White Rock Primary School

WHITE ROCK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th - 18 th June 2004

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WHITE ROCK 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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WHITE ROCK 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. White Rock Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Foundation Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 432

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Davies Avenue Paignton Devon Postcode: TQ4 7AW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (01803) 843 175 Fax number: (01803) 846 017

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs S Harvey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Dates of previous inspection: 23 rd - 26 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

White Rock Primary School is larger than average-sized primary schools and has 432 pupils aged between 4 and 11, with 231 boys and 201 girls. There are 14 classes.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school serves an area of Paignton, on the south Devon coast, that presents an average socio-economic context. The school is situated in a holiday resort. Many parents are employed in the tourist industry, which leads to a high number requiring holiday times outside the normal school holidays.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils enter the school with a wide range of attainment; attainment on entry is broadly average overall. The vast majority of pupils have a white British heritage and there are no pupils for whom English is an additional language. Approximately eight per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals and this is below the national average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs (SEN), 7.3, is well below average and the percentage with statements of SEN, 0.5, is also well below average. White Rock Primary School - 2 For the last two years, the school has taught Spanish as a modern foreign language to all pupils from the reception class to Year 6 and is partnered with schools in Holland and Spain as part of a Comenius project. Shortly before the publication of this report, the school learned that it had been given the British Council International School Award.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school received the Healthy Schools award in 2001, the Artsmark award in 2002 and the Artsmark Gold award in 2003. White Rock Primary School - 3

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

4359 Wiola Hola Lead inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology Art and design Julian Vischer Lay inspector

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Jane Pinney Team inspector Foundation Stage Science Physical education Music Jean Newing Team inspector English Religious education Special educational needs Jeff Jones Team inspector Mathematics Geography History

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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). White Rock Primary School - 4

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10 - 15

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

White Rock Primary School has many strengths and provides a good education for its pupils through many exciting and innovative learning experiences. Teaching and learning are good overall. Standards are above average. The school provides good value for money.

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The main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The headteacher provides very good leadership and has worked with staff very successfully to create a school in which staff and pupils are excited about their work. • Curriculum enrichment is excellent. • Provision for the arts, history, geography, physical education and for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is very good. • The school provides very well for pupils’ personal development. The school council is excellent. • Assessment arrangements have some good features but assessment information is not yet being used sufficiently well to identify swiftly and systematically any underachievement. • In the main, teachers evaluate their own teaching for areas of improvement but examine pupils’ learning gains less closely. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to the school and their behaviour is also very good. • Relationships are very good throughout the school and every effort is made to ensure

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The main strengths and weaknesses are:

pupils are and feel very valued, welcome and included in all activities.

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The main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made satisfactory improvement since its previous inspection in March 1998: curriculum innovation is very good; standards in the core subjects have not risen as fast as those nationally and showed a decline in English and mathematics in the last three years; the school has made good improvement in providing teachers with schemes of work that support them well in planning good lessons, although assessment arrangements are not yet robust in all subjects; and accommodation is about to be improved greatly in the brand new extension to replace four very decrepit temporary classrooms.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English B B C C mathematics B C C D science D C C C 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

Achievement is good based on current work seen. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is wide ranging and broadly average overall. Achievement in the Foundation Stage is good as a result of well-planned and well-managed teaching. Results in 2003 in the Year 2 tests have declined in recent years in reading and mathematics but have been maintained in writing; the 2003 results were above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. The 2003 results in the Year 6 tests were average for all three core subjects; White Rock Primary School - 6 results in English and mathematics continued the previous downward trend and science results held their 2002 position. The progress made by these Year 6 pupils was not as good as that made nationally and in similar schools. Standards currently seen across the school are above expectations in English and generally in line with expectations in mathematics and

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

science. The school has worked hard to address the downward trends in test results and there are signs that they are being reversed. Provisional results of the 2004 tests in Years 2 and 6 show improvement. In other subjects across the school, standards in art and design, history and geography are well above expectations. They are above expectations in information and communication technology, physical education and religious education. (Design and technology, music and Spanish were sampled and not fully reported upon.)

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Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development, are very good overall because the school is very effective in enabling pupils to mature. Pupils are welcoming, caring, helpful and aware of others’ needs, values and beliefs. The way pupils take initiative and responsibility is excellent as is their confidence and self-esteem. Pupils’ attitudes to school and learning are very good. Attendance figures are average.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

good overall and are occasionally excellent or unsatisfactory. The strongest features in teaching are very good encouragement and engagement of pupils, and insistence on high standards of effort and behaviour. Pupils learn avidly in many lessons and even where teaching is only just sound, most pupils still work diligently. They are encouraged in most lessons to pose questions and explore and this too enriches their learning. Pupils are not always clear about how well they are doing or how to improve their work, although their understanding of this is generally good in English. Teachers make accurate assessments of pupils’ attainments in the core subjects but not generally elsewhere. Not enough analysis has been undertaken of assessment data to keep a close check on pupils’ progress across the curriculum and seek out any underachievement; the school has plans to improve this. The curriculum is very good, includes Spanish and provides excellent opportunities for

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

enrichment. Many activities in and out of school provide memorable and valuable learning experiences in sport, the arts and through many trips, visitors and very good links with the community and with schools locally and internationally. Accommodation and resources are good; the exciting new extension is about to be occupied. Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are very good. Links with parents are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership. He is highly regarded by the school community and works with staff energetically to provide rich learning opportunities. Governance is good, ensuring that all statutory requirements are met and providing very good support for all staff. The school is aware of the need to strengthen assessment procedures so that pupils’ performance can be monitored more closely and action for improvement very clearly identified and taken where necessary. Subject co-ordinators generally work effectively to develop and manage their areas, although evaluation of learning is not yet undertaken as thoroughly as evaluation of teaching.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

White Rock Primary School - 7 Parents are very supportive of this popular school and appreciate its very welcoming nature, the range of activities, good teaching, the way the school is led and encourages pupils to become mature. Most are pleased with their child’s progress. A few parents feel they could be better consulted. Pupils take a strong interest in school life and most feel very positive about what it has to offer. Inspectors confirm parents’ and pupils’ positive views. Inspectors feel that the school provides some good information but that reports about pupils’ progress could be better.

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

• Ensure that assessment is thorough in all subjects, building on existing good practice, and that attainment information is used well to identify and address any underachievement. • Improve teachers’ skills in describing and evaluating learning, as well as teaching, lesson by lesson and over periods of time, so that pupils know more clearly for themselves how well they are doing and how to improve. White Rock Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards are above average overall and pupils’ achievements are good . Current standards seen during the inspection are above expectations in English and in line with expectations in mathematics and science. Test results in both Years 2 and 6 were showing downward trends but there are signs that they are being reversed. The school’s very good curriculum contributes to pupils exceeding expectations in many subjects.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children in the reception classes achieve well and make a good start to school. • Achievement in Years 1 and 2 is good. • Achievement in Years 3 to 6 is also good but patchy and weaker in Year 4. • By Year 6, standards are well above expectations in art and design, history and geography and above expectations in most other subjects; they are in line with expectations in mathematics and science. • Test results, in both Years 2 and 6, have not risen as fast as those nationally in recent years. • Year 6 test results in 2003 showed that pupils did not make as good progress as that made nationally and in similar schools.

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Commentary

1. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is wide ranging and broadly average overall, in all six areas of learning. The children achieve well in the Foundation Stage because the quality of teaching and learning is good and because this stage is well led and managed. Progress is carefully tracked in the reception classes and, in the main, activities are well matched to children’s needs. Writing activities are not always well planned to meet individual needs, particularly for more able children. Most pupils reach slightly beyond expected goals by the end of the reception year.

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Commentary

2. In Years 1 and 2, achievement is good because teaching and learning are consistently sound or better and in a third of lessons they are of very high quality. Test results in 2003 for pupils in Year 2 were above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. Based on teacher assessments, these pupils’ attainment in science was average overall but well below average in physical processes and materials and their properties. Teacher assessments also showed that attainment in mathematics was above average in numbers and algebra but below average in using and applying mathematics and space, shape and measures. The trend in test results from 1999 to 2003, taking all core subjects together, was below the national trend. Although results have stayed higher than those nationally throughout this time, they have dropped in reading and mathematics in recent years. Results in writing have been maintained at a

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Commentary

little above average. Boys perform better than girls in mathematics at this stage. Based on current work seen, standards are above expectations in English and in line with expectations in mathematics and science. In other subjects, standards are generally above expectations. White Rock Primary School - 9 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results reading 16.6 (17.0) 15.7 (15.8) writing 15.5 (15.8) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 16.7 (17.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 59 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. The 2003 results in the Year 6 tests were average for all three core subjects; results in English and mathematics continued the previous downward trend and science results held their 2002 position. The progress made by these Year 6 pupils, from Year 3 to Year 6, was not as good as that made nationally and in similar schools. This year group did have an unusually high mobility rate but, nevertheless, the school was on the whole disappointed in their results. It, and the previous year group, also experienced an un- typically high turnover of staff and this, to some extent, disrupted good continuity of learning and had an adverse affect on standards. Over the last few years, the management of assessment has lacked good continuity and this fact has also contributed to some shortcomings in pupils’ progress, and hence in the standards attained, because teachers were not as well supported as they might have been in

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Commentary

monitoring pupils’ progress through easy access to well-analysed data. Pupils with special educational needs achieved well because of the very good support they received.

