Castle Hill Primary School

CASTLE HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 1 st – 3 rd December 2003

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CASTLE HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CASTLE HILL 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. Castle Hill Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 204

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Castle Hill Street Tonge Moor Bolton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01204 332766 Fax number: 01204 332767

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs B Morey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 2001

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Castle Hill Primary School moved into its new building, funded by a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) partnership, on October 6 th 2003. It shares some of its facilities with other local community groups. The school serves its local area, a mixture of private, rented and local authority housing, situated close to Bolton town centre. The school is part of an Education Action Zone (EAZ) and works with other local schools on a number of improvement strategies. There are 195 full-time pupils (94 boys and 101 girls), and 9 children part-time in the Nursery. They are mainly of white, United Kingdom ethnic origin. A small number of pupils are from other ethnic minorities. There are no pupils with English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is well above average. Twenty-eight per cent of pupils have special educational needs, which is above average. Their needs include a range of learning, communication and behavioural difficulties.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Attainment on entry is well below average, especially in language and social aspects. Castle Hill Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

23742 Mr Colin Henderson Lead inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography History Physical education. English as an additional language 14083 Mr Andy Anderson Lay inspector 24031 Mrs Iris Idle Team inspector Science Foundation Stage Religious education Music Personal, social and health education and citizenship. 23375 Mr John Hicks Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Eclipse Education (UK) Ltd 14 Enterprise House Kingsway Team Valley Gateshead NE11 0SR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 8

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The overall effectiveness of Castle Hill Primary School is satisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

It is a friendly and caring school community that encourages its pupils to have a positive attitude to learning. The school includes all pupils well in learning activities, although these are not always matched to pupils’ needs. It provides a satisfactory quality of education with satisfactory teaching and leadership and management. Most pupils achieve satisfactorily in their learning overall. Achievement is unsatisfactory in English and pupils do not attain high enough standards. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Pupils attain standards that are below average. They are well below average in English. • Pupils have good attitudes to learning and their behaviour is mostly good. • The provision for the large number of pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. • Information about pupils’ progress is not used consistently to meet their learning needs. • Procedures for evaluating teaching and learning are not rigorous enough. • Attendance levels are well above average. • The school does not enable parents to be involved sufficiently in their children’s learning.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has maintained its satisfactory effectiveness since the last inspection, although improvement on some issues has been insufficient. Progress has been restricted by disruption caused by the school’s move to new accommodation and by the high level of staff change. Standards of attainment are lower at the end of Year 6, although the current year group has a significantly higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than the year group in 2001. The school has improved teachers’ subject knowledge in music and information and communication technology (ICT), although there are still weaknesses in art and design and aspects of English. A better school improvement plan provides a clearer direction for the school’s work, although it is not evaluated rigorously against standards. Opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual development have not been increased. The accommodation and resources have improved considerably and are now

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English D E E* E mathematics D E E* D science C E* E B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average; E* - bottom 5 per cent nationally. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils attain below average standards. They are well below average at the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics. Children start in the Nursery with well below average attainment. They achieve well in the Foundation Stage, although they are unlikely to achieve nationally expected levels in the six areas of learning by the time they enter Year 1. The achievement of most pupils is satisfactory overall in most subjects . Achievement is unsatisfactory in English, mainly as a result of weaknesses in the teaching of basic skills, particularly reading. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. More able pupils do not always achieve as well as they should. Castle Hill Primary School - 5 Pupils have good attitudes to work and most behave well. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Attendance is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Teaching is satisfactory , and often good. It helps pupils make satisfactory progress in their learning. Teachers and teaching assistants provide good support for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers do not always have consistently high enough expectations of pupils’ work. The school provides good care and satisfactory support and guidance. It makes good use of visits, visitors, clubs and links with the community to enrich the curriculum. Links with parents are satisfactory, but the school does not encourage them enough to become involved effectively in supporting their children’s learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are satisfactory . The headteacher has successfully managed the move to the new building and maintained the school’s caring ethos. However, a consistent and rigorous focus on raising standards of attainment is not established. Governors work soundly with the staff to provide support and evaluate the education provided. However, they do not meet the statutory requirement to provide a daily act of collective worship for all pupils. The involvement of senior staff, subject co-ordinators and governors in evaluating teaching and learning regularly and targeting improvement is not established satisfactorily.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents are satisfied with the school. All the questionnaires showed that parents thought that their children liked school. Over 95 per cent agreed that their children made good progress, that teaching was good and that staff treat their children fairly. Parents in 20 per cent of questionnaires had concerns over bullying and harassment. Inspectors found that the school has a good anti- bullying policy and where bullying occurs, it is handled well.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils have positive views of the school. Inspectors talked to a good number of pupils during the inspection. They all agreed that the school is a friendly place and that teachers are approachable and helpful. They liked the facilities in their new building, especially the large amount of space. Some thought that they did not get enough homework, although others that it was about the right amount. Inspectors found that homework was not used consistently to support pupils’ learning.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to raise standards of attainment are:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Focus more consistently on teaching and improving pupils’ basic skills in reading, writing, number and ICT; • Apply these skills consistently to promote standards in other subjects; • Increase pupils’ enthusiasm for reading, especially boys; • Involve senior staff and subject co-ordinators to evaluate teaching and learning and rigorously target improving standards; • Ensure that teachers use assessment information to match learning consistently to pupils’ needs, especially the more able; • Make more consistent use of homework to support pupils’ learning; • Extend links with parents to encourage more effective involvement in their children’s learning; • Increase opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual development.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

And, to meet statutory requirements: • Ensure that all pupils have a daily act of collective worship. Castle Hill Primary School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils attain standards that are below average overall by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. They are well below average in English throughout the school and in mathematics at the end of Year 6. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 to 6. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well, although more able pupils are not challenged consistently to extend their skills and knowledge.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils have weak reading, writing and number skills and these limit their achievement; • Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and make good progress towards their learning targets; • More able pupils do not always achieve as well as they could, particularly in English and mathematics; • Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress in most areas of learning; • Standards are improving in aspects of information and communication technology (ICT) and physical education, promoted by improved resources and facilities.

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Commentary

1 The results of the national tests for Year 2 pupils over the last four years show an overall improving trend, although standards remain well below the national average. They meet the average of similar schools in writing, although are well below average in reading and mathematics. The results of the national tests for Year 6 pupils over the last four years show that standards are well below the national average. The school achieved better results in 2001, at the time of the last inspection, especially in science. Assessment information shows that, that particular Year 6 group of pupils contained a higher than usual proportion of average and above average pupils. The school’s 2003 results were in the bottom five per cent nationally and were well short of achieving its targets of 60 per cent of pupils to attain Level 4 or above in English and 58 per cent in mathematics. Girls achieve better than boys in tests, although both attain standards that are well below the national

