Whiteley Primary School

WHITELEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th - 8 th July 2004

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WHITELEY 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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WHITELEY 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. Whiteley Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 520

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gull Coppice Whiteley Fareham Hampshire Postcode: PO15 7LA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (01489) 881601 Fax number: (01489) 881740

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Ian Batchelor

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th - 19 th June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There are 520 pupils on roll, aged between four and 11 years, and they are taught in 20 classes. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average, and the percentage identified as having special educational needs is well below the national average. Six pupils have statements of special educational need. There are few pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds, and no pupil speaks English as a second language and is at an early stage of English language acquisition. The school opened in 1997 and has grown rapidly to serve the expanding community in the new housing in the area. The school’s increase in size is reflected in the fact that 57 per cent of the current Year 6 class were not in the school when in Year 1. The school gained an Artsmark Silver Award from the Arts Council of England in May 2004. Whiteley Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 2414 David Westall Lead inspector Science Art and design Design and technology 1333 Elizabeth Forster Lay inspector 3856 Sandy Wellsted Team inspector English Personal, social and health education 24019 Ken Parry Team inspector Mathematics Geography History 19302 Chris Perrett Team inspector Religious education The Foundation Stage 15666 Kath Oram Team inspector Information and communication technology Music Physical education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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). Whiteley Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11 - 17

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school. It benefits from a highly effective headteacher and from an able, committed staff who work together very well to create a vibrant learning community. A very broad range of worthwhile learning opportunities is provided, and the good quality of teaching ensures that pupils do well. Relationships are very positive and pupils enjoy learning. Overall, the school provides very good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

• Standards are well above national expectations in Years 2 and 6 in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils also achieve well in information and communication technology (ICT) in Year 6 and in art and design, design and technology, music and physical education in Years 2 and 6. • The leadership and management of the school are very good. • The quality of teaching is good and pupils make good overall progress in their learning, as a result. • The curriculum is broad and rich, and pupils benefit from a very good range of extra- curricular activities, visits and visitors. • The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal development and this is reflected in their very good attitudes, values and behaviour. • Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. • The school is a very caring community where pupils’ welfare is a high priority. • A very strong partnership is established with parents.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

• The school’s accommodation and grounds are excellent and benefit pupils’ learning.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

Overall, the school has made good progress since its last inspection in 1998, when it had been open for about a year. While standards were above average in Years 2 and 6 in English, mathematics and science in 1998, they are now well above average. The amount of very good teaching has increased, and assessment procedures are now securely established in all subjects. Statutory requirements are now fully met, history and geography have higher profiles in the curriculum, and the provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development has improved significantly.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

Overall, standards are well above national expectations in Years 2 and 6, and represent good achievement.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

Pupils achieve well in the reception classes and their overall standards are above national expectations at the end of the reception period. In Years 1 and 2, pupils’ achievement is also good and this is reflected in their standards in English, mathematics and science, which are well above national expectations in Year 2.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

English A* B A B Whiteley Primary School - 5 mathematics A A A C science A A B D Key: A* - very high; A - in the top 5% nationally; 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. The table above shows the Year 6 results over the last three years. Inspection findings are consistent with the test results in English and mathematics in Year 6 in 2003 and show that current standards are well above national expectations, reflecting good achievement. In science, current standards are a little higher than those shown in the test results in 2003, and are also well above national expectations and represent good achievement. Comparisons with the results of schools where pupils achieved similarly when in Year 2 need to be treated with caution, since four out of every five pupils in the Year 6 classes in 2003 did not start their

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are listed below:

Standards are above national expectations, and represent good achievement, in art and design, design and technology, music and physical education in Years 2 and 6, and in information and communication technology (ICT) in Year 6. Pupils do not achieve quite as well in geography, history and religious education in Years 1 to 6 and in ICT in Years 1 and 2. Nevertheless, their achievement in these subjects is satisfactory and their standards are in line with national expectations in ICT in Year 2, in geography and history in Years 2 and 6, and match the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education in Years 2 and 6. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs achieve well.

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Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and the school makes very good

provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are very positive relationships between pupils and between adults and pupils. Pupils enjoy school, and the attendance rate is well above the national median.

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

mainly good and is often very good in the reception classes and in Years 3 to 6. As a result, pupils make good overall progress in their learning. The curriculum provides a rich and varied programme of worthwhile learning opportunities and is enriched by very good extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors. Provision is good for pupils with special educational needs. It is good, overall, for the most capable pupils, although they sometimes need more challenging tasks in geography, history and religious education. The accommodation and grounds are outstanding and learning resources are very good. The care, guidance and support of pupils are very good, and the school’s partnership with parents is very strong.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Very good, overall. The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher, who provides a very clear sense of direction and evaluates its performance rigorously. Her high expectations, energy and clear thinking contribute significantly to the school’s success. The deputy headteacher fulfils her role very well, and the leadership and management contribution made by other key staff, including subject co-ordinators, is good. Self-evaluation is embedded at the centre of the culture of the school, which means it is continually striving for improvement. School governance is good.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have very positive views of the school. Whiteley Primary School - 6

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

There are no significant weaknesses in this very effective school. However, in order to match the good achievements of pupils in other subjects, the school should raise standards in ICT in Year 2 and in geography, history and religious education in Years 2 and 6. Whiteley Primary School - 7

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Standards are well above national expectations in Years 2 and 6 in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. • Standards are above national expectations in information and communication technology (ICT) in Year 6, and in art and design, design and technology, music and physical education in Years 2 and 6. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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Commentary

Standards on entry to the school 1. On entry to the reception classes, there is considerable variation in children’s standards but, overall, they are above national expectations.

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Commentary

The school’s results in national tests 2. The table below shows that the results of the national tests in Year 2 in 2003 were well above the national average in reading and writing, and were very high in mathematics, being in the top five per cent nationally. These results were well above the average results achieved by similar schools. In science, the results of the statutory teacher assessments in Year 2 in 2003 were above the national average in relation to the percentage reaching the expected level and were very high in relation to the percentage exceeding this standard. Over the last five years, the trend in the school’s overall results in the national tests in Year 2 is above the national trend.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 18.1 (18.3) 15.7 (15.8) writing 17.1 (15.2) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 18.9 (17.5) 16.3 (16.5) There were 64 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. The table below shows that the results of the national tests in Year 6 in 2003 were well above the national average in English and mathematics and were above the national average in science. When these results are compared with those from schools where pupils reached similar standards when in Year 2, they are above average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. However, comparisons with results from similar schools need to be treated with caution in this school, which has experienced rapid growth in pupil numbers since it opened in 1997. For example, four out of every five pupils in the Year 6 classes in 2003 were not in the school when in Year Whiteley Primary School - 8 1. The school exceeded its statutory targets in English and mathematics in Year 6 in 2003 in relation to the percentages reaching the expected standards. The overall trend in the test results in Year 6, over the last five years, is in line with the national trend.

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Commentary

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

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Standards in: School results National results English 29.1 (28.2) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 28.6 (29.3) 26.8 (26.7) science 29.5 (30.6) 28.6 (28.3) There were 59 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

Standards at the time of the last inspection 4. When the school was last inspected, in 1998, standards were above national expectations in English, mathematics, science and art and design in Years 2 and 6. In all other subjects of the National Curriculum, standards were in line with the national average and, in religious education, they broadly matched the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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Commentary

The Foundation Stage (The Reception classes) 5. Overall, children’s achievement is good in Reception and stems from teaching which is mainly good but is sometimes very good. As a result, children’s overall standards at the end of the reception period are above those expected nationally in all areas of learning, except in their personal, social and emotional development, which is well above average. When they start in Year 1, they have very secure foundations for their future work in English, mathematics and science.

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Years 1 and 2 6. Overall, pupils’ achievement is good in these year groups and results from good teaching. Inspection findings broadly reflect the results of the national tests in 2003 and show that current standards are well above national expectations in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. In science, standards are well above average in Year 2 and represent good achievement. Pupils also achieve well in art and design, design and technology, music and physical education and reach standards which exceed national expectations in Year 2. Standards are in line with national expectations in Year 2 in ICT, history and geography, and match expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education. In these subjects, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills well to support their work across the curriculum. Their use of ICT is more limited but is broadly satisfactory.

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Commentary

Years 3 to 6 7. Overall, pupils’ achievement is good in these year groups and results from teaching which is mainly good but is sometimes very good. Inspection findings in English and mathematics are consistent with the results of the national tests in 2003. They show that current standards in these subjects are well above national expectations, reflecting pupils’ good achievement. In science, inspection findings are a little more favourable Whiteley Primary School - 9 than the test results in 2003, and show that standards are also well above the national average and reflect good achievement. Pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6 in ICT, art and design, design and technology, music and physical education. This is reflected in their standards in Year 6, which are above national expectations in these subjects. In common with the situation in Years 1 and 2, pupils do not achieve quite as well in geography, history and religious education. Nevertheless, their achievement in these

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Commentary

subjects is satisfactory and their standards in Year 6 are in line with national expectations in geography and history and match the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education. Clearly, there is scope to increase pupils’ achievements in these subjects in Year 6, as well as in ICT in Year 2, to match their good achievement in other subjects. This is recognised by the headteacher and reflects her high aspirations for pupils’ work. In Years 3 to 6, pupils continue to use and develop their literacy and numeracy skills effectively in work across the curriculum. They also make good use of ICT to support work in other subjects.

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Commentary

The achievement of different groups 8. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. It is by no means unusual for such pupils to attain the expected standards for their age in national tests, and all make good progress towards the targets identified in their individual education plans. The most capable pupils generally achieve well, including in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. However, they sometimes mark time in history, geography and religious education because they need more challenging tasks.

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good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is reflected

in their growing maturity and independence. The attendance rate is well above the national average.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Pupils’ have very positive attitudes to learning and to all aspects of school life. • Behaviour is very good. • Relationships are very good at all levels. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • The attendance rate is well above the national average.

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COMMENTARY

Attitudes and behaviour 9. When asked their views about the school, pupils of all ages and abilities are unfailingly positive in their answers. They enjoy working hard, know that they are making good progress, and have a very keen sense of privilege in belonging to a vibrant and exciting community. Older pupils, in particular, are able to appreciate their own place in the school’s short history. For example, pupils in Year 6 point out to inspectors the dragonfly sculptures they made last year and which now hover over the pond. The pupils are proud, not only of their artistic achievement, but also because they know that their dragonflies will be there for the next generation of children to enjoy.

