Caedmon Community Primary School

CAEDMON COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 13 th January 2005

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CAEDMON COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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CAEDMON COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Caedmon Community Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 212

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Whitehall Road Gateshead Tyne and Wear Postcode: NE8 4LH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 0191 4773382 Fax number: 0191 4775161

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Allan Symons

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Caedmon Community Primary School is situated in Gateshead. The school serves an area that is characterised by a mixture of private, rented and public housing and where there are high levels of unemployment. Children enter the reception class in the September prior to their fifth birthday, and most children have attended the school’s nursery before starting school. When children start nursery, their attainment on entry is generally well below what might be expected nationally and their language skills in particular and their number skills are often limited. In addition, a large percentage of pupils have joined the school at a later time than in their reception year, and this effects attainment in the different year groups. There are 186 girls and boys who attend Caedmon Community Primary School plus 26 part time nursery children. 11 per cent of pupils who attend the school have a first language that

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

is believed not to be English and this is high in comparison to the national average. 48 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals and this is well above average. 17 per cent of pupils are on the school’s list of special educational need, of whom two have a formal Statement of Special Educational Need and this is generally in line with what is expected nationally. Caedmon Community Primary School is a member of the Kingsmeadow Education Action Zone. The school received a Gold No Smoking award and the Charter Mark in 2002 and the Basic Skills Quality Mark and Healthy Schools award in 2004. Caedmon Community Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities Mrs E Linley Lead inspector Foundation Stage

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Science Music Physical education English as an additional language 9652 Mr C Herbert Lay inspector Mr K Oglesby Team inspector English

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Information and communication technology Religious education History Geography Special educational needs Mrs I Idle Team inspector Mathematics

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Eclipse Education (UK) Limited 14 Enterprise Way Kingsway Team Valley Gateshead NE11 0SR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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). Caedmon Community Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school. As a result of good teaching and overall, a very clear focus on pupils’ personal development, pupils achieve very well over time. By the time pupils leave school the majority attain standards that are above average in English, mathematics and science. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage. • By the age of 11 pupils attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science, they are below average by the age of seven in reading, writing and mathematics. • Although satisfactory, assessment is not used consistently well enough to meet the needs of all pupils. • The leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher is very good. • The curriculum is enriched with very good opportunities for learning. • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning and they behave very well.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has improved well overall since its last inspection. Many of the strengths identified at that time have been maintained and the key issues from the inspection have been addressed. Standards attained by pupils aged seven in reading, writing and mathematics, have declined. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT), however, have improved throughout the school and are no longer unsatisfactory.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English D C B A* mathematics E E C A science D C D B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is very good over time . When children start nursery their skills are well below what might be expected nationally in their language skills and mathematical development and below what might be expected in the other areas of learning. Children make a good start in the nursery and they continue to achieve well as they progress through the Foundation Stage. As a result, by the end of reception, standards are likely to be at the expected levels in their personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and physical development. Children achieve well in their communication, language and literacy skills and mathematical development, and by the time they leave reception, they are likely to attain standards that are below what might be expected in these areas of learning. Although pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve at a steady rate, standards remain below average in

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

reading, writing and mathematics and average in science. In relation to the good start that pupils make in the Foundation Stage, standards achieved by the age of seven should be higher. In Years 5 and 6, pupils make considerable strides in their achievement because of the quality of teaching they receive, this is seen particularly in Year 6 where it is frequently very good and excellent. As a result, when pupils leave school aged 11, the majority attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science. Throughout school standards in ICT match those expected for their age and this represents good progress since the time of the last inspection. In religious education, Caedmon Community Primary School - 5 pupils achieve in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus by the age of seven and above expectations at age 11. Pupils achieve well in art and design and attain standards that are

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

above expectations for their age throughout the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards school and their behaviour is very good. Pupils’ willingness to be enterprising and take responsibility is excellent. Punctuality is satisfactory and attendance is below average when compared to other schools. The school is working hard to encourage good attendance and this is beginning to make a significant difference.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good. Although a very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection, teaching and learning are good overall and it is very good in Year 6. Teaching assistants make a very positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Assessment is satisfactory overall and has rightly been identified by the school as a priority for action. Teachers use an effective range of assessment strategies to track pupils’ progress. However, the information gathered is not used sufficiently well to ensure that the needs of all pupils, including those who have special educational needs or who are more able, are met. However, ongoing assessment is a strength of the Foundation Stage. The school provides a good curriculum to develop pupils’ learning both academically and socially. It is enriched with very good opportunities for learning. The Foundation Stage curriculum and curriculum provision for pupils who have English as an additional language,

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

is good. The school’s accommodation and resources are very good. The school provides well for the welfare, health and safety of its pupils. It seeks to involve pupils very well and works very hard to seek their views. Pupils’ relationships with adults in school and with each other are very good. Links with the community and parents are very good and parents are very supportive of the school. Links and partnerships with other schools are very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good overall . The leadership of the headteacher is very good and she is supported very well by her deputy headteacher. The senior management team and all staff work together well. All leaders in school demonstrate a very good commitment to inclusion. The overall management of the school is good. School improvement planning is very good and financial management is effective. The governance of the school is good. Governors demonstrate a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, are very supportive of the school and ensure that all statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents express very positive views about Caedmon Community Primary School, they particularly value the provision for children who speak English as an additional language. A minority of parents expressed concerns that bullying was not dealt with effectively. However, inspection evidence indicates that the school does all it can to deal with such incidents quickly when they occur and with sensitivity and care. Pupils are very proud of their school and like the staff who work with them very much.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise standards pupils achieve by the age of seven. • Ensure that information gathered from assessments is used effectively to meet the needs of all pupils, including those who have special educational needs and who are more able. Caedmon Community Primary School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards achieved are very good over time. Children make a good start in the Foundation Stage, and attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the age of 11. However, pupils who are more able or who have special educational needs do not always achieve as well as they should.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards attained by pupils aged seven are not high enough. • Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well overall. • Standards attained by pupils in Year 6 are above average. • Pupils who have special educational needs and who are more able, achieve steadily but not at the same pace as their peers. • Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well. • Pupils achieve well in art and design.

