Wyton on the Hill Community Primary School

WYTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 to 11 February 2004

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WYTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Wyton Primary School - 2 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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WYTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Wyton Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 158

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cambridge Square Wyton Huntingdon Cambridgeshire Postcode: PE28 2JB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01480 452032 Fax number: 01480 451004

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr P Baker

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1998

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Wyton Primary School has changed in status since the last inspection, as there were no pupils in Years 4, 5 or 6. It is now a full community primary school. The school is situated on the RAF base at Wyton, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. The catchment area for the school is the immediate housing, all of which originally belonged to the Ministry of Defence. Many houses were sold off to private resident sales two years ago and a proportion was allocated as social housing. The RAF retained the remainder.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school has doubled in size since the last inspection, although it is smaller than other primary schools. The turnover of children is very high and approximately one-third of pupils change school during each year as their parents are posted to different RAF bases. For example, in the present Year 6, about 89 per cent of the pupils started the school in years other than reception. Apart from the reception intake, 62 children joined the school and 49 left during the past year. The socio- economic status of the area is broadly average. At the time of the inspection the school had an almost totally white population.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

All the children in the reception year begin school in September of the school year in which they become five years old. The school’s assessments show that their attainment on entry is generally below the level expected for children of this age. There are six classes and the pupils in Year 5 are grouped into two mixed aged classes, some with Year 4 and the others with Year 6 pupils. There are 7.1 (full-time equivalent) teachers employed in the school. Currently there is no deputy headteacher but the new appointee is expected to join the school in September 2004. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is below the national average and there are four children with statements, which is well above the national average. The school has gained an “Investors in people” award. Wyton Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21500 Graeme Bassett Lead inspector Mathematics Music Foundation Stage 9009 Valerie Bradley Lay inspector 21073 Roger Fry Team inspector Science Information and communication technology (ICT) History Geography Religious education 3942 Keith Sanderson Team inspector English Art Design and technology Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Parkman Ltd in association with PkR 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Wyton Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school that effectively overcomes the constraints placed upon it by the continuous and substantial movement of pupils from military families. The school provides a safe and caring environment for all pupils and quickly makes all pupils who are new to the school feel at home. The pupils’ achievement is good overall. The pupils’ attitudes to the school and to their work are very good and their behaviour is very good throughout the school. In the reception class the behaviour is excellent. The leadership of the headteacher and the governance of the school are good and the governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. The school provides good value for money . The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The school has a very good ethos and because of this all the new pupils settle quickly. • The headteacher has a clear vision for the future development of the school and this is well

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OVERALL EVALUATION

supported by the governing body. • The quality of teaching is good, ensuring that the pupils who have been in the school for some time achieve well and that those who have recently joined the school achieve at least satisfactorily. • The subject leaders for all subjects do not check rigorously enough upon either the teachers’ lesson planning and assessments or upon the quality and presentation of the pupils’ work, which is sometimes untidy. • The teachers all use their own format for recording what each pupil can do in each subject and consequently records are not easy to interpret. • The standards in mathematics, reading and art and design are above average throughout the school but in science and information and communication technology (ICT) they are below average at the end of Year 6. • The attitudes and behaviour of the reception children are excellent and throughout the rest of the school they are very good.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The school does not record unauthorised absences correctly. The school has made satisfactory improvements since the last inspection and all the issues raised have been dealt with appropriately. The headteacher has coped effectively with the extension of the school to include pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6. The facilities for ICT have been improved and schemes of work have been agreed and established for all subjects. The quality of teaching has improved, with more lessons being good or better because the quality of planning has improved and is now good. The school continually strives to recruit governors from the local population as well as from the military personnel and has succeeded. The provision for the pupils’ cultural development is now satisfactory.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils’ achievement is good overall. The children currently in the reception class have made a good start in developing their skills and knowledge across the six areas of learning, especially in their mathematical development and in their personal and social development. Most of them achieve well and are on course to reach the expected goals in all areas of learning by Year 1.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English B A E E mathematics A A* B D science A* B D E Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those with similar percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. Comparisons to prior attainment have not been made because there is insufficient data. (Fewer than 80% of pupils have information from Key Stage 1.) Wyton Primary School - 7 Almost half the pupils in the Year 6 in 2003 arrived during the two terms prior to the tests and this extreme movement of pupils had a detrimental impact upon the school’s performance. The new pupils made up almost half the class of 19 and, for example, in English five of these new pupils joined the school with below average attainment and they did not reach the expected Level 4. A similar impact was seen in the science results because of their prior attainment and the test results

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

in mathematics were similarly affected, although the standards were still above average . In the current work in Year 6 , the pupils’ standards in writing and religious education are average and in mathematics and reading above average . However, in science and in ICT, the standards are below average . Many pupils in Year 6 have only been in the school a short time but their achievement is at least satisfactory and those who can be tracked since the reception class achieve well.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The achievement of the pupils in Year 2 is good overall and standards are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. The pupils’ standards in religious education, ICT and science are broadly in line with the expected levels. It is not possible to make judgements on standards, throughout the school, in geography, history, design and technology (DT), music and physical education (PE) because too few lessons were seen. Those pupils with special educational needs achieve well.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The school provides well to promote good achievement in the pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, and social development. Their behaviour and their attitudes towards their work are very good. Attendance is above average .

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. The quality of teaching throughout

The quality of teaching and the teachers’ planning of the curriculum are good and have improved since the last inspection. The curriculum is satisfactory, being based securely upon the national guidelines . Literacy and numeracy are taught effectively but ICT is not used as well as it might be to support teaching and learning in other subjects. The teachers have organised extremely good strategies to ensure that all new pupils feel welcomed by their classes. Although the teachers use their own range of records to show what each pupil can do in English and mathematics, these are not easy to maintain and it is difficult to draw quick conclusions about each pupil’s progress and achievement. There is no reliable system to find out what science skills and knowledge each new pupil has acquired and this is unsatisfactory. All pupils are fully involved in all that the school does. The links with parents are very good and those with the community and other schools are good .

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. The quality of teaching throughout

The school looks after its pupils very well and listens to their views carefully through classroom discussions.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the school by the headteacher and the governance of the school are good. The management of the school is satisfactory. The subject leaders do not check frequently enough upon either the quality of the pupils’ work or the quality of teachers’ planning and assessments.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents are very satisfied. They praise the quality of care and support that the school gives their children. They appreciate the openness of the staff and the headteacher and the way they welcome their children into the school. The pupils enjoy coming to school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: Wyton Primary School - 8 • Develop a regular routine for checking the quality of the pupils’ work and the teachers’ plans and assessments in all subjects. • Improve the standards in science and ICT at the end of Year 6. • Improve the systems for recording what each pupil can do in all subjects. • Ensure that the presentation of the pupils’ work is neater and that their handwriting is improved. • Record unauthorised absences correctly. Wyton Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

The pupils’ standards are average overall and their achievement is good. The pupils’ achievement in the reception year is good. Currently, the pupils in Year 2 achieve well overall and their standards in ICT and science are broadly average, and in mathematics, reading and writing their standards are above average and achievement is very good. The pupils’ standards in Year 6 are average in English and above average in mathematics and they achieve at least satisfactorily. The standards seen in science and ICT are below average. It is not possible to judge the full extent of the achievements made by many of these pupils because many have been in the school for too little time and there is sometimes no record from previous schools to show their previous attainment. Where the pupils can be tracked throughout the school since the reception year it is clear that their achievement is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The results of the national tests at the end of Year 6 show that the school’s performance exceeds the national average over the past three years in English, mathematics and science, but last year the results fell sharply, especially in English because of a large turnover of children who entered school with below average attainment. • The children in the reception class enter school with attainment below expected levels for their age but they achieve well and most are on course to reach the goals expected for children of this age by the time they enter Year 1. • The pupils’ standards are below average in science and ICT at the end of Year 6. • The pupils’ standards are above average in mathematics through the school. • The pupils’ handwriting and presentation of work are sometimes untidy.

