Allithwaite CofE Primary School

ALLITHWAITE C of E (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 10 th November 2004

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ALLITHWAITE C of E (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Allithwaite C of E 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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ALLITHWAITE C of E (VC) 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. Allithwaite C of E 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: 107

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Road Allithwaite Grange-over-Sands Cumbria Postcode: LA11 7RD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01539 532144 Fax number: 01539 532144

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr Steven Tatlock

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th – 20 th May 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Allithwaite CE Primary School is situated on the Cartmel peninsula, three miles north west of Grange-over-Sands. The school serves a wide catchment area within which the majority of housing is privately owned. The size of each year group varies, ranging from eight to 20 pupils. There are more girls than boys in the school and some year groups have marked differences in the number of boys and girls. On entry to the school, children’s levels of attainment cover the full ability range, but overall they are in line with the levels usually seen in similarly aged children. Most children have previously attended a nursery or playgroup. No pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average. Seven per cent of pupils have special educational needs, this being below the national average. Most of the pupils identified as having special educational needs have learning difficulties. The majority of the pupils in school are from a white British

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

background, with a small number from other white heritages. There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school was awarded a School Achievement Award and the Healthy Schools Standard in 2002 and the Activemark in 2003. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21113 Miss J Sargent Lead inspector Foundation Stage, science, religious education and music 9928 Mr A Dobson Lay inspector 17877 Miss C Ingham Team inspector English, art and design, geography, history and physical education 25352 Mrs G Taujanskas Team inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, design and technology, personal, social and health education and special educational needs

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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). Allithwaite C of E 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 (ethos)

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very effective school which provides a very good quality of education within a very caring, Christian ethos. The behaviour of pupils is very good and they have very positive attitudes towards learning. Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science and pupils achieve well in most subjects. Very good leadership and management are helping the school to develop and improve further. The school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Standards at the end of Year 6 are very high in English, mathematics and science. • The headteacher provides very good leadership which has created an effective staff team. • Pupils have very good attitudes and achieve very well because teaching is very good. • There are very good procedures for tracking and assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. • Marking of pupils’ work does not always promote higher standards. • Information provided for parents is satisfactory overall, but the quality and timing of information about what children learn require improvement.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made good progress since its last inspection in 1999. The quality of management has improved and governors are now involved in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school. The school improvement plan is now a useful working document which helps the school to measure the impact of new initiatives. Short-term planning is effectively linked to the National Curriculum. Standards in national tests have risen since the previous inspection. The school is developing an outdoor play area for younger pupils to enhance their curriculum.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English A A A* A* mathematics A* A* A* A science A* A* A* B 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

Overall, pupils achieve very well because of the very good teaching they receive . At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards in national tests have remained very high. Since 2000 the trend in test results has been similar to that seen nationally. In English, mathematics and science in 2004, the school’s results for Year 6 pupils were in the top five per cent nationally. Children in the Foundation Stage have settled well and are on course to attain or exceed the goals that children are expected to achieve by the end of the Reception Year. Standards in Year 2 are high in reading and writing and above average in mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). Standards in Year 6 are high in English and mathematics and above average in science and ICT. Standards in religious education are in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2 and above by the end of Year 6. Pupils’ abilities in literacy and numeracy help

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

them to achieve well in other subjects. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils who have special educational needs achieve very well and there is very good provision for gifted and talented pupils. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 7 Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is very good . Pupils are happy at school and behave very well. Their attitudes to learning are very good and have a positive effect on their learning and achievement.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a very good education. Teaching is very good throughout the school. Pupils in all classes learn very effectively because of very good relationships, high levels of expectation and challenge, and awareness of and attention to the needs of individuals. The school has devised very good assessment and tracking procedures, but the marking of work does not always tell pupils clearly enough how good their work is or how it can be improved. The breadth of the taught curriculum is good and good links are being made between subjects. The school places an emphasis on literacy and numeracy, contributing to the very high standards. Children in the Foundation Stage are well provided for although they currently have only limited access to outdoor play. Parents support the school well and are keen to be involved in their children’s learning. Communications with parents are satisfactory overall. However, the quality and timing of information

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

about what children learn require improvement, so that parents have more opportunities to help their children at home.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good . The headteacher has created an effective team which has a commitment to the provision of a high quality education. She encourages and supports staff well. The governing body is closely involved in the work of the school through its monitoring and evaluation activities. Governance fully complies with statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, parents are very positive about the school and are pleased with the high standards achieved. There are some problems with communication between the school and parents, and these are the cause of some dissatisfaction. Pupils’ annual reports are inconsistent in quality and the timing of parents’ evenings during the school year does not always enable parents to help their children effectively at home. Parents receive infrequent information about what children are to be taught. Pupils think highly of their school and the adults there. Most pupils like being at school, work hard and find lessons interesting and fun.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• develop marking so that pupils know more clearly what they must do to improve their work; • improve the quality of communications with parents about what pupils are going to learn and about their progress by: • making pupils’ annual reports more consistent in quality and more readily understood; • meeting with parents at times during the school year which give them more opportunities to help their children at home; • providing parents with more information about what pupils are going to learn. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils achieve very well. Standards of attainment in national tests are very high in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. There is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of Year 6 standards are very high in English, mathematics and science. • Speaking and listening skills are very good. Pupils listen very well in lessons and are articulate, confident speakers. • Pupils’ skills in reading and writing are very good and help to raise standards in other subjects. • The percentage of pupils achieving at a high level in science tests at the end of Year 6 in 2004 was above average. • In 2004, too few pupils attained at the higher level in mathematics at the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 31.5 (28.7) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 30.4 (30.0) 27.0 (26.8) science 30.8 (32.1) 28.6 (28.6) There were 16 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. Caution is needed in interpreting data where numbers of pupils are small

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Commentary

1. Children in the Reception Year achieve well, benefiting from good quality teaching. Consequently they make good progress, acquiring new skills quickly; they are on course to achieve good standards overall. In personal, social and emotional development and in communication, language and literacy, most children are likely to exceed the expectations for their age by the end of the Reception Year.

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Commentary

2. Standards at the end of Year 2 have improved significantly in reading, writing and mathematics since the last inspection. Standards in science have remained well above average. Between 2000 and 2004 the trend in the school’s National Curriculum points in reading, writing and mathematics, has been similar to the national trend, but at a higher level. At the end of Year 6, standards have risen in English and mathematics and remained very high in science. Between 2000 and 2004 the trend for standards attained at the end of Year 6 has been broadly following the national trend, but at a higher level. Based on their attainment four years earlier, pupils’ progress was very rapid and in the top five per cent nationally in 2004. The headteacher has effectively developed analysis and evaluation of the school’s data; raising or sustaining standards has become central to the school’s work. As a consequence of

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Commentary

the improvements in standards, pupils achieve very well.