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Commentary

average. However, the 2003 test results show that the achievement of Year 6 pupils was above average in science when compared with their attainment as Year 2 pupils. It was below average in mathematics and well below average in English. Inspection evidence indicates that the school is very unlikely to achieve its revised, challenging 2004 targets of 76 per cent in English and 72 per cent in mathematics. Too few pupils attain above average levels so the results are likely to remain well below the national average. This is because the current Year 6 has nearly 50 per cent of pupils with special educational needs.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 12.2 (13.7) 15.7 (15.8) writing 13.3 (12.8) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 12.2 (14.9) 16.3 (16.5) There were28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 22.1 (24.0) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 23.0 (23.5) 26.8 (26.7) Castle Hill Primary School - 7 science 26.3 (25.0) 28.6 (28.3) There were 28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year 2 Most children enter the Nursery with standards of attainment that are well below those expected for their age, especially in language and social development. They are well supported in their early learning by good teaching and support from the teacher and teaching assistants. Children settle happily and make good progress. Few, however, will achieve the nationally expected levels by the end of Reception year. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 make satisfactory progress overall, although they do not make enough progress in developing their literacy skills. Some inconsistencies in the methods of teaching reading, writing and spelling restrict pupils’ achievement and do not always

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Commentary

ensure that they have consistently positive attitudes to their learning, especially reading. Junior pupils achieve satisfactorily overall, although weaknesses in literacy restrict standards attained in English and limit their achievements in other subjects, for example, science, ICT and history. Many junior pupils, particularly in Years 5 and 6, have weaknesses in their knowledge and understanding of number. These limit their achievement in mathematics, particularly in the accuracy and amount of work achieved. Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall in science, with improvements evident in pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry. Their skills in recording their results accurately and explaining their findings are not developed to expected levels.

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Commentary

3 The high proportion of pupils with special educational needs achieve well. Teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff work closely together to ensure that these pupils are included fully in all activities. Staff provide good individual guidance to pupils in lessons and very good procedures are established to review pupils’ progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. However, too often some teachers plan activities that are not matched to the range of needs in the class, particularly to challenge more able pupils to apply their skills and knowledge and attain higher standards.

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Commentary

4 Pupils’ overall progress has been adversely affected by the disruption to their education owing to delays in the move to the new building and by frequent staff changes in the last two years. The staffing situation is now stabilising. New and improved facilities and resources in ICT and physical education are encouraging pupils’ enthusiastic approach to learning and raising standards in aspects of their work. They are very enthusiastic about using the new hall and outdoor all-weather area to improve their physical skills. The use of a mobile suite of laptop computers, in addition to a permanent computer suite, enables teachers to develop pupils’ basic ICT skills soundly. They do not provide enough opportunities for pupils, particularly those with no access to a home computer, to apply their skills consistently. This limits the development of their skills, especially word processing and using the keyboard accurately.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance is very good. Pupils` attitudes to the school are good and they behave well. The provision for pupils` spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has good procedures that promote good attendance; • Pupils enjoy school life and happily take on responsibility; • Good personal relationships are a strong feature of the school; • The school does not promote pupils` spiritual awareness well enough.

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Commentary

5 The school has good procedures for promoting and monitoring attendance. Pupils enjoy coming to school and the rates of authorised and unauthorised absences are below average. Overall punctuality is satisfactory but is marred by a small number of persistent latecomers. Castle Hill Primary School - 8 6 Pupils are interested in school life and enjoy the opportunities offered to them through the curriculum and the many other activities. In discussion, pupils expressed positive feelings for most subjects and for the better opportunities offered in the new building. They respond well when asked to take on a wide range of responsibilities around the school. They act as house captains, art monitors and fruit monitors and some take responsibility for the school office at lunchtimes. Pupils particularly like helping the youngest pupils in the school and this enjoyable responsibility is regularly re-allocated so that all have an opportunity to take part. Pupils say that bullying is very rare, is

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Commentary

usually restricted to name-calling and is always dealt with promptly and effectively. The school has good procedures for managing pupils’ behaviour, including any bullying and harassment. It uses them effectively, for example, excluding pupils where necessary to ensure that they understand and try to achieve the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. The school promotes good relationships well, including racial harmony. Pupils are confident and have good self-esteem.

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Commentary

7 Provision for developing pupils` spiritual awareness is unsatisfactory. This is partly because the staff are not really aware of how it could be developed and miss many opportunities in their lessons. The school does not use collective worship effectively to enhance spiritual development. The school has clear rules, however, and gives pupils a good knowledge of what is morally right and wrong. Pupils learn how to get along with other people to live successfully in the school and wider community. Lessons on personal, social and health education, such as one seen in Year 5, contribute well to pupils` all-round development. Pupils develop a satisfactory awareness and appreciation of their own and other cultural traditions. For example, they learn about art and music from different times and countries and work with visiting artists to extend their knowledge. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress in personal, social and emotional

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (96.2%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.6 School data 0.2 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 153 8 2 White – any other White background 1 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 6 1 1 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 2 Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 No ethnic group recorded 6 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is satisfactory. The school provides well for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. Procedures for support and guidance are satisfactory. Teaching is satisfactory. The school provides a satisfactory curriculum. Castle Hill Primary School - 9

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory . Teaching was good in the lessons observed. An analysis of pupils’ work shows that teaching is satisfactory overall. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage. It is satisfactory in Years 1 to 6 and enables most pupils to make satisfactory progress overall in their learning. The school has sound assessment procedures but teachers do not use the information from the assessments consistently.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good with good teamwork between the teacher and the teaching assistants; • Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good; • Teachers do not use information on how well pupils are doing to match activities consistently to the range of learning needs and to inform pupils how to improve the quality of their work; • Teachers do not use homework effectively to promote pupils’ learning; • Teachers manage their classes well to maintain good behaviour and encourage positive attitudes to learning.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 32 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 (0) 2 (6) 19 (60) 10 (31) 1 (3) 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons. Figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen

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Commentary

8 There were examples of good teaching observed in each year group. This enabled pupils to achieve well in those lessons and reflected the positive views of most parents and pupils. Parents in 98 per cent of the questionnaires valued the good quality of teaching. Teaching has been maintained at the level reported in the last inspection. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage enables children to settle happily into the class routines established in their new building. Teaching and support staff work effectively together to provide good individual support to Nursery and Reception children, based on good day-to-day assessments. They make good progress towards the levels expected at the end of the Foundation Stage.

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Commentary

9 Teachers work closely with teaching assistants to provide good teaching for the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. This enables them to make good progress towards their learning targets. However, the recent high level of changes in teaching staff has led to some consistencies in practice, for example in English. Teachers do not always have consistently high enough expectations of pupils, especially more able pupils. They do not use the information gathered about how well pupils are doing consistently to ensure that they plan activities to match the full range of educational needs. Too often, pupils of different levels of attainment were required to complete the same task. Where average and above average pupils completed the initial activity successfully, the follow-up activity was mainly a reinforcement of what they had already achieved rather than challenging them to apply and extend their skills and knowledge. This limited their

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Commentary

achievement. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. They use praise and encouragement well to recognise pupils’ efforts. Some identify where pupils have weaknesses. Too few use constructive comments to indicate how pupils can improve the quality of their work, and then check later to see if pupils are improving these aspects. Teachers use on-going assessments successfully for pupils with special educational needs to evaluate progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. However, few use these assessment processes to set clear individual targets for pupils of average and above average ability.

