West Witney Primary School & Nursery

WEST WITNEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th - 28 th January 2004

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WEST WITNEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 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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WEST WITNEY 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. West Witney Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 322

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Edington Road Witney Oxfordshire Postcode: OX28 5FZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (01993) 706 249 Fax number: (01993) 706 251

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Peter Warner

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 th September 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school with 281 full-time pupils from Reception to Year 6 on roll by the spring term. In addition, there are 41 children attending part-time in the Nursery. Most pupils live fairly close to the school. They come from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. The majority of pupils come either from an estate of recently built owner-occupied houses or from an established estate of former local housing. A significant minority come from single parent or economically disadvantaged households. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average. The school population reflects the mono-cultural nature of Witney. Nearly all the pupils are from white UK background and currently there are no pupils at an early stage of English language acquisition. The attainment of pupils on entry is broadly in line with that typically found nationally. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

is close to the national average. Six pupils have statements of special educational need.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

A notable feature of the school is its close integration with two classes from a local special school, which are on site. West Witney Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23744 Peter Howlett Lead inspector Mathematics Physical education 9710 Rosemary Burgess Lay inspector 14732 Enid Korn Team inspector Science Music Religious education 12394 Carole May Team inspector Information and communication technology Geography History Foundation Stage 28200 Paul Stevens Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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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 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). West Witney Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10 - 16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s effectiveness is satisfactory. The school provides a sound education for its pupils. It offers a broad curriculum enriched by excellent provision for residential visits and it fosters pupils’ personal development well. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. However, the school is underachieving because the standards achieved by pupils by Year 6 in English, mathematics and science are not high enough. The headteacher provides good leadership and has put in place appropriate measures aimed at improving pupils’ achievement. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Standards in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education are below average by Year 6. • Pupils are not achieving as well as they should, particularly the more able pupils. • Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good, enabling them to make good progress. • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by teachers and classroom assistants. • Pupils’ personal development is promoted well. Their behaviour, relationships and attitudes to learning are good and their attendance is very good. • There is a good variety of activities outside the classroom, including an excellent range of residential trips. • There are effective systems for tracking pupils’ performance in English and mathematics but not in other subjects. • The headteacher provides good leadership and has done much to focus the attention of all staff on the need to raise standards.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The school has a good partnership with parents and seeks to involve them in many aspects of children’s learning.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

There has been insufficient improvement since the last inspection . Standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT have not kept pace with the national picture of improvement. Despite good efforts over the last four terms, the key issues identified in the last report have not yet been fully addressed. Since the current headteacher has been in post, the school has focused very clearly on raising standards, identified appropriate whole-school priorities and put in place a range of potentially effective measures. These have not had sufficient time to make a significant impact on the test results in 2003. However, inspection evidence indicates that standards are gradually rising again.

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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 C E E mathematics C C D D science D C D E 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

Pupils’ overall achievement is not good enough . Children in the Nursery and Reception classes achieve well and are in line to achieve or exceed the expected standards in all the recommended areas of learning. Pupils’ achievement by Year 2 is generally satisfactory and standards in English, mathematics, ICT and religious education are average. Standards in science are below West Witney Primary School - 5 expectations. Pupils’ achievement by Year 6 is unsatisfactory and standards in English, mathematics, science, ICT and religious education are below average. Generally pupils in Years 3 to 6 have made satisfactory progress from the beginning of this academic year, albeit from below average levels. However, too few pupils are working at levels higher than those expected for their ages. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in history and geography and achieve expected standards. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements on overall standards or achievement in design and

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

technology, music, art and design and physical education.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal development is good as a result of the school’s good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem. They behave well, get on well with one another and have positive attitudes to their schoolwork. Their attendance is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

In Years 1 to 6, the school provides a satisfactory education . The school’s curriculum is satisfactory. It is broad and reasonably balanced, although aspects of the curriculum for ICT and religious education are not covered in sufficient detail. The curriculum is greatly enhanced by excellent opportunities for residential trips. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers make good use of teaching assistants and other support in the classrooms to help pupils with their learning. However, their expectations are not always high enough, especially for the more able pupils. There are effective systems for tracking pupils’ progress in English and mathematics but not in other subjects. In the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes), the school offers a rich and stimulating curriculum and teaching and assessment are good. The school provides good levels of care so that pupils receive good support and guidance. There are good links with parents and the

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall leadership of the school is satisfactory . The headteacher provides good leadership and gives the school a clear sense of direction. A restructured management team with clearly defined roles gives sound support. Teamwork is good, with all staff working well together for the benefit of the pupils. The school has a positive ethos and staff show a clear commitment to raising standards. The school is well organised and managed and runs smoothly. Under the direction of the headteacher, the school now has better systems for evaluating its own performance. Assessment information is now used more effectively to monitor pupils’ progress and to set targets for improvement in English and mathematics but need to be extended to other subjects. The governance of the school is satisfactory. The work of the governing body is well directed by the chair of governors. The governing body conducts its business efficiently, provides good levels of support

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

and ensures that statutory responsibilities are fully met. The school’s finances are managed well.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents view the school positively. A very large majority say they feel welcome in school. They believe that the teaching is good and that the school helps their children become mature. However, a significant minority do not feel well informed about their children’s progress. Pupils like their school and their teachers, although a minority of them report concerns about the behaviour of other pupils.

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

• maintain efforts to improve standards in writing and reading; • improve standards in mathematics, science, ICT and religious education by Year 6; • raise the attainment of more able pupils in the junior years; and • build upon the recent improvements made in assessment procedures.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ overall achievement is not good enough . Children in the Nursery and Reception classes achieve well and are in line to achieve or exceed the expected standards in all the recommended areas of learning. Pupils’ achievement by Year 2 is satisfactory. Although pupils’ progress since the beginning of the year is generally satisfactory, standards in Year 6 are below average; the legacy of past underachievement. Too few pupils are working at levels higher than those expected for their ages.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well in the Nursery and Reception classes. • Children in the Reception class are likely to exceed expected standards in their personal and social development, knowledge and understanding of the world and in physical and creative development. • Standards are above average in speaking and listening across the school. • Standards in reading and writing are below average by Year 6. • Standards are below average in mathematics, science, ICT and religious education in Year 6. • Higher attaining pupils are not attaining as well as they should. • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported; they achieve well in the infants and satisfactorily in the junior years.

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Commentary

1. When children start school, their attainment is broadly in line with that expected for their age . However, they enter school with a wide range of abilities and overall levels of attainment vary between cohorts. Evidence from assessments of pupils as they left the Reception class in 2003, shows that the children made secure progress and achieved in a satisfactory way, attaining the national goals set by the end of the year in most areas of learning. However, standards were below average in reading, writing and in using numbers.

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Commentary

2. The table below shows that, in the Year 2 tests in 2003, standards were average in reading, below average in writing and well below average in mathematics. The table also shows that results were better the previous year. Over the past five years, the overall trend in results has been below the national trend of improvement, primarily because of the fall in results in 2003. However, over the same period, results have been average or slightly above average in reading and writing, except in 2003, when standards in writing were lower. In mathematics, the three- year average is similar to the national picture. There is little variation in the performance between boys and girls.

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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 15.8 (16.2) 15.7 (15.8) writing 13.9 (14.8) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 15.3 (17.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 41 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. West Witney Primary School - 7 3. The table below shows that results in the 2003 tests for Year 6 were well below the national average in English and below the averages for mathematics and science. For the past three years, results have been slightly below average in English and science and slightly above in mathematics. The overall trend in results in the past five years has been broadly in line with the national trend. This is mainly due to an improvement in mathematics. However, in English and science, results have not matched the national trend of improvement. The overall performance of the school in the 2003 tests was well below that of similar schools. The comparative

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Commentary

performance of boys and girls matches the national pattern.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 24.9 (26.9) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 26.4 (27.5) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.5 (29.0) 28.6 (28.3) There were 48 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

4. Children achieve well in the Nursery and Reception classes because provision is good. Good early learning experiences in the Nursery give children a firm foundation for school life. Children in the Reception class are on course to attain the expected standards in communication, language and literacy and mathematics. The development of reading, writing and numeracy is given a high priority and skills in reading, writing and mathematics are as expected by the end of the Reception class. Standards in speaking and listening are above the expected levels. Standards and achievement in personal and social development are good and most children will exceed the standard expected by the end of the Reception class. Standards are also above the expected levels in knowledge and understanding of the world and in physical and creative development.

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Commentary

5. Owing to a number of factors outside the control of the current management, standards have declined since the last inspection. The school paid insufficient notice to the decline in English standards, partly because of deficiencies in its assessment arrangements and partly through a lack of attention to national test results. While the school made reasonable efforts to address the weaknesses in mathematics identified in the last inspection, it made insufficient efforts in science. The current headteacher has put in place a number of appropriate measures to tackle this underachievement. These are too recent to rectify completely the legacy of past underachievement but their impact on standards is discernable in terms of current achievement.