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COMMENTARY

10. Because they feel valued and because they know that all adults in the school take pride in their achievements, pupils in their turn respect the staff and are very willing to learn. Whiteley Primary School - 10 Challenged by good teaching, they work conscientiously in lessons and strive to do their best. They delight in the many opportunities they are given to pursue other interests, for example, through clubs and other extra-curricular activities, and they relish the social, sporting and cultural benefits presented by visits and visitors.

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COMMENTARY

11. The very good relationships that exist amongst all adults in the school are mirrored in the pupils’ relationships with one another and set the right moral tone for the life and work of the school. Pupils respect others’ views in the classroom and people’s need for space in the playground. They listen with interest when others speak, and they work and play together happily. Having been involved in drawing up rules to govern their own behaviour, they have a strong sense of ownership of them and believe them to be fair. As a consequence, rules are obeyed. Incidences involving bullying are very rare, and there have been no exclusions. During lessons, at playtime, in the dining hall and around the school, pupils conduct themselves in an exemplary manner, always alert to the needs of others, and always appreciative of others’ efforts and achievements. Pupils with special educational needs are included on equal terms in all activities by adults and

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COMMENTARY

pupils alike. Like their peers, these pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and work hard to overcome any difficulties they might be experiencing in their learning.

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COMMENTARY

12. All pupils are eager to assume responsibilities for routine duties in their classrooms or around the school. Pupils of all ages, boys and girls, all mix easily, frequently engaged in earnest conversations that serve to pass on the developing traditions of the school and also to confirm, even though not always consciously, the school’s established expectations in regard to achievement, effort and behaviour. Indeed, this is a school in which being seen to be mature and responsible is, quite simply, ‘cool’.

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COMMENTARY

Attendance 13. Attendance at the school is very good and punctuality is good. There is no unauthorised absence.

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COMMENTARY

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.4 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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COMMENTARY

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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COMMENTARY

Categories used in the Annual School Census No. of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 496 0 0 White – Irish 4 0 0 White – any other White background 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 5 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 6 0 0 Whiteley Primary School - 11 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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COMMENTARY

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 14. The school provides very well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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COMMENTARY

15. Through their daily interactions with pupils and through the strong teamwork that characterises their own work, staff present very good role models. Their example is not lost on the pupils who, in their turn, value others’ efforts on their behalf and emulate the altruistic and caring attitudes of their elders.

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COMMENTARY

16. Provision for pupils’ spiritual and moral development is very good. In assemblies and in religious education lessons, pupils learn about religious leaders and others whose religious faith and values have inspired them to extraordinary acts of altruism, bravery or kindness. They are taught to respect religious beliefs and practices and to recognise the moral principles underlying all major religions. By involving pupils in drawing up rules for their own conduct, the school very successfully raises pupils’ awareness of what is right and what is wrong. Their understanding is further reinforced by a very clear system of rewards and sanctions which inspires them to achieve in every aspect of their lives and work.

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COMMENTARY

17. In assemblies and in personal, social and health education (PSHE), including times set apart for discussions, pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences of life and to develop spiritual and moral values of their own. Through their work in various subjects, pupils are further encouraged to know themselves and to ‘make the right choices.’ For example, in a science lesson in Year 6, pupils considered how a choice to smoke can have an adverse effect on others. Lessons on pollution in geography make clear to pupils the need to be responsible for their own behaviour in this regard, and also to consider ways of protecting the Earth from unnecessary harm. At the same time, pupils’ awareness is raised to the wonders and beauty of the world. For example, pupils in Year 4 have walked in the snow and marvelled at the unique ‘design’ of every snowflake, while pupils from Year 3 responded with awe when they encountered

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COMMENTARY

chameleons and giant butterflies during their visit to the ‘Living Rainforest.’ In history, in PSHE and in English, pupils are taught to empathise with others and to see the world through others’ eyes. For example, pupils in Year 6 have written moving poems about ‘loneliness’, and powerful diary entries from the points of view of family members affected by the Gresford pit disaster in 1932. Pupils in Year 5 responded well to the challenge of writing about ‘The nature of God’, while pupils from Years 3 to 6 were invited to compose prayers of their own during an assembly during the inspection.

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COMMENTARY

18. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. The ethos of the school encourages all pupils to respect others and to help in any way they can. At its simplest level, pupils’ social development is promoted through daily routines and common courtesies such as holding doors open to let others pass through. In lessons, in sports, in musical activities, in clubs, in drama and through residential activities, pupils are encouraged to work together to achieve shared goals. They are taught to appreciate the value of both individual enterprise and team effort, and to prize ‘taking part’ above winning. Clubs and links between ‘Buddies’ in different age groups successfully forge Whiteley Primary School - 12 bonds of a ‘family’ kind. The direct involvement of pupils in the work of the school, for example, through elected membership of the school council, as librarians, as Buddies and as playground assistants helps pupils become mature and responsible. The

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COMMENTARY

school’s work in support of various charities gives them a sense of moral and social responsibility for those less fortunate than themselves. A recent ‘workshop’ day, dedicated to raising pupils’ awareness about disabilities, very effectively heightened pupils’ understanding of the difficulties experienced by disabled people and, at the same time, their respect for the ways in which the disabled rise above their difficulties. Provision for pupils to learn Makaton in order to communicate with one pupil in the school with little speech, a Christmas ‘shoebox’ appeal, and sustained efforts to raise funds for a community school in Africa all help pupils to understand that they can ‘make a difference’ in other people’s lives. The school’s very good provision for PSHE also makes a very strong contribution to pupils’ social and moral development.

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COMMENTARY

19. Very good provision is made for pupils’ cultural development, including their awareness of other cultures – an aspect which was identified as a weakness when the school was last inspected. A rich programme of visits and of visitors, supports pupils’ work, especially in history, geography, music, art, dance and drama. Special events such as a European Day and a Caribbean carnival further enhance pupils’ cultural development. Library and classroom resources reflect the curricular opportunities provided, and artefacts from major world religions support both multi-faith assemblies and work in religious education lessons. All pupils are encouraged to read widely, all have regular opportunities to take part in drama productions, and many learn to play musical instruments. Indeed, so successful is the school in all these aspects of its work that it has recently been awarded the Artsmark Silver Award by the Arts Council. In geography,

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COMMENTARY

pupils learn about life in other countries, while holiday postcards sent by staff, pupils, parents and governors result in a useful sharing of information about places visited. Visits by teachers to schools overseas have led to effective links with schools in Australia and in New Zealand, where pupils already have E-pals, and links are also being strengthened with schools in Africa and Canada. Displays in classrooms and around the school bear witness not only to a richness and diversity in provision for pupils’ cultural development, but also to the pupils’ enthusiastic response.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very good quality of education for its pupils. The teaching is mainly good and is often very good in the reception classes and in Years 3 to 6. As a result, pupils make good overall progress in their learning. The curriculum provides a rich and varied programme of worthwhile learning opportunities and is enriched by very good extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors. Provision is good for pupils with special educational needs. It is good, overall, for the most capable pupils, although they sometimes need more challenging tasks in geography, history and religious education. The accommodation and grounds are outstanding and learning resources are very good. The care, guidance and support of pupils are very good, and the school’s partnership with parents is very strong.

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Teaching and learning

Whiteley Primary School - 13 Overall, the teaching is good and pupils make good progress in their learning. Assessment procedures are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching is good, overall, and is often very good in the reception classes and in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils with special educational needs are taught well, including by teaching assistants. • Assessment procedures are very good and are used effectively. • The most capable pupils sometimes need more challenging tasks in geography, history and religious education.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 75 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 1 (1%) 21 (28%) 42 (56%) 11 (15%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

20. The table above shows that the teaching observed during the inspection was never less than satisfactory and was mainly good. Indeed, eight of every ten lessons seen were good or better. As a result, pupils make good overall progress in their learning. In Years 1 and 2, the teaching is nearly always good, while in the reception classes and in Years 3 to 6, it is mainly good but often very good. The teaching was also good, overall, when the school was last inspected. However, the amount of very good teaching has more than doubled since 1998.

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Commentary

21. Across the school, teaching is characterised by very good relationships between teachers and pupils. Pupils like and respect their teachers and it is obvious that these feelings are reciprocated. Teachers’ planning is thorough and individual lessons form part of a coherent programme to develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. Teachers know exactly what they expect pupils to learn, explain tasks clearly and organise their lessons efficiently. Teachers think carefully about how pupils learn and are promoting pupils’ life-long learning skills, particularly by encouraging them to engage in discussions, to raise questions and to apply their existing knowledge and skills to new situations. The teaching is lively and teachers are confident enough to be innovative, which makes learning interesting for the pupils. For example, during the inspection, a well thought out role-play activity in science made a significant contribution to pupils’

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Commentary

understanding about the fragility of eco-systems, and was much enjoyed by the Year 4 pupils. The teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach, and ensure that teaching assistants are well deployed to benefit pupils’ learning. In the most effective lessons, very good use is made of questions to probe pupils’ understanding and to challenge their thinking. In these lessons, many pupils are working at the edge of their current capabilities and are progressing very well indeed. The very positive relationships that exist between staff and pupils mean that pupils feel secure as learners: they trust their teachers to help them, dare to take risks in their learning and are inspired, rather than worried, by their teachers’ high expectations of them. Whiteley Primary School - 14 22. In the reception classes, children make a good start as a result of the effective teaching they receive. The teachers have a very good understanding of the needs of young

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Commentary

children and work very well as a team. Activities are stimulating and skilfully structured so that all children can take part at the level they need for their all-round growth and development. Clear routines and procedures are established at an early stage and this ensures that all children have a good understanding of what is expected of them. As a result of teaching which is mainly good and otherwise very good, good overall progress is made by children in the reception classes and they are prepared effectively for their work in Year 1.

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Commentary

23. In Years 1 to 6, the teaching is good, overall, in English, mathematics and science – and lessons are often well taught in Years 3 to 6. Consequently, pupils make good progress in their learning in these key subjects. In ICT, the teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and means pupils make satisfactory progress. However, in Years 3 to 6, where teachers’ expertise and confidence is stronger, the teaching is good and means pupils’ progress is good. In music and physical education, the teaching is good, overall, in Years 1 to 6 and results in pupils’ good progress. Some lessons are very well taught in these subjects in Years 3 to 6, and an excellent music lesson was observed which fostered pupils’ singing skills very strongly. Insufficient lessons were observed in history, geography, art and design and design and technology to make secure overall judgements about the quality of teaching in these subjects. However, a careful

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Commentary

examination of pupils’ completed work shows that the teaching is enabling pupils to make satisfactory progress in history and geography and good progress in art and design and design and technology. Too few personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons were seen to judge the quality of teaching but pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour clearly reflect the positive effects of provision. In religious education, the lessons seen during the inspection demonstrated mainly good teaching. However, evidence from pupils’ completed work shows the teaching is enabling pupils to make sound, rather than good, progress over time. In summary, the teaching results in pupils making good progress in all subjects, except in ICT in Years 1 and 2 and in geography, history and religious education in Years 1 to 6, where it results in pupils’ sound progress.

