independence was evident as they helped themselves to materials and applied them to their work with rapt concentration. By Year 6, although pupils maintain a good interest in art and design, demonstrated through discussions of the work of famous artists, there is insufficient evidence of artwork completed at a sufficiently high The Revel C of E Primary School - 41 - June 2004 standard for their age. Simple designs made, based on Chinese artwork, are effective

p.40

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

but drawings and collage work are relatively simple and no evidence was available of painting at a suitable level for their age. However, pupils have a sound knowledge of famous works of art and are able to discuss differences between the approach of different artists. In a very good lesson observed for pupils in Years 5 and 6, pupils showed that they were able to analyse a wide variety of portraits by different artists. The teacher’s very good planning and very effective use of the interactive whiteboard enabled pupils to consider a wide range of art in the time available. The lesson formed a good introduction to their own work on portraits.

p.41

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. The co-ordinators have recently taken over the subject and it is too soon to judge the quality of leadership and management. Outline action plans are in place to improve standards further. These are likely to provide more support for staff as they plan lessons and to establish standards expected at each stage in the school. A useful assessment system is linked to each unit of work but not yet used consistently through the school. Visits to galleries and occasional art workshops provide a cohesive opportunity for advancing and reviewing skills through the school. A weekly art club held for pupils in Years 3 to 6 enables those who take part to develop their skills further.

p.41

Design and technology

94. Only one lesson was observed in design and technology and only limited evidence of current work was available to make judgements on standards. Therefore, an overall judgement on provision cannot be made.

p.41

Design and technology

95. Samples of work indicate that standards are broadly average by Year 2 and Year 6, with strengths in the making of products and the joining of materials but with design and product review not always emphasised well enough. Pupils in Year 2 suspended a model spider and a sun on simple winding mechanism, which they enjoyed operating to the song of ‘Incey Wincey Spider’. Models were finished carefully to a suitable standard. A range of fruit products was designed, made and tested, including fruit salads, fruit juices, jellies and ‘smoothies’.

p.41

Design and technology

96. In a satisfactory lesson observed in the Year 4/5 class, pupils followed a recipe carefully to make biscuits, showing suitable independence in weighing, measuring and mixing ingredients and due regard for health and safety. Although the teacher led pupils satisfactorily through a subsequent activity to cut out and construct a cube from paper as a model for a biscuit container, the design stage overlooked a review of fitness for purpose, with the biscuits unlikely to fit easily into the small containers. Pupils in Year 6 designed and made slippers of good quality, in different styles and from a range of fabrics. Their work showed careful and accurate work based on measurements set within individual and varied designs. Mathematical skills were well utilised. Current work is based on building prototypes of fairground models using construction apparatus, with plans to extend through card and wooden models. The early stages of the work are of a suitable complexity for the age group.

p.41

Design and technology

97. The new co-ordinators have established a planning scheme but there is insufficient evidence that all plans are carried out at this stage. There has been some squeezing of the curriculum in the past due to priorities in the school’s improvement plan being focused on subjects more closely related to literacy and numeracy. The school now needs to examine its allocation of time carefully to ensure that projects are carried out in greater depth. An engineering challenge day supplemented the curriculum well for some pupils in Years 4 and 5, when they were able to work with qualified engineers, including some parents, to design, make and test products such as a self-righting buoy. The Revel C of E Primary School - 42 - June 2004

p.41

Music

98. Insufficient evidence was available to make a clear overall judgement on provision for the full range of musical skills. A lesson observed for pupils in Years 1 and 2 was of satisfactory quality and demonstrated the pupils’ ability to maintain the beat of a song with claps or percussion instruments and to identify a song from a given rhythm. Singing was lively and in tune. The work did not really push the pupils’ skills, and opportunities were missed to involve more in using instruments. In a good lesson observed for pupils in Years 5 and 6, the teacher used the time well to extend pupils’ skills and groups devised compositions to represent sounds of the fairground, using a range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments and electronic keyboards. Groups worked hard to improve their compositions through performance reviews but few recorded their work in note form to enable further development.

p.42

Music

99. The co-ordinator was absent during the inspection, which precluded discussions or full assessment of the leadership and management of music. A review of the planning indicates that the statutory curriculum is taught, based largely on a published scheme, but singing and appraisal of recorded music is given more time than composition. Singing heard during school assemblies indicates that the quality of pupils’ singing by both Year 2 and Year 6 is at least average. Opportunities to learn to play musical instruments, such as the electronic keyboard, brass, stringed and woodwind instruments are made available and extend the skills well of those pupils who take part. The school orchestra is led by a volunteer parent, joined by staff as well as pupils and adds considerably to the quality of music in school assemblies. Three small choirs practise each week, and perform occasionally at events in the local community. School

p.42

Music

musical performances are popular events, very well attended by parents and reflect the very good relationships within the school community.