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Commentary

6. Pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 is now generally satisfactory and standards are at expected levels by Year 2. Standards in Year 3 are below expectations, in part reflecting the higher than usual proportion of lower attaining pupils. There is evidence to indicate that standards in Years 4 and 5 are relatively better than those in Year 6. The poor achievement of Year 6 pupils in the 2003 national test results is still evident but standards in the present Year 6 cohort are higher than last year, albeit still below average. Generally, pupils in Years 3 to 6 have made satisfactory progress from the beginning of this academic year but from below average levels.

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Commentary

7. Standards in English, mathematics and ICT are average by Year 2 but, by Year 6, they are below average and not as good as at the last inspection. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above average throughout the school. Pupils’ reading and writing skills are less well developed. They reach an average standard by Year 2, but they are below average by Year 6. Teachers give pupils few opportunities to develop research skills. Year 6 pupils are inaccurate West Witney Primary School - 8 in their spelling, use limited punctuation and do not often write at length or use a style that engages the reader. The presentation of their work is unsatisfactory. Most pupils’ numeracy and ICT skills are satisfactory by Year 2. However, in Year 6 , the proportion of pupils likely to achieve expected standards in numeracy or to exceed them is lower than that typically found. Standards in aspects of ICT, including work on spreadsheets and the Internet are below

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Commentary

8. In science, standards are below average across the school. However, recent improvements to the school’s provision, in particular the good emphasis on teaching scientific skills through practical work, is beginning to have an positive impact and pupils are now making satisfactory progress in developing their scientific skills. In religious education, standards have fallen since the last inspection and Year 6 pupils’ knowledge and understanding is unsatisfactory because topics are not covered in sufficient depth.

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Commentary

9. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in history and geography and standards are as expected in Years 2 and 6. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements on overall standards or achievement in design and technology, music, art and design and physical education. Standards were in line with expected levels in the few lessons seen in these subjects.

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Commentary

10. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in the infant classes and satisfactorily in the junior years. Throughout the school, pupils are given very specifically targeted work. In the younger classes in particular, the general class work, which focuses on basic skills, meets these pupils’ needs well. The more able pupils in particular are underachieving in the junior years. The proportion of pupils working at levels higher than those expected for their ages in English, mathematics and science is not high enough. In the 2003 tests for English, mathematics and science, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels was well below average. No significant differences were noted between the performances of boys and girls, except for a handful of Year 6 boys whose indifferent attitudes to learning slow their achievement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' attitudes, values and other personal qualities are promoted well . The rate of attendance is very good. Pupils have a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem and are prepared to take on responsibilities when asked. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and most pupils behave well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Nursery and Reception classes have very positive attitudes towards school and behave very well. • Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are good, although some older boys in particular do not apply themselves to their work as well as they could. • The school deals very effectively with all forms of harassment. • Pupils’ social and moral development is promoted well. Pupils throughout the school have a good level of self-confidence and self-esteem and are willing to take on responsibilities. • The school's provision for developing pupils' spiritual and cultural development is good. • The level of attendance is high.

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Commentary

11. Children settle into the Nursery and Reception classes very well and soon get to know the routines. They have very positive attitudes to learning and generally behave very well because West Witney Primary School - 9 of the wide range of exciting and stimulating educational activities provided. By the end of the Reception Year, most pupils will exceed the expected standard in personal, social and emotional development.

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Commentary

12. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They generally respond well to their teachers and are keen to answer questions, find things out for themselves and complete tasks in lessons. Most pupils behave well in lessons and teachers usually promote a good working environment. In some lessons however, work is not matched well enough to pupils’ learning needs and this leads to some restless behaviour. A few older boys in particular do not apply themselves to their work as well as they could.

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Commentary

13. Behaviour around the school is good. Pupils move sensibly and in an orderly manner around the school. They are very well behaved in assembly, listening attentively and appreciatively. They behave well at playtime and lunchtime, playing well together under good levels of supervision. There are clear systems for rewarding good behaviour. The procedures for dealing with poor behaviour are known to all staff, parents and pupils. Parents and pupils are satisfied that the rare incidents of bullying and oppressive behaviour are taken seriously and dealt with promptly and effectively. In discussion with pupils, it was clear that they know what to do if they have a problem.

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Exclusions

There was one fixed-period exclusion in the last year, which was managed appropriately.

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Exclusions

14. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and spiritual development is good. Throughout the school, most pupils display a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem. They speak confidently and articulately in class and are happy to take on responsibilities and perform tasks around the school. For example, the younger children tidy up after themselves, act as class monitors and take the registers back to the office. The older pupils act as 'buddies' to the younger pupils at playtime and during the lunch hour and help ensure that these are happy and friendly when everyone co-operates well. Every class, including those in the special needs unit, has elected members to the school council. This ensures that the views of children of all ages and abilities are taken into account and enables them to help make decisions about the school. The excellent opportunities for residential trips make a significant contribution to pupils’

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Exclusions

15. The school works hard to develop good relationships and moral and social development is well promoted throughout the school. This encourages pupils to distinguish right from wrong, develop their own views and beliefs and value and respect each other. Spiritual and cultural development is promoted well in the daily act of worship and in lessons. The school strives to provide guidance and food for thought during the daily acts of worship that help the pupils become better people in some way. For example, pupils are taught to use sign language to help them communicate with the deaf. They learn to understand about and respect the festivals and beliefs of their own and others' cultures assemblies and in religious education, history and geography lessons and also through art and music.

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Exclusions

16. The rate of attendance has improved slightly since the last inspection and is very good. Nearly all pupils have high attendance records. Registration procedures are very thorough and records show a high level of attendance. Parents are conscientious about informing the school why their child is absent. Most absence is due to illness, although a small proportion is because families taking holidays during term time. No unauthorised absences were recorded in the 2002/3 school year. The school takes all appropriate steps to promote good attendance, completes registers conscientiously and uses the services of the educational social worker West Witney Primary School - 10 well. Most pupils are punctual to school and for lessons during the day. However, a small minority of pupils arrive late for school in the morning without good reason.

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Exclusions

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Exclusions

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.8 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes) is good and it is satisfactory in Years 1 to 6. The school provides a rich and stimulating curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage and a broad and reasonably balanced curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6, greatly enhanced by excellent opportunities for residential trips. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but good in the Foundation Stage. There are effective systems for tracking pupils’ progress in English and mathematics but not in other subjects. The support, advice and guidance for pupils are good. The school’s links with parents and the community are good.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. Teachers regularly assess what pupils have learnt in lessons. There are effective systems for tracking pupils’ progress in English and mathematics and regular assessments in science but not in other subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning in the Reception and Nursery classes are good. • Teachers make good use of teaching assistants and other support in the classrooms to help pupils with their learning. • Teachers have good relationships with pupils who consequently feel confident about expressing their views and opinions. • Teachers’ expectations are not always high enough especially for the more able pupils. • Assessment procedures are good in the Nursery and Reception classes. • There are effective systems for tracking pupils’ performance and setting targets for improvement in English and mathematics but not in other subjects. • Measures to help pupils know how they might further improve are not well established.

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Commentary

17. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Although there was a small amount of unsatisfactory teaching, nearly six in every ten lessons were good or better. These figures are similar to those at the last inspection. Teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is good. Teaching in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory overall. Teaching of English and mathematics are satisfactory, although there are shortcomings in the teaching of writing. In Years 3 to 6 pupils are taught in ability groups for mathematics. This is a useful way in addressing the different learning needs of pupils in mixed-age classes. Teaching of science is good in the juniors and satisfactory in the infants. In the computer suite, teaching of specific ICT skills is often good but overall pupils’ learning in ICT is satisfactory.

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Commentary

18. Teachers are conscientious in lesson planning. All lessons have a clear focus and learning intentions are generally shared with pupils. Teachers show a sound range of teaching skills West Witney Primary School - 11 with effective questioning, clear explanations and demonstrations and sound use of resources. Teachers encourage the pupils well to work both independently and co-operatively. This provides them with good opportunities to understand new skills through discussion with their peers. Teachers have a satisfactory grasp of their subjects and are competent in their management of pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 46 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 9 (20%) 17 (37%) 17 (37%) 3 (7%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

19. One in five lessons was very good, which is an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers have good relationships with pupils so they feel confident about expressing their views and opinions. Opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking skills are good overall. In the best lessons teachers build well on pupils’ prior learning, matching work appropriately to their different learning needs and their good management skills ensure a productive learning environment, keeping pupils well focused on their tasks.

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Commentary

20. Teachers make good use of teaching assistants and other support in the classrooms to help pupils with their learning. Support staff work well alongside the class teachers and effectively interact with pupils, ensuring that individuals increase their understanding. Learning support for pupils with special educational needs is good, partly because classroom assistants pay them close attention and use variety of approaches to help them. Teachers and learning support assistants work well together to support these pupils, providing well planned work.