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Commentary

4. Concerning targets set for 2003 for the Year 6 tests, results in English were below the targets set for the proportion of pupils reaching the nationally expected level (Level 4) and also below the target for the higher levels. In mathematics, results for the nationally expected level were well below the target but very close to target for the higher levels.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results English 27.2 (28.0) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 26.5 (27.1) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.5 (28.5) 28.6 (28.3) There were 64 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

5. Pupils achieve well over Years 3 to 6, although current rates of progress are not entirely even across this stage, with Year 4 achievement weaker than in the other years. Achievement is clearly linked to the quality of teaching and learning in specific classes; examples of high achievement occur in Years 3 and 6.

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Commentary

6. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress against the targets on their individual education plans, although some reach a lower standard than their peers. Gifted and talented pupils have good opportunities to extend their learning and work independently and, as a result, these pupils also achieve well.

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Commentary

7. Although the school has worked hard and effectively to develop teaching and the curriculum, it has not kept a close enough eye on pupils’ achievements. Systems for tracking pupils’ progress exist but they are not yet being used well enough to evaluate White Rock Primary School - 10 learning and identify clearly any underachievement. The school is aware of this and has plans for improvement.

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Commentary

8. Standards currently seen across the school are above expectations in English and broadly in line with expectations in mathematics and science. The school has worked hard to address the downward trends in test results and there are signs that they are being reversed. Provisional results of the 2004 tests in Years 2 and 6 show improvement. In other subjects across the school, standards in art and design, history and geography are well above expectations and pupils are able to talk impressively about their knowledge in these areas. Standards are above expectations in information and communication technology (ICT), physical education and religious education. The school has achieved the ‘Artsmark’ Gold Award in recognition of its high quality of provision and high standards in the arts. (Standards in design and technology, music and Spanish were not reported upon).

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Commentary

9. The main reason that pupils reach standards that are above average or expectations in so many subjects, is the way in which the school enriches learning through so many interesting and exciting activities. Teachers strive to make learning enjoyable and transmit their own enthusiasm to pupils.

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Commentary

10. Pupils’ skills in English language and literacy and also in information and communication technology (ICT) are above average and pupils put these skills to good use when required in other subjects. Literacy skills are very well promoted across the curriculum and this contributes to pupils reaching above average standards in English. Work in ICT lessons frequently supports learning in other subjects. In mathematics, pupils’ competence in using their skills across the curriculum is sound and some good activities exist, in science and geography, for example, to promote pupils’ understanding of the uses of mathematics in real-life contexts.

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Commentary

11. Most parents are happy with their child’s progress. They feel that the school provides well for their specific needs and enable pupils to achieve their best. A few parents, however, comment that some children are not ‘pushed’ hard enough to reach their full potential; these comments relate to both more able and less able pupils but not generally those with special educational needs, whose achievements are felt to be good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attitudes to school and behaviour are both very good. Attendance is average and punctuality is very good. Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good and a strength of the school.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Pupils are extremely willing to be enterprising and take responsibility. • Pupils have extremely high levels of confidence and self-esteem. • The responsibilities of living in a community are promoted excellently. • The school council is excellent. • Instances of misbehaviour occur but are very rare. White Rock Primary School - 11 • Attendance is average. Of pupils absent, a significant number goes on holiday in term time. • Relationships are very good throughout the school and every effort is made to ensure pupils are and feel very valued, welcome and included in all activities.

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Commentary

12. Very high standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Children make a good start in the Foundation Stage, are happy to come to school and develop very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils in all years are polite and considerate around the school and in lessons they concentrate and work hard. They also work very well collaboratively, for example, in a design and technology lesson in Year 2 when they shared tools and tasks. Even in lessons where the learning is dull or poorly focused, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes do not deteriorate greatly; only occasionally do pupils misbehave and this occurs when teaching does not hold their full attention. These very good attitudes and behaviour result from pupils’ excellent self-confidence and self- esteem, which in turn is nurtured by the school’s ethos of respect for the individual. Pupils appreciate the school’s provision of interesting curriculum opportunities. Older

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Commentary

pupils are especially mature. The excellent school council has a considerable impact as it generates very high levels of pupil responsibility. Through the school council and through the very inclusive assemblies, the ethos of taking responsibility as a member of the community is promoted excellently.

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Commentary

13. Although there are occasional instances of bullying, pupils are relatively free from them. When they do occur, the school deals very effectively with them. This view is supported by both parents and pupils. The rewards and sanctions system is not highly structured but depends on the high quality of relationships that exists, thus creating a kind of peer pressure to do well and play your part; a very high expectation is set for pupils’ conduct and pupils meet this.

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Commentary

14. All aspects of personal development are very good. The spiritual aspect is very well fostered through the assemblies with their focused prayer and moment of reflection. In the many good lessons too, there are often moments when learning becomes a delight or wonder, such as in a joyful din as pupils experimented with musical instruments in the reception class or Year 1’s energetic renderings of Spanish vocabulary in different tones of voice. The moral and social aspects are very well covered through the strong emphasis of living in a community explained above. The cultural and multicultural aspect is very well supported by the very wide range of opportunities offered to pupils through visits and international links. There are links with Holland and now a link with a Spanish school. Further links extend via the internet to a school in South Africa. The large number of visitors to the school also supports this aspect. For example, the

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Commentary

visiting shadow-puppeteer not only led the pupils in how to make a puppet, but also extended their cultural and religious horizons through the teaching of two Hindu myths that the shadow-puppets portrayed. The school has identified for itself, entirely appropriately, the need to work further on supporting pupils in understanding the culturally diverse nature of British society.

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Commentary

15. The school is very welcoming. It makes every possible effort to ensure that all pupils are valued and enabled to gain access to the full range of activities. This ethos is palpable and contributes to the school’s great success in developing pupils’ personal qualities. White Rock Primary School - 12

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Attendance

16. Attendance figures, although satisfactory (they are in line with the national average), do not reflect the very positive picture presented above. This is partly because the school does not promote attendance beyond the usual reminders in newsletters or in the prospectus. Although the school participates in the Torbay-wide annual attendance award scheme, a direct school-driven reward system is not developed. The school is aware of the fact that many parents are involved in the local tourist industry, work in school holidays and therefore take their own breaks in term time. The very good punctuality of pupils does reflect the same very positive attitudes described above and the school day and lessons start very promptly as a result.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.5 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

17. There was one, fixed-term, exclusion in the previous year, the first in a very long time and an extremely rare occurrence at the school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good education for its pupils. Teaching and learning are good overall but assessment has shortcomings. The curriculum is very good with excellent opportunities for enrichment. Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are very good. The school has very good links with other schools and the community. Links with parents are good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall. Assessment systems have some strengths but are not yet sufficiently robust in identifying any underachievement.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Encouragement and engagement of pupils are very good. • Teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 are good but show some variation with, occasionally, both excellent and unsatisfactory features. • Teachers make accurate assessments in the core subjects but assessment is not usually undertaken in other subjects. • Assessment information is not yet being used effectively by teachers to identify and address underachievement. White Rock Primary School - 13 • Pupils learn avidly in most lessons and they rise to the very high expectations of good behaviour. • Pupils know how to improve their work in English but not generally elsewhere.

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COMMENTARY

18. Teaching and learning vary from occasionally excellent to unsatisfactory. In a third of lessons, they are of high quality and, within this, mostly very good. In another third, they are good. In other lessons, they are mostly sound and in just a few, they are unsatisfactory. Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 are good overall and never less than sound. In Years 3 to 6, teaching is good but includes some unsatisfactory teaching in Year 4. Teaching and learning are very good in history and Spanish and good in most other subjects, including English and ICT. They are sound in mathematics and science because, whilst lesson planning is good in these subjects, not enough account is taken routinely of pupils’ prior learning to ensure that tasks set are always appropriately challenging.