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Commentary

10 Teachers manage their classes well to sustain pupils’ attention. They use effective management strategies to maintain good behaviour and minimise any disruption caused by the Castle Hill Primary School - 10 occasional incidents of inappropriate behaviour from a small number of boys. Teachers use resources well to capture pupils’ interest, for example, the use of lap-top computers and whiteboards in ICT. They work in an effective partnership with teaching assistants and other supporting adults to ensure that all pupils are included fully in whole class activities, such as when pupils discuss what they have been doing during the lesson. Most use questions soundly to encourage pupils’ response in class discussions. Few use additional, more challenging questions to require more able pupils to apply their skills and knowledge and achieve higher standards.

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Commentary

11 All teachers share the learning objectives with their pupils at the start of the activity. This ensures that pupils know what they are trying to achieve. Most teachers tell pupils how long they have for the activity. Few maintain a brisk enough pace to lessons by reminding pupils how long they have left and what they expect them to have achieved. This does not always ensure that all pupils complete as much as they should in the lesson. There were some good examples of teachers using homework successfully to support work, for example, in mathematics and in history. However, there was little evidence of teachers using homework consistently to promote pupils’ learning. This confirmed the views of some pupils, although it did not reflect the views of most of parents in the questionnaires who felt that homework was used appropriately.

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The curriculum

Provision is satisfactory. The Foundation Stage curriculum provides children with a good start to their school life. The curriculum for Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory and is enriched by a good range of extra-curricular activities. The accommodation and resources are very good and support the curriculum very well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good; • The range of extra-curricular activities and visits is good; • Accommodation and resources have improved significantly; • The provision for the teaching of music has improved; • The programme for personal, social and health education has not yet been fully implemented;

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Commentary

12 The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The co-ordinator has a very good overview of the needs of all pupils and capable teaching assistants support these pupils well in classes. Their needs are clearly understood and their learning is well structured to meet their particular needs. As a result, they achieve well.

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Commentary

13 Teachers plan the curriculum satisfactorily. Schemes of work are sound and in place for all subjects, including personal, social and health education. This is time-tabled for each class but is very new and is not yet having an impact on standards. A good range of extra-curricular activities enriches the curriculum. These include sports activities such as girls’ and boys’ football, mixed netball, a gym club along with an arts and crafts club for pupils in Years 1 and 2 and a choir for pupils in Years 3 to 6. The school provides a breakfast club each day and extra classes, called booster classes, for mathematics for pupils in Years 5 and 6. A good number of pupils learn a range of musical instruments, having lessons with visiting peripatetic teachers. Since the last inspection, the quality of provision for the teaching of music has improved. A visiting musician teaches all classes and class teachers enhance their own skills by observing these lessons. Additional training in the

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Commentary

teaching of ICT has taken place since the last inspection and this has improved provision.

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Commentary

14 Pupils use the local environment well to support their work in geography, religious education and music. They visit several churches including a mosque, and church leaders take assemblies in school. Older pupils have good opportunities to take part in a residential visit and a range of outdoor pursuits, including an overnight stay under canvas. The school’s programme for personal, social Castle Hill Primary School - 11 and health education has only recently been introduced. There are some inconsistencies in the time allocated and the ways in which teachers implement the programme. This limits its effectiveness.

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Commentary

15 The new school accommodation is very good. It provides very good facilities for promoting pupils’ learning. Resources are very good, particularly for ICT. As subject leaders have not had opportunities to develop their role, resources are not effectively co-ordinated, for example, in ICT. This does not ensure that they are used efficiently in classrooms and have a great impact on learning.

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Care, guidance and support

The procedures for pupils’ care and welfare are good. Those for support, advice and guidance are satisfactory overall and support pupils` learning adequately. Health and safety procedures are satisfactory. Personal development is monitored well. The involvement of pupils in the school’s work and development are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have very good relationships with one or more adults in the school; • School policies are used well to promote and support pupils in their personal development; • Procedures to guide and inform pupils’ academic development are not developed fully; • The access from the playground into school during breaks and lunchtime is limited; • Staff cannot communicate effectively with the school when pupils use the special turfed area.

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Commentary

16 The school has good procedures for pupils’ welfare, including those to promote good behaviour, equal opportunity and racial equality. These are applied effectively so that pupils are cared for and supported well in their personal development. Staff know their pupils well and many pupils indicated that they were confident about approaching teachers to share their concerns. For example, there is a breakfast club that encourages very good relationships and gives very good support for pupils. This is having a positive impact on attendance and punctuality. The procedures to monitor and guide pupils in promoting their academic development are improving but not developed fully. They do not always give pupils clear and specific guidance on how to improve the quality of their work.

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Commentary

17 There is a great deal of building work still going on but the school has made satisfactory arrangements for pupils’ safety and security, such as using the all-weather pitch at lunchtimes. This alleviates any potential problems. However, because cloakroom doors leading into school cannot be opened from the playground, access to school during break and lunchtimes is limited. When a group of pupils are taken to play on the outdoor all-weather area, the support staff have no means of communicating quickly with the school if this is needed. Pupils are well supervised at breaks and lunchtime. Standards of care are high because midday supervisors are experienced, appropriately trained and have good knowledge of the school’s pastoral and welfare procedures.

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Commentary

18 Pupils new to the school are welcomed and soon settle in. Teachers quickly get to know them and pupils say that, “The school is full of nice people and the teachers are helpful”. This includes the teaching assistants who are well deployed and work effectively with teachers and pupils. The school is beginning to seek pupils` views more regularly. For example, some boys have been asked about their reading preferences so that their attitudes to reading might improve. However, the school is not yet using this information consistently, for example, to improve resources and to develop specific teaching strategies.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership with parents is satisfactory. Links with the community are good. Links with other schools are satisfactory. Castle Hill Primary School - 12

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most parents are not involved effectively in working with the school to support their children’s learning, for example, in reading; • The school makes good use of links with the local community to contribute to pupils’ learning; • The school provides detailed and frequent information for parents; • Senior staff are available to parents on the playground at the start and the end of each school day; • Parents are not able to contact class teachers easily to raise an urgent concern.

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Commentary

19 A good variety of visitors from the local community support learning in school and visits to the local area are used well to broaden the experiences offered to pupils, for example, to Bolton Museum to extend their work in history. The information to parents is good overall and includes weekly newsletters and regular letters about specific events and activities. Some aspects of required information in the prospectus are not included fully. Good annual reports include a comment sheet for parents and the opportunity to discuss the report with teachers. The school holds two consultation evenings as well as an annual open evening. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are available to parents in the playground at the start and end of the school day. However, parents are not able to contact class teachers easily, for example, at the start of the school day, to raise an immediate concern. Although there is a small number of parents who help in

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Commentary

classrooms and accompany pupils on school trips, the school has not established an effective partnership with most parents. The home school reading system is not contributing effectively to reading standards and to encouraging pupils to develop positive attitudes to reading.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The headteacher and other key staff provide satisfactory leadership overall, although there are weaknesses in aspects of subject leadership and management. The governance of the school is unsatisfactory, because the statutory requirement of providing a daily act of collective worship is not met.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has managed the move to the new building well and maintained the school’s caring and inclusive ethos; • The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff is not focused rigorously on raising standards of attainment; • There are significant variations in the quality of subject leadership and management; • The school has good financial procedures and uses its funds efficiently to target improvement priorities; • Governors work in a sound partnership with the headteacher and staff to evaluate the quality of education provided. They do not ensure that the school meets the statutory requirement over collective worship and this limits pupils’ spiritual development.