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Commentary

21. The quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation stage is good in all the areas of learning. Teachers have a good understanding of the way in which young children learn best. Children settle into school happily and quickly develop good attitudes to learning. The teaching of social skills is good and children develop a good understanding of how to behave and awareness of others’ needs. Children achieve well because they are willing to attempt new tasks and persevere with them. Adults take a genuine interest in what the children see and do and are careful to use appropriate language to make children’s experiences meaningful and memorable. Literacy and numeracy are taught well although sometimes when teaching takes place with larger groups, learning is less effective. A strength in teaching is the wide range of stimulating activities and resources that help foster and develop children’s understanding of the

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Commentary

22. Teachers do not always achieve the right balance between the time spent on their introductions and explanations and the time allowed for pupils to reflect and respond. Teachers do not always plan the use of time effectively. Sometimes there is an imbalance between the input from teachers and opportunities for active learning. For example, in some science lessons, the time spent on planning the investigation left too little time for pupils to test their predictions. Two English lessons were unsatisfactory because too little time was allowed for pupils to complete the written task.

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Commentary

23. Teachers’ expectations are not always high enough. Although many lessons proceed at a brisk pace, this is not always the case. A weakness in some lessons is a loss of the pace in learning when pupils settle to working individually or in pairs. Teachers often do not provide the more able pupils with different work to extend their learning. Expectations of the presentation of West Witney Primary School - 12 work are variable. Some teachers promote good standards of presentation while others accept slapdash and untidy work. Assessing pupils’ progress

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Commentary

24. During lessons, teachers regularly check pupils’ learning through questioning and through discussions with them as they do their work. In the concluding part of lessons, they review the progress against the learning objectives and help pupils recall and consolidate their learning. Teachers are conscientious in their marking of pupils’ work but they could do more to indicate to pupils how they might improve further. In addition, there is not a consistent approach to setting individual learning targets to help pupils focus on areas where they need to improve.

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Commentary

25. Assessment in the Foundation Stage is good. Teachers and classroom assistants constantly assess the responses of children as they are teaching them and use this information to help move children's learning forward. They also make regular formal assessments through recorded observations and use the information to record the progress of children in the Nursery and Reception class. This information is recorded each half - term in each child's individual assessment booklet and contributes to the annual reports for parents and to the judgements made about the standards children achieve by the end of the Reception Year. Teachers have begun to use this information to adapt lesson plans but this process is not yet securely in place.

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Commentary

26. Since the last inspection, there has good improvement in arrangements for assessment in English and mathematics. Arrangements for assessments over the long term from Years1 to 6 have improved and are now satisfactory in English and mathematics. In English and mathematics, the school has sound systems for tracking pupils’ progress against national benchmarks, using national optional tests at the end of each year. This is supported by regular assessments of pupils’ achievements and an effective system for recording pupils’ performance, enabling the school to monitor effectively the progress of individual pupils. In science, pupils’ learning is checked regularly but in ICT, there are no whole-school systems to record the progress of the pupils as they move through the school. Teachers undertake no formal assessments in other subject areas.

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The curriculum

The school provides a rich and stimulating curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception classes). The school’s curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory; it is broad and reasonably balanced and is greatly enhanced by excellent opportunities for residential trips.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. • There is a good variety of activities outside the classroom, including an excellent range of residential trips. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Provision for personal, social and health education is good. • The number of teaching and support staff matches pupils’ needs well. • The library is a poor facility. • Aspects of the curriculum for ICT and religious education are not covered in sufficient depth.

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Commentary

27. The school provides a very good curriculum in the Foundation Stage. There is a well thought- out curriculum that reflects good early education practice and meets the children’s learning needs effectively. Many stimulating activities are planned in the Reception and Nursery classes, which help children to achieve well in all the areas of learning. West Witney Primary School - 13 28. In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum is generally broad and balanced, with appropriate attention given to all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. There is a good balance of subjects, so that pupils both learn important skills and have opportunities to be creative in art, music and design and technology. The exception to this is that not all aspects of the curriculum for ICT and religious education are covered in sufficient detail. There are good opportunities for pupils’ personal development. There is a good scheme of work for personal,

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Commentary

social and health education. This includes proper attention to drugs and sex education. Teachers make this curriculum area relevant to pupils by weaving important aspects into other subjects and into daily living in school.

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Commentary

29. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. The curriculum is better planned and organised so that the teaching of knowledge and skills in most subjects builds satisfactorily on previous work. This is supported by sound monitoring of what is taught. The school was slow to implement the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. Planning for the literacy and numeracy lessons is now thorough and takes appropriate account of the recommendations in the national strategies. However, as yet, this has not been fully effective in raising standards because improvements in assessment and planning have only recently taken place and are not fully embedded in practice. Good developments have been the increased opportunities for investigational work in science and greater emphasis on subjects with a practical side to them. Opportunities for the development of skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT across the curriculum

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Commentary

Opportunities for pupils to attend residential courses are excellent. Pupils in every year group from Year 1 to Year 6 have the opportunity to go on a residential trip and stay in other districts, such as Malvern, Cheddar and Glasbury-on-Wye, to carry out a wide variety of activities which contribute very effectively to their learning and to their social skills.

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Commentary

30. There is also a good number of clubs and visits that extend pupils’ curricular opportunities. These include visits to a synagogue as part of their religious education and Cogges Farm Museum. A good range of visits from poets, authors and music groups develop pupils’ interest in their associated subjects. Pupils enjoy a good number of sporting activities. Opportunities to learn an orchestral instrument or to sing in a choir are limited.

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Commentary

31. The school’s aims for inclusion are good but, in practice, its approach to inclusion is satisfactory. Lesson planning still does not always take enough account of differing learning needs of pupils. Consequently, the more able pupils often do not achieve satisfactorily. The school is aware of this and has taken the first steps towards improving the situation with the appointment of one of its management team as the gifted and talented co-ordinator.

p.15

Commentary

32. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The guidelines of the Code of Practice are followed well, with reviews planned and pupils’ comments recorded. Pupils who have statements of special educational needs and entitlements are supported appropriately. All the identified pupils have individual education plans with targets that are well known to the class teachers. The work and the support provided are accurately focused for meeting these targets. They consist of a mixture of classroom-based support and withdrawal of pupils for specific teaching programmes. These intervention programmes are effective but their timing sometimes causes pupils to miss lessons in other subjects.

p.15

Commentary

Accommodation and resources West Witney Primary School - 14 33. The match of teachers and learning support staff to the curriculum is good. There is a good number of support staff to assist teachers in their work with pupils’ individual learning needs. Resources to meet the demands of the curriculum are adequate in most subjects, except for ICT. Resources for ICT are still inadequate and limits the range of learning opportunities but the school has appropriate plans to address this. The school is a clean, attractive building and is well maintained. The grounds are spacious and provide good opportunities for outdoor activities. However, classrooms are arranged in a way that does not facilitate teamwork in year groups. The library is inadequate. It is poorly stocked and its location corridor does not enable pupils to engage in quiet research. This adversely effects pupils’ learning in literacy and hinders the development of pupils’ research skills.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

The procedures to ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are good . The support, advice and guidance for pupils, based on the monitoring of their achievements and personal development are good . The school works well to involve pupils in its work and its developments.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers know pupils well and pupils have a very good and trusting relationship with adults in the school. • Induction arrangements for three and four-year-olds are very good. • Informal support for pupils is good. • Target-setting is not precise enough to ensure all pupils know how to improve. • Pupils have a valuable say about school affairs through the school council. • Not all members of staff are fully trained in matters relating to child protection.

p.16

Commentary

Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety

p.16

Commentary

34. The school provides a caring and supportive environment for its pupils. Teachers know and understand their pupils and their families well. All pupils are able to confide in an adult at school should they encounter a problem or difficulty. Pupils think that their teachers, ‘are one of the best things about their school’, and respect the lunchtime supervisors. There are good procedures in place to ensure the health, welfare and safety of children. Procedures for child protection are satisfactory but further training is needed for some teaching and non-teaching staff. First-aid arrangements are good and all accidents are recorded appropriately.

p.16

Commentary

35. The trusting relationships pupils have with adults ensure that pupils have good personal support and mean the pupils are happy and confident.

p.16

Commentary

36. Assessment data are used well to identify and provide support for pupils with special educational needs and are being effectively used to track the progress of all pupils in English and mathematics. The school is aware that assessment data need to be used better to ensure that the more able reach their potential. Problems with attendance or behaviour are quickly identified and support given. The services of specialists, including the educational social worker, are used well. Rewards are used fairly to promote good attitudes and behaviour. Procedures for setting learning targets for individual pupils are not always consistent and pupils are not always sure whether they achieve as well as they could.