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COMMENTARY

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 58 lessons

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COMMENTARY

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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COMMENTARY

1 (2%) 17 (29%) 20 (34%) 17 (29%) 3 (5%) 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. Very good teaching and learning occur in most year groups. Examples are in: - a Year 1 lesson on mini beasts in which the school grounds were used very well as a learning resource and where teaching provided high levels of challenge through very good use of questioning about the creatures’ habitats; - a Year 6 poetry lesson based around the theme of ‘The Sea’ where pupils studied the poem’s meaning, moods and use of language in a way that captured their interest so that they experimented successfully with metaphors and similes; - an excellent Year 1 Spanish lesson, hugely enjoyed by the pupils, who learned, at great speed and with the help of singing, a puppet and lively, engaging teaching, the days of the week and the names of school subjects in Spanish; - Year 6 work to follow up on the recent visits to Holland and in the locality. Pupils worked with tremendous interest on understanding the life of Anne Frank and on writing

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COMMENTARY

their journals and designing plates in the styles seen on visits to potteries; and - in a Year 3 religious education lesson, firstly to reflect on the death of the class goldfish and secondly to explore and touch real artefacts used in Christian worship; teaching here was extremely skilled in encouraging pupils to articulate their ideas fully and contributed greatly to developing pupils’ speaking skills and to their spiritual development.

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COMMENTARY

Many other examples of high quality teaching and learning exist and these are all characterized by very well-prepared resources and purposeful activities, great enthusiasm and enjoyment in both teachers and pupils, and a high level of challenge to drive up pupils’ achievement.

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COMMENTARY

20. In all but a few lessons, the strongest features of teaching are the very good encouragement and engagement of pupils, through good subject knowledge and well- White Rock Primary School - 14 planned lessons, and the insistence of high standards of behaviour. This insistence is not through any overt means but rather through the strength of the relationships, of care and the instilled desire to take pleasure in learning and being at school. Just occasionally, in Year 4, teaching is dull or not carefully structured, so pupils become bored and restless or start to lose concentration and misbehave. Learning across the school is mostly undertaken avidly with an expectation on the part of pupils that they will enjoy the work. Pupils work together sensibly and supportively and engage happily in discussing their work. They show great commitment to the many enriching activities outside of lessons, as demonstrated in the fine school drama and musical productions.

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COMMENTARY

Their books are well maintained and they talk about the work in them with pride and great competence. Pupils are very clear about how well they are doing in English but not so in other subjects. The various strategies employed in English help them to understand also how to improve their work. Other subjects have not developed such strategies, although they are beginning to be employed, for example, in mathematics.

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COMMENTARY

21. Teachers are thoughtful and reflective practitioners and constantly strive to improve the quality of their work. They seek to improve their own performance as teachers, and this is good, but devote less time to evaluating learning. Lesson objectives are indeed shared at the start of lessons but end of lesson evaluations are often cursory. Teachers accurately assess pupils’ attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science but not generally elsewhere. Assessment information is not yet being used sufficiently well by teachers to ‘catch’ any underachievement early and address it swiftly.

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COMMENTARY

22. Teaching generally provides well for the needs of individual pupils or groups of pupils. In the reception classes, tasks are well suited for the young children but writing tasks set do not always meet the needs of more able children. Teachers plan interesting lessons that meet the needs of all pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Tasks are well matched to these pupils’ prior learning. Pupils with SEN receive very good support from well-qualified teaching assistants and this has a significant impact on the standards they achieve. In this very inclusive school, a very good physical education lesson was observed which fully included a physically disabled boy.

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COMMENTARY

23. Very good links are made between subjects, such as art and design and history, and between ICT and many others, and this greatly enriches learning. The use of ICT in lessons is predominantly in the ICT suite and less so in the classroom. The tightly booked ICT room means that pupils are not able to use computers in a more incidental way during lessons, for pieces of research, for example. The ICT equipment is not entirely reliable and occasional breakdowns impede learning, as does the lack of a broadband facility. The teaching assistant for ICT contributes greatly to learning in ICT and provides excellent support for teachers. Good use is made of the library for reading and research and classroom assistants frequently play a hugely valuable role in working with pupils in the library. Teaching and learning benefit from the effective work of teaching assistants in general and also from volunteer helpers who work in support of

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COMMENTARY

24. Parents agree to a very large extent that teaching is good and that staff expect pupils to work hard. Parents are not entirely clear about homework and there is some disagreement about whether it is always appropriate. The school should state more clearly what it expects pupils to do in relation to homework and explain more fully its nature and purposes; a brief summary is given in the prospectus but this could be White Rock Primary School - 15 further amplified for each year group.

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COMMENTARY

The curriculum is very good and is enhanced by exceptional opportunities to enrich pupils' experiences over and above those statutorily required. Resources and accommodation are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The excellent enrichment of the curriculum contributes greatly to pupils’ academic and personal development. • The curriculum is interesting, stimulating and well planned for the pupils. • Extra-curricular activities to enhance pupils' learning in sport and the arts are very good. • The expertise of visiting professionals is used very well to support learning. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • Pupils are very well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Commentary

25. There has been good improvement in curriculum planning since the last inspection. The headteacher, governors and staff are proud of the rich curriculum in the school and are right to be so. Since the last inspection, the school has continued to develop the good ethos and distinctive character of the school by effectively shaping the curriculum.

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Commentary

26. Well-planned schemes of work provide good guidance in the knowledge and skills that are to be taught and have been usefully adapted to meet the particular needs of the school. The curriculum is innovative and creative. Pupils are given opportunities, which they grasp keenly, to participate in a widely varied programme of experiences additional to that found in many schools. These include both enrichment of the taught curriculum and a raft of exciting experiences both inside and outside the school day. A wide range of strategies is used effectively to enhance learning and improve motivation, including themed weeks, artists-in-residence and visiting theatre groups. The curriculum is further enriched through the opportunity for all pupils, including children in the Foundation Stage, to learn Spanish. There are good links with schools in Holland and Spain and Year 6 pupils visit Holland every year, which supports their

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Commentary

27. Statutory requirements for all National Curriculum subjects are fully met. The reception classes make good use of the Foundation Stage curriculum to plan interesting activities for the children and the Foundation Stage is usefully included in whole-school planning for each subject. Teachers across the school are very skilled at linking subjects together, whilst still ensuring that the appropriate skills and progression in each subject are suitably addressed. For example, literacy is linked with geography as pupils write poems on the subject of pollution and science is linked with art and design as pupils make clay models of mini-beasts. The very good range of extra-curricular activities, including girls’ and boys’ football, hockey, badminton, orchestra, choir, drama and nature club, is appreciated by parents and pupils and contributes very effectively to White Rock Primary School - 16 pupils' wellbeing.

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Commentary

28. Very good liaison exists with local pre-schools and secondary schools so, at each stage, pupils are well prepared for the next part of their education.

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Commentary

29. All pupils have equality of access to every aspect of school life. Gifted or talented pupils are well supported through the opportunity for attendance at sports camp in the summer, for example, and in extra support groups during the school day. However, in lessons, teachers do not always use records and test results consistently to set targets for improvement or to ensure that the more capable pupils are suitably challenged to reach their full potential.

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Commentary

30. The rich and relevant curriculum in this school is particularly beneficial to pupils with special educational needs because pupils frequently talk and write about meaningful, real life experiences.

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Commentary

31. Resources are good overall, although the development of some skills in information and communication technology is impeded by the age and limitations of some of the resources. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are about to move from temporary classrooms in the playground into a spacious new extension, at which point the accommodation will be significantly improved. However, some of the existing classrooms are cramped, restricting the ability of pupils to move around. The secure playground for children in the Foundation Stage is not easily accessible for pupils to use spontaneously, as is recommended. The spacious grounds, including a pond, woodland area and garden, are well maintained and are used well to enhance learning.

p.18

Commentary

Provision for pupils’ care, welfare and health and safety is very good . The support, advice and guidance they receive, based on monitoring, are satisfactory. Involvement through seeking and acting on pupils’ views is very good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school council is excellent. • Pupils have a very good trusting relationship with at least one adult. • Health and safety procedures are very good. • Pupils receive very good personal support but the guidance they receive, based on the monitoring of their academic achievement, is not yet undertaken thoroughly and systematically.

p.18

Commentary

32. The school council is exceptionally well developed. It generates very mature attitudes amongst the Year 6 pupils involved and has a huge and positive impact on the involvement of pupils through seeking their views. The recent establishment of year- group councils, generated by the school council’s own concerns about fair representation, has only added to its effectiveness. The upcoming Year 5 pupils have a period of observation at the end of the summer term during which they witness the high standards expected in the actual meetings. White Rock Primary School - 17 33. Staff know the pupils well. A good induction programme, including home visits, prepares children in the Foundation Stage well for the start of their school life and enables staff to understand the children’s needs. Throughout the school, the quality of support and guidance pupils receive for pastoral concerns is very good. Pupils interviewed had no qualms about calling on an adult for help and support when the need

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Commentary

arises. This view was confirmed by the positive response in the pre-inspection pupil questionnaires where the vast majority of pupils felt there was an adult they could turn to. Advice and guidance, based on academic monitoring, is only satisfactory because academic tracking is not yet entirely secure, nor is it used sufficiently well to identify and address underachievement.

