Whoberley Hall Primary School

WHOBERLEY HALL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th - 26 th May 2004

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WHOBERLEY HALL 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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WHOBERLEY HALL 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. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 194

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Overdale Road Coventry West Midlands Postcode: CV5 8AJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 024 7667 3452 Fax number: 024 7671 7573

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr J Kendrick

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Whoberley Hall Primary School is situated three miles from Coventry city centre and caters for pupils aged three to 11. It serves families from the immediate and neighbouring areas of both private and rented accommodation. Pupils come from widely differing socio-economic backgrounds and attainment on entry to the school varies year upon year and is average overall however. This year, pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is below average. There are quite a number of children who have underdeveloped speaking and listening skills and mathematical language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. Fourteen per cent of pupils are from different ethnic minority groups (including Panjabi, Bengali and Urdu speakers) but only two per cent have English as an additional language. These pupils are supported by staff funded through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant. The percentage of pupils identified as having

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

special educational needs (20 per cent) is broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational needs (one per cent) is broadly in line with the national average. The range and nature of pupils’ special educational needs are largely connected to specific learning difficulties, social, emotional and behaviour problems, and profound and multiple learning difficulties. The school has been through some very difficult times since the last inspection due to staffing issues. It has had three different headteachers and has only had stability in staffing since February 2004. In 2002 the school received a Healthy Schools award. The school is presently involved in the Leadership Development Strategy in Primary Schools. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

19938 B Matusiak-Varley Lead inspector Science History Religious education Provision for pupils with English as an additional language 11084 J Hughes Lay inspector 27426 T Aldridge Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education 11642 C Parkinson Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage English Art and design Geography Music Provision for pupils with special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Ground Floor Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the 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). Whoberley Hall Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7 - 13

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 7 - 13

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13 - 19

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a school that is providing a satisfactory quality of education. It is improving through the good leadership and management of the headteacher. Standards are rising and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory due to the sound teaching and learning opportunities offered. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well, Governance is satisfactory. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

 Children in the Foundation Stage get off to a good start through good provision.  Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are achieving well.  Support staff make a valid contribution to pupils’ learning.  Standards at the end of Year 6 are not as high as they could be, especially in speaking and listening, writing, number, problem-solving and experimental and investigative science.  In spite of improved resources, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) across the curriculum is not yet securely established.  Data from assessment is not securely embedded in the school’s practice in moving pupils on in their next steps of learning.  Insufficient emphasis is placed upon developing subject-specific skills and this slows down pupils’ progress in the Foundation subjects.  Higher-attaining pupils could be pushed further.  Throughout the school, pupils’ achievements in art and design are unsatisfactory and standards

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

are below national expectations.  Attendance rates are too low.  The leadership and management of the headteacher are good. She has overcome the many difficulties she was faced with on her appointment and she is leading the school well.  The newly-appointed subject leaders need more training in raising standards.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Since the last inspection in June 1998, the school’s circumstances have changed rapidly and significantly. This has adversely affected its rates of improvement, due to high turnover of staff and headteachers. Much has been done to re-establish good behaviour, raising pupils’ and staff’s self- esteem, improving teaching and learning and establishing credibility and good relationships with parents. Overall, improvement has been satisfactory. The headteacher has re-established a secure and safe learning environment within which effective teaching and learning can take place. Standards are rising but as yet, this is not fully reflected in end of Year 6 test results.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English D D D E mathematics D C E E science E D E E Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average. Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 5 Over time, pupils’ achievements have been unsatisfactory, but a more stable staff and a very recently seconded deputy headteacher have helped to raise standards. Presently, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory; they are well placed to improve because the headteacher has worked relentlessly at implementing whole-school systems to raise standards. Standards, as reflected in national test results and teacher assessments, indicate that, in comparison with all schools and similar schools, by the end of Year 2 pupils attained above average standards in reading, writing and science and average standards in mathematics. By the end of Year 6, in comparison with all schools, standards were

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

below average in English and well below average in mathematics and science. In comparison with similar schools nationally, standards were well below average. Pupils did not attain their targets but the trend in the school’s national curriculum points for all core subjects was broadly in line with the national trend. Inspection findings show that both in Year 2 and Year 6, there are high proportions of pupils with special educational needs and below average attainers which distort the school’s results. By the end of Year 2, standards are below average in speaking and listening, and are in line in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils meet the national expectations in history by the end of Year 2. By the end of Year 6, standards are below national average in most subjects. In religious education, by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In ICT, by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards, although improving, are below the

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

national expectations. In art and design, standards are below national expectations and pupils’ achievements are unsatisfactory. No judgements can be made on standards in design and technology or in physical education (Year 2) as insufficient lessons were seen. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well throughout the school. Higher-attaining pupils’ achievements are satisfactory but they could be better. Pupils who are from ethnic minority backgrounds are achieving well. In the Foundation Stage, children’s achievements are good and they attain the expected standards in all areas of learning.

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

good. Attendance levels are unsatisfactory and this has a negative effect on pupils’ education. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education for its pupils. Teaching is satisfactory overall, with some good and very good teaching seen. Teaching in Years 2, 3, 5, 6 and in the Foundation Stage is particularly strong. Support staff make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning but higher-attaining pupils need more challenging work in some lessons. The curriculum is satisfactory with good extra-curricular provision. Literacy and numeracy are taught well but more work needs to be done to ensure that specific skills in the Foundation Stage are taught progressively throughout the school. Pupils are appropriately cared for and guided and supported. Partnership with parents and the community is good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the headteacher are good. The headteacher has been instrumental in raising standards and creating a secure learning environment for the pupils. The leadership and management of key staff and the governors is satisfactory. The school makes good use of its resources in addressing barriers to pupils’ learning.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Whoberley Hall Primary School - 6 Parents and pupils have positive views of the school and think that the headteacher has brought about many positive changes. Parents are seen as true partners in their children’s learning and pupils are very fond of their teachers. Both parents and pupils are consulted on all aspects of school life.

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

 Raise standards in all subjects, but especially in the juniors.  Ensure that ICT is used appropriately to support learning in all subjects.  Ensure that information gained from assessment is used rigorously to challenge all groups of pupils, especially higher-attaining pupils, and develop all procedures in science, ICT, religious education and foundation subjects.  Improve attendance rates.  Develop the role of subject leaders.  Improve curriculum planning so that subject-specific skills are progressively built upon throughout the school. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall and are improving in spite of below average standards at the end of Year 6. The school is rapidly addressing aspects of pupils’ previous underachievement in the juniors. Standards in art and design, ICT, using and applying mathematics (both in the infants and juniors), English and mathematics in the juniors could be higher, and higher-attaining pupils could be moving on at a much faster rate. The best rates of progress are in the Foundation Stage, and Years 2, 3, 5 and 6. Pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language achieve well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards have been adversely affected by a lack of consistency in staffing and a lack of whole- school systems aimed at raising standards quickly and effectively.  Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well and meet the expected standards in all areas of learning.  Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress and achieve well.  The use of individual target-setting is not fully embedded in the school’s practice.  Not all teachers are making the best possible use of their pupils’ assessment data to move them on in their learning at a faster pace.  Pupils’ skills of problem-solving, using and applying number, speaking and listening, writing and experimental and investigative science could be higher, especially in the juniors.

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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 16.4 (15.7) 15.7 (15.8) writing 15.4 (14.6) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 16.6 (15.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 25.8 (25.8) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 24.9 (27.5) 26.8 (26.7) science 26.6 (28.0) 28.6 (28.3) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

1. The 2003 national test and teacher assessment show that by the end of Year 2, pupils attained above average standards in reading and writing and average standards in mathematics, both in comparison with all schools and with similar schools. In science, standards are above the national average. Boys did better than girls in writing and mathematics. Over three years, the performance of pupils in reading and mathematics was close to the national average and Whoberley Hall Primary School - 8 performance in writing was above the national average. Girls did better than boys in English and mathematics. Based on the pupils’ performance in national test results, there has been considerable underachievement of all groups of pupils in the juniors. Test results show that in comparison with all schools, standards at the end of Year 6 were below average in English and well below average in mathematics and science. Too few pupils attained the higher levels in

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Commentary

mathematics and science. The performance of pupils over time was broadly in line with the national trend. Boys did not perform as well as girls in English, mathematics and science. The school did not meet its targets in literacy and numeracy.

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Commentary

2. Scrutiny of work and teacher assessments show that, until now in the juniors, there has been considerable underachievement in Year 4 and Year 5 but recently two new teachers have been appointed who are effective practitioners and they are tackling the issue of underachievement well. The headteacher, on her appointment approximately two-and-a-half years ago, identified many issues which contributed to pupils’ underachievement:

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Commentary

 the school had been led by three different headteachers who had not stayed at the school long enough to bring about rapid improvement in pupils’ achievement;  discipline had slipped and many parents took their children away from the school;  there was a lack of whole-school systems in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning, use of assessment and curriculum planning;  staff were not held accountable for the standards that pupils attained and were slow to take on initiatives aimed at raising standards;  performance management had not been securely embedded, due to a high turnover of staff;  staff’s continuous professional development had little impact on raising standards because when staff left, they took their expertise with them; and  pupils had low self-esteem as they were struggling with their work, due to underdeveloped assessment procedures and weaknesses in curriculum planning.

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Commentary

3. Faced with many challenges, the new headteacher immediately set about implementing systems to raise standards and bring about whole school systems; for example, she:

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Commentary

 created a safe and secure environment for teaching and learning;  implemented schemes of work so that teachers were clear as to what they had to teach;  monitored teaching and learning and set rigorous performance management objectives;  improved the school environment helped by the governors, by creating a library, ICT suite and improved resources;  gave support staff a clear brief of what was expected of them;  introduced rigorous tracking procedures to record pupils’ progress;  ensured that pupils were praised for efforts that were clearly their best;  improved the range of extra-curricular activities;  fostered good relationships with parents;  gave teachers subject responsibilities to improve standards and ensured that they were appropriately trained;  worked very closely with the local education authority, seeking their help and advice in ensuring that staff could work with advanced skills teachers, music specialists and

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Commentary

literacy and numeracy consultants;  ensured that governors received good quality information about standards and were fully involved in school self-evaluation;  introduced rigorous systems of identifying strengths and weaknesses of the school and a very good school development plan which was clearly focused on raising standards; Whoberley Hall Primary School - 9  ensured that pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language were clearly identified and that appropriate help from outside services was provided for them; and  enlisted the help of the local education authority to raise standards.

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Commentary

4. All of these systems have been effective in ensuring that staff can teach and pupils can and want to learn but it will take some time for this to be reflected in the end of Year 6 national tests as there is a backlog of pupils’ underachievement in the juniors that is presently being rectified. There is now no unsatisfactory teaching throughout the school, staff and pupils have good working habits and the school is appropriately placed to raise standards quickly and effectively.