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Commentary

20 The headteacher has managed the school soundly during the recent upheaval caused by the school’s move to new premises. He works closely with his staff, particularly his deputy headteacher, to maintain the school’s caring and friendly ethos, during a period of uncertainty and a high level of staff change. The leadership of the headteacher is satisfactory. It has not been maintained at the good level reported at the last inspection. He has provided a clear vision statement and specific aims to give direction to the work of the school and to ensure that all pupils are included fully in the school’s programme. He works well with staff to establish a better school improvement plan and identify key priorities for development. Staff work soundly together, although staff changes Castle Hill Primary School - 13 have led to some inconsistencies in teaching approaches and to targeting improvement. The

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Commentary

headteacher manages the day-to-day organisation successfully, including the effective use of strategies to encourage pupils’ good behaviour and positive attitudes to school. Parents valued his leadership in 95 per cent of the questionnaires.

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Commentary

21 The headteacher has not built effectively on some of the new and improved systems reported in the last inspection. However, disruption caused by delays in the intended move to the new building and a high level of staff changes have limited the progress on some of these procedures. He has not yet established procedures that monitor and evaluate teaching and learning rigorously. The headteacher and his deputy, together with the support of the local education authority adviser, monitor some lessons, for example, of those teachers new to the school. However, these evaluations are not focused enough on identifying inconsistencies in teaching, highlighting key weaknesses then establishing rigorous action to target their improvement. Some key staff are providing good leadership, for example, in special educational needs. These are contributing well to school improvement and to the standards attained by a significant proportion of

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Commentary

pupils. However, staff changes have limited the development of the roles and responsibilities of subject co-ordinators. Many look at samples of work and teaching plans and discuss their subject with other teachers to evaluate its effectiveness. They use this information to highlight areas for their subject’s action plan in the school improvement plan. However, the procedures to evaluate progress frequently on their action plans and to address key areas of teaching and learning are not rigorous enough. The school has improved its procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment. The new co- ordinator for assessment has developed good systems to enable teachers to use an increasing range of information to track pupils’ performance across the school. The headteacher and senior staff are beginning to use these successfully to set school attainment targets and to identify weaknesses in pupils’ work, for example, in literacy and numeracy. The overall effectiveness of

p.15

Commentary

these improved procedures, however, are not monitored to check on their impact on standards of attainment. For example, some teachers do not use the information consistently to set and review individual or group improvement targets for pupils.

p.15

Commentary

22 Governors continue to be supportive of the school, as reported in the last inspection. They are kept well informed about the school’s work by detailed reports from the headteacher and other key staff. Some governors use their good experience and knowledge to evaluate the education provided by the school and the standards attained. Some governors, particularly the chair of governors, visit classrooms often and are aware of the effectiveness of some aspects of teaching and learning. The governing body has introduced different systems for improving governors’ knowledge and understanding of the effectiveness of the school, for example, through links with subjects and with classes. These have not yet been developed fully and do not enable governors to contribute fully to aspects of strategic planning, for example, through frequent and rigorous evaluation of the school’s priorities for improvement. Governors meet most of their statutory

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Commentary

requirements, although they do not ensure that the school holds a daily act of collective worship for all pupils. This restricts the range of opportunities for promoting pupils’ spiritual development which was a key issue from the previous inspection. Governors have established good procedures for managing the school’s funds efficiently. The school’s administrator provides regular and detailed financial information to enable senior staff and governors to monitor spending levels closely. The current large balance resulted from significant savings on the funds allocated originally for maintenance on the old building and from some savings from the high level of staff changes. The governors plan to use this surplus to continue to support staffing levels, for example, to enable Year 6 pupils to be taught in smaller groups for literacy and numeracy.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 667,934 Balance from previous year 105,945 Total expenditure 570,031 Balance carried forward to the next year 97,902 Expenditure per pupil 2637 Castle Hill Primary School - 14

p.15

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision is good . There are 22 children in Reception and nine full-time and 11 part-time in the Nursery. The new accommodation provides very good facilities, although those for outdoor play have yet to be developed fully. Teaching and support staff work well as a team and use good procedures to assess children’s progress and plan what they have to do next in their learning.

p.16

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good relationships formed with all adults enable children to become confident and independent learners; • High expectations of behaviour help children to quickly understand the rules and routines of the Foundation Stage unit; • The younger children enter the nursery with very poor personal, social and emotional skills and this means that they have a high dependence on adults and lack skills of independent behaviour.

p.16

Commentary

23 All children are confident to talk to adults within the Foundation Stage. Many of the youngest children have difficulty putting on aprons unaided and still find it hard to share materials. Their behaviour is very good, they move to activities sensibly and stay on task for a good period of time. The older children work well both in pairs and in small groups. They take turns well and listen carefully when children talk about their weekend. They know the routines of the Foundation Stage unit well and adjust their choice of activity successfully to match the number of children able to work in that area. They work well together when using computers, taking turns to use the mouse and helping others to achieve the correct answer. Most of the older children remember to put up their hand to answer questions. All children are making good progress and achieving well in this area of their learning as a result of the good teaching they receive. However, it is unlikely that they will

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Commentary

achieve the expected level by the time they enter Year 1.

p.16

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The opportunities for children to develop their listening skills are good; • Most of the older children write their full name with a good degree of accuracy; • Children’s speaking and listening skills on entering the Foundation Stage unit are poor; • There are not enough opportunities for children to use their early writing skills in different areas of learning.

p.16

Commentary

24 All children recognise their own name when they register themselves. Older children practise writing their full names each morning with good parental support but the younger children are not encouraged to try this. Teachers plan good opportunities for children to develop their speaking and listening skills when they share their weekend news with each other in a discussion period called ‘circle time’. The older children sit very quietly and listen carefully to others. They all take their turns to speak but often use very quiet voices and others find it hard to hear their news. Castle Hill Primary School - 15 They enjoy sharing the story of the “ Gingerbread Man” and know it is that story “because it has a gingerbread man on the cover.” A few children remember that people in the story are called “ the characters” though one was confused and thought they were “carrots”. They know the letter names

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Commentary

and sounds of ‘v & w’ and match these well to words beginning with these letters. More able older children follow text well in their reading group and are beginning to read simple words. Although children have opportunities in the writing area to practise their emerging writing, more opportunities could be provided in other areas, such as recording when they have worked in sand or at the computer. Although children are achieving well in this area of learning, most are not likely to achieve the expected level by the end of the Reception year.

p.17

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Older children have good knowledge of numbers to ten; • Younger children develop early skills of prediction well.

p.17

Commentary

25 Many nursery children recognise numbers to seven correctly but find it difficult to guess how many gingerbread men will fit on three different sized trays. They extend their understanding well as a result of the nursery nurse’s good questioning skills. A small group put numbers to ten into the correct order by counting from the beginning each time to identify the next number in the sequence. The activities planned for small groups link very well with the focus of the whole group session. These reinforce predicting, identifying and counting to seven and beyond. The work planned for the older children is carefully matched to their needs. While some children work out how many pennies are left if some are taken away, others count pennies and practise writing their numbers. All children show an interest in numbers and work well independently and in small groups. A parent supports a group of children very well as they identify numbers by colours. Although children are achieving well,

p.17

Commentary

the majority are not likely to achieve the expected level in this area of learning.

