Burnley Ightenhill Primary School

IGHTENHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 th – 30 th October 2003

p.1

IGHTENHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Ightenhill 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.

p.1

IGHTENHILL 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. Ightenhill Primary School - 3

p.2

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: 380

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Alder Street Burnley Postcode: BB12 6ED

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01282 428246 Fax number: 01282 839938

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Enid Tate

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1998

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in Burnley close to the M65 motorway. It has 380 pupils in 14 classes and is a larger than average primary school. There is also a Special Educational Resource Faculty that currently caters for 11 pupils with speech and language difficulties. The socio-economic context of the school is well below average. Three hundred and seventy five pupils are of white ethnic origin and five are from Asian British backgrounds. Three pupils are at an early stage in the acquisition of English. Sixty six pupils have special educational needs, broadly in line with the national average. Sixteen pupils have Statements of Special Educational Need, which is above the national average. Pupils’ attainment on entry is wide-ranging but below average overall. The school received an Achievement Award in 2001. Ightenhill Primary School - 4

p.3

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21184 Mr Alan Fullwood Lead inspector Science Information and communication technology Physical education 19335 Mrs Susan Dixon Lay inspector 20934 Mrs Jennifer Cutler Team inspector Foundation Stage Music Personal, social and health education Art and design 30705 Mr Graham Stephens Team inspector English Religious education Geography History 18461 Mrs Vanessa Wilkinson Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology

p.4

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

p.4

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). Ightenhill Primary School - 5

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

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

p.5

OVERALL EVALUATION

Ightenhill Primary School provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. However, it has serious weaknesses in the management of the school, the planning of the curriculum and the use made of assessment information, which leads to some more able pupils underachieving. Overall, pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and their behaviour is satisfactory. Leadership by the new headteacher is good. Currently, standards of attainment are in line with national expectations. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

• At the end of Year 2, standards in writing and mathematics have steadily improved since the last inspection and are above the national average in mathematics and well above the national average in writing. • More able pupils in Years 3 to 6 are underachieving. • Systems for monitoring the work of the school are underdeveloped and senior staff uncertain about their roles and responsibilities. • The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 is unsatisfactory. • Pupils have good attitudes to their learning. • The use made of assessment information to provide suitably challenging work for some groups of pupils, particularly the more able, is an unsatisfactory element of teaching. • Teaching in Year 6 is good. • The provision made for pupils in the Special Educational Resource Facility is good and they achieve well in relation to the targets in their individual education plans. • Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs.

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory. More systematic monitoring of teaching and learning has not taken place and, until recently, senior staff and co-ordinators have had few opportunities to carry out their roles and responsibilities in monitoring the work of the school. Assessment information is not used consistently to provide challenging work to stretch more able pupils, some of whom underachieve. Standards in information and communication technology have improved and are now satisfactory. Satisfactory provision is now made for children in the Foundation Stage.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English C C C A mathematics D D E C science D D D C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

As can be seen from the above table the standards attained by Year 6 pupils in 2003 were average in English, below average in science and well below average mathematics in comparison with all schools. In comparison with similar schools pupils’ attainment was well above average in English, and average in mathematics and science. Inspection evidence indicates that in the current group of Year 6 pupils, standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology are average. However, achievement is unsatisfactory overall because more able pupils are not achieving as well as they might in English, mathematics and science. Ightenhill Primary School - 7 In 2003 standards in reading in national tests at the end of Year 2 were average in comparison with all schools. Standards in writing were well above average while standards in mathematics were above average. Standards in all three areas were well above average in comparison with similar

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

schools. Inspection evidence indicates that in reading, writing and mathematics pupils’ standards are currently in line with national expectations.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Standards, at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, are satisfactory in all other subjects, in which there was sufficient evidence to make judgements. However, the achievement of more able pupils is unsatisfactory in geography and history.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils with language and communication difficulties in the Special Educational Resource Facility make good progress and achieve well in relation to the targets set in their individual education plans. This is due to the good quality teaching and support they receive.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children’s attainment on entry to the school, although wide ranging, is generally below average. Inspection evidence indicates that currently children in the Foundation Stage are achieving well in their personal, social and emotional development and in their language, literacy and communication skills. Their achievement in other areas is satisfactory. Most children are on track to achieve the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception.

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, pupils’ attitudes to school are good and their behaviour satisfactory. The provision made

p.7

for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory, as is the provision for their spiritual and

cultural development. The provision made for their moral and social development is good.

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education . The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Teaching in Year 6 is good. Teaching has an important shortcoming due to the failure to provide sufficiently challenging work to stretch more able pupils some of whom underachieve as a result. The teaching of English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology is satisfactory overall. No judgements can be made about the overall quality of teaching in other subjects where work was only sampled.

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality and range of curriculum opportunities for pupils is unsatisfactory. There is a suitable range of events and visits and a variety of visitors that enrich pupils’ learning. A shortcoming in the curriculum is the inconsistent use made of assessment information to provide suitably adapted work to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities, particularly the more able. The school has satisfactory links with parents, partner schools and the community. The provision made to support, advise and guide pupils based on monitoring their attainment and progress in unsatisfactory.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management of the school are unsatisfactory. The governance of the school is unsatisfactory as there is insufficient involvement in setting targets for improvement and in monitoring the work of the school. The leadership and management of the senior management team and key staff are unsatisfactory. The role of subject co-ordinators in underdeveloped. The leadership of the recently appointed headteacher is good.

p.7

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents’ views of the school are satisfactory. They are pleased that their children like school and that they are made to feel welcome in the school. They feel the arrangements made for their children starting school are good and this helps them to settle quickly into school routines. A significant minority of parents would like more information about how their child is getting on and to be invited to more school events. They would also like more information about the curriculum. Pupils’ views of the school are good. They feel supported well when they need help and feel that their ideas and opinions are listened to. The vast majority of pupils enjoy school. Ightenhill Primary School - 8

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

p.8

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the achievement of more able pupils. • Improve management systems and procedures so that the work of the school is effectively organised, monitored and evaluated. • Improve whole-school planning systems so that pupils in parallel year group classes have equal access to the curriculum. • Ensure consistent use is made of assessment information to provide suitably relevant and challenging work to meet the needs of all pupils, particularly the more able. • Improve the marking of pupils’ work so that they know what they have achieved and are clear about what they need to do to further improve. Ightenhill Primary School - 9

p.8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

In English, mathematics and science, although pupils attain average standards, their achievement is unsatisfactory . In information and communication technology, art and design, history and religious education pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are average. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement about standards and achievement in design and technology, geography, music or physical education.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

• At the end of Year 2, standards in writing and mathematics have steadily improved since the last inspection and are above the national average in mathematics and well above the national average in writing. • Standards in mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 are falling. • More able pupils in Years 3 to 6 are underachieving. • Children in the Foundation Stage are achieving well in their language and social skills. • Assessment information is unsatisfactorily used to plan work for pupils of different abilities. • Standards in information and communication technology have improved since the last inspection.

p.9

Commentary

1. Children’s attainment on entry to the school, although wide ranging, is below average. Children in the reception class are making good progress and are on track to reach the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning by the end of the Foundation Stage. Their achievement is good, particularly in the important areas of communication, language, and literacy and in children’s mathematical development. This is due to the overall good teaching that children receive and children’s good attitudes and behaviour.

