Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School

BURNSALL VOLUNTARY AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 th - 17 th March 2004

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BURNSALL VOLUNTARY AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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BURNSALL VOLUNTARY AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Burnsall Skipton North Yorkshire Postcode: BD23 6BP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr J Townend

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 rd March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

• Burnsall School is situated in the North Yorkshire village of the same name, in the Yorkshire Dale National Park. • The building is Tudor: built in 1602 as a school and has never been used for any other purpose. • It caters for pupils aged four to eleven. • There are currently 64 pupils on roll – a 33 per cent rise since the appointment of the current headteacher, just under 5 terms ago. • Attainment of pupils on entry to the school varies from year to year, but is broadly average. • Pupil outward mobility is low. • Eight pupils are on the school’s special educational needs register. At 12.5 per cent, this is much lower than the national average. • Social and economic factors are favourable. • The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. • All pupils are white and British and there are none for whom their first language is not English. • There are no refugees, asylum seekers or pupils in care.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

• The school holds the Investor in People Award (2004). Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School ii

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

25470 J Morley Lead inspector English; Science; Art and Design; Personal, Social and Health Education; Citizenship; Geography; History. 9053 V Phillips Lay inspector 20038 G Watson Team inspector Mathematics; Information and communication technology; Design and Technology; Music; Physical Education; Religious Education; The Foundation Stage; Special Educational Needs.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

VT Education Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD

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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.oftsed.gov.uk). Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School iii

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 3

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 5

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 22

Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 1

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school with many very good features, particularly its success in instilling a love of learning in its pupils. The headteacher has a clear vision for the future development of the school. All who work there share this vision and work together to achieve it. As a result of good (and often very good) teaching, pupils progress consistently well academically from the Reception class to Year 6. In addition, they become confident, responsible young people. Value for money is good.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils achieve well because their teachers are very good motivators and make learning fun. • Much needed change is taking place rapidly because of the headteacher’s skilful leadership. • Pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes facilitate their learning. • There is tangible warmth in all relationships and no evidence of bullying. • The school has very strong links with parents, the community and with other schools. • Pupils gladly offer ideas to improve school life because they know their views are valued. • Information and communication technology (ICT) does too little to support the curriculum.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Improvement since the last inspection (1998) has been good overall, but since the appointment of the current headteacher (2002) it has been very good. With regard to the key issues from 1998, all statutory requirements are now met; a clear strategic plan for the school’s development has been prepared, and provision for design and technology has improved. There has been some improvement in provision for ICT, although the school acknowledges that more is needed. In addition, standards have improved in English, mathematics, science, art and design, geography and religious education. Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work are better than they were in 1998. In fact, there is no aspect of provision that is weaker now than it was at the last inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English B A A* A* mathematics A* A* 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.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Cohorts are very small and so the attainment of the children when they join the Reception class varies significantly from year to year. Overall, however, it is average, although children’s speaking skills are invariably good. Regardless of the starting point, pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school. By the end of their Reception Year children usually exceed the goals they are expected to reach in all six areas of learning, and this is built on in Years 1 and 2. It is built on further in Years 3 to 6. Hence, pupils typically leave the school with attainment that is well above expectations in English, mathematics and science. The current Year 6 cohort is not working at these levels: their attainment was below average at the end of Year 2. However, they are likely to achieve above average standards and, for them, this will represent very good achievement. Of the work seen in ICT, standards meet expectations. Standards exceed expectations in design and technology,

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

geography and religious education, and are particularly good in art and design. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 2 Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are very good, and better than at the time of the last inspection. The school works hard and very successfully to help pupils to become mature, responsible, articulate, well mannered and personable. Pupils behave very well, and have equally good attitudes to work. They are good team players: they work well collaboratively and share resources happily. Attendance is good and punctuality is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. Teaching – the joint work of teachers and support staff – is of good or better quality in all lessons. Despite the large range of age and ability in each class, the needs of each pupil are met. This gives every pupil an equal opportunity to learn and make progress. Teachers generate pupils’ interest by devising exciting and challenging activities, and pupils respond with genuine enthusiasm for learning. The talented support staff are key in ensuring that each of the age and ability ranges receives adequate attention. In particular, their work contributes significantly to the good provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Combined, these features are responsible for the good (and often very good) quality of teaching and learning evident across the school. The curriculum is good. The additional opportunities on offer outside the school day are

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

very good, not least because the headteacher runs clubs on four days in every school week. The school provides a very good level of care. Pupils’ understanding of how well they are doing academically is satisfactory, and improving as their teachers encourage them to become involved in setting their own targets and monitoring their own progress towards them.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. Leadership by the headteacher is very good. On appointment she was quick to see what changes were needed, and her choice of priorities has been wholly logical. It is difficult to see what more could have been achieved in the time. The school is well managed. Governance is good because governors are aware of what the school does well, and what needs to be developed. They managed the major alterations to the school, and they fulfil all of their statutory duties.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents think highly of the school. They value the open communication with staff, but would like more information about the work to be covered each term. The school agrees with parents, and plans are underway to make these available. Pupils are visibly happy in school and enjoy very good relationships with their peers and with all adults. They like the fact that their views are sought and acted upon on a range of issues.

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

• Ensure that pupils’ ICT skills are fully developed and are used to support work in other subjects of the curriculum. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 3

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils achieve well (and often very well).

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards vary from year to year but are typically well above average by the end of Year 6. • All pupils, regardless of ability, make good and often very good progress.

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Commentary

1. The skills and competencies of children entering the Reception class vary from year to year but, over time, they are broadly average. This year they are above average. The variation between cohorts remains evident throughout the school: currently, those in Year 4 are particularly able while Year 3 and Year 6 pupils are noticeably weaker.

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Commentary

2. Regardless of their starting point, all Reception children make good progress. This year, all are likely to achieve the goals expected of them in all six areas of learning (personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical and creative development.) A significant number will exceed these goals.

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Commentary

3. In the latest Year 2 national tests, pupils attained standards that were average in reading and well below average in writing and in mathematics. These grades were the result of two key factors. Firstly, this year group, now Year 3, is relatively weak. Secondly, the pupils spent most of their time in Year 2 in temporary accommodation in the village hall. Now that they are settled into their new school classroom, they are rapidly making up for the shortfall that resulted from their disrupted year. Standards in the current Year 2 are above average in reading, writing, mathematics and science.

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Commentary

4. In the latest Year 6 national tests, pupils attained standards that were in the top five per cent of all schools nationally in English and mathematics, and well above average in science. When compared with schools similar to Burnsall, standards remained very high in English and were well above average in both mathematics and science. Standards amongst the current Year 6 cohort are above expectations in English, mathematics and science. Although this is a drop from 2003, it shows very significant improvement on the below average standards that these same pupils achieved when they were in Year 2.