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Commentary

5. Inspection findings show that, whilst standards are improving, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that pupils are making progress at a faster rate. Inspection findings show that pupils’ attainment on entry to Reception Year is below that expected nationally. Several children who are higher-attainers use the good facilities of the nursery, but instead of moving into the Reception class, go on to other schools instead. Children make good progress in their time in the Foundation Stage and generally achieve well but higher-attaining children could be pushed even further. On entry to Year 1, they attain the expected standards in all areas of learning. This year’s Year 2 and Year 6 cohort of pupils has a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs and below average attaining pupils and this naturally represses end of year attainment levels. By the end of Year 2, with the exception of art and design, ICT and

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Commentary

using and applying mathematics, pupils attain average standards and their achievements are satisfactory. In ICT and using and applying mathematics, pupils are achieving satisfactorily but standards are not as yet as high as they could be. In art and design, pupils’ achievements are unsatisfactory because insufficient emphasis is placed upon developing pupils’ subject-specific skills although, during the week of inspection, a very good lesson was seen in Year 2 where pupils achieved very well but, as yet, this very good teaching is not reflected sufficiently in pupils’ end-of-year attainment. Standards in speaking and listening are below the national average: in reading and writing, they are in line with national averages. In mathematics, with the exception of using and applying mathematics, standards meet the national requirements of seven-year-olds. In science, standards are in line with national averages and pupils’

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Commentary

achievements are satisfactory; however, pupils achieve well in developing their knowledge about plants and animals and, in this aspect of the science curriculum, standards are above average. No judgements on standards were made in design and technology and physical education as insufficient lessons were seen. No significant differences were seen in attainment by gender in both the infants and the juniors. The school has worked hard at tackling boys’ underachievement, especially in writing, by providing them with good opportunities to write non-fiction text.

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Commentary

6. By the end of Year 6, standards are not as high and overall are below average because over time, there have been weaknesses in teaching and in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour towards their work, especially in Year 4 and Year 6. These weaknesses have now been rectified due to changes in staffing but it will take a little longer for the recent satisfactory achievement of pupils to be reflected in test results.

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Commentary

7. By the end of Year 6, standards in speaking and listening and writing are below average; only above average attaining pupils are attaining average standards. The majority of pupils find it difficulty to express their ideas clearly and succinctly and, as a result, their writing lacks flair, imagination and correct sequencing of ideas and consistent use of tenses. Standards in reading are average and pupils’ achievements are good; this is because the recent emphasis on ensuring Whoberley Hall Primary School - 10 that this aspect of the literacy hour is taught correctly is paying dividends. Pupils love reading and are very keen to talk about the authors they have read but struggle with making references to text when finding information.

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Commentary

8. Standards in mathematics are well below national average in spite of recent satisfactory achievement. Over time, standards in problem-solving and using and applying mathematics have been too low because pupils have not been able to work collaboratively because of the many discipline problems; it is only now that pupils can be left to work collaboratively, due to the effective management of behaviour. The school has recognised that opportunities for problem-solving and using and applying mathematics across the curriculum are areas that can now be addressed more successfully, due to the improved attitudes and behaviour of the pupils. Already links have been made with the numeracy consultant to help raise standards. The use of individual target setting is not yet sufficiently well established to raise standards, marking is inconsistent and this is why pupils only make satisfactory progress overall and not good

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Commentary

progress. However, with the present complement of staff, who are working very hard at raising standards as evidenced by the overall satisfactory teaching, standards are poised to rise.

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Commentary

9. By the end of Year 6, standards in science are below national average but pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall. There is a particular weakness in experimental and investigative science as pupils have difficulty in setting up their own experiments and evaluating their findings in relation to their initial hypotheses. Above average attaining pupils understand and can use the principles of fair testing but the rest of the pupils struggle with this aspect of science. Higher attainers could achieve more in some lessons; they work at a leisurely rather than a fast pace.

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Commentary

10. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well overall. A small minority of pupils who are taught separately in the WREN room (a purpose- made withdrawal room) could make better progress in academic work if planning was more closely linked to that of pupils in mainstream classes; however, they make good progress in personal and social education and are maturing emotionally, due to the individual care, attention and support that they receive.

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Commentary

11. In science, the scheme of work used by the school does not sufficiently highlight the progressive development of subject-specific skills and too often pupils repeat what they have learnt previously. In year groups where there is particularly rigorous teaching and where lessons are of a consistently good quality, such as lessons seen in Years 2, 3, 5 and 6, pupils really forge ahead and make good progress.

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Commentary

12. There are several barriers at the moment to raising pupils’ achievement quickly and effectively. Whilst there are satisfactory procedures in place for tracking pupils’ progress in English and mathematics in both the infants and juniors, rigorous use of assessment and target-setting is not yet fully embedded in the school’s practice. Some classes have experienced many changes of teachers, coupled with weak teaching methods, in the course of a year and this has disrupted their progress.

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Commentary

13. In most of the Foundation subjects, standards are below national average but pupils’ achievements are satisfactory apart from art and design where their achievements are unsatisfactory as insufficient emphasis has been placed upon developing subject-specific skills and not enough written work has been undertaken to ensure that pupils communicate their findings in a variety of ways. In music, pupils’ attainment is below that expected nationally of eleven-year-olds but pupils’ achievements are satisfactory, due to the recent use made of a Whoberley Hall Primary School - 11 specialist teacher who supports music. In physical education, pupils attain average standards and their achievements are satisfactory; pupils’ participation in inter-school sports is helping raise standards. Whilst pupils’ achievements in ICT are satisfactory overall, pupils do not attain the expected standards because the ICT resources have only recently been established.

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Commentary

Standards are rising as teachers have gained more confidence in the teaching of ICT as they have received training and are now being ably supported by the ICT technician and subject leader.

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Commentary

14. The school has rightly ploughed the bulk of its energies and resources into improving pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to school and in driving up standards in literacy and numeracy. Foundation subjects have been given less attention, especially art and design in both the infants and juniors. In the juniors, for example, many pupils struggle with recording work and, apart from pupils who are higher attainers, pupils are often reluctant to write and have to be encouraged to do their best by their teachers. This is particularly the case in history. On entry to the Foundation Stage, standards overall are below national expectations for children nationally but, due to good provision in teaching, children attain the expected standards in all areas of learning and their achievements are good. Higher-attaining children’s achievements are only satisfactory because too few opportunities are provided for them to formally record their work.

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Commentary

15. The good leadership and management of the headteacher is having a positive effect on raising standards. The extensive range of extra help and initiatives, such as its participation in the Primary Leadership Programme, alongside modelling of teaching by advanced skills teachers, advice given by the local education authority, the temporary help of an experienced deputy headteacher and the introduction of booster classes are all helping raise the rates of pupils’ achievement. Throughout the school, the extra help given in the WREN room to pupils who have emotional problems is ensuring that these pupils’ needs are met in relation to their targets.

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Commentary

16. Because of the many changes that the school has been through, improvement since the last inspection has been patchy but, since the appointment of the new headteacher and the many systems that have been put in place, improvement is now satisfactory overall, due to the satisfactory achievement of pupils. Overall, average standards have been maintained in the infants but in the juniors standards are not as high as judged previously, due to the high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties in the present Year 6.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have good attitudes towards their learning and are well behaved. Attendance is below the national average. Most pupils are punctual. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils are always eager to give of their best.  High standards of behaviour are expected and achieved.  Very good relationships are an important characteristic of the school.  Attendance patterns are erratic in some year groups and school systems do not track these closely enough.  Staff work well together to assure pupils’ personal growth as they mature.

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Commentary

Whoberley Hall Primary School - 12 17. Pupils have good attitudes to learning. Pupils really enjoy coming to school and are keen to do well. They listen attentively in lessons and are quick to volunteer for responsibilities around the school. Pupils form very constructive relationships with their teachers and work hard for them in lessons. They listen attentively and make an effort to finish the work set. Many of them regularly complete homework tasks. Pupils value the work of the school council and the current councillors are proud of their role as they work diligently to make the school a better place. The oldest pupils are allowed to wear a different uniform from the rest of the school and this instils a sense of pride and togetherness in the year group. They like to be instantly recognised in the playground as a potential source of help to the younger children.

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Commentary

18. There is a clear feeling of pride in their school among the pupils who are keen to demonstrate how well everyone behaves. This is an orderly and harmonious school where values are respected and codes of conduct are honoured. Pupils are well aware of the high expectations that adults have of them and they try hard to meet these standards each day. Lessons progress smoothly, playtimes are cheery social occasions and assemblies are reverent and respectful. Pupils respond well to the system of rewards and sanctions applied by staff. There have been two exclusions from school. The number of pupils with social, emotional and behavioural problems has risen over recent years. Many of these children now participate in a more holistic support programme as part of the school’s nurture group. Pupils are relaxed and evidently enjoy these sessions. Parents are very pleased with the way they settle down in the WREN room.

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Commentary

19. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language have good attitudes to their work. They are keen to learn, and they work both independently and with others. Other pupils are considerate and caring and this helps to improve the confidence of vulnerable pupils. The school has had a history of a significant number of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties but the WREN room has been effective in helping their ability to cope and their behaviour is good.

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Commentary

20. The entire school community gels extremely well and very high quality relationships flourish throughout the school. The playground is harmonious and pupils know that someone will help them if they have a problem or are lonely. Children are openly pleased with the way everyone works together to make the school a happy place to come to each day.

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Commentary

21. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and has a positive effect on pupils’ personal development. Meaningful acts of collective worship, religious education lessons and strong links with the church enhance pupils’ spiritual development. Staff are quick to praise pupils when they do something well and there are regular whole-school celebrations of individual and team achievements. Community activities such as local bulb-planting help pupils to appreciate the wonder of the natural world as they see the fruition of their hard work. Regular links with a nearby special school help pupils to relate to the differing needs and lives of others and to accept these as normal.

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Commentary

22. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong because adults take every opportunity to emphasise the importance of doing the right thing. Every adult makes a strong impact on the children as they demonstrate how to be effective and compassionate members of society. Pupils are routinely rewarded when they are ‘caught being good’ and these positive steps that cement high standards are appreciated by the children.

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Commentary

23. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to learn more about what it means to be part of a democratic society through the election and works of the school council. Pupils are particularly proud of the funds they raise in school and how this contributes to their own school life and Whoberley Hall Primary School - 13 also improves the lives of those less fortunate. The school recognises when pupils have particular gifts and talents and helps them to shine and to use them to good effect. One pupil was asked to help to interview the candidates for new class teacher. He undertook the task diligently and made sensible notes about each candidate. He was able to offer a considered opinion on who was the best applicant in the pupils’ eyes, recording comments such as ‘kind, very enthusiastic’ or ‘not as confident’ as he walked around the school with each candidate.