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Commentary

24. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is mainly good, and sometimes very good. A significant feature of the teaching is the emphasis on raising self-esteem through genuine achievement. Irrespective of whether they are being taught by class teachers or by teaching assistants, the pupils are always expected to think for themselves. The work set for them is suitably challenging, and all staff do their best to ensure that the pupils acquire the skills, knowledge and strategies they need to become successful, independent learners. Teaching is fully informed by the results of assessments and by regular reviews of pupils’ progress. External agencies are involved appropriately and provide professional advice to teachers to help them plan work for some pupils, for example, those with speech and language difficulties. Teaching assistants also play a significant role in supporting pupils with special needs. Indeed,

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Commentary

some have been trained in particular areas of special needs work such as dyslexia and autism, and are therefore not only well equipped to help the pupils but also to advise other members of staff. The teaching of the most capable pupils is also mainly good, including in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. However, they sometimes need more challenging tasks in geography, history and religious education. Whiteley Primary School - 15 Assessing pupils’ progress 25. Arrangements for assessment are very good, overall. Effective procedures have been developed to provide a clear picture of pupils’ progress in all subjects as they move through the school. The teachers find the systems manageable and have a very good understanding of the purposes and usefulness of the process. As a result, assessment procedures are implemented consistently by all teachers, and they use the information they gather to group pupils within their classes and to identify those who need extra

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Commentary

support to help them catch up. They plan carefully for groups and individuals and are clear about what they have to do to improve. In English and mathematics, group targets for improvement provide a focus for teaching and learning and motivate pupils successfully. Teachers keep careful records of regular testing. These are checked rigorously by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, who provide detailed feedback for the subject co-ordinators, which has a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Recent feedback to the history co-ordinators, for example, highlighted the need for additional resources to support the study of Boudicca in order to meet higher expectations. The quality of teachers’ marking is generally good, across the school.

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Curricular provision is very good and pupils’ learning is also enhanced by a very

good range of additional opportunities. Staffing is good, the accommodation is excellent and learning resources are very good.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• The curriculum provides a rich and varied programme of worthwhile learning experiences. • Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. • The accommodation, both indoor and outdoor, is outstanding and makes a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. • A very good range of extra-curricular activities, visits and other events enriches pupils’ learning. • There are very good opportunities for pupils to take part in sport and the arts. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Learning resources are plentiful, of good quality and are used well to support pupils’ learning.

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COMMENTARY

26. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is planned thoroughly, using national guidelines, and provides a very good balance of activities. It prepares children effectively for the National Curriculum and the next stages of learning. The first-rate secure outdoor area broadens the range of practical opportunities available and is used very well to stimulate children’s learning.

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COMMENTARY

27. In Years 1 to 6, provision is firmly based on the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. It meets all statutory requirements and includes a well-planned programme to deal with sex education and drugs awareness. The balance between subjects is very well managed. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection when history and geography needed a higher profile in the curriculum. Whiteley Primary School - 16 28. All subjects are supported by detailed guidance to assist teachers’ planning and this makes a significant contribution to the above or well above average standards reached in most subjects. There is a strong emphasis on English and mathematics and the national strategies for literacy and numeracy are used effectively and consistently as the basis for planning. As a result, pupils achieve well in these subjects. Subjects are often linked to make pupils’ learning more meaningful and teachers take great care to ensure

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COMMENTARY

that the essential skills of each subject are not lost in the integrated approach. Pupils’ strengths in literacy and numeracy are used to good effect to support their learning in other subjects such as history and science.

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COMMENTARY

29. The principles of inclusion are fully upheld in respect to pupils with special educational needs, and the provision made for them is a strength, All pupils with special educational needs enjoy equal access to the same curriculum as their peers. Care is taken to ensure that, with additional adult support when needed, they are included in all class activities involving teacher-led discussions and work appropriate for pupils of their ages. Some pupils are withdrawn from class for very short periods of time to work with teaching assistants on tasks directly related to literacy targets in their individual education plans. All such sessions observed were managed well and pupils made good progress. Pupils’ targets are highly focused and achievable, and all pupils are fully aware of what their targets are, a factor which contributes significantly to the progress made. Pupils with special needs related to numeracy are taught effectively within

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COMMENTARY

mainstream lessons and all withdrawal sessions observed were managed very well. Some pupils with particular gifts and talents benefit from additional activities outside lessons, for example, those involving sports and music, and several pupils also attend Saturday clubs set up for gifted and talented pupils by the local education authority.

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COMMENTARY

30. A significant strength is the way that the curriculum is kept under continuous review. This involves subject co-ordinators carefully checking the quality of provision, including by examining pupils’ completed work samples. They report to the headteacher and deputy headteacher and adjustments are made in consultation with all staff. Several examples were seen of this process in action. For example, the co-ordinators for geography and history have highlighted the need to continue to refine teachers’ planning to ensure that higher order skills are being taught to enable pupils to reach the above average standards seen in other subjects. The school constantly seeks to improve the curriculum and to ensure that it is entirely relevant to pupils’ needs. This is evident in the initiative currently being trialled in Year 6. This is an independent research project carefully planned as a means of sustaining pupils’ interest and motivation as they approach

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COMMENTARY

31. In line with its intention to provide for the all-round development of pupils, the school offers a very rich programme of interesting opportunities in sport, the arts and in many other activities. In Year 3, for example, all pupils are taught to play the recorder and then have the chance to take up other musical instruments. Drama is successfully integrated into the curriculum with regular performances by pupils throughout the school. Visiting artists share their expertise and contribute to the high quality displays of pupils’ work seen in the school and the grounds. Other visitors include theatre groups and musicians such as the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and a steel pan band. In addition, there are visits from individuals from the community such as the vicar, a fitness instructor and the manager of the local sandwich bar. Invited parents are used very effectively to promote pupils’ multicultural awareness. Educational visits are planned carefully to

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COMMENTARY

Whiteley Primary School - 17 support links across subjects. Each class takes part in several visits to local as well as more distant locations and, in Year 6, this includes a residential experience.

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COMMENTARY

32. These experiences are built into the planning framework and make a powerful contribution to the quality of teaching and learning as well as pupils’ personal development. In addition, there are numerous extra-curricular clubs and activities that cater for a very wide range of interests, from ceramics to car design, and yoga to young journalism. Pupils of all ages are introduced to new and exciting leisure activities that support their social development and also contribute to the above average standards in subjects such as art and design, design and technology, music and physical education. They take full advantage of the many opportunities provided in a variety of sports, including basketball, cross-country and lacrosse, in addition to football, netball and athletics.

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COMMENTARY

33. The level of staffing is good. The dedicated team of teachers and support staff share a wealth of specialist knowledge and skills that are used well for the benefit of pupils across the school. The provision and quality of learning resources are very good. They are particularly well organised and easily accessible to staff and pupils. Subject leaders regularly review available resources and are continually updating and improving them. The school also makes very good use of loans from external agencies to supplement its own resources.

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COMMENTARY

34. The accommodation is exceptional, and it is immediately clear why it has received a number of design awards. Inspection evidence fully supports the following statements taken from the school’s prospectus:

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COMMENTARY

• “Whiteley Primary School provides an ideal environment …” • “Facilities are recognised as outstanding.” • “The setting for the school is magnificent …”

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COMMENTARY

The building is spacious and well-lit with generous shared areas that are well used, often by pupils working independently. Specialist areas include computer suites, dance and music rooms, food technology and kiln rooms, libraries and a well-equipped gymnasium. Outdoors, there is a large area of protected woodland, a stream and a pond, adventure areas and an all- weather pitch. The whole site provides a superb stimulus for pupils’ work across the curriculum.

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Care, guidance and support

The care, guidance and support for pupils are very good. Pupils have good opportunities to put forward their views for improving the school.

p.19

Care, guidance and support

• Teachers know pupils’ academic and pastoral needs well and provide for them very effectively. • Induction arrangements are very good. • Child protection and health and safety procedures are good. • Teaching assistants give very good support. Whiteley Primary School - 18 COMMENTARY

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Care, guidance and support

35. The importance of providing effective support for pupils underpins all aspects of school life. The rigorous assessment of pupils’ academic progress ensures that their learning needs are well known to staff and that any aspects requiring additional support are quickly identified and addressed. Teachers work very closely with teaching assistants to brief them on pupils’ learning needs and this well targeted support helps pupils to progress well. Teachers are alert to changes in pupils’ performance or attitudes, and there is good communication with parents about shared concerns or issues that might be having a negative effect on their work. Pupils’ needs are invariably dealt with sensitively, and the very good relationships between adults and pupils are based on care and mutual respect. Pupils know that adults will be sympathetic to any worries or concerns that they have and they will, where necessary, take swift action to help them

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Care, guidance and support

overcome their problems. Health and safety issues are well monitored and child protection procedures are good.

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Care, guidance and support

36. The headteacher and staff consult pupils informally to gather their views as well as through the work of the school council. Their ideas are listened to carefully and acted upon wherever possible. Pupils know that their ideas are valued and this contributes to their strong sense of living in a very caring school community. The staff recognise that it is important to avoid pupils being overwhelmed by the size of the school and a number of very effective strategies are in place to ensure that all pupils feel valued members of the community. This gives pupils a confident approach to school life and to the opportunities on offer. Each year group is paired with another so that older ones can act as ‘buddies’, sharing some school activities with them and looking after them at playtimes. As the linking between year groups is varied annually, pupils soon get to know a large number of other children across the school. This is further reinforced by

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Care, guidance and support

having different year groups coming together for assemblies and by opening after school clubs to a range of ages. Lunchtimes, which could be daunting for younger pupils, are made very enjoyable occasions for all. Pupils have a variety of different quiet and play areas and adventure playgrounds to choose from. In addition, the use of teaching assistants to facilitate organised games and activities creates a purposeful and well regulated atmosphere during lunchtimes which not only promotes good relations between pupils but also means they have healthy exercise.