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Commentary

5. The trend in results in Year 2 fell below that nationally in 2003 while that for Year 6 was broadly in line. However, as with other small groups of pupils, the data should be interpreted with caution. More reliable are the data relating to pupils’ progress. When the school’s 2003 Year 6 test results are compared with those in other schools that achieved similar results in Year 2, pupils’ progress from Year 2 to Year 6 is very high, placing it in the top five per cent nationally.

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Commentary

6. Inspectors find that all pupils, including those with SEN, and those who are particularly able, make good, and often very good, progress throughout the school. This enables them all to build well on the standards with which they entered the school. This good achievement is made possible by teaching that is consistently good or better, and by the contributions of the pupils themselves as eager learners. It not only leads to creditable results in national tests for English, mathematics and science, but also to above expected standards in other subjects: art and design, design and technology, geography, history and religious education. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 4

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance is good, and pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good, which ensures that they are ready to make the most of school life. There are no exclusions. Pupils’ personal qualities mature very well because of the way the school successfully nurtures spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in all it does.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils bubble with enthusiasm for learning because of the lively range of activities provided in and out of lessons. • Pupils relish the chance to contribute ideas, including their suggestions to improve school life. • From the start, pupils show independence, willingness to ‘have a go’ and co-operation because they respond so well to what the school expects of them. • The school’s strong sense of community and heritage, within which each child is valued, encourages pupils to think about and enjoy all the experiences that make them special. • Pupils are very friendly and quick to support anyone who needs a helping hand.

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Commentary

7. The school offers pupils a stimulating range of experiences, not least because of its location in an idyllic rural setting, with easy access to fascinating geographical features and pieces of history. As a result, the minute that pupils arrive promptly at school, their energetic interest in what they are going to do that day is clear. Sometimes this zeal spills over and pupils find it hard to settle down to work on revision or re-drafting. For older pupils, this is partly linked to earlier experiences when presentation had a lower priority. They have greater pride in their written work now than was evident in 1998 when ‘scribbly jotters’ rarely led to good re-drafting. Sometimes, they still find it hard to avoid distractions. In the best lessons, lively teaching harnesses pupils’ spirited responses very well and enables them to make very rapid progress. This is because they enjoy rising to the challenges they

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Commentary

are set. This was seen in an active geography lesson where pupils in Years 5 and 6 grasped the chance to work things out for themselves. They persisted until they found the best way to plot the relative position and pupil population density of local villages, aided by Ordnance Survey maps.

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Commentary

8. As a result of the active way that the school seeks pupils’ views, and expects suggestions of changes for the better, pupils buzz with ideas constantly. The school is gradually channelling more of this exuberance into a ‘have a go’ approach to replace previous reluctance to answer questions for fear of making a mistake. This was obvious in an English lesson where Year 5 and 6 pupils were willing to go the extra mile when praised for original ideas.

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Commentary

9. With classes of mixed year groups, pupils of all ages are used to getting on with a starter task while waiting their turn to be briefed on the lesson’s main activity. As a result, even the youngest children learn to be self-disciplined and independent very quickly. They take their cue from older pupils who try hard, are used to the routines and respond very well to high expectations and positive encouragement.

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Commentary

10. The ‘family feel’ of this small, friendly, welcoming school, makes pupils feel valued and prized. As a result, they are very responsive to all the experiences offered. They like the fact that the school ‘is so old!’ and that ‘it’s small so you know everyone’s name’. They are passionate about its setting. It makes them reflect on how special their lives are, and they wonder whether life is like this for others. They enjoy ‘putting themselves in the shoes of others’ such as the innkeeper in the Christmas story. This capacity for reflection and thinking of other people is crucial to the way in which their personal qualities develop so well. Pupils are receptive to magic moments, such as in a Year 3 and 4 mathematics lesson: ‘Wow, it’s like chess, the knight’s move! Look at the pattern and how it repeats!’

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Commentary

11. The strong sense of community within the school nurtures moral and social awareness very well. Pupils understand very clearly that ‘big ones are supposed to help little ones’. They all work Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 5 together on a task with easy co-operation, and this helps to ensure that pupils of all abilities and backgrounds do equally well.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.1 School data 0.5 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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Teaching and learning

Teaching is good overall, and often very good. As a result, all pupils learn well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The work of all teachers is equally good. • Their skill at motivating pupils is a key strength. • Pupils’ own eagerness to learn contributes to their progress. • Assessment is used well to raise standards.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 1 8 11 0 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

12. As is evident from the table above, all 20 of the lessons observed during the inspection were of good or better quality. Other evidence, such as the work in pupils’ books, and that gained from talking with pupils, confirmed that teaching of this quality is typical over time. There is no significant difference in the quality of the work of any teacher. As a result, pupils of all ages from Reception to Year 6 - and of all abilities - are taught consistently well.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

13. All lessons had the following good qualities: * Staff established a lively working environment and engaged pupils’ interest. * The work set took account of the full range of age and ability in the class. * The work of support staff was consistently good. * Lessons proceeded at a lively pace. * Pupils were expected to think for themselves and develop independent learning skills.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

14. Where teaching was very good, the extra dimension was the extent to which the teachers were able to excite and enthuse pupils about learning. All the teachers in the school have the ability to motivate pupils very well. For example, there was abundant enthusiasm in a literacy lesson for Reception children who could not wait to start re-telling a story in sequence. The same applied to Year 3 pupils in making eggcups in clay, and to Year 5 and 6 pupils when investigating the range of villages from where pupils travelled to get to school. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 6 15. In the one lesson where teaching was excellent, and in addition to the qualities already mentioned, it was the contribution to pupils’ learning of the outstanding subject knowledge of the teacher that set it apart. The artwork that resulted from pupils from Years 3 to 6 was significantly above expectations.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

16. A real strength of this school is the significant contribution that pupils make to their own learning: * they are enthusiastic learners, often firing questions borne of genuine interest in the lesson; * they concentrate for long periods of time: for example, Reception children spent 20 minutes creating the Isle of Struay in the sand, while Year 6 pupils worked hard for an hour replicating Viking designs; * they think for themselves, are very happy to work collaboratively and their smiles are testament to their enjoyment of school.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

17. Part of this independence is borne of necessity. The logistics of teaching well to a class of 36 with ages as far apart as seven and eleven, combined with a vast ability range, is far from easy. The teacher’s time has to be distributed equally. However, far from being a disadvantage, it produces pupils who, at an early age, take responsibility for their learning and develop a really commendable work ethic.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