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Commentary

1. At the time of the last inspection there were no pupils in Years 4, 5 or 6 so no direct comparisons about achievements or standards reached can be made. Last year, the pupils in Year 6, attained standards in the national tests that were above average in mathematics but below average in science and well below average in English. These results were much lower than those for the previous three years and were a direct result of the substantial turn over of pupils who joined the year group during the two terms prior to the national tests being taken. The new pupils made up almost half the class of 19 and the attainment on entry of many of them was below average in English and science. For example, in English five of these new pupils did not reach the expected Level 4. A similar impact was seen in the science and mathematics results.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 25.4 (29.3) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.7 (30.7) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.9 (29.8) 28.6 (28.3) There were 19 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. The proportion of pupils that reached the higher Level 5 was in line with the national average in all three subjects. It is not possible to track or compare accurately the trend in the school’s performance over time because of the mobility of the school population. The school has great difficulty predicting the number of pupils who will reach the expected Level 4 or above in the Wyton Primary School - 10 national tests because of the movement of families from the military base. The targets set for English and mathematics for 2003 were not met because the movement of pupils affected the predictions made previously. However, the results of the national tests for the past three years show that the school exceeds the national performance in English, mathematics and science. There is no significant difference between the standards achieved by boys and girls.

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Commentary

3. It is not possible to make comparisons for this cohort of pupils when they were seven years old. There is insufficient data because most pupils have transferred from other schools at various times since they completed the national tests in Year 2.

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Commentary

4. The results of the national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2003 show that the school’s performance in reading, writing and mathematics was well above the national average. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 was also well above the national average in all three areas. The long-term trend shows that the school’s performance in all three areas of learning was the best since 2000 and the performance over that period of time has exceeded the national average.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.5 (17.0) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 16.1 (15.5) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 17.8 (17.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 17 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5. The children’s attainment on entry to the school varies from child to child but, overall, their standards are below the expected levels for their age. They make good progress and achieve well whilst in the reception class. The children have settled quickly to the routines of the class and school and they achieved well in the lessons observed. They have made particularly good progress in the development of their mathematical skills and knowledge and in their personal, social and emotional development. It is evident, from the quality of teaching and the assessment records already completed, that nearly all are on course to reach the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning by the end of the year.

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Commentary

6. Currently, the achievement of the pupils in Year 2 is good overall and standards are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. The pupils’ standards in religious education, ICT and science are broadly in line with the expected levels. The pupils’ standards in Year 6 are higher than those seen in the national tests in 2003. They are broadly average in English overall but their standards in reading are above average. The standards in mathematics are above average. The analysis of the pupils’ work since September indicates that the pupils are achieving at least satisfactorily in English and better in mathematics. In science and ICT, the pupils’ standards are below the expected levels and achievement is unsatisfactory. The pupils identified as having special educational needs and the lower-attaining pupils achieve well in relation to their peers.

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Commentary

7. The pupils’ standards in ICT at the end of Year 2 remain in line with the expected levels for their age. As there were no pupils in Year 6 in 1998, comparisons cannot be made between the current standards in ICT and those of the last inspection. However, currently they are broadly average in most aspects of the subject such as use of text processing, the Internet and graphics but in the use of email, and controlling and monitoring devices the pupils do not reach the standards that they should.

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Commentary

8. The pupils’ standards in art and design are above the expected levels at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and in religious education they match the expected requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. It is not possible to make judgements about the standards reached in design and Wyton Primary School - 11 technology, history, geography, music or physical education because too few lessons were seen during the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good overall and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The attendance rate is above average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils have a good awareness of right and wrong. • Children’s behaviour in the reception class is excellent and throughout the rest of the school it is very good. • The pupils are punctual and this ensures that lessons start quickly. • The school supports pupils new to the school very well. • The pupils’ independence and initiative are fostered well and they learn to work well together and on their own.

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Commentary

9. The pupils’ attitudes to learning continue to be very good and nearly all pupils try hard in lessons. During the inspection, younger and older boys and girls commented on how much they enjoy coming to school.. Lessons provide good opportunities for pupils to work independently and they happily share responsibilities such as watering plants and looking after the environmental area. The school has made a start on forming a school council so that pupils have a more formal chance to give their opinions and suggestions to improve school life. Children who have experienced working in a school council in other schools have talked to pupils in Years 5 and 6 and the headteacher has accepted applications from pupils interested in becoming a ‘councillor’.

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Commentary

10. All the pupils behave very well and are very polite. This is better than at the time of the last inspection and reflects the fact that older children now attend the school and they set a good example in response to the good guidance given to them by the adults. They play well at lunchtimes and playtimes and move around the school calmly. The pupils are well aware of the school’s rules and reward systems and understand the difference between right and wrong. In the reception class routines are well established and the children move between activities sensibly. No time is wasted and children make rapid progress with their activities. The pupils throughout the rest of the school show very good levels of co-operation with each other in class discussions and group activities.

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Commentary

11. Attendance was above the national average last year and good attendance has been maintained since the last inspection. The staff continue to monitor attendance adequately, but some absences are recorded as authorised when the reason for them is not known. Parents understand the importance of sending their children to school regularly and the positive effect this has on their children’s progress. Punctuality during the inspection was good. There have been no exclusions.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 96.0 School data 0.0 National data 94.2 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

12. An important reason for the new pupils’ very easy integration into the school is that the headteacher has given a very clear direction to the process used by the teachers and other staff Wyton Primary School - 12 to settle children sensitively into the routines of the school, bearing in mind their immediate needs. The school has a “buddy scheme” to support the many new children entering the school and this helps the new pupils to quickly make new friends. The school also has a “listening box” where pupils place notes if they have a concern and need to talk to someone. The school has a friendship bench in the playground where pupils sit at break-times if they feel left out of games and activities. Other pupils watch the bench and offer to play with anyone sitting on it. All pupils feel cared for and this has a positive effect on their attitudes to school.

