Robin Hood Primary School

ROBIN HOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 26 th November 2003

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ROBIN HOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Robin Hood Primary School - ii 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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ROBIN HOOD 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. Robin Hood Primary School - iii

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 302

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Leeds Road Robin Hood Wakefield

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0113 282 3444 Fax number: 0113 288 0795

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs June Wood

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This larger than average Beacon School is involved in the Leadership Development Strategy in Primary Schools, the Leading from the Middle project and a number of teacher training initiatives. The school was awarded ‘Activemark’ in 2003, ‘Investors in People Stage 2’ in 2002 and the ‘Schools Achievement Award’ in 2000. It runs a breakfast club and homework clubs. The school is situated in an urban area on the southern boundary of Leeds. Pupils’ social circumstances vary considerably, but overall, are broadly average. Of the 302 pupils, 44 children attend the nursery part-time. There are 167 boys and 157 girls, with boys outnumbering girls considerably in some classes. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is broadly at expected levels although many children arrive in the nursery with weaknesses in communication and social skills. A large proportion of the pupils joining the school midway through their school career have below average attainment. While most pupils

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

are White British, small numbers are from a variety of other backgrounds, including Chinese, Black Caribbean, Indian and various mixed races. There are no pupils at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils having special educational needs (SEN) is broadly average with a below average proportion having a statement of special educational need. The range of disabilities includes speech and communication problems, emotional and behavioural difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, physical disability and other medical problems. Overall, the number of pupils joining the school mid-year is about average but in some classes, notably last year’s Year 6 and the present Year 6, the proportion is much higher. This mobility has a significant adverse effect on standards. Robin Hood Primary School - iv

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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

14591 Richard Perkin Lead inspector Art and design Music Physical education English as an additional language 8988 Joan Cross Lay inspector 17907 Mike Bowers Team inspector The Foundation Stage Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology 32203 Eileen O’Reilly Team inspector Special educational needs Science Religious education 18154 Stephen Rigby Team inspector English Geography History

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Primary Associates Suite 13 West Lancs Technology Management Centre Moss Lane View Skelmersdale Lancashire WN8 9TN

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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 inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Robin Hood Primary School - v

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 7

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school. Pupils throughout the school achieve well and those with special educational needs (SEN) make very good progress. Academic standards are above average. Pupils behave well and have very positive attitudes to the school. Teaching is consistently good with a significant proportion that is very good or excellent. Leadership, management and governance are very good with some excellent features. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

§ Pupils achieve very well and standards are high in information and communication technology (ICT) because of excellent leadership, very good teaching and rich resources very well used; § Pupils make a very good start to school in the nursery; § The high levels of pupils’ maturity and their very positive attitudes to learning result from high quality provision for social and moral development and very good care and support; § Very effective use of high quality support staff ensures that pupils of all needs and abilities achieve well; § Constructive partnerships with parents and the community enhance the very rich curriculum; § There are outstanding links with other schools and colleges, particularly in relation to the training of teachers and other educational professionals; § Leadership is inspirational and has welded an extremely strong team; § The achievement of older pupils in design and technology is adversely affected by their under-

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There have been very good improvements since the last inspection. Standards are higher in English, mathematics, religious education and, markedly, ICT. Teaching is now more consistently good. The accommodation is much better than it was. All three key issues have been very effectively addressed. Assessment and its use have greatly improved. The senior management team has a very clear structure and set of responsibilities. Performance management is firmly in place and has a positive impact on standards and the quality of education.

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is good. Children achieve well in the nursery and reception classes. Most meet the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception in all the areas of learning. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2. They achieve very well in speaking and listening and ICT. Standards by the end of Year 2 are above average in English, mathematics and science and well above average in ICT. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 also achieve well. Their achievement in ICT is very good but older pupils’ achievement in design and technology is unsatisfactory because of their under developed design skills. Pupils’ performance in the national tests in 2003 was negatively Robin Hood Primary School - 2 affected by turnover of staff and pupil mobility. Standards are now above average by the end of Year 6 in English, mathematics, science, religious education and history and well above average in ICT.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils with SEN achieve very well. Those from ethnic minority backgrounds and those identified as gifted and talented achieve well.

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

are good. Relationships are very constructive and there are good levels of racial harmony. Pupils are mature and accept responsibility with enthusiasm. They have very positive attitudes to learning and find school fun. Behaviour is good and, in the classroom, often very good. Levels of attendance are satisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. The quality of teaching is good overall , with a significant amount that is very good or excellent. Teaching in the nursery is very good and children there make rapid progress in their personal development and communication skills. Oral language skills are very well taught in nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 2 and built on well further up the school. The teaching of ICT is very good throughout the school. Pupils with SEN are very well supported by teachers, the learning mentor and learning support assistants.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is significantly enriched by weeks that focus on particular aspects and by after school clubs. The very good accommodation enhances learning and the quality of education in Years 1 to 6. The school is very caring and very carefully monitors the needs of all pupils. There is a very constructive partnership with parents and fruitful links with the community. The outstanding links with other schools and educational institutions provide excellent opportunities to train teachers and other educational professionals.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very strong. The headteacher’s excellent vision is shared by senior managers and the other staff. The management of the changes resulting from a difficult year has been very effective. The professional development of all staff and of students is excellent. Governors are very effectively involved in school life and play an appropriate part in setting its educational direction. Financial planning is very good and fully reflects the principles of best value.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very happy with the school and particularly approve of the teaching and the leadership, feeling that their children are expected to work hard. Pupils too are very positive about the school and feel that school is fun.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important thing the school should do to improve is:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve achievement and standards in design and technology by further developing the design skills of the older pupils. Robin Hood Primary School - 3

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils of all needs and abilities achieve well, apart from those who have SEN, who achieve very well. Children get off to a very good start in the nursery and achieve well in the reception classes to reach the expected levels by the end of their reception year. Achievement continues to be good in Years 1 to 6. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average in the core subjects and religious education and well above average in ICT.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Pupils’ achievement is high in ICT; § Children achieve very well in the nursery; § Pupils’ achievement in speaking and listening is very good, particularly in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2; § The achievement of pupils with SEN is very good; § Pupils’ achievement in the design component of design and technology, particularly for those in Years 5 and 6, is below that expected.

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Commentary

1. The steadily increasing numbers on roll over the past few years have included pupils from a wider and less socially advantaged catchment area and a larger proportion of pupils with SEN. The national test results in 2003 for Year 6 were not as good as those in most previous years, except in English. The year before the tests was one of considerable disruption in terms of staff absences and changes that meant that the classes concerned had several temporary teachers during the year. There were also massive building alterations during the year. Both the Year 2 and the Year 6 groups had above average numbers of pupils with SEN. In addition, the Year 6 group had a high proportion of pupils who joined the school during the previous two years and thus had not benefited from the earlier teaching. This high mobility badly affected the figures comparing the schools with other schools with similar prior attainment. In fact, the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress shows that pupils who had

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Commentary

attended the school since Year 2 made good progress in all three core subjects. Assessments of other year groups show that pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are on course to attain the very good results common in recent years by the time they reach the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

2. Pupils’ performances in the tests for 7-year-olds, in 2003, were in line with the national average but below the average for similar schools in reading and mathematics. The below average performance in writing is already being addressed by action to improve writing skills for the younger pupils. Performance in the tests for 11-year-olds was above the national average in English and science but below average in mathematics, largely because of the small proportion attaining the higher grade. The school has again acted promptly to address this issue by a stronger focus on problem solving in mathematics, a strategy which is having considerable success. Boys have tended to do rather better than girls in the tests for both years; this was not, however, reflected in work seen during the inspection. Trends over time are affected by the different proportions of pupils with SEN in each year group, and by the

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Commentary

number of pupils arriving or leaving mid-year. They consequently fluctuate in English and science and are largely downwards in mathematics. The overall trend for the core subjects is below the national trend, although the school’s thorough tracking shows that this trend is Robin Hood Primary School - 4 likely to be altered for the better. The cohort of 2003 did not meet the school’s targets in either English or mathematics but compared well with the LEA results in English and science.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.0 (16.9) 15.7 (15.8) writing 14.1 (14.9) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 16.6 (18.6) 16.3 (16.5) There were 40 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 28.2 (27.2) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 26.5 (28.7) 26.8 (26.7) science 29.6 (31.3) 28.6 (28.3) There were 35 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. Children enter the nursery with levels of attainment that are generally those expected for their age. However, many children have below average communication, and personal and social skills when they start. The very effective teaching and support in the nursery and later in the reception classes brings the children's communication and personal skills on well. By the time they leave reception, most have met the early learning goals for communication, language and literacy and personal and social development. Children achieve very well in these areas. In mathematical development, children achieve well and are on target to reach the required goals by the end of reception. In knowledge and understanding of the world and physical and creative development, most are on course to exceed those goals.