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Commentary

24. Pupils learn a considerable amount about their own cultural heritage and other world faiths and cultural traditions. The school has built up a good bank of resources to support work on several faiths and these help to bring multicultural festivals and practices to life for pupils.

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Commentary

25. Parents are pleased with their children’s behaviour, the values that the school promotes and the good opportunities their children receive for their personal, social and emotional development. Overall, improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 6.2 School data: 0.4 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

26. Attendance rates for 2000/2003 and for the current academic year were below the national average. Although there are regular awards for perfect attendance for individuals, no member of staff takes responsibility for monitoring attendance patterns on a regular basis. Consequently, the erratic attendance levels of some classes go largely unchallenged; some classes have consistently low levels of attendance, whilst others are well above average. These patterns are not yet sufficiently monitored and evaluated by the school so that improvements follow. The headteacher is aware of this and plans are in place to rectify this but with the help of the educational psychologist, she has had to develop whole-school systems to improve behaviour. The majority of pupils are brought to school on time although a few parents persist in bringing their children after registration has closed.

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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 Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 186 2 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 7 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 2 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 4 0 0 Black or Black British – African 2 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 4 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 14

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching and learning are satisfactory . The curriculum is satisfactory ; it is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements but in some subjects, skills progression is not sufficiently identified in the scheme of work. Staff have not long worked as a team and already several examples of very good teaching were seen. This bodes well for the future. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage of learning, and for those pupils who have special educational needs and English as an additional language, is good. Assessment is satisfactory but its use in planning the next steps of pupils’ learning is variable and is unsatisfactory overall.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Teaching is particularly good in the Foundation Stage, Year 2, Year 3, Year 5 and Year 6. In these classes, pupils make the best progress.  Relationships are very good throughout the school.  Teachers teach guided reading well and are secure in their knowledge of the literacy and numeracy strategies but they do not always focus rigorously enough on teaching subject- specific skills in Foundation subjects.  Marking is not always consistently identifying pupils’ weaknesses, assessment data is not sufficiently well used to move pupils on in their learning and this restricts progress.  Homework is used well to support learning.  Teachers give good explanations, manage behaviour well and are keen to improve their practice.  Support staff make a valid contribution to pupils’ learning.  Higher-attaining pupils are not being sufficiently challenged in some lessons.  Pupils genuinely respect their teachers and want to give of their very best.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good gains in learning and they are supported well by a dedicated team of support staff and external agencies.  Assessments in Foundation subjects are weak and are unsatisfactory overall.

p.16

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 43 lessons

p.16

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.16

Commentary

0 (0%) 6 (14%) 16 (37%) 21 (49%) 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.

p.16

Commentary

27. The school has experienced many difficulties in maintaining consistency of good practice and, since the last inspection, has been through a rough patch, with the quality of teaching having been too weak to support effective learning, especially in Year 4 and Year 6. The present complement of staff has only been together for a short period of time. The headteacher, on her appointment, quickly identified the fact that pupils were underachieving and put in place very stringent measures to improve the quality of teaching and learning. With the present complement of staff, the school is ready to move forward but, as yet, not all of the effective Whoberley Hall Primary School - 15 systems aimed at raising standards that have been identified and implemented by the headteacher are fully embedded in practice. The two most important things need to be established to improve the rates of pupils’ progress are to ensure that all staff use assessment

p.16

Commentary

data to move pupils on in their learning, especially from Reception into Year 1, and that planning throughout the school reflects sufficient emphasis placed upon the progressive development of subject specific skills; at present, there is inconsistency in practice throughout the school.

p.17

Commentary

28. In the past few years, some weak teaching has taken its toll on pupils’ learning and some pupils, especially in Year 4, have not developed rigorous work habits. The recent appointment of the seconded deputy headteacher is helping to break underachievement and ingrained low self-esteem. During the inspection, in a good art and design lesson, pupils were beginning to feel a sense of pride about themselves because the class teacher relentlessly pushed them to give of their best while making their sketches.

p.17

Commentary

29. One pupil, with a big beam on his face, proudly showed his work to the inspector saying “I never knew I could do this”. The class teachers’ insistence on not accepting any work that was clearly not the pupils’ best is clearly having a positive effect on pupils’ learning. The teaching of literacy, numeracy and ICT is satisfactory, with examples of good and very good practice seen throughout the school. The teaching of guided reading is particularly good and is helping to raise standards. Teachers in these sessions use a wide range of strategies to keep pupils on task; they make particularly good reference to helping pupils find information in texts and this is helping pupils develop their skills of inference and deduction in the juniors.

p.17

Commentary

30. Teachers’ subject knowledge in foundation subjects and science is variable but is satisfactory overall ranging from good to satisfactory. However, at times, teachers do not pack in enough information in lessons and this is especially the case in history in the juniors, and in art and design. Too much emphasis is placed upon imparting knowledge rather than developing pupils’ subject-specific skills such as chronology, using and interpreting evidence in history, observational drawing, colour mixing, clay work, pencil shading and line drawings in art and design and skills underpinning experimental and investigative science. The lack of emphasis on focusing on the teaching of subject-specific skills in foundation subjects slows down pupils’ rates of progress.

p.17

Commentary

31. Teachers use homework well to support learning; homework is interesting, fun and linked appropriately to work studied in lessons. Parents enjoy helping their children with homework and even they find it interesting! This is having a positive effect. Teachers use resources especially well to support learning, especially the interactive whiteboards. This has a positive effect on pupils’ learning and ensures that pupils’ interest levels are maintained.

p.17

Commentary

32. The management of behaviour, and insistence on high standards, enable pupils to stay focused. This is particularly evident in Year 4 where, since the appointment of a new teacher, very firm boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour are established and this is helping to reverse pupils’ previously acquired negative attitudes to learning. Support staff make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, they ensure that all pupils stay on task and they consistently check their understanding.

p.17

Commentary

33. Pupils throughout the school have good skills of co-operation and are starting to work well in groups; this is having a positive effect on their personal development. For example, in a good science lesson seen in Year 5, pupils co-operated very well in discussing how they were going to present their findings regarding the life-cycle of plants and animals. The teaching of children Whoberley Hall Primary School - 16 in the Foundation Stage of learning is good overall with good emphasis placed on the teaching of speaking and listening, reading, writing and number; this is helping to raise standards and gives children a good start to their learning.

p.17

Commentary

34. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good; these pupils achieve well because of the good support that they receive from teaching assistants and the good use teachers make of using pupils’ individual education plans in lessons. Pupils who attend the WREN room are well supported emotionally and socially but teachers are not yet structuring their daily activities sufficiently closely with those that their peers in class are following, especially in literacy and numeracy.

p.18

Commentary

35. The teaching of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is good; staff cater for these pupils well. The school is due to receive extra support from the local education authority to help teachers cater for these pupils even more rigorously in lessons. These pupils have full access to the curriculum.

p.18

Commentary

36. Where examples of very good teaching are seen - in mathematics in the Reception class and Year 6, music in the nursery, art and design and history in Year 2 and English in Year 5 - teachers had very high expectations of their pupils and consistently challenged them to be responsible for their learning. In these lessons, very clear learning objectives were shared with the pupils, time was used effectively, resources such as Victorian artefacts from a museum were very stimulating and all groups of pupils were consistently challenged to find out more information about various topics. The summing-up of learning at the end of the lesson was particularly impressive but this is not always the case in some lessons. Assessment procedures are satisfactory in English, mathematics and science but are unsatisfactory in foundation subjects, ICT and religious education. Information from assessments is not sufficiently well

p.18

Commentary

used to move pupils on in their learning, and this slows down the rates of progress.

p.18

Commentary

37. Where lessons are now satisfactory but with certain weaknesses, insufficient emphasis is placed upon using assessment to inform the next steps of learning and teaching is aimed at average and below average attainers, resulting in above average attaining pupils not making sufficient progress. Insufficient notice is taken of pupils’ prior attainment, especially their achievements in the Foundation Stage, and in Year 1, pupils are not always pushed fast enough.

p.18

Commentary

38. Parents and pupils are pleased with the quality of teaching and pupils love and respect their teachers. This is evident in the very good relationships throughout the school. Several boys in Year 6 commented that their teacher was “the best thing since sliced bread, because she cares about us and never gives up on us”. 39. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory overall, due to the good monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher. There is no unsatisfactory teaching throughout the school.

p.18

The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory . Provision is good for pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language, and those who are in the Foundation Stage of learning. The school provides good opportunities to enrich the curriculum through sport and music. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory in the infants and juniors, in the Foundation Stage accommodation is good and the quality of resources is very good. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 17

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Provision for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is good.  Opportunities to enrich the curriculum are good.  The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage of learning is good and plenty of opportunities are offered for children to learn, using all of their senses.  Curriculum planning for foundation subjects is weaker than it is for English, mathematics and science.  Planning for more able pupils is not yet sufficiently rigorous to ensure that they make consistently good gains in learning.  Subject specific skills and knowledge are not planned consistently enough to help teachers to create lessons which allow pupils of all abilities to make good progress.  The use of literacy, numeracy and ICT is underdeveloped in other subjects.  Resources in the Foundation Stage of learning are very good and the accommodation is good, it is vibrant, exciting and conducive to learning.

p.19

Commentary

40. The school provides a broad curriculum which includes religious education and collective worship and meets statutory requirements and the expectations of the locally-agreed syllabus in religious education. The curriculum team is recently established and the school recognises the need to develop curriculum planning further, especially in foundation subjects, to identify and meet the training needs of staff and to implement and finalise new schemes. Subject-specific skills and knowledge are not planned well enough for pupils to build on previous achievements easily and rapidly.

p.19

Commentary

41. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage of learning is good. The curriculum is well planned and plenty of opportunities are provided for children to learn, using their senses. Resources are very good and stimulate a desire in pupils to learn. Good improvement has been made in the quality of accommodation, especially in outside play areas where good opportunities are provided for children to develop their ability to use all of their senses. For example, children love to observe Sunshine and Cloud (the hamsters) and eagerly talk about their antics to staff. They follow instructions by going “up” on the climbing frame and climbing “down” carefully.

p.19

Commentary

42. The school has concentrated on developing its provision for English, mathematics and science. Curriculum development in all subjects, including these, had over time fallen behind and not fully kept up to date with the pace of new developments such as the skills and competencies underpinning Curriculum 2000, and the school has implemented a three-year action plan to develop and improve all curricular areas. The school had faced difficulties, with a high percentage of staff leaving and pupils who have significant behaviour problems, and the energies of the staff had been diverted from curriculum management to ensure that learning environments were created where teachers could teach and pupils could learn. Curriculum arrangements for teaching English, mathematics and science are now effectively established and are satisfactory. The school has worked closely and extensively with the local education

p.19

Commentary

authority to update and improve its provision.