p.9

Commentary

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

p.9

Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.0 (16.2) 15.7 (15.8)

p.9

Commentary

There were 49 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.9

Commentary

2. The results of the national tests in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2003, although varying slightly from year to year, have shown an upward trend and have improved since the time of the last inspection. They were well above national averages in comparison with similar schools. Standards in writing have improved each year. Generally, girls perform better than boys in reading and writing whereas in mathematics their performance is similar. In 2003, girls performed much better than boys in all three areas but there was approximately twice as many girls as boys in this cohort. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils’ standards of attainment are currently in line with national expectations and that pupils are making satisfactory progress and achieving as well in relation to their lower attainment on entry to Year 1, as they should.

p.9

Commentary

3. Standards in science at the end of Year 2 in 2003 were average. An analysis of pupils’ work indicates that pupils are making satisfactory progress and achieving appropriately in relation to their ability. However, in Year 2 although the same work has been covered, the standard of Ightenhill Primary School - 10 pupils’ work varies considerably between the two classes and is more detailed in the one class.

p.9

Commentary

4. Standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards in art and design, history and information and communication technology are average. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should in these subjects. Work in other National Curriculum subjects was only sampled and no secure judgement can be made about pupils’ attainment.

p.10

Commentary

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

p.10

Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.3 (26.8) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 25.5 (26.2) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.4 (27.7) 28.6 (28.3) There were 61 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.10

Commentary

5. The results of national tests in English in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were average in comparison with all schools and well above average in comparison with similar schools. The overall trend in standards has varied from year to year but improved slightly in 2003. Generally, girls perform better than boys but not significantly so. The schools targets for the percentage of pupils who would achieve Level 4 were exceeded and the target for the percentage of pupils who would achieve a Level 5 was reached. Inspection evidence indicates that the current group of Year 6 pupils are attaining average standards but that more able pupils are underachieving in relation to their abilities in English. Too few opportunities are given to pupils to justify and explain their ideas or to write independently, for a purpose and for different audiences. Most pupils’ research skills are below average. There is too heavy a

p.10

Commentary

reliance on worksheets and opportunities for pupils to use their reading skills to research answers to questions set in subjects across the curriculum are limited.

p.10

Commentary

6. The results of national tests in mathematics in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were well below average in comparison with all schools and average in comparison with similar schools. Although varying from year to year, the overall trend in standards has shown a downward trend and standards are not as high as they were at the time of the last inspection. Generally, girls and boys perform similarly. The school’s targets for the percentages of pupils who would achieve Level 4 or Level 5 were not reached. Inspection evidence indicates that the more able group of current Year 6 pupils are attaining average standards but that the needs of the most and least able pupils are being catered for sufficiently and that they are underachieving as a result. The school has recognised that improvements are needed in the provision made for mathematics and the co-ordinator, with the support of the local education authority’s

p.10

Commentary

mathematics advisor, has established an appropriate subject development plan that identifies priorities, which will improve standards.

p.10

Commentary

7. The results of national tests in science in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were well below average in comparison with all schools but average in comparison with similar schools. Although varying from year to year, the overall trend in standards has shown a downward trend in recent years. Generally, boys perform better than girls but this is not always the case. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in Year 6 are currently in line with national expectations but that there is a lack of challenge in the work produced by more able pupils in Years 3 to 6. Teachers plan the same work for all pupils and there are not enough opportunities for more able pupils to choose their own resources and set up their own experiments to answer a question posed by the teacher. This is a missed opportunity to encourage enquiry skills and develop real scientific thinking.

p.10

Commentary

8. In information and communication technology, standards of attainment of pupils by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are satisfactory. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Ightenhill Primary School - 11 Generally, pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately. The only exception is in Year 1 where pupils’ achievement is good. Although teachers’ confidence in the subject varies widely, with the support of the information and communication technology technician, all lessons seen during the inspection were at least satisfactory. The information and communication technology suite is used well and this impacts well on pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.10

Commentary

9. In art and design, history and religious education, at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment are in line with expectations and their achievement is satisfactory. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement about pupils’ standards and achievement in music, design and technology and physical education.

p.11

Commentary

10. The school has established a good pattern of support for pupils, which includes providing adult help for them in the classroom and withdrawing them to work individually or in small groups. This ensures that pupils with special educational needs are well supported and that those who have individual education plans achieve well in relation to the targets set for them.

p.11

Commentary

11. The learning opportunities provided for pupils in the Special Educational Resource Faculty are good and there is a very good emphasis on developing their use of language. Good use is made of assessment information to plan the next steps in pupils’ learning and pupils make good progress as a result of the good teaching they receive.

p.11

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to school and their relationships are good . The pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory . They enjoy school and arrive on time. Levels of attendance are good . The social and moral development of pupils are good . Their spiritual and cultural development are satisfactory .

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ good attitudes have a positive effect upon their learning. They are hard working and respond enthusiastically to the learning opportunities offered to them. • Pupils’ social and moral development are promoted well and they understand justice and fairness. They work and play alongside each other in harmony. • Levels of attendance and punctuality are good. • Pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory. It is adversely affected by an inconsistent approach to rewards and sanctions and an inadequate supporting policy. • Pupils’ spiritual and cultural development are satisfactory. Pupils value themselves and show respect for other lifestyles and the feelings of others. They are too few opportunities for pupils to reflect on life and their own learning.

p.11

Commentary

12. The pupils in this school are enthusiastic learners. They are very happy at school and arrive on time. Attendance levels and punctuality are good. The school monitors and promotes these well.

p.11

Commentary

13. Pupils make good use of the time in school and work hard throughout the day. When teachers offer challenging and stimulating lessons pupils respond well. Pupils feel that their lessons are usually interesting and that they receive help and encouragement from their teachers. Whilst pupils can work well alone and in groups, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop these skills, in particular those needed for independent research.

p.11

Commentary

14. The behaviour in school is satisfactory overall. In the Foundation Stage it is consistently good and this represents an improvement since the last inspection. The school rewards good work and behaviour well but there is no whole-school approach to this and its success is, therefore, limited. The arrangements for dealing with misbehaviour are inconsistent across the school and are sometimes inappropriate. The school does not have an adequate policy to support Ightenhill Primary School - 12 this area of the school’s work. The school recognises that there are occasional incidents of conflict and bullying and these are dealt with swiftly and well. However, pupils feel that their school is a happy and friendly place and that unpleasant behaviour is rare.

p.11

Commentary

15. Pupils have good personal qualities. They present themselves as polite and responsible citizens and the relationships in this school community are good. There are good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and to learn about their place in society. For example, playground buddies offer support to younger pupils and the school council allows pupils to voice their ideas. Pupils’ moral and social development are good. Pupils understand right from wrong and learn to value and respect others. Pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. There are frequent opportunities for reflection in assemblies but there are not enough opportunities in lessons and pupils’ knowledge of their own learning is insufficient.

p.12

Attendance

16. The table below shows the attendance figures for the school. Attendance figures are good and well above the national average. The school has good procedures for monitoring attendance, absence and punctuality and these are supported well by parents.

p.12

Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

p.12

Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.7 School data 0.4 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.12

Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.12

Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 375 1 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.12

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. The curriculum is unsatisfactory, and staffing, accommodation and resources are satisfactory. Links with parents, the community and other schools are satisfactory. Pupils’ care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall.

p.12

Teaching and learning

Teaching is satisfactory overall. It is good in Year 6 and in one Year 5 class. The quality of assessment of pupils’ work is unsatisfactory . Ightenhill Primary School - 13