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Commentary

1 The table shows that in the 2004 national tests for seven year olds, pupils attained standards that were very low in reading, and in writing and mathematics they were well below average. In comparison with similar schools, standards were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Trends of improvement in the national tests for pupils aged seven are below the national average. However, in relation to standards attained by pupils in 2004, results represent the achievement of a class where a significant proportion of pupils have special educational needs.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 11.9 (14.2) 15.8 (15.7)

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Commentary

There were 28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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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 28.0 (26.7) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 27.0 (25.3) 27.0 (26.8) science 28.0 (28.4) 28.6 (28.6) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2 The table above shows that in the 2004 national tests for 11 year olds, pupils attained standards in English that were above average, in mathematics they were average and in science they were below average. In comparison with similar schools, and in relation to pupils’ prior attainment, standards were very high in English, well above average in mathematics and above average in science. Trends of improvement in the national tests for pupils aged 11 are above the national average. Standards attained in 2004 reflect pupils’ very good achievement over time. Caedmon Community Primary School - 7 3 The results of boys and girls in all subjects in the 2004 national tests showed that boys outperformed girls by a large margin. In addition, a higher than average proportion of pupils attained at the lower levels in science. These results represent a larger than usual proportion of girls with special educational needs. However, achievement at the higher levels in all subjects in

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Commentary

comparison to similar schools was well above average. Inspection evidence concludes that there is no differential achievement between boys and girls and that standards in science have improved.

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Commentary

4 When children start school in nursery many have difficulties with their communication, language and mathematical skills. Children make a good start to school in the nursery and they achieve well overall during their time in the Foundation Stage. This is as a result of good teaching, the very good support of nursery nurses and teaching assistants and the good quality of provision that is in place for their needs. However, on occasions, in the reception class, opportunities to develop children’s skills in writing, particularly of the more able, are missed. Children whose first language is not English and who have special educational needs achieve well overall in the Foundation Stage and this is appreciated by parents.

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Commentary

5 In Years 1 and 2, pupils make satisfactory progress and by the age of seven attain standards that remain below average in reading, writing and mathematics and average in science. This is mainly because teachers do not consistently plan their work to ensure that it matches the individual needs of all pupils, including those who are the least and most able. In relation to the good start that pupils make in the Foundation Stage, standards achieved by the age of seven should be higher.

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Commentary

6 Pupils’ achievement begins to improve as they move through Years 3 to 6. However, there has been a large percentage of pupils who joined the school at a later time than in their reception year, and this also effects attainment in year groups overall. None-the-less, pupils who have special educational needs and those who are more able do not always achieve as well as they should. This is again because work is not consistently matched to their needs. In Years 5 and 6, pupils make considerable strides in their learning. This is because the quality of teaching improves and in Year 6 teaching and learning is consistently very good or excellent. As a result, the majority of pupils aged 11 attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science. Similarly, pupils whose first language is not English and those who have special educational needs, achieve equally well as their peers in Year 6 because of the quality of provision, teaching and learning.

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Commentary

7 In ICT standards meet expectations for pupils’ ages and this represents good improvement since the time of the last inspection when standards were judged to be unsatisfactory. In religious education, pupils achieve in line with the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus by the age of seven and above at the age of 11. Insufficient evidence was available during the time of the inspection to make secure judgements on standards in design and technology, music, history, geography and physical education, and so these subjects have been sampled. None-the-less, photographic evidence and information about the subject shows that significant progress has been made in physical education since the last inspection. The school places great importance on art and design as creativity plays an important part in the school’s enriched curriculum. As a result, pupils achieve well in art and design attaining standards that are above expectations for their age.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are very good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also very good. This is a similar picture to the last inspection. Attendance is below average and punctuality is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy what the school offers. They are keen to use their initiative and take responsibility. • Behaviour is very good, pupils show respect for each other and the adults in the school. Caedmon Community Primary School - 8 • The attendance and punctuality of a very small number of pupils affects the overall figures. • The headteacher is a key figure in the very good provision for social, moral, cultural and spiritual development. Caedmon Community Primary School - 9

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Commentary

8 Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy coming. They are rightly very positive about their teachers and the other adults who help them. Most pupils work hard and make very good progress as a result. Their positive approach makes the school a pleasure to visit; pupils behave very well towards each other and are polite, friendly and welcoming. Joint activities, such as assemblies and musical productions are very successful. Behaviour around school and in the dining room is quiet and relaxed. Adult voices rarely have to be raised. No incidents of bullying or racial abuse were seen during the inspection. Pupils believe that any such behaviour would be dealt with quickly.

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Commentary

9 Pupils enjoy being trusted to take responsibility. This is seen in many small ways, such as the way they tackle work in groups or look after school property. They have enjoyed developing the work of the school council this year. Some of these pupils even played an informal part in the recent appointment of the deputy headteacher and a number of the charities and events supported by school are suggested and organised by pupils.

