Other · Ofsted report

Binsted Church of England Primary School

Inspected — · published 3 Feb 2005 · URN 116271

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No overall grade in this framework

Declan McCarthy

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Declan McCarthy
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116271

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BINSTED CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16-18 November 2004

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BINSTED CHURCH OF ENGLAND 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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BINSTED CHURCH OF ENGLAND 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. Binsted C of E Primary - 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: 74

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Street Binsted Alton Hampshire Postcode: GU34 4NX

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01420 23200 Fax number: 01420 520497

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Ian Yarrow

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the village of Binsted and is attended by pupils from Binsted and nearby villages. The school is much smaller than most primary schools with 74 pupils on roll including 11 children in the reception year. Nearly all pupils are of white British heritage and there are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language. Mobility varies from year to year. In the 2003-2004 academic year mobility was high in Year 6, but it is currently average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is broadly average, and the percentage with a statement of special educational needs is also average. Nearly all pupils’ special educational needs arise from moderate learning difficulties and a few have physical disabilities or Asperger’s syndrome. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. Pupils come from relatively advantageous backgrounds. Attainment on entry to the school fluctuates from year to year and is

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

currently broadly in line with the national average. The school is committed to its Christian ethos and it has strong links with local parishes. The school is involved in the Leadership Development Strategy in Primary Schools and it also has links with Reading University and University College Winchester for initial teacher training and a variety of other professional development. Binsted C of E Primary - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23886 Declan McCarthy Lead inspector English as an additional language English Information and communication technology Geography History Religious education 9756 Ken Parsons Lay inspector 23067 Dee Brigstock Team inspector Foundation Stage Special educational needs Mathematics Science Art and design Design and technology Music Physical Education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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). Binsted C of E Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

This is a good school. Pupils’ achievements are good because teaching and learning are good. Pupils have very good attitudes and behave very well in school as a result of the very good ethos, reflecting Christian principles, and the high quality of care provided by the school. The headteacher provides very good leadership and the school is well managed. The school provides good value for money.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

• Standards are above average and pupils achieve well, particularly in writing, because teachers have high expectations for learning and assessment is very good. • Planning in mathematics is over-reliant on a published scheme of work and this is restricting some pupils’ achievement. • The purposeful leadership of the headteacher has led to strong teamwork and a shared commitment to school improvement. • The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is good because the school provides good support for their learning and ensures they are included in all activities. • Access to all available resources for learning literacy in the reception class is restricted and lessons in literacy are too long. • Planning in the Foundation Stage within single subjects restricts children’s opportunities to make links in their learning, and planning for use of the outdoor classroom for children in the reception class does not include enough links to all areas

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

There has been good improvement since the school was last inspected in February 1999. The key issues identified then have been well addressed. Leadership and management are now good and this has led to good improvement in the quality of teaching, learning and pupils’ achievements. There has been good improvement in the curriculum with more opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning, and there are now good levels of learning resources, including improvements in information and communication technology (ICT). There has been excellent improvement in assessment since the last inspection, which is now very good. The school is well placed to improve further under the very good leadership of the headteacher.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English B C A* A* Mathematics D D E E* Science C D D E Key: A* - very high; A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average; E* - very low. Similar schools are those with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Pupils’ achievement is good. In 2004, the school’s test results in Year 2 were well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics, compared to schools Binsted C of E Primary - 7 nationally. In comparison with schools with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals, the 2004 Year 2 tests results were above average in reading, well above average in writing and average in mathematics. The 2004 Year 6 test results were very high in English (in the top 5 percent), very low (bottom 5 percent) in mathematics and well below average in science, compared to schools with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals. However, there were only 9 pupils in this Year 6 group and care must be taken when interpreting these results, as they vary significantly from year to year. For example in 2003, national data shows that pupils in Year 6 made very good progress in English and

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

mathematics and good progress in science, representing very good overall progress in the core subjects based on their previous performance in their Year 2 tests. Currently pupils’ achievements are very good in English, satisfactory in mathematics, good in science and good in religious education. They are satisfactory in all year groups in ICT. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and the very few pupils who are at an early stage of learning English is good. Therefore, overall pupils’ achievements throughout the school are good. Children in the reception class achieve well in communication, language and literacy and in personal, social and emotional development. Their achievement in mathematical development is satisfactory. By the end of the reception year, nearly all children reach and some exceed the goals expected of their age in most areas of learning. Use of accommodation and aspects of teachers’ planning restrict children’s

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

achievement, which is satisfactory overall.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Pupils’ personal qualities and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are very good . They have very good attitudes to learning, very good relationships with others and their behaviour is very good. Attendance is very good and punctuality is good.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school is providing a good quality of education . Teaching is good and as a result pupils’ learning is good. Teaching is very good in English but is only satisfactory in mathematics because of an over-reliance on a published scheme of work which limits learning and pupils’ achievement. Assessment is very good. There is a very good range of clubs and educational visits to promote pupils’ learning. The school cares for its pupils very well. There are good links with other schools and the community. Links with parents are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership. Subject leadership is good and school governance is satisfactory. The governing body has a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and ensures that all statutory requirements are met. Although governors support the school’s work through its committees, they have not yet fully developed their monitoring role. The school is well managed and runs smoothly.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Parents hold the school in high regard and acknowledge the warm and welcoming ethos of the school. They recognise the good quality teaching and the high quality care provided by the school. Pupils enjoy being at school; they believe other pupils are friendly and they respect staff. Binsted C of E Primary - 8 IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