p.17

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children have a good, early understanding of prediction and fair testing; • Most children use the computers confidently; • Their work in food technology is good.

p.17

Commentary

26 Children begin to understand what materials are best to keep the gingerbread man dry. They have a lovely time when a child stands under an umbrella while the teacher pours water on it! They test a range of materials well to find out which one will make him a waterproof coat. Many find cutting materials quite hard but have better sticking skills and successfully achieved a design for his coat. In small groups, children enjoy good opportunities to learn about changes in materials when they bake gingerbread men. The thorough planning helps children to develop their understanding through a range of different activities. They use construction kits well to create the house in the story and test the walls carefully to see if they are sufficiently strong to hold the roof. They observe changes when ice cubes are brought into a warm temperature and predict very accurately that these will melt. Castle Hill Primary School - 16

p.17

Commentary

27 ICT is used well to develop the children’s listening skills. The children listen and respond to instructions when adding the correct spots to ladybirds and demonstrate satisfactory mouse skills as they move objects around the screen. Children are sufficiently confident to experiment if unsure. Children use headphones and listening sets well to respond to stories and music. Although children are achieving well, the majority are not likely to achieve the expected level in this area of learning.

p.18

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

28 During the inspection, it was not possible to observe this area of learning. However, a good outdoor play area is available but, so far, it has not been possible to mark out tracks for wheeled vehicles or any other games. Permanent play features are not yet in place. A soft surface has been provided and there are plans for a nature area when the building work is completed.

p.18

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Planned opportunities for children to work with a wide range of materials are developing their skills well; • Good opportunities for role-play are developing further the children’s understanding of characters and extending their confidence.

p.18

Commentary

29 Children use a good range of materials to develop their cutting, sticking and rolling skills. They use manufactured animal masks well to ‘become’ the different creatures in the story. These give them the confidence to move around the room in role without feeling embarrassed. Children enjoy making fox masks, cutting out the shape in card and adding a variety of materials including fur to represent the foxes’ appearance well. The good questioning by adults extends their knowledge of materials well and encourages children to achieve a high standard of work. Songs and rhymes are used well to extend other areas of learning, and musical instruments are always available. Although children are achieving well, the majority are not likely to achieve the expected level in this area of learning. Castle Hill Primary School - 17

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Basic skills are not developed sufficiently and there are inconsistencies in teaching methods; • Home readers are not matched well to pupils` reading ability in Years 1 and 2 so that they develop poor attitudes to this essential skill; • Weaknesses in English have an adverse effect on other subjects; • Good use is made of classroom assistants to support pupils with special educational needs; • The monitoring of teaching is not developed enough to improve standards; • The marking of pupils` work does not show them how to improve; • Homework does not reinforce or extend pupils` learning enough; • Resources are good and are sometimes used effectively to promote learning; • The school has made some recent changes in organisation and curriculum. These are not yet raising standards

p.19

Commentary

30 Standards in English are well below the national average in Year 2 and Year 6. Standards have declined since the previous report when they were judged to be below expected levels. This is only partly explained by the higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the current Year 6 class. There are some inconsistencies in teaching approaches and teachers’ expectations, which result from the high proportion of staff changes in the last two years. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should because they do not develop the basic skills of reading and writing soundly by the time they leave the school. There are a number of reasons for this. For example, teachers in Years 3 to 6 do not teach pupils consistently how to write neatly and accurately, particularly where this skill has not been mastered by the time pupils leave Year 2. In fact, the exercise books used to teach handwriting have examples inside the front cover that do not relate to the actual style taught. This is

p.19

Commentary

confusing and contributes to low standards throughout the school. Even in Year 6, pupils are still displaying very weak levels of grammar, spelling and punctuation. This is due to inconsistencies of teaching approaches in different classes. Spellings are taught regularly but pupils of all abilities are tested on the same list of spellings. More able pupils are not challenged by this and the less able pupils regularly fail to gain even moderate marks. The result is that pupils develop poor attitudes to spelling. Teachers do not always have a secure command of the subject themselves and sometimes give pupils incorrect information. The new system for home readers for pupils in Year 2 is unsatisfactory and is having an adverse effect on pupils` attitudes and learning. There is no checking procedure to ensure that books are matched to their reading ability so pupils struggle to read their books. Pupils do not have an enthusiasm for reading so that even more able pupils in

p.19

Commentary

Year 6 say they do not like reading. Pupils with special educational needs do better and achieve well. This is because of the good level of support they get from classroom assistants who focus closely on their learning needs.

p.19

Commentary

31 The teaching of English is generally satisfactory but very little of the teaching exceeds that standard. This is partly due to weak monitoring and guidance systems for the subject that do not encourage the development and improvement of teaching. In addition, the marking of pupils` work is inconsistent and does not show them how to improve. Pupils do not have individual targets to aim at and this limits their understanding of their own learning needs. The leadership and management of the subject is unsatisfactory overall. The subject co-ordinator does not have an allocation of time or opportunity to see how other teachers develop pupils’ skills and knowledge. The occasional observations made by the headteacher lack sufficient rigour to promote improvement. Pupils` work is monitored regularly but staff do not have the necessary skills of evaluation to get specific priorities Castle Hill Primary School - 18

p.19

Commentary

for improvement from this exercise. Resources for the subject have been developed well, however, and some teachers make good use of them to enliven their teaching at times. 32 The school is keen to improve standards in English and some changes have been introduced recently, aimed at bringing this about. However, several of them are very new and have not yet had time to be implemented effectively to make any difference, particularly as staff and pupils have needed time to adjust to changes brought about by their recent move. For example, pupils now have additional time for guided reading and writing and others are about to receive additional teaching aimed at raising their level of attainment in national tests.

p.20

Literacy across the curriculum

33 The very low standards in English are having an adverse effect on other subjects because they all depend on the mastery of literacy skills to a greater or lesser extent. For example, in a religious education lesson about Christmas, pupils in Year 3 could not read or understand the worksheets well enough. Subsequently, their weak writing skills severely limited the pupils` responses so that they used drawings to try to show their understanding.

p.20

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Weaknesses in pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding of number limit their achievement; • Satisfactory and often good teaching of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of shape, space and measures and handling data is raising standards in these aspects; • Support staff and effective teaching of smaller groups in Year 6 are being used well to target groups of pupils, especially those with special educational needs; • Pupils are not challenged enough to apply and extend their skills of numeracy in other subjects; • Some teachers do not use on-going information from assessments to help them to plan their teaching and build pupils’ number skills and knowledge consistently on prior learning.

p.20

Commentary

34 Pupils attain standards that are below average in Year 2 and well below average in Year 6. Standards are similar to those reported at the previous inspection for Year 2. They are lower than those for Year 6, although assessment information shows that the current Year 6 has a larger proportion, 50 per cent, of pupils with special educational needs. Most pupils achieve satisfactorily. Many achieve well, often promoted by good teaching, in aspects of shape, space and measures and handling data. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of good quality support from well-informed assistants. However, pupils throughout the school have weak number skills and these limit the accuracy and the amount of work achieved. Pupils of average and above average ability do not mentally recall number facts quickly. Many identify the correct strategy to use to solve a number problem, but their uncertainties in place value and in their knowledge of number facts, for

p.20

Commentary

example, in addition and multiplication, limit their achievement significantly.