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Care, guidance and support

37. Induction arrangements are very good. As well as visiting new children in their pre- school settings, teachers also encourage parents to take up the offer of a home visit. This enables the parents to talk informally about their child and make sure that any specific needs are flagged up to staff. Parents’ questions or concerns can be addressed early on and children enjoy meeting their teacher on home ground, adding to their confidence when seeing a familiar face as they start school. Staggered entry and transition from part-time to full-time are carefully planned, and parents are welcome to stay in the class for a short time in the mornings if they feel their children need it during the early weeks. Information packs, meetings for parents before children start, and the use of older pupils to befriend the new ones complete a thorough and comprehensive programme that ensures all settle happily into school routines and are ready to learn.

p.20

The school has very good links with parents and good links with the community and

• The headteacher and staff are open and welcoming. • Parents’ views are listened to and acted on. • Parents are provided with good information about what is to be taught. • Parents give very good support to the school and their children’s learning. • The school has developed good links with the feeder pre-schools and other schools in the locality.

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Commentary

38. From its earliest establishment, parents have been keen to be involved in the development of the school and staff have welcomed and encouraged their participation. This has provided a very firm foundation on which to build a successful partnership and for the school to become a focus in the newly expanding community. Parents rightly hold the school in high regard, are proud of its achievements and feel a sense of ownership, having been involved in its growth. The presence of the headteacher on the playground before and after school, and the early access to teachers in classrooms, makes for easy informal communication. This ensures that parents can share any worries or concerns, which they know will be listened to sympathetically. The school is continually striving to improve and asks parents their views on a variety of issues. Their opinions are valued and where possible acted on. For example, home/school record books have been

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Commentary

39. Parents receive regular school newsletters and very detailed and helpful information about the curriculum to be covered each half term. They are well briefed at the start of the academic year about expectations for their children in their new classes, and the termly consultations keep them well informed about progress and improvement targets. Annual written reports not only give clear indications of progress and standards achieved but also highlight pupils’ particular strengths and areas for improvement. This range of information keeps parents well informed about how best to support their children’s learning, and parents respond by providing valuable help at home. Parents are very supportive of the school, with a good number giving freely of their time to help in classes or other activities. The thriving Friends Association, initiated by parents as soon as the school opened, organises a range of social and fundraising events, which

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Commentary

contribute to the sense of partnership and provide additional resources for the benefit of the pupils. 40. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are informed when their child’s needs are first identified and are kept fully informed of his or her progress thereafter. Parents are supportive both of their children and of the school and, with rare exceptions, willingly help with work at home to reinforce what is learned in class.

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Commentary

41. Good links have been established with the two main feeder pre-schools; children are visited there and are also invited to share the school’s facilities. Teachers liaise effectively with pre-school staff and this helps to ensure that children’s learning is not Whiteley Primary School - 20 disrupted. There are also close links with the secondary school to which most pupils transfer. Pupils benefit from some specialist teaching from secondary school staff in subjects such as dance; and specific units of work for Year 6 pupils in English and mathematics are provided to promote continuity into the secondary school. There is careful joint planning to make sure that appropriate information about each child is shared to enable the transfer to be as smooth as possible. Pupils have a variety of worthwhile activities in music and sport where they can mix with others from different schools, and teachers also benefit from shared in-service training events with staff from

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Commentary

other schools in the area. Effective links are established with the community centre and leisure centre, and the governors encourage the community to make use of the school premises. The school plays an active part in supporting and organising community events; and the nearby Whiteley Village Outlet Shopping complex has sponsored the school’s brochure.

p.22

Overall, the leadership and management of the school are very good. The leadership

and management skills of the headteacher are very good , and the deputy headteacher is fulfilling her role very well. The leadership and management contribution of other key staff, including subject co-ordinators, is good, overall. Governance is also good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher leads and manages the school very well. • Self-evaluation procedures are rigorous and promote school improvement. • The deputy headteacher is very effective. • The senior management team makes a valuable contribution to the leadership and management of the school, and subject co-ordinators fulfil their roles well. • The leadership and management of provision for pupils with special educational needs are good. • The governors are highly committed and effective.

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Commentary

Leadership 42. The headteacher is providing very good leadership, as she was when the school was last inspected and it had only six classes. She has responded very well indeed to the challenges presented by the rapid increase in pupil and staff numbers since 1998, and continues to be a major strength in the school. The headteacher has high expectations of pupils’ personal and academic development and communicates these clearly so the school has a clear sense of direction. She fosters teamwork very effectively and provides a positive role model through her tenacious work to secure school improvement. The headteacher knows the staff well and works with them very effectively, recognising and praising their achievements and providing well-focused advice and support when these are required. She is firmly committed to running an equitable and inclusive school where each individual matters and this is evident in the care which is

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Commentary

taken to support staff and pupils. As a consequence, the staff and pupils rightly hold her in high regard, recognising her skills in creating a school community where everyone is able to make a valued contribution to its success. In their questionnaire returns, and Whiteley Primary School - 21 through their remarks at the pre-inspection meeting, parents also expressed their positive views about the headteacher’s leadership skills. 43. The headteacher has worked closely with staff and governors to create strategic planning which identifies well-judged priorities based on clear school aims. The plan is very thorough, and individual initiatives are planned in detail so that staff and governors know what is to be done, when, how and by whom. The plan is having a beneficial effect on school improvement. This is particularly evident in relation to the sustained work on the development of pupils’ writing skills which have led to the improved writing results in

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Commentary

the national tests in 2003 in Years 2 and 6.

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Commentary

44. The headteacher delegates responsibility wisely to key members of staff and this contributes valuably to the breadth of quality in the school’s leadership. The deputy headteacher works in close partnership with the headteacher, and fulfils her role very well by helping to guide the school’s strategic direction. The senior management team meets regularly and is effective, ensuring that agreed procedures are understood and implemented across the school. In addition, subject co-ordinators provide well-focused leadership for their colleagues, based on their astute evaluations of provision.

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Commentary

Management 45. Overall, the management of the school is very good. The headteacher keeps her finger firmly on the pulse of the school through rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures which reflect her very good management skills. She regularly analyses teachers’ planning and examples of pupils’ completed work, observes lessons and provides staff with detailed and pertinent feedback, which has a beneficial effect on their professional development. The results of statutory and non-statutory testing are analysed with great care so that any evidence of pupils’ underachievement can be identified and tackled efficiently.

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Commentary

46. The headteacher works effectively alongside key staff in order to develop their evaluation skills and to ensure that judgements are consistent and fair. As a result, the deputy headteacher monitors provision very well, including through the analysis of teachers’ assessments of pupils’ achievement across the curriculum. The senior management team makes a valuable contribution to the school’s self-evaluation procedures, particularly through lesson observations, and subject co-ordinators manage their subjects effectively. All co-ordinators monitor and evaluate provision in their subjects rigorously and, consequently, target relevant areas for development. In summary, the headteacher has ensured that self-evaluation is well-embedded at the centre of the culture of the school. This enables the school to identify its weaknesses as well as its strengths and to take pertinent action to secure further improvements.

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Commentary

47. The leadership and management of provision for pupils with special educational needs are effective, and there is a strong commitment to inclusion. The special educational needs co-ordinator’s management of day-to-day operations in special needs work is very efficient and has a very positive effect on pupils’ achievements.

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Commentary

48. The school’s policy for the performance management of staff is being implemented effectively. Targets properly reflect both whole school priorities and individual needs; and all staff, including teaching assistants, have ample opportunities to benefit from training courses. Provision for the induction of staff is very good, including for newly qualified teachers, and reflects the caring and supportive ethos of the school. Whiteley Primary School - 22 49. Financial planning is good. The headteacher and governors analyse the budget carefully and ensure that initiatives in the strategic plan are properly costed. They take care to manage their budget allocation without building up unnecessarily large balances which do not serve pupils currently at the school. Spending is monitored carefully throughout the financial year, and the principles of best value are rigorously applied when financial decisions are made. Overall, the school makes very good use of its resources and

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,265,100 Balance from previous year 47,120 Total expenditure 1,287,190 Balance carried forward to the next year 25,030 Expenditure per pupil 2,429

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Commentary

Aids and barriers to raising achievement 50. Very effective leadership and management, together with good teaching, are the main reasons why pupils achieve well. There are no significant barriers to achievement at this very good school.

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Commentary

Governance 51. The governance of the school is good. The governors are highly committed and make a valuable contribution to the leadership and management of the school. Governors benefit from very informative reports from the headteacher, and have a secure grasp of the school’s strengths and areas for development. The results of statutory testing are debated thoroughly and governors help to guide the school’s work through strategic planning which takes careful account of its policies and aims. They visit regularly to observe the school in operation and have a good awareness of provision in literacy, numeracy and ICT, including through discussions with co-ordinators. In addition, the governors with particular responsibility for special educational needs and for the most capable pupils are well informed. The chair of governors maintains regular contact with the school, studies documentation carefully and ensures that governors’ meetings are

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Commentary

well focused. The governors are astute and, while being very supportive of the school, are able to ask challenging questions and are prepared to make difficult decisions when these are required. Statutory requirements are fully met, in contrast to the situation when the school was last inspected and there were a number of deficiencies, including in relation to the information in the prospectus and the provision of a daily act of collective worship. Whiteley Primary School - 23

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

All children in the three reception classes, irrespective of their ability or gender, achieve well because the teaching is mainly good, and otherwise very good, and the curriculum is planned very well. As a result of the above key strengths in the provision, children’s overall standards are above those expected nationally at the end of the Foundation Stage, and they are prepared effectively for their work in Year 1. A wide range of interesting and relevant activities are provided that include an appropriate balance of direct teaching and many opportunities for children to learn through purposeful play. Adults monitor children’s progress carefully, keeping rigorous assessments that are used well to plan work at the correct level for each child, including for those with learning difficulties. There are very good induction arrangements, including home visits, which result in a smooth transition to school. The leadership of the

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Foundation Stage is very good. The co-ordinator has a very good overview of the provision and constantly evaluates the curriculum to improve practice. Adults work very well as a cohesive team, ensuring that children are safe and happy. The accommodation for Foundation Stage children is excellent, and the outside areas provide a stimulating and exciting environment to extend their learning.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.25

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children achieve very well because the teaching is consistently good or better. • Well-established routines and the excellent role models set by adults promote an orderly community. • Supportive relationships encourage children to be confident and happy.