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Commentary

4. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve very well in speaking and listening because the school targets this aspect in order to counter an identified weakness and teachers take every opportunity to provide useful practice in speaking either in pairs or to the class. Good opportunities to develop their reading and writing skills in other subjects and to make use of ICT mean that pupils achieve well in both years in these aspects of English. By the end of Year 2, standards in all aspects of English are above average. Similarly, pupils achieve well in mathematics, where the recent emphasis on problem solving has helped to raise standards. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average. The teachers’ expertise in science leads to good levels of achievement and, by the end of Year 2, standards are above those expected. Very good teaching and many rich opportunities to use ICT in other subjects means that pupils’ achievement in ICT is very good. Standards are well above average by

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Commentary

the end of Year 2. Pupils achieve well in religious education and history and standards in these subjects are above average by the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

5. Pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics continues to be good in Years 3 to 6. In science, pupils, particularly the higher attainers, achieve very well because of the very strong teaching. Overall, standards by the end of Year 6, in all three subjects, are above average, in spite of the above average proportion of pupils with SEN and the incidence of pupils joining the school in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ achievement in ICT is very good. The very good resources and the organisation of the networked computers in the computer suite and in the classrooms mean that progress is rapid for most pupils. By the end of Year 6, standards are Robin Hood Primary School - 5 high. Standards are above average in religious education and history. Pupils’ achievement in Years 5 and 6 in design and technology is held back by their under developed skills in design.

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Commentary

6. Standards in English, mathematics, religious education and history have improved since the last inspection and have improved significantly in ICT. Parents indicate that they are pleased with their children’s achievement and with the standards they reach.

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Commentary

7. Pupils who have SEN make very good progress and most achieve very well. Much of the very good progress made by these pupils is due to the school’s strong focus on the boosting of skills in speaking and listening. Individual education plans have clear shared and agreed targets for those pupils at School Action Plus and are regularly reviewed to have the maximum impact on pupil progress. Teachers’ planning for SEN pupils is very good, with appropriately targeted tasks at times, but often aiming to use support staff to enable pupils to complete the same task as more able pupils. This has a positive effect on pupils’ self- esteem. Support staff are very well deployed to give sensitive, discreet underpinning to pupil’s learning without being intrusive or hampering the development of independence. Pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds achieve well as their needs are taken into consideration carefully and they receive appropriate support when necessary. Pupils

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Commentary

identified as gifted and talented achieve well. They are provided with tasks that challenge them and they benefit from the school’s policy of setting by ability in the older classes. Pupils with strengths in music or sport are given good opportunities to develop their skills through out of school clubs or support by qualified musicians or coaches.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils throughout the school are well behaved and have very good attitudes towards their learning. They respond well to the school's provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which particularly strongly helps them to mature into responsible citizens. Attendance is satisfactory and pupils are generally punctual.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Pupils' views about school are very positive. They enjoy their learning and want to succeed; § Their behaviour in lessons, around the school and in the playground is generally good; § The school places a very high emphasis upon promoting pupils' personal and social development; § Pupils are helped to feel special and important through the many duties around school that they are entrusted with.

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Commentary

8. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour remain equally as strong as they were at the time of the last inspection despite the inevitable disruption caused by the school's significant expansion during those five years.

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Commentary

9. The pupils are happy at school. They value their teachers and friends and enjoy playtimes. When asked what they like best about their school many also mentioned that learning is fun. They give their all to work that excites them, such as that during the recent special week focussing on inclusion, described in the school's newspaper by pupils as ‘wild and wicked’. The week also impacted on the understanding of SEN throughout the school and gave the whole community a wider understanding of ‘special’ in this context. Robin Hood Primary School - 6 10. High quality teaching and the innovative use of digital cameras, video, interviews and artwork to record pupils' learning explain some of their enthusiasm. They work hard and many are eager to extend their school day by staying on for wide ranging extra-curricular clubs that promote new interests and friendships.

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Commentary

11. Pupils with SEN are very well integrated into the life of the school, largely because the well trained support staff work so effectively and sensitively that it is at times almost impossible for a visitor to class to see where the SEN pupils are. This provides a great boost to pupils’ self-esteem and means that they work hard, enjoy their lessons and speak with confidence. Other pupils’ attitudes towards SEN pupils are extremely positive throughout this school.

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Commentary

12. Parents rightly perceive that behaviour is good in school and there is racial harmony. They are particularly pleased with pupils' very good behaviour on educational visits. Staff have high expectations of pupils' conduct and firmly and fairly encourage them to behave acceptably. The learning mentor helps pupils to resolve their fallouts amicably and the recently appointed play leader actively encourages co-operative play at lunchtime. A few parents and pupils expressed concerns about bullying and other antisocial behaviour. The school's detailed records confirm that such incidents do occur from time-to-time. Several parents with past experience of their child being bullied wrote in support of the effective way that the school deals with the problem. There was one fixed-period exclusion from the school last year.

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Commentary

13. Staff are very good at helping the pupils to mature as they get older by encouraging them to take increasing responsibility for the smooth running of the school and its development. Pupils, for example, are entrusted with checking out their library books using a scanning device. Classmates from Year 1 upwards vote in their representatives for class and school councils, which gives them useful first-hand experience of the democratic election process. These councillors take their duties very seriously and are proud of their achievements. The Year 6 school captains and playground patrol very successfully take charge of the duties outlined in their job descriptions. These involve them in being good ambassadors for the school and actively promoting good behaviour. Pupils are encouraged in assemblies and in lessons to reflect on people’s lives and situations. They learn, for example, in a focus week

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Commentary

on inclusion, to help blind and deaf people to understand a story. Opportunities are provided for pupils to experience the art and music of other cultures.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.6 School data 0.2 National data 5.8 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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Attendance

14. Attendance has fallen somewhat of late and is now at the national average, mainly because more parents are taking their children out of school in term time for family holidays. The level of unauthorised absence, minimal five years ago, has risen to the national norm. This is being tackled suitably by the learning mentor and administrative staff, who check up on unexplained absences each day by contacting the parents to ensure that the children are safe. Robin Hood Primary School - 7

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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 211 1 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 1 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 0 0 Chinese 4 0 0 Any other ethnic group 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 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 offered by the school is good . There is a very broad curriculum and high standards of care, guidance and support. Links with parents and the community are very good and links with schools and colleges excellent.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ There are a considerable number of lessons of very good or excellent quality; § Assessment is used well to judge pupils’ levels of understanding and guide further lesson planning; § Occasionally, in Foundation Stage classrooms, space is too cramped to enable children to learn comfortably; § Very good teaching was observed in ICT and excellent English and science lessons were noted; § Teaching of shape, space and measures has improved and problem solving has been incorporated into the mathematics programme of study; § The designing aspect of design and technology is under developed in some of the older classes.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

2 (5%) 12 (30%) 23 (58%) 3 (8%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

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. Robin Hood Primary School - 8 15. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Over a third of the teaching is very good or better. During the inspection no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. The very good or excellent teaching was seen in lessons in the nursery, reception and upper junior classes. Much of the very good teaching was seen in ICT where pupils were being taught in the computer suite. Although the findings reflect those of the previous report, there has been a very good improvement in the use of assessment since the last inspection. Good assessment procedures now enable teachers to use information well to prepare the next activity. Positive and informative marking and the use of targets in English and mathematics

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Commentary

now direct pupils toward the next stage in their learning.

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Commentary

16. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall. It is often very good in the nursery and there are examples of this very good practice in the reception class. Where teaching is very good, planning is detailed and clear links are forged between the areas of learning. There is an appropriate balance between adult directed learning tasks and learning opportunities where children make choices and involve themselves conscientiously in the activity. Adults make careful interventions to introduce language, question children and help them sustain the activity. These learning environments are well planned and skilled and enthusiastic adults are often deployed to a particular activity to ensure that the objectives are met. The children are helped to develop their ideas or to think things out for themselves. Staff are very effective in keeping children involved and attentive. Skilful questioning in both the

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Commentary

nursery and the reception classes, together with comments, develop the children’s confidence and skills in expressing their own opinions and increasing their vocabulary.

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Commentary

17. In a few lessons, time is not used to best effect. Mental mathematics sessions are not planned sufficiently well to extend pupils’ counting skills fully or insufficient time is left at the end of a lesson to check pupils’ learning and give them opportunities to speak about their work. Occasionally, both nursery and reception children work in too compact a space, preventing them from observing in full the teachers’ demonstration or comfortably listening to a story. Overall, classrooms are busy and programmes of learning are fully supported by outside visits, creative activities and positive relationships between adults and children.