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Commentary

13. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall and it is promoted well by all staff. Many themes are planned through the curriculum designed for personal, social and health education (PSHE) and these are explored in ‘circle-time’ class discussions. For example, how to deal with other people and how to be a good friend have featured in the discussions recently. The pupils respond well to school rules because they see the point of them. The teachers explore the spiritual dimension of collective worship themes and pupils develop their self-knowledge, confidence and spiritual awareness effectively. They have opportunities to reflect on issues raised in assemblies. The headteacher plans the provision carefully. The pupils responded well to the assembly about ‘overcoming adversity.’ They learned that anyone, no matter what their disability, can reach the top in whatever they choose

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Commentary

14. The pupils have a good understanding of their own culture. Their understanding of life within an ethnically diverse society has improved since the last inspection when it was judged to be unsatisfactory. Opportunities for pupils to explore the beliefs, festivals and customs of a range of cultures are more numerous than at the time of the last inspection. The pupils study developing countries such as India and St. Lucia in geography lessons and this has helped them to gain a reasonable understanding of some other faiths, such as Islam and Judaism.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning are good overall. The procedures for recording regularly what each pupil can do and understand are unsatisfactory because the teachers devise their own methods as there is no whole-school system. The end of year records for English and mathematics for each pupil are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The proportion of good or better lessons has increased since the last inspection. • The teachers produce good planning for their lessons. • Throughout the school, there is a very good understanding of the high standards of behaviour that are expected. • There are weaknesses in the way that the teachers frequently record what each pupil can do and understand because there is no common method agreed for each subject. • The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good overall.

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Commentary

15. The teaching in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2 is good and similar to that seen at the time of the last inspection. The teaching in Years 4, 5 and 6 is good overall. However, one mathematics lesson was unsatisfactory. In design and technology, history, geography, physical education (PE) and music there was insufficient observation of lessons to make a firm overall judgement about the quality of teaching. Wyton Primary School - 13 Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 32 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 (0%) 5 (16%) 16 (50%) 10 (31%) 1 (3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

16. The main factor that helps the school to provide a good standard of teaching is that all the teachers base their lessons very effectively upon the national guidelines. The plans for each half term and each lesson are comprehensive and very detailed. The teacher in each class has developed group targets for English and mathematics and these are often hung above the tables and act as a reminder to the pupils during each lesson. The teachers all have a good understanding and knowledge of the subjects they teach. They work closely with the teaching assistants who give good support. The lessons are planned well for single aged classes but on occasions, where there are mixed aged classes, the teachers do not always take careful note of the wide range of ability. Consequently, they often plan activities that relate mainly to one year group. There is also insufficient checking to ensure that the pupils in the same year group in

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Commentary

different classes are taught similar tasks in mathematics.

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Commentary

17. The quality of teaching of the reception children in the Foundation Stage is good overall and often very good. The teacher’s planning in the class is good and takes into consideration the wide range of abilities within the class. The tasks are planned carefully to ensure that they receive their full entitlement to the Foundation Stage curriculum. The activities are linked very effectively across the different learning areas. This is most beneficial, as one task relates very well to another and is matched to the needs of all the children. The pace of work is brisk and, consequently, the children have achieved well since joining the class and have made good progress towards the goals set for children of this age. The class teacher and the teaching assistant work together well. The teacher shares her planning effectively with the teaching assistant and this ensures that group work is productive.

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Commentary

18. The pupils develop good skills for learning independently and most work with sustained concentration throughout Years 1 to 6. With the high turnover of pupils each term the school makes every effort to include all pupils in everything that is organised within the school and their classrooms. This follows the policy for inclusion established throughout the school. The pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are taught well. They are supported primarily in the classroom, although some support occurs outside class in focused learning groups, or for specific support. The teachers working effectively with the teaching assistants support the pupils very well. They know the pupils well and give clear explanations, often involving the pupils in discussion to boost confidence. There is a range of learning resources to support this work. The school makes good use of specialised resources to support pupils with particular problems,

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Commentary

e.g. visual impairment. Overall the support given to them is good.

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Commentary

19. All adults and pupils have a very good understanding of the high standards of behaviour that are expected and this fosters a good purposeful atmosphere for learning. The pupils respond very well and this is evident in the manner in which they are courteous and polite to visitors. The teachers and the teaching assistants give very good encouragement and, as a result, all pupils are willing to make suggestions and offer answers. However, there are occasions when the teachers do not check the quality of the pupils’ handwriting and consequently the presentation of their work is sometimes unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

20. At the end of each year, the teachers check upon each pupil’s standards effectively and following the administration of English, reading and spelling and mathematics tests, the pupils’ assessments are recorded accurately, as a level reached by each pupil. This gives a quick picture of each pupil’s standards compared with the national expectations for their ages. The teachers then base their planning for the next year upon these results and plan specific tasks for Wyton Primary School - 14 the lower- and higher-attaining pupils. In the Foundation Stage, the teacher tracks each child’s learning against the goals that each child is expected to reach by the end of the reception year. These Foundation Stage records are good and give an accurate picture of each child’s development and progress in developing skills, knowledge and understanding . The teaching assistant helps with this when she works with small groups of children, by noting down the

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Commentary

children’s achievements or difficulties.

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Commentary

21. For the rest of the school, the regular recording of what each pupil has learned in English and mathematics from week to week or at the end of a topic is not carried out using a common format across the school. Currently, all teachers use their own systems. Some of these records are not easy to maintain and consequently it is difficult for the subject leaders to draw quick conclusions about each pupil’s progress and achievement. The school is aware of the need to agree a whole-school format for recording these assessments and has already begun to identify key learning objectives and a common format to be used in English and mathematics. However, there are still no ongoing records to show what pupils have learnt in science, ICT, RE, art and design, design and technology, history, geography, music and PE. This is a weakness in the school’s assessment procedure. Considering the pressure placed upon the school by the high

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Commentary

turnover of pupils each year, the school uses the tests developed nationally to test pupils in Years 3 to 6 when they arrive to ascertain their standards in English and mathematics. However, there is no set procedure to find out the pupils standards in science and this prevents the teachers identifying gaps in the pupils knowledge or their repeated coverage of topics.

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The curriculum

The overall quality of the curriculum is satisfactory and provides a broad range of opportunities for all pupils. There are many appropriate times when the pupils enjoy good opportunities that enrich their learning. The accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory.

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Strengths and weaknesses

• The opportunities for enrichment are good. • The provision for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is good. • The school has only recently acquired the equipment to teach about control using computers and consequently there are some gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. • The provision for special educational needs is good.

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Commentary

22. The quality and range of opportunities provided are satisfactory overall, with some good elements. For example, there is a good range of additional curriculum opportunities in both sport and the arts. These enrich the pupils’ learning outside of class, and the school is making increasing use of the school grounds to enrich the learning in science studies. A well-planned programme for PSHE, including sex and drugs education, has been developed and this good provision contributes well both to the very good relationships pupils have with others and to the very good “ethos” of the school. The school uses national guidelines, in addition to commercially produced schemes, as its planning framework, and schemes of work have been produced for all subjects, an improvement from the previous inspection. However, until recently the school could not cover part of the ICT curriculum because it lacked appropriate equipment.

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Commentary

This is now available and the control using computers is now planned comprehensively following the national guidelines for the pupils aged seven to 11.

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Commentary

23. The curriculum planned for the pupils with special educational needs is good. The class teachers write the individual education plans in collaboration with the co-ordinator, who gives good advice and support. These plans are good working documents and they are used effectively by the teachers to ensure that each pupil follows the appropriate “small step” targets that are set. Wyton Primary School - 15 24. The accommodation is good and the school makes good use of its available space. The resources for learning are satisfactory overall with good provision for English, art and design and music and very good overall provision for pupils in the reception class.