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Commentary

10 The provision for pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is very good. Pupils know and understand the school rules, in fact they help to write them. The headteacher and other staff set the tone in encouraging pupils to slow down and think about events or their own actions. In one assembly, for example, the whole school sat for a long time in thoughtful silence watching pictures of the recent Tsunami tragedy in Asia. Cultural development is promoted very well through the curriculum, links with the community, visits, well-chosen literature and regular visitors who talk to classes about their lives and work.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (93.7%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.5 School data 0.7 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

11 The rate of attendance is just below the national average, and a small number of pupils arrive late for school. The school does all it can to improve this, and succeeds with the great majority of families. There are rewards for attendance and punctuality that pupils compete for enthusiastically. The most recent figures show a good rise in attendance. There are good procedures to check on absences and these are helping to improve matters. Caedmon Community Primary School - 10

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll White – British 134 White – Irish 2 White – any other White background 2 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 4 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 3 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background Black or Black British – African 2 Any other ethnic group 1 No ethnic group recorded 47 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 is good overall. Strengths include teaching and learning, the very good enrichment of the curriculum and the school’s very effective partnerships with parents, the local community and schools.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning are good overall and assessment is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Assessment information is not consistently used in lessons to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met effectively. • Effective teaching in the Foundation Stage is characterised by good team work and very effective preparation for lessons. • Nursery nurses and teaching assistants contribute very well to effective teaching and learning throughout the school. • Teaching and learning in Year 6 is exciting and fun. • Effective teamwork promotes good learning for those pupils whose first language is not English.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 35 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

3 (8%) 5 (14%) 14 (40%) 11 (35%) 2 (6%) 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. Caedmon Community Primary School - 11 12 Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall. The teachers are always very well prepared and meet the needs of the majority of individual children effectively by regular ongoing assessment and analysis of their progress. This quality of teaching is further enhanced by the teamwork that takes place. All teachers and support staff work together well as they are very well briefed about the needs of the children. Very good relationships and high expectations of children’s behaviour and effort are rewarded by their good achievement. However, the Foundation Stage staff also recognise that pupils who are more able do not always achieve as well as they might in their writing. This is because on occasions, in the reception class, opportunities are missed to develop

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Commentary

13 Teaching throughout the school is good overall. Where teaching is frequently excellent and often very good as in Year 6 lessons, they are exciting, imaginative and move at great pace. Vocabulary and concepts across the curriculum are continually reinforced and used in challenging but ‘fun’ ways. In mathematics, for example, the teacher has very good subject knowledge and high expectations of what his pupils can achieve. Lessons are very carefully planned to ensure that all pupils work at their own level within the same aspect of mathematics. Previous lessons are saved on the computer and, at pupils’ own request; they access these to reinforce their understanding of previous work. As a result, pupils achieve very well and build effectively on their previous year’s work that sets good foundations in place for their future learning. A scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that teaching is often satisfactory in Years 1 to 4 and this is because work is not consistently

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Commentary

matched to the needs of pupils with special educational needs or those who are more able. A small amount of unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection and this largely related to the use of time and pupils’ subsequent lack of achievement. However, during the inspection, good and very good teaching was observed across the school. All lessons are characterised by very good relationships. As a result, pupils’ confidence and self-esteem is high because they know that even if they answer a question incorrectly their contribution will be valued.

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Commentary

14 Teaching is enhanced by the use of specialist teachers in the school, for example, to support science in Year 6, and the very good use of nursery nurses and teaching assistants. This is also a feature of the teaching of English to those pupils for whom it is not their home language. The specialist teacher works well with class teachers to ensure that pupils are actively engaged in the lesson and can converse in their home language. The joint setting of targets and evaluation of progress helps ensure that all pupils are provided with a good quality of education. Similarly class teachers celebrate the cultures of pupils from ethnic minority groups through effective displays to aid teaching and learning as, for example, shown in Year 5, where examples of the Russian language are on prominent display.

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Commentary

15 Assessment is satisfactory overall. The school has an effective system in place to collect data and track pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. Similarly, although data is collected effectively to set targets for pupils, the information is not consistently used in order to ensure that their needs are met in lessons. This is an issue for those pupils who have special educational needs and those who are more able. Pupils are beginning to be involved in self-assessment of their progress, but this is in its early stages. Assessment has quite rightly already been identified within the school improvement plan as a priority for development in order to raise standards.

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The curriculum

The curriculum the school provides is good overall. Opportunities for enrichment are very good. The quality of the accommodation and resources are very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Considerable improvement has been made to the physical education and ICT curriculum so that these now meet statutory requirements. • Adults in school provide good role models for pupils’ personal development. Caedmon Community Primary School - 12 • Planned visits and visitors to school contribute very effectively to the quality of the curriculum. • The school environment, enriched with high quality displays and resources, contributes very effectively to the curriculum. Caedmon Community Primary School - 13

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Commentary

16 At the time of the last inspection deficiencies in the curriculum were recorded in both ICT and physical education whilst outdoor provision for the Foundation Stage was underdeveloped. Since that time significant improvement has taken place in the provision for both subjects and in outdoor provision for children under five. A new ICT suite has been established and all classrooms have Interactive Whiteboards. All classes are timetabled to use the suite and the skills of teachers and pupils have improved. A new scheme of work is in place for physical education and more curriculum time has been allocated to the subject during the week. In addition, the deputy headteacher runs after school activities for sport and positive links have been forged with other schools through the Education Action Zone all of which contributes well to the provision for physical education. In addition, the Foundation Stage now benefits from much improved outdoor provision.

