South Crosland Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 June – 3 July 2003

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JUNIOR SCHOOL

Full 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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JUNIOR 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. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Moor Lane Netherton Huddersfield

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11/10/1999 South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

25470 Jean Morley Registered inspector English Educational inclusion Special educational needs What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 8992 Julian Vischer Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 18819 John Atkinson Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Geography History How well is the school led and managed?

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Aspect responsibilities

15236 Morag Thorpe Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities? South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 24

South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

South Crosland Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School is in the village of Netherton, two miles south of Huddersfield. There are 225 boys and girls on roll. Most pupils are white and British but 21 are from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. English is an additional language for four pupils but none is at an early stage of learning it. Eight per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals and 13 per cent are designated as having special educational needs (SEN). Both are below the national averages. Attainment on entry to the school is above average. Staff mobility has been high over the past two years: of a total of nine staff, five have left and five have joined.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school and key among its strengths is its dedication to providing, in equal measure, for pupils’ personal and academic development. It offers equal opportunity to all pupils to make good progress towards standards that, by Year 6, are outstanding in science, very good in English and mathematics and above national expectations in several other areas of the curriculum. Pupils are valued as individuals, offered a rich and varied curriculum and are helped to develop as responsible young people. The quality of teaching is good overall and particularly good in Year 6 where some is of the very highest quality. These strong features are possible because the headteacher has a clear vision for the development of the school and because he is very well supported by talented and dedicated senior managers. Combined, these qualities produce good leadership and management. Delegation by the headteacher to his talented staff is not yet at an optimum level. Overall, the school offers good value for

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What the school does well

• Standards in science are outstanding. They are very good in English and mathematics and above expectations in most other subjects. • The overall quality of teaching is good and it enables pupils to make good progress towards these high standards in a caring environment. • There is a clear work ethic (particularly in Years 5 and 6); pupils have very good attitudes to school and are developing into responsible young people. • The school offers a curriculum in which academic and personal development are equally emphasised. It provides very well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Provision for pupils with SEN is very good, enabling them to progress well.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are not as good as they should be. • Levels of delegation are not yet sufficient to make best use of the skill and expertise of the staff. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in October 1999. Since then it has improved in most aspects of its work. All unsatisfactory teaching has been eliminated. Standards have improved in most subjects and have been maintained in the rest. Good behaviour still prevails and good attitudes and relationships have improved to being very good. Good leadership and management are an improvement on the satisfactory quality four years ago and the curriculum has improved so that all pupils now have the opportunity to progress well. Assessment is used intelligently to help pupils make progress and the school has plans for further improvement. Almost all the key issues from 1999 have been addressed. However, although standards in ICT have improved, they are still not high enough. There also remains a need for greater delegation to the senior management team and to subject co-ordinators in monitoring the quality of

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

teaching and pupils’ work. Were the skills of all staff to be used to best effect, then the school’s very clear commitment to further improvement would have every chance of being realised. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 8

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

2000 2001 2002 2002 very high A* English A B B A well above average above average A B Mathematics C B B A average below average C D Science B A A* A* well below average E

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Key

Over the past four years the trend in the school’s results has exceeded the national trend. In all three subjects in the 2002 national tests standards were above average: in both English and mathematics they were above the average for all schools and well above that for similar schools. Standards in science were in the top five per cent nationally. The school’s targets set for 2003 were for 80 and 90 per cent of pupils to achieve Level 4 or better in English and mathematics respectively. These were challenging. The school has already received notification of its 2003 results although these are not yet officially validated. The English target has been exceeded by 18 per cent and almost half of all pupils have achieved the higher level. Eighty per cent of pupils achieved at least Level 4 in mathematics and 55 per cent achieved Level 5. All pupils have achieved Level 4 in science and 76 per cent have achieved Level

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Key

All pupils make good progress, including those with special educational needs, those who are particularly able and those for whom English is an additional language. This is because the work they are set is achievable but challenging. Standards in ICT just meet national expectations but should be better. Standards in geography meet expectations but those in art and design, design and technology, history, music and physical education exceed them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to work and to other aspects of school life develop well and are very good by the end of Year 6.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils behave well in lessons and as they move around the school and play in the grounds. Lunchtime is a pleasant social occasion and behaviour in collective worship is respectful.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships The very warm relationships between teachers and pupils create classroom environments conducive to learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Levels of attendance and punctuality are very good, allowing pupils to benefit from all that is on offer.

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 9 Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. The quality of teaching is good overall. There is a substantial proportion that is very good, some that is satisfactory and a small amount that is excellent. Scrutiny of pupils’ work over the full school year shows that, with the exception of one Year 4 class where work in past months was indicative of weaker teaching, this has been the case consistently. Teaching of this quality allows pupils’ above average attainment in English and mathematics when they enter the school to be converted into standards that are well above national expectations by the end of Year 6. Very good teaching in science generates

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

outstanding attainment in this subject. There are no significant weaknesses in the work of any teacher but variations in the vitality of presentation, the pace of lessons, the level of challenge and the ability to motivate pupils separate the satisfactory from the excellent. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well in English and mathematics lessons and both are used intelligently to support work in other subjects. Almost every pupil easily reads well enough to manage all work across the curriculum and writing skills are equally impressive. Moreover, other subjects of the curriculum are used innovatively as a vehicle to practise and consolidate these literacy skills. The same applies to numeracy, as teachers are good at planning opportunities for subjects to interlock and support each other. The exception is ICT because, as yet, it is not sufficiently embedded into the curriculum to support learning. The school

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Teaching of pupils in: Years 3 – 6

provides well for all pupils. Its day-to-day provision for those with special educational needs is very good and sessions both in and out of classrooms are effective. Setting arrangements in mathematics and English serve pupils well and play their part in ensuring that all are appropriately challenged. Booster classes and Easter revision sessions provide ‘top-up’ opportunities for those most likely to benefit. The success of these initiatives is evident in pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good with some very good features. The equal emphasis it places on pupils’ academic and personal development is a key strength, as is the breadth of opportunity it offers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is very good, enabling pupils to progress well. However, current funding levels cannot be sustained beyond this term and the school is actively seeking ways to maintain the quality of its work with reduced resources.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language No pupil is at an early stage of acquiring English and there is no specific support available to this small group. School data tracks their progress. Where it is not good enough the individual receives support along with pupils who have special educational needs. This is entirely appropriate.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school places strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development, and provision for each of its component parts is very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. The school monitors and supports pupils’ personal and academic development, their attendance and their punctuality carefully. Child protection arrangements are satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a good partnership with parents. The large majority are justifiably happy with what the school offers and are supportive of its efforts. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The good leadership and management of the school are the result of the combined skills of the senior managers and the headteacher: they complement each other well. Currently, however, staff have too little autonomy in the oversight of the development of their area of responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Led by a shrewd chairman, the governing body has a realistic view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors provide valuable support to the headteacher in helping to establish priorities for development and to budget to facilitate them.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has a realistic perception of how well it is doing but is not complacent.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Deployment of teaching and non-teaching staff is good so that all pupils have equal opportunities to learn and make progress. Given the tight budget, this has been made possible through careful financial planning. The school spends prudently and wisely, usually applying the principles of gaining the best value from its expenditure.