p.19

Commentary

34. Health and safety procedures are very good because of the integrated approach the school takes and because the experience of the various building works has developed a keen ‘eye’ for potential risks. Records are effective. The staff have been trained as a whole for First Aid and this has become the established norm for each year. Child protection procedures are good. They are up-to-date and a governor has been appointed in line with the new guidelines. Pupils’ welfare is also aided by the recent managerial decision to create an inclusion manager whose brief extends from child protection through pupils with special educational needs to the most gifted and talented.

p.19

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has good links with parents and very good links with the community. Links with other schools and colleges are very good. Parents have very positive views about the school.

p.19

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• The approachability of the school and the way concerns and complaints are dealt with are very good. • General information about the school and about what pupils are learning are very good. • Reports to parents are sound but could be improved.

p.19

Commentary

35. Good links with parents have been maintained since the last inspection. The headteacher makes a point of being available to parents at any time. This is a well- established characteristic of the school. In addition, should any parent make a formal complaint, a response is guaranteed within 24 hours. Parents are made welcome and invited to help in the school. Parents agree that the approachability of the school is very good. They have few qualms about approaching the school with a problem and they feel that concerns are dealt with very well.

p.19

Commentary

36. The provision of information to parents is good overall. Parents are kept in touch very well through regular newsletters and termly curriculum booklets. Consultation evenings are held twice every year and parents are offered a third in the summer if they wish. However, annual pupil reports are not so informative. They offer satisfactory information on what pupils have learned and often little about how well they are White Rock Primary School - 18 progressing.

p.19

Commentary

37. The seeking of parents’ views is satisfactory. One parent questionnaire has been issued since the last inspection and the results analysed. Parents have also been polled when important revisions have been made to key documents or in connection with major building developments. A significant minority of parents is unhappy with the extent to which their views are sought or unsure as to how much consultation they should expect.

p.20

Commentary

38. Parents are involved well in their children’s learning at school and at home through the good links, established securely in the Foundation Stage and continued thereafter. A good range of workshops for parents has been provided for them. Turnout for parents’ evenings is very high. There are a regular number of parents who help in school. Elections are always held for parent governor posts, as many are keen to apply. The Friends Association works hard for the school and is very supportive financially, being closely involved in target fund-raising as well as being an active manager of certain aspects of the school, for example, of the swimming club, which is used by the local community.

p.20

Commentary

39. The school acts as a strong focal point in the local community. The Friends Association is a key player in the Summer Fair that is an important community event. The school has close links with the local church and recently set up the Goodrington Project with it and two other local organisations to enable a minibus to be used by all. School performances are popular and the choir performs at various local venues. The Christmas Service in the local church is another community occasion with a strong school input. Good use is made of the local area as a resource for curricular study. 40. The school has many, various and very good links with other schools and colleges. Strong links exist with two European schools through joint participation in the Comenius programme. The very good Spanish provision arises out of the link with a local specialist language school with a high level of teacher commitment benefiting both

p.20

Commentary

pupils and staff. An effective link with another secondary school is in connection with mathematics teaching. The transfer arrangements for pupils with these linked schools are very well developed. They start early and involve joint bridging work that Year 6 pupils can continue in Year 7 at the secondary schools. However, as the school has up to ten feeder secondary schools, transfer arrangements overall are good. The school has a central role in the primary sports programme for the area through the physical education teacher’s co-ordinator role. Pupils play in most of the sports competitions. The local Nursery school views its links with the school as very good because of the positive attitude the school takes to all organisational issues that help make the transition less disruptive for pupils.

p.20

Commentary

41. All these links have a good impact on pupils’ personal and academic development.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher provides very good leadership and management. The leadership in other key aspects of the school is good overall. The governance of the school is good . White Rock Primary School - 19

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher provides very good leadership and management. • The new leadership and management structure shows signs of being effective and is valued by staff. • Key leaders and subject co-ordinators have limited time to monitor and evaluate learning. • Procedures to use performance data to analyse pupil performance and track pupil progress are being developed but still have some shortcomings. • The governors are effective and well informed about the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

p.21

Commentary

42. The headteacher continues to have a very a clear vision for the future development of the school, as was the case in the previous inspection. He engenders a sense of purpose in colleagues and a feeling of trust in pupils, whilst holding very high aspirations for all. Together, senior managers and governors demonstrate clear strategic thinking, resulting in effective planning for future development. This is illustrated in the drive to build new classrooms to address accommodation problems and in the decision to revise the leadership structure to develop more leaders and involve them in decision-making.

p.21

Commentary

43. The new leadership and management structure introduced in September 2003, with its emphasis on teams and distributed leadership, has the potential to make leaders and managers even more effective. Teaching staff, non-teaching staff and governors are members of curriculum groups, with curriculum leaders acting as chairpersons. Already, there are some positive outcomes in that staff are coming forward to an even greater extent with ideas for development and improvement.

p.21

Commentary

44. Key leaders and subject co-ordinators provide good support and guidance for colleagues whilst ensuring that their areas of responsibility are well managed. They have good oversight of their areas of responsibility but their knowledge of how to evaluate learning is limited and little time is allocated in which to do it. Currently, senior leaders and managers make insufficient use of pupil performance data to track pupils’ progress and highlight underachievement. In recent years, some good initiatives in assessment have been launched but, because of staffing changes, these have not been developed fast enough. Teaching staff are aware of pupils’ attainment but less aware of whether that attainment indicates satisfactory progress and achievement. The school is aware of this weakness and plans to introduce new pupil-tracking procedures as a matter of priority. The two relatively new assessment co-ordinators are clear about

p.21

Commentary

how assessment processes can be improved.

p.21

Commentary

45. The school improvement plan is good in quality and sets out clearly the school’s priorities for development which are clearly related to the school’s future perceived needs. Performance management is well implemented with whole-school targets linked to school improvement priorities.

p.21

Commentary

46. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage and of special educational needs (SEN) are good in this very inclusive school. The headteacher, senior White Rock Primary School - 20 management team and governors are fully committed to pupils with SEN and the SEN co-ordinator has a reasonable amount of non-contact time to carry out her duties efficiently. She writes clear and specific individual education plans. She liaises effectively with social services and a variety of outside agencies to provide these pupils with the best possible learning opportunities. In the Foundation Stage, educational provision is well resourced and managed so that children make a successful and happy start at school.

p.21

Commentary

47. The governing body is very well organised and meets all its statutory responsibilities well through careful delegation and oversight. Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and where it needs to develop successfully, using the insights and expertise of individual members. The governors take a strategic view towards all aspects of school leadership and management, as illustrated by their strong involvement in the school’s move to Foundation status. The governors are aware where standards have dipped over the last three years and have worked effectively with school staff to begin to turn around the downward trend by allocating resources in a well-targeted way. They have worked very effectively with senior managers to improve accommodation and have allocated and reserved funds appropriately to equipping the new building extension.

p.22

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,000,730 Balance from previous year 32,008 Total expenditure 949,801 Balance carried forward to the next year 82,937 Expenditure per pupil 2,198

p.22

Commentary

48. The headteacher and governing body have used very good financial management to achieve balanced budgets that make the best use of available financial resources and grants. The school provides good value for money and uses its lower than average allocation of funds to enable pupils to achieve well through the good education provided. White Rock Primary School - 21

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and this has been well maintained since the last inspection. Children are well prepared for transfer to Year 1. Children start school in September or January, depending on when they are five, and the attainment on entry of most is as can be expected for this age group.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The children achieve well in the Foundation Stage because the quality of teaching and learning is good and because this stage is well led and managed. A good induction programme, including home visits, prepares children well for the start of their school life. The curriculum in the reception classes is well planned and appropriately based on the Foundation Stage guidelines and the local education authority's programme of study. Children's progress is carefully checked and tracked, and this contributes well to their good achievement. The children are accommodated in attractive and stimulating classrooms. Although the classrooms are small, a shared area with Years 1 and 2 is used effectively to enhance learning. The provision for outdoor play has been improved since the previous inspection but it is not readily accessible from each class.

p.23

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.23

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Most children exceed the expected goals by the end of the reception year. • Children are happy to come to school and develop very positive attitudes to learning. • Good teaching ensures that personal and social development is promoted in every activity. • Teachers and other adults provide good role models so that good relationships are promoted.

p.23

Commentary

49. Children, including those with special educational needs, achieve well in personal, social and emotional development. They settle into the school well and develop their independence because there are established routines, a consistent approach to behaviour management and plenty of interesting things for them to do and to learn. Planned activities encourage the children to play and co-operate together so they behave well, are friendly and share equipment without fuss. They choose many activities for themselves and staff help and encourage them in this respect. Teachers and support staff work together as an effective team, providing good role models for the children. They use encouragement well to inspire children and offer praise to encourage good responses. Children show a good awareness that they are part of a community, as they confidently join older pupils for assembly, where they relish the

p.23

Commentary

opportunity to show their work to the rest of the school.