p.19

Commentary

43. There are too few planned opportunities for the use of literacy, numeracy and ICT in other subject areas and pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to practise what they have learnt. The use of literacy and numeracy is satisfactory but the use of ICT is less well developed and is Whoberley Hall Primary School - 18 unsatisfactory overall, but improving. The school delivers a satisfactory curriculum for personal, social and health education so that pupils know how to look after themselves and each other.

p.19

Commentary

44. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs is good, especially for those pupils who have statements of special educational needs. Pupils with English as an additional language are well catered for. Teachers and teaching assistants know these pupils well and how to help them achieve well. The school’s writing of individual education plans is clear and relevant and gives good guidance to pupils and adults. The school makes good use of outside specialist agencies and carries out suggested programmes and uses equipment to help pupils have better access to the curriculum. The school provides well for vulnerable pupils who are in need of a high level of individual adult attention to work in a separate area from other pupils. This provision is good for pupils who have difficulty in taking part in lessons and helps them to improve their behaviour and participation in groups. However, the level of work is not linked

p.20

Commentary

closely enough to that of pupils in the mainstream class for these pupils to make good progress, especially for those attending the class for four mornings per week. Pupils’ learning about their own behaviour and how to work independently is good but their rate of acquiring academic knowledge overall is only satisfactory.

p.20

Commentary

45. The curriculum ensures a satisfactory degree of equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. Whilst access is good for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, the level of planning to extend the knowledge and understanding of pupils who are higher-attaining pupils could be considerably more varied and challenging to help them make better progress.

p.20

Commentary

46. The school provides good opportunities for enrichment through its musical and sporting activities and many attend dance classes and drama club. This has a positive effect on pupils’ social skills.

p.20

Commentary

47. The quality of the school’s accommodation and resources is satisfactory and is adequate for the curriculum to be taught effectively. The school’s members of staff are appropriately qualified and adequate in number. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. Schemes of work have been implemented and provision for the extra-curricular activities has improved.

p.20

Care, guidance and support

There are satisfactory procedures to ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. Guidance, support and advice for pupils are also satisfactory . Staff involve pupils well in the life and work of the school by seeking, valuing and acting upon their views.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Staff are keen to help children to feel settled and at ease in school.  Day-to-day welfare systems work smoothly and are known to all staff.  Some health and safety systems are not yet rigorously implemented.  Pupils who need the greatest support to tackle their emotional difficulties benefit from the nurture programme.  Pupils really enjoy taking responsibility in school and in helping to improve the way it runs. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 19

p.20

Commentary

48. Parents are very happy with the way their children are helped to settle into school when they first join. As staff are readily accessible, they feel they can always ask for help with their child at this crucial time. All adults working in the school are kind and responsive to pupils’ needs and this helps to establish an atmosphere of trust.

p.21

Commentary

49. Child protection procedures are well known to staff and local agency guidelines are followed. The general needs of pupils are well met by staff, including lunchtime supervisors, who take care to accommodate specific medical or dietary requirements. They are able to attend training courses in ways to improve behaviour, for example, and this helps the whole staff to work as an effective team in this area. Pupils are very complimentary about the dinner staff and say that they are ‘really, really kind’.

p.21

Commentary

50. The school secretary takes care of any medicines and ensures their administration is correctly recorded. The school is conscientious in its duty of care in the daily help and support it offers to pupils. However, some aspects of pastoral care need to be more rigorously monitored to ensure the highest standards are maintained. For example, there are not enough fire exit signs throughout the school and there needs to be a weekly programme of fire alarm tests to complement the regular emergency evacuation drills that already take place.

p.21

Commentary

51. Staff take care to chat to children before, during and after school and build up mutually supportive relationships. They know the individual needs of the children and make sure they are given help and encouragement when required. The nurture group has been instrumental in calming disruptive pupils and helping them to reintegrate into normal class activities. Attention is paid to their individual learning plans so that their specific needs are met. Throughout the school, however, teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work are not used well enough to guide and support their progress through the school.

p.21

Commentary

52. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are well cared for and the school goes to great lengths to ensure that the work and expertise of outside agencies is valued and properly implemented to give pupils best advantage.

p.21

Commentary

53. Pupils’ views are regularly canvassed by staff. Questionnaires are distributed, analysed and acted upon. The school council is an active body that takes forward ideas from classmates and decides how best to serve the interests of the whole school community. Pupils feel that the school council is worthwhile and are particularly pleased with the outside ‘tyre park’ and climbing apparatus as they feel these make playtimes more fun. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory; the school has maintained its overall satisfactory provision.

p.21

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school enjoys a good partnership with parents and the wider community. Its links with other schools and colleges are satisfactory .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 There is good quality information for parents about the school and its expectations.  Staff are very keen to involve parents in the life and work of the school.  Community links enrich pupils’ learning effectively.  Parental response to school events is often disappointingly cool. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 20

p.21

Commentary

54. Parents express positive views about all aspects of the school. They feel they can talk to the headteacher and staff when they have concerns and report that their children are very happy at school. They particularly like the school’s arrangements for settling their children when they first join.

p.22

Commentary

55. The headteacher, governors and staff make every effort to welcome parents and visitors to the school. The secretaries are very friendly and an efficient first point of contact and sets just the right tone to set visitors and parents at ease. There is a plentiful supply of information about the general aims and routines of the school and much useful documentation on display in the entrance hall. The school prospectus and governors’ annual report to parents contain a wealth of information for parents and provide a clear overview of the school’s philosophy and progress so far. Regular newsletters keep parents up to date with events and the new school website is an additional and developing point of reference.

p.22

Commentary

56. Parents are invited into school to attend parents’ evenings, curriculum evenings and social events. They feel they are well informed about the progress their children make and that they receive enough information about curriculum matters. Staff report that they would like to see more interest from parents in what their children are learning so that they can offer them better support at home. Often, curriculum evenings are poorly attended and workshops are cancelled through lack of parental interest. The quality of the written annual reports to parents on their children’s progress is satisfactory. The targets for future development set by teachers for their pupils are particularly useful but some evaluations of progress are very brief.

p.22

Commentary

57. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept well informed of their children’s progress and properly involved in all reviews.

p.22

Commentary

58. The headteacher regularly asks parents for their views on the school and receives a good response from parents. Parents are also supportive of the home-school agreement and help the school to raise substantial funds that buy classroom resources such as televisions and CD players for each room.

p.22

Commentary

59. Close links are maintained with the community; the school uses the neighbouring community centre to host events, and there are strong links with the local clergy. The vicar leads school worship regularly and is also one of the governors. The school buildings are let for community use during the week and this helps the community to keep the school at its heart. Staff try hard to keep the school’s profile high as it organises local litter picking and bulb planting so that pupils can improve the area. City Partnership Centres assist the school in aspects of its topic work and this helps to extend pupils’ learning. A number of educational trips enhance pupils’ experiences of the wider world, and regular visitors into school such as African musicians and drama groups also add colour and interest to the curriculum. Older pupils participate in a residential trip to Wales and this extends their personal development well.

p.22

Commentary

60. The school ensures that pupils and parents experience a smooth transition from here to the secondary school. Careful liaison ensures that pupils have the opportunity to visit their new schools and to feel more at ease about the move. The headteacher accompanies some pupils if they are the only child going to a particular school. Currently, there are too few curriculum links with secondary schools, although pupils have had a taster session of French for the last two years. The school runs Joint Teacher Days for local partners and students from Warwick Whoberley Hall Primary School - 21 University regularly attend on training placements. They bring a different perspective to the school and help to support pupils’ learning. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The school has maintained its good strong links with parents.

p.22

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . The headteacher has been instrumental in securing a safe learning environment for the pupils. The school is well managed and the role of the subject leaders is satisfactory overall and is improving. The leadership and management of special educational needs, English as an additional language and the Foundation Stage are good. The leadership and management of subject leaders are satisfactory. The governors have a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and govern the school satisfactorily.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The leadership shown by the headteacher is good and this has moved the school forward since her appointment.  The headteacher has a clear vision for the school with a focus on raising standards in a fully inclusive school.  The leadership and management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, and of the Foundation Stage are good.  The support and commitment of the governing body are good and governance is satisfactory.  The day-to-day routines and financial procedures are well managed by the conscientious school administrator.  There is a lack of monitoring of standards, teaching and learning by subject leaders to identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching, learning and provision.

p.23

Commentary

61. The leadership and management shown by the headteacher are good. She has a clear vision and sense of purpose for raising standards and achievement and promoting an inclusive school. Since her appointment nearly three years ago, she has faced many challenges, including staff changes, a decline in academic standards attained by pupils, weaknesses in pupils’ behaviour around the school, building developments and fluctuating school roll. She has provided a stabilising influence following a period of change when there were three different headteachers and acting appointments during the previous seven years. She has a good understanding of what needs to be done to raise achievement and standards and has developed and promoted a focused learning environment. Because of staff changes and lack of experienced staff, together with budget limitations, progress has not been as fast as she would have liked. However, the

p.23

Commentary

very recent establishment of new leadership, curriculum and initiatives teams is planned to address this, although the newly-formed teams have had insufficient time to make a significant effect on standards. Considering the many changes that have taken place in the past three years, the smooth running of the school is indicative of the head-teacher’s leadership and management skills. Parents believe the school is very well managed and the headteacher is very approachable.

p.23

Commentary

62. The school is part of the Primary Leadership programme and this has identified areas for improvement, resulting in focused staff training. Thorough subject reviews have been undertaken and areas identified for improvement. These are clearly identified in the school development plan which is firmly focused on raising standards based on a clear analysis of performance and the changing needs of the school. Staff, governors, parents and pupils are Whoberley Hall Primary School - 22 soundly consulted through meetings and surveys to identify priorities. The development plan is regularly monitored by the headteacher, local authority advisory staff and governors, to identify the progress made and is a well-written purposeful document which clearly identified the strategic steps that need to be made in order to move the school forward.

p.23

Commentary

63. The headteacher ensures staff are fully involved in school matters through regular staff meetings. Teaching and support staff provide good role models and are hardworking. There is regular monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and standards by the headteacher and English and mathematics curriculum leaders, supported by the local authority advisor. However, curriculum monitoring by the newly-established curriculum leadership team, whilst satisfactory overall, has still to be developed, although clear plans are in place for this to happen.

p.24

Commentary

64. The school is well managed and resources are targeted appropriately. The school is developing good self-evaluation strategies and this is beginning to have some success in raising standards, especially in English and mathematics in the infants. The school now effectively monitors pupils’ performance using national and optional tests in English and mathematics. However, the information from the analysis of results is not yet used sufficiently to set individual and group targets to raise standards. Recent monitoring of teaching, learning and standards by the headteacher and advisory staff have identified areas for development. Staff are aware of what improvements are required to raise standards and these now need to be rigorously implemented and monitored. Tracking and monitoring of pupils’ progress are soundly established in English, mathematics and science and indicate underachievement in some year groups in the past.