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Aspect Comment

All teaching staff have the skill and experience to teach their pupils well. However, the level of classroom support has been cut to the minimum in order to protect the school’s eight single age classes. Accommodation is unsatisfactory. The fabric of the older building needs repair and many areas need redecoration. The planned adaptions to house computers and library stocks are long overdue. Otherwise, resources allow the curriculum to be taught well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Of the 45 per cent who responded, more than 80 per cent felt: • their children like school, are making good progress and are expected to work hard; • their children are being helped to become mature and responsible; • behaviour in the school is good; • teaching is good; • the school is well led and managed and all staff are approachable. Of the 45 per cent who responded, more than 20 per cent felt: • the amount of homework is not appropriate; • they are not well enough informed about how their children are getting on • and the school does not work closely enough with them. Of note also is that 15 per cent felt (most of them very strongly) that their children did not like school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with all the positive views of parents and also judge that the amount of homework is about right. While they feel that parents have an adequate amount of information about how their children are getting on, including regular informal access to all staff and the opportunity of three consultations with the class teacher each year, they do feel that March is not the best time to issue annual reports. Inspectors feel that the school does work closely with parents. They found no evidence of pupils not liking school or of them having any reason not to like it. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When pupils join the school in Year 3, their Year 2 national test results show above average attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The latest validated data available for the school are the 2002 Year 6 test results. These show that, in comparison with all schools nationally, attainment in English, mathematics, and science is, for the three subjects respectively, above average, well above average and very high (in the top five per cent). When compared with similar schools, attainment is well above average in English and mathematics and very high in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The results of the 2003 tests have not yet been validated but they are available to the school. As the table below clearly shows, there have been improvements in every subject: in both categories in English, at Level 5 in mathematics and science, and with the 100 per cent Level 4+ result in science maintained.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

ENGLISH MATHEMATICS SCIENCE 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003 Level 4+ 89% 98% 85% 80% 100% 100% Level 5 39% 49% 41% 55% 74% 76%

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Not only is this an improvement on 2002, it marks a significant improvement since the last inspection when standards in English were judged to be good, those in mathematics satisfactory and those in science unsatisfactory. From above average attainment on entry to the school this represents good achievement in English and mathematics and very good achievement in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. It seems likely that these substantial improvements are due in large measure to the quality of teaching. There has been a significant turnover of teachers since the last inspection. With the exception of the work in a Year 4 class before the employment of the current supply teacher, the standards of pupils’ work reflect teaching that is predominantly good, often better than that, and never less than satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in English are very good. While this is largely because of the quality of teaching, there are two other key factors. The first is the high quality planning put in place by the subject co- ordinator to support all teachers in the school. The second is the fact that opportunities to use the basic skills that have been so well taught in literacy lessons exist in other subjects of the curriculum. Hence, opportunities to speak, to read and to write allow pupils to practise and consolidate these skills. The setting system that operates in Year 6 narrows the range of ability in the two groups and this is also a key, positive feature as it enables each teacher to focus more sharply on the learning needs of the pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in mathematics are also very good. Again, teaching quality is a key to success. So, too, is the setting system. In mathematics this operates throughout the school. As with English, teachers plan opportunities into other subjects for pupils to use their skills. Science, geography and design and technology in particular lend themselves.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in science have improved dramatically since the last inspection: from unsatisfactory to excellent. The science curriculum is systematically planned and very thoroughly and skilfully taught. Teachers’ expectations of the older pupils are very high and because the work covered deals not only with the curriculum for 7 to 11 year olds but also dips into that for 11 to 14 year olds, a large proportion of pupils has the opportunity to attain the higher level, Level 5.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Standards in ICT are not yet good enough. The school knows and acknowledges this. The computer suite is very small and will only accommodate a few pupils at a time. A new, larger South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 12 area is due for completion over the summer holidays and this should enable the school to tackle the issue of raising standards in ICT with the same rigour that it has applied elsewhere.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in art and design, in design and technology, in history, music and physical education are above expectations by the end of Year 6. Standards in geography meet expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils from minority ethnic groups make good progress, matching that of other pupils in the school. So, too, do pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. All are well integrated into the school. There is no significant difference in the attainment or achievement of these groups or between boys and girls. All pupils have equal opportunity to achieve well and to be included in all that is on offer in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ have very good attitudes to school in all year groups. They are self-confident, cheerful boys and girls who behave well. Relationships between staff and pupils and among pupils themselves are very good. These are an improvement on the good standards of the last inspection. The very positive attitudes are mirrored in the attendance figures, which are well above the national average.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils settle quickly at the beginning of the day to the brisk registrations before starting lessons. In most lessons pupils’ constructive attitude and involvement help the learning progress and pupils often try hard even when they are not sure of the aim of the lesson. They talk enthusiastically about the school. Most know how well they are doing. They are self-confident and involve themselves well when working independently or in pairs and groups. Pupils in all year groups, but especially in Year 6, take pride in carrying out their responsibilities. They are keen to aid in the functioning of the school and enjoy assisting members of staff. Pupils are quickly becoming mature and responsible individuals. They are keen to earn team points and keep a close eye on their tally. They look forward to celebration assemblies when they can share their achievements with other pupils and especially to participating in performances in front of the whole school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, is good. There have been very few exclusions in recent years and these only for fixed periods. No incidents of oppressive behaviour with regard to bullying, sexism or racism noted during the inspection. The standards of behaviour are not as high as those of pupils’ attitudes or as high as the standard of relationships: there is occasional over-exuberant playing in the playground and in lessons, sometimes, there is an undercurrent of restlessness amongst younger pupils. In assemblies, by contrast, behaviour at all ages is often very good. Pupils line up in the morning when the bell goes sensibly and patiently. At lunchtimes they behave well, taking their turn in the dining hall, and they require little direct control.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The quality of relationships and racial harmony, among pupils and between staff and pupils, is very good. During lessons pupils unselfconsciously help others and often work co-operatively in pairs. In a Year 3 ICT lesson requiring the sharing of keyboard and recording sheet, and again in a Year 5 design and technology construction lesson, pairs of mixed gender worked with considerate co-operation and an easy sharing of responsibilities. Pupils are happy to include all, whatever their abilities, in their learning activities. They have a very good understanding of the impact of their actions on others; this is especially evident in the dining hall or during assemblies when large numbers are gathered together. Pupils show a high regard for others’ feelings and religious beliefs, a characteristic which is clearly seen in assemblies. These very good relationships lie at the heart of the happy atmosphere of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The attendance figures support this positive picture. They are well above the national average. Unauthorised absences are low. Similarly, pupils are punctual; there are very few persistant latecomers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching observed was good overall and ranged from excellent to satisfactory. The very best teaching was in Year 6 but was closely followed in quality by that in Year 5. Most of the South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 13 satisfactory teaching was in Year 3 but there was a lot of good quality teaching in these two classes too. Taken overall, the quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good. That in science is very good. It is good in all other subjects of the curriculum. The impact on learning is a direct one: the progress pupils make mirrors the quality of teaching they receive. 18. In almost every respect the work seen in pupils’ books showed that, over the full year, this quality of teaching had pertained. However, in one of the two Year 4 classes it was clear that the quality of current teaching was significantly better than it had been earlier in the year.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Literacy and numeracy are both taught well in English and mathematics lessons and the rest of the curriculum is used intelligently to allow these skills to be practised and consolidated. For example, pupils wrote a report on the course of a river in Year 4 geography (based on a video extract); gave an explanation of the difference between irreversible and reversible change in Year 6 science; and recounted the story of Androcles in Year 5 history. They use mathematics to produce graphs in science, take measurements in design and technology and, in a Year 6 history lesson, used the data from census material related to the number of people living in houses in Victorian Britain.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well and make progress in line with their peers. Their teachers set them tasks that challenge yet are achievable and they receive good support from classroom support assistants and from the part-time teacher of special needs. The intervention of the headteacher for pupils who do not find it easy to behave well is effective. Pupils for whom English is an additional language receive adequate support and are placed on the special needs register if the school feels their lack of progress is due – at least in part - to difficulties in learning. Setting arrangements (throughout the school for mathematics and in Year 6 for English) support the most able pupils. The gifts and talents of pupils are recognised and utilised – as in the case of a pianist and a dancer, for example. This is an inclusive school and no individual or group is disadvantaged.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Despite good quality teaching in individual sessions, ICT is not yet taught well enough. This is because the resources for it to be taught effectively are not in place, although they will be shortly. The school recognises that, at this point, it will need to ensure that the subject is planned into the curriculum so that pupils develop ICT skills as they use them as tools in the various subjects they learn about.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. With the exception of science, where the outstanding Year 6 attainment is the result of a very well planned curriculum and the culmination of consistently very good teaching, most subjects are well taught. The difference between teaching that is satisfactory and that which is outstanding lies in the extent to which individual teachers motivate and enthuse pupils, the pace of their lessons and the extent to which they focus on what they want pupils to learn, rather than on what they intend to teach. There were no consistently unsatisfactory features in the lessons observed: the weaker elements varied from lesson to lesson. It is the case, however, that similar content was more effectively taught by some teachers than others simply because of their vibrancy in the classroom and their ability to inspire. All teachers use paired work well, allowing pupils to try out their ideas on a classmate before releasing them to the full class. They all deal effectively with pupils’