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Care, guidance and support

The pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is good. The overall provision made for the pupils’ support, advice and guidance based on monitoring of achievement and personal development is satisfactory. The school procedures to seek pupils' views are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The relationships between staff and pupils are very good and all the staff know the pupils very well. • The headteacher, teachers and all support assistants provide thoughtful and caring support to pupils, ensuring the all pupils develop trusting relationships. • The school uses very effective arrangements to introduce new pupils to the school; this is a major strength of the school.

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Commentary

25. The school continues to offer a good level of care for its pupils. It takes effective steps to provide them with a very clean, safe and secure environment in which they are happy and can learn purposefully. The headteacher, teachers and all support staff provide very caring and thoughtful support to all pupils and they are always accessible and responsive to the pupils' pastoral needs.

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Commentary

26. The school makes conscientious efforts to ensure that all new pupils are quickly settled into the routines of their class and the school. This is a major strength of the school. The pupils and their parents confirm that the care shown by all staff is very good and successful, despite the frequent lack of information from the pupils' previous schools. The arrangements to ensure that the youngest children settle quickly and confidently into the reception class are very good.

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Commentary

27. The pupils have been given the opportunity to put forward their views, through surveys, on a range of issues. For example, the school has responded to a suggestion from pupils and moved the timing of the daily school assembly, because the afternoon assemblies were disturbed by the kitchen noises. The school is currently inviting pupils from Years 5 and 6 to apply for positions on the planned school council.

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Commentary

28. The school gives appropriately high priority to the pupils' health and safety. Regular safety checks are carried out, and equipment is regularly checked. However, the school does not have lower equipment that might be safer for the reception children to use. Appropriate risk assessments are carried out and dealt with competently. The child protection procedures are securely in place. The headteacher is the designated teacher with overall responsibility, and has been suitably trained. There is regular update training for all members of staff.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Overall the partnership with parents is good and the links with the local community are satisfactory. Links with other schools are good, overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school enjoys good relationships with the parents. • Most parents are very supportive of the school. • Parents feel that they are welcome in school and that the school is approachable. Wyton Primary School - 16 • Information to parents is good and children’s annual reports give a very good range of information. • Sporting and musical links with other schools are very good. • The links with the personnel on the RAF base are good.

p.15

Commentary

29. The school continues to have a good relationship with parents, who are very supportive of the school. Most parents feel that they are welcome in school, and feel comfortable about approaching the school. They praise the very good induction arrangements for new pupils, particularly those starting during the school year. The inspection team finds these to be very good. Nearly all parents feel that the school enables their children to make good progress. They are happy that their children enjoy coming to school. There are good arrangements to inform parents regarding the curriculum, and evening meetings are held to explain aspects of the curriculum to parents and carers.

p.16

Commentary

30. Some parents indicated a concern about the level of information they receive about their children’s progress. The inspection team investigated these areas. It found that through termly consultation evenings, and the pupil's annual report, the parents are very well informed. Annual reports are detailed, giving good indications of what pupils know and can do, with good information about the progress made. The targets set also provide the pupils and their parents with guidance so that they know how they can improve further.

p.16

Commentary

31. Some parents stated that they were not consulted enough about school matters. Although questionnaires are sent out, the school acknowledges that the views of an ever-changing parent population also vary over time. Only a small number of parents are now actively involved within the school on a regular basis. A small active core group of Friends of Wyton organise events to raise funds for the school. These events are well supported by the wider group of parents.

p.16

Commentary

32. The links with the RAF Wyton community and personnel are good, and service pupils and most parents have access to a good range of activities within the base. The school choir performs within the local community, sometimes with the RAF band.

p.16

Commentary

33. The school maintains good links with other schools, including the secondary school, through the local schools’ partnership and pupils take part in a very good range of sporting and musical activities. The school has been successful in winning a regional football tournament for smaller schools, and has recently reached this year's Southern England final. The school tries hard to ensure that when pupils transfer to other schools, especially part-way through the school year, useful statistical and other information is provided for parents to take to the pupil's new school. However, the school frequently has difficulty obtaining information from schools from which pupils transfer and this means that often the teachers have difficulty finding out what the child has been taught or whether they need special educational needs help.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good, overall. The leadership by the headteacher is good. The governance of the school is good. The management of the school is satisfactory because the subject leaders could do more to monitor the quality of the teachers’ planning and assessment and the quality of the pupils’ work.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a clear vision of the future developments and has developed a very good ethos. • Subject leaders do not regularly check on either the quality of the pupils’ work or the teachers’ ongoing assessment records and lesson planning in their subject. • The school has a good commitment to the inclusion of all pupils in all that it does. Wyton Primary School - 17 • The management of the Foundation Stage is good. • The provision made for, and the management of, special educational needs is good.

p.16

Commentary

34. The governing body is given good guidance and a clear direction for future developments by the headteacher. The school faces a continually changing membership of the governing body because of the regular movement of families from the RAF base. The chair and the headteacher work closely together and replace governors as soon as possible and have succeeded in enlisting more governors from the local communities since the last inspection. All governors follow training sessions and they have a reasonable understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors appointed from the local civilian communities carry forward their experiences effectively and this provides the governing body with a good long-term structure. There is full compliance with statutory requirements and the timetable for reviewing and setting policies is good and is completed conscientiously. Many governors visit the school

p.17

Commentary

frequently and work closely with the headteacher and staff by giving them good support. They have a satisfactory understanding of the needs of the school and have a secure knowledge of the future developments that are necessary. They have agreed reliable procedures to help shape the vision and future direction of the school.

p.17

Commentary

35. The quality of leadership of the headteacher is good. She is committed to improving the quality of education and has a clear sense of direction for the future. Through her good leadership the staff work as a coherent team and share a common outlook. They all appreciate the values that she has developed across the school and promote the aims effectively. Consequently the school has a very good ethos, which is a major strength. The headteacher has fostered a very positive attitude throughout the school so that all adults and children make sure that all new pupils are warmly welcomed and given very good guidance so that they settle quickly into the routines.

p.17

Commentary

36. The quality of management of the school is satisfactory. The headteacher has established the role of the subject leaders well since the last inspection and they have completed training courses to enhance their skills when leading the development of their subjects. They manage the budget and the resources for their subjects carefully. Every three years their subject has a whole-school focus and they prepare good action plans in order to develop their subjects throughout the school. However, the subject leaders do not have sufficient time to check upon the teachers’ plans and assessment records and the pupils’ work to check upon the quality of the work in their subjects at other times. Consequently, they cannot be sure that the standards rise in line with the levels expected nationally for each year group. Consequently, in the case of science, the standards at the end of Year 6 have dropped over the past three years. These have

p.17

Commentary

focused appropriately upon the development of schemes of work and better planning of what the teachers need to teach next. Some emphasis has been expended upon the development of their ICT skills and this is now being used in the preparation of their weekly plans but, so far, because of the constraints of the computer equipment, they do not use ICT sufficiently well to enhance pupils’ learning in other subjects.

p.17

Commentary

37. Performance management and staff training are carried out systematically and, from these discussions and observations, realistic targets are set for each member of staff. This has enabled the school to establish schemes of work and to improve the teachers’ planning.

p.17

Commentary

38. The management of the Foundation Stage curriculum is imaginative and good. There is a well- equipped secure outdoor area immediately outside the classroom, which is used regularly under the supervision of the teacher or the teaching assistant .