18. The small team of support staff is a real asset, and has a significant impact on the progress pupils make. Help is always directed where it is most needed: sometimes to working with a year group within a class; sometimes helping a small group or giving individual support outside the classroom; and sometimes with a more roving brief. In addition, each support assistant has a specific skill. One has a particular rapport with the youngest children; one has artistic talent, while another is really skilled at teaching phonics and reading.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

19. Clearly, there are no significant weaknesses in teaching, but the quality of the marking is one element that is relatively weak. This is because there is no consistently applied system for using marking in conjunction with pupils’ targets as a tool for improving standards.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 lessons

20. Taken overall, assessment systems are good, as is the use made of the information they generate. The school assesses reading, writing and mathematics on a termly basis, and there is some assessment of pupils’ achievement in other subjects of the curriculum. Pupils’ progress is calculated and, if this triggers a concern, appropriate action is generated. Question by question analysis of pupils’ responses to test questions has been undertaken, and this has led to greater emphasis on investigational work in mathematics and science. Currently, however, the methods of recording attainment for pupils below Year 3 do not dovetail well with those used in Years 3 to 6. The school is aware of the need to correct this, and to make some other refinements, in order to improve its systems further. Nevertheless, assessment is already being used successfully to raise standards.

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The Curriculum

The curriculum provided by the school is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities to enrich pupils’ experiences are always taken. • The range of out-of-hours clubs and activities gives pupils opportunities to develop their skills and interests. • This school’s involvement in work, and visits with the local schools’ cluster group, gives extra depth to the curriculum. • Provision for pupils with SEN is generously funded and of good quality. • Some aspects of ICT remain in need of further development. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 7

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Commentary

21. This is a broad curriculum that is significantly enhanced by the efforts of the headteacher and staff, and by their awareness of opportunities to engage pupils further in several subjects. A good example of this occurred during the major building works, recently completed. Older pupils were able to study aspects of the construction work, including such factors as load bearing joists and the suitability of particular materials. Such opportunities gave a real life application to learning in mathematics, science and design and technology. This outlook on the curriculum benefits all pupils, including those in the Foundation Stage and those with SEN.

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Commentary

22. The proportion of pupils with SEN is significantly lower than the average nationally. This is the result of the confidence that is instilled in children on their first day in the school, and often helps them to overcome potential difficulties before they have a chance to develop into anything serious. Reception children are made to feel so clever! Where difficulties do present themselves, however, the school takes timely and appropriate action. Generous amounts of support are available in classrooms, and the work of support staff is concentrated where it is most needed. The school spends heavily from its own budget to support specific individuals whose special needs are more complex. This is very successful. Where appropriate, pupils are withdrawn from lessons for high quality tuition, and there is evidence of their difficulties lessening as a result. On occasions, pupils with SEN work with younger classmates to ensure that their tasks are manageable but challenging.

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Commentary

For those whose needs are greater, good individual education plans are in place. In the response to concerns expressed by a small minority of parents, inspectors find that support for pupils with SEN is good. This is one of the ways that the school demonstrates its commitment to inclusion.

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Commentary

23. Given the small size of this school, the teachers work particularly hard in order to provide a good range of quality activities and after school clubs. These include clubs for music, a wide range of sports, and chess. The school takes part in many local activities connected with the wider community and the National Park. Pupils are able to participate in a good range of sports, including inter-school tournaments in football, rugby and netball. An exciting project soon to be launched, and in which the pupils will play a significant part, is linked to the Viking stones found in the local area. This will benefit their first -hand knowledge and skills in history and geography. Further afield, older pupils make residential visits to cities, including York and Glasgow. Here, their understanding of the difference between urban living and their own rural setting can be experienced at first hand.

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Commentary

24. The close ties that the school has with local schools are very worthwhile, and make particularly good contributions to the curriculum. Not only do pupils meet with those of other schools for sports events, they also learn together in the termly workshop-style project days. The curriculum also benefits from the opportunities created for staff of these local schools to meet regularly and hold joint training events. Alongside other schools in the group, Burnsall pupils benefit from a wide range of visits to extend their learning in cultural terms, as well as in subjects such as art and design, design and technology, history, music and physical education.

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Commentary

25. All areas of ICT are yet to be developed and, whilst there has been a great improvement since the previous inspection, there is more to be done. The headteacher and staff are aware of this situation: it is highlighted in the school improvement plan. However, issues relating to the construction work and its eventual cost have delayed progress.

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Care, guidance and support

The school takes very good care of its pupils, and gives them good support and guidance to help them make progress successfully. It involves pupils impressively in its work by taking their views extremely seriously and acting on them efficiently. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 8

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school wants pupils to feel happy, safe, valued and ready to learn, so its focus on high quality care is a key part of the drive to encourage them all to do their best. • The school is very positive in the way that it recognises and rewards how hard pupils try, and the successes they achieve. • All pupils are encouraged to voice their opinions, so consultation is part of everyday school life. • Staff know pupils very well and give good advice on how to overcome difficulties when necessary.

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Commentary

26. The school has used its sense of being ‘a big, happy family’ very effectively to encourage pupils to feel confident enough ‘to have a go’. The recent strong focus on creating an ethos of praise and reward has been successful in helping pupils to recognise their qualities and talents. As a result, they value what they can do instead of worrying about what they find difficult. This is linked to certificates of achievement and inclusion of names in the ‘special book’ kept in the hall, for successes such as ‘excellent manners’, ‘good thinking’, ‘kindness’ and ‘a big well done to the Running Club runners who kept going even through a sudden hailstone storm’. The school is very clear about how it expects pupils to behave. In consequence they feel happy and secure because they know that staff will deal with any poor behaviour. This positive approach, and high quality care, ensures that all pupils try to do their best, both in and out of lessons.

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Commentary

27. Until eighteen months ago, there was no tradition of pupils voicing opinions about improvements in school life. Since then they have had every opportunity to practise. For example, with the design and making of a beautiful silkscreen wall hanging, a colourful reminder of the local area. The school has been through a period of rapid change in which pupils were fully involved. Not only were they consulted about the introduction of uniform, new playtime arrangements and lunches, but loved the chance to use initiative with their own fund-raising activities for the new extension. They had fun washing cars and taking part in sponsored events such as a fell run, cycle ride and a walk up Ben Nevis. The school plans to introduce a school council and to use this as a golden opportunity to teach all pupils about democratic processes. It is designed to enhance what is already an impressive pattern of acting on pupils’ views.