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

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• to improve teachers’ planning in mathematics so that it does not rely on a commercial scheme • to improve overall planning in the Foundation Stage and develop the use of the outdoor classroom to include learning in all areas of the curriculum • to reduce the length of single literacy lessons in the Foundation Stage and provide more access to curriculum resources. Binsted C of E Primary - 9

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Standards are above average and pupils’ achievements are good. Children’s achievements in the reception year are satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs and those at an early stage of learning English achieve well. There are no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

• Children in the reception year are on course to meet, and some will exceed, the goals expected for their learning. • The results of national tests in 2004 were well above average in Year 2 and in line with national averages in Year 6. • Pupils throughout the school are achieving well: their achievements in English are very good as standards in English are well above average. • Pupils with special educational needs and the very few pupils who are at an early stage of learning English are achieving well. • Weaknesses in teachers’ planning in mathematics and in the reception year sometimes limit learning and achievement.

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Commentary

1. Children enter the reception year with average attainment in literacy and numeracy and above average attainment in personal, social and emotional development. By the end of the reception year, most children are expected to achieve the early learning goals in all areas of learning and some will exceed them. This represents satisfactory achievement overall; teaching is good, but significant weaknesses in curriculum planning and the planned use of the outdoor accommodation limit children’s achievement. Good support is provided for children with special educational needs.

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Commentary

2. Although care must be taken when interpreting the results because groups of pupils are small, there was a substantial rise in the Year 2 national test results in writing in 2004 compared to the 2003 results. Results were well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics compared to schools nationally. In comparison with schools with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals, pupils’ results were above average in reading, well above average in writing and average in mathematics. This is mainly due to a much more rigorous approach in teaching writing, which has been the main focus of the school’s work. National data shows that the rise in standards, over the last five years, was above the national trend.

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Commentary

3. The 2004 Year 6 results in national tests were very high, in the top 5 percent nationally, in English. However they were well below average in mathematics and below average in science, compared to schools nationally. The 2004 Year 6 test results were very high in English (in the top 5 percent), very low (bottom 5 percent) in mathematics and well below average in science, compared to schools with similar numbers of pupils entitled to free school meals. Pupils who took the tests performed less well in mathematics then predicted from teacher assessments because the school reports that many of them had negative attitudes to taking or completing the tests on the day. The trend in the school’s performance over the last five years was below Binsted C of E Primary - 10 the national trend. However, the school’s own analysis of ‘value added’ indicates good achievement, which is also confirmed by LEA monitoring and inspection findings. This

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Commentary

inspection shows that in Year 2, standards in English are well above average, standards in mathematics are broadly average, and standards in science are above average. In Year 6 standards are currently well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. Good achievement and rising standards are also confirmed by the school’s performance against its own targets. In 2004, the school fell short of its targets for Levels 4 and 5 in English and mathematics because of high pupil mobility and the refusal of some to pupils to take or complete the tests. The school is also on course to meet its challenging targets in 2005.

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Commentary

4. Currently, pupils of all capabilities in Years 1 to 6 are achieving well because teachers have secure subject knowledge and set high expectations for pupils’ learning. Pupils’ achievements in English are very good and pupils are also achieving well in science and religious education because teachers have high expectations for learning. However, pupils’ achievements in mathematics are only satisfactory because there is too much reliance on a published scheme of work, which limits learning. Pupils’ achievements in ICT are satisfactory as they are attaining in line with expectations for their age because teaching and learning are satisfactory.

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Commentary

5. Pupils with special educational needs generally make good progress in relation to the targets set for them and are provided with good levels of support from their teachers and the learning support assistants. Pupil targets are regularly evaluated and reviewed, and new targets are set to aid progress, when required. These targets need to be more specific with appropriate timescales to help to ensure that good progress results in mathematics for pupils in Years 5 and 6, and this has been identified by the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). Pupils are removed from the school register for special educational needs when they have achieved the required standards. There is good provision for pupils with special gifts and talents, not only in English and mathematics but also in other areas of expertise, for example in sport. Pupils’ progress is monitored closely and challenging targets and enrichment activities

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Commentary

are provided well, resulting in well above average standards being attained for this group. The very few pupils who are at an early stage of learning English also make good progress and are achieving well because teachers and support staff support language development though the use of visual methods linked to the development of language.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes to school and their behaviour is also very good. Their attendance is well above the national average and their punctuality is good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral social, and cultural development is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have a very positive approach to their education and are very keen to take part in school activities. • Behaviour is very good in most lessons and contributes considerably to the learning taking place. • The school has a very strong ethos which involves very clear expectations of behaviour and effective procedures to support pupils in meeting them. • Relationships are very positive and pupils are proud to be part of the school. • Pupils’ attendance is very good. • The school fosters an excellent spirit of community. Binsted C of E Primary - 11 Commentary

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Main strengths and weaknesses

6. The school has a very strong ethos which values each pupil as an individual and provides very clear expectations for staff and pupils alike. Pupils rise to the challenge and display a very strong interest in their lessons and everything else the school has to offer. They are very pleasant young people whom it is a pleasure to meet. They have a strong sense of belonging and feel very secure in the school. It is a friendly community, with very good relationships between the children and both teaching and non-teaching staff. The small size of the school means that everybody knows everybody else and they look after each other. This is combined with an acceptance of newcomers such as the traveller children in the school. Pupils have a very positive attitude to their teachers and their work. All adults are effective in helping pupils to develop into mature and responsible individuals and providing an atmosphere in which they

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Main strengths and weaknesses