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good relationships between teachers and pupils. • Suitably challenging work is not planned for all pupils, particularly the more able in Years 3 to 6. • Teachers manage pupils well and have high expectations of their behaviour. • Assessment is not used effectively to inform teaching and learning. • The application of the school’s marking policy is inconsistent and does not tell pupils how they could improve their work. • The use of time and the pace in some lessons, although satisfactory, could be improved.

p.13

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 65 lessons

p.13

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.13

Commentary

0 (0%) 3 (5%) 25 (38%) 33 (51%) 4 (6%) 0 ( 0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

p.13

Commentary

17. The strengths in the teaching outweigh the areas for improvement. However, the quality of teaching and learning are not monitored closely enough to identify what works and what does not or to ensure consistency in teaching and learning between and within year groups. The new headteacher is aware of these weaknesses and is beginning to address them.

p.13

Commentary

18. In the vast majority of lessons observed teachers’ good relationships with pupils encouraged good behaviour and positive attitudes to work. This significantly impacts on the standards attained, as pupils want to please their teachers, generally work hard and concentrate well. Pupils respond very well to teachers particularly when work is interesting and challenging. For example, in a Year 5 numeracy lesson when work on addition and subtraction was adapted well to meet the needs of all pupils and lower attaining pupils were encouraged to share their ways of solving problems by explaining their calculations.

p.13

Commentary

19. Teaching is good overall in Year 6 and a Year 5 class. Here teachers enjoy very good relationships with the pupils who apply themselves very well to their work. Generally, these teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and provide stimulating activities which successfully challenge them to give of their best. A brisk pace of work is maintained through the use of tight time structures so that pupils are aware of what they need to achieve and how much time they have to do it in. Teaching is enthusiastic and not without humour.

p.13

Commentary

20. Pupils’ work and discussions with teachers and pupils show that teachers’ planning does not always identify sufficiently challenging work for potentially higher attaining pupils. Too often planning does not identify work adapted to meet the needs of more able pupils, for example, designing their own experiments in science. Too great a reliance is placed on pupils completing the same work and filling worksheets. Assessment information is not used to identify where pupils need to develop better understanding, for example, in mathematics and this limits their opportunities to achieve as well as they could.

p.13

Commentary

21. Teachers listen to and respect their pupils’ responses to questions and make good use of praise to encourage them to have a go even when they are uncertain whether they are right. They make good use of humour to defuse potentially difficult situations. However, in the few instances of unsatisfactory teaching seen, the inappropriate behaviour of a few pupils was not dealt with well by teachers. Consequently, the pace of learning was slowed and pupils’ made unsatisfactory progress. Ightenhill Primary School - 14 22. The school collects a great deal of information about pupils’ attainment through national and other test data. However, the assessment co-ordinator states that this is not analysed closely to identify strengths and areas for development in teaching and learning. This is evident in teachers’ planning. Under the leadership of the new headteacher, the disappointing results in mathematics in this years’ national tests have been analysed and areas for improvement

p.13

Commentary

identified. However, there is a great deal of work to be done to ensure manageable tracking systems are in place and that assessment information is closely evaluated and used by teachers in their planning.

p.14

Commentary

23. The school’s marking policy has recently been reviewed but is inconsistently applied. The marking of some work is not evident except for a few ticks here and there. Written comments are supportive and encouraging but rarely show pupils how they can improve their performance.

p.14

Commentary

24. Where teaching is satisfactory one element that generally prevents it from being good is where, either the pace is pedestrian, or there is insufficient change in pace to maintain the full interest of pupils.

p.14

Commentary

25. In the vast majority of lessons pupils are eager to learn and join in activities with enthusiasm. This is evident even when teachers’ explanations and introductions are too long and pupils have to sit listening for extended periods of time. It is also evident when, for example, having enjoyed the practical activity of creating simple electric circuits, pupils were given a passage to write out explaining what they had found out and were only required to fill in a few missing words. From discussions it is evident that pupils enjoy coming to school and that they are proud of Ightenhill school.

p.14

The curriculum

The curriculum is unsatisfactory, although that provided for the Foundation Stage is sound. Enrichment through extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. The accommodation and resources are mainly satisfactory and the addition of the linking corridor and the new hall has done much to enhance the way teachers are able to work.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is no overall curriculum plan for both key stages. • Teachers do not always plan together to ensure pupils’ equal entitlements. • The breadth and balance of the curriculum is weakened because policies and schemes of work are at various stages of development. • There is lack of curriculum innovation. • The more able are not reaching their full potential. • The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is planned in an interesting way. • The length of the school week falls short for pupils in Key Stage 2. • The new additions to the building help make the school run more smoothly but there is no secure outside area for children in the reception classes. • There is good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. • Support staff are not always used to the best advantage.

p.14

Commentary

26. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and successfully based on the national guidance for this age group. Staff are innovative and make sure there are plenty of interesting activities for the children to work on. Children achieve well and reach the recommended standards by the time they join the Year 1 classes because there is breadth and balance and all the areas of learning are covered in teachers’ plans. Ightenhill Primary School - 15 27. The main weakness is the lack of an overall curriculum plan to help teachers organise their work. They are not always sure what is to be taught and when. Consequently, the breadth and balance of the curriculum are not guaranteed. Underlying these weaknesses is the fact that policies and schemes of work are at varying stages of development. Some are out of date and others have only recently been revised. Although these are of some help, there is

p.14

Commentary

little opportunity for curriculum innovation. Some teachers plan their lessons together and others plan lessons alone and this does not ensure that all pupils have equal entitlement to a broad and balanced education, which has been specially adapted to suit their individual needs. In addition, the length of the week for pupils in Key Stage 2 is less than that recommended for this age group. All these shortcomings mean that pupils are not always achieving as well as possible and that the more able are not given every opportunity to reach their full potential.

p.15

Commentary

28. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. The school has established a good pattern of support for pupils, which includes providing adult help for them in the classroom and withdrawing them to work individually or in small groups. This ensures that pupils with special educational needs are well supported and that those who have individual education plans achieve well in relation to the targets set for them.

p.15

Commentary

29. Pupils have good guidance on how to deal with the physical changes that are happening to them and the situations that confront them in life. A group of Year 6 pupils talk sensibly, and in an impressive way, about what they have learnt about puberty and how the Life Skills Bus has made them aware of the dangers of drugs misuse, smoking and alcohol. The school council, under the confident direction of the chairman (a pupil in Year 6), successfully prepares pupils from Year 2 to Year 6 for taking part in the school decision making process. Through their personal, social and health education, pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

p.15

Commentary

30. Overall, the accommodation and the resources are satisfactory. The additions of a new hall and a linking corridor to the old building make the school day run more smoothly. However, the lack of a secure, outside area for the children in the reception classes inhibits their physical development. There are a sufficient number of teachers and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum.

p.15

Care, guidance and support

This aspect of the school’s work is satisfactory overall. In the Foundation Stage the provision is good and pupils new to the school are supported well. The school offers its pupils a happy and supportive environment where all are valued and respected. Those with special educational needs are supported well, as are those in the care of the local authority. However, the personal and academic guidance offered to pupils is unsatisfactory .

p.15

Care, guidance and support

• The pupils in the Foundation Stage are well cared for and guided and benefit from good induction arrangements. • Pupils throughout the school build confident and trusting relationships with adults. • The arrangements for the health, safety, care and welfare of pupils across the school are satisfactory although a number of health and safety issues have been raised with the school. • The guidance and advice pupils receive are unsatisfactory. Pupils do not know enough about their own learning and how to improve. Ightenhill Primary School - 16

p.15

Commentary

31. The good relationships that exist in this school community and the good provision for pupils’ social and moral development creates an environment where pupils are happy and confident. This has a positive effect upon their learning.