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Commentary

18. In Years 1 to 6, the good teaching is spread across all subjects. In Years 3 to 6, very good teaching was seen in ICT, mathematics and religious education. Excellent teaching was observed in English and science. In the very good lessons, the teachers’ good subject knowledge, clear explanations, effective questioning and the use of skilled learning support assistants ensured that all pupils were engrossed in their work and made considerably better progress than might be expected. Achievement is high because the teaching is stimulating, enthusiastic and consistently challenging. In mathematics, predominately good teaching is ensuring that work is targeted at the current attainment of above average, average and lower attaining pupils. This ensures that they make the progress of which they are capable. Pupils are often given tasks that include problem solving, estimating and measuring. Teachers also incorporate aspects of data handling into other subjects, thereby

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Commentary

applying pupils’ mathematical knowledge and skills. There are some weaknesses in the teaching of English particularly in the development of spelling and handwriting. Teaching is satisfactory in design and technology in some Year 5 and 6 classes. This is because, in some classes, insufficient time has been allocated to the development of designing and pupils have not been challenged to extend this work to include plan views, different elevations and the use of specifically detailed drawings of more complex areas of their designs. For example, pupils do not identify how a pulley is to be attached to an axle and how a drive belt will connect with an electric motor to drive a fairground ride.

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Commentary

19. All teachers have good relationships with the pupils. This adds considerably to the pupils’ positive attitudes to their work. Teachers manage pupils very well. They keep firm discipline and pupils know exactly what is expected of them. Robin Hood Primary School - 9 Excellent teaching of literature and ICT in a Year 6 literacy lesson with higher attainers. In an excellent lesson, pupils delivered ‘PowerPoint’ presentations to share their homework with the class, enabling them to analyse and comment on the use of portent, character description and purpose of writing. The comments were evaluative and excellent questioning by the teacher enriched class discussion about narrative writing, the use of such strategies as ‘cliff hanger styles’, rhetorical questioning and the use of dialogue and short sentences. Pupils showed high levels of understanding of the use of English to create mood and situation

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Commentary

and they were well supported by skilled enthusiastic learning support assistants. Excellent use was made of ICT to ensure that pupils recorded their work. There were very good relationships, infectious use of humour and altogether an excellent working atmosphere where all pupils learned rapidly.

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Commentary

An excellent lesson on light taught by the Advanced Skills Teacher for science with a group of seven higher attainers in Years 5 and 6. This was an excellent lesson characterised by the teacher’s insistence that pupils use appropriate scientific language. Pupils wrote their own definitions of the meaning of terms like ‘source’, ‘reflection’ and ‘refraction’ and were keen to check their accuracy before moving on to plan their periscope. The teacher commented on their efforts individually. Such was the pupils’ interest that they moved the teacher onto the issue of convex and concave mirrors, planned for next week’s lesson, as they discussed how they were going to make the periscope. The teacher’s offer of guidelines for the pupils, working in pairs, to work out the angles for the light source for the periscope was refused. The pupils insisted on working independently, stimulated by the teacher’s challenging questioning and excellent preparation for the task. The teacher’s high quality subject

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Commentary

knowledge and enthusiasm for her subject along with an insistence on high standards of scientific language ensured very high levels of learning for the pupils and a great sense of enjoyable achievement for all.

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The curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is very good. The school has developed a curriculum that provides for the individual needs of all pupils and the quality of provision for pupils who have SEN is a particular strength.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ The positive developments in the ICT curriculum since the last inspection have raised standards significantly; § The setting in the junior years in core subjects to address the previously low performance of high achievers has been effective; § The use of ‘focus weeks’ of whole school study strongly enhances the curriculum; § Extensive extra-curricular provision allows opportunities for the most able and talented pupils to express themselves; § The quality of resources and accommodation has improved significantly since the last inspection; § There is a weakness in the design aspect of the design and technology curriculum.

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Commentary

20. There is a broad and varied curriculum in which all-national curriculum subjects and religious education are taught. The Foundation Stage curriculum is very well designed to cater for the needs of the youngest children and to prepare them for work in the National Curriculum. There is a particularly strong emphasis on children’s communication skills in nursery and reception classes that helps to counter the below average communication and social skills with which many children start school. The curriculum has greatly improved since the last inspection. The school works hard to provide an inclusive curriculum that addresses the needs of all its pupils. The school is a Beacon School and has achieved a range of other Robin Hood Primary School - 10 awards including Investors in People and ‘Activemark’. The activities related to these initiatives strongly enrich the curriculum.

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Commentary

21. The very imaginative use of focus weeks, where the whole school works on aspects of the same theme, has significantly enriched the curriculum and particularly benefited pupils’ personal development. For example, the careers week provided rich insights into the world of work and the inclusion week opened many eyes to the implications in the real world for those with a variety of disabilities.

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Commentary

22. The provision that is made for pupils with SEN is very good. Pupils’ progress is monitored and individual educational programmes are put in place to support pupils’ learning. A wide range of strategies are employed in the core curriculum to support learning. These include booster groups for high and low attainers. The school has invested heavily in training and deploys teaching assistants and a learning mentor very effectively throughout the school. They make a positive and valuable contribution in addressing the individual needs of pupils.

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Commentary

23. The school recognised a weakness in the relatively low achievement of high attainers in mathematics and writing. They have responded by setting by ability in English and mathematics within Years 3 to 6. This has resulted in teachers being able to teach to a narrower range of ability within a class, allowing them to target resources more effectively. A high standard of planning, firmly based on previous assessments, ensures that, within each class, individual pupils’ learning is pitched to the correct level. Each pupil’s progress is then carefully monitored and half termly reviews of targets taken to assess their progress.

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Commentary

24. The quality of the ICT curriculum and its management has made a significant impact on learning. A new computer suite, as well as computers grouped in ‘pods’ to facilitate co- operative learning within most classrooms, has provided pupils with the opportunity to use this new technology. They have been able to increase their knowledge and understanding of how the subject impacts across the entire school’s curriculum. Teaching, display, communication and information gathering have all been improved and are reflected in work around the school.

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Commentary

25. The school provides a wide variety of after school clubs. These clubs are run by teachers, learning support assistants and other adults and are well attended. They allow pupils to improve, practise and develop their interests in areas, such as art, music, sports and dance. Homework clubs provide good opportunities for pupils whose circumstances at home are not conducive to academic work. These clubs are regularly supported by experts and enthusiasts who provide high levels of expertise. For example, a recent visit to South Leeds Stadium for Rugby League coaching and athletics at the local high school’s indoor track all provided valuable experience.

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Commentary

26. There is a weakness in an aspect of design and technology where insufficient time is allowed for the design aspect of the subject. Consequently, pupils’ designs are not detailed enough to provide sufficient support for their finished products.

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Commentary

27. Since the last inspection, the accommodation and resources have significantly improved. The building now provides a very good learning environment. The move of the school onto a single site without a busy road to negotiate has enhanced safety and made teaching the curriculum much easier. A new computer suite, a new library and new classroom areas provide opportunities for teachers and pupils to display their work and this is done to a high standard. The playgrounds and outdoor areas are safe and well maintained, although the recent extensive building programme has resulted in the junior playground needing to be extended and resurfaced. Some of the older classrooms remain rather cramped. Robin Hood Primary School - 11 28. The local environment is used effectively by the school. Pupils undertake a wide range of visits to places of local interest that support the school’s integrated studies work. These are

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Commentary

highly valued by the children and include trips to Clarke Hall and the Royal Armouries at Leeds.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

Staff continue to take very good care of the pupils and give them very good support and guidance. They very successfully involve pupils in the school's work and development.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Staff are highly committed to meeting the academic and pastoral needs of every individual; § The learning mentor and support assistants very effectively nurture pupils who need most help with their difficulties; § Staff make very good arrangements to ensure that pupils settle in well and make smooth transitions through and from the school; § Pupils are highly involved in decision making processes.

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Commentary

29. The many strengths in care, support and guidance that were reported at the time of the last inspection have successfully been maintained despite changing circumstances, such as expansion of the school, staff changes and major alterations to the accommodation.

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Commentary

30. Pupils establish trusting relationships with the staff who care deeply about them. They greatly value having an adult that they can turn to in school if they have any worries, a sentiment put in a nutshell by a pupil who intimated that the best aspect of school is ‘That I'm safe and there's always someone to tell my feelings.’

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Commentary

31. Parents and carers echo pupils' appreciation of the very high level of care and support, some of which is provided by the learning mentor and other support assistants. Very good training and deployment enables these staff to play an important part in protecting the most vulnerable pupils, and tackling their difficulties and sensitivities. They run a popular breakfast club, for example, which ensures that members start the school day well nourished and punctual, and they oversee homework clubs. They very competently support lower attaining pupils, including those with SEN. The learning mentor also offers very regular opportunities for pupils who are anxious about anything, such as bullying, home circumstances, bereavement or abuse, to chat in confidence. Meticulous record keeping enables suitable follow-up procedures to be conducted.

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Commentary

32. Teachers track pupils' progress very effectively and provide well tailored academic support and guidance that stems from close analysis of pupils' needs. They take good account of factors, such as gender, ethnicity, SEN and whether children are youngest in their year group to ensure that this provision targets the root cause and enables all to achieve as well as they can.