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Commentary

3. Standards in reading and writing are well above average and in mathematics they are above average at the end of Year 2. These standards are broadly reflected in the 2004 results in reading, which were well above average, and writing, which were in the top five per cent nationally. In 2004, standards in mathematics were well above national expectations because Allithwaite C of E Primary School 9 of the high proportion of pupils attaining within the top band of the expected level. However, attainment at the higher level in mathematics was below that seen nationally. Teachers’ expectations are very high across the school, but there is a perception that for pupils at the end of Year 2, the higher level in mathematics is difficult to attain and this may contribute to the pattern of attainment seen. Teacher assessments in science show pupils’ attainment to be very high. At Year 6, standards in English and mathematics are well above average and

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Commentary

standards in science are above average. The 2004 results in English and mathematics reflect these standards, but standards in science are currently lower than seen in the 2004 tests, when a high percentage of pupils attained the higher level. This is because pupils’ current knowledge of investigative science is not as well developed as other areas of scientific learning.

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Commentary

4. Standards in religious education are in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus by the end of Year 2 and above by the end of Year 6. By the age of eleven, pupils talk about their knowledge of other faiths and also begin to consider more abstract ideas. Standards in ICT are good at Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils achieve well. Pupils use their ICT skills effectively to support their learning across the curriculum. Together with their very good speaking and listening skills, pupils use their reading and writing skills to good effect in other subjects. Their achievements in English are making a significant contribution to their progress in other subjects.

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Commentary

5. The school works hard to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils. All pupils make equally good progress, irrespective of their gender or background. Pupils who have special educational needs make very good progress, with helpful individual education plans guiding the teachers’ work. The needs of gifted and talented and higher attaining pupils are very well met, with challenging work being given. The school has been successful in raising and sustaining its standards. Action taken to address issues such as improving standards of writing has been successful. The school has recently started to work on improving standards in mathematics in response to the 2004 test results for the end of Year 2, but it is too early to evaluate the success of this work. In English, mathematics and science, challenging but realistic targets are set based on teachers’ very good knowledge of the attainment of each year group. They draw on information from the very effective tracking and assessment

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Commentary

procedures. The challenges the school sets itself are an indication of its commitment and determination to sustain or improve the standards achieved, as seen when its statutory targets for 2004 were exceeded.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos)

Attendance at the school is well above the national average and punctuality is very good. Pupils have a very positive attitude to school life and behave very well. Their personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have a very positive view of the school and enjoy learning. • Very good behaviour ensures a very good climate for learning. • Relationships are very good, giving the school a clear sense of community. • Pupils form strong moral and social values, based firmly on Christian teaching. • Pupils develop into sensible, confident and responsible individuals as a result of the school’s very effective procedures for personal development.

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Commentary

6. Children in the reception class and older pupils enjoy going to school. They know they go to learn and appreciate very much being part of a friendly community. Pupils get on very well Allithwaite C of E Primary School 10 with each other and the staff. Pupils told the inspectors that they are proud to be at Allithwaite CE Primary, which they think is a very good school.

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Commentary

7. In class, pupils settle down quickly and are eager to learn. They are attentive, interested and keen to participate in lessons. They have very positive attitudes to learning and generally work hard. They take pride in the presentation of their work. Homework is taken very seriously and pupils are very enthusiastic about participating in school clubs.

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Commentary

8. The pupils’ behaviour is very good throughout the school with the result that the atmosphere is very conducive to learning. Pupils understand the rules and think they are fair. Bullying is not considered a problem, although some incidents have occurred in the past. An effective buddy system – CAPS (Chums at Allithwaite Primary School) – organised by the school council, helps any children with problems at playtimes. Pupils think this system works well and when combined with the way they can easily discuss any issues with their teachers, they feel happy with the school’s procedures for coping with bullying – however minor. There are no racial issues at the school and there have been no exclusions in recent years.

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Commentary

9. The daily act of collective worship is seen as central to ensuring that the pupils’ social and moral values are based on clear, Christian teaching. Assemblies cover a very wide range of subjects and issues. Wherever possible, issues are discussed in a spiritual context. Pupils enjoy assemblies and are very keen to participate. The school has been very effective in raising pupils’ awareness of other cultures and faiths. For example, the school is sponsoring a boy in Ethiopia and pupils learn about his life from letters they receive. Pupils learn about other faiths through visiting places such as the Manchester Jewish Museum.

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Commentary

10. Other aspects of pupils’ personal development are catered for very well from when children enter the school. Pupils are polite and well mannered. The building of self-confidence and self- worth is considered very important. Achievement is recognised through weekly achievement assemblies. Pupils are given many responsibilities in helping to run the school; for instance, older pupils look after younger ones and pupils show visitors around. The VIP scheme gives all pupils in turn a special role and extra responsibilities for a week. This provides a valuable insight into being part of a community as well as boosting self-esteem. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they have developed into chatty and confident individuals, capable of expressing opinions and with a clear understanding of right and wrong.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.5 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 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

Attendance is well above that normally found in primary schools. Registers are well kept and it is very rare for pupils to get a late mark.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very good quality of education for its pupils. Pupils achieve very well because they receive very good teaching and very good quality care and support. The school places great emphasis on literacy and numeracy and this contributes to the high standards seen. The school has good links with parents and the local community. Communication between school and home about Allithwaite C of E Primary School 11 pupils’ progress and what pupils are to learn requires improvement, so that parents are better informed about their children’s learning.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching is very good overall, enabling pupils to learn very well. This represents a good improvement since the previous inspection. Assessment is very good. Teachers regularly assess what pupils have learned, share this information with pupils and use it to plan future work.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have very high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour and work. • Very good relationships between staff and pupils set firm foundations for learning. • Pupils who have special educational needs and gifted and talented pupils receive work which is carefully matched to their individual needs. • In some lessons pupils spend too long listening to the teacher and become restless and distracted. • In many lessons questions are used very well to challenge individual pupils. • Marking does not always tell pupils how good their work is or how they can improve their work.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 17 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 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.

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Commentary

11. The table above indicates the quality of teaching seen across the school. All the teaching seen in Years 1 and 2 was good or better. Both parents and pupils are positive about teaching and learning.

