Broadwater CofE Primary School

BROADWATER CofE FIRST and MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 February – 3 March 2005

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BROADWATER CofE FIRST and MIDDLE SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 2 - February 2005 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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BROADWATER CofE FIRST and MIDDLE 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. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 3 - February 2005

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First and middle School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4 to 12 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 491

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rectory Gardens Worthing West Sussex Postcode: BN14 7TQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01903 235389 Fax number: 01903 215047

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs C Colthurst

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11 June 2001

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Broadwater Church of England First and Middle School is in a residential area of Worthing, West Sussex. There are 491 pupils at this school, which is much larger than the average primary school. The attainment of most children on entry to the Reception Year of the Foundation Stage is below average. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is very low. The 13 per cent of pupils with special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average. Most of these pupils need additional support to improve their language, literacy and numeracy skills. The 1 per cent of pupils in receipt of a statement is below average. A very small proportion of pupils learn in English as an additional language, none of whom are in the early stages of learning in English and all are very competent English language users. The school is oversubscribed in most year groups. The proportion of pupils leaving and joining the school other than at the usual times is high because

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

more join the school than leave. Over the last two years a high proportion of teachers have left and joined the school. More teachers join than leave. The previous deputy headteacher left the school to be the headteacher of another school and governors are seeking a replacement. The school achieved the Investor in People award in 2004. It gained the Education Extra Distinction award in 2003 for the quality and range of activities provided outside lessons. It values highly its partnership with the diocese and local churches. As a result of a successful bid for funding from the British Council it also values highly its partnership with a school in Guinea, Africa and the exchange of teachers between schools. The school is an active partner in the East Worthing Family of Schools. It is working with the local education authority to develop a County Framework for design and technology and is part of a county initiative entitled Transition from Reception to Year 1 to identify

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

best practice. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 4 - February 2005

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

7704 Mr M Phillips Lead inspector English Geography Special educational needs 9457 Ms G Bindoff Lay inspector 20003 Mrs S Metcalfe Team inspector Art and design Physical education English as an additional language Areas of learning in the Foundation Stage 22778 Mrs A Shannon Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Music 32606 Mrs V Derwas Team inspector Mathematics Design and technology History Citizenship

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Anglia House Carrs Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 2LA

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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). Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 5 - February 2005

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 29

Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 6 - February 2005

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school. The excellent leadership of the headteacher and very good teaching lead to pupils’ high standards and very good achievement. The school gives very good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• the commitment by the headteacher, senior teachers, governors and staff to high standards; • the very good standards in English, mathematics and science; • pupils’ basic skills of literacy, mathematics and ICT are applied effectively in all subjects; • pupils’ very good achievement throughout the school; • the strong Christian values that underpin all the school strives to achieve; • very effective use of assessment data contributes to very good teaching; • special educational needs pupils make very good progress; • the excellent enrichment of pupils’ learning through activities outside lessons; • the pupils’ very good behaviour and attitudes; • the guidance to help teachers plan citizenship lessons in Year 7 is not fully in place; • marking of pupils’ completed work is inconsistent.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made a very good improvement since the last inspection in March 2003. This is because leadership has improved and, as a result, teaching has improved dramatically and pupils’ achievement is now very good. All key issues from the previous inspection have been successfully dealt with.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Achievement is very good. Children enter Reception classes of the Foundation Stage with standards below those expected in numeracy and literacy and achieve very well by the time they enter Year 1 to reach standards expected in each of their Early Learning Goals. Some children exceed these expectations. Achievement is very good. Standards are well above national averages by the end of Year 2 in reading, writing, mathematics, science and above in information and communication technology (ICT). By Year 6, standards are well above national averages for most pupils in English, mathematics and science. By Year 7 they are very good and in mathematics for a few pupils they are high. ICT standards are above those expected nationally by Year 6. Throughout the school standards continue to rise and by Year 6 are higher than the results for 2004, shown in the table. There are no differences in achievement between boys and girls or between other groups of pupils.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Special educational needs pupils make the same very good progress as more able and gifted and talented pupils.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

all schools Similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English C B B A Mathematics C B B A Science C A A A Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 7 - February 2005 Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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

development, is very good. Very effective systems promote very good attendance. The school’s strong Christian ethos is evident in the ways staff act as exemplary role models for pupils. Pupils’ Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 8 - February 2005 attitudes and behaviour are very good and they have an exemplary understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Their support for the numerous activities after lessons is excellent. Pupils eagerly seize opportunities to be responsible. There is very good provision for pupils to learn about their own and others’ faiths and cultures through highly effective links with the church, community and a school in Guinea, West Africa. The trust between teachers and pupils is excellent.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Teaching is very good. The quality of education provided by the school is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The excellent use of assessment to plan lessons has contributed significantly to rising standards in core subjects. Teaching and learning are very good and sometimes excellent. The very good use of teaching assistants to improve pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills contributes to rising standards. Marking of some pupils’ work does not consistently show them how to improve. The very good curriculum enriches pupils’ learning through an excellent range of activities after lessons. The teaching of citizenship to Year 7 pupils is not planned well enough to ensure that they have a good understanding of all aspects of the subject. Excellent provision for special educational needs contributes to their very good progress. Provision for more able and talented and gifted pupils is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The leadership and management of the school are very good. The leadership of the headteacher and her senior teachers is excellent. The governors do their work very well and support the headteacher.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Staff and governors share the headteacher’s commitment to high standards that is based on care, teamwork and Christian principles. Leadership and management of most subjects are very good. The school’s evaluation of its effectiveness contributes to an excellent strategic improvement plan. Very well led governors are actively involved with the school, using their skills and experience very well as critical friends to shape the future of the school.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils are very satisfied with the quality of education provided. Parents value highly the leadership of the school, its welcoming atmosphere, approachable teachers, teaching, their children’s progress and care their children receive. Pupils say that they work hard, learning is fun and they get lots of help to improve. Inspectors disagree with those parents who said that that they do not get enough information about the school and how their children are getting on. In fact, the school provides a great deal of information. A few parents expressed concern about behaviour and bullying. Inspectors found behaviour to be very good and that there are very good systems to deal with bullying should it occur.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• to improve provision for Citizenship in Year 7;* • to ensure existing very good practice in the marking of pupils’ work is consistent throughout the school.* Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 9 - February 2005 *The asterisks identify areas to improve present in the school improvement plan. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 10 - February 2005

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, pupils achieve very well and this is a remarkable improvement since the previous inspection. Most children begin their education in the Reception Year with good standards in personal, social and emotional development but below average standards in numeracy, literacy and communication skills. They achieve well in Reception and standards rise to average for most children by the time they are ready for Year 1 and for some of them standards are good. Pupils achieve very well in Years 1 and 2 and standards rise to well above average in Year 2. Pupils continue to achieve very well in Years 3 to 6 and standards are again well above average in Year 6. In Year 7, pupils continue their very good achievement, reaching standards well above average for children of this age, and the highest attaining pupils reach very high standards in mathematics.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• By Years 2 and 6, standards in English and mathematics are well above average. • In science, standards are well above average in Years 6 and 7. • In Year 7, very able pupils reach very high standards in mathematics. • Standards by Year 7 are above average in design and technology and ICT. • Pupils have good basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT, which they apply effectively to their learning in other subjects. • Achievement is very good through the school. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress.