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COMMENTARY

52. This area of learning is promoted very well indeed. The excellent teamwork of the adults in all classes provides the children with superb role models of co-operation, and promote a calm and ordered approach to work. All staff have high expectations and children quickly learn the correct way to behave. The children develop positive attitudes to learning, and enjoy coming to school. They are polite and considerate to each other, and listen well. The children soon get used to school routines and move between activities sensibly, showing mature attitudes. Personal independence is developed well. For example, children make their own choices during activity time and work sensibly for extended periods, even when they are in groups that are not directly supervised. There are many opportunities for the children to work in pairs and small groups, which enhance their social and moral development. All children are encouraged to tidy away at the ends

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COMMENTARY

of sessions. Adults in all classes are good listeners and treat each other and the children with courtesy and respect. This leads to trusting relationships and helps the children succeed. Children make very good progress in this area of learning, and their personal and social skills are well above national expectations at the end of the reception period. Whiteley Primary School - 24

p.25

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All adults take every opportunity to develop children’s language skills, and children achieve well as a result. • A good emphasis on the learning of sounds gives children a good grounding for their reading and writing.

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Commentary

53. Teaching and learning are mainly good, and sometimes very good, in this area. As a result, children achieve well. Staff encourage the development of children’s speaking and listening by asking them probing questions, and through the constant insistence that children listen to the contributions of others. For example, in one lesson observed, the teacher provided good opportunities for children to explain to their peers why a chosen article was special to them, while the remainder of the group listened attentively. Teachers make very effective use of questioning to remind children of what they have already learned before new learning is introduced. Most children are confident speakers, are inquisitive and readily ask visitors questions, such as ‘ What is your name?’ and ’What are you writing?’ They contribute well to class discussions, articulating their ideas clearly. Children develop a love of books and were seen handling

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Commentary

books correctly and looking at them confidently, alone or with a friend. In all classes, the literacy strategy is adapted appropriately, so that children are well prepared for Year 1. Great emphasis is placed on the learning of letter sounds to enable children to read. All the children know the sounds of the letters, and children know the names. Reading has a high profile, and the majority of children learn skills which enable them to read simple texts by the time they enter Year 1. The higher-attaining children are working within the early stages of the National Curriculum. The lower-attaining children confidently look at the pictures to tell the story. Children are given many opportunities to develop their pencil control, and appropriate emphasis is placed on correct letter formation as they learn to write in a cursive hand. The higher-attaining children recognise capital letters and full stops, and are writing in sentences. Less advanced learners enjoy their ‘secret

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Commentary

writing’, and all can write their names. Overall, children’s standards are above national expectations in this area of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.26

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

Whiteley Primary School - 25 • Children achieve well due to effective teaching and the provision of a wide range of mathematical activities. • Children’s mathematical development is reinforced throughout the school day.

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Commentary

54. Teaching and learning are good, with some very good features. Adults set high expectations and plan challenging activities to promote this area of learning. This stimulates children’s interest so that they concentrate and achieve well. For example, children are already learning to tell the time, and make their own clocks to help them learn appropriate vocabulary and to order numbers correctly. Lessons are brisk, with appropriate activities to challenge all abilities. Questioning is used well to ensure that all children understand and to extend their learning. Some children can confidently count to above a hundred, as demonstrated when they counted how many jumps their partner did in one minute, showing that they are working well above the expected standards. Support staff are well briefed, and are used effectively to promote children’s mathematical learning. Overall, children’s standards are above national expectations in

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Commentary

this area of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.27

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children show great curiosity and achieve well. • Children are given very good opportunities to extend their learning through a wide range of stimulating play activities.

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Commentary

55. This area of the curriculum is promoted effectively through formal teaching and informal play activities. For example, children have a range of ‘old fashioned’ household articles, which they use in the playhouse alongside modern equivalents. This helps them to understand the difference between old and new and to develop their awareness of the passing of time. Children have developed good knowledge and understanding of minibeasts, and by using the wonderful outside areas, they appreciate the concept of habitats as they observe things such as ants, bees, dragonflies and woodlice. They use this knowledge to make different habitats, using appropriate natural materials to suit the needs of particular minibeasts such as a caterpillar and dragonfly. They also design and make their own minibeasts, making sensible choices about the best material to use, for example, choosing cellophane for the wings, as it is a ‘floaty’ material, and checking that

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Commentary

the finished article resembles the design. Planning shows that children learn about different Old Testament stories and about the life of Jesus. Children are given opportunities to use computers, and are developing good mouse control, for example, when they draw butterflies using a paint program.

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Commentary

56. Teaching and learning are mainly good and otherwise very good. During all activities, children’s learning is extended through pertinent and probing questions to make children Whiteley Primary School - 26 think. Support assistants set the same high expectations as the teachers, and encourage children to find out for themselves. Overall, children’s standards are above national expectations in this area of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage.

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Commentary

Provision in physical development is good.

p.28

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Very good use is made of the outside area to promote physical activity. • Lessons in the hall promote physical development well. • Children’s manipulative skills are developed effectively.

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Commentary

57. Only one lesson of physical development in the hall was observed. In this lesson, children demonstrated above average skills as they performed a series of movements to create a dance using ‘The very hungry caterpillar’ as a stimulus. The teaching was good and the children responded well. Adults took an active part in the lesson, setting good role models for performance. The teacher gave clear instructions and the children were well behaved. They happily explored different ways of travelling in time to some well-chosen music. Very good use is made of the outside area, where an exciting range of activities and equipment is available to develop children’s physical development. During outside activities, children could balance on a good range of wheeled toys and steer them with appropriate confidence and accuracy, obeying road restrictions, as they had to halt for road repairs. In many lessons, there are a good number of opportunities

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Commentary

for children to manipulate a range of tools, including brushes, pencils and glue sticks, which they do with increasing dexterity. Teachers and support staff give good direction on how to use these tools. Overall, children’s standards are above national expectations in this area of learning at the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.28

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good.

p.28

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children benefit from a wide range of well-planned experiences. • Children’s musical skills are developing well as a result of very good teaching.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

58. The quality of teaching and learning is very good and children achieve very well. Children make good progress when experimenting with paint, and learn to mix colours effectively. They have learned a good range of songs, which they thoroughly enjoy singing. They handle instruments well and listen carefully to music. They are beginning to appreciate differences in tempo and dynamics, and are familiar with this technical vocabulary. Some higher-attaining children can identify which instruments are playing in a piece of music. Children co-operate amicably with their classmates when engaged in role-play, taking on different roles in the various areas such as the vet’s, the rainforest café and the Whiteley Primary School - 27 campsite. Very good resources are used effectively to promote imaginative play, and staff sometimes enrich the experience by joining in the play, and asking questions which further develop children’s learning. By the end of the reception period, children’s overall

p.28

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

standards are above national expectations in this area of learning.

p.29

ENGLISH

The quality of provision in English is good.

p.29

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Standards are well above national expectations in Year 2 and Year 6, and represent good achievement. • The teaching is consistently effective, and is often very good. As a result, pupils progress well in the subject. • Very good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. • The leadership and management of English are very good. • Assessment procedures are very good.

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COMMENTARY

59. Standards are well above national expectations in reading and writing in Year 2 and in English in Year 6. Pupils of all abilities achieve well and make consistently good progress as a result of effective teaching. In the national tests of reading and writing for pupils aged seven in 2003, the school’s results were well above the national averages, and also well above the average results of similar schools. In the tests for pupils aged 11 that year, the school’s results were well above the national average and above the average results of schools whose pupils attained similar results when in Year 2. In writing, the results in Years 2 and 6 were notably higher than those reached in 2002, reflecting the successful implementation of an action plan to improve writing standards. Inspection findings are consistent with the test results in 2003 and show that standards have risen since the time of the previous inspection when they were judged to be above

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COMMENTARY

average in Years 2 and 6. Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs enables them to have full access to all aspects of the statutory programmes of study and to make good progress towards the literacy targets in their individual education plans. No significant differences between the standards reached by boys and girls were evident during the inspection.

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COMMENTARY

60. The vast majority of pupils in each year group listen attentively, express themselves clearly and respond to questions well, often in considerable detail and, for the most part, using Standard English. They have a wide general vocabulary to draw upon in order to give their language precision and avoid clichés. They are also familiar with the specialist terms needed to discuss their work. As pupils move up through the school, they become increasingly confident when talking about the texts they study. By the age of 11, almost all pupils are aware of the form, structure, style and characteristic features of different kinds of writing, and can talk in considerable detail about the characters and events in the fiction they read.

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COMMENTARY

61. Pupils’ reading skills are well above average in Years 2 and 6. Nearly all read texts appropriate for their respective ages fluently, accurately and with expression. They Whiteley Primary School - 28 experience little, if any, difficulty understanding what they read, and most are able to grasp what is inferred or implied, as well as what is stated explicitly. By the age of 11, most pupils have well developed preferences for particular authors and kinds of fiction. They are able to use evidence from texts to justify their opinions, and they are able to use reference skills to good effect to find things out.

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COMMENTARY

62. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of different kinds of texts serves them well when they write. As a consequence of effective teaching which makes strong links between reading and writing, most pupils are able to match the style, structure and language of their own writing to particular purposes and audiences. At the same time, the thorough grounding pupils receive in knowledge about language, in the use of grammar and punctuation and in the development of routine skills such as spelling and handwriting means that most pupils also achieve a high standard of technical accuracy in their writing.

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COMMENTARY

63. The teaching of English is consistently good, and there are also examples of very good teaching. All teachers benefit from very good medium-term plans which give direction and purpose to their work. In addition, well established routines and practices - and regular monitoring of teaching by senior managers - serve to ensure a high degree of consistency in teaching and learning across the school. Assessment procedures are very good and are used well to inform planning, teaching and learning. Teachers have high expectations in regard to the performance of all pupils in their classes, and the targets set for groups and individuals are generally challenging. All teachers plan lessons which first revisit and consolidate earlier learning, and thereafter build securely on what pupils already know, understand and can do. In Years 1 and 2, teachers give their pupils a thorough grounding in the early stages of reading and writing, with ample

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COMMENTARY

time for practice in such basic skills as handwriting and spelling. The teaching of phonics is thorough and effective and pupils are also taught a suitable range of additional strategies for decoding and understanding text. In Years 3 to 6, teachers ensure that pupils have a developing understanding of the many criteria by which their work is to be judged. Pupils are empowered by this knowledge, and also by the regular opportunities they are given to evaluate their own, and others’ work. Teachers’ feedback to pupils is constructive, fair and helpful and, in most cases, addresses both strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ work. All lessons are well organised, purposeful and conducted at a good pace, and all teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of what pupils need to learn. All match tasks appropriately to pupils’ differing needs and abilities. Well-trained teaching assistants make an important contribution to the

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COMMENTARY

development of literacy. They support pupils well, often working with pupils who have special educational needs, both in lessons and in sessions when these pupils are withdrawn from class to work for short periods of time on tasks related to the targets in their individual education plans. Satisfactory use is made of ICT to support pupils’ work in English in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6, however, ICT is used well to develop pupils’ advanced reading skills when searching for information and to help pupils to draft, edit and publish their writing.