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Commentary

17 The curriculum is now broad and balanced and is successful in providing pupils with a good range of learning opportunities. It meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and provides effectively for a well-planned programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE). The teaching of sex and relationship education, the dangers of drugs and smoking and the importance of healthy eating feature strongly and pupils learn the importance of becoming a good citizen.

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Commentary

18 Significant emphasis is placed on pupils’ personal and social development within the curriculum and in this context, staff provide very good role models. For example, personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is the focus for the first two days of each school year in each class so that teachers and pupils get to know each other very well. Pupils share their likes and dislikes, hobbies, worries and other things important to them and quickly build very good relationships. PSHCE is considered to be of considerable importance and is timetabled for every class. The whole ethos of the school is of care and support for each other and all adults act as good role models for pupils. Pupils know that there is always a listening ear and support wherever it is needed. This provision is also extended to parents who need help.

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Commentary

19 The introduction of ‘non-timetabled days’ to support the national primary strategy of “Excellence and Enjoyment” is having a good impact on pupils’ learning as it enriches curriculum opportunities for pupils very well. The wide range of interesting visits and visitors adds to pupils’ interest and experiences. This is particularly strong in the area of art and design. Artists and illustrators work in school regularly and good links have been established with the local art gallery. Year 4 pupils visit St. Mary’s Visitors’ Centre as part of their design and technology work on bridges. Provision is made for older pupils to learn French. Teachers from the local technology college work in school with Year 6 pupils on a challenging technology project. A good range of extra-curricular clubs are provided and Year 6 pupils experience a residential visit.

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Commentary

20 The school places a high priority on providing a stimulating and enriched environment in which pupils enjoy learning and this is enhanced by the very good quality of the school’s accommodation. High quality displays encourage pupils to strive to achieve the quality of work that their peers have produced work is shared throughout the school. The school caretaker and his staff work hard to keep the school very clean and pupils also play their part in respecting both the fabric and resources within the school. A special garden has been created where pupils who wish to be quiet and spend time alone can go and be safe. They are proud of this area and they work well with the caretaker to keep it neat and tidy. Good use has been made of the space available in school, this includes a separate dining room as well as a library and a new computer suite. Discussion with the Caedmon Community Primary School - 14

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Commentary

headteacher and teaching staff confirms the judgement that resources are very good both in quantity and quality.

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Care, guidance and support

The procedures for ensuring the welfare, health and safety of pupils are good overall. The support, advice and guidance given to pupils, including child protection, are good overall. The pupils are very effectively involved in the life of the school. Caedmon Community Primary School - 15

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school offers very good pastoral care for all its pupils. • Effective links are in place with external agencies to offer effective guidance and support. • Pupils are given all the help they need to settle into school.

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Commentary

21 Each child in the school is very well cared for and treated as an individual. Child protection procedures are effective and routines for dealing with the safety both of the building and on outside visits, first aid and accidents are well established.

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Commentary

22 Pupils feel that school is a happy and safe place to be in and parents appreciate the quality of care that their children receive. The use of teaching assistants to support pastoral care is very good throughout the school. Teachers know the pupils very well and they very effectively promote pupils’ personal development. The school is working hard to check pupils’ progress and to ensure that they are guided in their academic life – this is currently satisfactory overall. The school works effectively with external services, whose expertise help to tailor guidance and support to individual needs so that each pupil grows in achievement, self-awareness and self-esteem. Examples of this are seen in relation to the needs of pupils whose first language is not English and in the way that pupils who have emotional and behavioural difficulties are supported through the behaviour improvement programme.

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Commentary

23 When children start school, they settle well into the new routines and the teachers, nursery nurses and teaching assistants get to know them very well when they join nursery. Very good care is taken of those who enter school whatever their age or stage of learning. As pupils begin their school day many of them take advantage of the breakfast club, which helps them in their learning and also helps to promote good attendance. Pupils are encouraged to think and give their views in class, at play and particularly in their roles as school council members. As a result, pupils develop very effective and trusting relationships with the adults who they work with. Pupils are proud of their school and feel totally involved in its life and work.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The schools’ links with parents and the community are very good. Links with other schools and colleges are also very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very appreciative of the opportunities for ‘Family Learning’ in which the school has been involved. • The very effective links established with the local technical college aids pupils’ achievement in science in Year 6.

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Commentary

24 Parents are very supportive of the school. They appreciate the school’s involvement in the ‘Family Learning’ initiatives that have given them the opportunity to learn more about ICT and literacy. The positive partnership between home and school is supported effectively by regular and informative newsletters, which are sent out to parents and guardians. Similarly, pupils’ annual reports about their children’s progress are informative and provide targets to help parents support their child’s learning. Parents also have the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher at parents’ evenings and they value the opportunity to do so. Parental contact is not, however, limited Caedmon Community Primary School - 16 to these occasions. The school operates an ‘open door’ policy and in this way deals very well with any concerns or complaints that arise.

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Commentary

25 The school seeks to establish very good links with the community and so forms very effective partnerships to support pupils’ learning. For example, very good links have been established to support the training of teaching assistants from the local Jewish Academy, whilst links with the local Methodist and Baptist churches are strong. Further examples include the links established with local professional football clubs and such partnerships have helped, among other ventures, to aid the improved provision for pupils in physical education.