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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 28.2 (28.2) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 28.2 (28.1) 27.0 (26.8) Science 30.5 (30.4) 28.6 (28.6) There were 62 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. By the time they enter Year 1, children in the Reception classes achieve well from a below average base to reach Early Learning Goals in numeracy and literacy. They enter Reception with good social skills and most have good language skills and these, combined with effective teaching, explain their good achievement.

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Commentary

2. Very able and gifted and talented children and those with special educational needs are identified very effectively throughout the school, contributing to their very good achievement. Very good learning is sustained throughout Years 1 to 7 so that pupils’ achievement is very good. Standards are well above average by the end of Years 2, 6 and 7.

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Commentary

3. At the time of inspection, standards in Year 2 in reading and writing and in mathematics were well above national averages and, in science, they were above Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 11 - February 2005 average. The results of the 2004 national test results for Year 2 are consistent with the findings of the inspection. The results in reading, writing and mathematics were also well above national averages. They were also well above those of similar schools. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 12 - February 2005 4. The 2004 national test results for Year 6 were well above average overall. They were above average in English and mathematics and well above average in science. Overall, they closely match standards seen in the inspection. In comparison with similar schools, these national test results for Year 6 were in line with national averages but above for science. In Years 6 and 7, science standards improve to well

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Commentary

above average. In both Years 6 and 7, standards in mathematics and English are also well above.

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Commentary

5. In ICT, standards by the end of Years 2, 6 and 7 are above those expected. Although design and technology could not be inspected in depth, standards in Year 7 are above what is typical for pupils of this age. Too few lessons were seen to reach secure judgements about standards in most other subjects. Very good learning was observed in a well taught Year 5 PE lesson and a well taught Year 5 history lesson.

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Commentary

6. Numeracy skills and ICT skills are above average. Literacy skills are well above average. Pupils apply their basic skills well to their learning in all subjects across the curriculum. This improving aspect of provision is one reason why standards are rising and this is good. Through the school, there is no difference in learning or achievement between boys and girls or between pupils from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. No pupils are in the early stages of learning in English as an additional language.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes to school and their behaviour is very good . Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also very good . Attendance is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has excellent strategies for promoting attendance. • Pupils’ interest in all aspects of their learning is excellent. • The school has very high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and excellent strategies for pupils to contribute to the school’s very orderly learning environment. • There are excellent relationships between the pupils and between the pupils and adults. • Very strong moral guidance enables pupils to be very clear about differences between right and wrong. • Some excellent opportunities are provided for pupils to develop personal qualities.

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Commentary

7. The school makes excellent use of its very good partnership with parents to ensure that they are very familiar with arrangements about notifying the school about pupil absences. The very friendly welcome to parents and children in the playground before the start of the school day encourages parents and carers to bring their children to school on time. Parents are very supportive of the school’s expectations and almost all families ensure that their children attend regularly. Attendance is well above the national average and unauthorised absence is below the national average. Pupils with patterns of arriving late are identified promptly and excellent support is available from the Education Welfare Officer when needed.

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Commentary

8. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour have improved well since the previous inspection and are now very good. This improvement has been led very effectively by the Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 13 - February 2005 headteacher and there are now consistently very high expectations throughout the school. One pupil was excluded for two short fixed term periods over the last year. Pupils enjoy their learning and their evident enthusiasm, attention and sustained effort lead to their very good achievement. Year 6 pupils keenly improved their data handling skills. They responded very actively to the challenges set by their teacher and took considerable pride in the spreadsheets they made. The superb Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 14 - February 2005 range of activities offered to pupils both in lessons, at lunchtimes and through school clubs add enormously to the fun pupils have at school. The excellent singing of the

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Infant Choir at lunchtime was a delight to hear because the pupils were obviously enjoying themselves so much.

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Commentary

9. Children in the Reception Year develop very positive attitudes to school and are very keen to contribute their ideas in lessons. They learn to work independently and to share and cooperate well because of patient and consistently very good guidance from teachers and other adults in the classroom. Nearly all children attain the Early Learning Goals for personal, social and emotional development by the time they transfer into Year 1. By the time pupils reach Year 6 and Year 7, they have mature discussions about matters that interest them, take responsibilities within the school and understand well what it means to be a responsible citizen. These positive attitudes flow from the school’s practice of involving pupils in decisions about school life, for example, through school and class councils and by formulating codes of behaviour and strategies for preventing and dealing with bullying should it occur. The

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school identifies swiftly signs of potential bullying and takes decisive action to ensure pupils work in an atmosphere free from oppressive behaviour.

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Commentary

10. Staff provide excellent role models for pupils in the ways that they promote inclusion and the excellent relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults reflect the strong emphasis on care and compassion throughout the school. The Christian foundation of the school is very evident in its daily life and strongly influences pupils’ values, their understanding of what is right, their appreciation of the needs of others and their inspiration to do their best. Very good support is given to pupils who have difficulties in their social relationships and behaviour and this has had some excellent results.

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Commentary

11. The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Some opportunities for pupils to wonder at the natural world are excellent. Children in the Reception classes were fascinated by ducks and ducklings brought into their class. In a Year 6 literacy lesson, pupils were fascinated by their study of reptiles in class, including a python. These experiences contribute very effectively to pupils’ spiritual development. Their awareness of their own spirituality is fostered very effectively and leads to the youngest children reflecting on what promises mean and to pupils in Year 2 identifying the characteristics which make each individual pupil special. The recent link with a school in Guinea, West Africa, provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ cultural development and is having a profound impact on pupils’ understanding of life in Africa. It has inspired excellent displays around the school and wonderful

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experiences for the pupils. They are beginning to appreciate and value a culture very different from their own.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.0 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. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 15 - February 2005 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 427 2 0 White – Irish 1 0 0 White – any other White background 7 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 5 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 2 0 0 Black or Black British – African 3 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 42 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Teaching, learning and the curriculum are very good. Pupils are looked after very well and their progress is very effectively monitored and guided. The school has a very good partnership with parents, a good relationship with other schools, and excellent links with the community and church.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Teaching and learning are very good. There is excellent use of assessment to plan lessons but a weakness in the marking of some pupils’ work.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have extremely high expectations for academic work and for behaviour. • Lesson planning is outstanding. • Teaching of basic skills is effective. • Pupils are very eager to learn and they produce a lot of work. • The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 42 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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4 (10%) 19 (45%) 16 (38%) 3 (7%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

12. Teaching and learning are good in the Reception Year where there is some excellent use of assessment to plan lessons. Teaching and learning are very good by Year 2. A high proportion of good teaching and learning by Year 6 is very good and a small Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 16 - February 2005 proportion is excellent. There is no unsatisfactory teaching and learning. All this very good practice represents a very good improvement since the last inspection because the proportion of very good and excellent teaching has increased. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 17 - February 2005 13. An outstanding aspect of teaching is the use of assessment to plan lessons that challenge and include pupils. The use of assessment in the Reception Year contributes greatly to the good achievement of children. Throughout the school, teachers’ excellent knowledge of learning through their use of assessment contributes

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Commentary

to the school’s meticulously managed assessment system so that lesson planning for the term and then each week matches pupils’ emergent learning needs. Information about learning enables teachers to track pupils’ progress, discuss with them how well they are doing and adjust pupils’ learning targets so that they continue to achieve very well. Throughout the school, teachers set and collect homework following consistently the procedures they agreed and that are understood by parents. Whilst there is a great deal of very good practice in marking, it has not yet spread consistently through the school. In most classes, marking is encouraging, informs pupils how well they progress against their learning targets and offers advice on how to improve. However, in a few other classes, marking fails to show pupils how to improve their work.