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

behaviour, although some teachers need to give pupils a countdown even to undertake a simple task such as closing books or putting pencils down. This should not be necessary and it does waste time. Time is also wasted when collective worship overruns and this can cut at least ten minutes off the next lesson, which is invariably literacy or numeracy. The headteacher acknowledges this problem and agrees that some rescheduling is needed. The opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills are understood and accepted in principle and, to some extent, in practice. Easier and more regular access to computers and library resources next term should enable the school to fulfil its commitment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Overall, pupils learn well but they make more rapid progress in some classes than in others, proportional to the quality of teaching they receive. All pupils are interested in their work and keen to learn. Where teaching is at its best, pupils are engrossed in their work and determined to learn. They have some idea of how well they are doing but the school’s systems are not yet developed fully and there is room for more precision in, and more regular revision, of pupils’ targets. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 14 24. Improvement since the last inspection has been good: on the basis of the lessons observed, unsatisfactory teaching has been eliminated, so the proportion of teaching that is satisfactory or better has risen from 86 per cent to 100 per cent. The proportion that is good or better has also gone up significantly.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The school provides a good curriculum for all pupils which fully meets statutory requirements. Each subject is given an appropriate amount of time and the range of activities within the curriculum is good. There are many effective links between subjects and this results in good use of the available time. Co-ordinators have recently reviewed the quality of plans and give good guidance. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The headteacher and staff have implemented the National Literacy Strategy well with strong planning support from the literacy co-ordinator. The national guidance for teaching literacy has been very successfully adapted to fit the curricular priorities of the school and the needs of the pupils. The incorporation of most aspects of literacy into other subjects contributes to the very high standards in English and to good progress in other most other subjects.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The provision for the National Numeracy Strategy is good. Teachers’ planning rigorously follows the guidance provided. Pupils in all year groups are set by ability and the school’s approach to the strategy has successfully ensured that pupils achieve very high standards and reach their potential. There are many opportunities for mathematical investigations and for applying numeracy skills to other subjects, especially science and design and technology.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Pupils have many opportunities for learning through a well-planned range of activities including practical ones, especially in design and technology, art and design, performances and group-work during investigations. At present, pupils have too few opportunities to use ICT across the curriculum.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school has a register of gifted and talented pupils and they make good progress because of the challenges in most lessons and the opportunities for instrumental music, school performances and competitive sport. The school successfully includes all pupils in all activities. The involvement of classroom assistants contributes to the good progress made by pupils who need additional help, particularly, although not exclusively, those with special educational needs.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Community links are very strong. People from the village teach knitting and tapestry to groups of pupils, help with Christmas decorations and listen to pupils reading. Members of the community are invited to school activities and performances. The school also has good links with the infant school from which most of its pupils come, and from the secondary schools to which they transfer.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school provides very well for all pupils’ personal, health, social and citizenship (including sex and drug abuse) education. The headteacher and staff have conscientiously examined all the local education authority guidance before producing booklets for pupils, which meet their needs in all aspects of learning. Videos have been carefully chosen and parents were consulted before the scheme was put into practice. Each class has a period of time each week devoted to considering relevant issues. This is one of the strengths of the school’s curricular provision.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The provision for physical education, strenuous and outdoor activities and the existence of a healthy tuck shop give pupils many opportunities for learning the value of a healthy lifestyle and how they can make healthy choices in life. They benefit from a very wide range of extra-curricular activities especially those associated with physical education and music. In addition to Christmas concerts there is an annual performance in which many pupils are involved. This is a very popular and well-supported event in the school’s calendar. Video evidence shows a high quality production in 2002 of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and the rehearsals for ‘Bugsy Malone’ (2003) seen by inspectors were equally impressive. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 15 33. An extremely wide range of visits enhance pupils’ artistic and social development. They have recently visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and studied the works of Barbara Hepworth and

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Henry Moore. They also visit a range of local art galleries and theatres. The headteacher and staff plan a very good progression of activities into the residential visits. The overnight stay for Year 4 pupils is planned to develop team building and social skills as well as to give them a wide range of new experiences. By the time they reach Years 5 and 6, pupils take part in longer residential visits with more challenging activities such as orienteering, canoeing, and abseiling.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. Provision for special educational needs is very good. The school follows the Code of Practice and keeps parents well informed of the action it is taking. Pupils on the first stage of provision (known as School Action) receive work in the classroom that is well matched to their needs and support outside the classroom that offers focused small-group teaching from a skilled part-time teacher. Pupils on the second stage (known as School Action Plus) and those with a statement of special educational need receive targeted support in the classroom from teaching assistants. For pupils whose difficulties relate to behaviour rather than learning, provision is imaginative and successful. All individual education plans are good because the targets are realistic and because they are regularly reviewed.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. Since the last inspection, the headteacher and staff have made many improvements in curricular planning, and particularly in personal, social, health and citizenship education. The very good planning for extra-curricular activities has been maintained. It prepares pupils well for life in a multi-cultural society because it celebrates differences.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The provision for personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects, is very good. The school projects a very inclusive ‘can-do’ philosophy which has an energising spiritual quality. This is reflected in the parent questionnaire responses where the most positive response was to the item: ‘the school expects my child to work hard and do his or her best’. It permeates all the things that the school does, and has a very positive impact on pupils’ self- esteem and their self-belief. The headteacher embodies this spirit and leads by example. When an exciting and involving assembly overran, causing pupils to forego some of their following playtime, those questioned did not mind, because they had felt empowered by the uplifting experience. In lessons, too, regular opportunities are given for pupils to develop positive relationships through shared activities, such as working in pairs, where they can show respect for

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

one another’s work and help each other to develop it. Art displays and music make a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development. It is, for example, the good use of creative music and composition which extends pupils’ personal development.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The moral and social aspects are very good and are evident in the pro-active approach to behaviour and bullying which is systematically applied across the school. This clear strategy, based on openness between pupils and staff, forms the foundation underlying the positive relationships in the school. Adults consistently treat pupils with respect and this colours pupils’ perceptions of one another in a positive way. Pupils are invited to be involved in the resolution and management of behaviour issues so that this encourages their personal development. The programme of personal, health, social education and citizenship is very well developed. For example it encourages discussion on difficult areas such as disability and prejudice. Various good opportunities are offered by the school to encourage pupils to take on responsibility. For example Year 6 are ‘buddies’ to Year 4 and Year 5 are ‘buddies’ to Year 3. This has a positive

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

impact on the personal development of older and younger pupils alike. The team points reward system also has an impact on personal development, particularly through promoting good behaviour and good achievement. In line with the spiritual ethos of the school, pupils clearly own their thriving school council. This also builds on the moral education and social integration of pupils because it enables them to develop respect for one another’s views and, through participating in the life of the school, to feel part of it.