p.16

Commentary

37. Induction arrangements for children entering the Nursery are very good. Children are visited at home prior to visits to the Nursery or Reception class and informal discussions and meetings are held with parents. These arrangements enable children to settle quickly into the necessary routines once they start school. West Witney Primary School - 15 West Witney Primary School - 16 Pupils’ involvement in the school’s work

p.16

Commentary

38. The school takes note of pupils’ views through the school council, which involves representatives from each class from Year 1 and from the adjacent special school. Opportunities are given to collect views from others in their class and to feed back the outcome of meetings. Environmental issues are discussed in personal, social and health education. For example, a group of Year 4 pupils discussed ways of reducing the volume of rubbish produced in school and designed posters to encourage others to compost or recycle waste. Pupils enjoy opportunities to take on responsibility and this contributes to making the school the well-ordered place it is.

p.18

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents are good . The quality of links with the local community is good . The school’s links with other schools and colleges are good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school runs a very good programme of classes to help parents. • Parents express good support for the school, particularly through the Friends of West Witney School. • There are strong links with other schools, especially the nearby special school. • The school listens well to parents’ concerns. • Annual progress reports lack sufficient detail. • Some parents are concerned that formal parents’ evenings are not held often enough.

p.18

Commentary

39. The school has developed a good partnership with parents and seeks to involve them in many aspects of their children’s learning. They are provided with good general information in the prospectus and the governors’ annual report. However, teachers’ annual reports on progress do not provide enough detail about what pupils need to do to improve and what has been learnt in the foundation subjects (such as history, geography, art and design and music). Parents are welcomed into school but feel that the two consultation evenings a year do not provide sufficient opportunity to know how their children are doing. The headteacher holds regular surgeries for parents to discuss their concerns and teachers are available at the end of the day for short discussions.

p.18

Commentary

40. The ‘Friends of West Witney School’ provide active support. They arrange fund-raising and social events. Last year they contributed £3,500 to purchase a projector for the ICT suite and new toys and equipment for the Nursery and Infants classes. Their contributions also helped subsidise transport for the many educational visits made out of school. A group of parents holds termly meetings to produce a parental viewpoint on developments planned for the school.

p.18

Commentary

41. Parents of the younger children are invited to attend a parents’ nurturing course and many parents take up the offer. These courses are an excellent example of the practical support the school provides for parents. Parents provide help in school in a variety of ways, such as assisting in class or with after-school clubs or by accompanying visits.

p.18

Commentary

42. Community links are good. Some members of the community help regularly with reading. The ‘Friends of West Witney School’ annual summer fair is a time when all members of the West Witney Primary School - 17 community can become involved with the school. Harvest festival focuses on helping the elderly in the community, with the distribution of harvest gifts and a tea provided by pupils in Year 6. Youth groups and other local organisations use the school facilities regularly. As part of its project to become an ‘Eco school’, pupils study environmental problems, such as those associated with rubbish, and monitor the energy needs of the school.

p.18

Commentary

43. The Witney partnership of schools provides strong pastoral, curricular and managerial links with the two secondary schools to which pupils transfer and with other primary schools. Heads and deputies meet regularly and joint training sessions are held. Older pupils visit the secondary schools and attend lessons, such as personal, social and health education. All subject coordinators are involved in discussions about the curriculum. Last year, pupils in Year 6 began a transition project in ICT and mathematics which they planned to complete in Year 7. Further development of this initiative is planned. The school has close links with the two classes from the nearby special school accommodated on the school site and pupils from both schools have good opportunities to meet at lunch and playtime, and sometimes in lessons.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall leadership of the school is sound . The headteacher provides good leadership and is soundly supported by other key staff. The overall governance of the school is satisfactory . The school is well managed. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher offers good leadership and gives the school a clear sense of direction. • The work of the governing body is well directed by the chair of governors. • The school has a positive ethos and shows a clear commitment to raising standards. • Teamwork is good, with all staff working well together for the benefit of the pupils. • The school’s finances are managed well. • The school has introduced some effective procedures to monitor its work but it needs to develop further ways of checking how well it is doing.

p.19

Commentary

44. The headteacher provides good leadership. He gives the school a clear sense of direction and shows a good understanding of the school’s strengths and its weaknesses. He has been successful in maintaining those aspects of the school’s provision that parents and governors appreciate while, at the same time, redirecting attention to the weaknesses in pupils’ achievement that had not been previously addressed. He has encouraged a positive ethos in the school that fosters pupils’ personal development and well-being. He has produced a useful school development plan, clearly focused on tackling pupils’ underachievement and raising their attainment. His style of leadership enables other members of staff to develop their management potential, which in turn, is leading to effective leadership within the school.

p.19

Commentary

45. The school has not made sufficient progress since the last inspection. The most significant change since then is that standards in national tests have declined in comparison to the national picture. It is more than five years since the last inspection but it is only in the last year or so that the school has taken satisfactory steps to tackle the key issues. In the four terms that the current headteacher has been in post, the school has focused clearly on raising standards and identifying appropriate whole-school priorities. A range of potentially effective strategies has been implemented but these measures have not had sufficient time to remedy West Witney Primary School - 18 the longer-term underachievement, as the Year 6 test results in 2003 confirm. However, inspection evidence indicates that the decline in standards is being gradually reversed.

p.19

Commentary

46. The level of teamwork amongst the staff is good. All staff support the aims of the school and show good commitment to improving pupils’ achievement and maintaining the good ethos of the school. Subject leadership is improving. Co-ordinators of the core subjects are at the forefront in the school’s recent initiatives and their subject action plans show a clarity of vision and identify the right priorities. In other subjects, co-ordinators have not been so effective because the school has given them low priority in the short term. The special educational needs co-ordinator is knowledgeable and experienced and provides good leadership. Since her recent appointment, the provision for pupils with special educational needs has been modified and is now good. There are plans to improve provision further and to provide further training for the learning support assistants.

p.20

Commentary

47. Management of the school is good, although there are still aspects that need improvement. The school is well organised and runs smoothly. The administrative staff run the school office efficiently. The headteacher delegates responsibilities appropriately and a restructured management team, with clearly defined roles, gives a renewed sense of coherence to the running of the school. The senior management team provides sound support to the headteacher in his efforts to raise standards and improve provision. Staff are appropriately supported by sound procedures for assessing their training needs and procedures for performance management are well established and conducted in a climate of support and development. There is good support for new staff joining the school.

p.20

Commentary

48. Under the direction of the headteacher, the school has become more systematic in reviewing its work and self-evaluation processes have greatly improved. A key issue identified at the last inspection was the weakness in monitoring teachers’ planning and pupils’ standards of work. The school has now adopted appropriate measures to check how well it is doing. Staff are appropriately supported by sound procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of their work. These improved systems are not yet well established. Co-ordinators are now more involved in monitoring and evaluating standards and provision in their subjects. The tracking of pupil progress and target-setting has led to improved monitoring of the school’s performance in English and mathematics. However, in other subjects the lack of effective assessment arrangements means co-ordinators do not have a clear view of standards. The management

p.20

Commentary

49. The school’s finances are managed well. Financial control is generally secure but the allocation of funds to subjects is not based on clearly identified needs. The best value principles are recognised but there is no formal statement to guide practice and ensure that these principles are an integral part of management.

p.20

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.20

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 688,321 Balance from previous year 34,292 Total expenditure 708,065 Balance carried forward to the next 14,548 Expenditure per pupil 2,240

p.20

Financial information

Governance West Witney Primary School - 19 50. The governing body makes a sound contribution to the work of the school. It provides appropriate levels of support and shows sound understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. It generally uses this information to challenge the management of the school but it needs to be more aware of weaknesses in pupils’ achievement and standards. The work of the governing body is well directed by the chair of governors who has worked effectively to strengthen its overall role. The governing body has good procedures for conducting its business efficiently and ensuring that statutory responsibilities are fully met. Some decision- making powers are delegated to appropriate committees but the major decisions are rightly made by the full governing body. Governors monitor progress towards the targets in the school development plan but there is no formal evaluation of the impact of the actions taken on the

p.20

Financial information

work of the school. Governors’ involvement in helping shape future priorities is therefore not as effective as it might be. West Witney Primary School - 20

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage (the Nursery and Reception classes) is good .