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Commentary

12. There are common strengths in the teaching seen that contribute to the very good quality of pupils’ learning. Teachers’ high expectations of behaviour and work encourage pupils to concentrate well on the tasks that they are given. There are very good relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils like and trust the adults they work with and this gives them confidence in tackling challenging work. Support staff and adult volunteers are well briefed about the work that they will be doing. Good support from all the adults working in classes means that all pupils have opportunities to work in small groups with adults, resulting in good or very good learning.

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Commentary

13. In the best lessons seen, interesting activities that built on previous learning and a lively and brisk approach captured pupils’ interests and helped them to move on at a very good rate. The attention the school gives to the needs of individuals means that pupils are given the support that they need to help them progress. Pupils who have special educational needs are given the support they need to understand and complete their tasks. Gifted and talented or higher attaining pupils are given support to help them rise to the new challenges that they are given. Tasks are well matched to pupils’ needs and work is tailored to individual needs through very good questioning.

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Commentary

14. In some of the satisfactory lessons, teachers spent too long talking to the pupils at the start of the lesson. Pupils became bored and distracted. Interest was soon revived when they began Allithwaite C of E Primary School 12 to work on practical tasks, because the adults assisting were well briefed and they successfully recaptured pupils’ attention.

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Commentary

15. Homework is set throughout the school and most pupils complete it conscientiously. In some classes a home-school book is used to communicate with parents. This is appreciated by the parents involved as it helps them to be clearer about what is expected of their children.

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Commentary

16. Planning for lessons has been developed effectively since the previous inspection. Teachers reflect on their teaching and evaluate how well pupils have learned. They use this information to help them plan the next steps in learning. Teachers’ good knowledge of the National Curriculum and very good knowledge of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies ensure that pupils achieve very well.

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Commentary

17. Assessment procedures have improved since the previous inspection, when they were judged to be satisfactory overall. In the Foundation Stage children are assessed against national levels soon after they start school and the results are evaluated to identify knowledge or skills that need attention. Assessment continues throughout the year and the results are used well to plan future work. Pupils in the rest of the school are assessed regularly in English, mathematics and science. Profiles are kept for every pupil and results are recorded centrally twice a year and predictions made for the end of each year. Under-achievement or particularly good progress is highlighted and addressed in planning. Teachers’ expectations are very high across the school and targets set for pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2004, although challenging, were exceeded. In 2004, too few pupils attained at the higher level in mathematics at the end

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Commentary

of Year 2. The teaching for these pupils is of high quality, but there is a perception that the higher level is difficult to attain. This contributed to the majority of pupils attaining at the higher band within the expected level and too few pupils attaining at the higher level. Statutory test data is thoroughly analysed so that teachers have a clear picture of pupils’ attainment. The school has started to act to improve the results in mathematics for pupils at the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

18. Teachers sometimes give pupils helpful verbal feedback on their work during lessons. However, the marking of pupils’ work after lessons is not always helpful. It does not always give pupils a clear picture of whether they have learned what was intended and sometimes pupils cannot recall what they have to do to improve. In some books long sections of work containing mistakes appear not to have been marked and mistakes are repeated. Undated work makes it difficult to gauge the pace and progress of pupils’ work. Parents commented positively on pupils’ individual targets for improvement which are shared with them at parents’ evenings. These targets are recorded and checked later in the year and are a useful means of measuring progress with pupils and parents.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good. An appropriate range of learning experiences is provided that meets pupils’ individual needs well. The curriculum is enriched by good use of resources which significantly enhance pupils’ chances to learn. Resources and accommodation are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils who have special educational needs achieve very well because they receive very good support. • A good range of visits and visitors inspires pupils and adds interest to learning opportunities. • Support staff are deployed effectively to improve pupils’ access to learning activities and involvement in lessons. • Good use is made of pupils’ skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT to support learning in other subjects. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 13 • Pupils have very good opportunities to participate in a range of after-school sporting activities and benefit from some specialist coaching.

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Commentary

19. The school’s curriculum is focused on the teaching of key skills and a significant amount of curriculum time is allocated to English and mathematics. Test results in recent years show this has had a positive effect on standards in literacy and numeracy. All other required subjects, including personal, social and health education, are taught during the academic year and planning indicates that the requirements of the National Curriculum are met. Subject leaders regularly monitor planning for the subjects they manage. This helps the school to look at what is provided and check that it meets the needs of pupils effectively.

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Commentary

20. The school has a broad programme of visits and visitors arranged for all year groups, which significantly enhances the regular timetabled lessons taught through the school day. These opportunities help bring the curriculum alive for pupils, providing inspiration and reinforcing learning. For example, theatre groups visit, as well as music groups, such as the African drumming sessions recently held in school to increase multicultural awareness. The use of the ‘Healthy Living’ bus offers good scientific learning experiences.

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Commentary

21. Pupils have very good opportunities to participate in a suitable range of sporting activities after school. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 can also choose to learn recorder within the school day. Some activities take place at weekends and in residential visits, thus significantly extending chances for pupils to gain a breadth of experience beyond the school day. The school takes pupils in Years 5 and 6 on residential visits to outdoor centres, where adventurous activities are linked with school subjects. The school is very pro-active in securing additional opportunities for pupils to try out various sports. Grants are secured and centrally funded coaching is provided, as well as other activities run in conjunction with local schools. For example, pupils have participated in basketball, cricket, and other sports with specialist coaching recently.

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Commentary

22. Support staff work effectively in all classes and enhance the learning for the pupils because they are well prepared. For example, one staff member focuses on ICT, teaching and supporting pupils very well in groups and individually. Others help the reception children, for example, to talk about ‘friends’ by modelling responses for them to follow. In the Year 3 and 4 class, support staff work with particular groups. For example, they check pupils’ understanding in mathematics, enabling the teacher to move around the class, checking the understanding and progress of all pupils.

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Commentary

23. Significant improvements have been made to the school’s accommodation since the previous inspection. A new hall has been built which has made a significant improvement to the provision for physical education. The school house has recently been altered to create teaching space for the youngest pupils. The area is attractive and welcoming, but the space is limited and difficult to supervise. Nevertheless, the class teacher manages the available space well through the judicious deployment of support staff. In response to the findings of the previous inspection, the school is creating an outdoor play space for the reception children. This is the final part of the school’s planned improvements in provision for children in the Reception Year. The school has sufficient resources meet the needs of the curriculum, but there is still only a limited range of equipment for outdoor play.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils are very well cared for and receive a very good level of support in their academic and personal development. The school is very good at taking account of the pupils’ views. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 14

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is a very caring community. • Child protection and health and safety issues are taken very seriously. • Very good support is based on a secure knowledge of each child. • The school council is very effective in involving pupils in the school’s development.