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Commentary

14. The provision for special educational needs pupils has recently improved greatly and ensures these pupils’ very good progress. Teaching assistants know targets in these pupils’ education plans, work closely with teachers to assess how well these pupils learn and to measure progress against their learning targets in order to plan the most effective type of support. The learning needs of all pupils are constantly monitored and the more able and gifted and talented pupils’ needs are carefully assessed to ensure their continued very good progress through the school. Not only do teachers record progress and measure attainment, they also analyse the ways pupils learn best.

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Commentary

15. Lessons are very good at maintaining pupils’ lively interest, often through a variety of activities and techniques that sustain pupils’ concentration. In addition, planning makes very good use of resources to tailor lessons to pupils’ individual needs. All this high quality practice that is sometimes excellent, results in lessons meeting the diverse needs of pupils so that they achieve very well and in Years 6 and 7 it contributes to pupils being placed in groups according to their prior attainment to ensure that work constantly challenges them.

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16. Pupils respond cheerfully to teachers’ excellent insistence on high academic and behaviour standards so that learning occurs in a calm and ordered environment. Pupils move with great sensitivity and purpose around the school so as not to disturb the learning of others. At the start of lessons teachers review previous learning very well to assess understanding before sharing the lesson’s learning objectives with the pupils. As a result, pupils understand the purpose of the lessons very well. Teachers and their assistants provide a great deal of advice and support. Pupils assess their own work and that of partners they often work with. All this very good and sometimes excellent practice ensures pupils have a very good understanding of their learning and what they need to do to improve. One of the main reasons why behaviour is so good at this school is because teachers ensure learning is so relevant and meaningful to the

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Commentary

lives of pupils that they seldom consider misbehaving. All this high quality practice was evident in a Year 2 mathematics lesson where pupils learnt to test estimations about the weight and mass, in an excellent Year 5 English lesson where pupils produced ‘newspaper headlines’ that synthesized their thinking and in a very good Year 7 science lesson where pupils controlled variables to conduct an experiment.

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Commentary

17. The use of homework to consolidate learning and prepare pupils for their next lesson is sometimes very effective but is inconsistent throughout the school. A few pupils do not complete their homework and occasionally it is not always returned marked. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 18 - February 2005 18. Very well planned lessons throughout the school make very effective use of very well managed resources and specialist facilities so that no time is wasted. Teaching assistants are very well deployed. From the time pupils arrive at school in the morning there are no pauses in their learning. The use of computers is managed very well so that pupils improve their computer skills in other areas of the curriculum. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 19 - February 2005 19. A strong feature of learning is pupils’ very good capacity to learn independently and cooperatively. Pupils work hard all the time with a great sense of achievement. From

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Commentary

the Reception Year to Year 7, pupils were observed working in pairs, or on their own with the help of a computer, or using the library for research without the need for close adult supervision.

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The curriculum

The overall quality of the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils very well. The curriculum is enriched by excellent provision for out-of-school activities, such as games, clubs and visits. Accommodation and resources are good.

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The curriculum

• The school provides an excellent variety of activities to enrich learning. • Provision for special educational needs is excellent. • Curriculum development is good. • Pupils have equal access to the curriculum. • The school has yet to complete the policy to teach citizenship to Year 7 pupils.

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Commentary

20. The school meets statutory requirements for the National Curriculum and for the teaching of religious education and provides a good programme of personal, social and health education, including that for drugs awareness and sex and relationships education. Curriculum provision has improved well since the last inspection. The Foundation Stage curriculum is very good as is the curriculum throughout the rest of the school. It provides for pupils’ different learning needs very well and provision for pupils with special educational needs is excellent. The excellent use and co- ordination of outside agencies contributes to the very good progress of special educational needs pupils. All pupils are very effectively included in all aspects of the curriculum so that they learn successfully, often with great joy. However, the policy for teaching citizenship in Year 7 provides insufficient guidance for teachers to ensure

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that all aspects of this subject are taught, for example democracy and what it means to be a good citizen. All other subjects have schemes of work and very good planning ensures learning in one subject is reinforced and often extended by learning in another. This very good practice results in learning that pupils find relevant and meaningful.

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Commentary

21. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are well established. There is extra provision for those who need help to improve in these skills that raises standards through the very good deployment of teachers and assistants. Literacy and numeracy skills are used well across the curriculum to improve learning. This was seen when pupils calculated in science lessons, measured how far apart events are in history and used their knowledge of measurement and shape to plan and make models in design and technology lessons. Pupils produce lively and well spelt text when learning about Ancient Egyptians. In ICT lessons, they use literacy skills well to create imaginative presentations about Tutankhamen.

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Commentary

22. Very effective planning inspires pupils. Regular focus weeks, such as Africa Week, provide variety in learning that enthuses pupils whilst extending their understanding of a wider world and its diverse customs, cultures and faiths. The school’s link with a school in Guinea has broadened very successfully pupils’ interest and understanding Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 20 - February 2005 of a culture very different from their own. There are very good musical links with local secondary schools. One school runs music master classes for all the year groups and another high school offers the use of its music facilities. Music features prominently in the curriculum and the pupils’ singing and playing musical instruments during collective acts of worship is a strength. Music and performing arts are well resourced and have a high priority. They add to the pupils’ great interest in the school and are

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Commentary

highly appreciated by parents. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 21 - February 2005 23. There are excellent opportunities for the enrichment of learning through very well planned use of visits and visitors and the excellent use of many clubs run outside of the school day and at lunch times. The school justifiably won the Education Extra Distinction Award for the quality and range of these clubs. There are educational visits to theatres and museums and during the inspection Year 3 pupils visited the National History Museum. Year 6 pupils enjoyed a visit from ‘Reptile Razzmatazz’ that inspired them. Travelling Theatres visit the school each year and involve pupils in dramatic activities. Year 6 pupils attend a residential camp and Year 7 pupils stay a while each year in France, all with very good benefits to their personal and social education.

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Commentary

24. Staffing and accommodation match the needs of the curriculum. The school is clean and well kept. The new school library is well resourced with different types of books and new computers. The music room, laboratory and an ICT suite are all well resourced and the recently installed interactive whiteboards in each classroom are enriching pupils’ learning.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care and welfare and safety is very good overall. Very good support and guidance help pupils to achieve very well. Opportunities for pupils to express their views about the school are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Excellent relationships promote trust between pupils and adults. • Excellent care for Reception Year children enables them to make a very good start at school. • There is excellent support and guidance for vulnerable pupils, and those with special educational needs. • Class and school councils very effectively involve pupils in school life.