7. This positive ethos is the key to the very good behaviour in lessons and around the school. Pupils work well in all lessons and little time is lost through teachers maintaining order. The pupils are encouraged from a very early age to take responsibility for themselves, for example, even the youngest children are expected to organise themselves at the start of the day. Behaviour around the school is very sensible, with no pushing or shoving. There are hardly any bullying incidents, and then only name calling, but there are procedures in place to deal with any that might occur. There have been no exclusions in recent years. The school is well supervised and recently arrived reception children do not feel threatened by the school environment. Pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes in lessons and hence benefit from the high level of support that they receive. They enjoy good relationships

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Main strengths and weaknesses

with their support assistants and work effectively as individuals or in small groups. They try hard and are happy to be withdrawn from lessons to work with the SENCO, when required to do so. The school’s written behaviour policies were produced a long time ago and are too vague in terms of the guidance they provide; they contribute little to the very positive results the school actually achieves.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

8. The school has a very clear set of moral values to help pupils distinguish right from wrong. Pupils respect the feelings and beliefs of others and are able to work well as part of a group and when contributing towards a common goal; these values are fostered early in the reception year. There are many opportunities for pupils to take responsibilities, ranging from acting as a reading buddy to a younger pupil, taking the register to the office, or organising hymn books for assembly. The school’s strong set of social values emphasise working as a community. There is particular encouragement of concern for others through support for charities. A few pupils do experience some difficulties relating to their peers; the school is acting effectively to address these issues.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.0 School data 0.1 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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Main strengths and weaknesses

9. The school provides a daily act of collective worship for pupils through assemblies and there is a stimulating programme planned through the year to support the exploration of religious, moral and social issues. Pupils have very good self-knowledge and older ones are able to talk about the values of the school and their own contributions to them in a very mature way. Spiritual awareness is evidenced in work such as pupils’ poems about the New Forest. Many of the walls of the school provide a varied display of pupils’ work, whilst there are regular Binsted C of E Primary - 12 opportunities for pupils to develop their self-confidence, such as the very popular residential trips for Year 5 and 6 pupils to Calshot. Topics in religious education help pupils to develop their views on the world and provide very good opportunities for reflection, as seen for example when pupils reflect on guardian angels in their topic on angels. Personal, social and

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Main strengths and weaknesses

health education (PSHE) provision benefits from the way it is delivered by year group rather than by class and contributes well to pupils’ development as individuals. Pupils’ appreciation of their own and others’ cultural traditions is very good: they learn about features of various cultures, including a range of beliefs. A particular feature is the use of ICT to provide a wider perspective from rural Hampshire; pupils communicate by e-mail with an Indian village, they have “talked” to a walker on the Inca Trail in South America in real time, and they have taken virtual tours of a mosque and a synagogue. Pupils are prepared well for life in a multi-cultural society. 10. Pupils want to come to school. Parents are cooperative in ensuring their child’s good attendance, with few taken out of school by parents for holidays in term-time. On occasions, problems with the school coach cause some pupils to arrive a few minutes late in the morning;

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Main strengths and weaknesses

otherwise there is a prompt start to the school day.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. There are very good opportunities for enrichment and all pupils are included well. Teaching and learning are good. Pupils are very well cared for and there are very good links with the community. Links with parents and other schools are good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good. As a result, pupils’ learning and achievement are good. Assessment is very good overall.

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Teaching and learning

• Teachers’ high expectations for pupils’ learning result in pupils’ good achievement. • The teaching of English across the school is very good. • Teachers promote literacy very effectively within subjects and are using ICT increasingly to support teaching and learning. • Teachers maintain very good relationships with pupils and manage their behaviour well. • Good teaching support is provided for pupils with special educational needs and the very few pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. • Very good use is made of assessment information to promote pupils’ learning and achievement.

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Teaching and learning

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

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Teaching and learning

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 8 10 7 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about Binsted C of E Primary - 13 lessons.

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Teaching and learning

11. Overall the quality of teaching is good throughout the school, which is a good improvement since the last inspection. Teaching has improved because the headteacher effectively monitors teaching and learning in lessons on a regular basis, providing good support and good opportunities for professional development where weaknesses have been identified. Good teaching was seen in most subjects throughout the school. Although no unsatisfactory lessons were seen, the quality of teaching in mathematics is not as good as in other subjects. Teachers’ good subject knowledge, particularly in English, ensures that pupils acquire new knowledge and skills quickly and achieve well. Teaching is better in Year 2 and in Years 3 to 6 because planning is more highly developed in most subjects. However in mathematics and in the Foundation Stage there are some weaknesses in teachers’ planning. For example, the literacy lesson is too long for children in the reception year and teachers

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Teaching and learning

are over-reliant on a published scheme of work in mathematics, which restricts learning. Teachers challenge pupils’ thinking and set high expectations for learning and achievement. As a result, pupils work very hard in lessons and concentrate on their learning. Parents and pupils confirm good teaching throughout the school, both in their questionnaires and in discussions. Pupils agree that lessons are interesting, teachers help them when they get stuck and teachers expect them to work hard. 12. English teaching is very good across the school and has resulted in very good achievement of all pupils. Particular strengths include the very effective use of the literacy hour structure with a sharp focus on setting clear objectives, providing rich and stimulating group activities and consolidating learning and evaluating pupils’ progress at the end of lessons. Teachers also make very good use of assessment

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Teaching and learning

information to inform literacy targets and closely monitor pupil progress against these so that they learn very effectively.

