Georgeham Church of England (VC) Primary School

School

Dates of inspection: 19 th to 21 st January 2004

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School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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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. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Controlled Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 124

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Putsborough Road Georgeham Braunton DEVON

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01271 890440 Fax number: 01272 890440

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs P Harris

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is in the heart of this Devonshire village near Braunton. The school is smaller than most primary schools and takes children from the age of 4 years until they leave for the secondary school in Braunton at the age of 11 years. There are 125 pupils on roll and these pupils come from the villages of Georgeham and Croyde but also from the surrounding smaller communities. There are 5 classes and the pupils in Year 6 use the hall as their classroom. The socio-economic status of the area is above the national average. It is a holiday area and attracts surfers from all around the world. Many of the parents play an active part in this tourist industry. Fourteen children in the reception year began school in September 2003 and a further five in January. The school’s assessments show that the attainment on entry is generally above the level expected for children of this age. Apart from the reception intake,

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

nine children joined the school and five left during the past year. The school has an almost totally white population.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There are twelve pupils with special educational needs. No pupil has a statement. Very few pupils are eligible for free school meals. There are 6.5 (full time equivalent) teachers employed in the school. The school has been awarded a Healthy School Award and is involved in the Devon Primary School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT). Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21500 Mr G Bassett Lead inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, art and design, design technology, Foundation Stage. 11072 Ms S Elomari Lay inspector 32377 Mr D Courtney Team inspector Science, geography, history, religious education. 21245 Mr W Lowe Team inspector English, music, physical education, special educational needs.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 30

Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good and improving school. The quality of education is good and the teaching and learning are good overall. The pupils in Year 6 last year achieved well and attained standards that were well above average in English, mathematics and science. Currently, standards at the end of Year 6 are above average in English and mathematics and average in science. The pupils’ achievement is good in mathematics and satisfactory in English and science. The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good and their personal development is good, overall. The governance of the school is satisfactory and the leadership and management of the headteacher are good. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher gives a good clear direction to the developments of the school. • The quality of teaching and the teachers’ planning of the curriculum are good overall. • The standards reached in the national tests in 2003 in English, mathematics and science, at the end of Year 6, were well above the national average and the best performance since 1999. • The school has not developed a whole school system for recording each pupil’s ongoing assessments in all subjects. • The pupils’ presentation of work and their handwriting are often very untidy and there has been little progress since the last inspection. • The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. • The subject leaders do not carry out sufficient checking of the quality of the teaching or the quality of the pupils’ work. • The use of the school hall as a classroom causes interruptions to the work of pupils in Year 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

and the ‘temporary’ classroom is cramped and unsatisfactory for the reception children.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection and maintained the quality of education reached at that time. Most of the issues raised have been dealt with appropriately. The school has developed procedures to ensure that spending decisions are purposeful and productive. The quality of education throughout the school is good and the facilities for ICT have been improved. The quality of teaching is good overall with most lessons observed being good or better. Even though the end of year assessments are carried out for English and mathematics, as yet, there are no whole-school systems to record the ongoing assessments for each pupil in all subjects. The school is well placed to improve further.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The children enter the reception year with attainment that is above the levels expected nationally. The children currently in the Foundation Stage have made a good start, especially in their personal and social development. Most are on course to reach the expected goals in all areas of learning by the end of the year and they achieve well. However, their physical development is hampered by the lack of facilities for physical education, indoors and out, and their progress is slower.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English B B A A mathematics A B A* A* science A A A* A 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. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 7 These results must be viewed with caution as the cohort was very small and this makes comparisons very unreliable. The results above show that at the end of Year 6 in 2003, the school’s performance improved in all three subjects and the pupils’ achievement was good . However, in the current work in Year 6, the pupils’ standards are not quite as high. They are above average in English and mathematics and average in science. It is clear that the pupils’ achievement is good in investigations in science and in mathematics. Most of them achieve at least satisfactorily in English.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The achievement made by the pupils in Year 2 is good and standards are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Throughout the school the standards in art and design, geography, religious education, physical education and information and communication technology are broadly in line with the expected levels in all classes. It is not possible to make judgements on standards in history, design and technology and music. The pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The staff promote good standards in the pupils’ personal development and very good standards overall in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development . Their behaviour, their relationships and their attitudes towards their work are very good. Attendance is below the national average due to the number of holidays taken in term time. The school checks up well on attendance and most parents ensure their children attend regularly and on time.

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

The quality of teaching and the planning of the curriculum are good. The teachers’ planning is thorough, being based securely upon the national guidelines. The curriculum is good. Literacy and numeracy are taught effectively but more use could be made of ICT to support a wider range of subjects. All pupils are fully included in all that the school does. The effectiveness of the teaching has brought about a purposeful learning environment . The links with parents, the community and other schools are good. The school looks after its pupils well and the teachers know each pupil very well. They listen to their views through classroom discussions and through the school council.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher are good . The governance of the school is satisfactory and the governing body fulfils its statutory requirements effectively. The subject leaders are developing their subject responsibilities well but do not check rigorously enough upon either the quality of the pupils’ work or the quality of teaching for their subjects.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The parents praise the quality of care and support that the school gives their children. They appreciate the openness of the staff and the headteacher. The pupils enjoy coming to school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Establish whole-school procedures for the recording of ongoing assessments for each pupil in all subjects. • Ensure that the presentation of the pupils’ work is neater and their handwriting is improved. • Develop a more robust routine for checking the quality of the pupils’ work and the quality of teaching in all subjects. • Improve the accommodation and facilities for the reception children and the pupils in Years 6. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

The pupils in Year 6 last year attained standards that were well above average in English, mathematics and science and their achievement in all three subjects was good. In the work seen during the inspection, the pupils’ standards in Year 6 in English and mathematics were above the national average and average in science. It is clear that the pupils achieve well in their investigation skills in science and in mathematics. Most pupils achieve at least satisfactorily in English. The pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 2 are above average and in ICT in Years 2 and 6 they are broadly average for their ages and achievement is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The overall trend in the national tests at the end of Year 6, over the past three years, shows that the school’s performance rose steadily in English, mathematics and science with the proportion reaching Level 5 being above the national average. • The children in the reception class enter school with above average attainment and quickly begin to achieve well and make good progress. • By the time the pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, they have made good progress and often achieve well because of the consistently good quality of teaching.

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Commentary

1. The results of the national tests for 2003 show that the pupils at the end of Year 6 last year reached standards in English, mathematics and science that were the best the school has achieved since 1999. In all three subjects the standards were well above the national average. The proportion of pupils that exceeded the expected Level 4, was also well above the national average. The school exceeded its targets for English and mathematics with all the pupils reaching the expected Level 4 and pupils achieved well. Over time the results of the national tests show that improvement in the school’s performance is above the national trend. There was no significant difference between the standards achieved by boys and girls.