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Commentary

24. Since the previous inspection, there has been very good improvement in pupils’ care, guidance and support. This is a very friendly and caring school, based firmly on Christian principles. All pupils are treated with respect and consideration. Staff are very good role models and ensure that the pupils are very well supervised at all times. Child protection is taken very seriously and both teaching and non-teaching staff are familiar with current good practice. Health and safety procedures are implemented very well and the responsible governor follows up assiduously any issues of concern. Parents rightly feel that whilst at school their children are in very good hands.

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Commentary

25. The school has very good procedures for monitoring academic development through regular, planned assessments. This results in a high level of support and pupils know what their next significant goal is. Marking of pupils’ work from day to day is less effective. When marking, teachers do not always indicate how pupils can improve their work or what errors have been made. Some pupils repeat their mistakes because they have forgotten what they were told during previous lessons. Personal support and advice are very effective as they are based on very good knowledge of each child. The high quality of the information on personal development in the pupils’ annual reports indicates a very good understanding each pupil’s personal qualities.

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Commentary

26. The school has a well-established and effective school council which pupils think highly of. Members meet fortnightly and take their roles very seriously. Over the past year the school council has been responsible for introducing a playground buddy scheme, purchasing games equipment for playtimes and raising money for good causes. A suggestion box system ensures that all pupils can raise matters with the school council.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has good links with parents, the local community and other schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a very high level of parental involvement in the life of the school. • Parents are not being given enough information to help them to be fully involved in their children’s learning. • The school has not acted on parents’ views effectively enough. • Pupils benefit from good links with the local community and other primary schools in the area.

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Commentary

27. Since the previous inspection, the school has made satisfactory improvement in its links with parents and the community. The Ofsted questionnaire had a high response and the pre- inspection meeting was well attended. Parents think that Allithwaite CE Primary is a very good school and very much approve of the standards achieved. However, a significant minority of parents would like better information on what is taught and how their children are progressing, so that they can give more support to their children at home. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 15 28. The quality of information sent home to parents is variable. The prospectus, the governors’ annual report and the monthly newsletters are all of good quality. The layout of the newsletter is particularly impressive. However, the school is not as successful in providing information that will allow parents to be more involved in their children’s learning. At the beginning of each

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Commentary

school year parents are given an information sheet on what their child is going to be taught during the next year. Much of the information is too general to be of much use, particularly for English and mathematics.

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Commentary

29. Some parents do not feel that they receive sufficient information on their children’s progress. Parents have formal meetings with their child’s teacher in November and July, although the school stresses, and parents agree, that a parent can see a teacher any time that they have a concern. The November meeting is early in the school year and allows an exchange of information about how a child may be doing in a new class. The timing of the second meeting in July does not give parents the opportunity to be actively involved in their children’s learning and to monitor the effect of the help they have given at home.

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Commentary

30. Pupils’ annual reports meet legal requirements but their quality is inconsistent. The best are well written, give a clear indication of progress and of what the pupil can do, and give easy-to- understand goals for improvement. The worst contain jargon, little indication of what level the pupil is working at and goals that are either too vague or too general to allow parents to be involved in their children’s learning. For instance, in one report the target is to ‘extend strategies in numeracy’.

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Commentary

31. Parents are very involved in the life of the school. The number of parents who regularly help in the classroom or with school clubs is very high. This help is very well organised and makes a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning. Parents are well briefed on homework, and homework diaries and reading diaries are used as an effective means of communication between parents and school. Parents are very interested in school events and the weekly achievement assemblies are very well attended. Many parents are keen to understand how their children are taught and the level of attendance at a current series of evening sessions on how mathematics is taught is extremely high. The parent teachers’ association is very active and successfully raises a considerable amount of money which directly benefits the pupils, for example through the purchase of equipment.

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Commentary

32. The school uses parent questionnaires well to monitor opinion. A survey in March 2004 produced results broadly similar to the current Ofsted survey, highlighting communication with parents and information on pupils’ progress as areas of concern. The response to the pre- inspection questionnaire indicates that the school’s action on both of these points has been insufficient.

p.15

Commentary

33. The school is very much part of the local community. The school makes good use of the church, and the vicar takes assembly in the church once a week. Involvement with the local community and other primary schools in the area allows pupils to have a broader understanding of the south Cumbria area. For instance, Year 6 pupils from a group of schools have been involved in a photography competition organised by the local historical society. Pupils visit local museums, a local bakery and an outdoor centre. Sporting tournaments with other schools effectively allow pupils to develop a sense of team spirit in competition. Local residents visit the school to talk about bygone days, helping to give an extra dimension to recent history.

p.15

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership for the work of the school and management is also very good. The leadership Allithwaite C of E Primary School 16 of other key staff is very good. The school is effectively supported by the governing body which ensures that governance of the school is good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a clear vision, a determined sense of purpose and high expectations of pupils and teachers. • The school shows a great commitment to meeting the needs of individual pupils. • There is a culture of good teamwork and all staff are very committed to raising standards. • Governors make a significant contribution to the leadership and management of the school and its successes. • There are very effective systems in place for the monitoring and evaluating the school’s work. • Provision for the large Year 3 and 4 class is well managed. • Strategic planning for the long term is lacking in detail.

p.16

Commentary

34. The headteacher provides committed leadership which helps to drive the initiatives that bring about further school development and improvement. She has succeeded in motivating all the staff to be fully involved in the initiatives, and teamwork is a strength of the school’s management. It is because of this that the school has a good capacity for further development and improvement. The headteacher is well respected by members of staff, pupils, governors and most parents.

p.16

Commentary

35. The quality of leadership and management has improved since the last inspection. Governors are now involved in monitoring and evaluation work and have good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Work has been undertaken to improve the accommodation, with the building of a new hall, and the acquisition and alteration of the school house, improving access to the curriculum for Foundation Stage children and older pupils. The school has taken positive action to improve its financial state and rid itself of a deficit.

p.16

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.16

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 269986 Balance from previous year –15200 Total expenditure 239178 Balance carried forward to the next 15608 Expenditure per pupil 2098

p.16

Commentary

36. Financial planning is very good. The management of finances benefits greatly from the support of a bursar and the governors’ financial committee. As a result the school budget effectively supports the school’s priorities for development. The budget is regularly monitored to ensure spending remains within the agreed targets. Principles of ‘best value’ are applied effectively and funds have been used appropriately to provide for the financial implications of year groups which vary significantly in size. The debt incurred by providing cover for the long- term absence of a previous member of staff has now been cleared. The governors are beginning to discuss future financial plans to take account of the problem of the projected large class size for Years 5 and 6 in two years’ time.