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Teaching and learning

13. Literacy is very effectively promoted by teachers across the curriculum. For example, teachers invariably provide good opportunities for discussion through group work and for extended writing. Teachers and support staff are also increasing their confidence in using ICT to promote teaching and learning as a result of effective training. Although good use is generally made of ICT to support teaching and learning in most subjects, in pupils’ work in mathematics and science it is under-developed.

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Teaching and learning

14. Teachers have high expectations for good behaviour and manage pupils’ behaviour very effectively. Consequently, pupils are generally very well behaved in lessons. In some lessons, where teaching was satisfactory, lessons either lacked pace or were a little too dull and, as a result, pupils became distracted from their learning. However, when teachers insist on high standards of behaviour, pupils quickly respond by refocusing on their learning. Teachers maintain very good relationships with pupils and, as a result, pupils listen carefully and follow instructions.

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Teaching and learning

15. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and the very few pupils who are at an early stage of learning English is good overall. Pupils learn effectively at their own pace because of the good quality individual learning programmes that are provided by the SENCO, and the support that they receive from teachers and learning support assistants within lessons. The learning support assistants are very effective because they liaise closely with the SENCO and feel part of a professional team. They give good support to both individuals in their care and to groups of pupils within Binsted C of E Primary - 14 lessons. The one area where this support is not as effective is in mathematics in Years 5 and 6. The SENCO plans to work with this group in the near future to re-assess their individual learning programmes and provide additional support. Pupils with special gifts and talents have challenging extension activities set for them in each year group.

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Teaching and learning

These activities are effective in raising their attainment even further.

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Teaching and learning

16. Assessment systems and their use by teachers are very good, with excellent improvement since the last inspection. At that time assessment was identified as a key issue for improvement. Teachers generally use information from pupils’ learning to carefully match activities to individual needs so that lessons are usually well planned to accommodate the needs of different groups of pupils. As a result, pupils of all attainment levels are achieving well. Target setting is now very well developed. Statutory targets are set for groups of pupils in English and mathematics and individual targets and group targets are set in other subjects. As a result, pupils generally have a clear idea of how well they are achieving and what they need to do to improve their learning. Annual reports to parents on pupils’ achievements are very informative with a clear indication of the National Curriculum levels pupils are

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Teaching and learning

reaching. Very good assessments systems are also in place to record children’s achievements in the reception year.

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The curriculum

Curriculum provision is good overall. It is broad and enriched by a very good range of extra- curricular activities, particularly in sport. Accommodation and resources are good overall, although they are satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. Binsted C of E Primary - 15 Main strengths and weaknesses

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The curriculum

• A very good range of clubs, educational visits and visitors enriches the curriculum. • The planned curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Stage needs to be more focused on the Early Learning Goals. • In the Foundation Stage, planned learning activities for the outdoor area are unsatisfactory. • The school provides good support for pupils with special educational needs, including those with special gifts and talents. • Planning for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good.

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The curriculum

17. A comprehensive programme of clubs, visits and visitors enriches the curriculum very well and this marks a very good improvement since the last inspection. Extra-curricular provision includes clubs for football, netball and tag rugby. In addition, pupils have opportunities to take part in the school recorder groups, drama and embroidery classes. A planned programme of visits and visitors enriches the curriculum in each year group. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 make an annual residential visit to Calshot as part of their geographical, ICT, scientific and physical education studies and pupils in Years 1 and 2 explore their local area as part of their work in history and geography. There is a good range of visitors to the school, including environmental specialists, the police and fire service. The school also organises special focus weeks such a science fair in partnership with the Hampshire Business Partnership. These

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The curriculum

varied experiences provide pupils with good opportunities for learning. Statutory requirements for the National Curriculum are met and the National Literacy Strategy has been effectively implemented, contributing to the well above average standards in English seen in Year 6. Although the structure of the National Numeracy Strategy is in place, teachers have yet to develop and implement their own planning for numeracy in order to extend pupils’ learning.

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The curriculum

18. Children in reception and pupils in Year 1 share the same classroom and teacher. Currently, planning for both groups of children includes objectives from both the Foundation Curriculum and the National Curriculum. This results in some areas of the Foundation Curriculum, particularly in knowledge and understanding of the world, being planned in single subject areas, such as history, geography and science, rather than children’s exploration, in a wide variety of contexts, of the world around them. This is limiting the youngest children’s progress in making meaningful connections between areas of learning.

p.15

The curriculum

19. The outdoor area for children is attractive and used daily by reception children for some physical activities, such as playing with hoops and balls, or for practising their skills in riding large wheeled toy vehicles. It is used well for learning about some aspects of knowledge and understanding of the world, such as observing the changing seasons. However, it is not used well enough as an extension to the classroom, or for regular planned activities in other areas of the curriculum. There is no covered area for use when the weather is wet.

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The curriculum

20. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they achieve well. Clear procedures are in place, which closely follow the Code of Practice. Pupils’ individual Binsted C of E Primary - 16 education plans are all prepared by the SENCO, are of good quality and are reviewed each term. Care is taken to ensure that the work provided for these pupils is closely matched to their needs. Pupils with statements are provided with the most suitable support, in line with the requirements indicated, and their statements are reviewed annually. All pupils with special educational needs are involved in the full range of school activities. Their needs are identified early in their school life and suitable individual programmes of work are set for them. As pupils progress through the school, they receive very good support from learning assistants within lessons, and when withdrawn to work as individuals or in small groups. Pupils with special gifts and

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The curriculum

talents are set more challenging tasks in order for them to achieve well, for example in attending ‘master classes’ in writing at other local schools. On some occasions, gifted and talented pupils are withdrawn from their classrooms to receive small group teaching from the SENCO, who reviews and evaluates the progress they are making. She has very high expectations of their achievement, which they strive to meet. The school also monitors the progress of pupils talented in sport and the creative arts, in order to improve this good provision further.