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

Standards in: School results National results English * (28.4) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics * (27.9) 26.8 (26.7) science * (30.2) 28.6 (28.3) * There were 9 pupils in the year group and consequently the average points scores for 2003 are not included. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

2. When comparisons are made for this cohort of pupils when they were seven years old, their progress by the end of Year 6 was well above average in English, mathematics and science. It must be remembered that the size of each cohort in the school is very small and this has a profound impact upon comparisons with other schools. Comparisons are unreliable with such small cohorts of pupils, where a single pupil can make a big statistical difference. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 9

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.1 (16.3) 15.7 (15.8) writing 15.4 (15.5) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 17.1 (17.7) 16.3 (16.5) There were 17 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

3. The results of the national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2003 show that the school’s performance in reading was well above the national average, and in writing and mathematics the standards were above average. However, the proportion reaching the higher Level 3 was above the national average in mathematics, average for reading but below average for writing. However, the long-term trend shows that the school’s performance has exceeded the national average in all three areas of learning.

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

4. The children’s attainment on entry to the school varies from child to child but, overall, their standards are above the expected levels for their age. They make good progress and achieve well whilst in the reception class. It is early in the school year and some of the children have only been in school a few weeks. However, they have settled quickly to the routines of the class and school and achieved well in the lessons observed. They have made particular progress in the development of their personal, social and emotional development but it is clear that their physical development will be slower because of the lack of appropriate facilities. It is evident, from the quality of teaching and the assessment records already completed, that nearly all are all on course to reach the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning by the end of the year.

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

5. Currently, the pupils’ standards in Year 6 are not yet as high as those seen in the national tests 2003 but they are above the national average in English and mathematics. The analysis of the pupils’ work since September indicates that the pupils are achieving at least satisfactorily in English and in mathematics their achievement is good. In science, the standards and quality of work of the present group of pupils, are not as good as the standards reached by the Year 6 cohort last year. The current work is often untidy and poorly presented. Although the teacher’s planning shows that two topics had been planned, there was little written work in the pupils’ books to substantiate this proposed coverage. However, following discussions with some of the pupils, it is evident that they have achieved well and have clear knowledge and understanding of the science themes they have studied. Their skills in setting up investigations

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

6. Currently, the pupils in Year 2 attain standards that are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. There is no significant difference between the standards attained by boys and girls. It is evident from the scrutiny of the pupils’ work that the pupils are achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

7. The pupils identified as having special educational needs achieve satisfactorily in relation to their peers. The early identification of possible problems and the atmosphere of trust and understanding, in which they work, enable them to progress appropriately for their capabilities.

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

8. The pupils’ standards in information and communication technology have improved in Year 6 since the last inspection, when aspects of the curriculum were not covered. Although there are still elements of the curriculum that will be completed later in the school year, the pupils’ standards are broadly in line with expectations in Year 2 and Year 6. The pupils’ standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in religious education match the expected requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The standards in art and design, geography, and physical education at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are broadly in line with the expected levels for their ages Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 10 throughout the school. It is not possible to make judgements about the standards reached in design and technology, history or music because few lessons were seen during the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Overall, pupils’ attitudes to learning and their relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school is very good and their personal development is good. Attendance is below the national average. The pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is very good and their cultural development is good. Overall, the very good standard of attitudes, values and personal development seen at the time of the last inspection has been maintained.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils’ attitudes in classes and around the school are very good. • There is a very good standard of behaviour in classes and around the school. • The pupils’ relationships with each other and with adults are very good. • The pupils feel secure in school, bullying and harassment are rare and dealt with swiftly. • The provision for spiritual, moral and social development is very good. • The wide variety of cultures and faiths in the UK could feature more prominently than at present.

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Commentary

9. The pupils’ attitudes to their work have a positive impact on their learning. They like coming to school, enjoy learning and they show their appreciation of their life in the school. The pupils know and understand the well-established routines of the school. They work independently on tasks they are given and try to complete them in the set time. They are encouraged to help each other and to treat one another with respect. They are particularly good, in class discussions, at waiting to take their turn to speak or answer questions. They therefore listen to each other and to the teacher. The pupils with special educational needs are fully accepted by their peers and take a full part in all school activities. They are fully integrated into the work of each class and are well provided for. They also have positive attitudes to school and to their learning. All the children in the Foundation Stage are on course to reach the Early Learning

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Commentary

Goal for their personal, social and emotional development by the time they enter Year 1.

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Commentary

10. The role models provided by all the staff in the school, together with consistent implementation of the behaviour policy, are significant contributory factors. The pupils willingly take responsibilities such as being part of the school council and acting as play leaders at playtimes. The Year 2 teacher’s practice of inviting deserving pupils to lunch as reward for good behaviour, good effort and good work is enjoyed and valued by the pupils.

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Commentary

11. The boys and girls mix together well and are totally inclusive in their attitudes towards one another. There is a small number of pupils from ethnic minorities and some with special educational needs and they all work and play seamlessly alongside other pupils. The relationships between pupils and between pupils and all the staff are very good.

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Commentary

12. The pupils’ spiritual development is very good, as it was at the time of the previous inspection. They are provided with regular opportunities to explore values and beliefs and the way in which they impact on peoples’ lives. They are encouraged to reflect upon their own attitudes, behaviour and values in quiet times in assemblies and in lessons and to appreciate how these impact on their own lives and the lives of others. Their cultural development is enhanced through subjects such as religious education, geography and art and through displays and labelling throughout the school. Examples of this were seen in the display on Hinduism and in the geography and artwork on India. Visits outside the school, as well as visitors to the school, enhance the curriculum and widen the pupils’ experience. However, the provision for pupils’ cultural development, although good overall, is still weaker than that for spiritual, moral or

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Commentary

Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 11 social development but the school is well placed to build on current practice and improve this area further.

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Attendance

13. Attendance in 2002 to 2003 was below the national average. Unauthorised absence was broadly in line with that found nationally. Registration is efficient and the parents almost always inform the school promptly about absence. In the rare cases when they do not, the school follows these up on the first day. The parents support the school well by ensuring that their children attend school regularly and arrive punctually. However, the level of absence due to family holidays taken in term time is high. This reflects the fact that the tourist industry is a major source of employment locally. A significant number of parents are necessarily restricted in the times when they are able take time off. The school ensures that parents are regularly reminded of the regulations regarding attendance and term time holidays, which was a key issue in the previous inspection report.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.0 School data 0.3 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

14. Almost all pupils arrive punctually in the mornings but lessons do not always begin on time and sometimes overrun. Many parents state that they sometimes have to wait too long after the official end of the school day for their children to be dismissed and there was confirmation of this happening.

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Exclusions

15. There were no exclusions over the last year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. The quality of teaching and learning are good overall and sometimes very good. The curriculum is good.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning are good overall. The procedures for recording assessments are unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching throughout the school and in the Foundation Stage is good. • The teachers produce good planning for their lessons. • All the pupils are given good encouragement to do their best and they respond very well but often the quality of presentation and style of handwriting is forgotten. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 12 • Throughout the school, there is a very good understanding of the high standards of behaviour that are expected. • A whole-school system for recording the teachers’ ongoing assessments for each pupil, for all subjects, is not agreed.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 26 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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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.