p.23

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

White Rock Primary School - 22 Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.24

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Attainment exceeds expectations by the start of Year 1. • The classrooms and shared areas are rich learning environments with good learning resources, where children have plenty of opportunity to develop their speaking and listening, reading and writing skills. • Adults talk to children with respect, encouraging them to express themselves clearly. • Writing activities are not always well planned to meet individual needs.

p.24

Commentary

50. On entry to the reception classes, most children have skills in line with what is usually found. The quality of teaching and learning are good and teachers incorporate well- planned opportunities to speak and listen. Children are encouraged to enjoy books and are taught carefully the skills of reading and writing. Most children achieve the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy and many exceed them by the end of the year.

p.24

Commentary

51. Teachers show respect and use a good range of vocabulary when talking to children. Class discussions and well focused ' play ' activities, like the ‘travel agent’, provide good opportunities for children to try out their own ideas in words. The empathetic approach ensures that children are keen to participate in discussions and answer questions so they gain in confidence and maturity and achieve well. Circle times are used effectively to encourage children to listen politely to each other.

p.24

Commentary

52. Children achieve well in their reading because their skills are developed systematically, with the appropriate introduction of elements of the National Literacy Strategy. Children embark on the school's reading scheme and most read familiar words with confidence. More capable children use their knowledge of sounds to decipher unfamiliar words. Children have many opportunities to share books with adults and each other and are encouraged in their reading by taking books home to share with their parents.

p.24

Commentary

53. Children make satisfactory progress in their writing. They are given plenty of opportunities to practise their skills and enjoy making use of the pencils and crayons that are readily available to them. By the end of the reception year, the majority of children attain the expected level in writing, with more capable children using capital letters and full stops correctly as they write neat, readable sentences like, ' I went on the swings'. Frequent assessments are made of the children's attainment in writing. However, these are not always used effectively to guide the teachers' planning towards the individual skills children need to acquire in order to achieve the next stage in their writing development.

p.24

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.24

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

White Rock Primary School - 23 • Children have a good basic knowledge of number. • Good teaching enables children to achieve well.

p.25

Commentary

54. Children start school with standards in mathematical development that are as expected for this age group. Children achieve well and, by the start of Year 1 of the National Curriculum, they exceed expected levels. Teaching is good overall, with much that is very good. Children are very well challenged and motivated by the interesting activities and good resources. For example, in a lesson observed during the inspection, the teacher demonstrated high expectations as she encouraged the children to add and subtract mentally, tailoring her questions to their individual needs. Children greatly enjoyed the challenge of applying their knowledge to problems, such as ' I bought 8 sweets and lost 4, how many were left', and almost all calculated their answers correctly. The teacher assessed the children’s understanding very well as they used ‘number paddles’ to demonstrate their answer and encouraged them to explain their

p.25

Commentary

calculation. Afterwards, the children enthusiastically used the climbing equipment in the playground to reinforce the use of everyday words describing position, such as under, over, opposite.

p.25

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding is good .

p.25

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children achieve well. • Teaching is good. • Interesting resources are used well to motivate the children.

p.25

Commentary

55. Children achieve well. They exceed the expected standard by the end of the reception year. Teaching is good; teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of this age group. They plan activities that stimulate the children's interest and this helps them achieve well. The use of visits to areas of local interest enhances well children's understanding of the wider environment and the natural world. For example, following a visit to the ' Living Coast' display at the local zoo, the children displayed very good knowledge of sea life as they described the features of creatures such as lobsters, sharks and jellyfish. Children are developing a sense of place. During the inspection, one child was totally involved as she independently drew a simple map of her journey from home to school. Children use a wide range of construction toys, such as plastic bricks to build with, and appropriately select tools for cutting, sticking and shaping.

p.25

Commentary

They use computers confidently to draw and colour pictures.

p.25

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good . White Rock Primary School - 24

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good with very good features and ensures that children achieve well. • Good use is made of the outdoor play area.

p.26

Commentary

56. Teaching and learning are good and children achieve well. By the time children enter Year 1 of the National Curriculum, most have exceeded the early learning goals in physical development. They are able to hold pencils well and brushes and tools correctly because teachers give plenty of opportunity for the development of these skills.

p.26

Commentary

57. Children are provided with a good range of equipment outside. For example, tricycles and scooters support physical development. Activities are well planned within the limited space and support staff are well briefed to ensure that activities are interesting and fun. Consequently, children develop their skills well, such as adjusting their speed or changing directions to avoid obstacles. In a physical education lesson held on the school playground, the quality of teaching was very good. The children made very good progress because of the teacher's high expectations as they practised controlling large balls. At the start of the lesson, these young children demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of exercise. One child answered the teacher's question as to why we need exercise, ' so the blood moves around our body'. The children rose to the challenging activities with relish. They showed good awareness of

p.26

Commentary

space and worked together well in teams of three, taking turns to kick the ball past each other into a goal. Other children demonstrated very good control as they dribbled the balls around cones. Good teamwork between the teacher and the well-briefed support assistant enhanced the children's learning very well. During the lesson, they continually assessed the performance of the individual children in their group and improved their skills by offering them strategies for improvement.

p.26

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are provided with good resources and a broad range of experiences. • The teaching of music is very good. • Children have good attitudes to learning.

p.26

Commentary

58. The children achieve satisfactorily overall in their creative development. They meet the expected standards by the end of the reception year. Teachers plan their lessons effectively and children use tools and materials with increasing confidence, when using tools to make imprints of patterns in clay tiles, for example. Children demonstrate a growing awareness of colour and texture and confidently choose the appropriate colours for their paintings. They play imaginatively in the role-play areas. White Rock Primary School - 25 59. In music, the quality of teaching is very good. Children achieve very well because the teacher passes on her own enthusiasm for the subject and uses resources very effectively to capture and maintain interest. For example, children were enthralled as they were each given the opportunity to play a percussion instrument and identify whether the sound was long or short. Because of the teacher's constant reinforcement

p.26

Commentary

they had good knowledge of the names of the instruments and the sound they make. As she demonstrated the correct way to hold the instruments, all children had a good understanding of how to achieve the best sound. The lesson made a good contribution to children's spiritual development as they participated joyfully in playing their instruments together.

p.27

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Leadership and management are very good. • The curriculum is very good. • Teaching is predominantly good and pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning. • Pupils are confident and demonstrate good speaking and listening skills. • Handwriting and spelling are developed systematically and well. • Presentation is good throughout the school.

p.27

Commentary

60. Test results in 2003 were above average for reading and writing in Year 2 and average for English in Year 6. Year 2 results have shown a slight decline in recent years but results in writing have remained steady although, in both cases, results have slipped from their previous well above average position. Year 6 results have also shown a downward trend, although they have been above average until 2003. The 2003 results were expected to show a slight dip because of the particular cohort of pupils and their higher than average rate of mobility. Provisional test results for 2004 show improvement from 2003.

p.27

Commentary

61. Current standards are above expectations in both Years 2 and 6. Pupils throughout the school demonstrate good speaking and listening skills and frequent opportunities for pupils to develop these skills are planned in to many lessons. By the start of Year 3, pupils’ handwriting is well formed and spaced and most pupils comfortably use a joined script. By Year 6, all pupils write legibly in joined script and use a pen. In all years, spelling is developed well. There are clear guidelines for teaching reading giving pupils good, varied and challenging reading opportunities so that they make good progress. Writing has been a focus for improvement this year and most lessons seen were well structured giving pupils good strategies to improve this skill. Pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school because tasks set place demands on White Rock Primary School - 26 pupils of all abilities, in line with their needs.

p.27

Commentary

62. Teaching is predominantly good and consistently very good in Year 6. The features of the very good teaching are high expectations, brisk pace and tasks very well matched to prior learning. Sharing the learning objectives with pupils at the beginning of the lesson and reviewing them at the end is good and helps teaching to be really focused. Handwriting is taught well and conscientiously throughout the school to good effect. Spelling is taught and tested regularly. In some classes, spelling lists are matched well to the needs of more and less able pupils. In others, they are linked suitably to the writing task of the week, words such as monarch, monasteries and portrait, as part of the topic on the Tudors. A variety of stimulating activities within the literacy hour for the younger pupils motivates them well. In the satisfactory lessons seen, tasks were not all sufficiently well matched to pupils’ prior learning and the pace was rather slow. The very

p.28

Commentary

effective use of success criteria sheets is a strength of the teaching and helps pupils to take some responsibility for their own learning. Pupils have a clear idea of how well they are doing and how to improve in English in a way that is not generally the case in other subjects.

p.28

Commentary

63. Presentation of work is good throughout the school. There are clear expectations which are followed from Year 1 to Year 6 so that older pupils know what is expected of them and present their work well without being reminded.