p.16

The curriculum

21. There is good planning for pupils’ personal, social and health education. The school has developed a policy and scheme of work that includes an appropriate level of sex, drugs and race education. Personal, social and health education is taught effectively as a discrete subject and all classes experience regular ‘circle time’ sessions, where emerging problems can be discussed. Pupils participate in the national ‘Fruit and Vegetable’ scheme.

p.16

The curriculum

22. The school grounds are very attractive, interesting, well planted and contain well- designed conservation areas including a large pond, which is surrounded by a fence. Pupils have access to playground areas that provide an attractive and stimulating environment. Classrooms are attractive and clean areas for learning. However, access for people with physical disabilities is restricted due to the nature of the building, one classroom being only accessible via a flight of stairs, and corridors and doorways are narrow. Some classrooms, particularly the one used by the youngest children, are cramped. The school has plans to construct a mezzanine floor in this room to improve the amount of space available. The quality and quantity of resources is good overall and they are stored and labelled well.

p.16

The curriculum

23. There are good induction procedures for children in the reception class, including a home visit by the headteacher to each new entrant. New parents are provided with packs of information about the school and the curriculum, and children have a staggered beginning to school life to enable them to adjust well. Links with other schools are good, so that pupils are well prepared when they move onto the next stage of their education.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

There are very good arrangements to ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. The school provides pupils with very good support, advice and guidance and involves them well in its work and development.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

Binsted C of E Primary - 17 • Pupils have very good and trusting relationships with their teachers and other staff. • Pupils have access to well-informed advice and guidance when they need it. • Health and safety and child protection procedures are effective. • Very good induction procedures ensure that pupils have a smooth start to their formal education.

p.17

Commentary

24. The school provides a safe working environment. Risk assessments are thorough and also cover school trips. Routine safety procedures are all in place, with appropriate support from the local education authority. Year 6 pupils are encouraged to be aware of such issues through attendance at the Think Safe Event organised by the local police and fire services. Child protection procedures fulfil requirements and are effective; staff are regularly briefed on their responsibilities and appropriate records are kept. The school works well with agencies such as social services to ensure that pupils get additional help when they need it.

p.17

Commentary

25. Pastoral care of pupils is very good. It starts with very effective induction arrangements for reception children, with the headteacher visiting all these children in their homes and opportunities for the children to visit the school several times before entry. Teachers and other staff know their pupils very well. Relationships are very good and pupils are confident that there is an adult they could go to with a problem. Although largely informal, there is a very effective system to monitor pupils’ personal development based on the strong relationships and teachers’ very good knowledge of their pupils in this small school. This enables staff to pick up problems quickly and also to recognise success. The very good assessment procedures in the school ensure that the teachers have a very clear view of each pupil’s achievement and they use this knowledge very well to provide additional help and guidance when it is needed. There

p.17

Commentary

is well-planned additional support for pupils with special educational needs, targeted at their specific needs, so that the children involved can progress in line with their peers. Clear records are kept, and effective monitoring by the coordinator and class teachers contributes to the good progress of pupils with special educational needs. They are identified at an early stage of their school career; regularly assessed and a wide variety of information is recorded to help identify pupils' current attainment. The information gained is used most effectively to provide suitable new work for individual pupils.

p.17

Commentary

26. The school does not have a formal school council but again its size means that it is effective in ascertaining pupils’ views in less formal ways. Much of its success depends on the way that children are encouraged to articulate their views and the way that teachers are sensitive to the pupils’ feelings and needs.

p.17

Commentary

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

p.17

Commentary

There are good partnerships with parents and other schools. There are very good links with the local community.

p.17

Commentary

• Parents are supportive of the school. Binsted C of E Primary - 18 • There are good links with other schools and Binsted contributes very well to wider partnerships. • The information provided to parents is comprehensive and generally gives them a good level of detail on how their children are achieving.

p.17

Commentary

27. Parents are generally supportive of the school and think that their children are receiving a very good education; they think the staff help to encourage pupils to become mature and independent. They think that the school staff are approachable and hence any issues are resolved quickly. Parents are kept informed about what is going on in the life of the school through regular letters and for younger pupils, reading diaries are actively used as a two-way means of communication. In addition, the school is quick to contact parents if their child is having problems. Parents have regular opportunities to discuss their children’s progress at annual parents’ evenings in the spring term; parents feel that these discussions show how well teachers know their child. There is an informative and well-produced written report each year. Each term parents get the opportunity for their children to show them their work on “Look

p.18

Commentary

28. The school receives good support from parents whose children have special educational needs. Parents regularly attend review meetings to contribute to their children’s learning and are generally happy with the level of support that the school provides.

p.18

Commentary

29. Parents support the school well through the Friends of Binsted School, who are very active in organising a range of social and fundraising events; for example, the children have recently benefited from the playground fort structure that they have funded. The school works closely with other schools in the area as part of the local cluster and there are good transfer arrangements with the secondary school to which most Year 6 pupils go. The school is an important part of its local community. There are particularly good links with the church, with the local vicar conducting an act of worship once a week. The school makes use of its local community facilities to support the curriculum and local people are supportive of the school.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and subject coordinators are fulfilling their roles effectively. Management is good and school governance is satisfactory.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• The very good leadership of the headteacher has led to a very good ethos for learning and achievement and strong teamwork among staff. • Coordinators are developing their subjects well and this has resulted in good teaching and learning. • Effective management has had a positive impact on school improvement. Binsted C of E Primary - 19 • The governing body effectively supports the school’s work but has yet to formalise monitoring arrangements within subjects and aspects of the school’s work.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