p.15

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The cultural aspect of personal development is also very good. This is because of the breadth and frequency of cultural experiences offered to pupils. These include: a joint schools ‘Celebration of Culture’; special curriculum themed weeks, including science; a rap poetry week and an arts week. In addition, cultural and faith differences are highlighted and investigated by pupils. For example, parents have been in school to talk about Diwali and another to explain the Chinese New Year. Assembly talks are regularly given by the local vicar and speakers from other local South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 16 Christian denominations. A talk has been delivered by a parent on the Qu’ran and Ramadan. Pupils are regularly involved with fund-raising activities for charities such as the Christian African Relief Fund, the Leprosy Relief Association and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school takes very good care of its pupils overall. This sensitive and very effective support for their welfare contributes well to the standards of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and consequently to their all-round development. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Child protection procedures are satisfactory; they would be better if another member of staff was trained to support the headteacher. Staff are made aware of the importance of vigilant and sensitive monitoring, and know their pupils well. Although the links with the educational welfare service are good the school benefits from this additional expertise only when it calls for it because there is no regular programme of visits.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Health and safety procedures are good because staff and governors carry out frequent monitoring of the buildings and site, and minor repairs are carried out effectively both by the caretaker and a local handyman on call to the school. Procedures in the classrooms are good; staff take care to brief pupils well. Satisfactory first aid provision ensures that pupils are treated effectively for injuries. Although logs are kept for injuries serious enough to warrant parental involvement, no record of minor incidents is kept for statistical or tracking purposes. A good proportion of staff is trained in first aid. Safe routines for lining-up, and moving around the school are well practised. The level of supervision in the playgrounds is good because adults are supplemented by older pupils whose ‘buddy’ roles with younger pupils extend to a general level of care for them. The school makes certain that all pupils have equal access to school trips through financial support.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Transfer arrangements for older pupils are good; Year 6 pupils feel confident about moving on to their next school. Induction arrangements with the neighbouring infant school are very good for new pupils and so they rapidly become integrated into school life.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school offers very good welfare and personal support for all pupils, because staff are approachable and build very good relationships with them. Staff are patient and listen well; as a result pupils are ready to talk to them if a problem arises. Some assemblies and other regular opportunities to perform in front of the school develop pupils’ public speaking and performing skills well and are keenly anticipated by pupils and staff. The behaviour policy sets out a clear foundation for expectations of good behaviour upon which each class negotiates its own rules. The anti-bullying policy is promoted vigorously by the headteacher whose open approach to the subject gives pupils confidence. Through detailed records he also monitors carefully the development of those who have been involved in major incidents. All pupils are encouraged to perform well or improve their behaviour through a good programme of team point awards and

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. The numerous opportunities offered to pupils to take responsibility around the school, especially in Year 6, reflect the school’s acknowledgement of the important contribution pupils can make to the easy running of the school. Pupils’ views are listened to formally via the active school council which meets regularly and for which pupils have a sense of ownership and responsibility. Records of achievement for each pupil are built up as they progress through the school, with considerable input from pupils themselves as to what should be included. These not only serve as a good record for pupils and parents but also encourage pupils to take pride in their work.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The monitoring and the promoting of attendance is good overall. Teaching staff are conscientious in marking the register on time and noting reasons for absence. They, and the headteacher, keep a close eye on the weekly totals. Termly attendance awards, culminating in an annual certificate, promote attendance well. Punctuality is carefully monitored but affects very few pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Assessment systems are good in English, mathematics and science. The data they generate is used well to highlight areas that need attention and this information is used well to raise standards. Recent work by the deputy headteacher to store these data electronically means that South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 17 they can be used to produce graphical representations of the progress pupils have made and also to produce valuable information quickly about specific groups of pupils; boys and girls, for example. There are clear links to setting targets for year groups and for individual pupils and the deputy headteacher has very clear ideas for further sophistication and fine-tuning of these systems. Assessment in the other subjects is less sophisticated but still provides the school with good and easy to manage routines that provide useful information. Overall, the systems have

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

helped to school to raise standards and, given the intended developments, will continue to do so. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The overwhelming majority of parents have positive views about the school. The return rate of the parents’ questionnaire was high. However, a significant minority of parents are dissatisfied with the information they receive about how their children are getting on and, perhaps because the two items are closely related, almost as many feel that the school does not work closely with them. Homework is a concern because of variations in both quality and amount in the same year group and because of the use made of the home-school diaries. There is a small minority of parents who also say that their children do not like being at the school – although this last item was not brought up at the parents’ meeting before the inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school has good links with parents – a situation that has been maintained since the last inspection. The headteacher has established a tradition of being available to talk to parents. Access to class teachers is good especially at the end of the day. This is reflected in the questionnaire responses where a high number of parents feel they would be comfortable approaching the school with a problem. The school operates an open evening when parents and visitors can see the whole school and displays of children’s work. It also holds three parents’ evenings a year - which is more than average - but there is some confusion amongst parents about which is related to the timing of annual reports on pupils’ progress. The third meeting of the year is a voluntary one and so the onus is on parents to apply; given that parents have received the annual report in March they feel the summer term goes unreported. If the school provided

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

these meetings without parents having to take the initiative then links would be likely to improve. Parents’ evenings incorporating reviews of pupils’ targets are well attended. Surveys of parents’ views have been carried out in the past but not recently and parents were not consulted about the changes in the date for the issue of reports. These factors all help explain the negative questionnaire responses about parents being informed and being able to work closely with the school. The school makes certain that pupils have equal access to school trips through financial support, using the school fund. Very good induction is provided for new parents, starting early in the year before their children join the school the school. This helps parents to be effective in giving their children a good start. The use of homework diaries is satisfactory overall but is inconsistent between classes. Although the inspection team found the use teachers made of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

homework to be satisfactory overall, practice in this respect does not come up to the same, higher, standards of teaching as a whole.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The school provides parents with very good half-termly curriculum information for each year group and this is supplemented by the verbal communication at parents’ evenings. Curriculum workshops in literacy and numeracy have been successfully held, and the popular arts and science weeks contribute to curriculum information. Parents have been kept closely informed about the changes to the national tests this year. Pupils’ annual reports are good overall, especially as they include a section on a how parents can help their children’s learning. Reports have improved since the last inspection. The school’s prospectus is informative; general newsletters are very frequent and keep parents well-informed. The overall standard of information to parents is good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents’ involvement on the work of the school has a positive impact, not only because of the good attendance at school events, such as class-led assemblies, but also because of the active Parent Friends Association. This well-established body is run in conjunction with the infant school by a committed group of parents, and organises a good programme of events throughout the year, which are well supported. The Joint Schools Gala is a very successful event raising large sums of money for the school but also providing a strong focus for the local community. Funds raised have been used effectively for the purchase of resources. Although there are few regular parent helpers in the classroom some have been in to give talks on their different faiths and cultures. There are a good many grandparents involved. These listen to pupils read and provide valuable assistance at the knitting club and are a good focus for the family atmosphere of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

the school. A good number of parents help on school trips.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parents make a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning at home. The workshops and curriculum weeks cited above, which provided parents with information that they found useful about how teaching methods have changed, enabled them to be more involved in their children’s South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 19 learning. Parent encouragement of research and ICT skills helps boost standards in the latter in particular.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The combined leadership and management of the headteacher and the senior managers are good. The team has presided over an improvement in all but one of the key issues from the last inspection: that of involving senior managers and subject co-ordinators ‘in monitoring the quality of lessons and pupils’ work’. Standards in English, mathematics and science have improved significantly, the provision for pupils with special educational needs has improved to very good and, currently, the quality of teaching is consistently good. While standards in ICT should be better, these too have improved from being unsatisfactory in 1999. Overall, therefore, the improvement since the last inspection is good.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher is energetically committed to the school and its pupils. He has a clear vision for the future of the school and is always seeking to introduce innovative ideas and practice. There are clear benefits to this in that teachers are creative in their approach to teaching and are sometimes inspirational in how they tackle the curriculum; for example the use of drama and approaches to personal, social and health education bring the very best out of the pupils. However, he does not always manage change effectively and his significant involvement in the fine detail of day-to-day school activity does not give his talented staff the freedom to undertake their duties in a manner that best uses their skill and expertise. It is important that staff are given much greater autonomy to have control over the leadership and management of those areas for which they are responsible. This includes monitoring the quality of teaching and learning, largely