p.28

Commentary

64. Leadership and management are very good and undertaken with great clarity of vision and purpose. Professional development has enabled all teachers and teaching assistants to update their expertise. The curriculum is very good and linked very effectively with many other subjects so that learning across the curriculum is coherent and interesting. Examples of such curriculum links are in the ‘Punch and Judy’ work in Year 2 where pupils made puppets and wrote plays for them to perform and in the journal writing in Year 6 following educational visits to Holland and locally. There is consistency in planning and the way reading records are kept. Assessment arrangements are sound and have some good features, particularly those relating to pupils’ own understanding of their learning. Pupils with special educational needs are very well provided for. The library has been extended, computerised and pupil librarians

p.28

Commentary

trained to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of it. In spite of the dip in standards, taking account of the better 2004 results and the further development of provision, improvement since the last inspection has been good.

p.28

Literacy across the curriculum

65. Pupils’ good skills in literacy are used very well across the curriculum. The recounts of pupils’ visit in Year 2 to the seaside were of a good standard; Year 3 pupils show good knowledge of using powerful words when they wrote about pollution. Year 6 pupils use their good literacy skills when writing about Anne Frank in history and the project books they are working on this term are impressive. The gifted and talented pupils are researching and writing about various aspects of Madagascar as a result of their Wednesday afternoon sessions.

p.28

SPANISH

66. Spanish was sampled. Provision for Spanish is very good. A teacher, from a local secondary school with specialist language status, visits the school once a week so that White Rock Primary School - 27 each class benefits from her specialist teaching on alternate weeks. Spanish is taught in every class from the Foundation Stage to Year 6. Funding for this provision has been secured for four years; there are two years to go with this project. The teacher has written a scheme of work and prepares detailed lesson plans for each lesson. She leaves material for teachers to use on the alternate weeks and homework for the pupils. Assessment folders have recently been purchased and these will be in use from September.

p.28

SPANISH

67. Teaching and learning are consistently very good and sometimes excellent. Teachers are enthusiastic, have high expectations and prepare interesting and challenging activities that motivate the pupils. Pupils enjoy learning Spanish enormously. Many notices around the school are written in Spanish as well as in English. Teachers and pupils have made a very attractive storybook and produced it in both languages.

p.29

SPANISH

68. The school is wholeheartedly committed to this project. Many teachers and teaching assistants attend a class after school run by the specialist teacher. Some also attend a Saturday morning class. Although funding is due to cease in August 2005, the school is taking active steps to continue this exciting curriculum innovation.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

The provision for mathematics is satisfactory .

p.29

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Teachers use the National Strategy well in planning and preparing work. • Teaching is satisfactory overall. • Pupils have very good attitudes and enjoy mathematics. • Assessment and marking procedures do not focus enough on evaluating pupils’ progress and identifying any underachievement. • The co-ordinator is well informed about strengths and weaknesses in the subject and provides good leadership and management.

p.29

Commentary

69. Compared with all schools nationally, standards in the Year 2 and Year 6 tests in 2003 were average but trends in recent years show a gradual drop in standards. Current standards are in line with expectations with indications that the downward trend is being reversed.

p.29

Commentary

70. Comparisons between baseline and end of Year 2 assessments indicate pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2; boys perform better than girls in mathematics at this stage. Teacher assessments in 2003, of Year 2 pupils, showed that attainment in mathematics was above average in numbers and algebra but below average in using and applying mathematics and space, shape and measures. Prior attainment data at the end of Year 6 in 2003 showed that pupils made less than the expected progress overall. School assessment systems are not yet sufficiently refined to identify clearly any patterns in or pockets of underachievement, although it is clear that lower attaining pupils achieve well. However, work scrutiny and the outcome of lesson observations during the inspection show an improving picture overall. Standards in Years 1 and 2 are at least in line with expectations, with children in Year 1 showing good progress in

p.29

Commentary

White Rock Primary School - 28 number work. Action taken in response to the disappointing 2003 end of Year 6 results, including additional teaching support in Year 6, focused booster support, and extra Year 5 ‘springboard’ sessions, have been effective. Current standards in Years 3 to 6 are in line with expectations and achievement is satisfactory. Evidence seen in lessons, in samples of pupils’ work and from progress reviews indicates that Year 6 pupils are progressing well. Provisional results for the 2004 tests in Year 6 do indeed show improvement.

p.30

Commentary

71. The National Numeracy Strategy is fully implemented and, where necessary, key objectives are adapted appropriately to meet the needs of individual pupils, including those with special educational needs. Teachers plan well collaboratively within year groups and annotate plans where changes are needed. Teachers’ subject knowledge has improved and they are enthusiastic about the subject. Pupils are interested and enjoy their lessons. Pupils are generally motivated to do well and they particularly value interactive sessions using small individual whiteboards or the larger electronic one.

p.30

Commentary

72. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, although it varies from very good to unsatisfactory. A key characteristic of good or better teaching and learning is the effective use of questioning. Questioning is used to enable pupils to review their previous learning and to encourage them to explain the strategies they use to answer and solve problems. In good lessons, visual images, including number lines, maths cards, and practical demonstrations, are used well to extend pupils’ understanding. Weaker teaching is characterised by pupils failing to engage in or demonstrate their new learning during tasks and in their work. In some lessons, the concluding part of the lesson is not used well to assess what pupils’ have learned and to identify what they need to learn next.

p.30

Commentary

73. Assessment procedures that track pupils’ progress are not yet being used effectively to identify pupil underachievement and to ensure that staff are aware of what pupils need to learn next to improve. Although pupils’ books and worksheets are marked regularly, opportunities to inform pupils about their learning and what they need to learn next are not consistently taken.

p.30

Commentary

74. Leadership and management are good. The subject co-ordinator is well informed about the strengths and weaknesses in mathematics. Analysis of the disappointing 2003 end-of-Year 6 assessments has been well used to target additional teaching and learning resources into Years 5 and 6. A good link has been established with a secondary school to enhance provision for more able pupils and this is effective both in raising standards and in developing teaching. Resources provide appropriate support for all aspects of teaching and learning. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

p.30

Mathematics across the curriculum

75. Pupils’ competence in mathematics is sound and pupils use mathematics well to support work in other subjects. Good curriculum links have been developed. Notable examples include graphs and tables to record work in science and the analysis of population data in geography.

p.30

SCIENCE

White Rock Primary School - 29 Provision in science is satisfactory .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are interested and enthusiastic about their work. • Tracking procedures are not always used effectively to ensure all pupils are achieving to their potential. • Insufficient use is made of information and communication technology to support science. • Science is linked well with most other areas of the curriculum.

p.31

Commentary

76. In the national tests and teacher assessments of 2003, pupils' attainment was in line with the national average but below that of similar schools. Boys' attainment was better than girls. Inspection evidence indicates similar standards, although no difference was noted between girls and boys.

p.31

Commentary

77. Standards have not risen as fast as those nationally. At the time of the previous inspection, they were found to be significantly higher than the national average. Improving attainment in science has been a main priority for the school and measures for improvement have been instigated, including booster groups in Year 6 and the use of a science expert to teach pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6. As a result, the schools' own predictions indicate some improvement on standards and provisional Year 6 results for 2004 confirm this. However, inspection evidence indicates that pupils' attainment is being adversely affected because teachers do not always use tracking procedures effectively to make sure that planned activities are suitably challenging for individual needs. As a result, although achievement overall is satisfactory, more capable pupils sometimes achieve less than they could.

p.31

Commentary

78. Work in pupils' books shows pupils have a satisfactory understanding and knowledge of the areas of study covered. For example, in Year 2, pupils know that electricity is needed to make a light bulb work. They name the parts of the human body and recognise different materials. By Year 6, pupils know the difference between solids, liquids and gasses and describe methods for the separation of mixtures. Most older pupils are able to record their investigations adequately, but pupils are not given enough opportunity throughout the school to develop their skills in systematically writing up their experiments. Pupils in Year 6 are afforded time to practise the higher scientific skills through independently devising and setting up their own investigations. In conversation, pupils demonstrate a better understanding than their written work indicates.

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Commentary

79. It was only possible to observe lessons in Years 1 and 4 during the inspection. In these lessons, the quality of teaching and learning was mostly satisfactory. In one lesson in Year 1, the teaching was very good. Although teachers do not always plan for the differing needs of the pupils, all lessons are well planned to stimulate the interest that pupils show. As a result, pupils work enthusiastically, with enjoyment of their learning. White Rock Primary School - 30 Good relationships prevail, behaviour management is good and pupils are encouraged to work hard. The school grounds are used very effectively as a learning resource. For example, younger pupils excitedly use the school garden in their search for mini-beasts and older pupils collect and classify leaves, prior to their work on making and using keys. A weakness in the teaching occurs when learning intentions are not made sufficiently clear at the start of the lesson, or reinforced during it or reviewed at the end.