p.24

Commentary

Strategies to remedy this have been established but have not yet had time to raise standards in Year 6. The school has recognised the need to develop monitoring in the foundation subjects to raise standards and achievement in these areas. There are currently no whole-school systems in place for curriculum leaders to examine standards or achievement, or to ensure that planned activities are delivered with sufficient depth and rigour. Regular whole-school subject assessment procedures to monitor pupils’ progress are not yet fully in place and this is an area for development.

p.24

Commentary

65. The leadership and management of provision for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are good. The commitment to these pupils is high. Provision is well managed. Paperwork, annual reviews and links with outside agencies all run smoothly and effectively. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good overall but there is insufficient dialogue between nursery, Reception and Year 1 with regard to ensuring that pupils do not repeat previously acquired learning.

p.24

Commentary

66. Performance management procedures are well established for the headteacher and teaching staff and this is helping to identify areas for focused staff development. Induction procedures for staff new to the school are satisfactory and the staff handbook provides sufficient information for ensuring that they are quickly assimilated. The school is successfully used as a placement for trainee teachers by training establishments. The recruitment, deployment and workload of staff are satisfactory and the school is looking at current and future requirements and developments. Support staff are fully involved in training and used well to make teachers’ work more effective and ensure all pupils access the curriculum.

p.24

Commentary

67. The governance of the school is satisfactory. The governing body is supportive and brings together a wide range of expertise and experience to give support across many areas. It is ably led by a committed chair who regularly visits the school. The governors are kept well informed of developments by the headteacher through regular written reports. Regular governing body Whoberley Hall Primary School - 23 meetings are held and discussions and decisions clearly recorded. There is an appropriate range of committees which meet at least termly. Governors are aware of the current challenges facing the school and have a developing understanding of their role in monitoring and evaluating the school’s performance and support the headteacher well. The governing body satisfactorily fulfils its statutory responsibilities through a wide range of policies which are regularly reviewed. It regularly appraises the work of the headteacher and successfully sets and monitors

p.24

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.25

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 556,034 Balance from previous year 43,787 Total expenditure 545,085 Balance carried forward to the next year 10,949 Expenditure per pupil 2,466

p.25

Commentary

68. Day-to-day financial and resource procedures are well established and managed very effectively by the experienced hardworking administrative officers. They make a significant contribution to the smooth running of the school. Effective use is made of current technology for managing pupil and financial records. The most recent external audit identified some minor weaknesses which have been, or are being, addressed. Grants are used effectively and finances are kept in very good order. The school has effectively adopted the principles of best value into its management practices.

p.25

Commentary

69. Good improvement has been made since the previous inspection; the headteacher has provided a new structured development plan and has identified the correct priorities in moving the school forward. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 24

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. At present, there are 42 children in the nursery and 17 in Reception. The curriculum is well planned and the quality of teaching is good. Resources are plentiful and of good quality, and the accommodation is spacious and well used to maximise learning. Good opportunities are provided for all groups of children to learn outdoors and the work of support staff is particularly effective.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. Children attend the nursery part-time and enter at the age of three. Not all of the children who attend the nursery move onto the Reception class. Attainment on entry to the school is below average. Children experience difficulty in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. A significant minority of children have difficulties in co-operating with one another and their fine motor skills are underdeveloped. Throughout their time in the Foundation Stage, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make good progress and attain the expected standards in all areas of learning because of good quality teaching, assessment and good curriculum planning. Their achievements are good, but higher-attaining children could be pushed even further as, at times, they are under-challenged. The Foundation Stage provision is generally well led and managed

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

but there is still room for improvement, especially in the communication between Year 1, Reception and nursery so that even more effective planning can take place which will ensure that higher-attaining children do not repeat aspects of learning that they are familiar with, and that they are consistently challenged.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. There are good arrangements for children joining the Foundation Stage and subsequently the school. Children have the opportunity to visit the school in the summer term before they start. Strong links are fostered with parents, who are encouraged to participate in all aspects of school life. Improvement since the last inspection has been good, especially in the development of the outside accommodation and resources.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good organisation and familiar routines provide a secure environment and help children to develop confidence.  Children have good attitudes to learning, enjoy the activities and contribute well.

p.26

Commentary

73. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children attain the expected standards in personal, social and emotional development. Children achieve well and make good progress in this area of learning. Well thought out routines and a well organised day provide familiar structure for children which enables them to develop self-confidence and assume a growing measure of independence. At the start of the day, for example, children skip merrily into school, hang their coats up and immediately throw themselves into the well-planned activities for the day. They eagerly ask about the class guinea pig and move confidently from one activity to another. The Whoberley Hall Primary School - 25 quality of teaching is good; staff move around, helping children to participate in all the activities set out for them. As a result, children learn to talk to one another politely, share resources and listen when required. A few children need frequent reminders as to what is

p.26

Commentary

expected of them. Some have weak attention spans and quite a few struggle during the day because they arrive at school already very tired. It is evident that staff have to work hard to develop good behaviour and that patience and constant reinforcement of what is expected of them are clearly having a significant impact on children’s development. In all of the sessions observed, most children enjoyed choosing their own activities, were keen to participate in class sessions and eager to contribute to discussions. Staff are adept at including those who are somewhat reluctant to participate. Children enjoy the responsibilities of tidying up and being special helpers.

p.27

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Staff take every opportunity to develop children’s speaking and listening skills.  Children are provided with a wide variety of activities which encourage the development of reading and writing.  Children’s knowledge of initial sounds is taught well.  Parents are very supportive in hearing their children read at home.  Higher-attaining children could be challenged more by providing them with more activities for their writing.

p.27

Commentary

74. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children attain the expected standards in communication, language and literacy and their achievements are good because of good quality teaching. A significant minority of children start school with below-average language skills but, overall, they make good progress, apart from higher-attaining children who make satisfactory gains in learning and could be challenged more in formally recording their work, as many of them are ready to undertake more activities where they are required to write. At the start of the day, various activities which encourage reading and writing are laid out ready for the children and similarly, activities are available when children have a free choice, but higher-attaining children are keen to write but would welcome more formal opportunities to record their work. Children love reading and listening to stories, especially the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and parents

p.27

Commentary

play a very large part in contributing to the development of children’s reading skills.

p.27

Commentary

75. Good opportunities are provided for role-play and this enables children to develop their speaking skills. For example, in the “Garden Centre”, children were chatting happily about the price of bulbs. The teaching of initial sounds is good and results in children making good gains in learning. What is learned in these sessions is practised and consolidated very effectively in activities throughout the day through group reading sessions or through focused writing activities. During whole-class sessions, the teachers often stop and ask children to talk to their partner to discuss a particular point, thus ensuring that all children get used to voicing their opinions before having to speak in front of others. Whenever they are supervising an activity, the staff ask children questions and help to develop children’s ability to converse.

p.27

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Whoberley Hall Primary School - 26 Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Staff plan a wide range of practical activities linked to the termly themes to promote children’s mathematical development, ensuring children achieve well.  Good use is made of mathematical language.  Good use is made of resources to promote learning.  Higher attaining children are, at times, repeating what they have learnt in nursery and this slows down their rates of progress.

p.28

Commentary

76. Most children are likely to achieve the expected standards by the end of Reception and a few exceed them. Teaching, learning and provision are good in both the nursery and Reception classes because of the wide range of mathematical experiences provided by staff. A very good lesson was seen in reception where the teacher had implemented points arising from feedback given from inspectors and had adequately challenged higher-attaining children who relished the prospect of receiving work which demanded them to formally record what they had learnt. Most children achieve well and have a very good attitude to learning. In the nursery, children are encouraged to recognise, count and match numbers, using a very good range of resources, in structured and less formal activities such as playing snakes and ladders, skittles and Velcro darts. Staff use a wide range of number rhymes and songs to help children count and many are

p.28

Commentary

already beginning to count accurately to five. There is regular access to structured sand and water activities and children are beginning to understand words such as ‘full’, ‘empty’, ‘larger than’ and ‘smaller than’. The ‘Maths Market’ provides good opportunities for children to extend their knowledge and understanding through comparing lengths of plastic snakes and rows of cubes, and balancing and weighing activities

p.28

Commentary

77. In Reception, mathematical skills are extended successfully and children are given a good range of activities to build on what has been learnt in the nursery class, although several higher- attaining children repeat what they have already learnt. These involve counting on and back from a set number and ordering, estimating and matching numbers to at least 20. They undertake activities to reinforce their understanding of time through making their own clocks. They make plant surveys and record information in charts and tables. Mathematical skills are extended across all areas of learning, through measuring plant growth and counting and matching activities for example in physical education when they carry out counting activities, and sing ‘Five fat peas’. In both the nursery and Reception, good use is made of games such as snakes and ladders to reinforce counting skills. All these practical activities prepare the way

p.28

Commentary

well for future learning and ensure children sustain interest and do not become bored. Adults ensure they use correct mathematical words very well to develop and extend children’s understanding of mathematical language but too often, average-attaining children are consolidating learning rather than being fully extended.

p.28

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

Whoberley Hall Primary School - 27  Good teaching provides children with a wide range of interesting activities to learn about the world around them.  Staff use questioning effectively to enhance the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world about them.  Good use is made of the school grounds and local area and visits and visitors further extend children’s knowledge and understanding of the world well.  Children have regular access to and use of computers which develops early computer knowledge and skills effectively.

p.29

Commentary

78. Most children achieve well and attain the expected standards by the end of the Reception Year because of the good teaching in the nursery and Reception classes. Their achievements are good. Staff provide children with a good range of experiences through well-chosen themes. Classrooms and outside areas are well organised, with a wide range of activities to stimulate children’s natural curiosity. This includes a sensory garden and guinea-pigs, rabbit, hamster, goldfish and caterpillars which children are encouraged to observe and look after. Role-play areas, currently a flower shop and garden centre in the nursery and camping in Reception, are regularly changed to keep interest levels high so that children are challenged in their learning and role-play. Children in both the nursery and Reception carry out mini-beast searches, germinate seeds, grow plants, and undertake careful observations and recordings of their finds.

p.29

Commentary

Good use is made of the school grounds and local area to reinforce learning. Staff ask good quality questions and model answers for children; this has a positive effect on learning. Children have regular access to road layouts, construction kits, and small world play areas, which increases their knowledge and understanding of the world. They learn about living harmoniously together and their own culture and that of others through religious education lessons. Children use computers well and they move the mouse and keyboard confidently. They write text, design and print pictures and patterns and control objects on the screen.

p.29

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Staff make good use of the outdoor play area and facilities in the hall and children have regular access, using a wide range of equipment to develop their physical skills.  Hand and eye co-ordination is encouraged in a variety of activities that require the use of small hand tools such as magnifying glasses, crayons, pencils and brushes; a significant proportion of children struggle with fine motor skills.