30. The headteacher has worked very effectively to develop strong teamwork among staff and develop good inclusion for all pupils in the school, since the last inspection. She enjoys the full confidence of staff, governors and parents alike and she has successfully established a very good ethos for learning and achievement by setting high expectations for all pupils across the school, providing a very good role model for teaching and taking a strong lead on developing the curriculum. For example, she has worked energetically and very effectively with the English and assessment coordinators to raise standards in pupils’ writing, and improve assessment, by focusing on the quality of teaching and learning. As a result, standards in writing have vastly improved and there has been excellent improvement in assessment and its use by teachers to improve learning. The headteacher has also established strong links with

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

establishments of higher education and the county, not only for initial teacher training but also for the ongoing professional development of staff, for example, in developing further training in using ICT to support teaching and learning. The headteacher combines her teaching and leadership and management roles very effectively for the benefit of staff and pupils alike.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

31. Subject coordinators provide good leadership and management overall. They show a commitment to raising standards and improving teaching and learning in monitoring planning and the use of assessment planning. However, leadership of the Foundation Stage and mathematics is satisfactory as a more rigorous approach is needed to improve planning in these areas. Furthermore, monitoring in mathematics is not yet in place. The SENCO is knowledgeable and manages this aspect well. She has clear procedures for dealing with pupils with special educational needs and a good understanding of the Code of Practice. She works well with other teachers and the learning support assistants. She keeps very clear records of the progress of pupils over time. Her action plan rightly pinpoints the need to provide additional guidance and support for staff and pupils in Years 5 and 6.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

32. Overall governance is satisfactory. Governors ensure that statutory requirements are met and they support the work of the headteacher and staff. Although governors challenge the school’s work through governors’ committees, formal arrangements for monitoring and reviewing subjects with coordinators are not yet in place However, the governing body has a very good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and they visit the school regularly, for example, assemblies, classrooms and school performances.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

33. Management is good and the school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. Very good analysis of performance data by the headteacher has led to improvements in teaching, learning and pupils’ achievements, particularly in writing, through the setting of challenging whole-school targets for pupils’ performance in national tests. Furthermore, as a result of this analysis, the headteacher rightly recognises the need to improve planning in mathematics. The headteacher has also implemented performance management well in the school, and it is closely linked to development planning and continual professional development. There are good arrangements for Binsted C of E Primary - 20 monitoring the school’s work, particularly in the systematic monitoring of teaching and learning in all classes, which have been effective in bringing about school improvements and in the school’s own recognition of the issues of this inspection. The

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

budget is managed effectively and the school receives good support from the finance officer, who prepares regular budget statements for the governing body’s finance committee to scrutinise. Although the proportion of the budget carried forward to the current financial year appears high, a high proportion of this has been set aside for capital expenditure for improving the school’s resources and strategic planning, with a small proportion set aside for contingency. The school is effective in achieving best value in its spending decisions.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 316,826 Balance from previous year 3,039 Total expenditure 276,627 Balance carried forward to the next 43,238 Expenditure per pupil 3,593 Binsted C of E Primary - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

34. The provision for children in reception is satisfactory, as it was at the time of the last inspection. Four-year-olds are admitted to the school each September and all of them have had some form of pre-school experience. The year groups are small, and children’s attainment on entry can vary quite widely from year to year. It is average overall for the eleven children currently in reception.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

35. The planned activities are stimulating and hold children’s attention well. Although there are weaknesses in curriculum planning which restrict children’s achievements, overall teaching is good because lessons are stimulating and lively with good opportunities to promote children’s achievement. Furthermore, strong teamwork with teaching assistants and very good relationships promote children’s confidence in learning. The teacher is the coordinator; her management skills are good, as shown in her organisation of teaching assistants and the accuracy of the assessments she makes on what children know and can do. These assessments provide very valuable information on what children need to learn next to improve further. The teacher’s leadership skills are satisfactory. She has a good knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Curriculum but has not had the opportunity to lead curriculum development since the last inspection. Planning documents, for example in knowledge and

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

understanding of the world, focus on individual subject teaching such as science, geography and history and as a result the delivery of lessons with a single subject focus is restricting children’s opportunities to make links in their learning; this is why, overall, children’s achievement is satisfactory rather than good.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is good and assessments are accurate and up to date. • Relationships between staff, children and parents are very good.

p.21

Commentary

36. Most children are expected to exceed their goals in this area of learning by the time they leave reception. Children are well mannered and polite to adults and usually to each other. They know how to take turns and freely express their opinions, although they are not all mature enough to share resources well. They put and take off their own coats and hang these tidily on their own pegs. They confidently visit the toilets alone and know that they should wash their hands before returning to the classroom. Children choose activities with increasing independence and are confident to ask for support when required.

p.21

Commentary

37. The quality of teaching is good. The teacher provides good learning opportunities, which successfully promote pupils’ achievement. A good example of this is her introduction of a weekly planning sheet. At times during the day, children are allowed to choose their learning activities independently. They mark their individual planning sheets when they have, for example, played in the water tray, or used the playdough to make models. The teacher tracks which activities they have avoided and then actively encourages them to explore and learn from these in future lessons. This system gives children a say in their management of time, and the choices they make, and contributes positively to their increasing maturity. The Binsted C of E Primary - 22 teacher’s assessments are up to date and accurate and they are used well to plan the next steps in children’s learning. For example, she is now concentrating on encouraging children to

p.21

Commentary

share resources as this was identified as a weaker area. 38. The teacher and learning support assistants provide very good role models for children to follow. This successfully raises children’s expectations on how to behave and leads to very good relationships between children and adults in the room. Parents are welcomed every morning and afternoon and have confidence that the teacher values their views and concerns.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children’s speaking and listening skills are above average and they achieve well because the quality of teaching is good. • Literacy lessons are too long and held in the school hall. This is unsatisfactory. • The teacher’s partnership with parents is an important factor in children’s good achievement in reading.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