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Commentary

16. During the inspection, the quality of teaching seen throughout Years 1 to 6 and in the Foundation Stage was nearly always good or better. This is similar to the quality of teaching at the last inspection. In design technology, history and music there was insufficient observation of lessons to make a firm overall judgement about the quality of teaching. One lesson in science was judged to be unsatisfactory because the teacher was not sufficiently prepared and continued to get ready as the introductory activity was being presented. The pupils were also left unsupervised whilst equipment was acquired from other classrooms. The school continues to promote good teaching standards through its involvement with the Devon Primary School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT).

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Commentary

17. The main factor that helps the school to provide such a high standard of teaching is that all the teachers base their lessons very effectively upon the national guidelines. The plans for each half term and each lesson are comprehensive and very detailed. The teachers all have a good understanding and knowledge of the subjects they teach. They work closely with the teaching assistant. The lessons are planned well, and, because of the mixed-age range in some classes, the teachers take careful note of the wide range of ability within their classes. Consequently, they plan activities that relate very closely to the needs of each pupil. Even so, it is clear from the scrutiny of the pupils’ work that there are occasions when the teachers do not check the quality of the pupils’ handwriting and consequently the presentation of their work is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

18. Throughout the school, the teachers use a wide variety of teaching methods that enable each pupil to learn most effectively. Often, this means that in the mixed-aged classes the children from younger age groups work effectively alongside older pupils for literacy and numeracy tasks. The school has developed individual targets for the pupils. The pupils have these stuck in their books and they act as a reminder during each lesson.

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Commentary

19. The quality of teaching of the reception children in the Foundation Stage is good overall. The planning in the class is good and takes into consideration the age difference between the reception children and those in Year 1. Also, the tasks for the children are planned carefully to ensure that they receive their full entitlement to the Foundation Stage curriculum. The pace of work is brisk and the tasks are very well matched to the needs of all the children. The class teacher and the teaching assistant work together well. The teacher shares her planning effectively with the teaching assistant and this ensures that group work is productive.

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Commentary

20. As the pupils progress through the school, they develop good skills for learning independently. Most of the pupils in Years 5 and 6 work with sustained concentration and work productively when unsupervised. Every pupil is fully included in all that happens within the school and their classrooms. This follows the policy for inclusion established throughout the school. The teachers and the teaching assistants give very good encouragement and, as a result, all pupils are willing to do their best. The pupils with special educational needs are given a good level of Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 13 support in classrooms where assistants are available. Overall the support given to them is satisfactory. The teachers know the pupils well and seek to provide the support necessary to ensure their individual progress. However, although their personal targets, as outlined in their

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Commentary

individual education plans, are reviewed regularly, this is not done often enough to ensure that the plans fully reflect their short-term progress.

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Commentary

21. All adults and pupils have a very good understanding of the high standards of behaviour that are expected and this fosters a good purposeful atmosphere for learning. The pupils respond very well and this is evident in the manner in which they are courteous and polite to visitors.

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Commentary

22. The end-of-year assessments in English and mathematics are recorded as the level reached by each pupil. This does not give a total picture of each pupil’s progress in developing the skills, knowledge and understanding in all the different strands for each subject. In the present format the records are not easily accessible and it is not possible to gain an immediate picture of each pupil’s performance, over time.

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Commentary

23. The ongoing assessments in the Foundation Stage are good. The teacher maintains the Foundation Profiles to record what each child can do as they progress through the year. These give an accurate picture of each child’s development and progress in developing skills, knowledge and understanding . However, the teaching assistant could take a more active role by noting down pupils’ achievements or difficulties when they are taught in a whole class situation. For the rest of the school the recording of ongoing assessments does not follow a common format across the school. All the teachers have developed their own systems in English and mathematics. Some teachers try to remember too much about each child and consequently the records are too brief and sometimes do not contain the important facts about a pupil’s development. The school has not developed records to show ongoing assessments in science, ICT, RE, art and design, design technology, history, geography, music and PE but

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Commentary

the teachers are aware that this needs to be done in a simple and easy to interpret way.

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The curriculum

The school provides its pupils with a good, broad and balanced level of curriculum opportunities. There are good opportunities provided for the personal enrichment of pupils, for example, the provision of extra-curricular activities in sport. The accommodation is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s provision for ensuring that all its pupils have full and equal access to the curriculum is very good. • The provision for personal, social and health education is good. • The pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education. • Opportunities provided for the pupils to actively participate in sports are very good. • The accommodation available to the school is unsatisfactory due to a shortage of classrooms, a headteacher’s office and cramped conditions for the Foundation Stage children.

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Commentary

24. The curriculum provided for the children in the reception year is good. The teacher plans effectively from the Foundation Stage curriculum documents and uses the assessment profile well to record what skills, knowledge and understanding each child has acquired throughout the year. There are many opportunities for the children to explore all areas of learning and even though the classroom is cramped for activities such as exploration of sand and water, these activities are often organised outside when the weather is fine.

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Commentary

25. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs is generally satisfactory. They are identified as early as possible in their school life and action is taken after a settling in Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 14 period. This early identification of special needs is aided by the close relationship between the school and the local playgroup. The individual education plans provided for the pupils are, on the whole, well maintained and used to inform classroom provision because of the identification of clear targets that are easy to understand and interpret. The individual plans are reviewed regularly and parents are kept informed about the progress of their children during open evenings or when they request an interview with their child’s teacher. Inspection evidence indicates that more frequent reviews would make the use of the plans more effective.

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Commentary

The pupils with special educational needs receive the school’s full curriculum provision. Outside agencies are used well, for example, the educational psychologist, speech therapist and school nurse frequently visit the school to give their guidance and help.

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Commentary

26. The personal, social and health education provided by the school is good overall and it complies fully with statutory requirements for religious education, collective worship and sex and drugs education. The school has developed discussion times through ‘circle’ activities and has a productive and knowledgeable school council.

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Commentary

27. The pupils are prepared well for the next stage in their education. A particularly important element in the school’s provision is the close links maintained with the different stages, for example, the local senior school, and the ‘ Family grouping’ operated by the school that ensures that younger pupils already know their older peers. This ensures that there are familiar faces and already established relationships with pupils at their new school. The school’s very good levels of attainment in science, mathematics and English also ensure that pupils are prepared well for the next stage in their education.

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Commentary

28. The school maintains a satisfactory level of curriculum development overall. It seeks to maintain full coverage of the provisions of the National Curriculum whilst at the same time allowing for innovative development and flexibility. There is a satisfactory match of teachers and support staff to the needs of the curriculum. Classroom assistants provide a good level of support to pupils during lessons.

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Commentary

29. The school has doubled in size since the last inspection and the accommodation no longer meets the needs of the pupils and is therefore unsatisfactory. The small hall is effectively put out of use during the day because it is needed as the classroom for pupils in Year 6. As it is still used for assemblies, as a dining room and for some physical activities, this arrangement leads to considerable disturbance for the Year 6 pupils during the school day. For example, on Wednesday afternoons they have to work in the small computer suite and the corridor and whatever already limited space is available to enable the younger pupils to use the hall. The accommodation for the reception class is too small and does not contain toilets for these youngest pupils. The headteacher does not have an office in which she can interview parents privately. The resources available for teaching the curriculum are satisfactory overall except in

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Care, guidance and support

The care, safety and well-being of all its pupils are satisfactory. The pupils are provided with good personal guidance, advice and support throughout their time in school. Guidance and support for their learning is good overall. In lessons, the teachers take good note of each pupil’s views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The arrangements to ensure pupils’ health, safety and well-being are satisfactory overall but there are some areas of concern about health and safety caused by the nature of the accommodation that are unsatisfactory. • The pupils trust the teachers and other staff to deal well with any worries they may have. • The teaching and non-teaching staff support the pupils effectively in lessons so that they learn well. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 15 • The procedures for recording ongoing assessments for English and mathematics are not uniform across the school. • Induction of new pupils is very effective and they settle in quickly. • The Year 6 ‘councillors’ contribute well to the ongoing process of change so that all pupils benefit.