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. The school works closely with parents to prepare the children for school by visiting them at home and by inviting them to visit school before starting.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. Children enter school with a wide range of abilities but overall, their attainment is broadly average. Evidence from assessments of pupils as they left the Reception class in 2003 shows that the children made secure progress and achieved in a satisfactory way, attaining the national goals set by the end of the year in most areas of learning. However, standards were below average in reading, writing and in using numbers.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. The children in the Reception class are in line to attain the expected standards in communication, language and literacy and mathematics, and above average standards in their personal and social development and knowledge and understanding of the world and in their physical and creative development.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good overall. Currently, the headteacher is acting as co-ordinator. He is well aware of the importance of this stage of education and ensures that there is a well- thought out curriculum that reflects good early education practice. In each class the teachers, teaching assistants and parents work well together. All available space and resources are used well, indoors and out. However, the location of the classrooms, coupled with the current admissions policy whereby children are admitted every term, means that the staff in each class cannot work together as closely as they would like and transition from class to class is not as smooth as it otherwise would be.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. Comparisons with the previous report are difficult as the curriculum and assessment requirements for the Foundation Stage have changed a great deal. However, good progress has been made in implementing these new national initiatives.

p.22

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above expected levels. • The children settle into school well and quickly learn the routines established buy the school and by their own teachers. • Children have very positive attitudes to learning and usually behave very well. • Relationships between the staff and children and amongst the children themselves are very good. • Self-confidence and good self-esteem are promoted very well.

p.22

Commentary

56. Attainment is above the nationally expected levels and achievement in this area of learning is good. Most children should exceed the standards expected by the end of the Reception class. Teaching in this area of learning is good. In the Nursery and Reception classes, the teachers and their assistants ensure that children quickly learn the correct way to behave. Adults encourage the development of social skills in a variety of ways. Children are constantly encouraged to take turns and share. All are encouraged to join in, try new things and persevere West Witney Primary School - 21 with tasks. In both classes, children quickly learn to select what they need because all the resources needed are easily accessible. Children tidy up quickly at the end of sessions. They are keen to help and generally behave very well. They have very positive attitudes to learning and relationships are very good. At the end of each session, children are routinely given the

p.22

Commentary

opportunity to reflect on how well they have achieved. They receive well-deserved praise for their work. This helps to raise their self-esteem and to foster an, 'I can’, ethos where children are prepared to attempt new tasks with confidence.

p.23

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good overall.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in speaking and listening are above expected levels. • Adults place a high priority on developing children’ speaking and listening skills. • Good opportunities are provided for children to practise reading and writing. • More high-quality picture books are needed for book corners and for use with large groups. • Teaching of reading in larger groups is not always as effective as it might be.

p.23

Commentary

57. Standards in speaking and listening are above average by the end of the Reception class. Children are given good opportunities to share news and contribute to question and answer sessions. All adults ask questions designed to make children think hard and help them to increase their vocabulary in all subjects across the curriculum. Support for pupils with speech and language delay is satisfactory.

p.23

Commentary

58. Standards in reading and writing are average and most children will attain the standards expected at the end of the Reception Year. The development of reading and writing skills is given a high priority. From the earliest days in Nursery, children find their own name and put it in the correct place to show that they are present. The written word enhances the displays in both the Nursery and the Reception class and children have opportunities learn letters and sounds through playing board games and when using the computer. They watch adults demonstrate writing and have opportunities to practise writing when playing. Children routinely take books home to practise reading. However, the selection of picture books to look at and share in class and the range of big books for teaching is inadequate. This is particularly true in the Reception class, where space is limited and there is insufficient room to give the book corner appropriate

p.23

Commentary

emphasis by making it enticing and appealing to use.

p.23

Commentary

59. In many lessons, teachers reinforce initial sounds and encourage the reading of simple words. This is done in both large and small groups but, sometimes in the larger groups particularly, the work is insufficiently challenging. Occasionally, some children cause distraction to others by calling out or getting up to point things out without permission. This slows the progress of all children in the group.

p.23

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good overall.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching and learning of practical mathematical skills are organised well. • Adults constantly use the language of mathematics to help move learning forward. • Number skills are taught well. West Witney Primary School - 22 • Occasionally groups are too large and sometimes mathematical words for measurement are used incorrectly.

p.23

Commentary

60. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and pupils achieve well because all adults give the learning of mathematics a high priority. Teaching is generally better when adults work with children in small groups, using well-designed games and activities that help children to learn in a practical way. They question the children whilst they are engaged in a variety of activities and are good at getting them to count and recognise numbers, shapes and size. As a result, children are likely to reach the level expected at the end of the Reception Year.

p.24

Commentary

61. In the Nursery, children are learning to recognise and order numbers to 20. In one lesson seen, the teacher asked questions and used numbers suitable for the ability of each child and invited children to help order and display the numbers. However, in an otherwise very good lesson, the size of the group meant that children had few opportunities to actively engage with the task. In a lesson seen in the Reception class about height, there was a very good introduction to the lesson with the teacher and classroom assistant working together well to demonstrate ‘tallest’, ‘taller’ and ‘shortest’ and ‘shorter’.

p.24

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well because teaching is good. • Teachers provide a wide range of exciting activities. • Topics are well planned and help children to practise skills in a meaningful context.

p.24

Commentary

62. Children achieve well and make good progress. By the end of the Reception Year, most children are likely to attain standards above those typically found nationally in most aspects of this area of learning. Children in both classes show great interest in exploring and investigating, designing and making things for themselves and in using the computers. Every day, children engage in a great many activities that help foster and develop their understanding of science, history, geography and technology. A good example of this is the project about the Chinese New Year. This not only helps children develop an understanding of other cultures but encompasses reading, writing, music and art.

p.24

Commentary

63. Children’s good achievement is due to good teaching. Pupils’ learning is good because teachers have a good understanding of the way in which young children learn best. The resources provided for the children are very exciting and stimulating, inviting exploration. In the Nursery, children experiment using different materials for building as part of their topic about the Three Little Pigs. In the Reception class, children studied the habitat of bears as part of their work about Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Then they used different materials to create an appropriate backdrop for bears from different parts of the world. As part of this topic, children used non-fiction books for research prior to making their pictures.

p.24

Commentary

64. ICT is used well to support children's learning across the curriculum. The children use computers every day and they soon learn to switch them on, select the program they need and use the mouse effectively to play simple number and alphabet games. Teachers also use them to follow up children's interests. During the inspection, snow was expected and one child in the Nursery had shown a great interest with the weather forecast. The teacher found a suitable program to enable him to be a 'weather man'. West Witney Primary School - 23 65. Opportunities for building and making form a large part of the curriculum in the Foundation Stage. This helps children learn to persevere, concentrate well and take a pride in their work. By the time the children are in the Reception class, they are happy to set unfinished work aside and return to it later in the week.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above expected levels. • The quality of teaching is good and children achieve well. • The Reception class garden is too small for wheeled toys and large apparatus.

p.25

Commentary

66. Standards overall are above expected levels. In the Nursery, the outdoor area is used well to enhance all areas of learning. Here, the children have the opportunity to use large wheeled toys and further develop their co-ordination and awareness of space. The outdoor space is also used well in the Reception class but there is insufficient room for wheeled toys and climbing activities.

p.25

Commentary

67. In both the Nursery and Reception classes, teaching and learning are good and a range of very interesting indoor and outdoor activities help children develop fine and large movements. As a result pupils achieve well. Muscle control is fostered well indoors through use of chalks, pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, paint, small toys and construction kits. In these skills, children are likely to exceed the standard expected for their age by the end of the Reception Year.

p.25

Commentary

68. Once the Reception class children are sufficiently settled, their class teacher plans to use the school hall for more formal lessons, where physical skills can be systematically developed. At the time of the inspection, these lessons had not started. However, on evidence seen from the children playing outside, it is likely that children will achieve the expected levels at the end of the Reception Year.

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children's imagination and creativity are developed well through a variety of interesting and exciting activities. • Skills are taught very well when children are working directly with an adult. • There are plenty of opportunities provided for children to practise the skills that they are taught and, as a result, children achieve well.

p.25

Commentary

69. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are taught skills in a wide range of art activities and are given sufficient time to revisit them and practise on their own. A wide variety of interesting and exciting activities and experiences are readily available to the children. Good opportunities are provided to experiment with making models from junk, cutting, sticking and experimenting with a variety of materials and tools. Children make collages, paint pictures and West Witney Primary School - 24 use a variety of printing techniques. They also play imaginatively with small toys such as dolls' houses, road layouts and model animals, inventing story-lines and scenarios.

p.25

Commentary

70. Good opportunities are also provided for children to develop an interest in music. Percussion instruments are displayed so children can experiment with them. During the inspection, children were invited to practise making Chinese music and use models of animals to recreate the story of the origin of Chinese New Year. Both the Nursery and Reception class are well equipped with indoor and outdoor role-play areas. Clothes to dress up in are provided to fire children's imaginations. The adults sometimes join in the children's games to help them co- operate with one another and to move children's learning forward. During the inspection, four Reception class boys were re-enacting the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They were co-operating together very well and changed the story to provide Goldilocks with breakfast. As a result of good provision, children of all abilities achieve well, make good

p.26

Commentary

progress and are likely to exceed the standards expected by the end of their Reception Year.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement in English by Year 6 is unsatisfactory. • Standards in reading are below average and in writing well below average by Year 6. • Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are good. • Support for pupils with special educational needs is good. • The leadership and management of the co-ordinator are good. • The breadth of the curriculum is good. • Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work does not help them to improve. • The library is a poor resource for learning.