p.20

Commentary

35 Teachers use national guidance effectively to plan to develop pupils’ skills and knowledge in all the required aspects of mathematics. Teaching is satisfactory overall. It is good when teachers require pupils to apply and extend their knowledge to solve problems linked to real-life situations, for example, when working out money spent on Christmas gifts. However, teachers do not always use information about pupils’ progress to match activities to the range of pupils’ needs, especially in their knowledge of numbers. An analysis of pupils’ work shows that teachers do not extend pupils’ number work consistently. They do not use on-going assessments, for example, when developing multiplication and division skills, to ensure that activities reinforce, then extend pupils’ skills. They do not mark constructively to identify what pupils need to improve and to plan follow-up activities to tackle these weaknesses. Some teachers use lists of targets, attached to the back of pupils’ books,

p.20

Commentary

to show what has been achieved and what needs to be achieved. Few pupils know how to use Castle Hill Primary School - 19 these targets to improve their work. Teachers use mental number activities satisfactorily to encourage pupils’ involvement. Few use a range of questions to challenge pupils of different abilities. They work well with teaching assistants to encourage pupils with special educational needs to make good contributions. There was little evidence of teachers challenging more able pupils with an additional or extension question or to use a different strategy to solve a problem. This does not ensure that pupils are consistently applying and extending their number skills.

p.20

Commentary

36 Pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding of shape, space, measures and handling data are improving. Good teaching enables pupils to build up their skills successfully, for example, when pupils in Year 4 were required to use frequency charts to organise their information and present it as a graph. Most selected a suitable scale and labelled their axes and graphs accurately. Those with special educational needs were supported very well and achieved standards similar to others in the class. Teachers encourage pupils to use correct mathematical terminology, for example, ‘vertical’ and ‘intervals’, although they do not always check that pupils understand their meaning.

p.21

Commentary

37 The leadership of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is using her own good subject knowledge to support groups in Year 6 well and to focus on raising standards. She has monitored some lessons, with support from a consultant from the local education authority. She is beginning to use information from assessments to identify weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge and to encourage teachers to develop improvement targets for pupils. These are not yet developed enough to promote higher standards. Good co-operation with colleagues in the Education Action Zone (EAZ) has enabled a very small number of more able pupils to benefit from extra weekly lessons and to achieve well.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

38 There was very little evidence of pupils applying their skills in numeracy regularly in other subjects. This does not help pupils to apply and extend their skills.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching of pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry has improved; • Pupils’ verbal skills are better than their recording skills; • Teachers provide good opportunities for discussion to develop pupils’ reasoning skills; • The school does not analyse information from assessments and use the findings to improve standards; • Pupils do not know how to improve their work and achieve higher grades; • The pupils’ use of technical language in discussions and in their written work is not developed enough.

p.21

Commentary

39 Pupils of all levels of attainment achieve satisfactorily. They attain standards that are below those expected nationally in all aspects of the subject in Year 2 and in Year 6. Standards are similar to those reported previously for Year 2. They are lower than those reported for Year 6.

p.21

Commentary

40 In the lessons seen, teachers have good subject knowledge, and engage pupils effectively in discussions so that they understand what they are learning. Improvements in the teaching of investigative skills are reflected in pupils’ sound understanding of how to plan and carry out a fair test. For example, when pupils in Year 3 investigated the properties of materials to use for a statue in the school grounds, most knew that they needed to find the dry weight of the materials first before they submerged them in water. Teachers use discussion activities effectively to encourage pupils to Castle Hill Primary School - 20 provide clear verbal descriptions of their experiment. Most find it very difficult to record their findings accurately in books or include possible explanations of their results.

p.21

Commentary

41 Older pupils demonstrate a good understanding of creating a line graph. They used this well to record their findings after measuring the stretch of a rubber band when different weights were added. More able pupils identified clearly that the two axes had to be labelled ‘force’ and ‘weight’. They plotted their results accurately and answered additional questions successfully. These pupils used the results shown on the graphs well to predict the changes when other weights were added. The planning in this lesson was good and all pupils were able to achieve but many needed additional support when recording. A teaching assistant supported the pupils with special educational needs very well.

p.22

Commentary

42 Pupils enjoy science and show this by their good attitudes and by their keenness to learn. These attitudes ensure that most lessons proceed smoothly even when a small minority of pupils behave inappropriately. Pupils predict what they think ‘solids’ and ‘solutions’ are and then check carefully, to share with others, the definitions given in their science dictionaries. Pupils work well in pairs and small groups and the well-focussed questions asked by the teacher ensure that all pupils take a full part in lessons.

p.22

Commentary

43 The subject co-ordinator manages the subject satisfactorily. She has good subject knowledge and is very enthusiastic. She has good opportunities to monitor pupils’ work but does not analyse information about pupils’ progress to help teachers target weaknesses. Pupils do not have individual science targets and do not know how to improve their work or achieve higher standards. They do not use specific scientific terminology often enough, both in discussions and in their written work. This limits their achievement.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has improved its ICT resources considerably. • The subject knowledge of staff is good and has been improved by effective training. • These improvements are raising standards in some aspects, although pupils’ skills in word processing and researching information are limited by weak skills in literacy. • Pupils’ basic ICT skills are taught effectively, but teachers do not ensure that pupils have enough opportunities to apply these skills in a broad range of subjects. • Pupils have positive attitudes and work well together.

p.22

Commentary

44 Pupils attain standards in Year 2 and Year 6 that are below nationally expected levels. Standards are similar to those reported in the previous inspection. The school has improved resources considerably, especially in the new building. There is now one computer for every five pupils, a ratio that is better than most schools nationally. The availability of a permanent computer suite and a set of lap-top computers provides more flexibility in enabling teachers to extend pupils’ skills. The school has increased the range of software and the subject knowledge of staff has improved. The subject co-ordinator has used national guidance to establish a good curriculum. These improvements, many of which are recent, are beginning to raise standards. They have yet to make a full impact, particularly on the levels achieved by those pupils who do not have access to a home computer. The school is now very well placed to improve standards.

p.22

Commentary

45 Teaching of pupils’ basic ICT skills observed during the inspection was consistently good. Teachers have good knowledge of the computer programs and use it well to promote pupils’ skills, for example, their understanding of how to use specific keys or icons in word processing. They require pupils to apply their new skills soundly and increase their understanding of how this improves Castle Hill Primary School - 21 their work. For example, pupils in Year 2 gained in confidence as they changed the mistakes made in a well-known nursery rhyme. Most pupils achieve satisfactorily, although an analysis of pupils’ work and talking with pupils show that some do not remember how to apply these skills in their later work. They were uncertain over how to alter text, using word processing skills that they had been taught. The amount and accuracy of their word processing are restricted considerably by weak

p.22

Commentary

skills in literacy and with the keyboard. Those who do not have access to a computer at home are very slow in identifying keys and many are very unsure over how to spell particular sounds or words. When pupils in Year 4 used the Internet to locate information on the Ancient Egyptians, some had difficulty locating the web-sites as they typed inaccurately the name of what they were looking for. This limited the amount of work they achieved.