p.16

Commentary

37. Teachers have clear targets to help to improve their skills and performance and all staff have access to good quality support and training. The monitoring of teaching staff has contributed strongly to the very good teaching and high standards of work seen throughout the school. Since her appointment the headteacher has gained the full confidence of the staff and governors in the implementation of initiatives to bring about school development. A highly Allithwaite C of E Primary School 17 successful feature is the implementation of procedures to ensure the needs of all pupils are met. Examples include very good provision for gifted and talented pupils and the careful matching of work to pupils’ learning needs in lessons. The headteacher has ensured that pupils in the Year 3 and 4 class are not disadvantaged by the large size of the class. Very good management has ensured teaching and learning is of a high quality, and increased

p.16

Commentary

space allows these pupils to be taught in smaller groups for some activities. Efficient monitoring systems are in place to identify any problems which may arise. The quality of education for these pupils is as good as in other classes in the school.

p.17

Commentary

38. The governors are fully supportive of the school and their role has significantly improved since the previous inspection. Many governors are new to the school; they are part of an effective team. They are now far more proactive in their management responsibilities than was evident during the last inspection. They are involved in monitoring the curriculum and have a developing understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Their role as a ‘critical friend’ has developed through questioning decisions and seeking further guidance and information on school initiatives and the impact on the quality of the education provided. The annual school improvement plan is a very useful working document and reflects the outcomes of monitoring and evaluation, but the strategic plan for long-term development is less useful because objectives are broad and there is insufficient detail to indicate how these plans will

p.17

Commentary

eventually be implemented. Governors evaluate their own performance and fulfil their statutory duties effectively. The chair of governors has a very good knowledge of the school and good understanding of the issues facing a small school. He is in regular contact with the headteacher. The good relationship between the school and the governing body is effective in ensuring that the learning needs of all pupils are met.

p.17

Commentary

39. The headteacher and senior teacher work well together to monitor the school’s performance. They have very successfully involved teachers and the governors in this work. Delegation is genuine and responsibilities are shared more equitably than at the time of the last inspection. The high aspirations of the whole team are an aid to raising pupils’ achievement. Good features include the regular scrutiny of pupils’ work, the observation of teaching and learning and the provision of feedback to the staff about the findings from these activities. Clear improvements have resulted from this monitoring, for example in pupils’ handwriting and presentation. The role of the curriculum managers is well developed and this has contributed to raising standards across the curriculum. These features, together with strong financial management, contribute to the good value for money that the school provides. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and has improved since the previous inspection. Children are prepared well for transfer to Year 1. The children enter the reception class in the September of the year in which they are five and at the time of the inspection had only attended school for a short time. Most children have attended some form of pre-school provision. The reception group seen during the inspection was small in number and they were being taught alongside a small number of Year 1 pupils. The children in their Reception Year are on course to achieve above the levels that are expected for children of this age because the teaching is good and the curriculum is well planned. There is a good ratio of adults to children and this ensures individual needs are well met and contributes to the good achievement seen. The newly altered accommodation is satisfactory. The environment is bright and welcoming but the teaching spaces

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

are small and are not easy to supervise. The rooms are effectively managed through the judicious use of support staff. A new outdoor play area is being developed as the final part of the improvements to the premises.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well because of the very good teaching, high expectations and good role models set by staff. • Very good relationships have been established, so children are confident and happy in school.

p.18

Commentary

40. The personal and social development of the current intake is very good and is generally better than is expected for their age. Clear boundaries and consistent role models ensure that children know what is expected of them and they quickly learn the correct way to behave. All the children are able to rise to the high expectations of the staff. Children know the routines well and settle to work with enthusiasm and without fuss. They concentrate well with and without direct adult supervision. They are friendly and are very proud of their achievements. The very good relationships ensure that children feel secure and confident to seek help when required. The gains in learning result from very good teaching through good role models and respectful and trusting relationships between adults and children. Through participation in whole-school activities, such as attending church assemblies, the children begin to develop

p.18

Commentary

respect for their own beliefs and those of others.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make very good progress because teaching is adapted to suit individual children’s needs. • Speaking and listening are developed very effectively Allithwaite C of E Primary School 19

p.18

Commentary

41. All children are likely to meet and most will exceed the expectations in this area of learning. Teaching and learning are very good. A significant majority of the children have already attained the expected goals in some aspects of reading and writing. Staff take every opportunity to develop speaking and listening through conversation and questioning; they insist that children listen to one another when working as a group. Very good relationships mean that children are confident to talk and adults are good listeners. Children enjoy looking at books and are fascinated by illustrations. They try to apply their knowledge of letters to work out the title of a book and begin to learn terms such as ‘title’ and ‘author’. There was genuine disappointment when the book was put away and the teacher prepared the children for their activities. All children know the sounds of most letters of the alphabet and are learning some

p.19

Commentary

two letter sounds, such as ‘ee’ and ‘ch’. They are quick to recognise the letter sounds at the beginning and sometimes at the end of words the teacher says. Planning indicates that very good attention is given to learning to recognise and write letter sounds before children begin to write independently. Higher attaining children are able to write short sentences using plausible spelling based on their knowledge of letters and their sounds. Children hold pencils correctly and most form letters correctly. Children incorporate writing in their play activities, such as writing lists or letters when involved in imaginative play.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of activities is planned to support learning, which ensures children achieve well. • Very good relationships mean that children are confident to attempt challenging tasks.

p.19

Commentary

42. Teaching and learning are good. Most children are working at levels above those expected for their age and higher attaining children are working well above. A good range of interesting activities is planned to develop children’s knowledge and understanding in mathematics. All children can count to 20 and some recognise numbers to 100. They are beginning to understand odd and even numbers. When looking at two-dimensional shapes, children count the number of sides and corners and some children follow discussion about a circle by talking about oval shapes having curved sides. Children sort objects quickly and correctly according to one attribute, for example colour. When considering patterns, children describe how different patterns are made up. The teacher uses the word ‘repeat’ to develop children’s understanding of a pattern as a repeating process. Children work together well to create simple and more complex repeating patterns. Children retain their interest in mathematical

p.19

Commentary

learning because they enjoy the practical activities planned for them.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

43. It was not possible to make a judgement on the provision in knowledge and understanding of the world. Work on display and the teacher’s planning indicate that this area is given adequate attention and covers a wide range of learning opportunities. Children enjoy using the computer and are competent with a range of software. Activities with a science base show an appropriate level of challenge, such as when children begin to consider forces. Children are taught religious education in accordance with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus and achieve well. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 20