p.42

Physical education

Provision in physical education is good .

p.42

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average by the end of Year 6. • Skills are taught systematically and well. • There are good opportunities to participate in sport. • Pupils have regular swimming lessons from when they start school and they reach a good standard in Year 2. • Accommodation on the annexe site is restricted.

p.42

Commentary

100. In Years 1 and 2, achievement is satisfactory. Standards are average, overall, by the end of Year 2, with above average attainment in swimming. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average and pupils achieve well. This very good improvement in standards since the last inspection is due to an improved emphasis on the direct teaching of skills and significant improvements in the attitude of the older pupils, related to improvements in teaching and behaviour for pupils in the junior classes. The Revel C of E Primary School - 43 - June 2004 101. Pupils in Year 2 develop sound throwing and catching skills and are beginning to discuss and evaluate how they can improve their performance. A strong feature is the good opportunity to develop above average swimming skills through regular swimming lessons from the reception year onwards. Most pupils can swim 25 metres by the end of Year 2 and higher attaining pupils are practising for survival skills. By Year 6, pupils

p.42

Commentary

develop good control and co-ordination and make good suggestions as to how they can improve. They demonstrate a good understanding of the benefit and effects of exercise. Games skills are above average through participating in a wide range of sports, with a number of pupils selected to represent their county. Pupils’ learning is enriched by the contributions of specialist coaching staff from professional cricket and football clubs and from skilled swimming instructors. Pupils also benefit from taking part in outdoor pursuits on a residential visit.

p.43

Commentary

102. Teaching is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6, though examples of good teaching were seen in both sections of the school. The hall on the annexe site is small, however, and the restricted space limits teachers’ opportunities to help pupils to apply and extend their skills in a greater variety of activities. The good lessons observed included clear explanations and demonstrations to help pupils develop their skills systematically. Good opportunities were provided to enable pupils to evaluate their own and each other’s work and to suggest improvements. Pupils respond well to the good relationships, clear instructions and sense of humour, so their behaviour is very good. In a very good lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6, the teacher used his very good knowledge of the subject to suggest ways in which pupils could improve their skills. In an unsatisfactory lesson in dance for pupils in Years 3 and 4, the

p.43

Commentary

pupils were inactive for long periods of time and became disinterested. The teacher accepted the poor quality of movement from a minority of boys who did not take the lesson sufficiently seriously.

p.43

Commentary

103. The co-ordinator’s good leadership and management have resulted in a very good improvement in standards.

p.43

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

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

p.43

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The effectiveness of provision is enhanced by the very good relationships evident in the school. • Good use is made of opportunities within most subjects and day-to-day school management to enhance pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship.

p.43

Commentary

104. Very good relationships between pupils and adults ensure that pupils have every opportunity to grow in confidence and develop as valued members of their school and the wider community. Personal, social, and health education is tackled through a variety of subjects and in specific lessons. Teachers generally make good use of opportunities to introduce and explore ideas and issues as and when they arise. In Years 1 and 2, for example, pupils considered the importance of Ghandi in India’s history and in Years 5 The Revel C of E Primary School - 44 - June 2004 and 6, pupils wrote letters of protest to the town council about the social conditions in slums in Victorian Britain.

p.43

Commentary

105. The responsibilities that pupils have around the school, their participation in the school council and assemblies, all contribute well to pupils’ development of social responsibility and citizenship. Older pupils designed an advertisement for a new teacher and, unusually, a group of pupils were given the opportunity to ask candidates questions as part of the school’s selection procedures. The school ensures that appropriate teaching is arranged to help pupils to understand the dangers of drugs, tobacco and alcohol abuse. The governing body has completed a recent review of provision for sex and relationships education. In a very good lesson observed in a Year 5/6 class, the honest way in which the teacher and very skilled teaching assistant answered pupils’ mature questions enabled the older pupils, about to leave school, to consider and discuss their own feelings about the coming change and transition. The

p.44

Commentary

good range of residential visits gives pupils good experiences of the pleasures and responsibilities that come with living in a community. The Revel C of E Primary School - 45 - June 2004

p.44

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.45

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 2 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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 3

p.45

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 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 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

p.45

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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