p.16

Commentary

32. The health and safety arrangements are satisfactory. A number of health and safety issues have been raised with the school. Recently conducted risk assessments have raised awareness of health and safety issues and this provides a good base for improvement. Child protection arrangements are satisfactory. The school recognises a need to attend to the training needs of all the adults employed by the school. The procedures for supporting pupils in the care of the local education authority are thorough.

p.16

Commentary

33. The personal and academic support and guidance offered to pupils are unsatisfactory. Pupils are motivated well and success is recognised and rewarded. However, pupils do not always evaluate their work and understand the purpose of their lessons. They are not aware of their own targets for improvement and what they need to do next to achieve them. The marking of pupils work is inconsistent. Some offers useful advice and encouragement and some does not.

p.16

Commentary

34. The schools arrangements for seeking and acting on pupils’ views are satisfactory. Whilst the school does not canvas pupils’ opinions across the school an effective school council is in place. Pupils feel that their ideas are listened to well and have been reflected in some of the recent improvements made to the school building and environment.

p.16

Commentary

35. Pupils new to the school benefit from good induction procedures. These include a wide variety of meetings, information packs and opportunities for children to visit the school and make a settled start to their education.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership with parents, other schools and the community are satisfactory . The information provided for parents about school life and their children’s learning are unsatisfactory . The partnership with parents of pupils with special educational needs is good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The partnership with parents of pupils with special educational needs is good. • The mechanism for the transfer of these pupils to secondary school is also good. • The information provided for parents about their children’s learning is unsatisfactory.

p.16

Commentary

36. The school has satisfactory links with parents. Parents are supportive of the school and appreciative of the improvements already made by the new headteacher. Their views have been sought and the school is well placed to make use of these. Parents have expressed a strong desire to know more about their children’s learning and how they can support this.

p.16

Commentary

37. The information provided for parents about their children’s progress and what they are taught are unsatisfactory. Parents do not receive adequate information about the National Curriculum, the work that their children do in lessons or have sufficient opportunities to gain insight into their learning. For example, during the inspection a class assembly presented the work that pupils had been doing in religious education lessons but no parents were invited to this. Written progress reports are too brief and do not give targets for improvement. The arrangements for consultations are brief and lack adequate privacy. Ightenhill Primary School - 17 38. The provision of homework is inconsistent but where it is set, it is well supported, as is reading at home. However, the involvement of parents in their children’s learning is generally underdeveloped. There is no homework diary and parents receive little information about the

p.16

Commentary

requirements and expectations of homework.

p.17

Commentary

39. The schools links with the community and its partnership with other schools are satisfactory. The local community provides a good resource to support and enrich learning. Pupils visit the local area and places of interest further afield. Some members of the community visit the school to share their experiences, for example, the road safety team and representatives from organisations for the disabled. Links with other schools provide good arrangements for the induction of new pupils and the transfer of those moving to secondary schools.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The governance of the school is unsatisfactory. The leadership and management of the senior management team and key staff are unsatisfactory. The leadership of the recently appointed headteacher is good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The recently appointed headteacher is providing good leadership. • The management of the special educational resource faculty (SERF) Unit is good. • The governing body is not well enough informed about the work of the school and does not fulfil its statutory duty to provide a strategic direction for the school and to hold it to account. • The senior management team is unclear of its role and has therefore not fulfilled its’ management function. • Key staff have few opportunities to provide either leadership or management in their subject areas.

p.17

Commentary

40. The very recently appointed headteacher has already identified and acted upon key short-term priorities. He has detailed areas of leadership and management that he feels should improve if key staff are to impact positively on teaching and learning. He is very well supported by the deputy headteacher, who has only been in post for two terms and who has in turn identified areas for improvement.

p.17

Commentary

41. The governing body is caring and supportive, however, it does not have a long-term vision for the school and, therefore, does not fulfil its role in setting a clear direction for future development. Neither has it ensured that all the key issues from the last inspection have been adequately addressed. Its’ overall involvement with the formulation and writing of the school improvement plan is minimal. The plan is for one year only and consists of needs identified, prioritised and costed by staff. Too little is done to measure the effectiveness of major spending decisions and the impact upon the learning of pupils. Governors have been assigned link roles to subjects but the system is not operating well enough to provide high quality information about standards and achievement. Governors are aware of action, very recently taken, to raise standards in mathematics but there are no systems in place other than

p.17

Commentary

incidental visits and the consideration of the headteacher’s report, to hold the headteacher to account and exercise an oversight of his work.

p.17

Commentary

42. Members of the senior management team are enthusiastic and keen to fulfil their responsibilities. However, these are not clearly defined and, therefore, there is no sense of direction and purpose in the work that they do. There are no systems in place to gather information about the quality of teaching and learning and to effect improvement and therefore it is difficult for the team to gain an overview of the quality of education offered. They have not set clear priorities for future developments and do not function effectively in supporting the Ightenhill Primary School - 18 headteacher, and in turn the staff, to improve teaching and learning and consequently in raising standards.

p.17

Commentary

43. Monitoring of teaching and learning are inconsistent. The deputy headteacher did begin to monitor teaching and learning soon after her appointment and guidelines were issued to staff. However, neither had any impact because policy is not commonly understood and embedded in practice. Subject co-ordinators have very few opportunities to observe teaching and to scrutinise work in their subject areas. Teachers in the foundation subjects gather information from talking to colleagues and looking at displays but this does not keep them well informed of the standards attained. Although a substantial amount of data is gathered in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, it is not used effectively to inform teachers of the progress of individuals and groups over time. The religious education co-ordinator has made a useful start in setting out very clear and useful assessment procedures for the subject

p.18

Commentary

but these are at a very early stage of implementation. The school, from the scrutiny of national test results, has identified mathematics as an area for improvement and drawn up an action plan. However, this is not listed as a priority in the school development plan because the school had not identified the need to raise standards in mathematics prior to the publication of the results.

p.18

Commentary

44. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. The co-ordinator is well aware of what needs to be done and has made great strides in dealing with the weaknesses identified in the last inspection report. The Early Years Policy has only recently been written but the overall long-term plan is based securely on the national guidance for this age group. However, weaknesses lie in the differences in the format of the day-to-day planning that teachers write, and in the lack of rigorous assessments of children’s achievements to help teachers plan the next stage. This affects the progress of some pupils and, in particular, the more able.

p.18

Commentary

45. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator is involved in checking and developing teaching and learning through the performance management process. However, this is not extended to regular monitoring in the other reception classroom.

p.18

Commentary

46. Although satisfactory procedures exist for the day-to-day monitoring and recording of expenditure, governors are insufficiently involved in the budget setting process. Expenditure relates more to short term ‘wish lists’ from staff associated with annual targets rather than being an integral part of short, medium and long-term planning. The balance carried forward shown below includes a refund for building costs previously allocated by the school. In recent months records show that this has been reduced to five per cent of the annual budget. When all factors are taken into account the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.18

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.18

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 924,629 Balance from previous year 137,054 Total expenditure 917,175 Balance carried forward to the next 144508 Expenditure per pupil 2,414

p.18

The Special Educational Resource Facility

The provision for pupils in the unit is good . There are currently 11 pupils who are of reception age and in Years 1 and 2. All pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Need. Pupils are admitted from outside the school’s catchment area and not all of them will transfer to the school in Year 3. Ightenhill Primary School - 19