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Commentary

25. Care and support was found to be good at the time of the last inspection and is now very good. Greater attention is now paid to advising pupils how to improve and they have greater understanding about their learning needs. Care and support is underpinned by the Christian foundation of the school in this prayerful community which cherishes people.

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Commentary

26. Procedures for child protection are in line with local arrangements and are good. Lessons in personal, social and health education make a very good contribution to pupils’ understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. The provision to ensure pupils’ safety in school is good and there are thorough arrangements to safeguard them when taking part in educational visits out of school. Governors respond promptly when possible hazards are brought to their attention.

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Commentary

27. The excellent trusting relationships between pupils and adults reflect the supportive environment in the school which helps pupils to achieve very well. They are confident that they will be helped when they need it and their successes are celebrated and valued. There has been a good improvement in arrangements for tracking pupils’ Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 22 - February 2005 achievement since the previous inspection that leads to the very effective guidance they receive. The system to monitor pupils’ personal development is good.

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Commentary

28. Individual education plans are used very effectively to help pupils with special educational needs to learn and some pupils are becoming more actively involved in measuring their own progress. The management of outside agencies is excellent, resulting in advice and strategies tailored to the needs of pupils. This is seen in The Jump Ahead programme for pupils with dyspraxia that results in these pupils’ very good progress and in ways vulnerable pupils are swiftly identified and very effectively provided for. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 23 - February 2005 29. Very good care is taken of children when they enter Reception. Very good induction arrangements ensure that children settle quickly into classes and later successfully transfer to Year 1. Good opportunities are in place for class teachers to get to know the children before they start and very close relationships with parents lead to a good

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flow of information between home and school. This good practice contributes very well to the children’s very good achievement.

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Commentary

30. Pupils have very good opportunities to contribute their views about the school and to initiate action. Pupils who are elected to the school council have a high profile and all pupils are involved in discussing issues which concern them. A very successful poster campaign organised by the school council raised awareness about bullying and strategies for dealing with it. Pupils were pleased with the campaign and say that it has been effective in reducing bullying incidents in the school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnerships with parents are very good and links with the community are excellent . Links with other schools are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are very good opportunities for parents to support their children’s learning. • There is very good information for parents of children entering Reception classes. • There are very good partnerships with parents of pupils with special educational needs. • Excellent links with people from the local community enrich pupils’ learning.

p.23

Commentary

31. The school’s very good partnership with parents has continued since the previous inspection. Parents have very good formal and informal opportunities to talk to class teachers and to find out how their children are getting on, which they greatly appreciate. Good end of year reports give information about pupils’ achievement and the standards they reach by Years 2 and 6. Parents are able to support their children very effectively at home because they have excellent information about what their children will learn and good information about what they need to do to improve. Communication about homework is good. However, because occasionally homework is not marked soon after completion, communication with parents about how well work done at home prepares their children for their next lessons is less effective.

p.23

Commentary

32. Parents take an active part in school life because they have very good information in numerous letters and newsletters about day-to-day activities and events. The annual Year Book is excellent and includes a school diary and guidance about attendance. Parents’ views are sought through an annual questionnaire and their opinions are valued. They are consulted about changes to ways classes may be organised. There is a good, clear complaints system and parents’ concerns are dealt with very well.

p.23

Commentary

33. Parents make an excellent contribution to pupils’ learning at school through their support in the classroom, in a wide variety of clubs and on educational visits. Many parents help as volunteers and share their skills with the pupils, for example in music and sports activities. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 24 - February 2005 34. Parents of children entering the Reception classes have very good opportunities to get to know the school and the staff and are made to feel very welcome in the classroom. They have very good guidance about how to help their child settle in and to learn and are able to give very good support at home. This very effective partnership contributes very well to the children’s very good achievement. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 25 - February 2005 35. Parents of pupils with special educational needs develop very good relationships with staff and have very good opportunities to help their children learn. They are able to be

p.23

Commentary

closely involved in agreeing objectives for individual educational plans and demonstrate their commitment to their child’s learning by bringing them to school early for the Jump Ahead programme.

p.25

Commentary

36. Links with the community are outstanding. They enable pupils to contribute to the life of the community by raising money for charitable causes and taking part in community wide events such as ‘The Show’. Many people visit the school to share their expertise and interests and they make a wonderful contribution to pupils’ learning. Among these rich opportunities, Year 5 pupils benefit from the opportunity to train with Sussex County Cricket Club and Year 7 pupils learn about financial literacy from staff of the NatWest Bank.

p.25

Commentary

37. The partnership with local schools is good. Pupils have opportunities for friendly sports matches and other shared events which contribute well to their social development. The strength is in the professional links which support teachers by sharing specialist skills and promoting continuity in pupils’ learning. Pupils are satisfactorily prepared for transfer to the senior schools through a programme of exchange visits of staff.

p.25

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher’s leadership is excellent , supported by an outstanding team of senior teachers. Governance and management of the school are very good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very well led and knowledgeable governors very effectively shape the future of the school.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,107,285 Balance from previous year 51,864 Total expenditure 1,082,204 Balance carried forward to the next 25,079 Expenditure per pupil 2,199

p.25

Commentary

38. The excellent leadership of the headteacher is the reason why this school has improved a great deal since the last inspection two years ago. Staff and governors share her firm commitment to high standards and to all that the school strives to achieve being underpinned by strong Christian values. The outstanding support for the headteacher by senior teachers is evident in the way they all work so well together to improve the school. The school is currently without a deputy headteacher in post. Leadership ensures that the school’s excellent evaluation of its effectiveness swiftly identifies areas to improve and to take decisive action. All this highly effective practice contributes to very effective parental partnerships and pupils’ very good attitudes, behaviour, achievement and standards. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 26 - February 2005 39. The headteacher delegates responsibilities extremely successfully to senior teachers,

p.25

Commentary

providing them with support, advice and training to lead on areas for improvement whilst holding them to account for the quality of their work. The headteacher expects the same very high standards from others as she does of herself. In turn, senior teachers support and advise other teachers with the same high expectations with very good impact on the quality of teaching, the curriculum and pupils’ learning, all of which have improved very well since the last inspection. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 27 - February 2005 40. Strategic planning is excellent. The way the school tracks the academic progress of every pupil and measures their achievement and attainment is outstanding. As a result, the school has a range of accurate and up-to-date information, including national test results, that it uses to analyse the performance of each pupil and groups of pupils in order to identify and meet emerging needs. The process is meticulously

p.26

Commentary

managed and used to ensure pupils have equal opportunities to achieve and flourish and be included in all the school offers. The excellent, strategic improvement plan financially supports priorities for improvement and is an extremely effective tool for the continuous improvement of this school. It has strategies to meet priorities, dates for their completion and times to review progress. It identifies people to lead on improvements and provides success criteria.