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s skills with small equipment are good because of the good teaching and good range of activities. • Opportunities for development through energetic play are limited because the outdoor play area is not yet complete.

p.20

Commentary

44. Children’s manipulative skills are effectively developed using small apparatus and equipment. They have good control of pencils and crayons and are dexterous when putting pieces of construction kits together carefully to build models. They can shape clay carefully to create individual pieces of work. The children have limited access to outside play. A new play area is being developed as the last phase of building work to improve the provision for reception aged children. At the time of the inspection children did not have access to outdoor activities other than at playtimes and this restricted the opportunities for physical development through energetic play.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

45. It was not possible to make a judgement on the provision for creative development or for standards of work in this area of learning. Planning indicates that this area of learning is well provided for. A range of good art work was displayed on the walls and some imaginative clay models of aliens were also on display. Children enjoy role-play in the ‘Toy Shop’ and play well together taking the parts of the shopkeeper and the customer. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in all aspects are well above average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, and pupils achieve very well. • The very effective leadership and management make a significant contribution to the pupils’ very high standards. • There are effective teaching and assessment strategies, which make good use of ICT. • Pupils take pride in their work and it is presented very well. • Marking does not always help pupils to understand how their work can be improved. • The curriculum is planned carefully to ensure that skills in literacy are developed well through other subjects.

p.21

Commentary

46. Standards in all aspects of English by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have remained very high since the previous inspection and pupils achieve very well. In 2004, standards were well above those seen nationally and pupils have sustained these high levels of achievement. This is the result of the very effective support from the subject leader whose subject expertise is a valuable source of advice for teachers. In addition, teachers’ subject knowledge and their ability to use teaching strategies which capture pupils’ interests are an asset.

p.21

Commentary

47. Standards in speaking and listening are very good because pupils are confident to participate in lessons and their contributions are valued by teachers. Whether discussing their work with an adult or contributing to a class discussion, pupils are thoughtful and logical and use their developing vocabulary in well-constructed sentences. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher has developed warm and friendly relationships with the pupils which encourage confidence. Pupils are encouraged to discuss ideas with partners, for example, the ‘ingredients required to make a story’; this makes a positive contribution to the development of speaking and listening skills because all the pupils are involved. High levels of competence in Year 6 were demonstrated when they planned and presented fictitious arguments.

p.21

Commentary

48. Pupils achieve very well in reading because of their positive attitudes towards it. They talk about texts and authors they enjoy and give reasons for their preferences. A girl in Year 6 maturely explained why her choice of reading was a poetry book, reflecting her understanding of the use of language in poetry. Younger pupils read with enthusiasm and readily talk about the characters and the setting of a story. Their understanding of what they read is good. From Year 1 onwards, pupils are taught clear strategies to help them read and they use letter sounds very competently to decipher new words. The quality of group reading sessions has improved because of staff training and effective monitoring and evaluation. As a result these sessions have a significant impact on the pupils’ attainment. Reading is further encouraged through the lunchtime ‘library club’, which is well attended.

p.21

Commentary

49. Standards in writing are very high throughout the school and this represents good improvement. In response to the slight downward trend in the 2003 national test results in Year 2, a high priority was given to improving writing, particularly with younger pupils. This has resulted in the present high standards in a wide range of writing. Younger pupils are confident writers, use their knowledge of letter sounds to aid spelling and enjoy writing. Pupils in Year 2 have developed their skills to write in different forms and for different purposes. The higher attaining pupils can change the tense in their writing and construct a glossary. Pupils plan their Allithwaite C of E Primary School 22 writing well and have a good understanding of the significance of dialogue. Pupils’ presentation of their work is of a consistently high standard throughout the school. This is an outcome of the attention given to improving handwriting, the pupils’ enjoyment of writing and

p.21

Commentary

50. Teaching is very good which helps pupils learn very well. The best teaching is characterised by very good organisation and management of pupils, well-structured lessons and lively and imaginative methods of learning. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 developed their understanding of the link between verbs and adverbs by using mime for others to identify the adverb and verb combinations they had chosen. Teachers are very clear about what they want pupils to learn and explain this carefully to them. They use ICT effectively, especially interactive whiteboards, to demonstrate to pupils how to write and to provide opportunities for reading aloud. Teachers’ marking of written work, however, does not do enough to help pupils to improve. Younger pupils’ recorded work is not dated and this makes it difficult to assess the rate of pupils’ progress. The school has devised very effective systems for assessment and

p.22

Commentary

tracking of pupils’ progress. Teachers are quick to identify where pupils have exceeded their expectations or where extra support may be needed.

p.22

Commentary

51. The subject leader provides very good leadership and manages the subject effectively. She has carefully monitored provision with teachers, tracked the progress of individual pupils and clearly identified areas for development and implemented the necessary actions to achieve them. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. Very good and well-planned opportunities for pupils to practise and use the different aspects of English in other subjects are firmly embedded in the curriculum. Much teaching involves discussion, as in physical education when pupils discuss movement skills. In art and design they discuss the techniques and style of different painters. Other subjects provide opportunities for different styles of writing, such as writing accounts of the experiences of evacuees in World War II and life in Ancient Greece. In mathematics lessons teachers develop the pupils’ abilities to use correct mathematical language. A good range of non-fiction books is available for pupils to use to seek information. Increasing use is being made of ICT as a vehicle for research and to support learning. During the inspection, in Years 3 and 4, pupils used the computer thesaurus to support the development of vocabulary skills in a

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

literacy lesson and Year 5/6 pupils used the Internet to research data on Ancient Greece in a history lesson.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of Year 6 standards are very high and all pupils achieve well. • Energetic introductions to lessons and well-chosen practical activities help pupils to learn well. • Assessment is thorough so teachers know how well pupils are progressing. • Pupils are not clear about how to improve their work further where marking is weak. • Active and enthusiastic leadership has a positive effect on teaching and learning.

p.22

Commentary

53. The school’s results from the 2004 national tests show that standards in mathematics are very high by the end of Year 6, being in the top five per cent nationally. This is substantiated by the Allithwaite C of E Primary School 23 findings of the inspection. Pupils achieve very well overall because of good teaching and a much higher proportion of pupils than usual reach the higher levels. The 2004 national test results show that standards by the end of Year 2 are well above average, an improvement on standards found at the time of the last inspection. A significant majority of pupils attained at the higher band of the expected level, but too few pupils attained at the higher level.