p.26

Commentary

71. Standards are average by Year 2 but by Year 6 they are below average and not as high as at the last inspection. The achievement of pupils by Year 2 is satisfactory but unsatisfactory by Year 6. Although pupils achieve well in developing their speaking and listening skills across the school, pupils’ writing skills in particular have not improved sufficiently by Year 6. More able pupils in particular are underachieving. This applies to both boys and girls. The achievement of pupils with special education needs is satisfactory. Good support enables these pupils to make at least satisfactory and sometimes good progress.

p.26

Commentary

72. Results in the 2003 national tests for Year 2 pupils were in line with the national average for reading but below average for writing. Despite a dip in results in 2003, the three-year average for the school was marginally higher than the national picture in reading and in line with the national average in writing. Results for Year 6 pupils in 2003 were well below the national average, with a very low proportion of pupils achieving higher levels. The results in 2003 were particularly poor as the three-year average is only slightly below the national picture. Nevertheless, results in the last two years have dropped significantly. Inspection findings suggest that the school is beginning to reverse this trend but not sufficiently for pupils in Year 6 to reach expected levels by the end of this academic year.

p.26

Commentary

73. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above average throughout the school. By Year 2, they are sufficiently confident to express their opinions about books to an adult. Using complex sentences, they happily join in class discussions and perform semi-improvised drama without embarrassment. Pupils listen well to one another in these contexts. This was particularly West Witney Primary School - 25 noticeable in two very good lessons where pupils re-enacted a fairy tale. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed using language in an inventive way. By Year 6, pupils can hold an extended conversation with other individuals, either adults or one another, using direct eye contact. This includes pupils with special educational needs. It is prompted by the good relationships they have with teachers and the assistants.

p.26

Commentary

74. Pupils’ reading skills are less well developed. They reach an average standard by Year 2, but they are below average by Year 6. Most seven-year-old pupils have good strategies for reading new words. They show their understanding of a story by talking about its plot and the main characters. More able pupils discuss the feelings experienced by individual characters. However, too many pupils do not achieve satisfactory standards of fluency and expression by the time they reach Year 6. Moreover, the current Year 6 pupils are not knowledgeable about books. For example, only the highest attaining pupils can discuss and compare different authors. Pupils have limited knowledge of non-fiction books and of how to locate and use them in a library. This stems from the few opportunities teachers give pupils to develop research skills. The library is unattractive and inappropriately sited in a corridor. There are too few books

p.27

Commentary

and many are out-of-date and displayed in a way that does not encourage pupils’ interest.

p.27

Commentary

75. Attainment in writing is average by Year 2 but well below national expectations by Year 6. Seven year-old pupils have achieved satisfactorily in writing accurate English, and the higher attaining pupils are beginning to use an interesting vocabulary. However, 11 year-olds are inaccurate in their English, including their spelling and handwriting. This partly arises from carelessness. Furthermore, they do not often write at length, introduce speech or use a style that engages the reader.

p.27

Commentary

76. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory with good organisation and management of pupils. Where teaching is very good, there are often opportunities for pupils to be active as well as to make personal contributions to discussions. This occurred in a Year 2 drama lessons where pupils constructively evaluated one another’s performances. However, although teachers follow the National Literacy Strategy, they are still working out ways to use it to motivate pupils to enjoy writing. They do not follow lessons up by paying attention to pupils’ accuracy and presentation when marking their work. Furthermore, pupils’ targets for learning are too vague. Consequently, pupils do not know how to improve. Pupils with special educational needs are the exception. Support for these pupils is good, partly through a range of support strategies in groups and partly through the close attention given by classroom

p.27

Commentary

77. The current headteacher quickly identified weaknesses in writing standards and rightly made this a school priority. The co-ordinator provides good leadership and is at the forefront of the school’s recent initiatives designed to raise standards. These include broadening the curriculum, to include a good variety of ways for pupils to use language and improving systems for assessment. She has worked with the staff to establish systems for tracking pupils’ progress so that planning is more relevant to their needs. Along with the staff, she recognises that standards are not as good as they should be and, consequently, the subject action plan sets challenging targets for the school to reach. The quality of provision is satisfactory overall although the recent initiatives have not had time to lead to necessary improvements.

p.27

Literacy across the curriculum

78. There are a satisfactory number of opportunities for pupils to use their literacy skills to develop their learning in other subjects. For example, they frequently record their poems and stories using a computer. Pupils write accounts of the lives of historical figures, such as Florence Nightingale, and write instructions on health-related topics, such as how to maintain healthy teeth. West Witney Primary School - 26

p.27

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in Year 2 and pupils make good progress in developing their numeracy skills. • Despite sound teaching in Year 6, pupils’ achievement remains unsatisfactory and standards are below average. • The school has effective systems for monitoring the performance of pupils but more needs to be done to indicate to pupils how they might improve further.

p.28

Commentary

79. Standards are average in Year 2 but below average at the end of Year 6. In the junior years, the proportion of pupils working at levels higher than those expected for their ages is not high enough. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. There is little difference between the achievement of boys and girls except in Year 6,, where a small number of more able boys do not apply themselves as well as they could.

p.28

Commentary

80. Results in the national tests in 2003 for Year 2 pupils were well below average. However, despite a sharp fall in results in 2003, the three-year average is similar to the national picture and the general pattern in results has matched the national trend of improvement. The proportion of pupils achieving higher levels was close to the national average in 2003. Results in the national tests for Year 6 pupils in 2003 were below the national average, mainly because very few pupils achieved the higher levels. The results in 2003 were lower than those for the two previous years and the three-year average is slightly better than the national picture. Results have improved steadily since the last inspection and, despite the dip in 2003, the rate of improvement has been better than the national trend.

p.28

Commentary

81. Notwithstanding the results in the 2003 tests, nearly all the pupils in the current Year 2 are in line to achieve the expected levels by the end of the year and the proportion of pupils likely to exceed national expectations is similar to that typically found nationally. This represents satisfactory achievement. In Year 2 pupils of all levels of ability make clear progress in their number work and have sound numeracy skills. Most can order and sequence numbers to 100 and do simple addition and subtraction, applying their skills to simple money problems. More able pupils are developing a sound understanding of multiplication, working with multiples of 2 and 4 and have a sound understanding of place value. Pupils have a sound understanding of the properties of two and three-dimensional shapes. Nearly all pupils in Year 1 are working at or above the level appropriate for their ages.

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Commentary

82. In Years 3 to 6 standards vary between different year cohorts. Standards are below average in Year 3 but this is because the group has a higher than average number of pupils with special educational needs.

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Commentary

83. Inspection evidence and the school’s assessments confirm that standards in the current Year 6 are higher than those of last year’s cohort but are still below average. However, an analysis of pupils’ work shows that they have made satisfactory progress since the beginning of this academic year. Nevertheless, their achievement is unsatisfactory. The majority of pupils have a sound grasp of the four operations with number and can do simple word problems. However, there is a larger than average proportion of the year group working below expected levels and not many pupils working at levels higher than normally found. Standards are relatively higher in Year 5 and in Year 4 they are typical of those found nationally. Standards of presentation vary from being good in some classes to unsatisfactory in Year 6.

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Commentary

84. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in infant and junior classes although it is good in the Year 2 classes. In lessons seen, teaching was at least satisfactory and West Witney Primary School - 27 sometimes good. An improvement since the last inspection is the clear emphasis on developing basic number skills. Teachers take due account of the National Numeracy Strategy in planning lessons. Lessons are mostly carefully planned. There is a clear focus to all lessons but inconsistencies remain in how teachers share the learning objectives with pupils. The start of lessons is usually good with effective questioning, clear explanations and a good emphasis on developing pupils’ mental arithmetic skills. In the best lessons, the brisk start to the lesson is maintained throughout, while a shortcoming in some other lessons is the slacking of the pace of learning when pupils settle to working individually or in pairs. Learning support

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Commentary

assistants provide effective support for the lower-attaining pupils. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are taught in ability groups. This is a useful strategy in addressing the different learning needs of pupils in mixed age classes but more needs to be done to extend the more able. Teaching is good in Year 2 because there is good emphasis on developing pupils’ numeracy skills and because the main activities extend the learning objectives of the lesson well. Teachers manage their classes well ensuring a productive learning environment and keeping pupils well focused on their tasks.