p.27

Commentary

41. The headteacher leads on evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, learning, the curriculum and the leadership and management of staff. This leadership has contributed to recent improvements to provision for pupils with special educational needs and the leadership of this provision, both of which are now outstanding. Governors are very good at overseeing the performance management of the headteacher and ensuring her targets are met through their support, care and guidance. All evaluations of the effectiveness of performance are achieved rigorously within supportive teams of teaching staff and governors.

p.27

Commentary

42. The governors are well led. They are very good at holding the headteacher to account for the quality of education provided. They make very good use of their skills and experience to shape the future of the school. Their very effective support as critical friends of the school is seen in rising standards and high achievement in a school with a very good Christian and learning ethos. It is also seen in the continuous improvement to resources and the building, the latest of which is a newly built and very well resourced library. They undertake ‘focused’ visits to the school to learn about and examine aspects of provision. The Chaplain is also a governor who is very actively involved in school, providing very effective pastoral work that is highly regarded by pupils, parents and staff. Governors undertake responsibilities very conscientiously to oversee the quality of subject provision and provision for pupils with

p.27

Commentary

special educational needs, those who are very able and others who are gifted and talented. They understand that more needs to be done to ensure the effective provision for pupils in the early stages of learning in English should such children join the school. They take seriously their new statutory responsibilities to ensure the headteacher exercises a healthy life and work balance and that teachers have sufficient administrative help for them to concentrate on teaching. Governors oversee very well the financial management of the school, demonstrating their very effective adherence to the principles of best value, for example by ensuring planned outcomes in terms of pupils’ achievements and standards justify expenditure. They meet statutory requirements. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 28 - February 2005

p.27

SUBJECTS

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

p.28

SUBJECTS

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good .

p.28

SUBJECTS

43. Children enter the Reception Year of the Foundation Stage with standards for most of them below those expected in the key areas of mathematics, communication, language and literacy and with a few weaknesses in their creative development. Standards in personal and social development are above those expected on entry and good skills in this area contribute to children settling in well to make a very good start to their education. Good teaching makes excellent use of assessment to plan lessons that include and challenge the children. As a result, children achieve well to reach standards expected in most of their Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. Accommodation is good and classrooms are very well managed and stimulating environments. Parental partnerships are very good. Children with special educational needs and those who are more able or who are gifted and talented are identified and

p.28

SUBJECTS

provided for very well and they make very good progress. There are no significant differences in learning or achievement between girls and boys or between pupils from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Leadership has improved well since the last inspection and is now excellent because there is outstanding use of assessment to plan the curriculum and lessons that contributes to highly effective evaluation of the effectiveness of provision.

p.28

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is excellent and very good relationships contribute to highly effective learning. • Achievement is very good. • There are very high expectations for behaviour. • Provision for children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

p.28

Commentary

44. Excellent teaching results in children’s very good achievement based on standards already above those expected on entry to Reception classes. By Year 1, almost all the children exceed their Early Learning Goals. Children quickly learn to be responsible, as seen when they collect and put away learning resources, change for PE and sustain concentration when working independently or co-operatively. They sensibly take turns at being monitors and support each other well. They take turns very well to talk and act. The children behave very well and are eager to learn. Very skilled staff make excellent use of assessment to plan activities that interest and challenge children. The incubator used to hatch chicks and ducks teaches them respect for life and care of the environment while music and stories enable them to learn about people’s lives in different countries and from cultures different from their

p.28

Commentary

own. Children know the difference between right and wrong.

p.28

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 29 - February 2005 Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 30 - February 2005

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are very good. • The curriculum is very good.

p.30

Commentary

45. Very good teaching and learning results in children reaching expected standards in their Early learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. Time is used very well to make sure children work hard and learn all the time. Excellent use of assessment results in teaching that challenges children with different learning needs in ways they find relevant and joyful. High expectations are evident in the ways children are taught to listen to one another and to expand their vocabulary to answer in sentences. As a result, speaking and listening skills improve rapidly, enabling the children to explain their learning and participate in discussions. They make good progress learning letter sounds and acquiring early reading skills when sharing books, listening to stories, playing games and singing rhymes. Writing is taught very well. The very good parental partnerships contribute significantly to children’s good achievement.

p.30

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching improves learning through practical activities. • Mathematical language is expertly taught.

p.30

Commentary

46. Teaching and learning are very good. Teachers have high expectations and use a wide range of very well planned practical activities so that most children achieve well and for almost half their achievement is very good to reach their Early Learning Goals by Year 1. Children are taught to use mathematical language well to help them solve problems. They order numbers on a number line well and they make very good progress when counting on and subtracting. In the sand and water trays they learn about capacity and volume well, as they do when sorting a range of materials according to colour and number. Teaching makes very good use of mathematical skills for the children to learn in other curriculum areas, for instance to improve their knowledge and understanding of the world by counting the days that the chicks and ducks are due to hatch. They use computer programs very well to reinforce and extend their mathematical skills.

p.30

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good. • A stimulating environment introduces children to the wonder of the world. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 31 - February 2005

p.30

Commentary

47. Teaching and learning are good and ensure children achieve well to reach standards expected in their Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. Very well planned topics within a stimulating environment teaches children about the world around them. Topics linked to personal history, growth, animals and caring for others are very good at teaching children about the world. Teaching about cultures and faiths different from their own is very good. Imaginatively planned and colourful play areas are frequently changed to interest and challenge pupils with different levels of attainment so that they all achieve well. In science, they investigate with great interest growth in themselves, animals and plants. They quickly learn to use programmable toys (Roamers) and computers and are skilled in their use. They learn about their world by observing, handling and discussing a variety of objects. Visitors improve

p.31

Commentary

their understanding about their school and wider communities.

p.31

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for children’s physical development is good.

p.31

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Teaching is good and most children learn well. • The well planned curriculum provides a good range of learning activities. • At times, more able pupils are not challenged enough when using equipment in the area for them outside the classroom.

p.31

Commentary

48. Good teaching and learning ensures that most children are on course to reach their Early Learning Goals by the time they enter Year 1. Well planned gymnastics, dance and drama activities ensure children’s good progress in co-ordination skills. They have almost continuous use of a well supervised outdoor space where most of them make good progress when riding wheeled toys, using balls and other play equipment to improve their co-ordination and balance. However, at times the more able children are not challenged enough and become overconfident when using wheeled toys and so do not consistently make good progress. Children’s dexterity is developed well through the well planned use of pencils, brushes, scissors and other resources across a good range of activities.

p.31

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is good.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and pupils achieve well. • There is very good teaching of the use of brushes, paint and pencils. • The wide range of stimulating activities enthuse children. • There is very good support for children’s learning, including that provided by a parent.

p.31

Commentary

Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 32 - February 2005 49. Teaching, learning and achievement are good for children to reach their Early Learning Goals by Year 1. On entry to the Reception Year, most children’s skills in the use of pencils and brushes were below those expected but with very good teaching and the help of a parent they made very good progress. They experiment with paint and different types of Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 33 - February 2005 brushes and they use a variety of tools and materials well, as seen when they made Mothering Sunday table centre pieces for their families. They use a variety of tools and materials to create different images and they produced very good work in the style of Kandinsky. They learn well when making up their own stories and they have good access to musical instruments to accompany their story telling. Provision for them to improve their speaking, listening and language skills is good, often achieved through