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COMMENTARY

64. The leadership and management of English are very good. Both subject managers are effective role models in their own practice, and have worked hard to ensure that there is consistency in teaching, learning and assessment. Well informed and effective monitoring of teaching, learning and of pupils’ written work has been accompanied by rigorous and helpful feedback to staff, and every effort has been made to sustain pupils’ Whiteley Primary School - 29 high standards of performance. Teachers work effectively in year group teams and, at a different level, all staff work well together as one team. There is no weak link in the teaching. Good communication, very good assessment procedures and the ready transfer of information from year-to-year mean that each teacher is able to build securely on pupils’ previous learning.

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COMMENTARY

Language and literacy across the curriculum 65. Language and literacy skills are used well to support pupils’ work across the curriculum. All teachers give emphasis to the development of vocabulary and to the use of spoken language to develop ideas in all subjects. In most classrooms, commonly used words and specialist terms are displayed prominently and, from Year 1 onwards, pupils are taught to use the library to find information in relation to their work in a variety of subjects. Links between English and other subjects are usually highly relevant and contribute effectively to the development and use of pupils’ skills in reading and writing.

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MATHEMATICS

The quality of provision in mathematics is good.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Standards are well above national expectations in Years 2 and 6. • Good teaching enables pupils to achieve well. • The co-ordinators provide very good leadership and manage the subject very well. • There are very good systems for checking pupils’ progress.

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COMMENTARY

66. Pupils’ standards are well above national expectations in Years 2 and 6, and represent good achievement. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and the most capable, achieve well in the subject – and there is no significant difference between the standards reached by boys and girls.

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COMMENTARY

67. Standards have improved since the last inspection, when they were above national expectations, and the results of statutory testing in Years 2 and 6 have been mainly well above the national average in Years 2 and 6 for the last four years. In 2003, the test results in Year 2 were very high, being in the top five per cent nationally and well above the average results of similar schools. In Year 6, the test results in 2003 were well above the national average and were in line with the results from schools where pupils achieved similarly when in Year 2. However, comparisons with similar schools need to be treated cautiously since the vast majority of Year 6 pupils in 2003 did not start their primary education at Whiteley.

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COMMENTARY

68. The quality of teaching is good, overall, and some lessons are very well taught in Years 3 to 6. Teachers make effective use of the National Numeracy Strategy as the basis for planning and their teaching is well structured and thoughtful. They provide plenty of opportunities for pupils of all abilities to develop a range of different mental methods to aid their calculations. This also helps pupils to acquire a confident recall of number facts. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in their clear explanations and carefully worded questions. For example, in Year 4, the teacher’s skilful questions, her snappy delivery and high expectations enabled all groups of pupils to make rapid gains in calculating the perimeter of simple shapes. Teachers promote good attitudes to Whiteley Primary School - 30 mathematics and pupils are enthusiastic learners. Well-chosen and interesting tasks engage and sustain pupils’ interest well. In Year 1, for example, they were captivated by

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COMMENTARY

the letter from Gnomesville and eagerly set about the task of solving the Post-gnome’s problem with house numbers. Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs includes high quality input from teaching assistants. It enables them to achieve well and many of them are working within the levels expected for their ages by the time they leave the school.

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COMMENTARY

69. Within this positive picture, there are elements of teaching and learning that could be refined in order to strengthen the overall quality still further. Although there is an appropriate emphasis on pupils using their mathematical skills in practical problem solving activities, these are often heavily directed by the teacher. The more able pupils, in particular, would benefit from more open-ended lines of enquiry. Whilst ICT makes a sound contribution to pupils’ work in mathematics, there is scope to extend its use.

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COMMENTARY

70. Leadership and management are very good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. They form a very efficient and hard-working team and respond enthusiastically to the opportunities provided by the headteacher for them to develop their leadership roles. Their thorough analysis of test results and information gathered through sampling pupils’ work and observing lessons provides a clear picture of standards and provision across the school. Very effective arrangements for checking and tracking pupils’ progress across the school contribute well to this process. The action plan for the subject is a detailed working document that reflects these monitoring procedures. It shows a strong determination to continue to improve provision in order to raise standards further.

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COMMENTARY

Mathematics across the curriculum 71. Overall, good use is made of mathematics to support work across the curriculum. Teachers take full advantage of the opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills. For example, in science, pupils use graphs and tables to present the results of their investigations clearly, and measure and record temperature changes and the growth of plants. In geography, pupils use coordinates confidently in their mapping work.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well above national expectations in Years 2 and 6, and represent good achievement. • Science teaching is good and means pupils make good progress in the subject. • Assessment procedures are very good and benefit pupils’ learning. • The leadership and management of the subject are good.

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Commentary

72. Pupils’ standards in science are well above national expectations in Years 2 and 6 and represent good achievement. They broadly reflect the results of the statutory teacher assessments in Year 2 in 2003 and are a little higher than the tests results in Year 6 in Whiteley Primary School - 31 the last academic year, which were above the national average but were below the results of similar schools. All pupils are doing well in the subject, including the most capable and those with special educational needs. No significant differences between the achievement of boys and girls were evident in science during the inspection. Standards have improved since the last inspection, when they were above national expectations in Years 2 and 6.

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Commentary

73. On entry to Year 1, pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding are generally above average. In Year 1, they achieve well when learning that sound is generated when objects move or vibrate, and make pertinent observations when deciding how different conditions affect the healthy growth of plants. In Year 2, pupils are able to explain why some materials are particularly suitable for specific purposes. They know that water, ice and steam are the same material, how water can be changed into ice and steam and how these changes can be reversed. Year 2 pupils also achieve well when conducting simple experiments to discover the best material to keep their ice lollies cool, and can explain clearly why toys move more easily over some surfaces than others.

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Commentary

74. In Year 3, pupils achieve well when learning about magnets and magnetic materials, and know that shadows change during the day due to the movement of the Earth. They have a very good understanding of the need for a balanced diet, and use terms such as carbohydrate, protein and vitamins confidently and appropriately. In Year 4, pupils understand that food chains usually start with green plants and how organisms depend on each other for their survival. They also achieve well when learning about the factors which increase friction between solid surfaces and when explaining the reasons why air and water resistance can slow objects down. In Year 5, most pupils have a secure understanding of the processes of pollination, fertilisation, seed dispersal and germination, and are able to use keys to identify and group living things. During the inspection, Year 5 pupils achieved well when learning that chemical reactions

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Commentary

sometimes occur when materials are mixed, and that these changes cannot usually be reversed. In Year 6, pupils undertake systematic investigations to separate materials by evaporation and filtration, and present their findings very clearly. They can explain why yeast is living, and know that micro-organisms can move from one food source to another and how they can cause food poisoning. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils demonstrated their acute awareness of the dangers of smoking, based on their secure knowledge of the human circulation and respiratory systems.

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Commentary

75. The quality of teaching is good and some lessons are very well taught, especially in the older classes. As a result, pupils make good progress in their learning. All teachers have good subject knowledge and plan their lessons well. Individual lessons form part of a coherent science programme which is carefully sequenced to develop pupils’ key skills and knowledge, and teachers are absolutely clear about what pupils are expected to learn. Scientific vocabulary is introduced and reinforced effectively and teachers make good use of questions to probe pupils’ understanding. Teachers are confident enough to be innovative and this helps to make learning interesting for the pupils. For example, during the inspection, Year 4 pupils developed their understanding of the fragility of eco-systems through a well thought out role-playing activity. In all lessons seen, the teaching motivated pupils well so they strove to do their best. Procedures for

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Commentary

assessing pupils’ standards and progress in science are very good and are consistently implemented across the school. These have a beneficial impact on pupils’ achievement since weaknesses are quickly identified and addressed. Whiteley Primary School - 32 76. Pupils’ language and literacy skills are promoted effectively in science lessons, and pupils are expected to use the correct scientific language both in their discussions and in their written work. Their writing clearly demonstrates their knowledge and understanding in science and is well presented. Pupils’ mathematical development is also fostered well in science, particularly through the use of tables and graphs. For example, during the inspection, Year 2 pupils used Venn and Carroll diagrams to sort creatures by their characteristics. Overall, satisfactory use is made of ICT to support pupils’ science work.

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Commentary

77. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The two subject co-ordinators use rigorous monitoring procedures to check provision. They examine teachers’ planning, have a good awareness of pupils’ standards and progress through testing and teacher assessment records, and have studied examples of pupils’ work, from across the school. As a result, they are able to provide their colleagues with well-focused feedback which benefits teaching and learning in the subject. In addition, science lessons are observed and the quality of science teaching is carefully evaluated. The conscientious co-ordinators have recently revised and improved the scheme of work and willingly provide their colleagues with good advice. They are by no means complacent about provision and have recently visited a Beacon school to search for strategies to secure further improvements.

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The quality of provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is

satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and is good in Years 3 to 6. Overall, provision is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above national expectations at the end of Year 6. • Pupils in Years 1 and 2 would benefit from more time using computers in the computer suites in order to develop their skills further. • The leadership and management of the subject are good.

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COMMENTARY

78. PUPILS’ STANDARDS IN YEAR 2 ARE BROADLY IN LINE WITH NATIONAL EXPECTATIONS AND REPRESENT SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT. HOWEVER, STANDARDS IN YEAR 6 ARE ABOVE AVERAGE, AND REPRESENT GOOD ACHIEVEMENT. INDEED, IN YEARS 3 TO 6, STANDARDS ARE STILL RISING AS THE EFFECTS OF IMPROVED TEACHER EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES IMPACT ON PUPILS’ PERFORMANCE. SOME PUPILS ARE WORKING WELL ABOVE THE STANDARDS EXPECTED, FOR EXAMPLE, YEAR 3 PUPILS DEMONSTRATE HIGH STANDARDS WHEN CLASSIFYING INFORMATION ABOUT CHOCOLATE BARS AND BUILDING A DATABASE. IN YEAR 6, PUPILS USE A RANGE OF ICT SKILLS TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY, AND CONFIDENTLY ACCESS THE INTERNET TO RESEARCH TOPICS. THEY ARE ABLE TO USE ICT EFFECTIVELY TO PRODUCE WELL-PRESENTED INFORMATION AND CAN MAKE ‘POWERPOINT’ PRESENTATIONS CONFIDENTLY. WHEN THE SCHOOL WAS LAST INSPECTED, STANDARDS WERE IN LINE WITH NATIONAL EXPECTATIONS IN YEARS 2 AND 6, SO THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT IN THE

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COMMENTARY

PERFORMANCE OF THE OLDER PUPILS. Whiteley Primary School - 33 79. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 3 to 6 and is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. Pupils have very positive attitudes and are keen to learn. In Years 3 to 6, teachers are confident in their own skills and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, which results in lessons that have many very good features. In these lessons, teachers give clear demonstrations and check on understanding before moving on at a prompt pace. Pupils are expected to use their initiative and solve their own problems. For example, teachers use questioning to focus the pupils on where the fault might be, rather than giving them the answers. Teachers make imaginative use of up-to-date equipment, for example, in using a webcam to communicate with a partner school in New Zealand. The planning for ICT in Years 1 and 2 has some shortcomings, and teacher expertise and confidence is not as strong as in

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COMMENTARY

Years 3 to 6. The subject co-ordinators are aware of the need to improve elements of the planning and are working to rectify the situation. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 would benefit from more time using computers in the computer suite in order to develop their skills further. The computer suites are located in the Year 3 to 6 areas, and the classes in Years 1 and 2 do not make full use of these good facilities.