p.29

Commentary

79. Most children achieve well and attain the expected standards by the end of Reception. Staff make good use of the outdoor play areas which are equipped with a range of small portable climbing and sliding apparatus, bikes and pushing and pulling trucks. Regular use is also made of the school hall, playground and field where children have more space to run, jump, throw and catch and use co-ordination resources such as the parachute. Children are encouraged to develop hand/eye co-ordination through a wide range of activities, using small apparatus such as skittles, Velcro darts, quoits, and beanbags. However, they struggle with fine motor skills. The quality of teaching and learning is good. In teacher-led activities, there are effective warm- Whoberley Hall Primary School - 28 up and cool-down sessions and children recognise the effect exercise has on their bodies and heartbeat. Children respond well to instructions, are very well behaved and relate very well to

p.29

Commentary

80. Children are given a wide range of opportunities to develop their co-ordination and manipulative skills by handling play dough, cutting with scissors and painting with a range of brushes in activities such as paintings of daffodils and making models of robots. Resources for physical development are good. There is a good range of construction kits and jigsaws which are readily available and used well. Displays in classrooms and photographic evidence show that children are given frequent occasions to encourage fine hand movements and control in both the nursery and Reception.

p.30

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Very good teaching was seen when children were taught by the music specialist.  Good quality resources are used to support learning.  Children love painting and good opportunities are provided for all children to respond to creatively and develop their imagination.

p.30

Commentary

81. By the time children enter Year 1 they attain the expected standards and their achievements are good. Children have good opportunities to develop their creative skills such as colour mixing, working with play dough, cutting, sticking, tracing and role play using templates. The good quality resources, especially the use of the outdoor environment for role play, are having a positive effect on learning. The quality of teaching is good with very good teaching seen when the music specialist teaches the children. In a very short time, children make very good gains in learning and know the difference between loud and soft sounds and ascending and descending patterns. They can all keep a rhythm when singing “Plant a little seed”. Children can link actions to words and thoroughly enjoy using musical instruments. In the well planned outdoor activities, support staff play a valuable role in developing children’s stories about the antics

p.30

Commentary

Cloud and Sunshine (the hamsters) and encourage children to act out stories when on the climbing frame. They help children paint accurately, and colour in their pictures. Children make good gains in learning and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Guided reading is well planned and taught and, as a result, standards in reading in Year 2 and Year 6 are average and pupils’ achievements are good.  There are too few planned opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills, pupils’ vocabulary is underdeveloped and spelling is weak. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 29  The local education authority literacy consultants are instrumental in working with teachers to raise standards.  Opportunities to extend the knowledge of higher-attaining pupils are too few.  Pupils are keen to learn and homework is used well to support learning.  Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well.

p.30

Commentary

82. Standards are in line with national averages in the infants in writing and reading; they are below national averages in speaking and listening. In Year 6, standards in English are below average but pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall and they are good in reading. In Year 6, standards in reading are average because of the good implementation of strategies for guided reading. Standards in spelling in both the infants and the juniors are unsatisfactory and insufficient attention is placed on teaching pupils the correct way of writing subject-specific skills. The national comparative data for the pupils at the end of Year 6 showed that standards in reading and writing were well below average when compared with all schools nationally and with similar schools. This represents underachievement over time from Year 2. In 2003, standards in Year 2 were above average when compared with all schools nationally and with

p.31

Commentary

similar schools in both reading and writing. The performance of boys was slightly below that of girls over the last three years, and they are slightly below the national average, whilst girls’ attainment in reading and writing is lightly above average. The number of pupils attaining higher levels is average. Overall, standards in the last three years have improved in the infants while those in the juniors have remained well below average. In 2003, there was a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs and this depressed standards further. Inspectors’ findings indicate that at present, in class pupils’ standards, while below the level expected, are improving. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve well because their progress is accurately assessed and they benefit from additional support. Standards in speaking and listening are below average for pupils in Year 2;

p.31

Commentary

in Year 6, whilst pupils’ grammar and diction enable them to make themselves understood, their vocabulary is limited and their use of expression and range of styles to express themselves appropriately in different circumstances has weaknesses. The school has recognised this and has plans to improve standards in speaking and listening. Standards in reading are average and pupils’ achievements are good.

p.31

Commentary

83. In Year 2, there is a wide range of reading ability but achievement overall is good. Higher attainers have varied texts and attain the higher levels expected of them. There is a large percentage of pupils whose special educational needs make reading more difficult and standards in reading are broadly average. In Year 6, pupils’ standards in reading are now average but there has been a backlog of previous under attainment and underachievement. However, pupils are now achieving well because reading materials are well matched to their interest and ability levels. Furthermore, the use of the local education authority literacy consultants is helping to develop the quality of teaching and is having a positive effect on raising standards. Whilst pupils are very well supported by their teachers and teaching assistants and enjoy reading, they are harshly self-critical and lack confidence. Pupils’ writing

p.31

Commentary

by Year 2 is broadly average although too few pupils achieve higher levels. Spelling has some weaknesses but writing is clear and well formed although letters are not joined. Sentence construction and punctuation are average for pupils of their age. By Year 6, standards in writing are below average. Some higher-attaining pupils write fluently, clearly and imaginatively in a range of styles. There are few pupils attaining average levels and greater numbers attaining both higher and lower levels. Lower-attaining pupils find writing and spelling difficult but pupils’ achievements are satisfactory and all groups of pupils are making satisfactory progress, Whoberley Hall Primary School - 30 with the exception of pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language who are making good progress.

p.31

Commentary

84. Teaching is satisfactory, with good features. Guided reading is well taught throughout the school, and teachers provide a good range of texts and different opportunities for reading which are well matched to pupils’ abilities. Pupils enjoy reading and the school takes care to send home suitable texts and to communicate progress with parents through the reading journals. Teaching of speaking and listening is satisfactory but is not yet good enough to help pupils attain high enough standards, as too few opportunities for developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills are identified in planning. Teaching of writing is satisfactory and marking is clear and useful so that both teachers and pupils know how they should improve. Pupils work hard and are keen to learn but occasionally, higher-attaining pupils lose interest when their work does not challenge and interest them. This is largely due to the inconsistent use of

p.32

Commentary

assessment to inform the next steps of pupils’ learning.

p.32

Commentary

85. The curriculum is satisfactory with good features. The school has seen English as a priority for development and has worked hard with the local education authority to ensure that teaching is consistent and staff training is up to date and effective. The library is a pleasant place, is well stocked and managed and pupils and staff value books. The school has a satisfactory range of assessment procedures but as yet, information from assessment is not sufficiently well used to move pupils on in their reading and as a result, higher-attaining pupils are not always pushed to achieve their full potential. Consequently, they spend too long consolidating learning.

p.32

Commentary

86. Leadership in the subject is satisfactory. The school has made an honest appraisal of its strengths and weaknesses and has acted effectively on specialist help it has requested. As a result, satisfactory progress is being made in improving the standards of provision.

p.32

Commentary

87. Improvement since the last inspection has only been satisfactory since the appointment of the present headteacher who has introduced rigorous systems for identifying the school’s strengths and areas for development.

p.32

Language and literacy across the curriculum

88. The development of pupils’ language and literacy skills across the curriculum is satisfactory. Teachers provide a sound range of opportunities for all pupils to use their skills across the curriculum. However, they do not always make the best use of these opportunities to help develop pupils’ extended writing skills. Teachers are not sufficiently rigorous in pointing out to pupils how to improve the quality of their work through ensuring that their spelling is accurate.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Resources are used well to support pupils in their learning.  Assessment procedures are satisfactory and the information is used well to monitor and track pupils’ progress but not used well to set specific mathematical targets for group and individuals.  The use and effectiveness of the mental/oral and plenary sessions is variable. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 31  There is insufficient emphasis on problem-solving activities for pupils to use and apply their knowledge.  Pupils often undertake the same tasks which means there is lack of challenge for higher- attaining pupils.  Teachers’ marking does not make clear to pupils what they have to do to improve their work.

p.32

Commentary

89. From looking at pupils’ work, the school’s clear monitoring and tracking procedures of pupil progress, and lesson observations, standards in mathematics in Year 2 are broadly average. In Year 6, they are well below average because strategies identified and implemented for raising standards have not yet had time to impact sufficiently on this group of pupils. Over a third of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and the school’s monitoring and tracking information indicates underachievement from a few pupils in the past. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls and most pupils achieve soundly.

p.33

Commentary

90. In the 2003 national tests for pupils at the end of Year 2, pupils achieved standards that were similar to the national average, which was much better than the previous year. At the end of Year 6, standards were well below the national average overall which was not as good as the previous year or at the time of the previous inspection. This is because there was a high number of pupils identified as having special educational needs and several pupils had entered other than at the normal time of entry at the beginning of Year 3. The school has also identified that there has been some underachievement in the past because of changes in staff and lack of rigorous monitoring of teaching, learning and standards, and the tracking of pupils’ progress has been inconsistent.

p.33

Commentary

91. Overall, all groups of pupils make satisfactory progress and their achievements are satisfactory. Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those identified as having special educational needs are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants and their achievements are good. Although test results indicate differences in the performance of boys and girls, this was not evident during the inspection. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

p.33

Commentary

92. Over the last three years, the school has worked hard to improve standards in mathematics although the main emphasis has been on raising standards in English. From looking at Year 2 pupils’ workbooks, there is a heavy reliance on the use of a commercial scheme and emphasis on number and application, with few opportunities for pupils to use their knowledge and understanding in problem-solving situations. Work in older pupils’ books shows a similar emphasis on number and calculation and there are few examples of the understanding and practice of other mathematical concepts, or their use to solve practical everyday problems. Pupils often undertake the same tasks which means lack of challenge for higher-attaining pupils. There is little evidence of higher level tasks in the oldest more able pupils’ workbooks; although these pupils do produce more work than their peers, they could be given more demanding tasks.

p.33

Commentary

93. From lesson observations, looking at work samples, talking to pupils and looking at teachers’ planning, the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall which is similar to that found at the time of the last inspection. Although some good teaching and occasionally very good teaching was observed, this is not reflected in pupils’ books. Teachers have sound subject knowledge and lessons are soundly planned, using national guidance with clear learning objectives. Most teachers clearly share these with pupils so that they know what they will be learning and doing. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 32 Relationships and behaviour are good and most pupils try hard in lessons. Good emphasis is placed on the correct use of mathematical vocabulary and words are displayed well in classrooms to act as re-enforcement. Most lessons proceed at a good pace but the initial mental/oral activity does not always challenge pupils sufficiently and the quality is variable.