p.17

Commentary

39. The provision for special educational needs is good overall and is well managed by the Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO), who is the headteacher. Documentation is very well organised, up to date and reflects the lengths the school, parents and support services go to in order to offer a full range of educational opportunities to pupils with a range of difficulties, both physical and in learning. The school is extremely positive in its approach. When considering pupils with Wyton Primary School - 18 SEN, the school’s prime focus is to swiftly ascertain, and put in place, support to alleviate difficulties and ensure pupils’ inclusion in school life. 40. The school makes good use of the Learning Support service. As part of this service a Learning Support teacher visits school regularly and is deployed within school to areas of current need. Two governors keep themselves well informed about provision for special needs and they meet

p.17

Commentary

the special needs co-ordinator frequently.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 425,869 Balance from previous year 40,006 Total expenditure 432,566 Balance carried forward to the next 33,309 Expenditure per pupil 2,737

p.18

Financial information

41. The school has a good monitoring procedure to ensure that funds are allocated sensibly and carefully. Furthermore, it makes good use of the resources available and deploys the teachers and teaching assistants effectively to raise standards. The school has developed good principles of best value for money, especially when deciding upon staffing levels. For example, the governors checked upon the deployment of the teaching assistants and observed them in action supporting the pupils and teachers in the classrooms. All funds made available to the school are used prudently and wisely and recently the installation of double glazed windows throughout the school has improved the insulation and reaped benefits by reducing heating costs. The school has put aside some money for the renewal of the roof and this accounts for the larger than usual carry forward to next year. The quality of teaching is good overall and the planning of lessons is

p.18

Financial information

good. The headteacher and all staff have developed a very caring school where the high turnover of pupils is managed extremely sensitively and effectively. The pupils whose attainment on entry in the reception year was below average have made good achievements by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The quality of the leadership by the headteacher and the governance of the school are good and consequently the school provides good value for money. Wyton Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision for the Foundation Stage is good; the provision for children’s creative development is very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. • The children’s behaviour is excellent. • The quality of teaching is good and activities are well planned to ensure that each child is challenged appropriately. • The classroom is stimulating and activities in many areas of learning are purposefully linked. • The records kept to show progress towards the goals set for children of this age are good. • Most children are on course to reach the Early Learning Goals in all aspects of their learning by the end of the year. • The teaching assistant is directed well to help children to learn.

p.19

Commentary

42. There are 27 children in the reception class. The classroom displays are colourful and stimulating. Areas of the classroom are planned very well to give a wide range of experiences to all the children.

p.19

Commentary

43. The attainment on entry to the school is generally below the expected levels for children of this age in many aspects of their development. However, because of the good quality of teaching, all children achieve well and most are on course to reach the standards expected. Last year nearly all the children entered Year 1 having completed successfully the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in all the areas of learning.

p.19

Commentary

44. During the inspection, six lessons were observed and wall displays of the children’s work were seen. The quality of teaching seen during the inspection was good overall and in two lessons it was very good. The long-term planning for all areas of learning is good and consistent with the national guidelines. The teacher plans the lessons well and works well with the teaching assistant. The teacher has good, secure knowledge and understanding of the needs of children in this class. She has adapted the assessment records effectively to suit her accurate methods for recording what each child can do. This is most effective and she can easily identify what each child needs to learn next. The adults work with the children to encourage their independence and use their time well to assess what each child has achieved in group work. The teacher and the teaching assistant use good questioning strategies to develop the children’s

p.19

Commentary

literacy and numeracy skills. Those with special educational needs are given good support.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

45. The role-play area is used effectively to develop children’s personal, social and emotional skills. During the inspection the children were engaged in serving food in a Chinese restaurant. They acted out the roles of chef and waiters and used the occasions to write out menus, orders for customers and to prepare the tables for eating. During all the observations and at playtimes the children behaved excellently. They consider each other’s needs whilst taking turns to share such things as the magnet in the sand tray and the equipment used in mathematics and art activities. The teaching assistant is well prepared and gives good support to all children, often working with a small group to develop their skills . This enhances the provision, which is good. In all the activities seen during the inspection the children responded willingly to the challenges and were involved happily in their tasks with others. They all develop a positive attitude towards their

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Wyton Primary School - 20 work and building good relationships with others. The lower-attaining children are given good support and guidance in small groups and this helps them to share and take turns willingly.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

46. In one literacy session the children enjoyed ‘reading’ the big book. They were attentive and followed the print as the teacher read the text. Many recognised simple words such as ‘in’ and ‘is’ and joined in the common phrases from memory. The teacher and the teaching assistant kept all the children fully involved. The children took an active part in reading or making observations about the different types of transport in the story. Several children confidently know the names of many letters and are beginning to understand the sounds that letters make. Many children already write their own names, with some writing over or copying below the teacher’s script. The communication, language and literacy activities are varied well. For example, they include identifying the initial letter sound of various vehicles. The more able children sort out the whole name of a vehicle such as “police car” and “ferry” . This is a profitable activity and gives

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

the children a good opportunity to develop their independent writing skills. The lower-attaining children are given help to place correct toys into the box labelled with the first letter of the toy. Most of the children speak very clearly and in complete sentences when answering questions. The children’s reading skills are developing well, with many being able to recognise letters and sounds. Their achievements since they started school are good.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

47. In one mathematical session the children were working to understand the numbers up to ten and counted out the correct number of counters to match the number. Nearly all recognised numbers up to ten and most counted accurately beyond 30. The teacher used creative methods to help the children to understand that numbers can be added together. For example, the theme of vehicles was used well to add together passengers on the top and bottom decks of a double- decker bus. On another occasion the pupils decorated the tops of cakes with different numbers of chocolate chips. Good use was made of equipment, especially the computers, to help the children to work independently and by the end of the lesson they had achieved well and made good progress.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

48. The classroom has many areas where children develop their knowledge and understanding of the world . The activities around the classroom are linked together very well. For example, the materials display is reflected in the work about houses with different textures of building materials highlighted. This is again explored through the use of clay to create tile pictures of houses. The computers are used well to tell stories that the children can follow and activate using the mouse. The observations of the changing seasons were explored further through an art lesson where the children observed the form and shape of a bare winter tree and compared it with the same tree in leaf which they had seen and painted during autumn. The children, working in the sand tray, potted plastic flowers and watered them, describing what plants need in order to grow. Cooking small cakes fostered an understanding that some materials when

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

mixed together change, which the children eagerly described.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

49. The teacher uses good links between all areas of learning. The children have achieved very well in their creative development since joining the school. The development of the children’s fine skills when using crayons, paint, clay and scissors is good. They use bold and colourful strokes of paint when painting portraits or when creating a tree in autumn colours. They are developing a good understanding of the different textures around them and using clay can print out patterns and shapes to model a house . The displays around the classroom show that the children have many opportunities to experiment with different drawing materials. Themes are used effectively Wyton Primary School - 21 and are linked well so that the children can relate their experiences in other areas of learning such as mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

50. The children’s finer skills of writing and cutting are being developed well and the provision for their physical development overall is good . The teacher and the teaching assistant make very good use of the outdoor facilities. There are good relevant resources for the children’s physical development such as wheeled vehicles and large building construction kits, including plastic milk crates that the children use imaginatively to build dens and homes. The children’s achievements in the development of their physical development are good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils in Year 2 make good progress and attain standards that are above average. • The pupils’ standards in Year 6 have improved since last year and are now average. • There are good standards through the school in speaking, listening and reading. • Too often pieces of writing are not finished. • Standards of presentation and handwriting are inconsistent.