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Commentary

30. The school has satisfactory procedures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all its pupils. Child protection procedures meet requirements fully. Good attention is paid to health and safety both in lessons and when pupils leave the site, for example to walk to a local farm for geography fieldwork, so that pupils behave with due care. Arrangements for first aid and medicines in school are very clear. The school has become a health promoting school. However, several health and safety issues, relating to practice that has evolved due to the cramped conditions were brought to the attention of the governing body.

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Commentary

31. The very good relationships that exist throughout the school help to ensure that pupils feel safe in school because they know that there is always a trusted adult to turn to when needed. The teachers know the pupils very well and use their knowledge sensitively when dealing with any personal worries. The pupils’ personal development is well monitored through the programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons and family group activities.

p.15

Commentary

32. The pupils’ academic development is well supported in lessons. The teachers and teaching assistants provide good guidance and support to help pupils understand their work and learn well. The pupils now have individual targets in English and mathematics. They are aware of their targets and of the progress they are making towards them. However, because of the way that the school organises the end of year recording of each pupil’s assessment it is not easy to access what each pupil can do. Consequently, the monitoring of pupils’ academic progress over time is inadequate. 33. The induction arrangements when children start at the school are very good. Most children attend the playgroup on the site before entering school, so that they are familiar with the building. The children have the opportunity to pay several visits to the school before they start in the reception class. They experience life in their new classroom and have the chance to eat

p.15

Commentary

lunch and meet the staff so that they feel secure and settle quickly into school routines. The parents are well informed about school expectations and routines and can help their child look forward to school in a positive way.

p.15

Commentary

34. The pupils with special educational needs are well supported with a good level of relationship within the classrooms and the support of outside agencies is used where necessary to deal with their specific problems.

p.15

Commentary

35. The pupils in Year 6 take turns to act as councillors within their family groups. They seek suggestions for improvements from all the pupils and put these forward to staff in regular meetings. Year 6 pupils speak confidently about the changes they have helped to bring about, such as improved play equipment. They are currently hoping that a higher fence can be built to keep balls in the playground but are aware that this will cost a lot of money. Year 6 pupils are responsible for showing visitors around the school. They do so enthusiastically and are good ambassadors for their school.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has developed good links with the parents and the local community and satisfactory links with other schools Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 16

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most parents speak highly of the provision made for their children. • The school provides parents with a wide range of good quality information about its work. • The quality of annual reports is good and parents have a good range of opportunities to consult with their child’s teacher. • The school works well with the local community to enhance pupils’ learning. • Links with the playschool on site ensure that children settle quickly into the reception class.

p.16

Commentary

36. The school has developed good links with the parents who support the school well and speak highly of its work. They appreciate the family atmosphere and state that their children are encouraged to become mature and independent. They are generally satisfied with all aspects of the school’s provision. A few parents support the school by helping regularly in the classroom while others willingly help on visits and with sporting events. Almost all parents state that the school is approachable and deals effectively with any concerns they raise. The parents of pupils with special educational needs have access to their individual education plans and are able to discuss them with staff at parents’ evenings or by specific request.

p.16

Commentary

37. The school provides parents with a wide range of useful information of high quality about its routines, expectations and achievements. The parents are well informed about the curriculum. They receive an outline each term of the topics their child will cover. The information contained in the prospectus, weekly newsletters and on the school website is wide ranging, well presented and useful, ensuring that parents are well informed about the school’s expectations, daily life and routines. Newsletters include information from the Friends of Georgeham School (FROGS), which makes a significant contribution in support of developments such as the ‘trim trail’ and playground equipment.

p.16

Commentary

38. The parents have a good range of formal and informal opportunities to consult with their child’s teacher. The parents have two formal opportunities to discuss their child’s progress with the teacher each year but teachers also welcome informal discussions. Some have some concerns about the information they receive about their child’s progress but inspection evidence shows that reports are clear and useful. Although the distribution of reports in spring term means that not all parents get a written summary of their child’s progress at the end of each year, the school provides a written end-of-year summary of achievement for the pupils in Years 2 and 6. Targets are set so that parents are involved in helping their child reach his or her potential.

p.16

Commentary

39. Homework is set regularly but is sometimes not sufficiently stimulating even though it often involves extending the work started in class. There are tasks set for homework such as the history project about a special person that are enterprising and imaginative. All the pupils keep a homework diary so parents know what their child is expected to do at home.

p.16

Commentary

40. The school has developed good links with the local community and uses them well to broaden the pupils’ experiences. For example, all pupils visit a local farm to learn about aspects of farming life as well as local geography. Some senior citizens are invited into school to talk about local and family history and pupils visit local places of interest. The links with two local churches are strong and both clergymen take assembly on a regular basis as well as being involved in an after-school club run by a Christian Centre.

p.16

Commentary

41. The school has developed a good relationship with the playgroup that shares its site. There is some sharing of resources and staff work closely together to ensure that children are well supported when they move from playgroup to school. The links with the high school to which almost all pupils transfer are satisfactory and help to achieve a smooth transition to the next stage of education. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 17

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The governance of the school is satisfactory. The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher are good. The leadership of the subject leaders is satisfactory.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The governing body has a satisfactory understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and fulfils its statutory requirements. • The accommodation is unsatisfactory. • The headteacher has a clear vision of the future developments. • The role of the subject leaders is developing but as yet they do not check the quality of the pupils’ work in their subject nor the quality of teaching. • The school does not have a whole-school common format for recording ongoing assessments, in all subjects, for each pupil. • The school has a good commitment to the inclusion of all pupils in all that it does. • The headteacher and other staff give the newly qualified teachers good support and guidance. • The financial planning supports the school’s priorities well.

p.17

Commentary

42. The governing body is working effectively to introduce many new governors. The longest serving governor is the chair and all other governors have two years or less experience. They have followed training sessions and because most of them are parents they have a reasonable understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. However, because of these close links to the school there is no independent viewpoint presented in discussions. Nevertheless, there is full compliance with statutory requirements. The governors visit the school frequently and work closely with the headteacher and staff by giving them good support. They have a good understanding of the needs of the school and have a secure knowledge of the future developments that are necessary. They have agreed reliable procedures to help shape the vision and direction of the school. Most of their efforts are expended upon acquiring

p.17

Commentary

much needed improvements to the building. They recently pursued the building of a new classroom and linking corridor but the school is still forced to base the pupils in Year 6 in the hall and the accommodation for the reception children is cramped. The headteacher has no office and uses the staff room for private conversations with parents and visitors. The governing body and the headteacher have worked closely with the local education authority and now await decisions about further improvements to the building in the near future.