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good. • Teachers make excellent use of assessment. • Pupils achieve very well to reach standards well above national averages by Years 2, 6 and 7. • Subject leadership and management are excellent. • Pupils respond cheerfully to very high expectations. • There is excellent support for pupils with special educational needs. • Marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent.

p.33

Commentary

50. By Years 2, 6 and 7, pupils achieve very well to reach standards well above national averages. Pupils begin Year 1 with a sound base for learning. The improvement since the last inspection is good and standards are now much higher and rising. Reading and writing standards are well above average and match the 2004 national test results for Year 2. Standards in Year 6 are rising and are now higher than the 2004 national test results. Pupils’ achievement in writing by Year 6 is very good. By Years 6 and 7, standards of reading are well above average. The school met its 2004 targets for Year 6 for numeracy and literacy. Very good standards of writing are seen throughout the school as the result of a concerted effort by teachers to raise standards further. Standards in speaking and listening throughout the school are very good. Pupils learn so well because they are taught to listen carefully and sensitively to the

p.33

Commentary

ideas of others, to engage the listener through the use of an ever-expanding vocabulary that they use in interesting ways during discussion, debate and when explaining their learning. Pupils constantly improve their linguistic skills so that learning improves very well all the time. There are no differences in learning between boys and girls or between different groups of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs make the same very good progress as more able and gifted and talented pupils.

p.33

Commentary

51. Teaching and learning are very good overall and sometimes excellent. Teachers make excellent use of assessment to plan lessons that match pupils’ individual needs so that they are all challenged and included. An impressive feature throughout the school is the use of active learning to ensure pupils sustain concentration. Every pupil has a target to refer to when working and time is provided for them to consider their progress against these targets so that they have very good knowledge of their Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 34 - February 2005 learning. Teachers assess pupils’ understanding by reviewing previous learning before sharing the lesson’s learning objectives with them. When teaching the whole class, teachers spread probing questions around to keep pupils ‘on their toes’ and to make them think. Lessons are conducted at a pace that sweeps pupils joyfully along in their learning so that they cannot help but behave very well. All this very good and

p.33

Commentary

occasionally excellent practice ensures pupils know what to learn and how to do so successfully, as seen in an excellent Year 5 lesson when pupils wrote ‘newspaper Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 35 - February 2005 headlines’ to help them succinctly express complex ideas. The marking of work completed at home and in class is often returned promptly with very good advice on how pupils can improve, sometimes with reference learning targets. This practice is not consistent and where it is adhered to pupils have excellent knowledge of their learning and how to improve.

p.34

Commentary

52. Reading is very well taught. A strong feature of teaching through the school is the very good deployment of well trained assistants to support pupils’ learning, including very able pupils, but especially those with special educational needs, through their very good knowledge of targets in these pupils’ education plans. The teaching of reading in a Year 2 class was typical of so much very good teaching through the school. The class teacher and assistant improved research skills through the use of non-fiction books, improved understanding of text and the use of different strategies to make sense of unfamiliar words and phrases. Times devoted to reading each day are highly successful because the very good range of texts available is used to match the needs of pupils in ways that interest them and builds upon skills taught in English lessons. Very good progress is seen in each literacy lesson, where pupils receive intensive and

p.35

Commentary

very supportive teaching. By Year 2, pupils read fluently, refer to text to support their opinions about a character and they predict what might happen next. Year 6 higher and average attaining pupils understand well how language can convey feelings and how authors use linguistic techniques to imply traits in characters. Year 7 pupils read different texts with great insight and very able pupils reached very high standards when they discussed Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’.

p.35

Commentary

53. Standards in writing are very good by Years 2, 6 and 7. The school’s analyses of the Year 6 2004 national test results and of pupils’ progress and achievements through the school led to decisive action to ensure pupils with different attainment levels consistently achieve very well. From Year 2 pupils make very good progress using a wide range of vocabulary that results in different types of lively writing produced by Year 6 and 7 pupils. Year 2 pupils’ imaginations were gripped by their research of the Titanic and the dramatization of events inspired them to write colourfully, using punctuation well. Year 4 pupils wrote with feeling about Shackleton’s polar expedition and Year 6 pupils produce imaginative, very well spelt and grammatically correct work organised into paragraphs. Year 7 pupils used a rich range of vocabulary to explore complex ideas and reach conclusions about Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ in ways

p.35

Commentary

54. Excellent subject leadership and management make highly effective use of school assessment and of national test results to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, learning and the curriculum to lead on school improvement. The subject leader works very well with colleagues to spread best practice through the school and to offer advice and support. Action is planned to ensure that the best practice in marking pupils’ work is common throughout the school.

p.35

Language and literacy across the curriculum

55. Pupils have well above average literacy skills which are used very well in all subjects to improve learning. This is seen when pupils write about science experiments, events in history or about different climates in geography. One of the reasons why speaking and listening skills are very good is because there are very well planned times for pupils to discuss their learning and to challenge each other, for example in physical education and art lessons when talking about ways to improve. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 36 - February 2005

p.35

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is very good. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 37 - February 2005 Main strengths and weaknesses

p.36

MATHEMATICS

• Standards are very good by Years 2, 6 and 7. • Teaching and learning are very good. • Subject leadership and management are very good. • The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent.

p.37

Commentary

56. Pupils achieve very well to reach standards well above average by Years 2 and 6. Standards are also well above average in Year 7 where a few pupils reach very high standards. Throughout the school, higher attaining pupils reach standards well above those expected for their age. Standards and achievement have improved very well since the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs and more able and talented pupils make very good progress.

p.37

Commentary

57. Teaching and learning are very good. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and use strategies very well to fully include pupils in all learning activities. Teachers share the lessons’ learning objectives with pupils very well at the start of lessons and they work very effectively with their assistants to improve learning. Pupils are constantly challenged and pupils with special educational needs make the same very good progress as all other pupils. Most teachers mark pupils’ work very well to provide encouragement and advice, sometimes with reference to their progress against learning targets. Where this is done consistently very well, some pupils have an excellent understanding of their learning, as seen when they discussed Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’.

p.37

Commentary

58. Excellent systems to assess learning and to track pupils’ progress inform lesson planning very well. Consequently, individual learning needs are provided for very well. In the most effective lessons, probing questions, reviews of learning with a partner and challenging investigations extend learning very well. Teachers make very good use of practical activities to make learning meaningful and relevant and whole class teaching focuses intently and successfully on improving mental mathematics and the use of basic skills. An outstanding Year 2 lesson made excellent use of assessment and resources to ensure pupils’ excellent achievement. Excellent questioning assessed pupils’ understanding of weight and mass enabled the teacher to adjust teaching strategies and the pace of learning so that pupils gleefully matched her high expectations of them to make excellent gains in their learning. Teachers are

p.37

Commentary

generally very good at enthusing pupils so that classrooms are full of busy pupils ‘beavering away’ at their learning, willing to share and explain their learning.