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Commentary

85. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Over the last year, the co-ordinator has begun to develop her monitoring role satisfactorily. She now has a sound overview of standards and provision, enabling her to form a sound plan for improvement. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. Assessment procedures have improved. Teachers undertake regular assessments of pupils’ achievement and an effective system for tracking pupils’ performance is now in place, enabling the school to monitor effectively the progress of individual pupils. However, while teachers are conscientious in marking pupils’ work, they could do more to indicate to pupils how they might further improve. In addition, there is not a consistent approach to setting individual learning targets to help pupils focus on areas where they need to improve.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

There are some examples of the use of numeracy skills in other subjects such as in science and geography. However, such opportunities are not sufficiently planned for and are not frequent enough to help pupils improve their skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Years 2 and 6 are below average because potentially higher attaining pupils are underachieving. • The subject co-ordinators act as good role models with their very good teaching in the upper junior classes and are starting to raise standards. • There has been good development of pupils’ enquiry skills since the last inspection but sometimes pupils have insufficient time to undertake practical work in lessons. • Recent leadership in the subject has been effective but the non-specialist teachers need more support and guidance.

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Commentary

86. The school has not yet satisfactorily addressed the key issue from the last inspection on raising standards in science. Standards are below average in Years 2 and 6. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory by Year 2 but unsatisfactory in year 6. Test results and inspection evidence show that more able pupils with the potential to exceed expected levels do not achieve as well as they should. Lower attaining pupils achieve well. West Witney Primary School - 28 87. Results in the 2003 national tests for Year 6 pupils were below the national average and well below the average for similar schools. While the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level was not far short of the national average, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels was well below average. Results in previous years show a similar pattern. Although there has been a slight improvement in results over time, these have not matched the national

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Commentary

trend of improvement and the average for the last three years is below the national picture. Teachers’ assessments for 2003 show that standards in Year 2 were below the national average.

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Commentary

88. Inspection evidence indicates that most pupils in Year 6 are likely to attain nationally expected standards by the end of the school year but that too few pupils are in line to exceed these. In Year 2, the proportion of pupils currently working at the nationally expected level is broadly average; the percentage likely to attain the higher level is below average. These findings indicate good achievement by lower attaining pupils and by those with special educational needs, owning to the additional support they receive. More able pupils underachieve.

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Commentary

89. The school has been slow to address the barriers to achievement identified at the last inspection. However, improved leadership has led to recent enhancement in the school’s provision. The school has moved away from teaching the subject as part of topic work which detracted from pupils’ scientific learning. There is now a good emphasis on teaching scientific skills through practical work. The subject co-ordinators (past and present) provide good role models for colleagues. The learning needs of the more able pupils have started to be addressed in some older junior classes. For example, in a Year 5 class, all ability groups are achieving very well owing to the very good and focused teaching they receive. In a mixed Years 5 and 6 class, pupils’ scientific thinking is extended through specific challenges.

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Commentary

90. The practical approach the school has introduced has helped Year 2 pupils identify and confidently sort a range of natural and man-made materials. Higher achieving pupils sort materials by their properties and identify how these are used. By Year 6, pupils make predictions and identify elements that need to remain constant in order to devise a fair test. They record their work in tables and in line graphs, using their skills from mathematics lessons well. They write accounts of their scientific investigations independently. This skill is developed systematically throughout Years 3 to 6 and supports effectively the school’s priority to develop pupils’ writing skills. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 recognise the processes of evaporation and condensation but only some of the potentially higher attainers in Year 6 can fully explain and link these processes.

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Commentary

91. The quality of teaching and learning is good in the junior years and satisfactory in the infant years. Throughout the school, teachers build well on pupils’ previous experiences and help them to recall and consolidate their learning. There is a good emphasis on a practical approach although, in some lessons, the length of time planning investigations left too little time for pupils to test their predictions, hindering achievement, particularly of the higher attainers. Teachers use technical language well and this is starting to have a good impact on the pupils’ own language as they explain their observations. In two very good lessons, the teachers constantly challenged all their pupils to explain the reasoning behind their conclusions. However, teachers do not provide the more able pupils with opportunities to conduct enough investigations or to extend their learning through effective questioning. In contrast, the lower

p.30

Commentary

attaining pupils are supported well. For example, in lessons in Year 2, these pupils are given appropriate and challenging work that enables them to achieve well. Pupils enjoy their science lessons and, in all the lessons seen, pupils collaborate and work well together. As yet, there is not sufficient use of ICT to help pupils record and analyse their results.

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Commentary

92. Co-ordination of the subject is now good. The newly appointed co-ordinator has a good understanding of the priorities for improvement. He has started to monitor teaching and learning but it is too soon for this to have had an impact. Not enough guidance is offered to support the non-specialist teachers’ planning particularly by showing them ways to extend the more able pupils. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but systems to track the progress West Witney Primary School - 29 of the pupils as they move through the school are underdeveloped. Teachers do not give pupils learning targets so that they know what they need to do to improve.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below expected levels in Year 6 although they are as expected by the end of Year 2. • There has been a good improvement in resources and hardware since the last report but there are still gaps in provision for the older pupils. • The skills of staff have improved since the last inspection and teachers are now planning for ICT skills to be used across the curriculum.

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Commentary

93. By the end of Year 2, pupils' attainment is in line with that expected nationally. Standards at the end of Year 6 are below those expected because resources for teaching some units of work are insufficient. The standard of work seen in those areas where resources are sufficient, is typical of that that found nationally and the use of ICT across the curriculum is satisfactory. Current achievement in lessons is good in the infants and satisfactory in the Juniors. However pupils’ skills in searching the Internet and in using spreadsheets are below average because they have had too little experience of using them.

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Commentary

94. The school’s updated ICT suite has been operational for only one year. It provides pupils with better access to computers and is a considerable improvement on the previous provision. The school’s leadership and management have shown a good level of enterprise in establishing the suite. Each class has timetabled lessons in the suite and pupils are systematically taught computing skills. However, at present, there is no whole school system in operation for assessing the progress made by individual pupils and this has an adverse effect on their progress.

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Commentary

95. Since the previous inspection, some recent training has improved teachers’ skills and the overall quality of teaching and learning. The overall quality of teaching and learning seen during the inspection was good with some of examples of very good teaching. In the very good lessons, teachers showed a good knowledge of the subject, they set high expectations and they were quick in sorting out pupils’ problems so that no time was lost. For example, in the lesson seen in Year 1, the programme was exactly right for the age group and the tasks were well matched to the needs of different groups of pupils. As a result, pupils showed good attitudes towards learning and achieved well. They were enthusiastic and answered questions sensibly. However, pupils are given insufficient opportunities to use the recently acquired networked laptops in some classes. For example, in a history lesson in Year 6 all the

p.31

Commentary

information needed had been previously downloaded by the teacher and distributed to the pupils to read.

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Commentary

96. The leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject. There is clarity of vision in the priorities of the ICT action plan, which include the purchase of resources necessary to ensure that pupils are offered the full range of ICT opportunities and the introduction of assessment procedures. These initiatives are entirely appropriate. Appropriate plans are also in place to create a school web-site and to establish an ICT club. West Witney Primary School - 30

p.31

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

97. Pupils regularly use word-processing skills when writing in English, history and geography lessons. Sometimes they use the Internet for information in history and geography. There are opportunities to use electronic microscopes in science and ICT programs are used to support reading activities for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers have begun to plan the use of ICT across the curriculum to reinforce the skills taught but cross- curricular linked are sometimes missed.

p.32

Religious education

There is insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on provision in religious education because only two lessons were seen. However, there are obvious weaknesses.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Year 6 are underachieving and standards are below those expected in the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education. • There are weaknesses in the range of learning opportunities provided because the curriculum is not well planned.

p.32

Commentary

98. In Year 6, standards of work are below those expected because topics are not covered in sufficient depth or with sufficient reference to continuity in their learning. In discussions, pupils showed that they are not retaining what they are supposed to have learnt. For example, pupils have recently discussed the Bible and recorded the results of these discussions in their books. However, their responses to the teacher’s questions indicate poor knowledge and understanding of the importance of the Bible. This is a decline since the last inspection. However, standards in Year 4 are in line with those expected.

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Commentary

99. It is not possible to make a secure judgement on the overall quality of teaching and learning because only two lessons were seen. Teaching was good in a Year 4 class with a clear structure that effectively developed the pupils’ awareness of the various books of the New Testament and of the teachings of Jesus. Pupils achieved well because the class teacher read pertinent extracts from the Bible and discussed each one in detail. Pupils with special educational needs were involved well in the discussion and volunteered answers. All pupils were able to record their learning and this task provided opportunity for reflection and consolidation of learning. In the other lesson, the teaching was satisfactory. Good use was made of music to introduce the pupils to the psalms and the class teacher provided a clear explanation of the underlying messages in the text. However, the end of the lesson was not used to enable pupils to share and consolidate their thoughts or reflect upon their learning. In

p.32

Commentary

both lessons, pupils were given tasks that developed their literacy skills well. Pupils’ attitudes were better in the younger class.