p.21

Commentary

51. The inspection evidence shows that by the time the pupils reach seven years of age, their standards in reading and writing are above average, and at the age of 11 their standards are in line with those expected in writing and above average in reading. This represents good progress for seven-year-olds and maintains the good standards noted at the previous inspection. For the pupils in Year 6 the results have improved from last year. At the time of the previous inspection there were no results for pupils in Year 6 with which this inspection can make comparisons.

p.21

Commentary

52. Through the school, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above those expected. Many pupils are confident and articulate speakers. They are keen to talk and are quick to organise thoughts. The pupils use complex sentences and a good number have a wide vocabulary. Adults provide good role models for the pupils, as they listen carefully and share conversations in lessons and at other times of the day. During discussions, the majority of pupils take turns and make relevant contributions, as was demonstrated in a lesson with older pupils where issues relating to drug taking were considered.

p.21

Commentary

53. The standards in reading are above average through the school. The pupils read aloud with confidence and quickly develop a range of strategies to help them read unfamiliar words. There is particularly good support during small group reading lessons from teachers and teaching assistants. The adults provide good role models, and support focuses clearly on how pupils can improve. There is a very good range of literature for these sessions that stimulates interest. Some pupils’ reading skills are very high. They talk confidently about books read, giving opinions about characters and reasons for events. Their reading becomes a “performance” that is completely engaging. The pupils, especially the older ones, are developing preferences for the work of different authors, with Jacqueline Wilson, J. K. Rowling and J. R. R.Tolkien amongst the favourites. Generally, the book areas in classrooms are well organised and there are displays to

p.21

Commentary

capture the pupils’ interest. The library is of a good size and is well stocked with a range of fiction and non-fiction. Books are in good condition.

p.21

Commentary

54. By the time pupils are seven years old, their standards in writing are above average and this Wyton Primary School - 22 represents very good progress. There is good teaching of the basic skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar, and pupils receive good opportunities to develop their writing in terms of clarity and varied use of language. In one lesson the Year 2 pupils were looking at story “settings” and one pupil gave the sentence “The sand is yellow”. When asked to try to make this into a more interesting statement another pupil immediately said, “The sand is as yellow as the sun”.

p.21

Commentary

55. The pupils’ standards in writing in Year 6 are average and for those pupils who can be tracked throughout their time in the school this achievement is very good. This improvement on recent standards is because the pupils have good opportunities to write for different purposes and they try hard to make their writing lively and varied. Many pupils have experience of a good range of literature and elements of “good style” are being absorbed into their own writing. Sometimes, the pupils’ focus on this seems to be at the expense of more basic elements such as punctuation, spelling and presentation.

p.22

Commentary

56. The teaching in English is good overall for pupils up to age seven, and satisfactory but with some good elements for pupils up to the age of 11. The teachers generally have good knowledge and understanding of how to teach reading and writing, and the National Literacy Strategy is well implemented. Interesting and varied vocabulary is used to promote the pupils’ interest in new words, and the teachers use correct grammatical terms well. In the best lessons, the teachers plan appropriately challenging activities for all ability groups, manage pupils and time very well, make good use of resources, and, often in partnership with skilled teaching assistants, promote good learning. On a couple of occasions lessons were less effective than they initially promised to be because class teachers did not use time effectively enough, both to ensure expected learning during the lesson and to check on what the pupils had learned at the

p.22

Commentary

end. The scrutiny of pupils’ work also shows some work unfinished, some untidy presentation and standards of handwriting that vary from very good to sloppy and careless.

p.22

Commentary

57. The subject leader for English moved from the school at the end of the autumn term 2003 but the headteacher has taken over the role and the quality of the leadership of the subject has remained consistent in its approach. Whilst the headteacher is maintaining the co-ordination of the subject effectively, the school views the need to appoint a new subject leader with some urgency. To give additional help to the staff, the headteacher has arranged some support from the local education authority.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

58. Opportunities for pupils to use their literacy skills across the curriculum are good overall. The school has made positive efforts to increase opportunities for writing longer pieces of work. Opportunities for speaking and listening are a regular feature of lessons. The pupils are gaining increasing opportunities to develop research skills and to read for information because the teachers are using topics, for example in history and religious education, to extend their skills in reading and writing.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The standards are above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and all pupils achieve well. • The quality of teaching is good overall and the planning of lessons is good. • The records that show each pupil’s ongoing achievements are inconsistent across the school because all the teachers maintain their own methods and this makes it difficult for the subject leaders to check upon each pupil’s progress. Wyton Primary School - 23

p.22

Commentary

59. The current standards in mathematics at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above average. The results of the national tests in 2003 in Year 2 show that the school’s performance has improved significantly over the past three years and is now above average when compared with all schools and with similar types of schools. This is also a significant improvement upon the results of the national tests 1997, reported at the time of the last inspection, when standards were well below average. The pupils achieve very well.

p.23

Commentary

60. The results of the national tests in 2003 for Year 6 were lower than the previous year and although still above average were affected by the late admission of many pupils to the school. The school did not meet its target for the year. No comparisons can be made with standards at the time of the last inspection because there were no Year 6 pupils in school at that time. When compared with schools of a similar type based on the proportion of free school meals then, the school’s performance in 2003 was below average.

p.23

Commentary

61. Because of the good quality of teaching, most pupils, by the end of Year 2, are working competently within the work set for their year group. The teacher plans appropriately for the range of ability within the class and the more able pupils and many of those of average ability are on course to exceed the Level 2 expected for their age. They have been taught well and the amount of work completed so far is good. The pupils with special educational needs and those in need of greater help are achieving well. As the pupils progress through Years 3 and 4, the pace of their work increases and many are competent in the addition of two digit numbers, know the properties of three-dimensional shapes and understand compass points and directions. Currently, the work of the pupils in Year 6 shows that they are all working securely within the work set for Year 6 and, in many instances, that they are challenged appropriately by more

p.23

Commentary

demanding work that puts them on course to reach the higher Level 5. All pupils in Year 6 are achieving well. They sustain concentration and many check their own work and judge their success at the end of a task.

p.23

Commentary

62. In most lessons seen, the quality of teaching was at least satisfactory and often good. In one lesson, it was very good. The lessons are well planned with good targets to be completed by the end of the lesson shared with the pupils. The teachers’ planning is now good. The tasks are usually planned well with the tasks building upon the pupils’ previous knowledge. The pace of work is generally good, especially during the introduction session. In the one lesson where the quality of teaching was unsatisfactory there was not enough demanded of the more able pupils. The lesson began very wearily and the pupils were set tasks that were much too easy and the pupils were quickly bored by the lack of stimulus.