p.22

Commentary

54. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve well, reflecting good progress. The positive effect of good teaching means standards remain high overall, despite a fall in the proportion of pupils attaining at the higher level in the most recent test results. The small and variable numbers of pupils taking tests each year mean variations in results are to be expected. Nevertheless, because of the school’s commitment to sustaining high standards, mathematics has rightly been identified as an area of focus for the coming year.

p.23

Commentary

55. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. They often work in small groups with adult support for mathematics. This has a positive effect on pupils’ progress because of the very good quality help they receive. Teachers prepare well and ensure all adults have a clear understanding of their tasks. The school plans very well for pupils who are gifted in mathematics and seeks advice to ensure provision meets their needs.

p.23

Commentary

56. Teaching is good overall, with some very good and excellent teaching being seen during the inspection. Well-chosen introductory activities, particularly those using ICT, enthuse pupils and engage them in the lessons. For example, in the Year 3 and 4 class, ducks and bubbles with numbers float up the whiteboard screen so pupils can identify the multiples and note them down. This resulted in a flurry of interest and activity. High expectations and teachers’ good use of praise helps pupils to learn well when they feel both encouraged and challenged. For example, in an excellent lesson in Year 1 and 2 the teacher’s enthusiasm generated a keen, positive attitude from the pupils. This is not always evident in all classes and where the pace is slower and less energetic, some pupils lose interest and become bored. They complete the set work well but with limited enthusiasm. The attainments of a small proportion of pupils at

p.23

Commentary

the end of Year 2 are being adversely affected by teachers’ perceptions that the higher level is difficult to attain. This is contributing to the pattern of attainment which has been seen in the school’s results at the end of Year 2.

p.23

Commentary

57. Formal assessment is thorough and effective, so teachers are well informed about how well pupils are progressing each term. However, the quality of marking of pupils’ books is inconsistent, with a significant number of exercises not marked at all in some older pupils’ books. The consequence of this is that these pupils do not know how well they have done or how to improve their work further.

p.23

Commentary

58. Leadership and management are very good. Monitoring of teaching and learning in mathematics is well received by staff, who appreciate how it helps to bring about improvements. The subject leader has a comprehensive overview of the strengths and weaknesses of her subject. Communication through meetings and leaflets helps to inform parents about school strategies, so that help given at home can be effective.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

59. Across the school, good use is made of mathematics in other subjects. In science, pupils successfully use the skills they have learnt to measure and record the findings of their scientific investigations in tables, graphs and charts. In history, pupils calculate the number of years between certain events.

p.23

SCIENCE

Provision in science is good overall. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 24

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in science are high and pupils achieve well because of good teaching. • Pupils enjoy science and make good gains in knowledge and understanding as they move through school from Year 1 to Year 6. • Teachers make good use of specific scientific language. • Good links are made with literacy and numeracy. • Marking of pupils’ work does not always promote effective scientific learning.

p.24

Commentary

60. At the end of Years 2 and 6, results from assessments show that all pupils attain the expected levels and a considerable number achieve higher than this. In national tests in 2004, the percentage of pupils in Year 6 achieving the higher level was high and the school’s results were in the top five per cent nationally. Overall, standards are usually well above the national average and compare favourably with similar schools.

p.24

Commentary

61. The inspection judgement is that standards of work are currently good. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection for pupils in Year 2, but lower than seen previously for pupils in Year 6. The provision for investigative and experimental science is good in Years 1 to 4, but satisfactory in Years 5 and 6. Younger pupils are encouraged to ask questions and make predictions. They understand the need for a fair test and measure and record the outcome of their investigations. In work seen in Year 6, pupils follow the same principles as younger pupils, predicting and ensuring that tests are fair, but pupils record general observations rather than drawing scientific conclusions from their findings. This is noted by the teacher when work is marked, but no corrections or improvements are made and this makes scientific learning for these pupils less effective.

p.24

Commentary

62. Pupils enjoy science. For example, in Years 3 and 4, pupils recalled their previous lesson with enthusiasm and worked industriously on recording the findings of their investigations of how solids can change state. Pupils are both fascinated and excited by their findings and respond well to thought-provoking questions from their teacher. They learned that solids are formed at different temperatures and that their properties sometimes change when heated. Good use of literacy skills helps pupils to record their findings clearly. Pupils have very positive attitudes to science and behave sensibly, allowing independent learning to take place.

p.24

Commentary

63. Teaching is good overall and teachers have good subject knowledge. They gather interesting resources and present work in ways which capture pupils’ imaginations and motivate them. Pupils make good gains in knowledge and understanding and so make good progress through the school. The most effective learning takes place as a result of practical work. It is enhanced when teachers and pupils discuss issues and findings. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are taught to record their findings effectively and in a manner which is likely to promote scientific thinking.

p.24

Commentary

64. The curriculum is well planned and ensures that all pupils build on their knowledge and understanding from year to year. The curriculum is broad enough to cover all aspects of the subject and makes good use of skills developed in literacy, numeracy and ICT. Assessment procedures are very good. Pupils’ progress is assessed regularly and tracked through each year group to check that learning has sufficient pace. The subject is effectively led. The subject leader regularly looks through samples of pupils’ work and talks to staff about her findings. The policy is reviewed and teaching is monitored when science is a focus within the school improvement plan. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 25

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in ICT is good . Substantial improvements have been implemented since the last inspection in resources, curriculum and leadership, which all contribute to maintaining good standards throughout the school.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching, curriculum and resources are of good quality and this means that most pupils achieve good standards. • Excellent use is made of the specialist teaching assistant to improve progress for pupils in all classes. • Teachers have significantly developed their own skills in order to teach this subject effectively. • Good use is made of the computers throughout the school day to support teaching and learning in subjects across the curriculum • Leadership is good. The subject leader has managed a range of improvements well.

p.25

Commentary

65. Standards are above the levels expected for pupils at the end of Year 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress, building on the good start made in the Reception Year. By the end of Year 2 pupils can word process simple sentences, create a graph and add a title, and find information using the computer. They use the computer to create pictures and alter them with different colours. By Year 6 pupils use the computer to create stories and store them. They make plans and create simple databases, along with spreadsheets, such as how to spend holiday pocket money. Pupils are beginning to use computers very successfully to gather and present information. However, keyboard skills for some pupils are weak and this slows down their progress in activities requiring written input. To address this difficulty, children are being taught basic keyboard skills from entry to school.