p.37

Commentary

59. Subject leadership and management are very good. The leader provides very good support and advice, makes excellent use of assessment, the analysis of national tests and the monitoring of pupils’ learning to evaluate the effectiveness of provision to lead on improvements. The leader has correctly identified inconsistencies in marking and has strategies in place to spread very good practice through the school and the need to improve further the use of numeracy skills across the curriculum.

p.37

Mathematics across the curriculum

60. Pupils have good mathematical skills. The use of numeracy in most subjects to help pupils learn is good but planning does not provide opportunities to do so consistently Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 38 - February 2005 in foundation subjects. Numeracy skills are used well in some subjects to improve learning, for example in geography when studying climate and the use of maps and in history to measure how long ago events occurred and in science to record, analyse and explain experiments. Good use of mathematical and numeracy skills was evident in Year 7 pupils’ use of line graphs to identify the patterns of language in the poetry of Ted Hughes and when Year 1 pupils used computers to make graphs. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 39 - February 2005 SCIENCE

p.37

Mathematics across the curriculum

• Standards are well above national averages by Years 6 and 7. • Teaching is very good and pupils are eager to learn. • Teachers have extremely high expectations and use probing questions very effectively. • Pupils are very good at scientific investigation and conducting experiments. • The best practice in marking completed work has not spread to every class.

p.39

Commentary

61. Standards by Year 2 are above national averages and by Years 6 and 7 they are well above. Pupils with different levels of attainment, and boys and girls consistently achieve very well. In the 2004 Year 6 national tests only two pupils failed to reach the nationally expected level and 61 per cent of them exceeded it, which is a good improvement since the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress, as do more able and gifted and talented pupils.

p.39

Commentary

62. Teaching is very good and an improvement on the generally good teaching at the time of the last inspection. Lessons are meticulously and imaginatively planned with activities very well matched to the different learning needs of pupils so that they are all included and challenged. Teachers plan very well together to ensure all aspects of learning are taught, which is a good improvement since the last inspection when work on scientific processes, such as predicting, fair testing and isolating variables in a test situation, were undemanding. Teachers have extremely high expectations for behaviour and achievement which are managed very well. Pupils respond confidently to high expectations to enjoy very good, trusting relationships with each other and with teachers and their assistants. They are eager to learn and they enjoy their lessons. They work responsibly in pairs and groups, often independently and they behave very

p.39

Commentary

well. Assistants are very effectively prepared and deployed for pupils to receive help and advice and as a result special educational needs pupils make the same very good progress as all other pupils. All this highly effective practice contributes to pupils’ very good attitudes to learning.

p.39

Commentary

63. A very effective feature of teaching is the use of open-ended, probing questions to assess prior learning, share learning objectives for the lesson and to constantly challenge pupils to build upon their previous learning. Most science is taught through investigation in ways that enjoyably challenge and include pupils through their full involvement in scientific activities. Teaching and learning ensures that as they grow older knowledge of science and skills of scientific enquiry constantly improve through the pupils’ own interrogation of evidence. This led to Year 2 pupils’ good understanding of what is meant by healthy eating. They construct simple electrical circuits, carry out scientific investigations very well and they record their work on worksheets tailored to their needs that they analyse very well to reach scientific conclusions. Through the school, teachers mark completed work often, with the best

p.39

Commentary

practice not yet spread to every class of providing comments to show pupils how to improve and how well they have achieved. Lower attaining pupils are very well supported during scientific investigation so that their very good achievement matched that of other pupils. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 40 - February 2005 64. Good quality resources and a well equipped laboratory are used effectively to help pupils learn. Computers are used well for research and when conducting experiments. Year 7 pupils use the laboratory effectively to increase their knowledge and skills through the safe use of scientific equipment and resources.

p.39

Commentary

65. In the absence of a subject leader, the headteacher is temporarily in charge of the subject. The last subject leader had very successfully increased teachers’ subject confidence and skills and the effectiveness of teaching since the last inspection. The headteacher has Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 41 - February 2005 evaluated the effectiveness of teaching, learning and the curriculum to draw up an action plan for the next subject leader to ensure high standards are sustained and improved where necessary. Pupils’ achievement and progress are thoroughly tracked and evaluated as they grow older. This excellent practice swiftly identifies where extra support is needed to improve individual pupils’ learning.

p.40

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information technology (ICT) is very good .

p.41

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and reach good standards by Years 2, 6 and 7. • Teaching and learning are very good. • Subject leadership and management are very good.

p.41

Commentary

66. Standards are above national averages at the end of Years 2, 6 and 7. Pupils achieve very well. Those with special educational needs make very good progress as do more able and gifted and talented pupils. Standards have risen from being satisfactory at the last inspection and resources have improved, all of which represents a good improvement.

p.41

Commentary

67. Pupils work hard and enjoy their lessons. Year 2 pupils are good at planning to give instructions to make things happen, for example by programming a robotic toy such as a Roamer. Year 1 pupils make very good progress to open, close and save documents and to insert pictures from a file into a document. Pupils with different levels of attainment use spreadsheets to calculate expenditure on their forthcoming residential visit which they record as a graph. They design computer generated presentations using a ‘PowerPoint’ program, using information from the Internet under supervision. Particularly noteworthy are the animated multi-media presentations they created from scripts, models and sets they designed and made, all of which reinforced and extended learning in English, art and design, and design and technology lessons. Year 7 pupils created a website about a volcano that made good use of numeracy and

p.41

Commentary

literacy skills and extended their geographical knowledge. They save their work to a file they name to retrieve it easily. They present information in different ways with very good awareness of an intended audience. They exchange information using e-mail and use ICT-based models to explore hypotheses, patterns and relationships.

p.41

Commentary

68. Teaching and learning are very good and this is a great improvement since the last inspection. The excellent school assessment and the pupil progress tracking system are used very well to plan lessons that challenge pupils with different levels of attainment. The well resourced ICT suite is timetabled to allow all classes to use it for at least one hour each week and classrooms have computers that help pupils improve their learning across the curriculum. The new library is equipped with nine computers that pupils use for research. Teachers are in the early stages of learning the full potential of recently installed interactive whiteboards to enrich learning.

p.41

Commentary

69. The subject is very well led and managed by an experienced and knowledgeable subject leader. This well qualified leader enthusiastically supports and advises colleagues and runs a popular school club that provides opportunities for pupils to Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 42 - February 2005 improve further their computing skills. He evaluates the effectiveness of provision very well to lead on school improvement. The very knowledgeable technician provides an invaluable service for teachers that enables them to concentrate on teaching. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 43 - February 2005

p.41

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

70. Pupils’ good ICT skills are applied in other subjects of the curriculum. Many examples of ICT being used to enhance learning were seen in literacy, numeracy, science and geography and history lessons.

p.43

Commentary

71. Too few history and geography lessons were observed to reach judgements about provision. Apart from the lessons seen, inspectors examined pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, policies and curriculum provision. They held discussions with teachers and with pupils. The curriculum is appropriately planned and evaluated for both subjects. The school sets aside enough time to teach these subjects and planning ensures that learning in one subject is reinforced and extended when teaching the other.