p.23

Commentary

63. The subject leader has a very secure understanding of the subject and gives the staff good guidance. However, apart from when the subject is prominent in the school’s development plan, the teachers’ plans and assessments are not checked and the subject leader does not inspect the quality of the pupils’ work, although the headteacher frequently checks upon standards. The information recorded in each pupil’s end of year records, following mathematics tests, is reliable. However, it is difficult for the school to make accurate predictions about its performance at the end of Year 6 because of the high turnover of pupils throughout every year. The day-to-day recording of what each pupil can do varies from class to class and this causes difficulties when the subject leader needs to explore each pupil’s progress. The subject leader is aware that records are not easily interpreted from teacher to teacher and is preparing to introduce a

p.23

Commentary

common format for records once mathematics becomes the school’s focus for development. She has checked upon the teaching in Years 1 and 2 and has analysed the results of the national tests. This resulted in an added emphasis upon problem solving activities throughout the school. She has not had opportunities to check upon the teaching in Years 3 to 6.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

64. The use of mathematics across the curriculum is satisfactory. Currently there is evidence of Wyton Primary School - 24 mathematics being used with ICT where the pupils use spreadsheets and make block and line graphs. The stand-alone computers in the classrooms are used by the pupils to solve calculations, and calculators are frequently used to check answers.

p.23

SCIENCE

Provision for science is unsatisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been a decline in standards of pupils’ work since 2000 at the end of Year 6. • In Year 6 pupils do not reach the nationally expected standard and their achievement is unsatisfactory. • The co-ordinator has expertise that she is keen to use more, but has too few opportunities to check the school’s provision. • Some lessons do not challenge all pupils effectively enough.

p.24

Commentary

65. The pupils’ performances since 2000 have declined seriously in national tests at the end of Year 6 and in the national tests for 2003 were below average. Evidence from the inspection indicates that pupils attain average standards overall in Year 2. There is no significant difference between the standards attained by boys and girls.

p.24

Commentary

66. There are several reasons for the decline in standards of work. Many pupils leave or join the school at different times during each school year. The pupils who join the school have had different experiences of science. For example, half the pupils in last year’s Year 6 joined the school during the two terms prior to the national tests being taken. Some of these pupils had not covered all the topics and in the past had often repeated the same topic in other schools. The teachers talk to new pupils about what they know in science and then attempt to set a curriculum that meets their individual needs, but the school’s assessment process for science is not rigorous enough to ensure that this happens. It is clear that some pupils enter the school with large gaps in their knowledge and that the school cannot identify these omissions quickly enough for them to make the necessary progress.

p.24

Commentary

67. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory . Three lessons were observed. In a good lesson the pupils discovered that ice melts at room temperature. Much practical work took place and the teacher skilfully questioned the pupils so that they would predict, for example, what would happen if ice was left outside as opposed to inside where it was warm. The pupils achieved well.

p.24

Commentary

68. In a Year 5 lesson, the teacher assessed the pupils’ knowledge of solids, liquids and gases effectively. The teacher’s expertise was good and the lesson was well thought out. The pupils had to reveal all the knowledge they had about testing ideas fairly. The lesson was based on a problem solving activity and pupils co-operated well. Although progress through the lesson was quite slow, it was a testing exercise that challenged all pupils appropriately and the consolidation of their learning was good.

p.24

Commentary

69. It is clear from the evidence drawn from the scrutiny of work that, where the quality of teaching has not been secure, the teachers have not consolidated pupils’ knowledge sufficiently well in Year 6. Because some the pupils have only been in the school for a short time, some work that they produce is poorly presented and shows that teachers do not expect enough of pupils. The teachers have not established good enough routines for pupils to use to record their investigations and experiments. Vital conclusions to some investigative work are missing. The pupils make too few predictions before they begin to investigate ideas and often do not justify what they have said with reasons why their predictions were correct or not. The teachers have not marked pupils’ work carefully enough and insisted that they finish these vital elements. In Wyton Primary School - 25 some instances it appears that pupils have been asked to do the same work regardless of their

p.24

Commentary

abilities. Lower-attaining pupils’ work shows evidence that they have been asked to do too much and much of their work is unfinished. Currently, there is a lack of depth in the science written about by the pupils in Year 6. There are very few examples of work that refers to ideas and knowledge within Level 5 of the National Curriculum. The teachers rely heavily on worksheets, which sometimes restricts the pupils’ capacity to write at length. In the lesson in Year 6, the pupils were asked about their knowledge of plants. It was clear that the pupils’ knowledge is not secure and further revision is needed.

p.25

Commentary

70. The subject leader has a good level of knowledge about science teaching and understands what needs to be done to improve the provision. Her plans for the future are well written and identify what needs to be done to raise standards at the end of Year 6. Firstly she analysed the results for the national tests last year and has alerted the teachers to the fact that the focus on the pupils’ writing in science had been insufficient and secondly that the teachers need to find out more precisely what each new pupil to the school knows. The subject leader has developed a good record for teachers to use to record pupils’ progress through the different elements of science but this is not yet in use through the school. The conservation area is good and includes a pond and a herb garden, which the pupils use effectively to widen their knowledge of living things in and around the school. They have built a hedgehog sanctuary in the garden and

p.25

Commentary

71. The development of science has not been the focus for development for three years and this is the main reason that standards have dropped. The subject leader has had too few opportunities to analyse the pupils’ work or to check the teachers’ plans and assessments because science is not a focus for attention until next term. This arrangement has limited the improvements that could have been made between periods of close monitoring.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is unsatisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year 2 the pupils reach the nationally expected standard in all areas of the subject. The pupils in Year 6 have a satisfactory knowledge of most aspects of the subject but have not yet had opportunities to explore the uses of control and monitoring of equipment with a computer or the use of the e-mail facilities. • The subject leader has expertise in ICT but has too few opportunities to check the school’s provision. • ICT is not used consistently to support learning in other subjects because some older computers in classrooms are unreliable.

p.25

Commentary

72. The pupils in Year 2 reach standards that are in line with the nationally expected levels. The satisfactory teaching ensures that pupils make steady progress and achieve satisfactorily. In Year 6, the pupils’ standards are average in their use of the Internet, text processing, graphics and preparing graphs and data handling programs and their achievement is satisfactory. However, in aspects of controlling devices using computers and communicating electronically using e-mail, the pupils have not yet used the new equipment and do not attain the standards they should.

p.25

Commentary

73. Since the last inspection the school has received funding from the government’s National Grid for Learning and the resources for the subject have improved considerably. However, because it only gained full primary school status after the last inspection the school has found it difficult to catch up with the demands of providing enough equipment. There are now enough modern computers to teach whole classes comfortably by using one laptop computer between two Wyton Primary School - 26 pupils. However, the batteries only last long enough to allow the computers to be used for part of the day and consequently this restricts the use. The school is exploring options such as locating the laptops in the group room where they can be plugged into the mains supply in safety.

p.25

Commentary

74. The teachers’ confidence and expertise have developed well following extended training. The satisfactory planning ensures that the pupils experience most aspects of the subject over seven years. The pupils’ work shows that they are learning to use ICT for word processing, to draw pictures, find information from Internet sources and handle numerical information in spreadsheets competently, but as yet they do not use the e-mail facilities available.

p.26

Commentary

75. The teaching is satisfactory, overall. In the two lessons seen, the teachers used their subject knowledge well to give pupils clear explanations and demonstrations. The teachers use questioning effectively to confirm what the pupils have learned. They maintained a reasonable pace in lessons. In Year 2, the pupils learned to control a floor robot successfully. They learned that instructions can be repeated and the robot will do as it is asked. The teacher made a good link with an earlier mathematics lesson about shape and the pupils wrote instructions for the robot to perform routines based on shapes the teacher had provided.