p.25

Commentary

66. Teachers have attended training and have substantially developed their own skills. This has led to better learning for pupils, supported by a well-organised curriculum and much better resources. Lessons are interesting and pupils enjoy the tasks they are set. Staff make good use of interactive whiteboards to enhance their teaching. For example, in a lesson in the Year 1 and 2 class, effective use of the interactive board really kept pupils focused on the task, enabling them to learn well. Pupils benefit greatly from group lessons with the ICT teaching assistant, generally working well together in pairs on set tasks, for example preparing a computer presentation on Ancient Greece linking with the history topic in Year 6. Such well- focused sessions enable pupils to make good progress. Useful records of ICT skills are kept for all pupils, to show progress and coverage of the curriculum.

p.25

Commentary

67. Leadership is good; the co-ordinator has a good overview of the curriculum. However, the monitoring of teaching and learning is limited and there are few opportunities to check that the planned curriculum is being taught effectively. Resources have been updated and are managed effectively, particularly the maintenance, which is now managed by a technician. More is yet to be done, in line with the ICT focus in the school improvement plan, for example installing additional interactive whiteboards.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

68. Teachers plan good opportunities for the use of ICT across the curriculum. Pupils’ skills are developed effectively through the application of their learning in subjects such as science, art and design and history. Pupils are confident when using ICT and readily turn to it to assist their learning. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 26

p.25

HUMANITIES

It was not possible to see any lessons in religious education due to the organisation of the school’s timetable. No lessons were seen in geography because of the way the subject is covered within the curriculum. In history only two lessons were seen.

p.26

Geography

69. There were no geography lessons during the inspection because of the way the school organises its curriculum. No work was available because geography lessons had not yet started in this academic year. It is therefore not possible to make a judgement on provision. Scrutiny of planning and discussions with pupils suggest that geography skills are developed effectively through the school. Visits locally and to places further afield play an important part in making learning relevant and interesting. The subject is effectively managed.

p.26

History

70. Only two lessons were seen in history. It is therefore not possible to make a judgement on provision. Scrutiny of planning and of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils and teachers suggest that standards and achievement in history are good for pupils in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory for pupils in Years 3 to 6. In one lesson seen, pupils in Years 1 and 2 were shown a wig and a quill pen to help them find out about the past and develop a good understanding of change over time. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 study history through a range of other activities, such as art, cooking and ICT. They learn about the past by looking at pictures of artefacts. For example, during their lesson, pupils in Years 5 and 6 learned about life in Ancient Greece by studying decorations on ancient Greek vases. The use of other subjects to assist learning in history is effective and promotes pupils’ interest in history. The subject is effectively managed

p.26

History

and is monitored closely when history is a focus of the school improvement plan.

p.26

Religious education

71. Scrutiny of planning and pupils’ work and discussions with pupils and teachers suggest that standards are satisfactory and in line with the agreed syllabus for pupils in Years 1 and 2 and good for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Pupils learn about the beliefs and practices of people who follow the Hindu faith. For pupils in Years 3 and 4, responses about the place of prayer in the lives of people from different faiths are thoughtful. The work of higher attaining pupils shows the development of abstract thought. Pupils study the use of metaphors in the Bible and produce good creative writing about the leper who returned to thank Jesus. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 show good gains in their knowledge and understanding of the Old and New Testaments. They are productive and take a pride in their work. Discussions with pupils indicate that they enjoy learning about other faiths and visiting places associated with their

p.26

Religious education

studies. The use of literacy and ICT skills in teaching religious education is effective.

p.26

Art and design

72. No lessons were observed in art and design; it is therefore not possible to make an overall judgment on provision. However, through discussion with co-ordinators, a review of planning and a scrutiny of pupils’ work on display, indications are that work in art is interesting and varied. In the range of work seen, standards are good by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. A display of clay ‘alien’ models in the Year 1 and 2 class was of a very high standard and reflected the pupils’ skills to manipulate materials and improve their work. A strength of work by pupils in Years 3 and 4 was the very good quality of paintings and collages in response to the observation of the techniques and style of artists such as Karl Schwitters and Paul Klee. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 27 The masks made from paper sculpture and painted with gold paint by pupils in Years 5 and 6 created a striking display and reflected the individuality of the pupils’ ideas. Art work is often

p.26

Art and design

effectively linked to other subjects such as history and literacy.

p.27

Design and technology

73. It is not possible to make a judgement on the provision in design and technology because the school’s timetables and planning meant that no lessons were seen and little work had been completed during the time prior to the inspection, so no samples of work were available. Discussions with staff and scrutiny of planning showed that requirements are met during the course of the school year.

p.27

Music

74. No music lessons were seen during the inspection and therefore it is not possible to make a judgement on provision. In assemblies, pupils sing well, with clear diction and tuneful voices. They are accompanied effectively by pupils playing recorders and flutes. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are offered the opportunity to learn to play the recorder and there are opportunities for pupils to play orchestral instruments through taking lessons from visiting music staff. Pupils enjoy attending recorder groups, which are held in school time. They learn to read and interpret music notation and play together as a cohesive group. Throughout the year there are opportunities for pupils to perform in productions, such as the one being prepared for Christmas. The subject is effectively led by a well-informed co-ordinator. The school has recently increased the time allocated for music and has been fortunate to receive a donation

p.27

Music

which was used to purchase an improved selection of multicultural instruments.

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Physical education

75. Two lessons were seen in physical education, both with the same teacher and class. It is therefore not possible to make a judgement on provision across the school. Both lessons seen were led by the subject co-ordinator. In gymnastics teaching was good, and in outdoor games it was very good. Standards ranged from average in games to well above average in gymnastics. In these lessons, the teacher’s coaching was good, giving pupils guidance through direct teaching and demonstration. Since the previous inspection there have been significant developments in the provision for physical education. The new hall and fixed apparatus have ensured pupils have opportunities to develop their gymnastic and dance skills. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 attend swimming lessons in the local town pool for one term each year.

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Physical education

76. The co-ordinator is active and enthusiastic and leads the subject well. A wide range of after- school sporting activities, sports within the community and competitions with other schools contributes to raising standards and pupils’ interest in sport. Older pupils benefit from opportunities for adventurous outdoor activities on residential visits and from the support of outside professional instructors, for example in basket ball. The school is also fortunate to have many parents who readily coach games and support teachers in lessons and after- school clubs.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

77. There is not enough evidence to report on this area individually, but evidence from planning documents and discussions with teachers shows that good attention is given to this area of the school’s work. The school places great emphasis on pupils’ personal development, which permeates the ethos of many aspects of its work. Much of the provision is informal and takes place during assemblies or is embedded in other activities during the school day. Good use is made of time set aside for discussion about topics pertaining to this part of the curriculum. Allithwaite C of E Primary School 28

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 2 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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