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good. • The teacher has a good understanding of pupils’ special educational needs. • Systems to check pupils’ achievement are good. • There are good links with other professionals and with other similar units across the authority. • The school has not established systems to monitor the quality of the provision. • Pupils need more opportunities to join lessons in the main part of the school.

p.19

Commentary

47. The learning opportunities provided for pupils are good because the teacher has a good understanding of pupils’ special educational needs and ensures that throughout the day there is a very good emphasis on developing their use of language.

p.19

Commentary

48. Teaching is good, activities are well planned to reflect pupils ages and their abilities and this enables them to achieve well. The teacher has established good systems to check how well pupils are learning and information about their achievement is used effectively to plan the next steps for learning. This ensures that pupils make good progress in relation to the targets set for them in their individual education plans.

p.19

Commentary

49. Procedures for the annual review of a pupils’ statement are implemented effectively. Individual education plans are reviewed regularly and the targets identified for pupils are considered well when the teacher plans learning opportunities. The teacher has good information about pupils’ achievement, which enables her to plan work that reflects their abilities. This ensures that pupils improve their understanding and skills. There is good teamwork between the teacher and teaching assistant who makes a significant contribution to pupils’ learning by working with individuals and small groups. Pupils have good opportunities to learn alongside pupils in the main part of the school when they join them for lessons such as art. These opportunities contribute effectively to the development of their social skills and their social use of language but pupils do not have enough opportunities to join lessons such as literacy and numeracy.

p.19

Commentary

Effective working relationships have been established with the speech therapists and speech therapy assistant who provides a good level of individual and small group support for pupils.

p.19

Commentary

50. There are effective links with the schools that pupils transfer to at the end of Year 2. The induction arrangements for pupils are good and they have appropriate opportunities to visit their new schools on a number of occasions before they are admitted. The teacher is involved in regular meetings with similar units across the local education authority and this ensures that there are good opportunities to share ideas. There is an effective working relationship between the special educational needs co-ordinator and the teacher in the unit, which enables their expertise to be used effectively to support pupils throughout the school.

p.19

Commentary

51. The school is currently unable to demonstrate that the funding provided for the unit is spent effectively because it does not have systems to check the quality of the teaching and learning. This has already been recognised as an area for development by the headteacher. Ightenhill Primary School - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, with strong areas in personal, social and emotional development and in communication, language and literacy. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. Children in this year’s reception classes are on target to achieve the Early Learning Goals expected for this age group in all areas of learning. Most are prepared well for transfer to Year 1. Some children have had some form of pre-school provision, but all achieve well because the teaching is sound with many strengths, mainly in the areas of developing their personal, social and emotional skills and their communication, language and literacy.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. The curriculum is appropriately planned to provide a wide range of interesting and relevant activities, which are generally matched to children’s needs. All adults provide good role models for the children and manage them well. There is a good ratio of adults to children, and all staff work well as a team. Sometimes not enough use is made of the valuable skills of support staff.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. The accommodation inside is satisfactory, but outside facilities are unsatisfactory due to the fact that children do not have continuous access to a separate, secure outside area. Classroom equipment is good, but resources for outdoor activities are satisfactory.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. The wide range of learning activities are the result of imaginative ideas that mostly balance the needs of individual children with a thorough knowledge of the stages of development in all areas of learning. All children have ready access to the activities regardless of capability or background. However, day-to-day planning is not detailed enough to show how staff can cater more specifically for those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language or those who are more able. Furthermore, because assessments of what children know, understand and can do are at a relatively early stage, the progress of some is hindered, particularly the potential high attainers.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and children are clear about what is expected of them. • Children are developing good attitudes and behaviour. • Imaginative activities allow children to develop their skills. • Support staff do not always intervene at the right time to help the teacher with children who have behaviour difficulties.

p.20

Commentary

56. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour, and children usually respond well. Some can be demanding and take up the teachers’ time. Where support staff intervene this is no problem or there is no disruption to the rest of the class. Because teachers provide such a wide range of imaginative activities there is usually no difficulty with behaviour, and children concentrate hard and have fun whilst they are learning. They learn to share and help one another; for example, when holding a tray and rolling marbles in paint or when making pizzas. Children tend to lose interest and become badly behaved when activities are more mundane, such as in the case where teachers used taped dance programmes, and when it is hard for them to keep pace with what is happening. Ightenhill Primary School - 21

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers and support staff take every opportunity to develop the children’s language skills, and teaching is good. • Staff use questioning very effectively to enhance the children’s skills in many areas. • Children achieve well and many have lots of confidence to talk to adults and other children.

p.21

Commentary

57. Children achieve well in this area because all staff are good at talking to them and continually chat as work is going on. They ask pertinent questions and introduce the children to new words such as ‘pepperoni’ and ‘peppers’ when making pizzas. Exciting words are explored when children draw a pineapple. Activities like these enable staff and children to talk together in a confident, relaxed and enjoyable way. Great fun is had when children read the ‘big books’ and all are keen to tell the teacher about the things they have done at the weekend. The more able are beginning to write a few words for themselves, and others are getting skilled at copying on top of or under the teachers’ writing. Children who are more hesitant are helped to talk by interesting role-play opportunities, such as visiting the classroom hair salon or the ‘Hotpot’ cafe. Conversations and reading with Year 1 pupils show that they have had a sound

p.21

Commentary

programme for learning to read in the reception class.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Not enough lessons were seen in this area of learning to make a secure judgement. However, activities taking place during the week of the inspection indicate that provision is at least satisfactory and that children achieve well .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Interesting activities support children’s development in number work. • Teachers and support staff take every opportunity to develop the children’s language skills. • Wall displays are lively and show evidence of children being involved in mathematics. • Practical activities are well supported by staff who intervene at the right time.

p.21

Commentary

58. Only one specific numeracy lesson was observed, but children achieve well because of the variety of opportunities available to them in this area. Water and sand play help children understand the terms ‘empty’, ‘full’ ‘half empty’ and ‘half full’. They are beginning to measure using different lengths of ribbon and make good progress when support staff direct their work carefully so that they are precise in counting out lengths of tape. Singing and action rhymes are sung well and teachers take the opportunity to develop children’s language in these situations. Classrooms are lively and bright, and displays show how children have been involved in working on a variety of mathematical projects.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A range of interesting activities are planned to promote learning in this area. Ightenhill Primary School - 22 • Staff use questioning very effectively to enhance the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world about them. • Displays show that children’s skills are being successfully developed in this area.

p.21

Commentary

59. Displays show that children have been successfully involved in a variety of interesting topics, which develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. Delightful photographs of the children when they were babies show that they have been learning about how people change as they get older. They gasp with delight at the thought of marble painting to decorate the leaves on the autumn trees, and draw Elmer the Elephant (a favourite character in a children’s story) on the computer. They are successful at using the mouse to draw an elephant shape and at selecting the right icon to crayon in or paint on Elmer’s colourful skin. Because teachers are good at asking questions and developing children’s language, this area of learning supports other areas of the curriculum.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children do not have continual access to an outside, safe area. • Staff make the best use of the facilities available. • Taped movement programmes are not always put to the best use and children lose interest.

p.22

Commentary

60. Children come to school with well-developed physical skills, but their achievement in this area is only satisfactory. Their progress is hindered because they do not have easy access to a safe outside area all the time. Staff make the best use of the playground facilities to compensate for this. However, children are confident and strong and, even at this early stage in the term, are good at finding their own space and are well controlled in their movements. Many can run, hop, jump and skip in a well-co-ordinated way. Recorded programmes for movement activities are not so engaging for these children and, when some lose track of what is happening, they are badly behaved.