p.23

Commentary

46 Pupils clearly enjoy working on computers. They are enthusiastic in their approach and work well together to share ideas and develop their skills. In a good lesson, pupils in Year 5 worked together successfully to use a simulation that enabled them to plan and draw a room of a house carefully. They used a spreadsheet to keep a total of how much money they had spent, from the specific amount they had been allocated, as they furnished the room. Pupils attained standards that were similar to those expected for their age. They gained an understanding of how a spreadsheet keeps a running total, although the teacher did not use the opportunity to extend pupils’ skills in numeracy, for example, by estimating costs first.

p.23

Commentary

47 The co-ordinator leads the subject soundly. She has been successful in improving resources, curriculum planning and the subject knowledge of staff. She is beginning to introduce assessment procedures, although these are not used consistently to help plan the teaching. The co-ordinator has monitored some teaching and learning and completed a portfolio of pupils’ work to guide teachers’ assessments. These are not developed enough to evaluate standards and the impact of new resources, and to target improvement.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

48 The improved curriculum planning identifies opportunities for teachers to use pupils’ ICT skills to support work in other subjects. These are beginning to be used soundly, for example, in history, geography, science and art and design. Teachers do not use these opportunities effectively in each class to make full use of the new resources. They do not link them closely to the teaching of basic skills to encourage pupils to apply their recently acquired skills. This does not help pupils to improve their skills and knowledge and achieve expected standards in all aspects.

p.23

Geography

Provision in geography is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers make good use of the local area and visits to contrasting places to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding well; • Pupils’ weak literacy skills limit their achievement and teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to extend their writing skills in geography; • Teachers do not always expect pupils, especially the more able, to apply their knowledge to explain differences between their lives and those of others living in contrasting places; • Procedures to assess pupils’ progress and to check on the quality of teaching and learning are not established.

p.23

Commentary

Castle Hill Primary School - 22 49 Most pupils attain standards in Year 2 and Year 6 that are below those expected for their age. Some more able Year 2 pupils attained above expected standards when describing the lives of people living on the Isle of Struay. However, there was little evidence of pupils, especially in Years 3 to 6, using their geographical knowledge to try to explain how and why their lives differed from those living in different places and climates. This limits the standards attained. Many pupils used geographical terminology accurately, for example, when Year 2 pupils described the physical features of an island, although an analysis of pupils’ work and teaching plans showed that teachers do not focus consistently on extending pupils’ literacy skills in geography. Teachers do not identify where specific key geographical terms are to be taught and do not plan regular opportunities for

p.24

Commentary

pupils to apply their geographical vocabulary in extended written work. This does not enable pupils to attain average standards and to focus consistently on improving their weak literacy skills.

p.24

Commentary

50 Teaching is satisfactory overall. It was good in the one lesson observed. Teachers use the local area well to develop pupils’ mapping skills soundly and to extend their understanding of how they can improve their environment, for example, through recycling waste. They make good use of visits to places that are different to their own local area, for example, to Blackpool. This stimulates pupils’ interest in their learning, although they are not always challenged to use their improved knowledge to explain how the lives of people living in a seaside town are different to those living in Bolton.

p.24

Commentary

51 The subject is soundly managed. The geography co-ordinator monitors teaching plans and has identified the need to improve resources. Samples of pupils’ work have been monitored to check on standards being attained. However, procedures to assess pupils’ attainment and check on their progress through the school have not been established. The co-ordinator does not have opportunities to check on the quality of teaching in geography and how this influences the standards attained. This does not ensure that teachers focus consistently on ways of improving the quality of pupils’ work.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ weak skills in literacy limit their achievement, although teachers are providing more opportunities to extend writing skills in history; • Good use is made of visits to increase pupils’ knowledge and understanding; • Teachers do not always expect pupils to apply their knowledge and understanding to explain differences between the present and the past; • There is little monitoring of classroom practice.

p.24

Commentary

52 In discussion with pupils and from an analysis of a sample of work, most pupils display standards that are below those expected for their age. Some more able pupils in both Year 2 and Year 6 attain expected levels, especially in their factual knowledge of historical events, such as the evacuation of children during World War 2. Some pupils in Year 2 use their skills in literacy well to write in detail about how the Great Fire of London spread so quickly. However, weaknesses in pupils’ skills restrict significantly the amount and detail of their written work. For example, pupils’ weak reading skills make it difficult when they research historical information from books and from the Internet. Teachers do not require pupils consistently to explain possible reasons for the differences between their lives and those of others in different times. This limits the standard of their work.

p.24

Commentary

53 Teachers plan in detail to cover all the required aspects of history. They show in their plans where they promote literacy and this contributes well to improving pupils’ skills, especially in writing. Teachers make good use of visits, for example, to Blackpool and to Eden Camp, to extend pupils’ Castle Hill Primary School - 23 historical knowledge. Teaching is satisfactory overall. It was good in the lesson observed. Teachers use interesting resources, such as a model of an Egyptian mummy, to capture pupils’ attention and encourage their response to questions. Pupils are very interested in what they are doing and keen to share their ideas. Teachers do not always challenge average and above average pupils to apply their knowledge and provide more detailed written or verbal answers. This limits the standards attained. Some use homework occasionally to support school work, for example, to describe the visit to the Bolton Museum, but this is not used effectively to encourage parents’

p.24

Commentary

involvement and extend pupils’ knowledge.

p.25

Commentary

54 History is managed soundly. The co-ordinator has recently improved assessment procedures. She has collected samples of pupils’ work from each unit, although these are not used to guide teachers’ planning. Good use is made of a history unit of work to help the transition of Year 6 pupils to their secondary school. Procedures to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning in history are not developed. This does not ensure that the co-ordinator has a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and its impact on standards.

p.25

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum provides good opportunities to promote pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other religions; • There is a broad range of resources for different religions; • Teachers do not place sufficient emphasis on learning from religion; • Some reading materials are too difficult for pupils to extract the information needed. This limits pupils’ achievement.

p.25

Commentary

55 Standards of attainment in Years 2 and 6 are in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Pupils, including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Teaching is satisfactory taking into account the one lesson seen and an analysis of work seen in each year group.

p.25

Commentary

56 Pupils throughout the school study a range of different religions including Judaism, Hinduism and Islam as well as Christianity. They have sound opportunities to learn about different places of worship when they visit their local churches and a mosque. Much of the work they do is factual and does not relate to aspects of their own lives. They have few opportunities to express their own feelings through their work. In the one lesson seen, pupils showed evidence of sound research about the major Christian festivals. They understood the reason for celebrating these but did not link them to events in the life of Jesus. The text given to pupils to find out more about the festivals was too difficult for many of them to read and understand. Therefore achievement was limited. The subject co-ordinator manages the subject well but does not monitor and evaluate teaching. This limits the co-ordinator’s understanding of how teachers develop the different religious

p.25

Commentary

themes and topics. Resources are good, particularly those relating to other religions. Religious education is not linked effectively to school assemblies to promote pupils’ spiritual development.

p.25

Art and design

Provision in art and design is satisfactory .

p.25

Strengths and weaknesses

Castle Hill Primary School - 24 • Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use their knowledge of famous artists to produce work in similar styles; • Pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not recall their skills securely to use them to achieve higher standards.

p.26

Commentary

57 Standards meet expected levels in Year 2 but they are below nationally expected levels in Year 6. Teaching in the two lessons seen was good but the samples of work indicate that this depends very much on the level of teachers` confidence in the subject. For example, pupils at the end of Year 2 benefit from the teacher’s good subject knowledge to develop their skills well in printing, painting and paper sculpture. They learn about artists such as Henri Rousseau and Van Gogh and use their inspiration soundly to paint pictures and make collages in similar styles.

p.26

Commentary

58 Pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills but their learning is insecure. This was illustrated when pupils in Year 5 painted some drawings of shoes they had drawn. Their use of colour mixing and manipulation of tools such as scissors and brushes were below expected standards. Although well taught, they did not transfer or retain their learning so that later drawings of teddy bears were nothing like the standard of the shoes they had produced. The subject co-ordinator is doing a good job in sharpening the curriculum and developing resources. She is aware of the need to improve the subject knowledge of some teachers, although there are no courses available to help them overcome their own lack of confidence in teaching the subject.