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Commentary

28. As pupils’ strengths, weaknesses and qualities are so well known to staff, the guidance they receive in lessons is usually effective. Pupils are involved in assessing their work and setting their own targets for improvement. The comments they write as part of self-review usually say more about their personal development than their academic progress, partly because everyone in school is still learning how to make best use of all the assessment information available. The best examples such as ‘I think I have made progress in handwriting because I now have a handwriting book to practise in’ show clear links between diagnosis of a problem and practical steps to bring about improvement. In the best lessons, support is focused sharply on helping pupils to do as well as they can. In a design and technology lesson with Year 1 and 2, adults showed individual children with less dexterity exactly how to mould and shape clay eggcups so that they were just the right size

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Commentary

for real eggs. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 9

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership with parents, the community and other schools is very good, and contributes strongly to pupils’ rich and varied experiences of learning, and their very good personal development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is at the heart of its community so local support is strong and of great benefit to pupils. • Parents value the school’s work greatly and do their best to support it. • Links with local schools and the wider community enable pupils to experience a far wider range of activities and cultures than is usually found in small village schools. • Written information for parents, though generally good, does not always ensure that they can help their children with homework and take specific steps towards their individual targets.

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Commentary

29. The school has worked very hard to strengthen all its partnerships in the last eighteen months, and the new extension is a testament to its success. With determined support from the ‘Friends’ and parents’ building appeal’, from the children and from the local community, the necessary funds were raised rapidly. Pupils have loved being involved, and are justifiably proud of the way the old and new buildings provide so well for an enjoyable range of lessons and other activities. They also value the neighbouring environment, including the church, which offers unique opportunities such as using recently discovered artefacts as the stimulus for a local study of Viking invaders.

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Commentary

30. Parents respond very well to the school’s efforts to involve them in its activities, and share in the very positive community spirit. The school has worked hard to open doors and welcome parents into school, and this has resulted in improved working relationships based on openness and trust. Parents are encouraged to talk to staff and voice any concerns promptly. As a result, they work with the school more closely, and are involved more readily in productions, projects such as ‘Ground Force Day’ and reading with children. The school recognises that, although the quality of written information has improved (with more lively brochures and newsletters, including one edited by pupils), there is scope for further improvement. Parents would welcome regular information about work to be covered by each year group, and sharper guidance on homework for different groups, including those working at different levels. Reports are improving, and the best examples use clear

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Commentary

language to explain how the pupil is doing, and exactly what steps to take for improvement. Hence, parents can see what they can do to help.

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Commentary

31. Many comments from pupils show how much they value and benefit from the school’s very good network of links with the community and other local schools. ‘I don’t have an event or trip that I didn’t like – they were all excellent. Toad of Toad Hall, clog-dancing and all the other events were brilliant in different ways’. Not only do they speak with excited enthusiasm about local field trips, and their work with children from other Wharfedale schools, but pupils also relish the chance to taste life elsewhere. ‘I am looking forward to the Year 6 trip to York so then I can meet new friends and do things like learn from museums and have fun’. All these experiences enrich their personal development, ensure that pupils are very well prepared for secondary school and reinforce their love of learning. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 10

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Governance is good. Leadership and management is good overall, and the headteacher’s leadership is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher leads by example. • Change, since her appointment, has been rapid, and her choice of priorities has been excellent. • She is fully supported by all staff and team spirit is strong. • Subject leadership is good. • Governors make a valuable contribution to the success of the school.

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Commentary

32. The changes secured since the arrival of the headteacher in September 2002 have been considerable, and it is difficult to envisage that more could have been achieved within the timescale. She has overseen significant extensions to the school, with all the additional complexities of adding to a listed building sited in a national park. As a result of the disturbances, the pupils were disadvantaged and scattered. As one hardy boy explained, ‘Sometimes our hands were so cold we couldn’t write properly.’ In addition, the younger of the two classes was relocated for a substantial proportion of 2003 in the village hall: a difficult situation at a time when team building in the school was a priority. The classroom had to be occasionally dismantled to allow village activities to continue as normal. Documentation to support the curriculum was very thin, and a raft of policies had to be put in place. All this was completed in addition to securing a strong team spirit; ensuring

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Commentary

that teaching was of high quality; providing a diverse range of activities for pupils beyond the school day; establishing strong links with parents, the community and other local schools; addressing the specific needs of pupils who found learning difficult, and giving all pupils a meaningful voice in the way the school operated.

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Commentary

33. The headteacher has been admirably supported by all of the school staff, and by the governing body. Staff have taken on new roles in leading aspects of the curriculum, and these are developing well. Where training was needed – how to be a literacy co-ordinator and how to provide well for children of Reception age, for example – it has been supplied. Staff now lead their areas of responsibility well, but recognise that there is more that can be done in, for example, involving pupils in evaluating their own learning. In addition, they see the need to acquire the skills and confidence that will allow them to offer constructive advice on colleague’s lessons.

p.15

Commentary

34. Day-to-day administration is smooth and efficient, due in large part to the commitment of the school secretary. She frequently does more than is expected of her and gives freely of her own time. She also works as one of the three support assistants, and the school benefits from her full time contribution to school life.

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Commentary

35. Governors articulate the strengths of the school, and identify areas where there is still work to be done. They are as involved with the school as their time allows, but offer support in a range of ways, particularly in financial management. There is an established time scale for policy reviews. Governors observe lessons: a practice established since the appointment of the new headteacher. They now intend to work on a useful system for feeding back to teachers. Links between governors and pupils have been forged: one governor to each of the year groups in school. This has resulted in hand-written or e-mail communication between some pupils and ‘their’ governor. The chair, the headteacher and the local education authority adviser meet on a half-termly basis: another example of the open communication encouraged between governors and the school. Overall this is a well- informed and usefully involved governing body.

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Commentary

Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 11

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 162,811.00 Balance from previous year 23,971.00 Total expenditure 163,803.00 Balance carried forward to the next 22,979.00 Expenditure per pupil 3,342.00 Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 12

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. No comparison can be made with the outcome of the last inspection, as there was no Reception class at that time.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve well in personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. • Teaching is good. In communication, language and literacy, teaching is very good. • The partnership between the class teacher and support staff is very good. They work together effectively so that children receive good levels of support and opportunity. • Information for parents about topics and ways in which they can help their children is infrequently shared during the year.