p.22

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many activities are available that lend themselves to creativity. • Children are very interested and involved in their work. • The large rooms allow teachers to set out a wide range of activities for children to become involved in. • Classrooms are bright and lively with displays of children’s work.

p.22

Commentary

61. The reception classrooms are housed in the older part of the school and, even though the accommodation is well-worn, teachers have made use of every inch of display to show children’s work. Indeed, the large classrooms allow staff to set out a wide range of things for the children to do. Role-play areas are imaginative and children develop their social, linguistic and mathematical skills. They can build well-designed models with building blocks and have space to spread out their toys and not be interrupted. The children concentrate well when Ightenhill Primary School - 23 they are making models for their ‘ideal park’. They come up with imaginative suggestions and make ‘ball pools’ and swings. Many of the activities that staff organise for the children successfully support all areas of learning and help them achieve well.

p.22

ENGLISH

Provision is satisfactory overall. Pupils enter Year 1 with standards that are average and they remain average when they leave the school at the end of Year 6. Standards at the end of Year 6 are well above those attained in similar schools.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in Year 6 is good. • Teachers manage pupils well. • More able pupils are not sufficiently challenged. • Planning lacks consistency and learning objectives are not clear. • The role of the co-ordinator needs to develop further. • The library is poorly stocked and does not encourage a positive attitude to books.

p.23

Commentary

62. Speaking and listening skills in Year 2 and Year 6 are satisfactory. In the most successful lessons teachers target questions well and give pupils time to reflect and justify their answers. This was observed in a religious education lesson on Buddhism in Year 6 and again during role-play in a religious education lesson in Year 5. However, too often teachers miss opportunities to encourage pupils to debate, justify and explain and are too reliant on giving lengthy explanations without drawing sufficiently on pupils’ own experiences.

p.23

Commentary

63. Over time, reading standards in Year 2 have improved and they are now securely in line with the national average. Pupils are expected to take books home to read regularly and many belong to local libraries, showing a positive attitude to books and reading. Reading records are kept, although teachers’ comments in ‘home/school books are positive rather than evaluative. Teachers support pupils well, including those with special educational needs, by modelling reading and encouraging all pupils to join in. Pupils also employ a variety of strategies when trying to read unknown words such as building up the individual sounds or using picture clues to help them. By the end of Year 6, reading is in line with national expectations. Although they visit the library regularly, their research skills are below average as, when searching for specific information, they searched through the contents and glossary

p.23

Commentary

and needed guiding to the index. There is little evidence to indicate that more able readers in both Year 2 and Year 6 are challenged to work independently and use their reading skills to research answers to questions set in subjects across the curriculum. The school has just started to replace its’ worn reading stock and taken the opportunity to update the content of some reading scheme books. However, the stock of non-fiction books in the library is too low, the furniture is unsuitable for juniors and the room does not encourage a positive attitude to either books or reading.

p.23

Commentary

64. Standards of writing in the current Years 2 and 6 are average. Spelling and handwriting are taught regularly, consequently most pupils join their letters by the end of Year 3 and standards of spelling and presentation are satisfactory. When given the opportunity to write at length and for a purpose, pupils respond positively and quickly capture the reader’s interest as occurred in Year 3, ‘One night I was lying in my bed when an alien hopped through the window!’ However, although younger pupils keep a weekly ‘news’ diary, scrutiny of books indicates that much of the writing undertaken is teacher directed and that pupils are given too few opportunities to write independently, for a purpose and for different audiences. Ightenhill Primary School - 24 65. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall although teaching observed in Year 6 was good. The most successful lessons identify clear learning objectives rather than describing activities

p.23

Commentary

to be undertaken and ensure that work is matched well to the ability of the pupils. In most lessons less able pupils and pupils with special educational needs are supported well. However, too often more able pupils are not challenged sufficiently but undertake tasks that give them few opportunities to apply either the writing, reading or speaking and listening skills that they have. The recently revised marking scheme is applied inconsistently. Where it is applied well it supports pupils when, for example, teachers write comments like ‘Good writing but remember your finger spaces.’ Teachers do not make best use of the large quantity of assessment data that they have and pupils have little idea of what they need to do in order to raise standards further.

p.24

Commentary

66. The co-ordinator does her best to monitor planning and scrutinise books but has had little opportunity to either observe teaching, work alongside colleagues or give demonstration lessons. She has identified the need to replace reading books and has worked closely with staff in identifying suitable schemes to purchase.

p.24

Language and Literacy across the curriculum

67. Pupils are sometimes given opportunities to apply their skills as was observed through role play in a history lesson on Boudicca and a religious education lesson on the Ancient Greeks. However, too often all pupils, including the more able, are given worksheets to fill in rather than being given opportunities to write in a wide range of different formats, such as reports, accounts and stories.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory . This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. By the end of Year 2 pupils achieve standards, which are well above the national average, but by the end of Year 6 pupils attain standards that are well below. Higher attaining pupils are not achieving as well as they could because they are not challenged sufficiently.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has identified appropriate priorities to improve standards for pupils in Years 3 to 6. • Teachers have good relationships with pupils, which encourage their participation. • Teachers use question and answer techniques well. • The school has a good level of information about pupils’ achievement and attainment. • Information about pupils’ attainment is not used effectively to promote achievement. • Subject plans are not embedded well enough yet to improve standards for pupils in Years 3 to 6. • The learning objectives for lessons are not shared consistently with pupils.

p.24

Commentary

68. The outcomes of the Year 2 national tests indicate that standards of attainment have improved steadily since 1999. In 2002 pupils’ attainment was well above average for the number of pupils achieving Level 3 of the National Curriculum. Boys attained better than girls and achieved standards that were similar to the national average for boys. Girls’ attainment was below. The school is unable to offer an explanation for this but discussion with pupils indicates that girls in particular do not like mathematics lessons.

p.24

Commentary

69. The outcomes of the Year 6 national tests indicate that standards of attainment declined between 1999 and 2001. They improved slightly in 2002 but were well below the national average although they were in line with similar schools. Pupils’ progress, when compared to their attainment at the end of Year 2 was good. Boys achieved better standards than girls but the difference was not significant. In 2002 the number of pupils achieving Level 5 of the Ightenhill Primary School - 25 National Curriculum was well below the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 in 2003 has improved slightly. There is currently underachievement of higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6.

p.24

Commentary

70. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Achievement is satisfactory and pupils’ attainment is similar to national expectations for their age. During the inspection a small number of good lessons were seen and very good teaching was seen for pupils in a Year 5 class. Across the school, teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge and they use the national strategy appropriately to plan learning. However, the strategy is not always adapted sufficiently well to reflect the needs of all pupils in the class. For example, teachers do not consider meeting the need of the highest and lowest attaining pupils by providing work from the plans for the years above or below their chronological age.

p.25

Commentary

71. The school has satisfactory systems to check pupils’ attainment and to monitor their achievement. Teachers have a good level of information about pupils but it is not analysed effectively to identify areas where pupils need to develop better understanding or to ensure that higher attaining pupils are sufficiently well challenged. In all lessons teachers prepare suitable work for groups of pupils of different ability, which enable the majority to make satisfactory progress. However, they do not use the information they have about pupils’ attainment to consider the needs of all pupils, which limits their opportunities to achieve and is reflected in the satisfactory rather than good achievement, of pupils in Years 5 and 6.