p.17

Commentary

43. The qualities of leadership and management of the headteacher are good. She has established good relationships throughout the school and all the adults work as a conscientious and dedicated team. Performance management and staff training, especially through the links with the School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme, have helped to improve teaching significantly . With good planning, the classroom management is good and tasks are interesting for all pupils. Staffing is stable and all the teachers and teaching assistants have a very positive attitude towards the school.

p.17

Commentary

44. The teachers are developing their roles as subject leaders effectively. As yet, they do not check the pupils’ work throughout the school, sufficiently well, to assess the standards attained in their subjects. Likewise they have not established a whole-school common format for recording the ongoing assessments for each pupil in all subjects. Nevertheless, since the last inspection, the school has made good improvements in its procedures for checking the quality of the teachers’ planning and this has developed the quality of teaching and learning effectively. The planning of each subject is checked by the subject leaders and is often the central focus for informal staff discussions. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 18 45. The management of the Foundation Stage curriculum is good but the classroom is cramped. There is still no secure outdoor area immediately outside the classroom although the children

p.17

Commentary

do use the fenced playground for outdoor physical education lessons. They are allocated one session a week in the hall. This is unsatisfactory.

p.18

Commentary

46. The staff, under the guidance of the headteacher, successfully promote a good inclusive environment. The newly qualified teachers on the staff have received a warm welcome and are well supported by the headteacher and other staff. They receive good training opportunities and already contribute well to the life and the development of the school.

p.18

Commentary

47. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The special needs co-ordinator has a good knowledge of the pupils for whom she is responsible and endeavours to ensure that they make similar progress to that of their peers. There is a clear policy for special needs provision. The governors keep themselves informed about provision for special needs by appointing one governor to be responsible for this area of the school’s work. The special needs co-ordinator meets with this governor twice a year.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 315493 Balance from previous year 45889 Total expenditure 339858 Balance carried forward to the next Expenditure per pupil 2740

p.18

Financial information

48. The school has a good monitoring procedure to ensure that funds are allocated sensibly and carefully. Furthermore, it makes good use of the resources available and deploys the teachers and teaching assistants effectively to raise standards. The budget is set up by the headteacher, who works closely with the finance committee of the governing body. The school administrator monitors expenditure and provides the committee and the headteacher with accurate accounts each month. She also processes the daily accounts and orders resources, whilst monitoring the allowances set up for each cost centre. This system works well because of the dedication of the team involved. The school has developed good principles of best value for money when deciding upon staffing levels, such as the employment of additional teachers to support the newly qualified teachers appointed in September. All funds made available to the

p.18

Financial information

school are used prudently and wisely. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision for the Foundation Stage is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good quality teaching. • Good recording of ongoing assessments for each child. • Most children are on course to reach the Early Learning Goals in all aspects of their learning by the end of the year. • Activities are well planned to ensure that each child is challenged appropriately. • Good deployment of the teaching assistant. • The classroom is cramped for the number of children in the class and there is no secure outdoor area.

p.19

Commentary

49. There are 19 children in the Foundation Stage and they are taught in a class with nine Year 1 pupils. The children are admitted to the school in the September and January of the school year in which they are five years old. At the time of the inspection the youngest children had just joined the class for only the morning session each day. The classroom displays are colourful and stimulating but the classroom is cramped for the number of children in the two age groups. Nevertheless, the teacher provides many areas of interest to stimulate the children.

p.19

Commentary

50. The attainment on entry to the school is slightly above the expected levels for children of this age in many aspects of their development. Last year nearly all the children entered Year 1 having completed successfully the Early Learning Goals in all the areas of learning.

p.19

Commentary

51. During the inspection, four lessons were observed and wall displays of the children’s work were seen. The quality of teaching seen during the inspection was good overall. The long term planning for all areas of learning is consistent with the national guidelines and the teacher plans the lessons well. The teacher has good, secure knowledge and understanding of the needs of children in this class. She uses the Foundation Stage profile effectively to record accurate assessments of what each child can do. The teacher and the teaching assistant use good questioning strategies to develop the children’s literacy and numeracy skills. Those with special educational needs are given good support.

p.19

Commentary

52. The provision for the children’s personal, social and emotional development is good. The role-play area is used effectively and during the inspection the children were engaged in acting out the story of ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’ . They behave extremely well and consider each other’s needs whilst taking turns to share the costumes. The teaching assistant is well prepared and gives good support to all children, often working with a small group to develop their skills . This enhances the provision, which is good. In all the activities seen during the inspection the children responded willingly to the challenges and were involved happily in their tasks with others. They are all developing a positive attitude towards their work and building good relationships with others.

p.19

Commentary

53. The provision for communication, language and literacy is good . All of them enjoy ‘ reading’ the big book, ‘ The Billy Goats Gruff’ and most can recognise simple words such as ‘ in’ and ‘ is’ . The teacher and the teaching assistant keep all the children involved fully. All children take an active part in reading or making observations about the characters and story. Several Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 20 confidently know the sounds of many letters. Many children can already write their own names, with some writing over or copying below the teacher’s script. The activities are varied well and include tracing over letters and using the computer to type and print out their names. The more able children sort out words from a bank of words and then write their own version of the story. This is a profitable activity and gives the children a good opportunity to develop their

p.19

Commentary

independent writing skills. Most of the children speak very clearly and in complete sentences when answering questions. The children’s reading skills are developing well with many being able to recognise letters and sounds. Their achievements since they started school are good.

p.20

Commentary

54. The provision for mathematical development is good. In one session seen during the inspection the children were working to understand the numbers up to 10 and count out the correct number of counters to match the number. Nearly all can recognise numbers up to 10 and most can count accurately beyond 20. By the end of the lesson, they had achieved well and made good progress. The activities were appropriately balanced between teacher directed and child initiated. The staff intervene effectively when the children need help and use their time well to assess what each child has achieved in group work.

p.20

Commentary

55. The provision for knowledge and understanding of the world is good. The classroom has many areas designed to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. The role-play corner is currently set up as a home for the three bears. The computers are used well to tell stories that the children can follow and activate using the mouse. The science lesson observed showed that most children have a clear understanding that similar objects can be grouped together. This was followed up effectively in the music lessons where wooden and metal instruments were used to tap out rhythms.

p.20

Commentary

56. The teacher uses good links between all areas of learning. The provision for their creative development is good. The children have achieved well since joining the school. In the music session all the pupils were fully involved playing percussion instruments. The development of the children’s fine skills when using crayons and scissors is developing well. The variety of media such as crayon and paints are used effectively to improve the children’s writing skills. They use bold and colourful strokes of paint when creating characters from their favourite book or when making butterflies with paint and tissue paper.