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Design and technology

59 Only one lesson in a Year 2 class was seen in design and technology so it is not possible to make a judgement about overall provision for the subject. A very limited range of pupils` work, together with a collection of photographs, was available for examination. Discussions were held with pupils and teachers to gain additional information. Planning documents show that a satisfactory curriculum is in place.

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Design and technology

60 Standards of attainment in Year 2 meet nationally expected levels but it is not possible to judge standards in Year 6. Standards were judged to be satisfactory in the previous inspection throughout the school. Pupils in Year 2 enjoy the subject, especially the practical work. They have developed good habits such as using their workbooks to record simple designs and sketches. However, their poor skills of literacy inhibit their work when describing their methods or evaluating their designs. Similarly, because they have poor speaking and listening skills, they find it difficult to describe accurately their choices and methods. Their learning is well linked to other subjects, such as religious education, when they test ways of joining felt fabric to make Joseph’s technicolour coat. Pupils produce interesting and colourful designs on the computer. Parents and classroom helpers give valuable additional support in lessons so that pupils’ achievement is improved. Pupils in Years

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Design and technology

3 to 6 research products, such as bread, and increase their knowledge about materials and construction methods when designing and making different types of shelter. Written evaluation continues to be a distinct weakness in their work.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching and staff training by a visiting music specialist is very good; • Pupils demonstrate very good standards of singing; • Older pupils have not had enough opportunities to develop their music skills fully; • The opportunities for pupils to appreciate the music of a range of composers are limited.

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Commentary

Castle Hill Primary School - 25 61 Pupils attain standards that match levels expected nationally in Year 2. They are below expected levels in Year 6. They are similar to those reported at the previous inspection at Year 2, although lower than those reported at Year 6.

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Commentary

62 The visiting musician is making a very good impact on standards in school. She is a very good role model to other teachers who benefit greatly from observing her lessons every fortnight. As a result of her teaching, class teachers extend their own musical skills and continue the work begun in her lesson. This is beginning to improve standards. In both the lessons observed, pupils clearly understood what they were learning in the lesson. The younger pupils all take part in the singing and making actions to an interesting collection of songs. They sang the tune “ Frere Jacques” as a two part round well and successfully held their own parts. They responded well when asked to demonstrate sad facial expressions as part of their song and changed from sad to happy feelings in their singing well. Even the youngest pupils in the group were fully integrated and contributed successfully as a result of the very good teaching and the careful selection of songs.

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Commentary

63 Older pupils listen to each other very well when singing and demonstrate good diction and pitch. Pupils confidently use a range of tuned and un-tuned instruments to create an accompaniment for the singing and show a good understanding of ostinato. They show a good sense of rhythm and combine a number of ostinato patterns as the accompaniment to the song. Pupils show a keen interest in music making and listen carefully both to instructions and to the rhythms of others. During the inspection, pupils did not have opportunities to listen to the music of a range of composers and music was not an important part of school assemblies. Older pupils have opportunities to sing in the school choir as a lunchtime activity and are practising to take part in a local carol service. No lessons were observed other than those taken by the visiting music specialist. No evidence was seen to show that ICT is used effectively as part of the music

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has very good facilities for indoor and outdoor activities, although it currently has no field. • Pupils have positive and enthusiastic attitudes to physical education. • Pupils’ skills are enhanced by an increasing range of extra-curricular sporting activities. • Teachers do not develop pupils’ ability to evaluate consistently to target improvement.

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Commentary

64 Pupils’ attainment meets nationally expected levels. Standards have been maintained at the level reported previously. Pupils are benefiting from greatly improved facilities and this is beginning to raise the level of their performance. For example, pupils use the spacious sports hall to develop a broad range of gymnastics movements. They use the space very well to practise their movements and then extend them effectively on the large apparatus. Some teachers encourage pupils to evaluate their own work and that of others in the group. They identify what they like and what they think could be improved. This leads to pupils improving their gymnastics skills and many achieve above expected levels. However, some teachers do not apply these skills consistently, especially for older pupils. Teachers and support staff evaluate the performance of individual pupils well as they move around the hall. They point out ways to improve the quality of the movements and this raises

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Commentary

standards. They do not encourage pupils to evaluate consistently each other’s movements and point out ways in which the quality could be improved.

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Commentary

65 Pupils’ games skills are developed soundly on the floodlit, all-weather area. Pupils are excited by the opportunity to use the facility and boys’ and girls’ football skills are improved as many Castle Hill Primary School - 26 attend the after school clubs. The school makes good use of this area at lunch times to encourage pupils to extend their skills safely and securely. The school uses its links with a local secondary school successfully to provide one term of swimming for Year 6 pupils. The school enhances its curriculum programme by participating in sporting competitions with other local schools, although this has been reduced this year owing to the lack of a field. It is planned to increase this next year.

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Commentary

66 The co-ordinator is leading the subject temporarily, as a result of the previous co-ordinator unexpectedly leaving. He is managing the subject soundly. He has observed and evaluated some lessons and provided some guidance and support for staff who lack subject knowledge. He is actively involved in promoting the range of sporting activities offered by the school. Castle Hill Primary School - 27

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s provision is planned well into the curriculum; • Lesson times do not support effective learning, especially for younger pupils.

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Commentary

67 The curriculum for personal, social and health education has been only recently established and resources to support this work have been purchased. These resources are linked well to pupils’ work in literacy. Staff have received training for specific learning activities, such as ‘circle time’. Two lessons were observed during the inspection. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils considered how they felt when their parents did not listen to them. They found it hard to express their feelings and the lesson pace slowed as the teacher found it difficult to sustain pupils’ interest and involvement for the full sixty minutes allocated for this lesson. Pupils needed additional support and good examples to help them develop the confidence to express their own views. In another lesson, pupils in Year 5 shared their opinions well about things that matter to them. They worked in groups and placed their rules in

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Commentary

order of priority successfully. This lesson promoted pupils’ personal and social development well. Although the subject is time-tabled for all classes, the amount of time allocated for each lesson is too long for pupils, especially younger ones, to sustain an effective discussion and promote their learning. This subject has weaknesses, both in terms of content and time allowance. Castle Hill Primary School - 28

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 2 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 4 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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