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COMMENTARY

80. Since the last inspection, provision in ICT has been substantially improved and the work of the co-ordinators is a significant contributing factor to this improvement. The two co-ordinators are enthusiastic and energetically promote the subject in the school. They have developed a scheme of work which ensures all requirements of the National Curriculum are covered, have a good grasp of what needs to be changed in order to improve further, and have planned a sensible strategy to achieve their aims. The pupil assessment system is used well to track pupils’ progress and to spot gaps in their knowledge and understanding, across the school.

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COMMENTARY

Information and communication technology across the curriculum. 81. The use of ICT across the curriculum is satisfactory, overall. While it is generally used well in Years 3 to 6, its use is satisfactory with scope for improvement in Years 1 and 2. However, there are some good examples of ICT supporting work in other subjects, across the school. For example: Year 2 pupils have used ICT to support their work in design and technology; Year 3 pupils have used word processing effectively when writing about a special friend; Year 4 pupils have researched information for their historical topics; Year 5 pupils have modelled environmental changes and conditions in geography; and Year 6 pupils have worked on spreadsheets in mathematics and have produced high quality newspaper reports about the Armada.

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GEOGRAPHY

Provision for geography is satisfactory.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• A wide range of interesting experiences includes very good opportunities for fieldwork. • The co-ordinators provide good leadership. • The most capable pupils sometimes need more challenging work.

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COMMENTARY

82. In both Year 2 and Year 6, pupils attain standards that are securely in line with the levels expected for their ages, reflecting the situation when the school was last inspected. Overall, this represents satisfactory achievement although, in some studies, pupils’ achievement is better. For example, in their work on St Lucia, many Year 5 pupils are working at the level normally seen in Year 6. Pupils also achieve well in Year 4 in their study of Old Portsmouth when they look at the pattern of land-use and consider how Whiteley Primary School - 34 development affects the environment. The co-ordinators are aware that with a little fine- tuning the work planned in Year 6 will ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills are further extended.

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COMMENTARY

83. Only one geography lesson was observed so it is not possible to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching in the subject. In the lesson seen, teaching was good. This was a well-planned lesson in which the teacher showed secure knowledge of the subject and a clear awareness of the specific skills of geography. She managed role play activity skilfully to ensure that all pupils contributed to the debate about the proposed closure of a local beach. As a result, they made good progress in developing their understanding of different points of view and the impact of people on a sensitive environment.

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COMMENTARY

84. Examination of pupils’ earlier work shows that teachers plan exciting and interesting studies to develop pupils’ geographical skills. There are regular, well-planned opportunities for fieldwork based on a programme of local and more distant visits. The profile of the subject has been raised since the last inspection and a sound scheme of work is now in place. Very good use is made of the school grounds and the immediate surroundings. The presentation of pupils’ work is invariably good, reflecting a strong sense of pride in their efforts. Effective and manageable procedures for checking pupils’ progress are implemented consistently by all teachers. However, all pupils in the class generally work on the same task, which does not always provide enough challenge for higher attaining pupils.

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COMMENTARY

85. The co-ordinators are well qualified and provide good leadership. Through their sampling of pupils’ work, they are developing their management role effectively as well as gaining a clear overview of standards and provision within their subject. Their written feedback to the headteacher and deputy identifies strengths and weaknesses, and forms the basis of their very clear ideas for future developments.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• A rich curriculum enlivens pupils’ learning. • Higher attaining pupils are not always sufficiently extended. • Leadership and management are good.

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COMMENTARY

86. Although only one lesson was seen, the school provided a wide range of evidence, including samples of pupils’ earlier work, teachers’ planning and records of their regular assessments. In addition, inspectors talked to teachers and pupils about their work. There is ample evidence to show that standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are securely in line with the levels expected for their ages and represent satisfactory achievement. However, there is not enough evidence to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching and learning.

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COMMENTARY

87. The range of work shows that pupils make mainly sound and sometimes good progress in the subject. Their research skills are supported and extended effectively through the very close links that teachers make with literacy. Many examples were seen of good Whiteley Primary School - 35 quality, imaginative writing that showed a good grasp of the facts as well as an emotional response. Notable examples were seen in Year 6 where pupils wrote letters from Anne Boleyn during her imprisonment in the Tower of London. Great care is taken by teachers and pupils to present their work neatly and attractively. Co-ordinators have already correctly highlighted the need to provide more challenge for the most capable pupils, for example, by providing opportunities for Year 6 pupils to make comparisons between the different periods they have studied. This would require only a minor adjustment to current planning but would have the effect of raising standards further.

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COMMENTARY

88. In the lesson seen, the teaching was satisfactory. Pupils in Year 2 made sound gains in their awareness of differences and similarities between their own experiences of seaside holidays and those at the time of Queen Victoria. Good links were made with literacy and religious education as the teacher helped pupils to make the connection between holy days and holidays . Their work on this topic is enhanced considerably by a visit to Southsea.

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COMMENTARY

89. The profile of the subject has been raised since the last inspection, and a sound scheme of work and effective assessment procedures are now in place. The history curriculum provides a rich range of experiences that brings pupils’ learning to life. Educational visits are very carefully built into the programme for all classes. They include well-chosen visits, for example, to Fishbourne Roman Palace in Year 4, the British Museum in Year 5 and the Mary Rose in Year 6. Visitors include individuals such as a representative of the Royal British Legion, and theatre companies to support work on the Romans and Tudors.

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COMMENTARY

90. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The joint co-ordinators are well qualified and have a very clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They provide good support for their colleagues, both informally through discussion and through their written feedback following the scrutiny of samples of pupils’ work. This is carried out systematically with a particular focus on the development of skills across the school. It effectively supports and informs their action plan for future development. Whiteley Primary School - 36

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education is satisfactory.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Religious education adds positively to many areas of pupils’ personal development. • The most capable pupils sometimes require more challenging tasks.

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COMMENTARY

91. When full account is taken of the lessons seen, discussions with pupils and analysis of previous work, it is clear that pupils’ standards are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in Years 2 and 6 and reflect satisfactory achievement. The school has maintained the standards reported in the last inspection, and the scheme of work meets the requirements of the agreed syllabus.

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COMMENTARY

92. In Year 2, pupils demonstrate satisfactory standards when identifying the similarities and differences in the Christian and Hindu religions, their festivals and celebrations. In Year 6, the majority of pupils discuss with reasonable confidence their notion of more abstract issues, such as their ideas about God, and what questions to ask of a deity. They explore the significance of gifts given by the Magi and successfully compare features of Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, demonstrating sound achievement. The work seen in pupils’ books shows that teachers ensure that pupils acquire appropriate knowledge about religion as they move through the school. However, there is less evidence of work which shows that pupils have focused on what can be learned from religion.

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COMMENTARY

93. During the inspection, the quality of teaching was good. However, an analysis of pupils’ completed work shows that, over time, the teaching enables pupils to make satisfactory, rather than better overall progress in their learning. Teachers plan their lessons carefully and have secure subject knowledge. This was particularly evident in Year 3 when the teacher made a useful glossary of terms connected with Kosher food. Across the school, good opportunities are provided for pupils to discuss their ideas. However, tasks are not always sufficiently challenging for the most able pupils. Teachers provide many good opportunities for pupils to use and develop their writing skills in religious education lessons. For example, they write poems, and use persuasive colourful language to write menus to entice people into a Kosher café. Pupils are encouraged to talk with a partner and, through discussions, pupils’ views are valued and respected.

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COMMENTARY

There are often good opportunities to engender spirituality in lessons by lighting a candle and providing time for reflection, and these have a positive effect on pupils’ personal development.

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COMMENTARY

94. The co-ordinators work well as a team. They have a good overview of the subject and have produced a well-focused action plan to secure further improvements. There are secure systems for ensuring that all classes cover the necessary aspects of the locally agreed syllabus, and for assessing pupils’ attainment.

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ART AND DESIGN

The quality of provision in art and design is good. Whiteley Primary School - 37 Main strengths and weaknesses

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ART AND DESIGN

• Standards are above national expectations in Years 2 and 6, and represent good achievement. • Effective assessment procedures are established. • The subject is well led and managed.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Pupils achieve well in art and design, across the school, and their standards are consequently above national expectations in Years 2 and 6. Pupils’ standards were also above average when the school was last inspected.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. In Year 1, pupils mix their paint colours confidently and create bold interpretations of fruits, using pastels. In Year 2, pupils have achieved well when making sketches of the environment during a recent visit to a nearby harbour and when drawing leaves from direct observation. They have used these drawings effectively to inform their designs for clay plaques and collage work.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. In Year 3, pupils have benefited from discussing the portraits painted by a range of famous artists and have painted their own pictures which communicate relationships between two people effectively. In Year 4, pupils achieve well when developing their printing skills and are able to write thoughtful evaluations of examples of Aboriginal art. In Year 5, pupils’ paintings of still life compositions demonstrate their careful observations as well as their good brush and colour mixing skills. These pupils also achieve well when using clay and when creating willow sculptures in the school grounds. In Year 6, pupils have used the Internet effectively to search for examples of masks from different cultures, and their own glazed clay masks are expressive and well made. Pupils in Year 6 have discussed the landscape pictures of a range of artists, and their own interpretations of the school locality are vibrant and represent good achievement. These

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ART AND DESIGN

pupils also do well when using pencil and paint to create impressions of the movement of people, and are able to evaluate the success of their work using appropriate criteria.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. No art and design lessons were observed during the inspection, so it is not possible to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching in the subject. However, a careful examination of an extensive range of pupils’ completed work provides secure evidence that the teaching is enabling pupils to make good progress in the subject. Teachers have high expectations and are ensuring that pupils have opportunities to explore the use of a range of media and to develop their understanding about art. Coherent assessment procedures are well established which enable teachers to recognise strengths in pupils’ achievements as well as to identify and target areas for improvement.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. The subject is well led and managed by the well-informed co-ordinator. He is enthusiastic and provides his colleagues with valuable advice which has a beneficial effect on pupils’ learning. The co-ordinator has a good overview of provision, established through his careful scrutiny of teachers’ planning and examples of pupils’ work from across the school. As a result, he has formulated a pertinent action plan for the subject and has identified and successfully addressed areas for improvement in some classes. Pupils’ learning is enriched by opportunities for them to learn from visiting artists and to join after-school clubs, focused on art and design activities. Whiteley Primary School - 38

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

The quality of provision in design and technology is good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• Pupils’ standards are above national expectations in Years 2 and 6 and represent good achievement. • Effective assessment procedures are securely established across the school. • The leadership and management of the subject are good.