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

undertaken by the headteacher at the moment. The deputy headteacher is strong and very successful in identifying priorities, focusing on strategies to deal with them and evaluating the outcomes. She is very clear about how to move the school forward and works very effectively with the other member of the senior management team in motivating staff and setting realistic and desirable targets. She has a very good command of performance data and knows how well the school is doing and what it needs to do to further raise standards.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The governing body takes its responsibilities very seriously and is led shrewdly by the chair of governors. Governors are committed to helping the school in improving the standards of attainment and the quality of teaching. They have been very successful in the recent appointments to the teaching staff, with the effect that there is improvement in the quality of both teaching and leadership. They make a positive contribution to the running of the school and are very supportive of all that it does. The chair of the governors works very closely with the headteacher and the senior management team and they meet, both formally and informally, on a regular basis to discuss the school and its work. Governors are actively involved in the day-to-day life of the school, observing in classrooms and participating in special activity weeks. The school's aims are clearly expressed and have been collaboratively developed and agreed. The

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

governors have a thorough understanding of the work of the school and are particularly analytical when it comes to evaluating its strengths and weaknesses. They fulfil all of their statutory duties.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The staff are a strong team. They have many fine qualities and together they provide a high quality education for the pupils. The system of performance management is valuable in assisting their professional development and they are constantly seeking to improve what they do. The induction of new staff by the deputy head is very good and leads to staff feeling fully supported in a new environment. The teaching and support staff present very good role models to the pupils through the quality of their relationships with them and the sensitive and calm way that they deal with individual needs. Collectively the teaching staff have many strengths and talents and are very much a united team who have the potential and capacity to bring about even further improvement in the school. Although the leadership and management of core subjects is good it is disappointing that these roles and those of other subject leaders have not been sufficiently

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

developed since the last inspection. Currently the headteacher monitors the planning and undertakes the majority of the observation of teaching but it would be more appropriate and beneficial if this were undertaken by subject leaders. This would enable them to monitor the standards in the subject and use their expertise to support others in further improvements. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 20 55. The school is efficient in its strategic use of resources. Financial planning and control are good. The headteacher and the governing body take responsibility for the monitoring of the school budget, with the headteacher effectively exercising day-to-day financial control within agreed limits. The governing body discusses the school's budget proposals and after careful

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

examination and evaluation approves the budget recommendations, linking spending to the priorities laid down in the school improvement plan. A strength of the school's financial arrangements is its constant search for acquiring services at the best possible cost.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Provision for special educational needs is led and managed very well by the headteacher. He knows the pupils’ difficulties in detail and, as a result, oversees provision very well. While he is not actively involved in provision for those with learning difficulties, he does play an active part in supporting those who find it difficult to behave well. For example, on a daily basis he sees ‘behaviour books’ for the two boys who have them and his encouragement to them has a positive impact. He has written a book for a child who had no interest in reading and collaborated with his mother who has illustrated it beautifully. He runs ‘Circle of Friends’ groups, one each for two pupils who find social interaction difficult. His largely non-teaching role makes these activities easier for him to manage than they would be for full-time teachers and it is a successful strategy. Funding difficulties mean that the school can no longer afford to retain its part-time SEN teacher

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

beyond this term. It is currently considering ways of re-organising to protect the quality of what it currently offers.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The resources of the school are good apart from ICT and the library, where there is an urgent need for improvement. The accommodation is unsatisfactory. The fabric of the older building needs repair and many areas need refurbishment and redecoration before it has a negative impact on pupils’ learning.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

58. The headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve standards in ICT by improving resources and ensuring that pupils have regular and frequent access to them to support their work across the curriculum. (See paragraph 100)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Increase the autonomy of staff, enabling them to have significantly greater influence on the areas for which they have specific responsibility. (See paragraphs 51-52 and 54)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the headteacher and governors should ensure that the time allocated for collective worship is agreed and adhered to.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Key Issue 1 – ICT – features in the school’s improvement plan.) South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 225

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 18

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 29

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 22

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 32 29 61

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 28 30 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 25 22 29

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 87 (81) 85 (71) 100 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 24 25 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 22 26

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 79 (79) 77 (78) 95 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 1 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 3 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 6 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

Any other ethnic group 0 0 0 South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 23 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0

p.22

Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.36 Financial year 2002-2003

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y7 Total income 492831

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 470569

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 91 Expenditure per pupil 2082

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year -2079

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 20183

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 24

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 44 40 15 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 35 54 9 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 20 58 18 3 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 31 39 21 6 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 56 31 4 8 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 39 4 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 38 37 19 4 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 36 46 5 7 6

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 41 9 1 5

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 32 12 3 11 South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 25

p.24

ENGLISH

59. By Year 6 standards in English are very good. This represents good progress since the last inspection - equally good progress for pupils through the school - and is the result of quality teaching, perceptive subject leadership and a curriculum that allows pupils to use and practise their literacy skills in a range of other lessons.

p.25

ENGLISH

60. Standards in speaking are very good. By the time they reach Year 6, most pupils are confident to speak in front of their classmates and to perform to a wider audience; as they do in the annual school production. These levels of confidence are fostered by the opportunities for drama and role-play which are common features in most classrooms. A particular and additional strength of these is the way they are used by teachers to encourage pupils to explore and then articulate their feelings. An outstanding example of this was observed in Year 5 in which pupils and teacher acted out a scene of a conflict between a father and child. In addition, pupils are encouraged, especially when writing, to search for the most adventurous vocabulary they can manage, and the speaking opportunities successfully broaden the repertoire from which they can select.

p.25

ENGLISH

61. Standards in listening are good overall. In some classes they are very good, particularly in Year 6. Here, pupils listen attentively to their teachers’ explanations of a task and then set about completing it. However, this same level of interest and genuine willingness to listen is not evident in every classroom. While most pupils settle as soon as their teacher asks them to, some classes require a second reminder or a ‘countdown’ to do something simple like closing their books or putting down their pens. In some classes pupils are keen to speak but less keen to listen to the contributions of their peers.

p.25

ENGLISH

62. Standards in reading are very good in terms of pupils’ understanding of a variety of texts. However, the school has been less successful in engendering in pupils a love of books. Pupils who would choose to pick up a book in a spare moment are relatively few in number, and only a tiny proportion talk of a favourite author with any real enthusiasm or depth of knowledge. The school is aware that it could do more in this respect and accepts that some reading opportunities take place in less than ideal settings: a child standing at the teacher’s desk or sitting in the corridor with an adult volunteer, for example. However, the good practice in a Year 5 class could be used as a model for others to follow. Furthermore, the modifications to support for pupils with special education needs is focusing the school’s attention on reading opportunities and changes are imminent. Although this fine tuning will improve the school’s overall provision, it is still of

p.25

ENGLISH

course the case that reading standards are very good: in the provisional results of the 2003 national test, all pupils secured at least Level 4 and 67 per cent secured Level 5.

p.25

ENGLISH

63. Standards in writing are also very good: in the 2003 tests, 84 per cent of pupils achieved Level 4 or better and 25 per cent achieved Level 5. Standards of this quality are made possible through high quality teaching (particularly in Year 6) and through the implementation of a curriculum which provides good writing opportunities in a wide range of lessons other than English/literacy. The school knows what remains to be done on the nature of writing opportunities in literacy because the balance between those which are ‘supported’ (such as by worksheets or exercises requiring only sentence answers) and those which entail the pupils ‘starting from scratch’, is not yet at optimum level. As with reading though, this fine tuning to what is already good provision is leading to very good standards. At the moment ICT plays only a small part in the development of writing skills, (and, in fact, in the subject overall).