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Commentary

26 Links with local schools are very good. This is exemplified by the high quality links with the local technology college as part of a three-year electronics project. Staff from the college work on a weekly basis in Year 6, the high quality input is very successful in aiding pupils’ achievement in science. Such effective working practice, coupled with the school’s membership of the Kingsmeadow Education Action Zone, ensures a very smooth transition as pupils’ progress to their next school at the age of 11.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management of the school are good overall. The headteacher’s and deputy headteacher’s leadership is very good and they are well supported by key staff. Management is good overall. Governance is good. The school deals effectively with identified aids and barriers to achievement.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school that is very well presented in the school improvement plan. • The deputy headteacher provides very good leadership and a very good role model in terms of his teaching ability. • The senior management team is at the early stages of its development. • The leaders’ very good commitment to inclusion is vital to the work of the school where all cultures are valued and celebrated. • The governing body acts effectively in its role as critical friend.

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Commentary

27 The headteacher is a very good leader. Her vision for the school is very clear and is supported fully by all staff as well as by pupils, governors and parents. Her aim to combine pupils’ all-round achievement with a school that is a place of security and support for every pupil and their parents, is very well articulated in the school improvement plan. The headteacher has very sensitively and effectively dealt with a significant number of traumatic staffing issues over recent years, something which is much appreciated by parents who agree that she provides very good leadership. In this sensitivity to others needs, the headteacher expects the same commitment from her senior managers and other staff. A mark of her success as a leader is that she gets it. Her greatest pride is in the school’s success in promoting pupils’ self-esteem and self-confidence, delivered through a curriculum where spirituality and self-awareness is high on the agenda. Pupils’ very good

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Commentary

attitudes, behaviour and personal qualities fully justify this pride.

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Commentary

28 The headteacher’s and governors appointment of the deputy headteacher are fully vindicated in his very good and frequently excellent teaching and in the very good role model that he provides. Whilst fairly new to the school he has much experience as a deputy headteacher and as such, provides very good leadership. Delegation of Caedmon Community Primary School - 17 responsibilities to other key staff as the senior management team is in its early stages of development. For example, tracking of pupils’ progress and the effective use of assessment are management issues that are currently linked almost exclusively to mathematics and English. But this is a team that is committed to working hard and who, like the headteacher, are held accountable through performance management and other reviews. Self-evaluation is thoroughly embedded in the school. As a result, the recommendations for improvement identified by the inspection team are already clearly

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Commentary

articulated in the school improvement plan.

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Commentary

29 Governors have a clear ambition for the school, which they see as being at the heart of its local community. They know that it is a place where all cultures are celebrated and valued and recognise that the school’s very good commitment to inclusion is a vital ingredient to its work. Examples such as homework, reading and breakfast clubs are some of the ways that school has sought to aid pupils’ learning. In this way the school counteracts barriers to learning that relate to very low skills in language and literacy in nursery; barriers for those who do not speak English as their first language and barriers for those who joined the school after their reception year.

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Commentary

30 The governing body are well aware of the school’s main strengths and of its continuing priorities for development. Members demonstrate this knowledge when they cite specific priorities for improvement and say how they hold the school to account in their role as critical friend. The governing body keeps itself well informed about the work of the school through reports to its committees and to the full governing body, through meetings with members of staff and through visits to the school to watch it at work. The governing body is always ready to ask challenging questions of the senior leaders, whilst also supporting them in driving the school forward to meet its goals. The governing body fulfils all its statutory obligations and are effective in their preparation and monitoring of the Race Relations policy.

p.19

Financial Information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Financial Information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 532,762.00 Balance from previous year 24,186.00 Total expenditure 510,340.00 Balance carried forward to the next 46,608.00 Expenditure per pupil 2,337.00

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Financial Information

31 The governing body and key staff manage the school’s finances well whilst ensuring that staff get the very best resources to support teaching and learning effectively. The governors’ finance committee is well informed and ensures that the budget set reflects the school’s educational priorities. Budget monitoring is thorough and spending is monitored carefully to ensure best value. This effectiveness of practice has been affirmed by the school’s most recent financial audit. Day-to-day administration itself is effective, underpinning the governors’ broader financial management successfully. The school continues to provide good value for money. Caedmon Community Primary School - 18

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

32 Provision in the Foundation Stage is good overall. Both the nursery and reception classes provide purposeful and stimulating environments in which young children begin their school life. Displays of children’s work are a very strong feature of the classrooms and provide encouragement in their work whilst also valuing their efforts. Links with parents are very good and this supports children as they start school. All adults who work in the Foundation Stage work hard to develop very good relationships with the children and with each other. As a result all children achieve well including those who have special educational needs and those whose first language is not English. The children’s good achievement is enhanced by the effective use of ongoing assessments by all staff so that activities are planned across the areas of learning to meet children’s individual needs. There has been a change in the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage and it is

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good relationships support children’s very good attitudes to learning and their behaviour. • Children learn from an early age the importance of taking responsibility for themselves.