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Commentary

36. Children attend on a full time basis from the start of their Reception Year. Very early in the autumn term assessment is used effectively to enable the teacher and her support staff to understand the range of abilities of the children. This assessment is ‘updated’ throughout the year, and eventually forms the basis of the report to parents, as well as providing useful information, as the children start Year 1. The outcome of the assessments so far this year, shows that children’s average attainment on entry is slightly above expectations, especially in communication, language and literacy. By the end of the Reception Year, the great majority of children achieve the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning, and some will exceed them. This was evident from discussions with some of the children, the teacher and looking at the assessments. All children, including those with SEN, are prepared well for the next stage of their learning.

p.17

Commentary

37. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. The teacher is aware of appropriate developments in provision for these young children, including the need for more large, outdoor play equipment. Teamwork with the support staff is very effective: each week they have a timetabled opportunity to discuss planning and the progress that the children are making. Planning is very thorough, and clear in its relevance to the six areas of learning. Without doubt, these children benefit from learning alongside pupils of Years 1 and 2 as well as, at other times, with children of their own age and stage of development. There is an ‘open door’ policy for parents to talk with the teacher. Recently, however, the plans for forthcoming topics have not been shared with them. This information used to be provided and, if the practice were to be resumed, it would enable parents to be ready to support their children at home.

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Commentary

38. In personal, social and emotional development, children achieve well through good teaching. The great majority show that they can maintain a high level of concentration. This, and their confidence in answering questions and making suggestions, is good when they work in a whole class setting with Years 1 and 2, whether as individuals or working in pairs or in smaller groups. These attitudes and skills benefit the quality of their work across all areas of learning. When they work in small groups of their choosing, children are welcoming to others who wish to join in, using language such as, ‘ May I join in? ’ They understand that the use of the ‘balcony area’ is limited to the number of green sashes. Whenever they choose options in this area, they conform to the rules. When the teacher explains the tasks and options for a session, they are very clear about what they wish to do and, most importantly, what they are going to do. This demonstrates their understanding

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Commentary

of the work. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 13 39. Children achieve well in communication, language and literacy. The teaching is very good, as is their learning. Lessons start with the whole class. Through skilful questioning, the teacher involves everyone, ensuring that Reception children can participate fully, in line with the planned objectives. Most answer questions in sentences. When they went off to work in groups, they showed a good level of understanding of the various parts of the story ‘Handa’s Surprise’. They discussed the main events, and talked about the main character’s feelings as they changed throughout the text. Their letter formation is good. Many of the children wanted to write using the observer’s pen. They wrote individual words or simple sentences, showing an understanding of the use of capital letters and spacing of words. One child was able to describe the several ways in

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Commentary

which the sound ‘ee’ can be written, which shows a good level of understanding of the links between sounds and their associated written forms. This is very good attainment in relation to their age. Most of the children are able to identify the start and end sounds in a word as well as the middle vowel sound.

p.18

Commentary

40. Their mathematical development is good. Teaching is also good and makes good use of the outside area for group work, led by the teaching assistant. Again, children benefit from learning alongside older classmates for part of their numeracy lessons. They encounter mathematical language that they use when working in groups. They used appropriate measuring language when preparing cakes in imaginative play, including, ‘full’, ‘too much’, ‘smaller’, ‘bigger’ etc. Their use of positional language is very good, describing the position of giant eggs in a nest as ‘beside each other’, ‘inside’ and ‘outside’, ‘under’ and ‘on top’ of the nest filling. In conversation, many could explain one more or less than a number up to 20, and some used small counting objects to demonstrate. During the first part of a lesson in the hall, they formed groups and took turns in throwing three beanbags into one of three hoops. Each hoop was labelled with the numeral one.

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Commentary

The total of each throw had to be mentally calculated. Further, their running total was added to the next, when their turn to throw came around again. This is an example of high expectations and high achievement for most of the children. ‘How many did you score in the last throw?’ ‘Three, but I’ve got 15 so far because I’ve had five goes!’

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Commentary

41. Children have a wide range of opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching is good. Part of every child’s day includes ‘free choice’ activities during which they have opportunities to explore and investigate. One such activity involved a small group investigating how a battery, wires and bulb could be linked to cause the bulb to light. At a higher level, this was the topic of work for the older children in their science, and is a good example of how the teacher used it as an activity to stimulate Reception children’s inquisitiveness into how things work. In a lesson that included activity choices linked to current topics on Struay, (an island that they were comparing with Burnsall), they showed a good level of understanding of the characteristics of an island. They used sand to model the island, creating depressions around it for the sea. They talked freely about this and other work, explaining, for example, that Samuel Pepys wrote about the

p.18

Commentary

Fire of London, and that it happened a long time ago.

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Commentary

42. Children’s physical development and its teaching are good. Fine motor skills are well developed. They use scissors and construction equipment very effectively. During the investigation with batteries, wires and bulbs, mentioned above, they showed dexterity when attempting to fasten terminals to the battery and bulb holder. The teacher plans physical education lessons that are well structured for developing individual skills by increasing the level of challenge. Children walk, run, jump and turn safely. They negotiate their own space when changing speed and direction, with control. When they jump, they are beginning to cushion their landing. They balance in a range of postures, and many children are beginning to achieve some reasonably smooth transitions from one movement to another in a simple sequence.

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Commentary

43. Provision for creative development is good, and the quality of teaching is equally good. Children are regularly given a wide choice of activities and materials. When they were making a huge nest to hold the very large golden eggs from the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, the teacher had provided a wide range of materials, and explained that not all would be very suitable. They wove paper and material strips around the frame of the nest and filled it with feathers, cotton wool, foam and rather stiff, ‘vertical blind’ material. Two children explained that they had cut the stiff material into Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 14 small pieces so that it would be more comfortable. They did this rather than dismiss the material. They chose yellow and orange paints to decorate the eggs and finished them off with golden glitter. One child explained that birds would choose moss for the inside of the nest, as if to highlight his

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Commentary

knowledge of the world! When asked to make a model of a giraffe with Lego style bricks, one child said, ‘…the diagonal for its neck would be hard’. They made it, offering their model up to the toy giraffe as they went!

p.19

Commentary

44. They know some of the characteristics of a range of classroom musical instruments. When the teacher showed them graphics to represent the style of playing an instrument, shaking, banging, scraping etc, they were quick to identify the appropriate instruments. They listened carefully to the re-telling of the Gingerbread Man, and accompanied the story with the instruments, using keywords and characters as clues. This would have been a broader experience if they had been asked for their opinions about which instrument, based on its sound capabilities, should represent each character of the story. Nevertheless, they sang a chorus at points throughout the story with good control over their pitch and breathing.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school makes good use of one teacher’s specific expertise. • All pupils progress well, often very well. • Writing and speaking opportunities are particularly good. • Information and communication technology (ICT) makes too little contribution to the subject.

p.19

Commentary

45. Basic literacy skills are taught very well in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6 the school makes intelligent use of the particular expertise of one member of staff, and pupils benefit as a result. Teaching of this quality has led to significant improvement since the last inspection.