p.33

Commentary

Although questioning is used to make pupils think, in a few lessons, teachers only take answers from pupils who raise their hands, which means that not all are fully involved and there are no follow-up questions to challenge others. Limited opportunities are provided for pupils to discuss questions with a partner to develop speaking and listening skills and a deeper understanding of mathematics, although several good examples of this were seen in Year 2 and Year 6. Occasionally teachers talk for too long during the introduction which means there is less time for pupil activity. There is a heavy reliance on commercial materials with an over- emphasis on number activities and calculation, and pupils undertaking the same tasks. Insufficient opportunities are provided for pupils to use and enjoy their mathematical knowledge in challenging and relevant problem-solving activities and this is an area for

p.34

Commentary

development. During the final session, teachers often tell pupils what they have been learning and doing rather than letting them explain. Teachers regularly acknowledge pupils’ work but the quality of marking is variable and often does not indicate to pupils how they can improve.

p.34

Commentary

94. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Recent good lesson observations undertaken by the headteacher and advisory staff have identified issues for improving teaching, learning and standards but these have not yet had sufficient time to embed in staff’s practices. Annual tests are undertaken and evaluated and the information is used well to monitor and track pupils’ progress. However, it is not yet used effectively to provide individual and group short-term targets to raise standards. The school is developing procedures to track and monitor pupils’ progress on a weekly and termly basis, linked to national guidance to raise standards. Satisfactory resources are readily accessible in classrooms and central area and have improved since the last inspection. The school has identified mathematics as a key area for development in the school’s development plan.

p.34

Mathematics across the curriculum

95. The use of mathematics across the curriculum is satisfactory. There is evidence to suggest that pupils use mathematics as part of their work in other subjects for example, they use graphs and tables to record data in science, develop timelines in history and measure materials in design technology. However, opportunities tend to occur coincidentally rather than as part of systematic planning and development of mathematics skills. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 33

p.34

Main strengths and weaknesses

 In Year 2, pupils’ achievements are good in learning about plants and animals, and standards in this aspect of the programmes of study exceed those expected of seven-year-olds.  Experimental and investigative science has been recognised as an issue to be addressed by the school but, at present, too few opportunities are provided for pupils to set up experiments, record their findings in a variety of ways and use ICT as an integral tool for learning.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and enjoy this subject; science contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Insufficient emphasis is placed in lessons on developing subject-specific skills, especially in experimental and investigative science, and target-setting is unsatisfactory.  The use of assessment to move pupils on in their learning is unsatisfactory and, as a result, higher-attaining pupils are not always attaining as much as they can.

p.35

Commentary

96. The 2003 national test results and teacher assessments show that by the end of Year 2, the percentage of pupils reaching Level 2 (average standards) or above was above the national average. By the end of Year 6, in comparison with all schools, standards were below the national average and have been persistently low over four years. Too few pupils attained the higher levels and, as a result, not all pupils achieved their full potential and there was widespread underachievement. Since the co-ordinator has come back from maternity leave, a lot has been done to move standards on, particularly in the juniors, but there is still some way to go to ensure that all groups of pupils catch up on the backlog of underachievement.

p.35

Commentary

97. Inspection findings show that by the end of Year 2, standards are in line with national expectations for seven-year-olds and by the end of Year 6, standards are below those expected of eleven-year-olds. Overall, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory but above average attaining pupils, whilst making satisfactory progress over time, could be achieving more in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress.

p.35

Commentary

98. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils are engaged in a satisfactory range of practical and investigative work. They enjoy these opportunities and their work shows satisfactory achievements overall. They have good skills of collaboration, they know how to set up an experiment and provide hypotheses but they now need to develop their skills to ensure that the conclusions they draw to explain their findings are based on scientific principles and, especially in Year 6, that results are evaluated in light of their initial hypothesis. In both Year 2 and Year 6, pupils struggle with presenting their findings in a variety of ways. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 can recall the topics they have covered and have good awareness of ecological issues. This makes a positive contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Older pupils have a clear understanding of the effects of exercise on the body, forces, materials and

p.35

Commentary

their properties and the functions of human organs. However, their scientific drawings lack precision and are often not clearly labelled.

p.35

Commentary

99. There are weaknesses in the systems for assessing pupils’ knowledge and assessment; whilst assessment procedures are broadly satisfactory, the use of assessment to inform the next steps Whoberley Hall Primary School - 34 of pupils’ learning is unsatisfactory. As a result, teachers are not always able to work accurately to ensure that all children are well challenged. Medium-term planning does not always identify the scientific skills to be taught and often lessons impart knowledge without being balanced with pupils’ acquisition of subject-specific skills. For example, in a satisfactory Year 6 lesson, the pupils could name parts of plants and describe their function but insufficient emphasis was placed on developing their skills of hypothesis, synthesis of information and prediction, especially for the higher attaining pupils who found the work relatively easy and whilst they consolidated their previous knowledge, they did not make any new gains in learning.

p.35

Commentary

100. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory as is pupils’ achievement. Pupils have good attitudes to learning because they enjoy learning. Teachers give well-focused explanations but do not use ICT yet as an integral part of learning and the scrutiny of juniors’ work clearly lacked the use of bar charts, line graphs and opportunities to use ICT as a research tool. However, good explanations are given in both the infants and juniors as to what constitutes fair testing.

p.36

Commentary

101. Marking is variable; it is regular but it does not always tell pupils how to improve their work. Target-setting is at the early stages of development and is unsatisfactory overall. All staff make effective use of support assistants who are clear about what they have to do. As a result, the work is focused, all pupils are fully included in lessons and learning is satisfactory. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has been absent and has not had enough time to make a significant impact but has produced a detailed action plan. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. There is now no unsatisfactory teaching in science.

p.36

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.36

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The school has a firm commitment to raising standards and achievement in ICT through a three-year plan.  The curriculum is well planned, based on a very recently introduced commercial scheme to ensure progression of skills and knowledge.  Recent improvements in staff expertise and resources, including interactive white boards have been good, and are leading to rising standards in skills and knowledge and pupil achievement across the school.  Whole-school assessment procedures need developing to monitor pupil progress and achievement.  ICT is not yet used sufficiently to support learning in other subjects and is not always specifically identified in lesson planning.  The computers in the computer room are under-used for teaching and learning during the morning.  The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory.

p.36

Commentary

102. Standards are below national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Previously, older pupils have had limited access and specific skill teaching in the past, and recently-introduced strategies and new curriculum guidance have had insufficient time to raise standards with these Whoberley Hall Primary School - 35 pupils. However, standards and skills lower down the school are clearly improving. All groups of pupils, including those identified as having special educational needs and English as an additional language, are making good progress. Year 2 pupils are developing confidence in using the mouse and keyboard and most co-operate well together, for example when working with a partner to find information about different animals. They work well together in groups to give instructions in the correct order to a floor turtle to make it move forwards, backwards and turn. They enter and store information and present it using different styles of writing. However,

p.36

Commentary

they have limited understanding of the use of ICT outside school. Most Year 6 pupils have used computer technology to write stories and design posters. Most know how to construct a multi- media presentation about their school using text, colour and stored images but have little understanding of the use and benefits of ICT in the wider world or using e-mail and the Internet. They have limited knowledge of using ICT to monitor changes, for example in temperature, detecting light levels or control.

p.37

Commentary

103. In lessons seen and from discussions with pupils and looking at limited samples of work, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers plan lessons carefully, using the very recently introduced guidance to ensure ICT skills are covered. Sound use is made of the interactive whiteboards in classrooms although teachers’ knowledge of their use and software available and their confidence is variable. Teachers show satisfactory subject knowledge and motivate pupils well, resulting in most having a good attitude to learning. Time and activities are usually well managed and most pupils are keen to learn because of this. Conversations with pupils and examples of their work show they are enthusiastic about the use of computers in the computer area. They clearly enjoy their lessons and work effectively with partners or groups. However, computers in classrooms are not fully used to reinforce skills and knowledge.

p.37

Commentary

104. The current subject leader is enthusiastic and provides good support to colleagues. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Planning, based on national guidance using a commercial scheme, provides a clear structure for teaching skills and raising standards but has only very recently been introduced and has not yet had time to impact on standards. Whole-school assessment procedures have not yet been established to track pupils’ progress and achievement and identify strengths and weaknesses. Overall, assessment and its use is unsatisfactory.

p.37

Commentary

105. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory overall; although standards are not as high as judged previously, it must be taken into account that national expectations of knowledge and skills are now much higher. Government funding has been used efficiently to improve the quality and number of computers in the computer room and provide interactive white boards in all classrooms. However, the computer room is excessively warm at times, with little air circulation, and the atmosphere is not conducive to learning. There have been many changes of staff and the school and subject leader have worked hard to raise teachers’ knowledge and understanding through effective staff training. The school is now well placed to raise standards further. ICT is not yet fully integrated into all subjects to support learning.

p.37

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

106. The use of ICT in other subjects is unsatisfactory overall . This has been identified by the school and is a feature of the current school development plan.

p.37

HUMANITIES

Insufficient geography was seen to make a judgement or comment on provision. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 36

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The school makes good use of visitors and artefacts are well used to support learning.  Pupils’ achievements in the juniors are patchy; whilst satisfactory overall, there are nevertheless gaps in coverage, especially in Year 4 where there has been considerable underachievement.  Pupils really enjoy history and are keen and attentive in lessons.  In Year 2, pupils are developing their skills of historical enquiry well but more could be done to develop their skills of chronology.  Monitoring of teaching and learning and assessment procedures is unsatisfactory.

p.38

Commentary

107. Standards at the end of Year 2 are broadly in line with national expectations of seven-year-olds by the end of Year 6, standards are below the expectations required and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall but inconsistent. Scrutiny of work reveals considerable underachievement in Year 4 where above average attaining pupils over time were not given work that challenged them and too much emphasis was placed on low-level tasks such as filling in worksheets, which did not extend their learning.

p.38

Commentary

108. By the end of Year 2, pupils are able to identify how household items have changed from the Victorian times to now; for example, pupils were amazed to find out that there were no washing machines and electric irons at that time. They know that schools were very different in those days and that rich people had better living conditions than poor people. They make appropriate gains in learning when using artefacts to deduce information about the past but at times, higher-attaining pupils are not writing enough and are under challenged, especially in writing. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall; their skills of chronology could be developed further, especially in Year 2. By the end of Year 6, pupils have studied the Victorians, invaders and settlers and the Egyptians. They are able to recall that their own life is very different to that of people in the past and they can deduce information from artefacts such

p.38

Commentary

as pictures, paintings and vases. However, they struggle with giving reasons and results of main events and changes and their recording skills do not demonstrate sufficient examples of extended writing, synthesis of information and interpretation of evaluating different resources.