p.25

ENGLISH

64. The quality of teaching is good overall. It ranges from satisfactory to excellent and the very best teaching is in Year 6. Here, pupils are set into two ability groups and this works very well, allowing teachers to focus more sharply on the learning needs of individuals within a group of limited range of ability. Throughout the school the range in teaching quality is partly the result of teachers’ varying skills as motivators. In addition, lessons occasionally demand too little of pupils and this is triggered at the planning stage where the focus lies too heavily on what the teacher will teach rather than on what the pupils should learn. A Year 3 lesson based on using known spellings to aid correct spelling of longer words (such as ‘arm’ to spell ‘farm’, for example) was not South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 26 well enough thought through. As a result, when pupils spotted ‘my’ in ‘farmyard’ this was

p.25

ENGLISH

accepted by the teacher even though, as an aid to spelling, it served only to confuse. The outstanding quality of teaching in Year 6 was best typified in the lesson to lower ability pupils. Relationships were warm, humour was ‘just right’ for Year 6, the pace was breathtaking and expectations were high. Role-play was used superbly to focus on a child’s emotions following their parents’ separation, and support for writing an ‘agony aunt’ letter was so thorough (but not limiting) that pupils had no problem with the task and went on to produce some thoughtful writing.

p.26

ENGLISH

65. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are supported well in lessons as the work is generally pitched at the right level for them.

p.26

ENGLISH

66. The co-ordinator (a Year 6 teacher) is very skilled and knowledgeable. To name a few of her initiatives, she has produced planning for all year groups to ensure quality and consistency, has sought advice from the local education authority literacy consultant on several issues and has run staff meetings. She has not yet observed teaching (apart from her role as a team leader for performance management), she has had no real training in observing lessons and has not been deployed by the school as a model of exemplary practice for others to watch. Given the key issue of the last inspection to ‘involve subject co-ordinators in monitoring the quality of lessons…’, given that this teacher was at the school at that time and given her outstanding talent and ability to influence, it is a shame that this potential has not been used to the full.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

67. Standards are well above average overall and pupils throughout the school make good progress. This represents good improvement since the last inspection. Pupils apply a wide range of methods to problem solving and investigations. There are no significant differences in the progress made by boys and girls. The setting arrangements across the school contribute towards the good progress made by gifted and talented and higher attaining pupils because they are continually very well challenged. The pupils with special educational needs progress well because of the good support given by the very well-informed classroom assistants.

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MATHEMATICS

68. During the inspection, very high standards were achieved in a Year 6 lesson where pupils measured the perimeters and areas of compound shapes. They investigated the relationships between area and perimeter in mental mathematics, showing very good abilities in manipulating numbers. The majority of pupils have a very good understanding of the equivalent values of fractions, decimals and percentages and apply their knowledge to investigations.

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MATHEMATICS

69. Pupils in Year 5 progressed very well in plotting co-ordinates, using positive and negative numbers, and applied their knowledge to constructing shapes within each quadrant. They know the angle properties of triangles and can identify obtuse, acute, reflex and right angles; during the inspection they learned how to use a protractor for measuring angles.

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MATHEMATICS

70. Relative to their age, pupils throughout the school have very good mental skills: they understand the rules for multiplication and division and explain different strategies for solving mental problems using a wide variety of methods. They look for shortcuts that help them to solve problems quickly; for example, they recognise patterns in number and shape, estimate to the nearest 10 or 100 and identify doubles or near-doubles. Most pupils use mathematical language very well and this is reflected in their understanding and confidence in problem solving. They present their results very well, justify their reasoning and manipulate numbers easily and confidently. Pupils use calculators for solving problems involving very large numbers and teachers use overhead projectors effectively for explaining mathematical processes. At present, pupils have too few opportunities for using computers.

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MATHEMATICS

71. Pupils show tremendous enthusiasm for the subject; they are very well motivated and very well behaved. Pupils enjoy problem solving and show a strong sense of curiosity and determination. They have very good relationships with each other and their teachers and this contributes to their quality of learning. The effective use of numeracy throughout the curriculum enhances pupils’ understanding of the importance of number in everyday life. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 27 72. Many factors contribute to the improving standards and good progress made in mathematics. The majority of teaching is good overall and excellent in Year 6. Teachers have very secure knowledge and understanding, explain mathematical processes clearly and teach basic and advanced skills well. These aspects contribute to pupils’ very good levels of understanding. Lessons are well paced, challenging and maintain pupils’ interest. The well-planned group work

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MATHEMATICS

and setting arrangements for pupils throughout the school contribute to the high levels of challenging work for all pupils. The use of ICT to support mathematical work is limited.

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MATHEMATICS

73. Sufficient time is given for revision and therefore pupils consolidate their learning well. Teachers question pupils effectively when assessing their understanding and challenge their thinking. Their very high expectations of learning are always shared with pupils and reviewed at the end of the lessons. Consequently, pupils know how well they have achieved. The high quality of support given by classroom assistants, including those who support pupils with special educational needs, positively contributes to their achievements. Teachers give a satisfactory level of homework, ensuring that it matches the work planned for their set.

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MATHEMATICS

74. The school has successfully and rigorously introduced the National Numeracy Strategy. This is constantly reflected in the wide variety of methods chosen by pupils when investigating and calculating using large numbers. They search for patterns in numbers and shapes, choosing from a wide range of mathematical processes when multiplying and dividing, and explain and justify their reasoning. The language of mathematics has been very well developed and taught and enriches pupils’ understanding and confidence in problem solving.

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MATHEMATICS

75. Other contributory factors to the high levels of improvement and pupils’ good progress are the good leadership and management by the co-ordinator, the effective monitoring of teaching and planning, and the good range of assessment procedures and target-setting. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in all aspects of mathematics and is committed to improving the achievements of all. Pupils’ progress is carefully tracked by teachers and the co-ordinator, and the resulting information is used to guide teachers’ daily planning, setting and curricular review. The good range of resources and books are effectively used to enhance the quality of pupils’ learning and to raise standards. However, there remains scope for the co-ordinator to monitor teaching and learning in mathematics and to take on a greater responsibility for pupils’ achievements.

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SCIENCE

76. By the end of Year 6 pupils' attainment is outstanding, with three-quarters of the pupils achieving the higher level. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection when standards were unsatisfactory. Over the past four years they have increased each year. The improvement has been achieved because of four key factors. The quality of teaching is very good and leads to pupils making very good progress. The curriculum is very well planned and results in pupils having a rich experience that builds upon their previous learning in each year. The leadership and management are excellent and ensure that teachers are well supported with the resources to make teaching exciting and enterprising. All teachers make scientific investigations an integral part of their teaching and this leads to pupils having an enquiring approach to what they are learning.

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SCIENCE

77. By the end of Year 6 pupils can test a range of hypotheses, have an excellent understanding of the principle of fair testing and record observations accurately, using graphs and diagrams that are clearly labelled. They are able to make predictions, provide valid reasons to justify their decisions and know how to set out the results of their experiments. Pupils in Year 6 have an excellent understanding of reversible and irreversible change by investigating which materials will and will not dissolve in water. They have a very good knowledge of habitats and are able to classify the characteristics of animals and understand the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates. In Year 5 pupils build upon previous knowledge of the importance of keeping healthy by undertaking an investigation into how different foods contribute to an individual's good health. Year 4 pupils have an excellent understanding of electricity. They know how to build a circuit, what are good

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SCIENCE

and bad conductors and they very successfully investigate the effect of adding bulbs to a working circuit. Year 3 pupils have a good knowledge of plant life and are able to successfully investigate South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 28 what happens to plant roots that are placed in water. The overwhelming strength is that pupils have an appetite for scientific learning and achieve this through experiments and practical work. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 29 78. The quality of teaching is very good. Teachers plan their lessons thoroughly and always have the resources that are necessary for investigations to be carried out properly. They use a consistent approach to investigations and question pupils very skilfully with the result that the amount of learning pupils accomplish is vast. Teachers are very confident themselves about what they are teaching and present challenging and interesting tasks and activities to pupils. They have very

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SCIENCE

high expectations of what pupils will achieve and how they will work together in practical work. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported and in this year's national tests all pupils achieved at least a Level 4. Older pupils carry out increasingly complex experiments, and activities are devised which allow them to control variables and conduct research on the Internet. There is a clear development in the curiosity of pupils, a growth in confidence and an enthusiasm to discover more about science through experiments and investigations.