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Commentary

33. Outside agencies, such as the behaviour support team and education welfare officer, successfully make inroads into reducing challenging behaviour and absence. Parents are generally supportive of their work, helped by trusting relationships established with families through the learning mentor. Occasional bullying is dealt with well by the staff according to parents, who also appreciate the way that the midday team and play leader look after their children and help them to play constructively. Robin Hood Primary School - 12 34. Visits by the nursery staff to the homes of prospective new entrants and opportunities for pre-visits ensure that the youngest pupils soon feel at ease in school. An open evening for the whole school in the summer term enables families to say their goodbyes to class teachers and meet new ones for the following year. This is particularly important for sharing any concerns and building relationships. The school prepares pupils very well for transition

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Commentary

through its very close links with the local high school. Parents greatly appreciate all of these arrangements.

p.17

Commentary

35. The pupils have a very large say in school improvement and the day-to-day running of the school through jobs as monitors, election onto class and school councils and as school captains and the playground patrol. The two captains, for example, take responsibility for greeting visitors and collating 'golden time' awards and were even involved in interviewing applicants for the post of deputy headteacher. These initiatives help pupils to feel important, grown up and valued.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school's links with parents and the wider community are very effective and those with other schools and colleges are excellent. These partnerships make a very strong contribution to pupils' personal development and to standards attained.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Parents are very successfully encouraged to be partners in their children's learning; § The school very effectively taps into skills and resources in the local community to enrich pupils' learning and strengthen governance; § Outstanding relationships established with training establishments and other schools benefit the pupils hugely.

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Commentary

36. This Beacon School is very popular because of its understandably good reputation for high standards. It is oversubscribed and parents and carers feel fortunate that their children are accepted. Many get highly involved in school life because they want to give something back to the school in return. Parents' views are generally very positive, particularly about the high quality of teaching, expectations that their children work hard, and the way that the school is led and managed.

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Commentary

37. The level of involvement of parents has strengthened since the last inspection. Homework is well supported by parents who are well briefed about expectations and connections with work that is underway in lessons. Half termly letters from class teachers suitably outline the curriculum and suggest ways that parents might help their child to learn at home. Parents particularly value the half termly homework projects that enlist their support in helping children to undertake in-depth research. They also like the homework diaries that encourage two-way dialogue between home and school. Many parents and governors help the staff in school and on educational visits, in fundraising and on working parties to improve provision. The ‘Volunteer Readers’ initiative is a particular success in raising standards throughout the school.

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Commentary

38. Parents are welcomed in school in the morning and evening, at weekly good work assemblies and coffee mornings, and at occasional plays and concerts, which are always a ‘sell out’. They are actively encouraged to attend family learning programmes and curriculum workshops to improve their own skills and learn how their children are taught. Attendance at the governors’ annual meeting for parents is much higher than is common at such events Robin Hood Primary School - 13 because staff and governors go out of their way to make the evening enjoyable as well as informative.

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Commentary

39. Minor weaknesses in information for parents at the time of the last inspection have been tackled and the overall quality is now very high. The school conducts regular surveys of parents' opinions about its life and work which help staff to keep abreast of what parents feel are its strengths and weaknesses.

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Commentary

40. Pupils benefit in all manner of ways from the school's community links. Their recent focus week on inclusion involved representatives from a leading charity for the deaf and blind visiting to help to bring home important messages. Many local businesses supported a previous focus week on careers. Regular visitors to the school include the police, fire brigade, artists, musicians and local clergy. The school has strong links with the church and uses its facilities to celebrate religious festivals throughout the year. Improvements to the internal and external environment of the school take place through biennial Groundwork Challenge days, which actively involve the whole school community. Links with elderly residents in the locality promote pupils' personal development very effectively. Educational visits, resumed since an understandable break after a tragic event, are once again helping to bring learning alive for the pupils. Older pupils' visit to the Thackeray Medical Museum, for

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Commentary

example, left them in no doubt about advances in surgery and public health.

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Commentary

41. Liaison with other educational establishments for the benefit of the pupils has greatly strengthened since the last inspection, largely due to its Beacon status and higher emphasis on training students.

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Commentary

Links with other schools and colleges are first-rate The school's extremely strong partnerships with teacher and other training colleges and universities form an essential part of the rich diversity of learning experiences that it offers to pupils, staff and parents. Its very high quality training of students is mutually beneficial, enabling existing staff to develop professionally and bringing vitality that impacts really well on the pupils. Family Learning courses, run in conjunction with a local college, help parents to brush up on basic skills and ‘keep up with the kids’. Pupils get a lot out of their visits to the City Learning Centre based at a high school in the area. Exciting facilities there are enabling them to build upon work undertaken during their focus week on inclusion and helping them to empathise with people with physical disabilities and medical conditions. Transition arrangements with the local high school to which

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Commentary

almost all pupils transfer are very strong through cross phase projects in science, ICT, the performing arts and sports that trigger many visits by Years 5 and 6. Beacon School status has sparked extremely effective links with close by and farther flung schools through the sharing of good practice; for example, on the raising of boys' achievement.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good overall. The leadership of the headteacher and key staff is very good with some excellent features. The school has a very well organised structure of management that supports the vision of the headteacher. The very effective governing body provide further support to the agreed aims of the school mission statement.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school and leads by example; § The senior management team provides very strong support for the headteacher; § The school has a very strong commitment to the inclusion of all; § The governing body make an excellent contribution to the daily life of the school; § The governors are well informed of the school’s priorities and act as critical friends to the senior management; Robin Hood Primary School - 14 § The school monitors its performance data very thoroughly; however, the monitoring of pupils’ work in most foundation subjects is less well developed; § Financial management and budgetary controls are very good and funding is used wisely and directed towards identified priorities.

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Commentary

42. The governing body acts as a critical friend to the school as well as playing a full role in setting the school’s educational direction. They are involved in the school’s self-review processes and participate fully in a range of activities. This spans from hearing readers to being involved in policy and subject reviews. They work in harmony with the headteacher and are well informed through their committees and the reports provided. The school has changed considerably in the past seven years and the governing body have been actively involved with the new building, staffing appointments and team building. They are also very well aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and are committed to ensuring that standards are reviewed regularly.

p.19

Commentary

43. The headteacher has managed all the recent changes most effectively and has been able to build a senior management team and a staff that shares with her a clear and aspirational vision for the future. The whole team are very outward looking and ambitious for the school. The school’s assessments of pupils now in Years 3 to 5 indicate a strong likelihood of a return to the high standards of previous years. In the past three years, the school has held Beacon School status and thus been able to support through partnership another local primary school that was experiencing difficulties. In addition, they have forged very strong links with the local secondary schools sharing both staff and resources as well as developing transitional arrangements. The appointment of the deputy headteacher who has excellent subject knowledge in ICT has been instrumental in the development of literacy using ICT. This has been enriched by links with the South Leeds City Learning Centre.

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Commentary

Pupils have been provided with the opportunity to use recently developed software with design storyboards and animated characters that allows pupils to produce ‘PowerPoint’ presentations.

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Commentary

44. The school’s very strong commitment to inclusion and racial harmony is shown in the very effective way in which pupils from ethnic minorities are integrated into life in classrooms and in the school generally. The school’s policy for race equality is effectively and consistently applied. The leadership and management of the provision for pupils who have SEN are very good. The co-ordinator liaises effectively with staff, parents, pupils and outside agencies to ensure that high quality provision for these pupils is maintained and that they continue to make very good progress.

p.19

Commentary

45. The school’s thorough monitoring has ensured that it recognises the impact that staff changes, absences and pupil mobility have had on pupil attainment. The school has responded positively to these changes by further developing the role of subject co- ordinators, who closely assess and analyse pupils’ progress in their subjects, sharing their results with the assessment co-ordinator. This close monitoring of the teaching and the learning taking place has had a positive impact on planning and recording. Their role does not yet sufficiently consistently focus on pupils’ achievements in their subjects. The co- ordinators have linked their performance management targets into their subject co- ordinator’s role and have produced subject action plans. The school is currently undertaking the ‘Leading from the Middle’ programme to further address these developments. These developments all mark significant improvements since the last inspection. Learning support

p.19

Commentary

assistants, school mentors and all other non-teaching staff are also highly valued in the school and are provided with the appropriate co-ordinated training programmes. Robin Hood Primary School - 15 46. The school’s leadership team have also invested heavily in training programmes to develop the levels of expertise of the entire staff. The school has recently applied for training school status. The allocation of responsibility for the professional development of students to the assistant headteacher has been very beneficial in making the school an excellent centre for teacher and other educational training. She actively mentors and tutors students from a range of local institutions who are sent to the school. They are provided with quality tutorial time and support and make considerable improvements in their practice. The school has been working alongside Leeds Metropolitan University and the local education authority, who

p.19

Commentary

have a high opinion of the school’s capacity to be successful with its application.

p.20

Commentary

47. Financial management and budgetary control are very good. The school’s recent audit showed minor issues and it has agreed to work towards the recommendations. The school spends a large percentage of its budget in employing both teaching and non-teaching staff. The school runs a small budget balance directing its funding towards its identified priorities.