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COMMENTARY

100. Pupils achieve well in design and technology. Standards have improved since the last inspection, when they were broadly average, and are now above national expectations in Years 2 and 6.

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COMMENTARY

101. In Year 1, pupils achieve well when making glove puppets, and demonstrate good precision when creating moving pictures which incorporate simple sliding mechanisms. In Year 2, pupils’ model vehicles show pupils’ good skills in assembling, joining and combining materials; and their fruit salads are carefully designed to take account of the taste, texture and appearance of the ingredients.

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COMMENTARY

102. In Year 3, pupils have used simple pneumatic systems very effectively to enable their model monsters to move, and have achieved well when making wooden-framed lanterns. Pupils’ moving monsters are imaginatively designed, and they have measured out the wood for their lanterns accurately. In Year 4, pupils have applied their secure knowledge about electrical circuits to design and make simple alarm systems which demonstrate above average standards. Year 5 pupils have made good designs for electrically powered model vehicles, with details about joining methods, the tools and materials required and with accurately drawn plan, side and front elevations of their proposed products. Their finished models are strongly made, with cardboard triangles used effectively to strengthen the corners of the wooden frames. The pupils have evaluated the success of their vehicles carefully, identifying areas for improvement as

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COMMENTARY

well as the parts that please them. In Year 6, pupils have achieved well when experimenting with a range of methods to create interesting kinds of bread, and have evaluated their products rigorously in relation to their cost as well as their appearance, texture and taste.

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COMMENTARY

103. Too few design and technology lessons were observed to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching in the subject. However, a careful examination of pupils’ completed work provides secure evidence that the teaching is enabling pupils to make good progress in their learning in the subject. In addition, discussions with pupils confirm that they have positive attitudes to design and technology and enjoy their lessons. Teachers’ planning is good, and ensures that pupils develop key skills systematically as they move through the school. All teachers are using good procedures to assess pupils’ standards and progress in the subject, and these are used well to inform their teaching.

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COMMENTARY

104. The leadership and management of design and technology are good. The two co- ordinators work together effectively and have provided their colleague with very useful Whiteley Primary School - 39 guidance to ensure that pupils’ work builds on their earlier learning. Teachers’ planning is carefully examined and examples of pupils’ completed work have been evaluated in order to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Resources for the subject are good and have been carefully audited and well organised by the co-ordinators.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The quality of provision in physical education is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• Standards are above national expectations in Years 2 and 6 and represent good achievement. • Teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. • The school has very good facilities and resources for physical education. • The subject is well led and managed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

105. Standards are above national expectations in Years 2 and 6, representing an improvement on the average standards found when the school was last inspected. The key reason for this improvement is the quality of teaching in the subject, which was satisfactory when the school was last inspected, but is now mainly good. In addition, deficiencies in the breadth of the physical education curriculum have been rectified and this has a beneficial impact on the quality of provision. A feature of all good teaching is the well-structured lesson planning with good warm up and cool down activities and a clear focus on skills to be developed. As a result, pupils keep active and develop an understanding of how they can improve.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their skills using the large astroturf field, the purpose built gym and the hall with a sprung dance floor. The subject co-ordinators have worked to improve the dance curriculum and collaborated with a local secondary school to build staff expertise and confidence. As a direct result, standards of dance are very good in the school. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils met the high expectations of the teacher when performing their own sequence of movements for West Side Story. They took responsibility for leading parts of the lesson and worked hard to get the desired effect. Throughout the school, pupils have positive attitudes to physical education and enjoy their lessons. They learn to collaborate and to work to improve their personal best times and distances in such activities as the Year 3 mini Olympics. There is a very good range of extra-curricular sporting activities which

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

contribute to the development of skills and motivation.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. The subject is well led and managed. The subject co-ordinators have worked hard to formulate planning which ensures that pupils’ skills are developed progressively. They have also provided useful suggestions for activities and have served as effective role models to increase teachers’ expertise in the subject, particularly in dance. In addition, Whiteley Primary School - 40 they help to ensure that the good assessment procedures are implemented efficiently, across the school.

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MUSIC

The quality of provision in music is good.

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MUSIC

• Singing is a strength, throughout the school. • The teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. • The leadership of the subject is good. • Resources for music are very good.

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MUSIC

108. Overall, standards are above national expectations in music in Years 2 and 6, and represent good achievement. Standards have improved since the last inspection, when they were average in Years 2 and 6. Pupils’ singing is particularly well developed across the school. Pupils have a good knowledge of musical vocabulary and are given opportunities to learn to play a wide range of musical instruments to a good standard. During the inspection, pupils demonstrated good skills in recorder playing in Year 3 and in playing percussion instruments in Year 2. Pupils achieved well when creating their own compositions based on the story of the Pied Piper in Year 1 and a television theme tune in Year 5.

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MUSIC

109. The quality of music teaching is mainly good, although very good and excellent teaching was also observed during the inspection. There are a number of skilled musicians on the staff who lead by example and have a very beneficial effect on standards. Teachers’ planning is good and they know exactly what pupils are expected to learn. In the most effective lessons, the teaching inspires pupils to achieve very well. EXAMPLE OF OUTSTANDING PRACTICE

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MUSIC

In a singing lesson for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6, excellent teaching enabled pupils to perform outstandingly well.

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MUSIC

The tone of the session was set from the beginning with a calm and orderly entry to the hall to the sound of recorder music. One of the two lead teachers superbly demonstrated the singing of an African greeting song. Pupils followed with equally melodic voices and were able to sing the song in two parts. The teachers took it in turns to provide very well focused teaching and played skilful accompaniment on the keyboard, while a small group of pupils played recorders. Their enthusiasm energized the pupils into giving stirring performances of songs and very effective coaching enabled pupils to achieve high standards in their singing. At all times, pupils demonstrated very positive attitudes, raising a quiet cheer when a favourite song of Year 6 was announced and immediately composing themselves in readiness for the start of the song. Pupils responded with absolute concentration to the conductor, singing sweetly and with expression to‘ Let there be Love’, communicating the

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MUSIC

strong sense of community which exists in the school and lifting the spirits of all who sung and listened.

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MUSIC

110. The subject is well led by the co-ordinators, who have a good overview of provision and ensure that all staff are supported. They successfully encourage staff to work together to share their expertise and this is effective in spreading good practice. Whiteley Primary School - 41 111. The school is very well equipped with a dedicated music room and a very good range of instruments. There is very good provision for individual instrumental teaching from external specialists for strings, woodwind, keyboard, brass and guitar. Extra-curricular activities such as the choir and recorders are well supported by pupils and have a beneficial effect on the standards achieved in lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good provision for PSHE is reflected in pupils’ very positive attitudes, very good behaviour and very good relationships with adults and with their peers. • The leadership and management of PSHE are effective.

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Commentary

112. Pupils of all ages and abilities respond very well to the school’s provision for personal, social and health education. The impact of the many strands that contribute to the scheme of work is evident in pupils’ very good attitudes, their very good behaviour and the very good relationships they establish at all levels. Pupils are helped to become responsible, mature and independent in their learning and to assume responsibilities and leadership roles.

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Commentary

113. The school actively seeks pupils’ views through questionnaires, through the work of the school council, and through less formal exchanges such as the conversations pupils initiate with the headteacher. Pupils take pride in the changes they have been instrumental in making, for example, to the school grounds, and they consistently rise eagerly to the challenges they are given, whether in relation to academic or more practical tasks. An extensive range of clubs and extra-curricular activities presents pupils with opportunities to pursue their special interests and to learn new skills, thereby preparing them well for life after school. In PSHE lessons, pupils are encouraged to consider, and record, both their aspirations for the future and the sources of their inspiration. Time is also made available for pupils to discuss issues that concern or affect them.

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Commentary

114. Pupils contribute their ideas to the golden rules and class rules which set firm but fair guidelines for behaviour and attitudes towards others. As a consequence, pupils are very aware of the rights and responsibilities of living in a community. Their perceptions are further enhanced by assembly themes and by topics studied in PSHE lessons. ‘PSHE passports’, in which older pupils record their personal responses to the topics covered, also serve to reinforce their understanding of themselves and of the need to acknowledge the rights and needs of others. The school’s very good system of rewards and sanctions inspires pupils to do their best to be ‘good citizens’ as well as to achieve and invest maximum effort in everything they do. The ‘good sportsperson award’, Whiteley Primary School - 42 presented to one individual in each class each term, recognises fair play and successful team membership.

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Commentary

115. The school is currently working towards the ‘Healthy Schools Award.’ Working in co- operation with the Hampshire Catering Services, the school has introduced healthy ‘Light Bites’ at lunchtimes, and these are much appreciated by many pupils. In lessons in science and PSHE, pupils are made aware of the dangers of smoking and of drugs abuse. Sex education lessons are taught by teachers in the school, following specialist guidance from the school’s nurse.

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Commentary

116. Too few PSHE lessons were seen to allow a secure judgement to be made about the overall quality of teaching and learning in timetabled provision. The strength of the provision is most evident in its far-reaching impact on pupils’ very positive attitudes and behaviour.

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Commentary

117. The subject managers, with the full support and encouragement of the headteacher, have worked to good effect to develop different aspects of provision. They have been well supported in their endeavours by willing staff who have embraced the scheme of work wholeheartedly and are implementing it positively through all their interactions with their pupils. Whiteley Primary School - 43

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 2 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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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