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Commentary

33 The very good relationships that are a feature of the school begin in the Foundation Stage and underpin very good teaching in this area of learning. Such trusting relationships of very high quality help to create a very secure environment in which children play and work together well. The Foundation Stage staff provide a committed and effective team and present very good role models for the children in their care. As a result, children try hard to achieve their best. They know that their teachers and helpers have high expectations of them and because of this their attitudes to learning and behaviour are very good across all the areas of learning. Given that children enter nursery with skills that are below what might be expected they try very hard to learn the routines of the classroom. For example, during the week of the inspection many new children joined nursery. The staff worked very hard

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Commentary

with the children to make clear what the nursery routines were and with gentle reinforcement to aid learning, the children soon began to understand that they had to wait to take turns, for example, to join the snack table for a drink and a biscuit. These skills are built on very well as children move through into reception. For example, in physical development lessons, children are very attentive and follow instructions carefully, taking on board the responsibility of getting dressed and undressed and being aware of the space of others as they moved about the hall. As a result, the majority of children, including those with special educational needs and who have English as a second language achieve well and meet the standards expected for their age by the time they leave reception.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

Caedmon Community Primary School - 19 • The Foundation Stage team prepare a good range of practical activities that develop children’s language skills effectively. • Children quickly improve their speaking and listening skills because of the skilful way that staff ask questions. • On some occasions, opportunities are missed in reception to extend children’s writing skills. Caedmon Community Primary School - 20

p.21

Commentary

34 One of the main reasons teaching is good is that the Foundation Stage staff team quite rightly focus on the development of children’s speaking and listening skills when the start school. This is because many children begin nursery with poor language skills and a significant minority have specific and identified speech difficulties. As a result, the development of speaking and listening across all the areas of learning is a key feature of the curriculum. To this end, staff constantly ask very good questions of children not only to assess their understanding, but to encourage children to speak to each other and to the staff. In this they are successful and children achieve well. Children are also encouraged to develop a love of reading and they enjoy sharing books with each and describing the story as they move from one picture on a page to another. Children who have English as a second language enjoyed hearing the ‘Little Red Hen’ read to them

p.22

Commentary

by the class teacher and then retold in their home language by the specialist teacher.

p.22

Commentary

35 Children’s writing skills develop at a slower pace. Everywhere in nursery there are opportunities for children to make marks as they move from one activity to another. There are similar opportunities available in reception, for example, in the role-play area of the police station, children are encouraged to make marks on ‘the daily rota’. Children were also observed practicing with their teacher how to read and write words such as ‘hat’ and ‘cat’. Opportunities to extend children’s writing skills further in reception, however, are sometimes missed and as a result, children, and in particular those who are more able, do not always achieve as well they could. The range of practical activities that are prepared for children across the curriculum to extend children’s language skills are none-the-less of a good quality and this maintains children’s interest and concentration. Despite achieving well, few children are likely to reach the early goals expected by

p.22

Commentary

the end of the reception class because of their low starting point.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities for developing mathematical skills are integrated into a range of different practical activities. • Learning is fun, and so children achieve well.

p.22

Commentary

36 One of the aspects of good teaching is that teachers plan a good range of practical activities that cover all aspects of mathematical development. Every opportunity is taken for staff to promote children’s understanding of number and this exemplifies the good teaching that takes place in the Foundation Stage. For example, the nursery nurse encouraged new starters to count the claws on the paper crabs that they were decorating with pasta shapes. Practical activities support children’s developing understanding of shape and space. For example, children in reception considered ways of comparing the lengths of shoes and they began to use language such as ‘shortest’ and ‘longest’. Some children made shoe prints of boots and shoes to compare their size; others drew around a variety of people’s feet to compare the cut out shapes and more able children cut out shapes of their own feet and measured them with cubes to see whose was the longest and

p.22

Commentary

shortest. The majority of children are likely to attain standards that are below expectations for their age at the end of reception. However, children achieve well overall, given their low skills when they start nursery, and this is because learning is always fun.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

Caedmon Community Primary School - 21 • A good range of learning opportunities are organised to develop children’s curiosity effectively. • Good provision is in place to develop children’s ICT skills.

p.23

Commentary

37 The quality of teaching is good overall, and learning opportunities are varied and support the development of children’s curiosity. For example, in nursery, during a focussed group activity with more able children, they looked at and touched sardines purchased from the fishmonger by the teacher. Their curiosity was very clear and they responded very well with good observations about the touch and appearance of the fish saying it felt ‘squashy’ and ‘wet’. As children move through the Foundation Stage they gain experience in using tape recorders and learn how to switch them on and off. From an early age they learn how to move the mouse on the computer and can select what they want on the screen. Children in nursery also have confidence to use the Interactive Whiteboard and this promotes their curiosity very well. This is further developed into reception, where children learn how to use computers in the computer suite. They achieve well because the activities they complete

p.23

Commentary

are enjoyable. They draw designs using the programme ‘2go’ and begin to develop confidence to select keys so that they can move a ladybird in a selected direction from one flower to another in a certain number of moves. Their eagerness is rewarded with a printed copy of their work. The curriculum is enhanced by visitors to school, so that children learn about people who help them, such as the ‘lollipop lady’ a policeman and the fire-fighters. Children also learn about moral issues through stories and songs. For example, nursery children explored the idea of friendship after they had listened to the story of the ‘Rainbow Fish’. They thought about the ‘school of fish’ in the story and compared the friendship shown with the friendship in their own school. The children’s understanding was aided by the very careful questioning and support of the teaching assistant. As a result of the quality of provision in the Foundation Stage, children achieve well and meet expectations for their

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Effective provision makes a good contribution to children’s personal, social and emotional development. • The outdoor play area is very well developed and offers a good range of learning opportunities. • Staff are very well deployed to meet the needs of children with specific learning or behavioural difficulties.