p.20

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.20

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 577,740 Balance from previous year 17900 Total expenditure 572,870 Balance carried forward to the next 22770 Expenditure per pupil 1897 Robin Hood Primary School - 16

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48. Provision for the children in the Foundation Stage is very good. The very high level of support observed during the last inspection has been maintained. There are very good procedures to ensure that the children enter the nursery with confidence and eager anticipation. Parents feel secure and have many opportunities to speak with the nursery staff when they bring their children into the classroom. They enter the nursery once they are aged 3 and attend part-time. The younger children usually attend the afternoon session. In the reception class, the children are taught in a single age group, but a few of the older children are taught with the younger Year 1 children. These children follow a similarly appropriate curriculum. All children are prepared well for their transfer to Year 1. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children achieve well and often very well because the teaching is very good and the curriculum is appropriately planned to provide a wide range of interesting and

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

relevant activities, which are well matched to their needs. All the adults set excellent role models for the children and manage them well. There is a good ratio of adults to children, ensuring that all children receive sufficient attention. Staff work well as a cohesive team, carefully monitoring children’s progress. The accommodation overall, is good, although the inside facilities are too cramped to be able to accommodate all the children of reception age comfortably. Provision for outside play is very good, offering a rich variety of experiences and opportunities to include outdoor play in all other areas of learning.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is very good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Children achieve very well because of the good teaching and the high expectations set by staff; § Every opportunity is taken to enhance children’s development and children are in line to reach the expected goals by the end of the year; § Supportive relationships are being established so children feel confident and happy.

p.21

Commentary

49. The personal, social and emotional development of children is very good. When children enter the nursery, they have under developed social skills and find it difficult to conform to the high expectations set by staff. However, the clear boundaries and the consistent role models set by adults throughout the Foundation Stage ensure that the children know what is expected of them, and most quickly learn the correct way to behave. The older children in the nursery know the routines well, settle to tasks with a minimum of fuss and behave sensibly. The excellent teamwork of the adults in all classes gives the children superb role models for co-operation and a calm but enthusiastic approach to work. Almost all children show a positive interest in what they are doing, concentrate well even when not directed by adults and are eager to learn.

p.21

Commentary

50. Children are constantly encouraged to feel confident about what they achieve. They are friendly and take a pride in their work. They often play collaboratively and by the time they reach the reception class they share, take turns amicably and put their hands up when they are answering a question. Children are expected to clear up for themselves, which many do without prompting. Children feel secure and confident to ask for help when required because they know and trust the adults who work with them. The very good gains in learning already Robin Hood Primary School - 17 evident in this area are the result of constant reinforcement of the rules by the adults who treat each other and the children with courtesy and respect. This leads to trusting relationships and helps the children to succeed.

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Teachers and support staff take every opportunity to develop children’s language skills.

p.22

Commentary

51. Although a significant number of children enter the nursery with under developed speaking and listening skills, many children are on course to meet the expectations in this area of learning. Already children are making good progress, as a result of the many opportunities they are given to talk and listen. All staff take every opportunity during all activities to develop children’s vocabulary through probing questions and insistence that the children listen to the contributions of the others. Adults work hard to help children to extend their spoken sentences by asking them to elaborate their talk to become more descriptive and analytical. For example, when the nursery children went on a walk, they were able to describe the clouds, recognise the range and shades of colour and predict whether the weather would change as the approaching dark cloud was blown over the school. Very good relationships

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Commentary

mean that the children have the confidence to talk and all adults are genuinely interested in what the children have to say.

p.22

Commentary

52. Children enjoy books and listen attentively when a story is read to them. When a teacher was reading about Mr Wolfe, the children hung on her every word as she read with expression and excitement. All children regularly visit the book corner where they can look at books for themselves, which they handle with care, appreciating that text is read from left to right. Other reception age children write notes and compile lists of items purchased as part of their role play in the ‘Post Office’. The computer is used effectively to help children write their names through the use of large fonts (both upper and lower case), which helps them develop their letter formation. Appropriate ICT programs, which assist initial sounds and blends with illustrations, make a very good contribution to children’s early phonic development. The children in the reception class are beginning to benefit from ‘Guided Reading’ techniques. They carefully follow text in a book, understand that words carry

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Commentary

meaning and are developing a good visual memory of words.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Teachers plan a wide range of activities to support learning and this ensures that children achieve well; § Good opportunities are identified in all activities to promote children’s mathematical development well; § Some opportunities offered by a learning activity are not fully developed. Robin Hood Primary School - 18

p.22

Commentary

53. Teaching and learning are good. Teachers plan an interesting range of activities to promote mathematical understanding and, by the time children reach the reception class; most are working at levels expected for their age. Children are already beginning to count up to five in the nursery and adults use a variety of number rhymes and songs to help them count. Good development of children’s mathematical language is achieved through adult involvement in children’s play. Here children are encouraged to order the clothes they will wear for a rainy or sunny day and set out equipment in terms of its attributes, collecting, for example, plastic utensils of the same colour. They learn other mathematical vocabulary and compare weights of different ingredients as they work with recipes, benefiting from practical experiences by counting out spoonfuls of the ingredients that they are to stir and mix to make a cake.

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Commentary

54. The more advanced children in reception count accurately to 20 in ones and twos, but they are not given the chance to develop their learning further by counting backwards. Reception children showed a good understanding of the concept of hours in a day; they formed a circle in the outdoor play area to represent a clock face. Individual children represented the hour numbers, and other children moved round from 9am, when they begin school, to other key times in their daily routine. Higher attaining children in reception were beginning to order numbers to 50 and apply the concept of ‘more’ or ‘less’ accurately when comparing number values. They could recognise common two-dimensional shapes, but had difficulty in creating a recurring pattern when they threaded a necklace, and could only manage to develop a sequence based on colour. Lower attaining children, effectively supported by learning support assistants, achieve well. Good use is made of ICT in mathematics, with children

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Commentary

sorting information into their pictograms of favourite pets, eye colour or favourite foods. Children input this information into a database program and then compare the computer- produced pictogram with their own example.

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is very good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ A very good range of interesting activities is planned to promote this area of learning; § Staff carefully intervene to enhance children’s knowledge and understanding of the world; § This area of learning effectively supports other areas such as mathematical, physical and language development.

p.23

Commentary

55. Teaching and learning are good and children achieve very well. Many are beginning to work at levels well above what is expected for their age, particularly when they use the class computers to help with their investigations. A very good variety of appropriate and interesting learning activities is planned to stimulate children’s experiences and enhance their learning. For example, the nursery children completed a walk around the school grounds as part of their investigation into weather, the seasons and change. Adults pointed out their immediate woodland environment and asked questions about how it had changed since their September walk. The talk was all about trees without leaves and the changes of colour. The children were mystified by the apparent lack of life in the school pond, and could not think about where the frogs had gone. This gave the adults very good opportunity to introduce new knowledge and vocabulary about hibernation and life cycles. There was an air of silence and

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Commentary

reflection as many children observed the pond with new eyes having become more aware of the changing season and its effect on the landscape. Very good use is made of cooking Robin Hood Primary School - 19 activities where children gain introductory insights into scientific concepts of change – how the ingredients of a cake fuse together when they are cooked. Children learn about the festivals of other world religions such as Divali, the Hindu Festival of Light. They use ICT successfully to sequence items of clothing as they dress Teddy and they create three- dimensional vehicles and buildings using recyclable materials and construction kits.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for physical development is very good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Pupils make very good progress and are on course to exceed the expectations for this area of learning; § The outside play area is planned well to link children’s development to other areas of learning; § Children in the nursery have continuous access to the outside play area, which is used well in formal lessons.

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Commentary

56. Teaching and learning are very good. Very good opportunities are planned and prepared for children to develop their fine motor skills through the use of a full range of model making tools. Children use pencil and paintbrushes confidently to create line and colour patterns where they demonstrate creativity and individuality. In ICT they handle the mouse carefully to create patterns and colour in shapes. The older children are beginning to choose from the toolbar to create their own painting styles.

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Commentary

57. Children use the peddled vehicles in the outdoor play area energetically and enthusiastically, yet safely. They collaborate well together to construct a den from light plastic bottle crates. Very good intervention by an adult carefully directs this activity to the current theme and the den, with the help of white card and a cloth, quickly becomes an igloo in a cold country.

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Commentary

58. Younger children dance confidently with enthusiasm. They stretch and move to the music, waving their arms to imitate The Teddy Bear going on a picnic or the regular movements of a robot. Very good teaching includes confident demonstrations and movements that children quickly copy. All adults join in, including a grandmother, and the children sing songs about Teddy Bears or Robots as they continue to practise their repertoires.