p.19

Commentary

46. As has already been explained, English standards vary from year to year depending on the makeup of the cohort. Of more relevance, is the progress they make: very good in writing and speaking, and good in reading and listening. Over time, this leads to standards that are above expectations by the end of Year 2 and well above them by the end of Year 6. The current Year 6 is working above, rather than well above, expectations, but progress is very good overall.

p.19

Commentary

47. The expectation that pupils will listen attentively is established as soon as they join the Reception class. The fact that this class also caters for pupils in Years 1 and 2 is an advantage in this case because the older children act as good role models. Good listening skills are retained throughout the school. There are times when pupils forget to put up their hand when they want to speak, but this is borne of interest and enthusiasm for learning. Teachers successfully maintain a balance between expecting children to listen quietly, while not dampening their eagerness to contribute. They are good at listening to each other.

p.19

Commentary

48. Pupils join the school with good speaking skills, and these are built upon well, particularly in Years 3 to 6, where a weekly lesson is dedicated to their development. In Years 1 and 2 very good use is made of ‘talking partners’, a practice that allows pupils to try out their ideas on a partner before presenting them to the whole class. This is an excellent way of involving all pupils in the lesson and, when it is time for ‘hands up’, the teacher has a sea of hands from which to choose. The same system is sometimes used in Years 3 to 6, and pupils have good opportunities to speak Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 15 to a large audience. Clearly, a class of 36 limits individual speaking opportunities, but dedicated lessons more than make up for this potential disadvantage. In addition, school productions present pupils with an even larger audience. Almost all pupils speak audibly, confidently and with an

p.19

Commentary

49. Overall, reading standards are above average. There is an attractive range of books from which pupils can choose, and all take books home regularly. Younger pupils read regularly to an adult at home, and this makes a significant contribution to the standards they achieve. Older pupils report a liking for reading, and say that they read to themselves routinely at home. Younger pupils enjoy short stories being read to them. Older pupils enjoy listening to longer stories, and the time set aside for this purpose is a good investment in fostering a love of books.

p.20

Commentary

50. The school is to be commended for its above average standards in writing. From Reception, children are offered enticing writing opportunities. By Year 2 they regularly write at great length and with equal enjoyment. Most have a good sense of what a sentence is and, therefore, demarcate these accurately. Spelling is generally accurate and, if not, is phonetically plausible: ‘ swimming costuem ’ from an able pupil and ‘ bloo ’ and ‘ shee ’ from one significantly less able. Pupils try hard to use interesting phrases: ‘ built a gagantack sandcastle’ and ‘ spotted the first butterfly’ are typical. Having mastered the nuts and bolts of writing, pupils in Years 3 to 6 are able to turn some of their attention to improving the quality of vocabulary and sentence structure. The following is the work of a Year 4 pupil: ‘One night, when the stars were out, morning awoke and threw a big boulder sending

p.20

Commentary

stars flying in all different directions. She started to run around, making her light fill the world and making all the people wake up.’

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Commentary

51. During the inspection, little use was made of ICT, either by the teachers or pupils. Currently ICT does little to support work in literacy, and teachers make too little use of their two ‘smartboards’. For example, photocopying text for pupils to read would be unnecessary if it was projected onto the interactive whiteboard. Over time, this would save significantly on paper and photocopying costs. The subject is well led and managed.

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Commentary

52. Pupils with SEN are supported very well. The work is well matched to their needs; they are given very good quality support in lessons, and further assisted by regular, carefully targeted, withdrawal sessions for one or two pupils. Achievement for these pupils equals that of their peers.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

53. In Years 3 to 6 the writing opportunities in science, geography, history, religious education and design and technology are extensive. The skills that pupils have learned in their literacy lessons are used well to support these subjects, and a dearth of worksheets in all subjects adds significantly to the quality of pupils’ writing. Pupils’ good reading skills enable them to read what they need to in all lessons. In Years 1 and 2, writing opportunities abound, but there is a need, recognised by the school, to distribute these more widely across the curriculum.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Standards are high, especially in the latest national tests at Year 6. • Teaching and learning in all age groups are very good. • The leadership of the subject is good, with a high level of commitment. • More use needs to be made of ICT in lessons, and investigations need further development. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 16

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Commentary

54. The standards attained by Year 6 pupils last year were high when compared with the all schools nationally and with similar schools. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Last year, the results of the Year 2 tests were well below the national average. This must be seen in the context of the very real, long term, disruption to lessons due to the major building works. These young pupils had to go to the village hall each day and, due to its other uses, pack everything away at each day’s end. The standard of more recent work suggests a recovery, and standards in current work are above expectations.

p.21

Commentary

55. Very good teaching and learning are responsible for these improvements. The headteacher teaches Years 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 in separate lessons. This enables her to plan pupils’ needs more closely within the framework of the numeracy strategy. In a lesson based on fractions, decimals and percentages in the context of metric measure, the teacher had high expectations. The lesson started with a series of mental arithmetic challenges to add a series of measurements in mixed expressions of decimal / fractional / percentage amounts of metric linear measure. This was a considerable task, requiring pupils to equate the various expressions and then add them. They showed a great deal of skill, and gave clear explanations of their methods. The teacher was careful to involve all pupils through questions with an appropriate degree of challenge. The very positive relationships between pupils and the teachers go a long way to make the most of the learning

p.21

Commentary

opportunities in lessons. In Year 2, the teacher skilfully supported the pupils of Years 1 and 2, alongside those children in the Reception group. Again, the teacher had planned for the range of content to challenge the different needs of the various groups. The lesson was started with a very effective practical mental addition session in the hall using hoops, beanbags and numerals. On return to the classroom, the Year 2 pupils worked with sheets displaying sets of stars and moons. They recorded the contents of each sheet, using numerals and the symbols + and =. One pupil made the connection between repeated addition of the same number and her knowledge of times tables. This is a very significant concept, and one that was made available for them to discover by skilful support, without intervention.

p.21

Commentary

56. The leader of the subject is very enthusiastic about mathematics, and has a good understanding of the areas that need to be developed. These include more opportunities for pupils to carry out investigations. Like their science counterparts, they record, pose a question, generate an hypothesis, obtain results and suggest a conclusion. Classrooms are equipped with whiteboards that are linked to a computer and provide an interactive display. This is ideal equipment for visualisation of mathematical concepts, such as the equivalence of fractions, decimals and percentages. The use of this equipment is not yet fully enough developed for teaching to be enhanced, and an electronic file of useful resources compiled.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Mathematics is being used in a satisfactory range of other subjects. It is used for aspects of design and technology, and in the measurement of time in history. In geography, data from the lengths of rivers and the heights of waterfalls in different continents are displayed as graphs, which are also used to compare temperature in two different locations in the world.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The subject is taught well throughout the school. • All pupils achieve well. • The emphasis on investigation is strong. • Pupils make a significant contribution to their own learning. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 17