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Commentary

76. Currently, the teachers do not keep enough examples of the pupils’ work and there is little evidence of what pupils have done in some year groups. There is a whole-school system to record each pupil’s attainment and progress but some teachers have not filled in this record in as much detail as others, so it has limited use for plotting the pupils’ progress and helping teachers to plan lessons that challenge all pupils.

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Commentary

77. The co-ordination of ICT is satisfactory. The subject is on the timetable for all classes and pupils receive regular lessons. The subject leader has a good level of personal knowledge of the subject. His plans for the future are well written and should extend the teachers’ knowledge and skills effectively. However, he has had too few opportunities to analyse the pupils’ work because ICT has not been the focus of attention often enough. This arrangement has limited the improvements that could have been made, such as providing equipment so that the older pupils can use e-mails and develop their control and monitoring skills.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

78. The use of ICT across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. The stand-alone classroom computers were not seen being used regularly during the inspection but the pupils used the modern laptop computers in whole-class lessons. For example, they draw pictures, consolidate graphing information in mathematics, write tasks in English, and learn about churches in religious education through the use of the Internet. The teachers have begun to combine successfully the use of laptops with direct wireless connections, and access the Internet so that the pupils can research information for other subjects. However, the age and reliability of other computers restricts the use of ICT in classrooms. The school has a website where parents have access to important school information.

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Geography and History

79. In the humanities, work was sampled in geography and history . Two lessons were seen in geography but no history lessons were seen. It is therefore not possible to form an overall judgement about the pupils’ standards of work or the quality of the teaching in these subjects. There are indications from the pupils’ work that standards are meeting those expected nationally and that standards have been maintained since the last inspection. The school continues to place a good emphasis on map work. The targets that the teachers have set for lessons are clearer than they were. Wyton Primary School - 27 80. Both geography lessons that were observed were well taught. In Year 2, the pupils learned for the first time that the pointer in a compass points to magnetic north and always points in that direction. The learning was good because the teacher gave the pupils opportunities to experiment and to watch the compass for themselves. The pupils understood the points of the

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Geography and History

compass and began to understand that once a compass has been properly orientated it can be used for navigation.

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Geography and History

81. In Year 3 the pupils worked competently on the idea of scale. They drew shapes to a scale of one centimetre representing five centimetres. This tested the pupils’ abilities yet they achieved well. The teacher helped the pupils to learn by showing them examples of maps and by using the overhead projector to demonstrate key ideas clearly.

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Geography and History

82. In Year 3, the pupils studied Egypt in history lessons. They know a number of facts about how bodies were buried, about slavery and the social structure and aspects of the afterlife. However, in one instance a pupil had already studied Egypt in two other schools but the school could not provide an alternative activity. In Year 2, the pupils have studied transport and can describe the changes that took place from the horse and cart to steam power. The pupils in Year 5 study the Second World War. They have satisfactory knowledge about the war and have constructed a good time line that hangs from the ceiling of the classroom and this gives accurate details of the progress of the war.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils have a good knowledge of Bible stories and different faiths such as Judaism and Islam. • The teachers have made good displays of religious themes in classrooms that enrich the pupils’ understanding of different religious festivals. • The subject leader has had too few opportunities to analyse the pupils’ work and to judge provision.

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Commentary

83. Only one lesson was observed as most occurred later in the week. However, pupils’ work was inspected and discussions were held with pupils. The pupils’ attainment in Years 2 and 6 meets the requirements of the syllabus and their achievement is satisfactory.

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Commentary

84. The pupils in Year 2 know the story of the Good Samaritan and have studied the Muslim faith. Pupils have compared the festivals of Eid, Christmas, Diwali and Hanukkah. The pupils in Year 6 study the Jewish faith and make comparisons between Christian and Jewish customs. The teachers’ planning shows that religious education is taught regularly and the work in the pupils’ books and the comments made by the pupils confirm this.

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Commentary

85. The subject leader has a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and has written a suitable action plan to address issues of which she is aware. The co-ordination of religious education is limited because the co-ordinator has had too few opportunities to analyse the pupils’ work because religious education has not been the focus of attention. This arrangement has limited the improvements that could have been made, such as to assess new pupils’ knowledge more rigorously so that they do not repeat or miss important areas of the subject. There is no whole-school system to record pupils’ attainment and progress; therefore the pupils’ good progress cannot be assured. Wyton Primary School - 28

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Art

86. Work was sampled in art and design, design and technology, physical education and music as too few lessons were seen in these subjects to make a firm judgement about provision, however the inspectors also spoke to co-ordinators of these subjects about their work. The teachers’ plans throughout the school are comprehensive and follow the national guidelines for each subject well.

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Art

87. In art and design the work on display and in the pupils’ sketchbooks was scrutinised.. In the two lessons seen the teaching was good in one and very good in the other, and standards reached were above the levels expected for pupils in Year 4 and in Year 6. In one lesson the pupils worked conscientiously and skilfully to create faces from clay tablets, with features correctly positioned and individually modelled. Good attention to developing the skills of painting with watercolours was a feature of the other lesson. Pupils worked individually to create “landscapes”, and showed good understanding of foreground and background, and how these could be enhanced by the use of “stronger/weaker” colours. It is evident from the displays around the school that the work that is planned is varied and interesting, and that the pupils clearly enjoy the subject.

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Art

88. The scrutiny of finished work and of the pupils’ designs and evaluations and photographic evidence suggests that standard of the work seen in design and technology is in line with those expected. Slippers, designed and made by older pupils, showed appropriate use of materials and joining techniques. Prototypes for burglar alarms and for fairground rides showed careful design and strong construction. During the inspection younger pupils made good use of the food technology area to bake their cakes, and the “Bread Products” topic revealed lots of detailed analysis and evaluations.

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Art

89. In the one gymnastics lesson observed in physical education (P.E.) the standard of work was in line with those expected. The school offers an appropriate programme of activities, with particular strengths in games provision. The pupils in Year 6 go swimming for one term, and by the time they leave school nearly all can swim 25m or more, although this figure is affected by a high rate of pupil mobility.

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Art

90. The planning for music throughout the school is good and includes all the elements required. Many of the pupils in Years 3 to 6 have several good opportunities to experience music making. Not only do they have class lessons but they can also take part in learning to play percussion instruments, the recorder, the guitar and also singing in the choir. These additional activities are organised very well and the standard of work observed in these sessions was above average for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Only one class lesson was seen during the inspection and this was in Year 3 where the teaching was very good and the quality of learning was very good. These pupils were beginning to compose short pieces of music to reflect a theme or mood for a hospital radio jingle. Throughout the lesson and the additional musical activities seen during the inspection all the pupils achieved well. The quality of singing in assemblies was above average,

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

91. The school has prepared a good curriculum for the development of the pupils’ personal, social and health education. Each class follows a specific theme each half term and the teachers all plan a circle discussion time once a week. Consequently, all pupils achieve very well in the development of their personal and social skills. This has a significant impact upon the way that all children welcome new pupils to the school. The school also provides well for the pupils’ health education, making appropriate coverage of sex education and raising the pupils’ awareness of the misuse of drugs. Wyton Primary School - 29

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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