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ A full range of interesting activities is planned to promote learning in this area; § There are good connections between children’s creative development and other areas of learning. Robin Hood Primary School - 20

p.24

Commentary

59. There are good opportunities for children to take part in role-play, where they experiment with language and gain insights into many adult roles. Children are often involved in music making where they show originality and increase their knowledge and understanding of the world by learning about how sounds are made. Other direct teaching includes very good opportunities for dance and the development of printing techniques. Other creative experiences are typical of what is seen in many Foundation Stage classrooms. Often teaching is of very good quality although occasionally classrooms are too small to ensure that all children can easily observe, for example, a demonstration. Many children are on course to exceed the expectation for this area of learning.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Pupils achieve well and standards are above average; § Pupils with SEN achieve very well; § Standards in spelling are not as high as they should be; § The presentation and handwriting in children’s work are sometimes untidy; § The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good; § There is good use of a range of strategies to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills; § Teachers’ planning is of high quality and is based on thorough assessments; § The subject co-ordinator provides strong leadership for the subject; § The school’s accommodation and resources are of a high quality.

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Commentary

60. Pupils throughout the school achieve well. Standards in all areas of English are good and are above the national average by the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Children enter school with below average speaking and listening skills and they achieve very well in Years 1 and 2 and reach Year 6 as confident communicators.

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Commentary

61. There has been some variation in the school’s recent national test results, particularly in 2002 and 2003. This was largely due to the above average proportion of pupils in those year groups joining the school mid-year and to the recent changes and absences of staff. The school’s tracking of pupils’ progress suggests that the downward trend will be arrested through the good quality of teaching and learning that are now taking place. Certainly, the results of tests for pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 show a return to previous high levels of performance.

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Commentary

62. The high quality of teachers’ planning has a major impact on the achievement of all the pupils because of the way in which it directs tasks and activities towards individual needs. Pupils with SEN are particularly well supported by appropriate work. In addition, the high standards of the classroom support assistants and the learning mentor make a significant contribution to these pupils’ progress. Pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds are well supported and enabled to play an equal part in lessons. Their achievements are carefully monitored and appropriate action taken where they have SEN. High achievers are extended Robin Hood Primary School - 21 through challenging and interesting work as, for example, in the use of ICT to support the teaching of grammar through a ‘PowerPoint’ presentation. Pupils enjoy their lessons and have a positive attitude to books and to writing, because of the consistently good teaching.

p.25

Commentary

Their enjoyment is enhanced by the extensive use of ICT to develop their writing skills.

p.26

Commentary

63. Standards in speaking and listening are good overall. From a below average standard on entry into the school, pupils achieve well over time and very well in Years 1 and 2. This is due to the importance the school places on providing children with a range of opportunities to communicate with those around them. Classrooms are busy places where children are encouraged to share their opinions, ideas and preferences with a partner or with the whole class. Role play, group discussion and drama all promote the extension of vocabulary and build confidence so that pupils contribute freely to class discussion.

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Commentary

64. Since the last inspection, the school has made good progress in developing pupils’ reading skills. Effective and knowledgeable leadership of the subject has identified problem areas and put a range of strategies in place to support all pupils. Pupils read in pairs and guided reading groups are a regular feature of the literacy hour in all classes. Pupils have their own guided reading records and staff monitor the progress of individual pupils carefully. The provision for reading has improved and a number of structured reading schemes are well organised and accessible. In addition, the school boasts a new library of fiction and reference materials of good quality. This library has a computerised system of recording loans that children are becoming familiar with using. Individual classes are timetabled to use the library and parents are encouraged to use this resource in supporting the home/school

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Commentary

reading links. Homework is regularly set and the school’s homework club is well supported and has developed as an important strategy to aid learning. The homework is planned to support the needs of the individual child. Investigative tasks, such as those based on their work on Vikings, result in some excellent work involving pupils using the Internet to gather information and support their own learning. Parents were particularly impressed by the quality of this work.

p.26

Commentary

65. Planning and individual tracking of pupils’ progress in writing ensures that weaknesses are addressed. Pupils have opportunities to write for a range of audiences and purposes. There were numerous examples of different forms of writing on display, ranging from a biography of Queen Victoria to story writing on ‘Toad of Toad Hall’. The school focus week on inclusion provided the younger children with the opportunity to imagine and write about the problems of a life without sight. Pupils are well supported during the literacy hour with support staff helping with phonic work to provide pupils with skills in tackling unfamiliar words. The school is addressing an identified weakness in spelling and making the approach to the teaching of phonics more consistent through the use of a commercial scheme. Pupils’ standards of presentation are not always good and there is at present no consistent approach to the

p.26

Language and literacy across the curriculum

66. Teachers take many opportunities to develop pupils’ language and literacy skills in other subjects. Speaking and listening skills in particular benefit from the many opportunities pupils have to work together, for example in design and technology and science. There are also good opportunities for pupils to read and write in other subjects, such as religious education and history. Robin Hood Primary School - 22

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Standards have risen since the previous inspection; § Setting the older pupils according to their current levels of achievement is raising standards; § ICT is used well to support teaching and learning; § The weaknesses in problem solving and the teaching of shape, space and measures have been addressed; § The quality of teaching is good; § Provision is regularly monitored and evaluated; § The subject is well led and managed.

p.27

Commentary

67. Standards in mathematics by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are above average. In the 2003 national tests, almost all the 7-year-olds reached the expected level with almost one third of these pupils achieving the higher level. At the age of 11, four-fifths of the pupils achieved the expected level. This was above the national average figure, but only one-tenth of these pupils achieved the higher level, which is below the national average figure. The school building was being extended and there was also considerable disruption to staffing resulting in the employment of many temporary staff. This affected the continuity of provision. The admission patterns to the school are changing, with many more pupils commencing their careers mid way through the school’s education programme rather than at the beginning of a key stage. This had a particularly adverse effect in 2003.

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Commentary

68. The school continually works hard to raise standards in mathematics. Successful setting arrangements, where older pupils are taught mathematics in groups according to their levels of achievement and maturity, are raising standards. These groupings are formed in response to the analysis of their assessed work, and the individual pupils’ achievement in the subject is regularly monitored to ensure that appropriate progress is made. By Year 2, pupils are working within the expected range when compared with similar schools. They are developing a knowledge and understanding of place value and recall number facts to 10, with the more advanced confidently working with numbers up to 30 and beyond. They are taught to recognise number patterns and to use different strategies to solve number problems. As pupils move up the school, the speed and range of calculations increases. Year 4 pupils use tables and number patterns to solve mathematical problems. They apply logical analysis to

p.27

Commentary

their work. For example, they identify possible solutions when they draw up tables of the number of combinations between the colours of mountain bike crash helmets and clothes.

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Commentary

69. By Year 6, more advanced pupils analyse data in terms of mode and range. They accurately calculate the angles of triangles and use the skills of doubling and halving effectively to solve problems using large numbers.

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Commentary

70. Pupils regularly use calculators and computers to practise numeracy skills in their classrooms. Digital projectors are used well in many lessons, ensuring that ICT becomes an integral part of the mathematics lessons. The use of ICT is of particular help to the lower achieving pupils who make similar progress to their classmates.

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Commentary

71. The school has recognised that problem solving and the programme of study concerning shape, space and measures were areas of weakness. Much development has taken place Robin Hood Primary School - 23 in these areas and, for instance, Year 1 pupils now use two-dimensional shapes to construct images of people. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 sort and classify quadrilaterals to identify those with the same properties. Pupils make accurate estimations before they measure; for example, the oldest pupils are beginning to associate 11 centimetres 5 millimetres with 11.5 centimetres.

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Commentary

72. In all the lessons seen, the teaching was good. Strengths include:

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Commentary

§ carefully planned lessons with clear learning objectives, which have a positive impact on pupils’ learning and standards; § teaching which captures pupils’ interest and enthusiasm; § good emphasis on the correct use of mathematical vocabulary; § a good range of approaches to methods of calculation; § learning support assistants who are well briefed and often effectively lead groups on specific tasks; § clear explanations which ensure that all pupils understand how to complete the task successfully; § questioning which is used well to check pupils’ understanding and advance their thinking.

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Commentary

73. Occasionally, because time is not always used well, plenary teaching sessions are too short and opportunities to check understanding and reinforce learning points are not fully exploited.

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Commentary

74. The National Numeracy Strategy is used to good effect in teachers’ planning. The rigorous assessment procedures and consistent, positive and effective marking are helping individual pupils to understand what their next steps in learning are to be. Individual targets are set and many ‘booster’ groups, supported well by skilled and effectively deployed learning support assistants, ensure that all pupils achieve as well as can be expected. The school is mindful of the varying levels of pupils with SEN. It monitors and evaluates the national test results and the quality of teaching to ensure that booster groups and classes include those pupils with the appropriate needs. It is also well aware of the needs of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and ensures that their progress is carefully tracked. Currently the school is producing documentation to make sure that the teaching of written calculations is consistent.