p.23

Commentary

38 A good range of activities are organised across all the areas of learning to encourage children to develop their manipulative skills through the use of scissors, paintbrushes, pencils, crayons and small construction equipment. The outdoor play area is very well developed and children have the opportunity to play with wheeled toys, build large frames with building blocks and to climb and balance on the new adventure play equipment. This represents significant improvement in provision since the last inspection. When children go to the hall to work on the ‘soft play’ apparatus, as a result of very good teaching, they are clearly aware of health and safety issues and how physical activities affect the rate Caedmon Community Primary School - 22 of their heart beat. An example of the school’s very good commitment to inclusion is the way that all children are involved not withstanding any specific behavioural needs that some

p.23

Commentary

children might have. For example, in reception, the nursery nurse deployed an adult helper very well to involve and calm a child who on occasions found the activity overwhelming. When using the soft play apparatus children demonstrated a good level of responsibility and concentration as they carefully worked to balance, jump, slide and ‘squeeze’ through tubes. Children are aware of their own and each other’s space. They enjoy the good opportunities that are available for them and as a result of good teaching overall, they achieve well and attain standards that are in line with what might be expected for their age. Caedmon Community Primary School - 23

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching and support staff engage children in purposeful conversations to promote role-play. • The integration of imaginative topics into the curriculum provides opportunities for creativity.

p.25

Commentary

39 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Role-play is integrated into many activities and enables children to develop imagination as well as language and social skills. The topic relating to ‘the Elves and the Shoemaker’ in reception, offers a wealth of creative development. Children were encouraged to develop language about the story by the staff who became active participants in the role-play area. Good use is also made of the dedicated area for painting and water play in nursery and of the additional reception classroom where children experiment with a good range of different materials; they develop their cutting, sticking and fixing skills well. Children use a wide range of construction materials including gears and use computers to design their own wrapping paper. Children enjoy singing and in nursery they know for example, that there are five little fish in the song they sing, they join in the swimming actions and work together well in a circle as they sing

p.25

Commentary

‘Down at the bottom of the sea’. Displays of the ‘Rainbow fish’ demonstrate the quality of the children’s creative work and these are shared with other pupils elsewhere in school. Children achieve well in their creative development and are likely to attain the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception. Caedmon Community Primary School - 24

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2, but standards are below average by the age of seven. • Work is not always matched to ability. In some cases the more able pupils could do more, while the less able struggle with the task that the whole class is doing. • Teaching is good overall and excellent in Year 6. Consequently pupils achieve very well. • Leadership and management are good, with a clear vision and high expectations. • Teachers provide a good range of interesting writing tasks that pupils enjoy. • The school makes good use of pupils' literacy skills in all subjects. • Teachers help the older pupils to analyse and improve their own work.

p.26

Commentary

40 Standards in reading, writing and speaking are above average by the end of Year 6. This is very good progress, because the pupils' attainment is low when they start school. The main reasons are that teaching is good overall, it is outstanding in Year 6, and classes work hard and want to learn. Pupils' handwriting and presentation are good and boys and girls make similar progress. Over time pupils achieve very well during their time at Caedmon. Since the last inspection, standards have been maintained in writing and spoken English, and improved in reading.

p.26

Commentary

41 Pupils who have special educational needs make at least steady progress, but their achievement varies because work is not consistently matched to their agreed personal targets. The support team withdraw pupils to focus on these targets, they make a valuable contribution but once or twice per week is not enough on its own. Too often, in other lessons, pupils are expected to do the same work as everyone else and so do not make enough progress.

p.26

Commentary

42 In Year 2, standards are below average in reading and writing. There is some very good teaching in Year 1, but the teaching in Year 2 has not been focussed enough on developing reading and writing skills to lift pupils to the level expected for seven year olds. In particular, those who are more able are not challenged to achieve as well as they should and so insufficient pupils are attaining at the higher levels.

p.26

Commentary

43 In all classes, pupils enjoy very good relationships with adults and with each other. This is one of the main reasons for the good progress pupils make in their spoken English. Pupils know that their contributions will be listened to, and so are not afraid to offer an answer or opinion. Teachers are good at making the most of an incorrect answer and so preserving self-esteem. They provide regular practice for pupils to speak in pairs, groups and to the whole class. These are matched by opportunities to contribute to the many school events such as assemblies, the school council, plays, or meeting visitors. As a result, pupils leave the school able to talk confidently in many situations. In Year 6, for example, groups of pupils were challenged to present the arguments for and against smoking. They did this very well, assembling facts, opinions and supporting evidence in a way that would have shamed many adult debates.

p.26

Commentary

Caedmon Community Primary School - 25 44 Standards in reading are good in Year 6. Most pupils enjoy reading and can talk about their preferences and favourite authors. The school has a good range of high quality books to choose from. Teachers keep good records and extra help is provided when progress is slow. In the youngest classes, some lively phonics teaching gives pupils some of the basic skills to get started. A weekend home reading system is well established and this encourages pupils to practise with parents or to read longer novels. The early morning reading club is very successful and already has a waiting list.

p.27

Commentary

45 The school has made writing a priority in recent years and standards are rising. Pupils' attainment is still below average in Year 2, but in Year 6 standards are better than average. Pupils are achieving very well over time because teachers challenge them to tackle a wide variety of interesting themes and writing styles. The timetable is organised so that classes have enough time to write at length, improve what they have done, and so produce a satisfying piece of work. This works well across the whole school, for example, even the young writers in Year 1 concentrated for over half an hour after they enjoyed some fun and drama with ‘The Gruffalo’. A very good feature is the way that teachers show pupils how to analyse and improve their work. For example, pupils in Year 5 study their first drafts to see how they match up to their personal writing targets. In Year 6, the pupils take this further, examining authors' texts as well as their own against some rigorous criteria.