p.25

Commentary

72. The school has provided booster classes for pupils in the past that have not been effective in promoting significantly better standards. The school has already identified why these opportunities were not successful and has plans to provide classes that are better focused on the pupils who need additional support to improve because they are almost at a higher level of attainment. The school has introduced units of work which provide teachers in Years 3 to 6 with good guidance when they prepare lessons but these are not well enough embedded to have had a significant impact on improving standards for pupils in Years 3 and 4. Plans that have been used by teachers to help them prepare lessons in the recent past have not provided enough challenge for pupils and this, in part, has led to satisfactory rather than good attainment. Teachers in Year 6 have identified that pupils are not always secure in their

p.25

Commentary

understanding and this is partly due to the way the curriculum is taught. New learning is frequently introduced before pupils have fully understood what they have been studying. This leads to satisfactory rather than good attainment because pupils are not always able to recall and use past learning effectively.

p.25

Commentary

73. Teaching strategies such as the marking of pupils’ work and the sharing of lesson objectives and vocabulary are not used consistently. This limits pupils’ ability to reflect on what they have learned and achieved during the lesson and from their recorded work they do not fully understand what they need to do to improve. Because teachers do not always share relevant vocabulary with pupils they frequently have difficulty describing what they are doing or learning about until they are prompted. Teachers and support staff have good relationships with pupils, which encourage them to contribute to lessons and help pupils to concentrate and attend. Teachers use questions well to check what pupils have understood and to encourage them to think about and describe what they are doing. This makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning as teachers are able to correct misconceptions quickly. Pupils are confident to

p.25

Commentary

have a go at answering questions even if they are unsure of the answer because adults respond positively to their attempts.

p.25

Commentary

74. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The mathematics co-ordinator has, with the support of the local education authority’s mathematics advisor, established an appropriate subject development plan that identifies priorities, which will improve standards. For example, by providing more opportunities for older pupils to tackle word problems, booster classes and more appropriate subject plans to support teachers when they prepare work for pupils. Currently the co-ordinator monitors teachers plans but does not have an opportunity to observe lessons. This means that information about the effectiveness of teaching and learning are not available to inform subject development. Ightenhill Primary School - 26

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

75. The opportunities planned by teachers for pupils to use their numeracy skills in other subjects of the curriculum are satisfactory but are too dependant on the skills of individual teachers. The school has not yet considered how some elements of the mathematics curriculum could be taught through other subjects. For example, teaching measure through design and technology. Opportunities such as these are frequently used to practice rather than teach skills.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Some pupils, particularly the more able, are not achieving as well as they might. • The quality of planning for science varies between classes and year groups and is not monitored sufficiently rigorously. • Pupils’ skills in scientific enquiry are inconsistently promoted. • Teachers have a sound knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. • Pupils have good attitudes and enjoy science activities. • There is a lack of rigorous assessment for the subject.

p.26

Commentary

76. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 pupils achieve average standards. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. However, the trend in results of national tests at the end of Year 6 has declined in recent years. Evidence from the inspection indicates that higher attaining pupils are not achieving as well as they could because they are not challenged sufficiently by the work set for them.

p.26

Commentary

77. An analysis of pupils’ work in Years 1 and 2 indicates that pupils are making satisfactory progress and achieving appropriately in relation to their ability. However, in Year 2 although the same work has been covered, the standard of pupils’ work varies considerably between the two classes and is more detailed in the one class.

p.26

Commentary

78. Pupils in Year 6 are in line to achieve the expected standards by the end of the year, as this group of pupils is more able than the previous year. No differences were observed between the achievement of boys and girls, and they all achieve satisfactorily, including those with special educational needs and those from minority ethnic groups. However, planning for lessons does not include more challenge for the higher-attaining pupils. All pupils do the same tasks, and this restricts opportunities for these pupils to achieve even better. In most year groups, although pupils cover the same areas of science, there is little evidence of collaborative planning between parallel classes and consequently how the curriculum is delivered differs considerably between classes. For example, in Year 6 pupils have completed lots of worksheets whereas in the other class all their work has been completed through

p.26

Commentary

79. In the lessons seen during the inspection teaching varied between satisfactory and good. Overall teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers have a sound knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and this is evident in their use of technical vocabulary and in their insistence in pupils using the correct words. In most lessons teachers enjoyed good relationships with pupils who are interested in the practical activities provided for them. Lessons had clear objectives but these are not always shared with pupils or evaluated at the end of sessions. This has a negative impact on pupils’ involvement in their work. In some lessons teachers talk too much and pupils have to listen for long periods of time and their concentration wavers and they lose interest. Teachers generally provide opportunities for Ightenhill Primary School - 27 pupils to carry out experiments, but analysis of work indicates that there are insufficient

p.26

Commentary

opportunities for pupils to plan their own investigations. The marking of pupils’ work is supportive but rarely indicates what they need to do to improve.

p.27

Commentary

80. The leadership and management of the subject are underdeveloped. The co-ordinator has only recently been given time to monitor provision for the subject and has identified the following areas which the inspection team agree are in need of development:

p.27

Commentary

• More thorough analysis of national test results to identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning and differences in the attainment of boys and girls. • More opportunities for pupils to carry out scientific investigations. • Greater use of ICT to support science. • Developing strategies to improve standards. • Closer tracking of pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject.

p.27

Commentary

81. These remain areas to be developed as does the need to more regularly monitor teachers’ planning to ensure greater consistency between parallel classes.

p.27

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are improving and are better than they were at the time of the last inspection. • There have been good improvements in resources and staff expertise. • Direct teaching of information and communication technology skills has improved. • Teachers’ confidence in teaching the subject varies. • The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and monitors the subject well.

p.27

Commentary

82. From the lessons seen and a scrutiny of pupils’ work, standards are average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In the direct teaching seen across the school, sound teaching has enabled pupils to make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were below average. In Year 1 standards are good due to the good teaching pupils are receiving and the rapid progress they are making. Since the last inspection resources have been considerably improved and the computer suite is used well to ensure all pupils have frequent opportunities to word-process, use graphics, the Internet and data-handling programs. They also use programmable toys and ‘Logo’ programs to control events. Discussions with pupils indicate that they enjoy the subject and are confident in using computers. They apply themselves well during lessons and work well with others when

p.27

Commentary

sharing equipment or ideas, such as when Year 6 pupils worked in pairs to produce their own web sites. By pairing the more able pupils with those less confident, teachers ensure that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum and achieve appropriately.

p.27

Commentary

83. In the lessons seen teachers’ confidence and subject knowledge varies, particularly in relation to using the interactive whiteboard to demonstrate programs new to pupils. However, they are well served by the information and communication technology technician who provided expert help and advice. Teachers in Years 1 and 6 are confident in their subject knowledge and the co-ordinator is aware that more training is needed for some other staff. However, in all lessons teachers’ knowledge and understanding were satisfactory. Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and make use of simple techniques, such as asking them to put their hands up or on their head, while talking to them to give additional advice during the lesson. This ensures pupils listen carefully to instructions and know what is expected of them by the end of the lesson. Ightenhill Primary School - 28 84. The co-ordinator provides good leadership and manages the subject satisfactorily. She has a

p.27

Commentary

clear idea of how to improve provision and spends a great deal of time giving advice and support to staff. However, she has had little opportunity to monitor teaching and learning and or to provide staff training. Resources for the subject are good.