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Commentary

Consequently, pupils are unsure of the purpose of the lesson and unclear of what they have achieved by the end. In addition, teachers in such cases fail to evaluate for themselves the extent to which the pupils achieved the main learning objective. Where the quality of teaching is very good, learning intentions are made clear and activities are well targeted to individual needs so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well; questioning is used very well to challenge and extend pupils' thinking. The marking of pupils' work is inconsistent and does not always include comments to move pupils forward in their learning.

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Commentary

80. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. The subject co-ordinator ensures that programmes of study are sufficiently covered and the scheme of work provides useful guidance to teachers. She monitors pupils' work to ensure the systematic development of skills and has, in the past, monitored the quality of teaching and learning. There are good links with other subjects, as when Year 3 pupils link science with work in art to make clay models of mini-beasts. The subject leader is aware that insufficient use is made of information and communication technology in science and has prioritised it as an area for development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Provision for information and communication technology is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good curriculum ensures that pupils’ skills are developed systematically and well. • Leadership and management are good with a clear view about how to further improve provision. • The teaching assistant for ICT provides excellent support. • Resources are good overall but some equipment is unreliable or has technical limitations. • Assessment strategies are being developed but are currently weak. • Some good curriculum links exist with many, but not all, other subjects.

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Commentary

81. Standards are above national expectations and this is an improvement from the last inspection when standards were average.

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Commentary

82. Lessons were observed in Years 1, 2 and 3 and pupils’ work looked at from all years. Younger pupils use computers confidently and eagerly, accessing software programs competently and using the ‘mouse’ well. They use computers well to support their learning in literacy and numeracy, for example, when engaged in work on dressing boys and girls in the correct sequence, when using the screen or floor ‘turtle’ to draw shapes such as squares or rectangles or to instruct a computer postman how to deliver parcels. White Rock Primary School - 31 ICT lessons also support work in art, geography and design and technology in such work as designing a garden and viewing it from a variety of angles. Older pupils use various graphic packages to design leaflets and posters in connection with topics across the curriculum. Year 6 pupils’ work, based on their trip to Holland and using ‘PowerPoint’, shows considerable variation in standards of both technical competence

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Commentary

and literacy but is generally good. Spreadsheets and databases are used well by older pupils to calculate costs of a party or shopping and to categorise goods purchased, for example.

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Commentary

83. Teaching and learning, based on lessons and work seen, are good overall. Teachers’ subject knowledge is mostly good. Teachers are supported extremely well by the ICT teaching assistant, who works very effectively to prepare and maintain equipment for lessons. She supports teaching very well when taking groups of pupils for specific tasks and compiling portfolios of pupils’ work with a view to producing exemplars of standards related to National Curriculum levels of attainment. Teachers plan work well to link ICT with some other topics being studied. In some lessons, teachers’ presentations can be overlong so that pupils become restless. Pupils work sensibly and, in the good lessons, learn well from each other, engaging in useful discussions to debate ways forward in their work. In other lessons, some pupils wait too long for help and are not encouraged enough to seek advice from peers. In all lessons seen,

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Commentary

teachers used technical language well to support learning in ICT and in the associated subject, such as geography when talking about plans. A start has been made on developing assessment arrangements but assessment is not yet well developed so that a close match of task to individual pupils’ needs has yet to be achieved. Nevertheless, teaching enables most pupils, including those with special educational needs, to achieve well.

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Commentary

84. Leadership and management are good so that teachers are well supported with good curriculum guidance. Curriculum links are being strengthened with subjects such as science that have yet to make good use of ICT. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. The issue previously raised in connection with shortcomings in control technology has been addressed. Standards have risen. Resources have been further improved but they still have some shortcomings because of technical failures and limited capacity. The computer suite is well used but is rather small. Access to computers is limited for occasional use in lessons outside of the computer suite.

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Commentary

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

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Commentary

85. Pupils’ competence in ICT is good and pupils use their skills well in most subjects. Pupils use word processing well and enhance the appearance of their work through the use of various formatting tools. They make appropriate use of charts and graphs using computers. They are exposed to a good range of software packages to support work in art and design.

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HUMANITIES

Provision in geography is very good . White Rock Primary School - 32

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well above expectations. • Pupils benefit from a very good curriculum and good teaching. • Pupils show great interest in geography. • Pupils’ thinking, knowledge and understanding are enhanced by first hand experiences and good range of resources. • Displays of work are excellent.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

86. Standards are well above those expected by the end of Years 2 and 6 and pupils achieve very well due to the very good learning opportunities that are included in the detailed curriculum plans for geography for each year group.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

87. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Lessons are well planned, learning objectives are clear, activities are well organised and teachers have good subject knowledge. Teachers and pupils share high expectations. Pupils’ previous learning is checked for understanding before new themes are introduced. Questioning is well used to extend pupils’ thinking. In their responses, pupils use geographical terminology accurately. All pupils are encouraged to look for similarities and differences, patterns and sequence, and they respond thoughtfully and with confidence. There are many excellent examples of pupils’ work around the school and it is clear that teachers attach great importance to displaying pupils’ work attractively. Pupils are keen to talk about their work and they express interest and enjoyment in their learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

88. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils were able to explain the differences between man-made and physical features in the local environment. In Year 3, pupils have developed well their fieldwork skills on a visit to Cockington. In Year 5, pupils are able to locate and describe the main features of mountain ranges, including the Alps, Himalayas, Rockies and Scottish Highlands. Involvement in the Comenius Project has provided the school with close links with other European countries and Year 6 pupils have recently been on a visit to Holland. Pupils have gained much from the visit and recognise many similarities and differences between geographical features in Holland and Britain.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

89. Pupils use a wide range of sources to gain information, including the Internet, books, atlases, local museums and people. Good links are made with other subjects such as ICT, for example, when Year 5 pupils prepare ‘PowerPoint’ presentations on mountains. Leadership and management are good. The school and those leading give very good direction to the learning of geography and have established a strong tradition in its teaching. Analysis of pupils’ performance is not yet undertaken thoroughly. The school has continued to develop provision in geography since the last inspection. Standards have risen. Improvement has been good.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

White Rock Primary School - 33 • Pupils achieve very well and reach standards that are well above expectations. • Teaching and learning are very good. • Resources and displays are effectively used to further pupils’ thinking. • Leadership and management are effective.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

90. Pupils attain standards that are well above those normally expected by the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils achieve very well due to the very good teaching and learning that is supported by effective planning. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

91. The very good and broad curriculum coverage enables pupils to gain considerable knowledge and understanding and encourages them to use very well their skills of historical enquiry. Teachers have very good subject knowledge; they plan very effectively and organise their lessons using high quality resources. Questions are well posed, recall previous learning and lead to lively discussions that allow pupils to express wide ranging ideas about events, people and changes over time.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

92. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils were able to use a timeline with understanding to arrange seaside photographs into chronological order. Pupils are able to identify differences between how we live today and how people lived in the past. In a very good Year 6 lesson, following a visit to Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam, pupils expressed a real sense of empathy and understanding about her tragic experiences. The teacher used extracts from Anne’s diary and a plan of her house to emphasise her dreadful circumstances. Pupils are able to explain how these tragic events in the past impact on their lives today.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

93. The excellent displays around the school, such as the Seaside Museum in Year 2 or the local study on Slapton and Paignton in the school entrance, draw pupils’ attention to sources of historical evidence. Displays on the Tudors in Year 4, and Year 6 work folders, also celebrate pupils’ achievements.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

94. Although the subject co-ordinator provides good leadership and gives effective support to her colleagues, procedures for assessing progression and pupil progress are not yet fully established. The co-ordinator is also aware that more opportunities need to be found to monitor the quality of teaching and learning.

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Religious education

Provision for religious education is good .

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Religious education

• Standards are above those expected in the locally Agreed Syllabus. • Teaching and learning are good. • Leadership and management are good.

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Commentary

White Rock Primary School - 34 95. Standards are above those expected in the locally Agreed Syllabus for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. Religious education has a prominent place in the curriculum and makes a significant contribution to the ethos of the school and to pupils’ personal development. Many attractive displays, visits and the teaching in assembly contribute positively to the standards pupils achieve. Improvement since the last inspection has been good.

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Commentary

96. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers use a wide range of teaching styles to make lessons interesting. Drama is used effectively to illustrate ideas such as ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’. The teaching assistant encouraged his group to think about the wider implications of this saying, in relation to poor countries in the world, the homeless and refugees. A video clip about Shabbat focused Year 2 pupils’ attention very well. Afterwards, they were able to answer questions competently. The teacher used ICT effectively and took the pupils on a virtual tour of a synagogue. Year 3 pupils enjoyed greatly discussing touching real artefacts used in Christian worship. There is a good balance between practical activities and recording ideas on paper. Pupils are given time for reflection and this helps them to understand what we can learn from religion as well as learning about religion. Pupils learn about major world faiths,

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Commentary

which contributes to their cultural development.