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Commentary

100. The subject has had a low profile in the school and there has been insufficient development since the last inspection. Although the curriculum meets statutory requirements and the co- ordinator has provided staff training and written a policy document, teaching is insufficiently linked to the revised locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education. At present there is no monitoring of the coverage of curriculum or its teaching. Visits to places of worship take place but there are few visitors from the faith groups being studied. New artefacts have been purchased for supporting the teaching of the three religions covered, but there are not enough posters and other visual materials to support pupils’ learning. West Witney Primary School - 31

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good emphasis on teaching specific skills but opportunities for pupils to use the library and computers for research are sometimes missed. • Learning is made more relevant and exciting by the contribution of visitors and by educational visits.

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Commentary

101. No lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2 but, from looking at pupils' work and discussions with the co-ordinator, standards are in line with the levels expected nationally in Year 2 and in Year 6. This is the same judgement as at the time of the last inspection. Across the school pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Teachers’ planning and pupils’ work demonstrates that pupils are encouraged to ask questions and make deductions. They investigate different periods of history and look for similarities and differences and they learn how to tell fact from opinion when looking at sources of evidence.

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Commentary

102. The teaching of history is satisfactory overall. Pupils’ learning is satisfactory and there is a good emphasis on them learning relevant historical skills. They are given appropriate opportunities to practise and use their literacy skills in their written work. A good lesson where pupils rehearsed a Greek play, promoted pupils’ speaking and listening skills well and encouraged co-operation very well. Teachers encourage pupils to look things up in reference books but do not always give them the opportunity to find the books for themselves from the school library, unnecessarily providing the books for them. Teachers miss useful opportunities to encourage pupils to use the Internet for research.

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Commentary

103. Leadership is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is new to the role and has had little time to carry out her duties. Resources are satisfactory and the curriculum for history is greatly enhanced by visits to such places as a farm, where pupils in Year 1 discover how life was a hundred years ago. Pupils also visit local museums and a Tudor manor house, where the oldest pupils experience how life was at the time the manor was built. At present, assessment is informal and procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress are not established.

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Geography

104. No overall judgement can be made about provision in geography because no lessons were seen. However, discussions were held with the subject co-ordinator, samples of work were looked at across the school and inspectors spoke to children about their work. Standards in geography by the end of Years 2 and 6 are as expected and all pupils achieve satisfactorily. This judgement is the same as at the time of the last inspection. Examples of work seen in pupils' books show that they cover the required curriculum in geography. Work is planned from a nationally recommended scheme but Junior pupils in mixed-aged lessons often do the same work, regardless of age or level of attainment. Current assessment practices do not provide sufficient information on pupil progress and attainment. Resources are adequate. Residential visits enhance the curriculum for all pupils. West Witney Primary School - 32

p.33

Art and design

Provision for art and design is satisfactory .

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. • There is no system for assessing pupils’ attainment in order to raise standards. • The school does not cater well for talented pupils.

p.34

Commentary

105. There was insufficient work available to make a secure judgement of pupils’ attainment and achievement at the end of Years 2 and 6. Nevertheless, the standard of work seen in other year groups is in line with national expectations. Pupils in Year 2 skilfully used a mixture of painting and printing to contribute to an effective class mural. Pupils in Year 4 made sound progress in developing their awareness of proportion. In lessons seen, pupils with special educational needs attain appropriate standards, but talented pupils did not achieve as well as they could.

p.34

Commentary

106. Teaching and learning is satisfactory but there are shortcomings. Teachers show good general teaching skills such as in their organisation and management of lessons but do not have high enough expectations of talented pupils. Teachers make sound use of resources such as high-quality photographs and older pupils access pictures on the Internet. These resources, together with teachers’ good knowledge and expertise, help raise standards and encourage pupils to apply themselves well to their work. However, over time, the range of media does not stimulate sufficiently pupils’ imagination and teachers do not make sufficient use of ICT to support pupils’ learning. There is insufficient three-dimensional work and such work is usually undertaken in design and technology lessons. There are sometimes sound links with other subjects for example, pupils’ work in history.

p.34

Commentary

107. The part-time teacher who undertakes the role of art co-ordinator provides a good model of teaching. The long-term plans for art provide for progressive teaching of skills linked each term to the work of famous artists such as Georgia O’Keefe or Picasso. Appreciation of their work contributes well to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Overall, the school has maintained the satisfactory provision since the last inspection. Nevertheless, the school has not focused well enough on the subject to develop consistently high standards or to encourage enjoyment. For example, teachers have no means of assessing the quality of pupils’ work, which prevents them from helping pupils to make progress.

p.34

Physical education

Provision in physical education is satisfactory .

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of activities enhances pupils’ learning. • Guidance to support teachers’ planning is outdated and there are no effective procedures for the assessment of pupils’ skills.

p.34

Commentary

108. Standards are as expected by the end of Year 2 and pupils achieve satisfactorily. This is similar to standards reported on at the time of the last inspection. In dance, Year 2 pupils make West Witney Primary School - 33 satisfactory progress in developing their skills and performing simple actions with appropriate control and coordination. Standards in Years 3 and 4 are typical of those seen nationally. In gymnastics, pupils show sound achievement in performing basic actions and movements, using both floor and small apparatus. Pupils engage in activities enthusiastically and energetically but do not always show sufficient desire to improve the quality of their movements.

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Commentary

109. It is not possible to make a secure judgement on the overall quality of teaching in physical education because only a few lessons were seen. The quality of teaching was good in one lesson and satisfactory in two. Lessons are satisfactorily planned so that pupils revised previous learning and gradually built on the skills they have already developed. Teachers paid good attention to health and safety and provided opportunities for pupils to observe the performances. However, they did not ask pupils to appraise the quality of these performances.

p.35

Commentary

110. The school offers good opportunities for pupils to be involved in extra-curricular activities, swimming in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, competitive matches and residential experiences. There is adequate guidance to help teachers plan lessons, but this scheme needs updating. At present, assessment is informal and procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress are not formally established. For example, the school has no way of knowing how many pupils in Year 6 attain the national expectation of swimming at least 25 metres. The co-ordinator is newly in post and has yet to make an impact on the school’s provision for physical education.

p.35

Design and technology

111. This subject was not a focus of the inspection and no lessons were seen. There was insufficient evidence available to make secure judgements about standards or to make a judgement on overall provision. A scrutiny of plans and photographs established that the school covered the statutory curriculum. There is a wide range of tools and kits. There are examples of school links with other subjects. For example, pupils designed and made Tudor instruments. Pupils in Year 6 also designed and made effective props for a school drama production.

p.35

Music

112. This subject was not a focus of the inspection and only two lessons were seen. There was insufficient evidence available to make secure judgements about standards and achievement (for example, no recordings of previous work were presented) or to make a judgement on overall provision.

p.35

Music

113. Singing in assemblies reaches expected standards. The genre of music being studied in both lessons seen was protest songs and discussions raised pupils’ awareness of this type of song and of how these songs reflect social issues. In one lesson, the good teaching developed pupils’ singing and listening skills well and provided appropriate opportunities for playing untuned and tuned instruments. Standards in this lesson were at expected levels. In the other lesson, teaching was unsatisfactory because it did not develop pupils’ musical skills. Standards were below those expected because in discussion, the Year 6 pupils revealed little knowledge of musical elements. Pupils speak enthusiastically of their visit to the Royal Albert Hall with the choir and they enjoy their music lessons.

p.35

Music

114. The curriculum for music is not coherent. Year 6 pupils’ lack of knowledge is a reflection of the planned curriculum where the elements of music are under emphasised. However, the curriculum does provide good links with other subjects and the range of composers studied supports pupils’ cultural development well. There are good opportunities for pupils to perform to others, such as in assemblies. Pupils have opportunities to join a small choir and orchestra and violin lessons have been recently introduced. In general the school has not given the subject sufficient focus since the last inspection. The lack of effective assessment arrangements means that the co-ordinator does not have a clear overview of standards. West Witney Primary School - 34

p.35

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

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

p.36

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ personal development is identified by the school as an important element of its work. • There are good plans to support personal, social and health education.

p.36

Commentary

115. The school carefully and successfully plans for pupils’ personal, social and health education. The curriculum fully addresses such issues as sex education, drug awareness and citizenship. In their regular discussions (called Circle Time), pupils exchange ideas about issues relating to living together and they learn the importance of having agreed rules. In addition, they have the opportunity to put forward ideas for the school in a suggestion box. More formally, many older pupils care for the younger ones through a ‘buddy system’ and members of every class contribute to school decisions through the school council. The school council successfully supports the programme with time given in all classes to consider the points raised by the council and suggestions for future priorities. West Witney Primary School - 35

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 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).

p.37