p.28

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

85. Satisfactory links are made with other subjects as Year 6 pupils access the Internet to find out about the Victorians in history or use branching data-bases to create simple identification keys in science. Year 1 pupils create bar charts and pie charts to display information they have collected in mathematics. Across the school there are examples of pupils using their developing word-processing skills to write and redraft stories, accounts, poems and invitations. Making greater use of pupils’ information and communication technology skills is a current focus for development in the school development plan.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have developed very positive attitudes to the subject by the time they reach Year 6. • The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and has developed useful assessment procedures based on the locally agreed syllabus. • The leadership and management role of the co-ordinator needs to develop further.

p.28

Commentary

86. Standards of attainment in Years 2 and 6 are in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Teaching in the two lessons observed was good. In Year 6 pupils were enthusiastic and, as a result of good directed questioning by the class teacher, recalled much information previously taught about Buddhism. Similarly in Year 2 pupils are beginning to relate religious education to everyday events in their ‘good news – bad news’ class newspapers and in the lesson observed this concept was related well to the story of Moses and the Bulrushes from the Old Testament. The co-ordinator has attended training that has encouraged her to review and amend assessment procedures. The new procedures have recently been introduced but have not yet been evaluated. However, the co-ordinator has little opportunity to monitor teaching and gain a detailed view of standards overall.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Although the co-ordinator is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and determined to raise the status of history in the school her leadership and management role is underdeveloped. • Pupils enjoy the subject and are developing positive attitudes. • Pupils are not given opportunities to apply the skills they are taught. Ightenhill Primary School - 29

p.28

Commentary

87. Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are satisfactory. Teaching is satisfactory overall but pupils, especially the more able, are not given opportunities to apply the skills they are taught. In one class, pupils copied pictures of artefacts from a book ignoring the pewter artefacts on display in the classroom. After very good role-play involving the ‘battle’ between Boudicca and the Romans, pupils copied pictures of Boudicca from a book. In Year 2 classes, pupils are given only limited opportunities to handle and describe artefacts from a Victorian kitchen before they complete work from pre-prepared sheets. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and works hard, encouraging staff to organise trips to local places of interest that will give pupils first hand experience. Year 6 pupils reflect the value of such visits by the way they describe, with enthusiasm, a visit to a local ‘working’ cotton mill. However, existing school systems do

p.29

Commentary

not effectively support the co-ordinator in fulfilling her management role because insufficient time is allowed for her to monitor standards and teaching. Resource provision is satisfactory and supplemented well by loans from the school’s museum service.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership and management role of the co-ordinator is underdeveloped. • More able pupils in Year 6 are not sufficiently challenged.

p.29

Commentary

88. The cyclical nature of the curriculum has meant that no geography has yet been taught in Years 1 and 2 so no judgement can be made about teaching or achievement. Teaching in the two lessons observed in Year 5 and 6 was satisfactory overall although the attitudes of pupils toward the subject were good. Analysis of pupils’ work on St Lucia in Year 6 indicates a lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils and, as a result, many of them only manage to attain average standards. The co-ordinator relies on incidental conversations and scrutiny of work on display to gain an overview of standards. School systems do not allow her time to monitor either teaching or to scrutinise work. Resource provision is satisfactory, although the co- ordinator is to review provision of information and communication technology software to support the scheme of work.

p.29

Design and technology

Only two lessons were observed and the school was unable to provide enough evidence on which to base secure judgements about teaching or achievement.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Leadership and management of the subject are underdeveloped. • There has recently been appropriate curriculum development. • The quantity and range of resources is limited.

p.29

Commentary

89. The co-ordinator only took on responsibility for design and technology at Easter. Since then there has been satisfactory development of the subject. An appropriate curriculum plan, detailing what pupils will learn from Year 1 to Year 6, has been established and the Qualification and Curriculum Agency’s units of work are being implemented. The unit plans Ightenhill Primary School - 30 provide good guidance for teachers when they prepare lessons and ensure that pupils are effectively covering all elements of the National Curriculum and developing their understanding and skills by building on past experiences. The two lessons observed indicate that pupils have had a suitable range of learning opportunities in the past and they have developed an appropriate range of skills and an understanding of design and evaluation. However, learning opportunities have not provided pupils with enough experience of working

p.29

Commentary

90. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory and have ensured that the guidance provided for teachers has been improved. However, the co-ordinator has not been given time to carry out the responsibilities delegated and there has been no monitoring of teaching and learning. The co-ordinator does not have enough information about teachers’ skills in the subject or about standards to plan further developments in an informed way. The range of resources available to support teaching is adequate but needs to be developed further to ensure that the school has enough materials to support the learning opportunities planned for pupils.

p.30

Art and design

Provision in art and design is satisfactory.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards meet expectations; pupils enjoy art and design and concentrate well. • There is not enough challenge in some art activities. • Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own work and think how to improve it. • Leadership and management are satisfactory.

p.30

Commentary

91. Throughout the school there are examples of painting and collage that show that pupils are covering a soundly-based curriculum. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 confidently and knowledgeably describe what they are doing. Older pupils are keen to explain how they are showing depth and perspective in a landscape after looking carefully at Van Gogh’s ‘Near Mont Majour’. Pupils work hard to copy his style, the teacher keeping a watchful eye on their progress and making good teaching points to help them refine their skill. These same pupils talk confidently about the work in their sketch books and honestly say whether they think they have improved or not. Year 2 pupils described how they had looked at Picasso’s portraits and how they have experimented with their ‘Picasso Puppy’ and placed the head parts on different places on the body.

p.30

Commentary

92. In Year 3 lessons the teachers encourage the pupils to look critically at their designs, but the making of stencils does not demand enough from them. However, they listen attentively and enjoy their work. They work well in a clean way and produce pleasing designs ready for display.

p.30

Commentary

93. The co-ordinator helps and advises colleagues and has recently revised the art scheme of work along the lines of the recommended national guidelines. The units of work for each year group help teachers plan and give a structure to the teaching of art from year to year. This enables pupils to build successfully on their skills as they progress through the school.

p.30

Commentary

94. In music , insufficient evidence was seen to make overall judgements about music. One Year 2 lesson was observed and discussions were held with Year 6 pupils and the music co- ordinator. Generally the school provides an appropriate range of opportunities for pupils to perform and celebrate their musical achievements both during the school day and at special seasonal events. Opportunities to sing together in assembly or to learn to play a woodwind instrument or brass instrument enhance pupils’ interest in music. Ightenhill Primary School - 31 95. In physical education , only two lessons were observed during the inspection. However, from viewing planning and discussions with teachers and pupils it is evident that all parts of the National Curriculum, including swimming and outdoor and adventurous activities are taught. This is a position similar to the findings of the last inspection. The co-ordinator has had no

p.30

Commentary

opportunity to monitor his colleagues teaching but does monitor their planning for the subject. After-school sports clubs and involvement in area sports events and fixtures further add to the provision made for physical education.

p.31

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

96. No lessons were seen in this area of the school’s work and so no judgements are made about overall provision. The school sees pupils’ personal development as an important part of its work. The co-ordinator is bringing the policy up to date and there is a good programme of activities. In particular, a group of Year 6 pupils were very clear about the help and advice they had had on diet, health, sex, drugs and personal safety. They spoke in a mature way about puberty, the dangers of drugs and alcohol misuse. The Life Skills Bus also does a great deal to help pupils develop a safe and healthy life style and gives pupils’ confidence to deal with life problems in a sensible way. The School Council helps pupils join in the decision making process and gives them an opportunity to take part in making changes in the running of the school. Ightenhill Primary School - 32

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 Value for money provided by the school 4

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 5

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 5 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 5

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.32