p.43

Commentary

72. In a good history lesson observed in Year 5, the teacher’s effective planning to develop history skills with appropriate tasks for the different ability levels enabled all pupils to achieve well. The more able pupils were beginning to identify bias in written texts. The learning support assistants supported pupils with special educational needs well. In a Year 7 lesson, pupils were given few opportunities to develop research skills and a lengthy discussion about the role and expectations of medieval knights meant some pupils were not actively engaged. In a discussion with an inspector, Year 6 pupils recalled their favourite topics and educational visits and explained what they had learnt. They particularly enjoy planning and taking part in end of topic school assemblies where they share their knowledge with the rest of the school.

p.43

Commentary

73. Teachers’ planning for geography is generally good with often very good links to other subjects to reinforce and extend learning so that by Years 6 and 7 pupils understand differences between their own lives and those of people in other parts of the world. This is evident in pupils’ displayed writing and art work around the school as the result of Africa Week and the work teachers who visited a school in Guinea did with pupils upon their return. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Good resources appear to be used well to help pupils learn. From Year 1, pupils appear to make good progress in their understanding of how climate, rivers and the activity of people affect landscapes and peoples’ lives. All this was evident in a very good Year 4 lesson where pupils used books and computers to find out how different climates affected ways people in different countries dress, live and work. In

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Commentary

this lesson there was some excellent use of questions to include and enthuse pupils to work together and on their own, with very good effects on their cultural and social development. This was also evident in a display of Year 5 work, where pupils revealed a very good understanding of the origin of rivers. In literacy lessons, fiction and non-fiction texts teach pupils about other countries as well as cultures and faiths different from their own. A well taught Year 7 lesson drew very well upon pupils’ completed homework and some of their personal links, as well as some of their general first hand knowledge about different parts of the world, to extend their good knowledge of other countries. Their knowledge, however, about the physical characteristics of Great Britain and the location of towns, cities and mountains in the United Kingdom was not so good, although satisfactory. The very thorough

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Commentary

evaluation of the effectiveness of provision for geography has resulted in a school priority to improve further its subject leadership. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 44 - February 2005

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

74. Too few design and technology, art and design , physical education and music lessons were seen to make secure judgements about provision. Inspectors examined teachers’ planning and assessment, analysed samples of pupils’ work and displays of their work and Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 45 - February 2005 held discussions with teachers, subject leaders and pupils. Evidence strongly suggests that pupils achieve well and that pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in most of these subjects. Teachers make very good use of the school’s excellent assessment and pupil progress tracking systems to plan lessons. Good resources are used well to help pupils learn. Leadership and management of subjects are very good and this is a good improvement since the last inspection.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. In a very good Year 2 music lesson, enthusiastic pupils reached standards above those expected nationally in their understanding of beat and rhythm. Standards were also very good in the well taught Year 7 lesson where pupils progressed well in their recognition of similarities and differences in an arrangement of a tune. Music plays an important part in the life of the school. There are many music clubs. The very good First School choir sings to a very high standard. During assemblies, older pupils in the school orchestra demonstrated their very good skills when playing instruments and the quality of the singing by the whole school was of a high standard. Pupils have opportunities to participate in numerous musical events during the school year that included a performance of ‘Pinafore Pirates’.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. In physical education, pupils achieved very well to reach very good standards in the Year 5 gymnastics lesson seen. Evidence suggests that by Years 2, 6 and 7 achievement is good. There is a good improvement over the last year as the result of professional development. Great attention is paid to warming up and cooling down before and after exercise. Teachers pay close attention to the health and safety of pupils when visiting the swimming pool. Planning for the term and then for each week provides a good variety of activities with times planned for pupils to evaluate their learning. The excellent provision for activities outside lessons and opportunities for pupils to play competitive games with other schools contribute to their great interest in sporting activities. Good use of resources was seen when Year 5 pupils watched videos of world famous gymnasts.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Evidence strongly suggests that achievement is very good in design and technology. Throughout the school standards are above those expected. Pupils plan, design, make and evaluate their work carefully. Curriculum and lesson planning are very good. Strong links are being established between design and technology and other subjects in order to improve learning across the curriculum and pupils’ understanding of the relevance of design and technology in all our lives. A Year 2 literacy theme in an English lesson about the Snow Dragon inspired a design and technology topic where pupils planned, designed and made fabric dragons to bring learning alive in both subjects. Very good teaching and learning was seen in a Year 7 lesson where pupils responded very positively to high expectations. In this lesson more able pupils worked well with their less able peers to their mutual benefit.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. In art and design by Year 2, pupils’ work shows that they plan, sketch and experiment with different materials and media well. By Year 6, pupils use pencils and colours to investigate proportion and combine pens and ink with different wash techniques. As they grow older, pupils produce work in three dimensions using collage, textiles and clay that becomes increasingly imaginative and skilful, as seen in a large very good painting on fabric on an African theme and very good masks, collages and paintings about Africa Week. Throughout the school, pupils investigate the colours, themes and textures of the work of famous artists from different periods in the history of art. Reception children produce good patterned pictures in the style of Kandinsky and Year 5 pupils produced work in the style of Paul Klee. From Year 3, pupils use sketch books to experiment to improve, with more emphasis on design than

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

improving drawing by using different media and techniques. The very good Year 7 Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 46 - February 2005 lesson involved pupils building upon work they completed for homework to make very good progress in the understanding of Cubism whilst creating very imaginative pictures in ink in the style of Picasso. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 47 - February 2005

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

79. Few lessons were seen in this area of the school’s work and so no overall judgement is made about provision. The school regards pupils’ personal development as very importantly based upon Christian principles that permeate all aspects of learning. This is seen in subject planning, the excellent range of activities provided outside lessons, the use of visitors to the school, partnerships with the church, diocese and parents and through links with the community. There is a very good emphasis on learning about and sharing with others their own cultures and traditions that contributes greatly to the inclusion of pupils. Strategies to ensure that pupils are fully included in all the school offers are evaluated for effectiveness. The recently established excellent provision for pupils with special educational needs already contributes to their very good progress and this is highly valued by parents. The programme for personal,

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

social and health education is very good and includes work on healthy eating and keeping safe. In the Reception classes, children learn about healthy eating and through the school pupils are provided with fruit each day to encourage them to eat healthily. As pupils grow older, the school increases the range of opportunities for pupils to use their initiative and be responsible, to which they eagerly respond. This was seen in the highly responsible ways pupils through the school help teachers and assistants with tasks and in the way older pupils look after younger ones at lunch and play times. Pupils are proud of their school and the work of the school council and delighted that their views are respected. They are amazed that inspectors ask them questions about people being unkind to them and they know what to do should another pupil attempt to bully them. Pupils are aware of what being a good citizen

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

means by Year 6, with the school having securely in place plans to improve provision to teach citizenship to Year 7 pupils so that their understanding of democracy and good citizenship increases further by the time they leave the school. Broadwater CofE First and Middle School - 48 - February 2005

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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 2 Value for money provided by the school 2

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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 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 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 1 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 2 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 1 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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