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SCIENCE

79. The leadership and management of the subject are excellent. The co-ordinator is an excellent role model in her own teaching and offers very good support to teachers to enable them to approach their teaching with confidence and enthusiasm. She is very aware of the strengths and areas to improve and has a very clear action plan in place to bring this about. She has developed a scheme of work for the whole school that sets out what pupils will learn in each term of the year. The curriculum now places a strong emphasis on an investigative approach that is providing a very secure foundation for ensuring that pupils apply their knowledge and understanding to the practical problems posed by the teachers. However, a significant weakness is the lack of the use of ICT in the presentation of pupils' work and in the interrogation of data.

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ART AND DESIGN

80. Standards throughout the school are good and are above those found at the last inspection. By the end of Year 6 pupils achieve standards above national expectations. All pupils throughout the school have recently participated in an ‘Africa Week’ and their clay work of African masks and urns shows very good awareness of shape, pattern and proportion. They understand many aspects of the cultural importance of African art. They produced many high quality sculptures of animal life showing very good skills in the manipulation of the materials to give realistic coiling shapes of snakes and the wing formation of birds in flight.

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ART AND DESIGN

81. Pupils’ artistic skills develop well as they progress through the school; in relation to their age, all achieve very high standards in their sculptures - in the style of Barbara Hepworth, for example. Pupils in Year 4 interpret the work of Mir and select paints and pastels sensitively showing a good awareness of shape, pattern and mood. Although their pencil sketches show careful awareness of line and shape, pupils have too few opportunities for developing a wide range of skills in this aspect and sketchbooks have only recently been introduced.

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ART AND DESIGN

82. No art and design lessons were observed during the inspection. Given the range of art on display and the interest and enthusiasm of pupils, the quality of teaching is judged to be good with very good features in the teaching of sculpture. There is no significant difference in the progress made between boys and girls. There are many opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to excel and this is reflected in some very high quality work. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the level of support given and the effective use of resources.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Pupils benefit from a broad, balanced and enriching curriculum and their learning is enhanced by the planned opportunities for incorporating art into other subjects. Their knowledge and understanding are increased by a wide range of visits to local art galleries and recently to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. As a result, pupils incorporate art from other cultures and different historical periods and styles into their work. Consequently pupils are very well motivated and confident when experimenting with new techniques; they gain pleasure from using a range of materials in artistic compositions. They enjoy art and take pride in carefully produced work. During the inspection, they discussed a wide range of artists including Quentin Blake, Barbara Hepworth, Picasso, and L S Lowry, showing a very good awareness of their individual styles and collections of work. Art makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and

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ART AND DESIGN

cultural development. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 30 84. The leadership and management are good overall. The co-ordinator monitors pupils’ attainment and progress by analysing the displays of work but has insufficient opportunities for monitoring and supporting teaching. At present pupils have too few opportunities for using ICT for either design or research.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. By the end Year 6 pupils attain standards above national expectations. Their designs of shelters showed a very good awareness of purpose and location and therefore the materials needed. Measurements and scale drawings were good and the finished articles showed individuality, very good making and neat finishing. They had previously evaluated and compared packets of biscuits showing good consumer research systems in terms of packaging, taste, and food value. Their conclusions reflected their evaluations very well. Pupils make good progress throughout the school. This shows a very high level of improvement since the previous inspection when standards were below national expectations.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. Pupils with special educational needs, gifted and talented pupils and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. Pupils in Year 3 designed and made money containers using a range of fabrics and finishes. They had previously examined a wide variety of containers, focussing on style, materials and suitability for the purpose. Those in Year 4 designed and made very good alarm systems, choosing from a wide variety of alarms and testing their products extremely well. They discussed improvements to be made and how they might achieve them. The quality of finished work was of a very high standard.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. When pupils in Year 5 designed and made cams, they measured the wood carefully and used tools for cutting and shaping very effectively. They learned how to drill an off-centre hole in a wheel. Their designs were inventive and in some cases very complex; one group designed a caterpillar which required four cams. Pupils understood the difficulties involved and were proud of their successes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. Teaching is good overall and contributes to pupils’ attainment and progress. Teachers have very good knowledge and understanding of the skills and processes they teach and high expectations of pupils’ designs and products. They teach basic and advanced skills very well and, as a result, pupils achieve high standards and take pride in creative designs and careful making. They are enthusiastic about the subject and are keen to do well. There were some excellent examples of work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. The planned curriculum is good, particular strengths being the high quality of making and evaluation, and the incorporation of numeracy skills into measuring and art into many design elements. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and pupils’ work very well. At present, pupils have too few opportunities to use ICT in the subject. The good range of resources is easily accessible and well used. The co-ordinator’s very good knowledge and understanding were reflected in the high standards of work.

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GEOGRAPHY

91. By the end of Year 6 pupils are working at a level that is in line with that expected for their age. Since the last inspection the quality of teaching has improved and the curriculum is consistently taught in all year groups. ICT, however, plays a minimal role.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. A strength of the curriculum is the pupils' knowledge of their local environment and the effects of environmental change. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of rainforests and are knowledgeable about how they have changed over the past fifty years. Year 5 pupils considered an imaginary proposal to build a new reservoir by flooding a local valley and thoroughly evaluated the arguments for and against such a proposal. Pupils are frequently required to compare the geographical features of different parts of the world. For example, pupils compared the monthly South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 31 rainfall of Borneo and London and how different communities prepare for the weather changes that they experience. Year 4 pupils have a thorough understanding of rivers and are able to name each feature of the river system. This was reinforced through their visit to a local river where they

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GEOGRAPHY

were able to make their learning come to life. Year 3 pupils undertake a good deal of work about the local area, identifying the most recent changes in the environment and expressing their opinions about which changes they like and dislike.

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GEOGRAPHY

93. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers' planning is very good and they use specific geographical language well. There are good links with other subjects and opportunities are planned to support the development of the pupils' scientific and numeracy skills. There are very good relationships between teachers and pupils. This enables the learning in school and in the community to be carried out effectively and increases pupils' ability to work independently. Pupils make good use of the Internet in homework tasks to complement their investigations. Teachers have high expectations of pupils, set challenging tasks and use good resources. As a result pupils' attitudes to learning are good and they take pride in their presentation of their work and record their findings of investigations and field trips with a good degree of accuracy. They are given opportunities to work co-operatively and collaboratively. They particularly enjoy

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GEOGRAPHY

opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills through field trips and visits to the local area.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. The co-ordinator provides good leadership - and this has led to very thorough planning and assessment procedures - but does not play a sufficiently strong role in the monitoring of planning and teaching and therefore the available expertise is not fully utilised.

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HISTORY

95. By Year 6 pupils are achieving above the level expected for their age. Standards have improved since the last inspection because the quality of teaching is better, planning is more thorough and expectations are higher. As a result pupils are able to explain with confidence what they have learned and justify their opinions through a good understanding of historical events.

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HISTORY

96. Pupils' knowledge of the Victorians, Ancient Egypt, the Second World War and invaders and settlers is most impressive. This knowledge is matched by the pupils' ability to understand how events in history can be interpreted in different ways; for example, Year 6 pupils analysed the benefits and disadvantages of the development of the railways taking account of those who built them and those who used them. Pupils have a good understanding of the reasons for significant events in the past and the consequences of these on the future. For example, Year 4 pupils are well aware of the causes of the Second World War and how children were affected as evacuees. The curriculum is particularly effective in enabling pupils to evaluate evidence to inform their own personal judgements. For example, Year 5 pupils are able to explain the similarities and differences between the experiences of children in Athens and Sparta. Pupils have a great

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HISTORY

interest in and enjoyment of history. They thrive on the demands to carry out independent research and benefit from the wide range of opportunities for extended writing. This leads to pupils compiling newspaper reports about children's conditions at work in the Victorian era and very graphic accounts of the experience of a marathon runner in Ancient Greece.