p.20

Commentary

57. Although, the children’s finer skills of writing and cutting are being developed well, the provision for their physical development overall is unsatisfactory . The teacher makes good use of the facilities available but these are restricted. Most of their physical activities take place out of doors when the weather is fine, as the hall is unavailable. The school has developed a ‘trim trail’ around the edge of the field and occasionally the children use these pieces of equipment. The classroom is cramped and the children have to leave their classroom to go, unsupervised, to the toilets in the main building and although the route is secure, this arrangement is unsatisfactory. There is a lack of good relevant resources for the children’s physical development and the school often borrows equipment, such as wheeled vehicles and large building construction kits, from the playgroup. This is also unsatisfactory. The children’s

p.20

Commentary

achievements in the development of their physical development are less noticeable than in other areas of learning because of the lack of facilities.

p.20

ENGLISH

Provision for English is good. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school maintains a good level of attainment within the subject. • The quality of teaching is good overall. • The school develops the speaking and listening skills of its pupils well. • The pupils make good progress within the subject during their time at the school. • The reading skills of the pupils are good overall. • The use of information and communication technology in the subject is underdeveloped. • In some of the pupils’ workbooks the standard of presentation is poor. • There is no whole-school method of recording assessment that provides easy access to information on the progress of each pupil. • The monitoring of pupils’ work by the subject leader is underdeveloped.

p.21

Commentary

58. The pupils in Year 6 last year attained standards that were well above national average in the national tests for English. The pupils’ achievement was good overall. Currently, the pupils in Year 2 and in Year 6 attain standards that are above average and their achievement is satisfactory. The school provides a satisfactory level of support for pupils with special educational needs and currently they achieve at least satisfactorily.

p.21

Commentary

59. The speaking and listening skills of the pupils in the school are above average overall with a significant number attaining standards above the expected level for their ages. For example, the pupils in Year 2 discuss their work sensibly, clearly and without embarrassment and are able to listen carefully to their teacher. The pupils in Year 6 have well developed speaking and listening skills which demonstrate their good levels of vocabulary and their confidence.

p.21

Commentary

60. Most of the pupils in Years 2 and 6 are attaining standards in reading that are above those expected nationally. By the time they leave the school pupils are reading fluently and with obvious enjoyment; all those interviewed said that they enjoy reading. They are able to discuss books and know about their favourite authors, story lines and different styles of writing. The pupils understand how to use glossaries, indexes and contents pages to find information. When discussing books they show an understanding of what authors, illustrators and publishers do. The school provides a good range of fiction and the non-fiction section of the library is well set out and the books are easily accessible.

p.21

Commentary

61. The pupils in Years 2 and 6 are attaining standards that are above those expected nationally in their writing. The school has taken note of the comparatively disappointing results of the more able pupils at the end of Year 2 in the 2003 standard assessment tests and is taking steps to improve by planning additional work and support. The pupils are given a good range of opportunities to develop their ability to write imaginatively and at length using a number of different types of writing, for example, stories, reports, recipes, poems and journals. The pupils in Year 6 are using a full range of punctuation including apostrophes, inverted commas and exclamation marks. Their written work is distinguished by the use of an interesting vocabulary, accurate spelling and the correct use of paragraphing. In their writing they are able to express themselves clearly and with an understanding of the subject.

p.21

Commentary

62. From the lesson observations and the scrutiny of the pupils’ work it is evident that the quality of the teaching of English is good overall. The teachers’ expectations are generally good in lessons and the work given to the pupils is appropriately challenging. However, the work given to some pupils sometimes lacks challenge with some of the pupils’ work being untidy and generally lacking care.

p.21

Commentary

63. The subject leader is aware of the need to review the methods by which the results of the assessment of pupils’ work are recorded and the need for an easily accessible method of tracking their progress. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 22

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

64. The work collected in each of the pupils’ ‘special books’ is neat and tidy and it is collated well. The literacy skills of the pupils are well used in other areas of the curriculum such as history, religious education and art. Examples of the use of information and communication technology in literacy were seen during the inspection but could not be described as frequent.

p.22

MATHEMATICS

The provision in mathematics is good . Lessons in mathematics were observed in all classes throughout the school and a sample of pupils’ work from each year group was inspected. A discussion was held with the subject leader regarding the development of mathematics throughout the school.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The standards of work of the pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are above average. • The pupils’ achievement is good at the end of Year 6. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. • The recording of ongoing assessments is inconsistent across the school. • The co-ordinator does not check the quality of teaching or the pupils’ work sufficiently well.

p.22

Commentary

65. From the evidence seen in lessons and in the pupils’ books it is clear that currently the Year 6 pupils are reaching above average standards in mathematics. This follows the pattern of the school’s performance established over the past three years. The pupils currently in Year 6 have achieved well since the end of Year 2 when their standards were broadly average. It is also evident that the standards in the current Year 2 are above average and that successive cohorts of pupils over the past four years have achieved well and attained standards that have been consistently above the national average.

p.22

Commentary

66. During the inspection, the quality of teaching was good overall in all classes observed. The national curriculum strategies are used effectively to plan what the teachers teach each term and from these plans they prepare their lesson plans. The teachers download weekly plans for their lessons from the Internet site. The teachers often group the pupils by ability and devise appropriately challenging tasks for each group. They use the national tests in Years 3, 4 and 5 to judge the success of each pupil’s learning at the end of the year. The lower ability group has the advantage of additional teaching assistants to support them in activities and tasks. This arrangement is organised efficiently and raises the standards of these lower ability pupils. As a result of this good quality of teaching and support the pupils make good progress. They develop positive attitudes and are willing to offer answers and explain their methods of

p.22

Commentary

67. The teachers have devised their own individual systems for recording the ongoing assessments they might make in mathematics. The usefulness and quality of these records vary significantly from class to class. There are examples of detailed records but nevertheless some teachers try to remember too much about each child and consequently their records are too brief and sometimes do not contain the important facts about a child’s development. There is no common format across the school and this causes some differences in what is recorded and how the records can be used to give the next teacher reliable and accurate judgements about what each pupil has achieved. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 23 68. The role of the subject leader for mathematics has been developed further since the last inspection. The plans are checked each half term and also on a weekly basis, by the

p.22

Commentary

headteacher who is the subject leader, but there is insufficient checking of the pupils’ work in

p.23

Commentary

each class and there are no formal routines to check either how well the curriculum is covered in each class or how well the pupils are progressing. Additionally the presentation of the pupils’ work is often untidy and disorganised.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

69. Mathematics is used in science lessons to measure lengths and weights of different materials. Graphs are drawn to show the pupils’ favourite healthy foods. The pupils also use a number bond program in ICT which helps to improve their knowledge of times tables.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quantity and the quality of investigative work going on in all classes are very good. • The attitudes and relationships of pupils and the quality of their collaboration are very good. • The arrangements for assessment and tracking of pupil progress are unsatisfactory. • The presentation of work in most classes is very careless and untidy. • The marking of pupils’ work by teachers does not contribute sufficiently to pupil progress. • The range of resources available to support science teaching is poor.

p.23

Commentary

70. In the most recent national tests 2003 for science, the standards were well above average. All the pupils in Year 6 reached the expected level and three quarters of them exceeded the expected Level 4. This shows good achievement. This standard of work was not seen in the work presented for Year 6 pupils during the inspection. It is clear from talking to the pupils that experiments were repeated and that some investigational work has not been completed in their books. However, the quality of the pupils’ investigative work seen in lessons was well above the expected standards for their age and it is obvious that they are well used to organising their own investigations. This was evident in the manner in which they worked together co- operatively to carry them out. This high quality of collaboration, together with very good behaviour and a very positive attitude to their work meant that the lessons seen were

p.23

Commentary

satisfactory overall and standards at present are in line with expectation.