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Commentary

97. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has audited resources and has purchased more to ensure that all teachers have a good range of high quality resources to teach their units; this is a good improvement since the last inspection. She monitors teachers’ planning and scrutinises pupils’ work. As yet, she has not been allocated sufficient time to monitor teaching and learning in other classes, neither have assessment arrangements been developed. She has attended several courses, one of which was on assessment. As a result, assessment procedures for religious education will be trialled next term.

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Art and design

Provision for art and design is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is excellent and extremely well enriched in many ways. • Pupils’ standards are well above expectations and their achievements are good. • Leadership and management are very good, although assessment arrangements are not yet fully in place. • Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and teachers are provided with high quality curriculum guidance. • Pupils’ sketch books are sound but not used as well as they might be to support learning. • The potential of this subject to support pupils’ personal development is very well harnessed. • Many excellent art displays around the school add greatly to the exciting learning environment. White Rock Primary School - 35 Commentary

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Main strengths and weaknesses

98. Art is a strength of the school. Pupils achieve well in art because teachers have a clear understanding of how to develop skills through careful nurture and vibrant learning activities. Standards are very high and well above expectations. Pupils throughout the school demonstrate that a very wide range of techniques have been learned and applied. Pupils in Year 2, for example, engaged in a project on making Punch and Judy puppets and performing with them. They showed great skill in using clay to make the puppet heads and other body parts, having designed well the exaggerated features. They mixed paint expertly to arrive at various skin colour shades. Pupils in Years 6 worked very effectively on their plate designs, based on recent visits to the Delft pottery in Holland and the local ‘China Blue’ factory. Pupils in Year 5 used their well-researched ‘Mount Fuji’ designs to experiment confidently with tile printing techniques. The displays

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Main strengths and weaknesses

in classrooms and elsewhere are vibrant and shine with the school’s enthusiasm for taking every opportunity to learn through art. Learning about ‘mini-beasts’ in science and ‘Madagascar’ in geography, for example, is also enhanced through art in all its forms and using many different media. Pupils’ very good skills in art are also demonstrated when using computers, as seen in various pamphlets and posters linked to topics across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs have achieved highly in art and this contributes greatly to their self-esteem. Some pupils have taken part in local, national and international exhibitions displaying high quality work in needlework and collage, for example, as well as painting.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

99. Teaching and learning in art are good. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and teachers benefit from the very good curriculum guidance provided that assists them in planning lessons. Pupils with particular skills in art are given extra opportunities to develop them. Teachers are especially skilful in combining art lessons with other subjects, such as design and technology, thereby linking many technical and design skills and emphasising the design-make-evaluate process. Pupils learn with tremendous pleasure. They see so clearly the purposes behind activities and the intended outcomes. They acquire well the technical language of art and talk confidently about who or what has inspired them and what they find pleasing. Some more able pupils in Years 5 and 6 showed great maturity in discussing their work in sketchbooks. Sketchbooks are sound. They do not convey the richness of pupils’ experiences and

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Main strengths and weaknesses

teaching does not make full use of them in compiling pupils’ research and development work or as sources for discussion and evaluation.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

100. Leadership and management are very good. The previous art co-ordinator was very enthusiastic and engaged wholeheartedly in research to enhance provision, bringing in visiting artists, entering competitions and securing advisory support as funds allowed. She has, because of other commitments, passed on the role to another, equally enthusiastic teacher. The new co-ordinator brings fresh expertise and a determination to deal with the next phase of development, including the need to work on assessment, further improve the already good resources and consider how to offer facilities to the community. The very good provision not only enables pupils to achieve well in art but also contributes greatly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as well as to their enjoyment of school. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. Standards have risen and the richness of provision further enhanced. The school is

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Main strengths and weaknesses

rightly proud of having the ‘Artsmark’ Gold award for its high quality provision in the arts. White Rock Primary School - 36

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Design and technology

101. Design and technology was sampled. Only two full lessons were seen in Year 2 and in Year 4 and these were of varied quality, very good and unsatisfactory respectively; the reasons for this variability are essentially related to classroom management and maintaining, or not, pupils’ attention and good behaviour.

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Design and technology

102. Curriculum planning is good so that topics to study and skills to acquire have been laid out clearly for teachers. Some good work exist in all parts of the school, such as designing and making sandals or fruit salads by younger pupils and equally good work in making moving toys or paper aeroplanes by older pupils. It is clear from work displayed that pupils’ skills develop well in the use of equipment and in the complexity and maturity of designs and quality of finished products. Pupils, in their work, use a good range of materials, including food, paper, card and textiles. Work in design and technology is linked well with other subjects as part of themed project work. Some good displays exist of work in design and technology, although not to the same high quality as those in art. A good start has been made on establishing assessment arrangements and the subject co-ordinator has plans to complete this work so that pupils’

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Music

103. Music was sampled. Only one short session was seen. Inspectors spoke to the subject co-ordinator and looked at planning and pupils' work.

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Music

104. The school is in receipt of the ‘Artsmark’ Gold award, which among the arts in general, acknowledges the high profile of music and the commitment to the subject within the school. From Year 2 onwards, pupils benefit from tuition from visiting specialists in drums, violin, clarinet, keyboard and guitar. In Year 4, all pupils learn the recorder, so by the time they leave the school all pupils can read musical notation to play an instrument. The practice of featuring a different composer each week in assemblies effectively extends pupils’ knowledge of styles of composition. Pupils are frequently invited to perform concerts for local organisations and a CD recorded to raise funds for the school is a testament to their good singing skills. In assembly, music makes a good contribution to spiritual development, as when pupils and staff alike sang the school song with obvious pride and enjoyment. Every pupil is included in the school's annual

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Music

musical production and these are thoroughly enjoyed by pupils, staff and parents alike.

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Music

105. The subject co-ordinator is highly committed to maintaining the high profile of the subject. The scheme of work is comprehensive and provides good guidance on the development of skills across the school. Resources are good.

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Physical education

Provision for physical education is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

White Rock Primary School - 37 • After-school provision is excellent, with very good use of outside expertise to improve pupils' skills. • Standards are above expectations. • Leadership and management are very good. • There is good provision for gifted and talented pupils.

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Commentary

106. From planning documents and discussions with teachers and pupils, it is evident that all strands of the subject are regularly taught. Lessons in dance and games were observed in Years 1, 2, 3 and 5 during the inspection, where all pupils achieved well because of good teaching. Standards exceeded expectations. The school swimming pool is currently out of action because of building work, but usually all pupils receive swimming lessons. By the end of Year 6, almost all pupils can swim the nationally recommended 25 metres.

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Commentary

107. Teaching and learning are good overall, with examples of very good practice. Lessons are well planned, learning intentions are made clear to the pupils and the direct teaching of skills improves pupils' performance. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and included in all lessons, so their learning is commensurate with the rest of the class. Where teaching is very good, the teacher transmits her own enthusiasm to the pupils, resulting in very good achievement.

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Commentary

108. Pupils' learning is considerably enhanced through the excellent extra-curricular provision. Outside providers are used very well to give specialist training to pupils in badminton, cricket and hockey. All pupils aged 7 to 11 have the opportunity to train with coaches from Torquay United Football Club and are given the opportunity to visit the club's grounds. After-school clubs in boys’ and girls' football, rounders, dance and athletics develop skills still further. Pupils have many opportunities to take part in local competitions and this year reached the regional finals of a national football tournament. Pupils who demonstrate a particular talent for the subject are given good opportunity to extend their skills through attending an annual talent camp. Last year, this was attended by 20 pupils.

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Commentary

109. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership and management. He demonstrates a high level of expertise and commitment and regularly works alongside the other teachers to disseminate good practice. His involvement with other schools locally, as a schools' sports co-ordinator, benefits the school as it becomes the focus for additional activities, leading to the improvement of standards. Staff have received training and the subject is monitored. Pupils’ progress is assessed adequately. The school has maintained the high standards and quality of teaching since the previous inspection. The provision for physical education remains a strength of the school.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

110. The school’s provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education and for developing their understanding of citizenship is good. The provision forms an integral part of the caring nature of the school with the emphasis on giving pupils confidence. Circle Time (a period in which pupils sit in a circle and listen to each other’s concerns, White Rock Primary School - 38 feelings and achievements) is matched well with the more formal aspects of the curriculum taught in accordance with national guidelines. A good scheme of work reflects school priorities. Cross-curricular links are developed satisfactorily. The co- ordinator does not yet have the release-time or programme to formally monitor how well the scheme of work is being taught and what progress the pupils are making. He relies on informal discussions with staff. A formal programme of monitoring and evaluating has yet to be put in place. Citizenship is very well developed through the sophisticated

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

and excellent school council. White Rock Primary School - 39

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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