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Commentary

58. All pupils achieve well. Typically, this leads to above average standards by the end of Year 2, and standards that are well above average by the end of Year 6. Currently, standards are above average in both Year 2 and Year 6 because Year 6 is a relatively weak cohort. Nevertheless, this is a significant improvement on the average standards reported at the last inspection.

p.22

Commentary

59. Through Years 1 to 6 the school operates three two-year rolling programmes. Scrutiny of work in Years 3 to 6 indicates a key strength of this provision – the extent to which it is securely underpinned by investigative, practical, tasks. These involve pupils in finding answers to such questions as ‘Does water bend light?’, ‘Do mirrors reflect sound as well as light?’ or ‘How does the size and position of a shadow alter during the day?’ Pupils are given no answers and are expected to design their own fair tests, to work sensibly and collaboratively, and to devise appropriate methods for recording their work. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 record less, but investigation plays a major part. This is a recent development – one encouraged by the headteacher and willingly adopted by staff. The open-ended nature of the investigations means that those Year 2 pupils who are able to do so can easily secure the higher level, Level 3, and that the higher level, Level 5, is equally available to

p.22

Commentary

60. As is the case with most lessons in the school, pupils arrive with ‘bags of curiosity’ and their teachers motivate them exceptionally well. Years 1 and 2 pupils, for example, couldn’t wait to work with wires, batteries, bulb holders and bulbs. There were shrieks of delight and plenty of ‘I’ve done it!’ cries emanating from the classroom, as one by one, they were successful. Pupils record relatively little science in Year 2, despite the fact that their writing skills could easily support it.

p.22

Commentary

61. In a Years 3 and 4 lesson, and following a brief discussion, pupils were expected to record for themselves what they were trying to find out. ‘What force it takes to move objects on different surfaces’ was one pupils’ correct effort. There was no spoon-feeding; pupils were expected to organise themselves, think for themselves, treat equipment with respect, work collaboratively and produce worthwhile results. They rose to these expectations.

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Commentary

62. Years 5 and 6 pupils were hypothesising about the mass of an object in water, and whether it was greater or less than that in air. ‘When I give my friend a piggy back in the swimming pool…’ or ‘When I dive down to get the rubber brick…’ were examples of their own experiences that they used to help them make their predictions. They were interested, kept their minds on the job and, having made their predictions, designed a fair way of testing them.

p.22

Commentary

63. The subject is well led by the headteacher, whose major impact so far has been the move to much more investigative work. A record is kept of pupils’ attainment, and analysis of responses to test questions is used to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding. There is, however, little evidence of ICT acting as a tool to support work in science.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

64. No ICT lessons were seen, although discussions were held with pupils in Years 2 and 6 and some past work viewed.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

65. Pupils in Year 6 were enthusiastic about their use of the presentation software to produce short slideshows involving sounds and simple movement of one or two graphics, in settings such as a farmyard. They recalled programming a robot when they were in Year 2, but these skills had not been used since. This type of control, along with using the computer to sense changes in temperature etc., are not fully developed. This was the case at the time of the last inspection. The headteacher has brought about a great deal of improvement to ICT resources since her fairly recent appointment. Whilst development of control and monitoring is included in the school improvement plan, it has not yet been achieved, due to escalating costs and problems of equipment access associated with the recent major building works. Other discussions with pupils established that they have a satisfactory range of studies and experiences in ICT by the time they are in Year 6. They

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 18 receive e-mails from their class governors, and plans for electronic communications with people in a Lancashire urban community are in place. Some of the older pupils have used the newly installed interactive whiteboard to present their work. In response to her donation towards the costs of the recent improvements to the building, pupils recently recorded an audiotape about their schoolwork for a lady in the community who is blind.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

66. The need for ICT to be used for teaching and learning in other subjects is one of the school’s priorities, and is being developed. Pupils have used the equipment for research in history and religious education, as well as data handling in mathematics. There is much more potential to enhance lessons than is currently being used. Teachers are aware of the need to look for more ways to use their ICT equipment to enhance pupils’ learning and, over time, to reduce the burden of planning.

p.23

HUMANITIES

67. No overall judgement on provision in history and religious education is possible as only one lesson of each was seen, and there was limited recorded work from Years 1 and 2.

p.23

HUMANITIES

68. The history lesson for pupils in Years 1 and 2 was well taught. The teacher went ‘into role’ as Samuel Pepys to give pupils some concept of what an eyewitness is, and to help them to understand what the Great Fire of London would have been like. Teaching of this quality will help pupils to achieve well. Older pupils have studied the Victorians and the Romans and are well informed on both.

p.23

HUMANITIES

69. Formally discovered, Viking stones our being used as a resource by the school in conjunction with the church. The school, quite rightly, views this as an excellent opportunity for historical study, and has been invited to produce a display to go up in County Hall.

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HUMANITIES

70. Pupils’ written work in religious education shows that they have studied several faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Sikhism. In each faith, they have learned about significant figures, their teachings and important events. They understand that certain texts are special, and considered holy to followers of each religion: the Bible for Christians and the Torah for Jews. The wide range of topics enables them to gain knowledge and understanding of practices, celebrations and the uniqueness and similarities of different faiths.

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HUMANITIES

71. Most importantly, they not only learn about religions, but they learn from them. Year 6 pupils have considered approaches to the importance of tolerance and understanding of people who follow different religions. They mentioned followers of some faiths ‘standing out’ because of the style of their dress or length of hair. They are very clear that trying to understand others will stop teasing and bullying that often result in unhappiness, racism and prejudice. Much of this mature insight is gained through putting themselves in the position of others, such as the innkeeper at Bethlehem with his difficult decision, or those visiting Jesus, knowing that their actions would endanger them at the hand of King Herod. In a lesson for Years 3 to 6, pupils were asked to recall special events from their ‘journey through life’. In doing so, they were encouraged to understand that all people have some

p.23

HUMANITIES

aspects of their past that will always be special to them. They listened sensitively to each other’s responses and those of their teacher. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 19

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well, particularly in Years 3 to 6. • Standards are above expectations by Year 6.