p.23

Commentary

71. The range of pupils’ work seen during the inspection was limited. Some work is done in pupils’ science books and some is done on loose sheets that are later collected into folders or made into booklets. The work in ‘Special Books’ is very neat and careful and is often well illustrated. This contrasts with the work in exercise books. This is often very careless and it is clear that no guidance has been given to pupils in the setting out and presentation of their work. The result is that handwriting in these books is of a poor standard, and work is often not dated. The overall impression given is that neatness, care and pride in their work does not matter. This was identified as an issue at the time of the last inspection and is still an issue now. This is unsatisfactory.

p.23

Commentary

72. Some teachers do not mark the pupils’ work regularly. Some of the work sample presented during the inspection showed that pieces of work in all the pupils’ books seen were not marked or corrected. Where work had been marked it often consisted of a tick. However, where the marking was good and done more carefully, teachers had written helpful comments to tell the pupils what they needed to focus upon to make further progress. This is good practice. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 24 However, pupils did not follow up some comments and suggestions made and the teachers did not insist that corrections were made or work completed. Overall, the work seen in science in Year 6 had not been marked in accordance with the school’s marking policy. This is unsatisfactory. 73. Although teachers use informal systems for assessment and record keeping there is no formal whole-school approach to assessment and tracking each pupil’s progress. This makes it

p.23

Commentary

very difficult to monitor an individual pupil’s progress and to track their improvements from year to year. This is particularly important as the school has a policy of all classes studying the same topic at the same time and there is a danger of groups of pupils undertaking the same work year after year. Some examples of this were seen during the inspection when different age groups were undertaking similar work in studying materials.

p.24

Commentary

74. The school has a reasonable range of resources to support teaching and learning in science but some lessons were held up because there not enough. In two lessons seen pupils did not have enough weighing balances to enable all the groups to undertake the task. Some pupils had to wait for others to finish before they could weigh out their material. The attitude and behaviour of the pupils was excellent at these times and no inappropriate behaviour or disruption was seen.

p.24

Commentary

75. The leadership and management of science are satisfactory although the subject leader does not currently check upon the quality of the pupils’ work or observe teaching of science in all classes. She does provide good quality medium term planning to ensure appropriate coverage of the curriculum. Although no evidence was seen during the inspection, a range of information and communication technology resources has been purchased and the subject leader has plans to develop their use to support teaching and learning in science. The progress made in the development of science throughout the school since the last inspection is satisfactory.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory . During the inspection there were few times when it was possible to observe the pupils using the computers. Wall displays and work in the pupils’ books, as well as discussions with a group of pupils in Year 6 provide evidence upon which judgements are made.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is broadly average. • The quality of the computers in use in the classrooms and the computer suite is not yet fully satisfactory. • The teachers have improved their skills and knowledge of ICT. • The teachers make more use of ICT to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in other subjects since the last inspection.

p.24

Commentary

76. The pupils’ standards at the end of Year 6 and Year 2 are broadly in line with the expected levels for their age throughout the school. During the inspection, the pupils were keen to demonstrate their work, some of which was saved in their folders on the computer system and other sections on disc. Some Year 6 pupils downloaded programs with ease and ran their files to show a good quality of work in graphics, word processing, databases and, in some cases, the use of simulation programs such as ‘ Get the duck to fly’. They also described their uses of the Internet to support their learning in history. The older pupils achieve satisfactorily in their uses of ICT and are covering most of the planned curriculum adequately. The school has made progress since the last inspection when elements of the curriculum were not taught and the subject requirements were not met. It now meets requirements but there are areas of the

p.24

Commentary

Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 25 curriculum, such as the uses of LOGO, spreadsheets and the use of multi media presentation programs that have still yet to be covered by the pupils in Year 6. They are aware of what they will do during the coming months and look forward to completing the tasks, which they saw the pupils in Year 6 fulfil last year. As they move through the school most pupils achieve well in their use of text processing and in the use of graphics to illustrate and create pictures. 77. The pupils in Year 2 have recently used the graphics program to design a house. They used the tools for drawing and filling competently. Other work seen around the school from different classes was of a good standard and included the use of graphics to represent the work of different artists such as Jean Miro, William Morris and Andy Warhol. The pupils are confident in

p.25

Commentary

their uses of ICT and easily access their work. They are enthusiastic and eagerly show what they have stored on their disc or presented in their ‘Special Books’.

p.25

Commentary

78. The school has recently upgraded the computer suite and installed a network to serve the computers in the computer suite. There are still minor problems with this new system and consequently the teachers had difficulty loading certain programs during the inspection. This room is too small for whole-class use and pupils have limited opportunities to use it. The room contains eight computers, a scanner and printer but the network does not extend around the school. Consequently, work started by the pupils in the computer suite cannot be continued back in the classroom. This is a severe drawback and restricts easy continuation of learning. To overcome this, the older pupils have their own discs upon which they store the work and information they have gathered from CDs and the Internet.

p.25

Commentary

79. The school has also made other improvements for the use of ICT to support the teaching and learning in other subjects. All the full time teachers have all completed an in-service course successfully and this has improved their own skills and knowledge effectively. Consequently, the teachers have a good level of skills and knowledge and use ICT effectively. Some teachers create their teaching plans on the computers and these are then stored for future use. They use the national guidelines very effectively to plan the curriculum for their classes. Each term the whole school follows the same theme in order to cover the teaching of skills in ICT. For example, recently the use of graphics was taught to all pupils at the level most appropriate for each age range. This is purposeful and ensures that all pupils develop the skills, knowledge and understanding that are appropriate to their year group. Currently, there is

p.25

Commentary

no whole-school system for recording which skills the pupils have mastered. Consequently, there is no certain way to ensure that each one builds upon their previous learning.

p.25

Commentary

80. The subject leader has a satisfactory knowledge of the subject and understands what is needed in the future.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

81. In literacy and numeracy lessons, the teachers often use a laptop computer and digital projector to help with the presentation of the teaching. This provides a good stimulus as the pupils demonstrate their answers and ideas using the keyboard and screen for whole-class involvement.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

82. In many of the pupils’ books throughout the school, it is evident that they use word-processing competently to copy stories and also poems. In mathematics, good use is made of a practice program to improve the pupils’ skills and knowledge of additional subtraction and multiplication facts. It is clear from the displays around the school that the pupils have been taught to use graphics programs effectively and older pupils use the digital camera on residential visits or in their design and technology work.