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HISTORY

97. Teaching is good because planning is very thorough and the tasks set are challenging for all pupils. Teachers place an emphasis on making pupils search for evidence to justify opinions and insist that they read widely in order that they have a thorough knowledge of different periods of history. As a result pupils write persuasively about their topics and gain a very secure understanding of the sequence of historical events. Teachers are enthusiastic about teaching history and this is transmitted to the pupils, who are always keen to discover more about the topics that they are studying. Pupils take pride in the presentation of their work and also develop their writing skills through the range of tasks that they are set.

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HISTORY

98. History is well planned because a national scheme of work has been adapted to the particular needs of the school. There is a good range of resources and effective use is made of the local area. Pupils speak enthusiastically about visits to places of interest that developed their understanding of and interest in history. Although pupils use the Internet to research topics, they do not use ICT sufficiently to support their learning. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 32 South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 33

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. By the end of Year 6 attainment meets expectations. However, these standards are not high enough as pupils are capable of doing much better. The improvements since the last inspection are in the quality of teaching, the thoroughness of the planning, the assessment of pupils and the pupils' achievements in control technology. However, since the last inspection the resources and facilities have not kept pace with the changes in ICT. The computer suite is inadequate to meet the needs of the pupils and the very limited resources in classrooms mean that pupils cannot develop their skills through other subjects. The equipment has not always been working properly and pupils have insufficient access to and teaching time with a computer. As a result the progress they are making is unsatisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. In Year 6 pupils produced power point presentations of their visit to Robin Wood and they show sound creative skills. However, they do not have the opportunity to develop their ideas and extend the use of animation, sound and graphics although many are capable of doing so. Year 5 pupils use spread sheets to record findings about the daily temperature of a town but they do little more than this. They are not fully aware of how to interrogate the data and produce more sophisticated findings. One group of Year 4 pupils use the Internet to undertake research, use superlogo to write procedures to control technology and have achieved good work with branching databases. This work is of a good standard. Year 3 pupils also have good skills. They are able to word process, send e-mails and combine text and graphics. The feature that stands out with all classes is that they are not reaching their full potential.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. The quality of teaching is good despite the restrictions on resources and on access to sufficient computers. Teachers have a good knowledge of ICT and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers plan lessons thoroughly and there is now an almost consistent approach to covering all aspects of the National Curriculum. There is a significant weakness in one Year 4 class where almost no evidence was available. All pupils have positive attitudes, are enthusiastic about the tasks that they are asked to do and are able to work independently and in pairs. Pupils always work hard, concentrate well and show enthusiasm about improving their skills. They listen to instructions carefully and treat equipment with absolute respect. The overwhelming weakness is that the limited resources and facilities are restricting teachers in enabling pupils to reach the standards that they are capable of.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. The leadership and management of ICT are good. The co-ordinator is very aware of the need to raise standards and to ensure that the subject is an aid to learning across the curriculum. She is a leading member of the ICT working party set up to bring about improvement but does not play a sufficiently strong role in the monitoring of planning and teaching. Hence, her expertise is not fully utilised.

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MUSIC

103. The subject has a high profile throughout the school. By the end of Year 6 pupils exceed national expectations overall, with particular strengths in composition and group performance. Throughout the school boys and girls make equally good progress. Gifted and talented and higher attaining pupils progress well because of the many opportunities for instrumental tuition and performances. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because the teachers know their strengths and the areas where they need support, and accommodate them well. Standards have improved since the last inspection especially in pupils’ knowledge of a wide range of music from other cultures.

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MUSIC

104. Most pupils sing harmoniously, with accurate pitch and a good range of dynamics. They sing a wide repertoire of hymns and songs including songs for the school production, ‘Bugsy Malone’. During the performance rehearsals observed they sang with very good vocal projection and feel for the style and occasion and responded very well to the directions of the producer.

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MUSIC

105. Many pupils benefit from the wide range of instrumental tuition available, including woodwind, brass and stringed instruments. One particularly talented pupil, already an accomplished pianist, South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 34 accompanied the morning hymns very skilfully and sensitively. During the inspection week the focus for all classes was composition and group performances. Pupils in Year 6 composed a sequence of music, ‘Jungle Daybreak’, showing a good awareness of notation and incorporating the five key musical elements into their compositions. They used musical terminology accurately when evaluating each other’s work. Pupils in Year 4 sang with a good awareness of tempo, pitch and dynamics and incorporated these aspects into their vocal compositions.

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MUSIC

106. Pupils have very positive attitudes both during lessons and performance rehearsals; they behave well, are enthusiastic about the subject, work very well in groups and play instruments sensitively.

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MUSIC

107. The quality of teaching and learning are good overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge and manage pupils’ behaviour and learning well. The pace of work was always challenging and pupils were fully involved throughout the lessons. The high quality of teaching contributes to pupils’ knowledge and understanding and positive attitudes.

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MUSIC

108. The leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has ensured that teachers are supported by the well-planned introduction of a commercial scheme, which gives structure and progression throughout the school. There are sufficient resources, including tuned and untuned percussion instruments, and, although there is no specialist music room, teachers make the most effective use of the available accommodation. Although the co-ordinator has too few opportunities for monitoring teaching and learning, he ensures that teachers are well informed about the curricular content for their year groups and has monitored some aspects of learning by his involvement in assemblies and performance rehearsals.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

109. By the end of Year 6 pupils attain standards above national expectations with very high standards in swimming. Progress is good overall and pupils benefit from a wider range of curricular and extra-curricular activities at this school than at most primary schools. This shows a good improvement since the previous inspection, and the school has been awarded an Active Mark for the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

110. Pupils benefit from the very strong links with a local comprehensive school which now has sports college status. Gifted and talented pupils make good progress because of the challenging curriculum and the opportunities for participating in competitive sports. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the good level of support and modification of resources and activities to suit their needs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. The wide variety of activities reflects the school’s very strong commitment to encouraging healthy lifestyles; pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting and physical skills and this contributes to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. During the inspection most lessons observed were athletics tuition. Year 6 pupils achieve very high standards in long jump and a wide variety of jumps; their footwork and agility are above the standards expected nationally. Pupils understand the reason for using the power in their arms, bending their knees and landing lightly. They made significant gains in improving their style and increasing the distances covered because of very good teaching. In a Year 5 lesson pupils were taught the techniques for throwing underarm and overarm. Although most pupils achieved high standards others needed more practice and more rigorous teaching of the techniques required.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. The high standards achieved in most aspects of physical education reflect good teaching - especially the teaching of basic and advanced skills - high expectations, good planning and the effective use of teacher demonstrations. The majority of teachers have very good skills and, as a result of clear explanations, pupils know that it is necessary to warm up before physical exercise. Pupils work very well in groups, showing good co-operation and teamwork. Most teachers give pupils good opportunities for discussing and evaluating their work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. Pupils have very positive attitudes to the subject and are keen to participate in a wide range of activities. They achieve well in a wide range of ball skills with a particular strength in their South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 35 understanding of position, possession, marking and passing. By Year 6 they have experienced orienteering, canoeing and strenuous activities. South Crosland CofE Voluntary Aided Junior School - 36 114. The recently appointed subject co-ordinator has organised resources and identified areas for development. Although teachers’ planning is monitored, their teaching has not been observed recently. There are sufficient resources for all aspects of the curriculum and, although the school makes good use of the adjacent grassed area, it is not part of the school’s accommodation.

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