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Commentary

These initiatives are the product of good leadership and management and are responding well to the needs of the pupils. They are instrumental in raising standards.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

75. Pupils use mathematics as part of their work in other subjects and, consequently, develop an appreciation of the practical uses of these skills. For example, in science they use graphs and tables of results to record and analyse data. They use ICT data handling software very effectively as a tool of analysis. There are good links with geography as older pupils study co-ordinates, linking well with map reading skills and the location of physical features through map reference work. Robin Hood Primary School - 24

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Pupils with SEN are very well supported and most make very good progress; § Leadership of science is very good; § Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and in some cases excellent; § Staff and pupils use scientific language and terminology well; § The tracking of pupils’ work is very good and used effectively to monitor their progress; § Very good cross-curricular links are evident and well planned for.

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Commentary

76. Pupils achieve well across Years 1 to 6. By the end of Year 2, pupils have made good progress and attainment is good. The current Year 6 pupils are on target to reach above average standards of attainment. Pupils with SEN make very good progress. By the end of Year 6, a small number of higher attainers, identified by assessment and subsequently set in small booster classes, are enabled to make very good progress and reach well above average results. Standards have risen since the last inspection and are now showing a clear trend of improvement because of the strategies the school has put into place.

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Commentary

77. Very strong leadership is making the teaching and learning in science progressively more effective. The co-ordinator follows her collaborative action plan very stringently to bring about positive developments in all aspects of the subject. Where teachers’ subject knowledge is very secure, as in the excellent teaching by the school’s specialist teacher, pupils learn at a faster rate. The Advanced Skills Teacher’s own knowledge and experience are very well used and are having a very strong impact. Lessons successfully aim to make the acquisition of skills and techniques fun for all pupils. Pupils are given clear learning objectives and at the end of each session are given time to see if they have achieved these. This is very good practice.

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Commentary

78. Very good provision and support enables most pupils with SEN to make very good progress. Pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds make equal progress to the other pupils. Assessment effectively identifies higher ability pupils and specialist small group teaching in Year 6 enables these children to accelerate and make very good progress. Regular assessment raises more pupils into this category.

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Commentary

79. Cross-curricular links, such as those with numeracy, geography, design and technology, literacy and especially the school focus of speaking and listening, enhance pupils’ achievement. ICT is also very well used to support the science curriculum.

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Commentary

80. No teaching was observed in Years 1 and 2; teaching in Years 3 to 6 is mostly very good with an incidence of excellent teaching. Work is well displayed and stimulates responses from the pupils. Pupils are proud of their achievements and talk confidently about their work with a good level of accuracy. Where pupils are given a framework, for example, to devise a fair test, write up an experimental process or test a hypothesis, work is particularly good. The newly adopted scheme does at times lead to an over use of photocopied multiple choice knowledge sheets, which, although a good tool for revision, can hamper pupils’ skills of recording their own investigations.

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Commentary

81. Marking reflects the school’s recently implemented policy. However, a great deal of marking asks the pupil a question, such as ‘so, what did happen?’ ‘Was your initial conclusion Robin Hood Primary School - 25 correct?’ This is a good beginning to interactive marking to move pupils’ learning on, but there is little evidence that pupils respond or learn, as the same question may well appear on several subsequent pieces of work.

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Commentary

82. In one excellent lesson with high ability pupils in Year 6, a very sophisticated use of teacher questioning elicited high-level answers from pupils. Pupils were asked to make a periscope for a specific purpose. Excellent knowledge of her pupils enabled the teacher to give sensitive support but only where children wanted it: ‘I will leave you to it and help as you need me.’ Children’s enthusiasm was infectious, as was the teacher’s. Pupils used previous learning from several curriculum areas, collaborated extremely well and achieved high standards. Excellent relationships and attitudes contributed to the success. Pupils were so excited by the pace and challenge that they moved themselves past the teacher’s planning for this lesson and on to terminology to be used in the next.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ By Year 6, pupils’ skills are well above average; § Throughout the school, pupils achieve very well; § The quality of teaching is very good; § The recently installed ICT suite is fully operational and has already extended pupils’ opportunities for developing their skills further; § The leadership and management of the subject are excellent.

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Commentary

83. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ ICT skills are well above average. In the direct teaching sessions seen, very good teaching enabled pupils to make rapid progress and to achieve very well. This very good progress builds on the strong introduction in the Foundation Stage and was also observed in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 5. Since the last inspection, available funding has meant that resources have improved dramatically and staff confidence and expertise has been developed. Consequently, standards have improved considerably. The recent opening of the computer suite, the acquisition of modern machines, laptop computers and digital projectors, and the establishment of wireless networks allowing Internet access and whole class teaching, have meant that the school has moved forward at a very rapid yet sustainable pace.

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Commentary

84. The school has skilfully adapted the current national guidance as a basis for its planning and has ensured that all pupils experience the expected subject strands. Discussions with pupils, who were accessing their saved work, presented clear evidence of their high standards of confidence and ability. Very good use of the Internet is made in communicating with an Australian primary school. Regular information is being passed through cyber-space, giving pupils a wealth of knowledge about the Australian environment, covering such curricular areas as geography and multicultural awareness. Detailed and very well presented multi-media work introducing Australian pupils to the location and history of the school environment has been produced. This, and the production and regular circulation of the school newspaper, give the oldest pupils very good opportunities to practise and apply their ICT skills in interesting and inspiring projects. Other pupils confidently talked inspectors

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Commentary

through their presentations on English grammar and vocabulary, and demonstrated the use of spreadsheet technology in mathematical calculations. These pupils confidently responded Robin Hood Primary School - 26 to inspectors’ enquiries about geographical locations in the United States of America by using the Internet to locate and access the information.

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Commentary

85. The teachers’ own specialist subject knowledge is used well to give clear succinct explanations. Very good use is made of the recently completed ICT suite and the digital projectors both in the suite and in the classrooms. Very good organisation of the pupils before they begin work in the suite ensures that they know which computer to work on. Often they work in pairs, organised in such a way that a more advanced pupil works alongside a classmate with less developed skills. This enhances the interpersonal skills of the more advanced pupils and helps the less well developed to learn at a quicker rate.

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Commentary

86. Year 5 and 6 pupils use the mouse expertly to surf a ‘cyber café’ site and learn its safe use. They learn, for example, not to give personal information in chat rooms to anyone they do not know, or when using the Internet not to download from addresses or websites that are not chosen. Very good use is made of the networked machines situated in classrooms. These are connected together in an unusual configuration that maximises space and accessibility. Here, pupils with SEN make very good progress because they have sufficient computer time to practise their skills and are supported by skilled learning support assistants who systematically help and support them, carefully questioning them to check their levels of understanding. Very high quality teaching in Years 3 and 4 successfully links ICT with history as pupils conscientiously use the full range of keyboard and mouse skills to re-assemble their research about the Vikings into an historical document. They confidently use the ‘clipart’

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Commentary

menu to access relevant illustrations of Viking art and artefacts to incorporate them into their work. Year 2 pupils achieve well because the teacher has created specific software that meets the needs of the lower levels of the class. More advanced pupils have more complex learning tasks, involving the lifting and dragging of photographs and the assembling of sequential sentences telling how they made a cake – the level of difficulty is less for older less skilled children. Consequently, all the pupils are challenged but are able to complete their work.

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Commentary

Excellent leadership and management of ICT The recently appointed subject leader has successfully raised the status of the subject. The long-term plan for its development is realistic and challenging. The scheme of work has been evaluated, changes have been made and practical assessment systems have been introduced. All staff have recent appropriate training and feel confident in the use of ICT, as part of a general lesson where a digital projector is used or in a small group situation, where careful help and support is required. The ICT suite, which became available two weeks prior to the inspection, is already fully up and running. All staff have the capability to use it and all pupils benefit from the time they spend working there. Day-to-day management is exceptional. Routines are established and careful consideration is given to the use of the classroom ICT pods alongside the ICT suite via the highly

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Commentary

efficient networking systems. A staff directory has been established in the school network and this includes proformas for subject planning that can be called up, have adjustments made and saved. Regular monitoring of teaching and the use of the resources takes place, with adjustments made and training provided where necessary.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

87. ICT is incorporated into all areas of the curriculum. The linkage with literacy extends to the City Learning Centre where pupils create and direct introductions to films, recording this direction on to CD-ROM. The digital microscope linked to a laptop is used regularly in science and art where pupils examine the textures of materials to help them make accurate predictions about their qualities and paint them to gain insights into the skills of world- renowned artists. ‘PowerPoint’ illustrations of local towns or physical features completed by the pupils bring geography to life in the classroom. Throughout the inspection, pupils were observed using computers to explore databases in music. They also develop their logical thinking by writing programs for a simulation to create geometrical shapes. One particularly Robin Hood Primary School - 27 competent Year 6 pupil stated that she had developed all her ICT skills since she joined the

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HUMANITIES

88. Only one history lesson was observed and none in geography . Pupils’ work and opinions were sampled and co-ordinators interviewed. It was not possible to form an overall judgement about provision in either subject. However, pupils’ work shows standards in history to be above expected levels for the end of Year 2 and Year 6, as they were at the time of the last inspection.