p.38

Commentary

109. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall because they can place different historical events on a timeline and they understand that wealth affects the quality of life that is led. They know about class distinctions and that poor people in both the Victorian and Tudor times led a less privileged life than the rich. However, their achievements could be even better if more emphasis was placed upon the progressive development of subject-specific skills and ICT was used rigorously to support learning.

p.38

Commentary

110. The quality of teaching now is satisfactory but there have been weaknesses in the past which the school is addressing; especially in Year 4 in the scrutiny of pupils’ work, there has been very little written work and there has been an over-reliance on worksheets. This has slowed down pupils’ rates of progress. Teachers manage their pupils well and ensure that lessons come alive by using visitors, such as teaching staff from museums who come to school well armed Whoberley Hall Primary School - 37 with very good quality artefacts. Subject knowledge is satisfactory but teaching methods used rely too heavily on uninspiring worksheets, especially in the juniors. This limits the development of pupils’ writing. Pupils have good attitudes to learning, they are keen to learn and they have lively and enquiring minds. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress; all other groups make satisfactory progress overall.

p.38

Commentary

111. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory but, as yet, teaching and learning is not yet sufficiently evaluated and the monitoring of curriculum planning is in the very early stages of development, with insufficient emphasis being placed on the progressive development of subject-specific skills. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory overall in that satisfactory rates of progress have been maintained and a scheme of work is in place, but assessments have not been sufficiently developed and this aspect of improvement is unsatisfactory, although plans are in place to introduce a more detailed system of assessment. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 38

p.39

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.40

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The subject contributes well to pupils’ personal development.  Good opportunities to visit local churches are provided.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning.  In Year 3 and Year 6, pupils are making good gains in learning due to good quality teaching.  Opportunities for extended writing and research are limited and pupils who are above average attainers could be achieving more.  Assessments are underdeveloped and are unsatisfactory overall.

p.40

Commentary

112. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards broadly meet the expectations of the locally-agreed syllabus and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory overall, with good achievement seen in Year 3 and Year 6. Pupils throughout the infant and juniors have good knowledge of Christianity and other world faiths. They know that different religions have holy books and important leaders and that religious rites and rituals vary in different places of worship and religions.

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Commentary

113. In Year 2, pupils know that Jesus told many stories and that the New Testament shows Christians how to live their lives, noting that loving your neighbour is important. Pupils know a range of festivals and that Divali is the festival of light. They know that the Bible is the holy book of the Christians and that Jews read the Torah. By the end of Year 6, pupils know that the form of a building and its furnishings are linked to religious worship and beliefs. They have made good comparisons between churches they have visited, saying that some are more ornate than others. They come to realise that some churches are plain but functional and that this does not have a direct impact on the beliefs of the faithful. The subject contributes well to pupils’ personal development; for example, pupils in Year 6 know that some people value religious symbols others value people and that worship can take many different forms.

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Commentary

114. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, with good features. Teachers give good explanations and check pupils’ understanding. They have high expectations of their pupils, especially in Year 3 and Year 6, and this has a positive effect on learning. Relationships are very good and pupils are genuinely interested in the subject and have good attitudes. However, higher-attaining pupils could be achieving more and opportunities for extended writing and research are limited. Overall, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory, including those pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds, and pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they are well supported in lessons.

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Commentary

115. Assessments are unsatisfactory and are not used sufficiently well to move pupils on in their learning. This was an issue identified in the previous report. Resources are good and the leadership and management of the subject is satisfactory.

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Commentary

116. Overall improvement has been satisfactory since the last inspection as standards have been maintained and pupils are still genuinely interested in the subject and have good attitudes to learning.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Whoberley Hall Primary School - 39 117. Design and technology was not a focus during the inspection. No lessons were observed and there was insufficient evidence available to make an overall decision on standards or teaching. It is therefore not possible to make a judgement on provision. Discussions with the subject leader indicate that the subject is soundly planned using a recently-introduced commercial scheme in Years 1 and 2 and national guidance in Years 3 to 6. However, opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching, learning and standards and work alongside colleagues across the school are limited. The headteacher has already identified this as an area for development. Resources are well organised and provide a satisfactory range and quality to support pupils in their learning. Although teachers informally assess pupils in their work, there are no whole- school systems in place making use of national curriculum level descriptors to monitor pupils’

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

standards and progress and provide more challenge for higher-attaining pupils. Insufficient teaching was seen in music to make a judgement on provision, but standards by the time pupils are in Year 6 are below those expected. Pupils’ singing is notable; pupils keep a steady beat but there are weaknesses in composition. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 sing well. The school has recognised the gap in its provision and has, since the beginning of the school year, ensured that a specialist teaches music. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, are now making good progress. The music teacher has introduced a commercial music scheme and teachers sit in on lessons to improve their subject knowledge and musical skills so that they are better prepared to teach music. The school has provided a wide and suitable range of additional musical activities such as a morning of music and a

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

workshop on samba music as well as a school choir and a recorder club and this extends pupils’ knowledge. Pupils are very enthusiastic about music and try hard but older pupils have little confidence in their abilities and judge their own performance critically. However, the school has taken appropriate steps to raise standards and improve the rate of pupils’ progress. The use of the music specialist is starting to have a positive effect.

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Art and design

Provision in art and design is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards are below those expected and over time, pupils’ achievements have been unsatisfactory but they are improving.  The curriculum is not planned well enough to build on pupils’ previous skills and knowledge.  Good examples of teaching were seen in Year 4 and Year 2.  Pupils’ work shows that there have been weaknesses in pupils’ skills of observation, drawing and colour mixing.  Assessment is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

118. The school has recognised that there have been weaknesses in pupils’ achievement and over time pupils have not been achieving as well as they might; this is largely due to weaknesses in curriculum planning, especially in the identification of subject-specific skills. Too often, pupils have been repeating skills that they already know. Whilst they have been following the programmes of study and have received good help from one of the governors who is a keen artist, it is only now that standards are slowly rising due to the satisfactory quality of teaching. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ sketchbooks contain too few pieces of work and there is no indication in these books that pupils are taught skills in a systematic way which will Whoberley Hall Primary School - 40 enable them to progress and to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding at a fast rate. Pupils’ sketchbooks contain too few helpful comments from teachers which might show pupils

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Commentary

how they can improve their work but provision is improving.

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Commentary

119. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils have satisfactory knowledge of shading, rubbing, portrait drawing and printing but their drawings to support learning in other subjects are untidy especially their drawings in science and history. Insufficient care and attention are placed on accurate labelling and pupils are not always producing their best work. However, pupils in the juniors have made some satisfactory Viking and Roman shields, showing that they have satisfactory knowledge of choosing colours that stand out. In a good lesson in Year 4, the class teacher pushed for excellence by not accepting pupils’ first attempts at working in the style of Bridget Riley. Very good use was made of ICT to demonstrate the work of this artist. The class teacher had only been with the pupils for a few days but it was apparent that she “meant business” and pupils made good gains in learning because of her high expectations and belief in

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Commentary

their abilities. Pupils love artwork and clearly look forward to their lessons. They have good attitudes to learning and behave well. The headteacher knows what needs to be done to move the subject on.

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Commentary

120. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and pupils are making satisfactory gains in learning. Lessons seen contained some good features. A very good lesson in Year 2 demonstrated good use of ICT and contributed well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils were looking closely at different sorts of leaves, using the interactive white board. Very good opportunities were provided to develop pupils’ skills of observation and they looked closely at the veins of a cabbage leaf and the patterns that this created. Teachers generally have satisfactory subject knowledge but the lack of assessments is resulting in pupils not developing their skills at a fast enough pace. The headteacher has recognised this as an area for improvement. Too often in lessons, the same task is set for all pupils, not fully taking into account pupils’ prior learning. In a satisfactory lesson in Year 6, pupils struggled with mixing

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Commentary

colours; this demonstrated that they had not been previously sufficiently well taught to develop these skills in a rigorous manner. However, they quickly acquired the terms ‘colour wash’, ‘texture’ and ‘montage’.

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Commentary

121. Assessments are unsatisfactory. The school has recognised this as an area for development. Curriculum planning is weak and is also unsatisfactory overall because teachers are not clearly identifying the skills that need to be covered in lessons. Improvement since the last inspection has been very variable; standards are not as high as they were previously and overall improvement has been unsatisfactory. The leadership and management of the subject is satisfactory. There are good resources to support learning and good use is made of visiting artists. The subject contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils are keen to learn and enjoy their lessons.  The role of the subject manager needs further development, with more involvement in the monitoring of teaching, learning and standards.  Pupils in Year 6 behave well in lessons.  Assessment procedures are weak. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 41

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Commentary

122. It is not possible to make a judgement on standards in all areas of the physical education curriculum because not all areas were observed. No lessons were observed in the infants so no judgement can be made on teaching or standards. However, in the games lesson observed in the juniors, standards are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of Year 6. Most pupils achieve soundly and make satisfactory progress in skills and knowledge as they move through the school. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress. Most pupils are enthusiastic about their physical education lessons, try hard and have a good attitude. There is no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls and all are fully included in all activities.

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Commentary

123. Year 6 pupils co-operate well in group activities. Most respond quickly to instructions, and behaviour is good. They show sound throwing and catching skills. They have a clear understanding of the importance of warming up before an activity and the benefits to health of physical exercise and the effect of it on the body. By the end of Year 6, most pupils can swim 25 metres, with many swimming significantly further.

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Commentary

124. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers display sound subject knowledge and provide effective warm-up and cool-down sessions. They clearly explain learning intentions and encourage and motivate pupils well. Lessons proceed at a steady pace which keeps pupils involved. However, in all lessons seen, teachers provided few opportunities for pupils to review their own performance and that of others.

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Commentary

125. There is currently no permanent subject leader due to the very recent retirement of the previous occupant, who provided sound support to colleagues but had few opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching, learning and standards. Subject planning based on national guidance provides satisfactory continuity and progression of skills and knowledge. However, although individual teachers make informal judgements, there are currently no whole school assessment procedures in place and this is an area for development. There is a satisfactory range of clubs and activities and competitions with other schools in the area which support and extend physical education. There are adequate indoor facilities and spacious hard and grassed surface areas outdoors, which ensure that the curriculum can be effectively delivered. There is a satisfactory range of resources which are readily accessible and used well to support teaching.

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Commentary

126. Progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory as sound standards in Year 6 have been maintained, although whole school assessment procedures, an area identified at the time of the last inspection for improvement, still need developing.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

127. There is a well-established programme of personal, social and health education and citizenship throughout the school. Sex education and drugs education are carefully addressed with the help of the school nurse. The school worked hard to achieve a Healthy School Award and this project is ongoing. The newly introduced ‘R Time’ review programme is providing effective time for reflection for pupils each week and class teacher report satisfaction at its success to date. Pupils are enthusiastic advocates of the school council and feel it plays an important part in the life of the school. Whoberley Hall Primary School - 42

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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