p.24

Commentary

72. Scrutiny of pupils’ previous work, talking with pupils and observing them at work in lessons, showed that standards are in line with expectations by Year 2, while they exceed them by Year 6. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils in Year 2 understand what similarities and differences are, and list some of each when comparing Burnsall to the Isle of Struay. They record their work sensibly, working with a partner, but not on paper of a size that can be easily stored.

p.24

Commentary

73. Pupils in Year 6 have a range of geographical skills and knowledge. They tally the home village of every pupil in the school, and then record these so as to show their direction and distance from Burnsall. They articulate directions very clearly, using an Ordnance Survey map as a source of reference. They recall much of their previous work on rivers, and are familiar with key vocabulary such as source, estuary and confluence. They describe the water cycle and know something of the infrastructure that brings water to their homes.

p.24

Commentary

74. The quality of teaching was good in one lesson and very good in the other. The particular strengths of the second were the strong encouragement for pupils to use their initiative, and the skill of the teacher in creating a hive of activity.

p.24

Commentary

75. The subject has not been a priority for development, but some initial assessment is in place and is set to be extended. Resources are adequate, and the expertise of the Year 3 to 6 teacher is used well to respond to pupils’ curiosity.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. No overall judgements are possible on provision in design and technology, music and physical education as too few lessons were seen.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Design and technology is planned for, and taught by, a teacher with high levels of expertise and confidence in the subject. This enables her to organise topics that provide opportunities for choice and decision making by pupils, based on their understanding of an increasing range of materials and techniques. Pupils keep valuable written records of their projects that include evaluations of commercial products. They consider the purpose of an item, such as the packaging for a pizza slice, and the suitability of the proposed materials for its manufacture. Worthwhile links are often made with other subjects. For instance, when their topic was the design and creation of a sandwich, their work included health and safety issues and considerations of a healthy, balanced, diet from the science curriculum. Future plans include the establishment of a programme of practical skill-development for all pupils. This will enable them to see a design through to completion

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

without being restricted by a shortfall in any specific skill. In addition, the subject is to be linked with ICT to enable computer control of models that have motorised parts.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. During the one music lesson seen, Years 3 – 6 pupils listened to a range of musical extracts and linked them to different types of television programmes: gardening; fast moving cartoon sequences etc. They used their knowledge of rhythm and tempo to give them clues. This work led into a composition task in which they had to prepare a short piece with similar musical characteristics to one that they had heard, but they encountered difficulties. During discussions with pupils, they were quite clear about the musical elements of pitch, tempo and dynamics. However, it Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 20 was also evident that they have had very little use of tuned and untuned classroom instruments in composing their own work. They lack experience with these instruments to fully understand their capabilities and ways in which they can be used to create both melodic and rhythmic structures.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

79. The headteacher is a musician and leads an after school bell-ringing group. She has identified some important areas for development, such as extending the type and pitch of tuned instruments, and incorporating ICT into music lessons by using computers with appropriate software, and electronic keyboards capable of sequencing phrases.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

80. Since the present headteacher took up post, musical and dramatic performances have been more regular. In addition, the pupils take part in community performances, such as a recent pantomime. These, and the opportunities from visiting instrumental teachers, provide valuable experience in rehearsal and performance.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

81. In discussions about physical education lessons, Year 6 pupils described their dance work and how they work in pairs or small groups on individual units of movement. Once these have been rehearsed and developed, they are linked to create a dance sequence. Similarly, pupils from Year 2 explained their gymnastic work in which they travel, jump and hold a balance. They were particularly clear about the value of watching other groups work to gain ideas. When pupils of all ages talked about their games, they described the importance of working together and helping each other for the good of the team. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn to swim. The school considers this essential from a safety perspective as a river runs through the village and is very close to the school. Many pupils achieve swimming distances of around 200 metres: well beyond expectations.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. A visiting rugby coach has given specialist instruction to older pupils, and they are very enthusiastic in attending the out-of-hours clubs, including football and cross-country running. There is a good network of interschool sports tournaments in which older pupils take part. Each year, Year 5 pupils go on an orienteering course that enables them to use mapping and teamwork skills in several types of landscape. This, too, is very valuable experience that they might use in their rural setting.

p.25

Art and design

Provision in art and design is very good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The skills of the teacher are excellent. • Pupils are enthusiastic about the subject. • All pupils achieve very well.

p.25

Commentary

83. Art was seen being taught to pupils in Years 3 to 6, but not to Years 1 and 2. Nevertheless, pupils’ work on display, and in an extensive portfolio, made it possible to judge achievement and attainment at both Year 2 and Year 6. Achievement is very good throughout the school. Attainment in Year 2 is above expectations and, in Year 6, well above. Both are an improvement since the last inspection.

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Commentary

84. Without doubt, work in art and design is a strength of the school. This is due in large measure to the subject expertise and teaching skill of the member of staff who teaches the subject to all pupils in the school. Added to this, is the pupils’ own enthusiasm for work in the subject. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 21 85. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn a range of skills, including colour mixing, working with pastel, understanding ‘near and far away’ when painting landscapes, and learning something of the work of famous artists such as Van Gogh. Older pupils use a range of media to respond to poems about kites. They produce outstanding ‘waterfall’ pictures and, inspired by ‘Field for the British Isles’ by Anthony Gormley, produce clay figures.

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Commentary

86. The one lesson seen was excellent. The teacher handled 36 pupils with confidence, enabling each of them to build on their previous skill seamlessly. The range of work in progress was extensive, and was of a quality significantly above expectations. Younger pupils worked with admirable co-operation in pairs. Older ones paid real attention to detail as they continued work on their Viking figureheads.

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Commentary

87. Planning is thorough and detailed, and there are useful links made to other subjects. For example, to literacy through the visual response to poetry; river paintings to geography and Viking work to history. The subject clearly is very well led and the work of a skilled support assistant is also a valuable asset.

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Commentary

88. Very good use is made of visits. For example, the whole school went on a silk painting day and the hanging that resulted is of high quality. Pupils have experienced felt making and produced a large piece depicting river, bridge and autumnal hillside. When the older pupils go on a residential visit, an art gallery is always included – The Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, for example.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

89. The most striking feature of Burnsall pupils is the smiles on their faces. They are clearly happy to be at school. There is a strong work ethic in both classes and pupils are always curious. Teachers are good at motivating them and are rewarded by keen interest in all lessons. Pupils are articulate, polite, thoughtful, mature and responsible. Their teachers allow them to experience success, to grow in confidence and encourage them to ‘have a go’.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

90. Pupils are relaxed when talking to adults, and sociable. Most importantly, they have a love of learning that will serve them well as they transfer to secondary school. Burnsall Voluntary Aided Primary School 22

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 1 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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Inspection judgement Grade

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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Inspection judgement Grade

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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