39. Children have good speaking and listening skills. Most speak in clear sentences and engage well in conversations with adults, listening to responses and then replying. They express their likes and dislikes clearly and with reasons. Children are beginning to learn to write, and some ‘write’ their own letters and notes in the writing corner using recognisable letter formations. They recognise their written names and can copy their first names onto their work and are learning letter sounds and shapes rapidly because of good, focused teaching. They are on course to meet the Early Learning Goals in the elements of writing and reading and are likely to exceed them in speaking and listening. Their achievement is good within this broad band.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

40. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers and other adults provide good role models and listen intently to children. The learning activities the teachers provide are well planned to take children’s learning forward at a good rate and teachers’ assessments are accurate and up-to- date. These assessments are used well to plan the next steps in learning for individual children.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

41. In the mornings, the headteacher takes the reception children into the hall for focused teaching in literacy skills, while pupils in Years 1 and 2 use the classroom. Lessons in the hall contain a wide range of learning activities including recognition of letters, practising writing skills, drawing, singing rhymes and shared and individual reading of Big Books. This good and, on occasion, very good, focused teaching is a factor in children’s good achievement. Those children, particularly the youngest, with less well-developed speaking and listening skills benefit from being in a small group as the teacher has additional time to encourage them to use a wider range of vocabulary with increased confidence. However, the lesson is an hour long and children are learning literacy skills in isolation from other areas of the curriculum. In addition, the chairs and tables they use are too big, so their feet do not touch the floor. The

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

daily use of the hall and the length of lessons are unsatisfactory, and need to be reviewed.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

42. There is a good range of books in the classroom which children access freely when doing independent activities. Parents help children’s learning through sharing books and practising the new words at home. The home/school book, which goes daily from school to home and back, contains comments and assessments from parents and the teacher, and this partnership is successful in ensuring children’s good achievement. Binsted C of E Primary - 23

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is good and children learn well through practical activities. • Not enough use is made of the outdoor area for learning.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

43. Although children enter school able to count, several of them do not recognise numbers. Their above average skills in language help them to learn quickly but their achievement is limited by their lack of practical pre-school learning activities. For example, when investigating aspects of capacity in the water tray, some children regularly over-filled containers because they did not understand that containers of the same height but a different width could hold more or less water. Currently their attainment is average, and their achievement is satisfactory. They are on course to reach the goals expected in this area of learning.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

44. The quality of teaching is good. The teacher is broadening children’s knowledge and understanding of early mathematical concepts through the provision of a wide range of good, practical learning opportunities. For example, in one lesson, children learned how to use scales to find out which teddy bears were heavier or lighter than others. At the beginning of the activity several children predicted that the largest bear would be the heaviest, but by the end, they had learned not to confuse size with mass. The teacher directed their learning through good focused questioning with two children at a time and in this activity children’s achievement was good. At the end of the activity, the teacher recorded her accurate assessments of children’s learning. This is a well-established system, and ensures that assessments are very accurate and up-to-date.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

45. The outdoor area is not used well for planned mathematical activities such as counting and sequencing. Although there are number lines and patterns on the playground, children play, rather than learn, on these resources.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

46. It was not possible to make an overall judgement of provision or standards in this wide area of learning. Children are confident in using a simple computer program to make patterns and can use some of the functions to alter these patterns. They can load, play and listen to audiotapes independently using a tape recorder. They also investigated plastic objects when learning about the properties of materials. However, the objectives in this activity were not fully met as the children confused visual and tactile observations instead of the properties of plastic. The lesson’s scientific focus had no links to other areas of learning, and the learning objectives were too challenging for such young children.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

47. The curriculum plans focus too much on single subject areas such as science, history and geography, and have more in common with the National Curriculum than the Foundation Curriculum. This limits children’s opportunities to make meaningful links in their learning.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

48. This area of learning was sampled as only part of one lesson was seen. This session was held outdoors and supervised by a classroom assistant. Children could ride large wheeled toy vehicles well and could accurately throw a ball through a hoop. They could all cooperate in a game of ‘What’s the time Mr. Wolf?’ and knew and understood the rules of the game. Binsted C of E Primary - 24 Children’s behaviour was very good. The session had no clear learning objectives and no assessments of children’s learning took place.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

49. Children refine their fine motor skills in the classroom through activities such as drawing, painting and tracing activities or through manipulating play dough. Their skills in physical development are average for their age and they are on course to meet the Early Learning Goals in this area.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

50. Children’s outdoor education is not developed well enough and planning for learning is unsatisfactory. Although the grounds are used for investigating areas of knowledge and understanding of the world such as ‘minibeast’ hunts, or observation of the four seasons, there are no regular planned activities to enhance children’s learning in other areas of the curriculum such as mathematical development. The play area is painted with a good range of patterns, such as a track for riding wheeled toys and a number line, and there are tables and benches for children to use, but there is no covered area to use when the weather is wet.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