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HUMANITIES

89. The humanities curriculum is enriched by visits, such as that to Clarke Hall, which provide pupils with the opportunity to be involved in role play and to experience life in Tudor Times. The focus weeks enhance the humanities’ curriculum and provide the opportunity to show the strength of home and school links. In their work on Vikings, for instance, pupils and their families produced a range of craft work at home, including a block of homemade Viking soap, shields and weapons, resulting in an exciting display. In Years 1 and 2, a study of toys of the past resulted in letters and toys from grandparents, providing an excellent display which highlighted the wider appeal of the work.

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HUMANITIES

90. Subject co-ordinators in both geography and history have produced action plans that map the future for their respective subjects. The monitoring of pupils’ achievements and the quality of teaching and other provision is under developed.

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Religious education

Provision for religious education is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ The leadership of religious education is very good; § Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure; § Lesson plans are clear, often with different tasks for different abilities; § Pupils are encouraged to share their work and respect the views and beliefs of other pupils; § Learning support assistants are well deployed.

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Commentary

91. Pupils achieve well in all years and attain above average standards by the end of Years 2 and 6. Teaching is good overall with some very good teaching in Years 5 and 6. Teachers ensure that a range of interesting and meaningful activities is presented to pupils. Learning support assistants support and enhance the understanding and progress of those pupils who require it. Pupils with SEN thus achieve particularly well. This very good teaching enables pupils to develop their ability to reflect on and think independently about the meaning of religion, its practice and its impact on life. Pupils are actively involved in often quite exciting tasks to which they respond with enthusiasm. The school’s focus on speaking and listening is impacting strongly on religious education. For example, very young pupils in Years 1 and 2 were able, when asked, to discuss birthdays with a partner and then each pupil was able to

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Commentary

repeat what their partner had said. Older pupils involved in a lively debate about capital punishment were able to listen, wait and speak, using phrases such as ‘Consider this, for example…’ and ‘coming back to what … said …’. They quickly pointed out that capital punishment is against the teaching of Christ, but knew that it is not contrary to the tenets of all religions. Good curriculum coverage of the local education authority Agreed Syllabus and its broad objectives enables a growth in pupils’ knowledge, awareness and understanding of Robin Hood Primary School - 28 Christianity and other world faiths. Written work reflects good teaching, but at times is marred by poor presentation and a lack of reflection on issues which pupils are well able to articulate orally. Good use is made of ICT, for example in Years 5 and 6, where pupils researched the purpose and impact of a variety of Christian organisations.

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Commentary

92. The very effective co-ordinator ensures by her hard work and enthusiasm that her subject maintains a high profile in the school. Following a successful focus week on multifaith and culture, she is now planning next year’s focus on religion. Careful assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress and good monitoring of provision means that she is in a strong position to advise, guide and support colleagues in all aspects of the subject.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. No lessons were seen in art and design , so no judgement is made on provision . Evidence from pupils’ work in folders and displays shows that standards are at expected levels by the end of Years 2 and 6. There is a good focus on the development of skills and pupils are given opportunities to experience the work of a good variety of artists of various times and cultures. Pupils’ achievement is enhanced by the work they do during focus weeks and by the visitors and visits that occur. Leadership is effective and the co-ordinator has a good understanding of how the subject can develop.

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Design and Technology

Provision for design and technology is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ A good range of projects are planned in all years; § There are good links between this and other subjects; § The process of ‘designing’ is not sufficiently developed in the older junior classes.

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Commentary

94. Standards of attainment seen during the inspection were in line with the expectations for pupils aged 7 and 11, as they were at the time of the last inspection. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well. They are challenged to design and make a good range of projects, including such items as purses and photograph frames. They follow their labelled sketches industriously to produce various styles of decoration and assembly, incorporating stitching and gluing. Pupils often experiment with various fastenings before they finally decide which to use. Often designs are intricate and show good detail, enabling pupils to follow the plans carefully as they complete their work. However, they do not consider how the finished products could be evaluated. For example, they do not test their newly constructed purses to see which has the greatest capacity.

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Commentary

95. A good range of projects is planned for the older pupils. However, their achievement is unsatisfactory because their designing skills are not developed sufficiently. Pupils sketch then construct models of shelters, and design then make slippers. They use recyclable materials to construct musical instruments. There are good links with the Tudors when the pupils make hats in the style of that period.

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Commentary

96. The quality of teaching is variable in Years 3 to 6 and ranges from satisfactory to very good. Where lessons are good or very good, pupils were expected to use the correct terminology and the teachers’ high expectations resulted in pupils discussing various techniques for, for example, making the illustrations in books move. Consequently, they devised effective Robin Hood Primary School - 29 pushing, pulling and lever mechanisms to achieve the desired effect. The oldest pupils used ICT very well to design a poster advertising a Victorian fairground ride and very good use was made of the digital projector by the teacher to ensure that pupils understood the nature of their task. Good discussions between adults and groups of pupils helped them to overcome difficulties in the assembling of their ride and the application of electrical power to give it movement. Sketches included some good detail and many of the rides, for instance a

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Commentary

‘chairoplane’, were of good quality. They were in working order and indicated imaginative thinking by the pupils. However, in another class, the quality of the design plan was unsatisfactory. Pupils made basic sketches but did not, for example, include specific detailed drawings and measurements of moving mechanisms, showing how the battery power could be applied to the model. There were no detailed plan or side elevation drawings and they did not indicate measurements of dimensions.

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Commentary

97. A design and technology club meets regularly, and recently the school was successful in a local ‘robotics’ competition. Focus days, where pupils are involved in, for example, bridge building projects, produce satisfactory structures. The programmes of study within the subject ensure that all pupils experience the full range of activities, including food technology, and there are good links with mathematics when older children use three-dimensional nets as a basis for the design of packaging materials for their products. An effective assessment programme is in place and the subject co-ordinator is now working with classes in Years 3 to 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ The knowledgeable co-ordinator works with a number of classes; § After school and lunchtime clubs enhance pupils’ achievement and standards.

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Commentary

98. The effective subject leader is well qualified in the subject and makes good use of her expertise to teach several other classes as well as her own. There are useful after school and lunchtime activities, such as choir and recorders, and pupils have the opportunity to learn to play drums and guitar.

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Commentary

99. Pupils achieve well because of the good teaching. Standards are at expected levels. Pupils sing a range of songs tunefully and with a good sense of rhythm. They understand the difference between rhythm and beat and can use a range of instruments, both tuned and untuned, to accompany their songs.

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Physical education

Provision for physical education is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Effective and energetic leadership ensures that the subject has a high profile in the school; § Out of school activities strongly enhance the curriculum; § The use of visiting coaches helps to improve pupils’ achievement and standards.

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Commentary

Robin Hood Primary School - 30 100. Pupils of all abilities achieve well because of the good teaching. Standards are broadly at expected levels by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. By the time they finish their swimming programme in Year 4, all pupils can swim and most can swim at least 25 metres confidently. The more skilled gymnasts are challenged by the activities presented to them in lessons and consequently improve their work. Older pupils work hard in response to the high expectations of the teacher and the qualified coach who team-teach the tag rugby lessons. Younger pupils do well in their dance lessons because the teacher encourages them to evaluate their work and the work of other pupils.

p.35

Commentary

101. The subject is supported by effective interactive displays in school that encourage pupils to use appropriate technical language when talking about games. The co-ordinator is very active in making contacts with a variety of sports clubs and coaches and with other schools. Under his leadership, the school has gained the ‘Activemark Gold’ award. Pupils benefit well from out of school clubs for dance, football and tag rugby, all of which enhance their achievement.

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Personal, social and health education and citizenship

Provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship (PSHCE) is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

§ Personal development permeates all aspects of school life; § Many opportunities are provided for pupils to discuss issues and share their feelings; § Focus weeks and class and school councils provide very good insights into citizenship.

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Commentary

102. PSHCE is a central feature in the life of the school. The result shows in the very positive attitudes to school and the harmonious, inclusive and tolerant atmosphere. As well as offering timetabled lessons in PSHCE, the school provides many opportunities in lessons for pupils to discuss issues such as capital punishment or to explore the implications, for instance, of being blind or having other disabilities. Focus weeks make a very strong contribution both in raising important and relevant issues and in providing telling insights into other people’s circumstances. The drive to improve pupils’ speaking and listening skills has also benefited PSHCE. Religious education lessons involve seeing both sides of an argument, English lessons explore ideas and feelings through the study of literature and ICT lessons encourage pupils to explore the dangers of Internet chat rooms. In science, pupils learn about healthy eating. The learning mentor plays a very important and effective role in

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Commentary

pupils’ PSHCE. Sex education and drug awareness feature in the PSHCE curriculum. The school also provides many practical opportunities for the older pupils in particular to take responsibility and to learn the importance of consulting other people. For instance, class and school councillors take far-reaching decisions that can affect other pupils and the school captains learn the importance of showing a good example in greeting visitors to the school and showing them around. Robin Hood Primary School - 31

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 1

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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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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