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HUMANITIES

83. In humanities, work was sampled in history and geography , with only two lessons being seen in geography and none in history. It is therefore not possible to form an overall judgement about the overall provision in these subjects. From the evidence seen, in these lessons and in the Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 26 pupils’ books, there are good indications that the standards are broadly in line with expected levels and similar to those seen at the time of the last inspection. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 27 84. From discussions, with some pupils, it is clear that they have positive attitudes to the subject. They are enthusiastic about working outside the classroom and this element of the curriculum contributes to overall satisfactory achievement. The pupils spoke confidently about the current topic on India and were able to name several physical features of that country. They were also

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HUMANITIES

able to discuss differences and similarities between life in their village and the lives of children in Indian villages. It is clear from talking with pupils, about the history they had studied, that they gain a very good understanding of life in these periods and have a good understanding of chronology. They spoke confidently about the ‘special days’ they had had when they dressed up in period costumes and acted out particular roles. They were able to explain how to find out about the past and could differentiate between primary and secondary sources. Work produced for pupils’ ‘Special Books’ is generally neat and well presented but work seen in exercise books is careless and untidy.

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HUMANITIES

85. The subject leaders have started to monitor the teachers’ planning but as yet do not check upon the quality of the pupils’ work. The systems for recording ongoing assessments are not sufficiently robust, to enable teachers to plan effectively and track individual pupils’ progress efficiently. Although the school does have some geography programs, the use of ICT to support teaching and learning is still underdeveloped.

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Religious education

The provision for religious education is satisfactory

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Religious education contributes well to children’s personal development. • The pupils have very good attitudes to their work. • Formal assessment procedures are not in place and the subject leader does not check upon the quality of the pupils’ work throughout the school.

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Commentary

86. There is too little evidence to make a full judgement about the standards of the pupils’ work at the end of Year 2. Much work in Years 1 and 2 is oral and there is limited evidence or records kept of pupils’ work throughout the school. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection. In this Year 5 lesson, where the teaching and learning were satisfactory and attitudes were very good, the pupils discussed Hindu beliefs about God and attempted to explore the idea of each person being many different things to different people. For example, one may be a son/daughter to one’s parents, a colleague to a workmate, a friend to another person, or a pupil to a teacher. The quality of the pupils’ work in Year 6 is broadly in line with the expected levels in the agreed syllabus. At the time of the last inspection the standards were above the expectations.

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Commentary

87. The analysis of teachers’ planning and documentation, discussions with the subject leader and pupils, along with recorded evidence of children’s work and displays, indicate that satisfactory standards are being reached. The teachers follow the Devon Agreed Syllabus well, to meet the requirements. This includes detailed study of Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism and ensures local requirements are satisfactorily met. The planning indicates that the school soundly develops children’s knowledge and understanding of these faiths. As well as finding out about the different religions pupils are given good opportunities to reflect on their own feelings, values and experiences. The teachers constantly seek opportunities to develop spiritual awareness, not only in religious education lessons, but also in all areas of the curriculum. Assemblies are well linked to whole-school themes. The pupils’ attitudes are very

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Commentary

good. They recall and offer views and opinions confidently about the various religions they have studied. The pupils’ self esteem is raised very effectively and moral and social skills are well developed. The range of artefacts for teaching and learning is adequate. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 28 88. The overall quality of teaching and teachers’ subject knowledge are satisfactory. The underdeveloped of the assessment procedures means that the teachers do not have enough information about pupils’ progress.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. Work was sampled in art and design, design and technology, physical education and music as too few lessons were seen in these subjects to make a firm judgement about provision. Nevertheless, the teachers’ plans throughout the school are comprehensive and follow the national guidelines well for each subject.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. Only two art and design lessons were seen during the inspection but from the displays of painting and graphics from the computer work around the school, the quality of work is judged to be broadly average. The pupils throughout the school use a wide variety of media, which include pencil crayons, paints and collage. The quality of painting in Years 1 to 4 is bold and colourful and in Years 5 and 6 the development of the use of finer strokes and techniques is evident in the designs of moving figures and in the work reflecting the work of other artists.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. The quality of teaching in the one lesson observed was good and in the other it was very good. The teachers both have good subject knowledge and created stimulating and inspiring activities.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. During the inspection no lessons of design and technology lessons were seen and only a very limited amount of work by pupils was seen. Consequently, it is not possible to make a judgement about the standards of work at the end of Years 2 and 6 or the quality of teaching throughout the school. However, overall planning for the subject was good.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. Music is obviously an important element in the life of the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

94. During the inspection the limitations of time meant that only two lessons were seen, one in Year 2 and one with all pupils in Years 5 and 6, both of which were judged to be of good quality. The pupils sang well in assembly, particularly those in Year 6, and those learning to play the guitar demonstrate a good level of competence and a basic knowledge of scales, pitch and tempo.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

95. In a very imaginative link to their literacy work Year 2 pupils were given the opportunity to perform on percussion instruments, following the rhythm of a poem written by their teacher. During the lesson they developed well in their ability to maintain a beat, to come in at the right time and in their understanding of the way sounds can be arranged to produce a piece of music. In the lesson for Year 5 and 6 the pupils they were given the opportunity to develop their diction when singing, with exercises that included a tongue twister and the performance of a round. The singing of a song ‘The Astronaut’ which was performed by them with very clear diction developed the theme effectively. Using home-made instruments the pupils were able to demonstrate that they can maintain a steady beat and that they are becoming more aware of the elements that contribute to the composition of music. Both lessons were distinguished by

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

a good level of expectation, good planning, stimulating activities, and the obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment demonstrated by the pupils.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. The subject leader manages the subject enthusiastically and where possible the pupils are given the opportunity to experience live performances, for example, the visit to the school by African drummers. As well as the guitar lessons, the pupils are given the opportunity to learn to play the recorder. The school has the resources to teach the subject effectively and they are in good order and easily accessed. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 29 97. Only two physical education lessons were observed during the inspection, one dance and one games session, both for Year 6 pupils. In the two lessons observed, the standard of teaching was at least good, with one being excellent. However, it is not possible to make judgements about the quality of teaching in the rest of the school. The standard of work seen in these two lessons was in line with the expected levels for the ages of the pupils. School

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

records show that by the end of their time at the school most of the pupils have reached a very good level of swimming skills with the majority attaining at least 400 metres.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

98. In the games lesson the teacher provided the pupils with a good learning experience. She demonstrated a good level of subject knowledge, an ability to give clear instructions and emphasised the importance of safe exercise. For the whole of the lesson the pupils worked hard and were very well behaved.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

99. The dance lesson was an example of very high quality teaching by a specialist practitioner. The objective of the lesson, to introduce the pupils to the Brazilian Capoeira dance style, was fully realised through a series of very well planned experiences. Throughout the activity the teacher maintained a very brisk pace, and the pupils progressed very well. The teacher communicated her very high level of expectation to the pupils and they in their turn reacted positively to it.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

100. The subject leader is very enthusiastic and is working hard, and successfully, to develop the subject in all its aspects. The curriculum is well organised with a clear balance of time to ensure coverage of the units of work outlined in planning. The equipment available to teachers and pupils has been augmented and they now have the satisfactory level of resources. The limited accommodation available to the school is used as effectively as possible but its constraints still restrict the full curriculum being taught frequently. The pupils are given the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sporting activities both in and out of school hours and are actively encouraged to join local sporting organisations. The school was given a Gold Active Mark standards award in July 2003. There is no formal checking of what is taught and what each pupil has learned. There is no whole-school system for recording assessments that

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

will allow teachers to more closely track the progress of their pupils. Georgeham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School - 30

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 3

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 5 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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