51. This area of learning was sampled. The coordinator has rightly identified this to be an area of development and has begun to plan some links in children’s learning, for example, designing and organising a teddy bear’s picnic, making a cup from clay and making a hat for a teddy. However, as with children’s learning about the wider world, the planning is currently split into National Curriculum subjects for music, design and technology, and art and design rather than the Foundation Curriculum for creative development. This is limiting children’s opportunities to make links in their learning.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

52. Children can sing quite tunefully and know a good range of nursery rhymes and songs. They have a good sense of rhythm for their age. They have used ICT to create patterns, and use role-play areas appropriately although the current focus on a ‘launderette’ does not link to any current theme of work.

p.24

ENGLISH

• Standards well above those expected, particularly for reading and writing. • Teaching and learning are very good, which ensures that all pupils achieve very well. • There are very good opportunities for extending the learning of higher attaining pupils. • Very good inclusion ensures all pupils with special educational needs and the very few who are at an early stage of learning English achieve as well as other pupils. • Very good leadership has ensured that the quality of pupils’ writing has improved significantly throughout the school.

p.24

ENGLISH

53. Standards vary considerably from year to year because the numbers of pupils in year groups are small. In 2004, standards reached in national tests were well above average in reading, writing, speaking and listening at the end of Year 2 and Binsted C of E Primary - 25 exceptionally high in all aspects of English by the end of Year 6. The 2004 Year 6 results show very good improvement compared with Year 6 pupils’ performance in the 2003 tests, which were broadly average. Pupils currently in school continue to reach well above average standards in Year 6 and in Year 2.

p.24

ENGLISH

54. Pupils’ achievement, based on their prior attainment, is very good overall. The younger pupils make very good progress in Years 1 and 2. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils achieve much more now than they did at the time of the previous inspection, particularly in writing, because there has been very good improvement in teaching and learning as a result of very good leadership. Teachers’ planning is thorough and fully reflects the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and deliver lessons at a brisk pace, making very good use of resources to promote literacy. Very good relationships between adults and pupils and strong teamwork with teaching assistants ensure that all pupils are engaged in learning and are well motivated. Pupils concentrate and do their best in lessons because teachers have high expectations for learning and make very good use of

p.25

ENGLISH

assessment in lessons to develop pupils’ learning. Whole school, individual and group literacy targets are set for all pupils and these are clearly displayed so that pupils know exactly what they must do to improve their learning. Effective use is made of ICT to support teaching and learning. There are many examples in pupils’ work showing very good use of ICT, for example in bringing pupils’ poetry alive and producing journalistic styles of writing which impact on the reader.

p.25

ENGLISH

55. Reading is very effectively taught throughout the school. Pupils read each day and teachers group pupils by ability, guiding reading by focusing on specific skills that enable pupils to read a variety of texts with good levels of comprehension. In a good shared reading activity in Year 6, pupils read difficult texts with expression, pausing at commas and full stops and using accurate intonation for question marks, exclamation marks and speech marks. The teacher challenged pupils to maintain fluency and the support assistant provided very good encouragement and constant feedback for pupils with special educational needs so that they enjoyed their reading. Younger pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop a good understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts and they are provided with very good opportunities to read these on a daily basis. Pupils are also encouraged to read daily to parents, which is regularly recorded and monitored so

p.25

ENGLISH

that pupils quickly gain in confidence with reading.

p.25

ENGLISH

56. There are very good opportunities for developing speaking and listening and these activities are regularly planned as part of the literacy hour. Speaking and listening skills are extended through drama, such as the performance of a play ‘Where The Wild Things Are’. As a result, all pupils develop confidence in speaking and listening. Speaking and listening activities are linked very effectively to writing. Pupils are encouraged to write for different purposes and teachers have high expectations and provide imaginative opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills. For example, in Year 1, pupils completed writing journals, pupils in Years 3 and 4 wrote shape poetry and checklists of features which identify fiction and non-fiction texts, and pupils in Years 5 and 6 wrote complex sentences using imaginative words and clauses; they produce standard business letters, lists, instructions and very good examples of

p.25

ENGLISH

persuasive writing. Teachers’ marking provides pupils with specific feedback on how they can improve their writing. As a result, pupils’ written work is neatly presented, Binsted C of E Primary - 26 letters are formed correctly, words are evenly spaced, spelling is accurate and pupils pay careful attention to the correct use of grammar and punctuation.

p.25

ENGLISH

57. The most able pupils are involved in a very good initiative involving Hampshire Business Partnership to promote their writing skills. This term they are participating in a journalism course, attending a local junior school, and learning how to extend their writing with pupils from other schools of similar ability. As a result, they are reaching very high standards.

p.26

ENGLISH

58. Pupils with special educational needs and those very few pupils who are at an early stage of learning English enjoy full access to the curriculum and are fully included in all activities. As a result, they achieve very well and often exceed expectations in National Curriculum tests because they are identified early, they receive very good support for literacy and their progress is very effectively monitored.

p.26

ENGLISH

59. Leadership and management are very good and have led to very good improvements in the curriculum, teaching and learning and consequently pupils’ achievements, since the last inspection. As a result of careful monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ attainment, highly effective whole school approaches have been developed to improve pupils’ writing. For example, the action research project ‘Talk For Writing’ in Year 1 links speaking and listening through activities to writing for a purpose. There has been excellent improvement in assessment, which is now very good. At the time of the last inspection it was unsatisfactory. The coordinator now monitors teachers’ assessment records to check that targets are set for all pupils and they are on course to achieve them. The coordinator has also ensured very good improvement in the use of ICT to support teaching and learning and has produced a very clear action plan to develop

p.26