p.27

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice Extended writing in Year 6. The class are challenged to study some well-chosen pieces of writing, including one from a pupil, to see how they work. Pupils ‘dive’ into these with eagerness. They show a mature ability to analyse and explain; using sophisticated criteria. ‘That's a good story hook. Here's the start of conflict resolution’. The discussion flows, the class completely involved and listening to each other. The teacher uses an Interactive Whiteboard skilfully to highlight text and pull all the ideas together. No time is wasted on mundane chores in this lesson. Primed by all this, and with a stimulating sheet of prompts and hints, the class settles down to write. Complete silence, except for some quiet music. Total concentration and effort. Inspiring teaching and an outstanding response.

p.27

Commentary

46 Whilst not every lesson reaches this peak, teaching is good overall. Teachers plan carefully, motivate classes well and keep things moving at a good pace. Consequently pupils enjoy the work and believe they are improving. The school keeps very good records of what pupils know and can do. However a trawl through pupils' books indicates that this information is not consistently used to match work to ability. In some cases, more should be expected of the higher attaining pupils, whilst the less able do not always get very far with the work the whole class is doing.

p.27

Commentary

47 Leadership in English, with support from the deputy headteacher, is good and this is a key factor in pupils’ very good achievement. Particular strengths include a thorough analysis of pupils' answers in the national tests. This gives teachers precise information on how well they are succeeding. There are regular events to celebrate language, for example, a book week and the popular reading race. Pupils' progress is tracked carefully and this enables extra help to be deployed where most needed. Lessons and samples of pupils' work are looked at regularly and the results shared with staff.

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

The school promotes language and literacy well in other subjects. Pupils have lots of opportunities to practise the skills of speaking, reading and writing. Pupils are expected to organise and present their work well in subjects such as science, religious education or history.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is good. Caedmon Community Primary School - 26

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year 2, standards are below average in mathematics. • Sound systems are in place to record what children have understood. However, in some lessons, the work pupils are given does not match their needs. • Very good subject knowledge aids teaching and learning in Year 5, which is extended very well in Year 6. • The use of mathematics across the curriculum is underdeveloped. Caedmon Community Primary School - 27

p.28

Commentary

48 Lesson observation and analysis of pupils work clearly shows that the pupils in Year 6 fully understand what it is they are learning in each lesson and the tasks they are given are achievable. The atmosphere created by the teacher, within the classroom, is one of fun, trust and belief in one’s own ability to achieve. His excellent teaching has a significant impact on pupils’ achievement. All pupils are challenged and they enjoy this. They value the contributions of others, both in whole class demonstrations and when working in small groups. Pupils are proud of their achievements and very confidently explain how they achieve their good results. For example, they very quickly offered a strategy to find 17 and a half per cent of a given sum of money when solving money problems. Pupils enjoy opportunities to extend their mathematical language and use this confidently in their explanations. Their relationships with the teacher and the excellent

p.29

Commentary

teaching seen during the inspection have a significant impact on the good standards pupils achieve.

p.29

Commentary

49 This success builds on the progress achieved in Year 5 where, again, the teacher has very good subject knowledge. In this class, for example, the teacher started from simple examples of multiplying numbers by three, then 30, then 300 and when decimal numbers were used, the teacher supported pupils’ confidence well at the start of the lesson. Pupils have good opportunities to consolidate their learning particularly in their number work and this establishes a basis for their work in Year 6.

p.29

Commentary

50 Standards attained by pupils in different year groups vary and reflect a higher than normal number of pupils joining school at times other than in their reception year. However, since the last inspection, standards in Year 6 have improved, whilst in Year 2 they have declined. Children enter the Foundation Stage with standards in their mathematical development well below those expected for their age. They make good progress but are still below expectations when they enter Year 1. Teaching observed in Year 1 was effective. The activities planned were fun and were carefully matched to pupils’ ability so the more able were challenged and achieved well. When teaching is satisfactory, although the planning is very thorough, the activities do not always match the varying needs of all pupils. The work in pupils’ books shows that more able pupils are not consistently being challenged and the work planned for less able pupils is too difficult so their achievement is

p.29

Commentary

limited. This was also seen in a Year 2 lesson when more able pupils were very confused with their task. On this occasion, the work was set at too high a level for them to succeed. Similarly, in Years 1 and 2, learning is not always consolidated at the end of the lesson, time is limited and the sharing of the work they have achieved is sometimes rushed. As a result, pupils overall achievement in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and standards attained are still below average by the age of seven. A very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching was seen elsewhere in the school and this related mainly to the lack of pace and pupils’ lack of achievement during the lesson observed.

p.29

Commentary

51 The staff analyse data carefully to identify areas of weakness after pupils have completed national tests. The two areas of concern within mathematics are word problems and data handling. Pupils’ books in Years 5 and 6 clearly show that these aspects are now being addressed. Sound records of pupils’ achievements are in place but this information is not used well enough when teachers plan their next work. This means that in many classes, the work set for pupils does not match their different needs and therefore they do not make sufficient progress. This has a significant effect on the standards they achieve. Target setting is in place in some classes but pupils need more guidance on how to achieve these targets in order to move their learning forward. Caedmon Community Primary School - 28

p.29

Mathematics across the curriculum

52 There is regular use of mathematics is subjects such as design and technology and science but insufficient evidence is available to show its use in other subjects. The school has identified this as a priority for action in their School Improvement Plan. Caedmon Community Primary School - 29

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are average in Year 2 and more able pupils do not attain as well as they should. • Assessment information is not used consistently to ensure that all pupils are challenged appropriately in lessons. • Good improvement has been made to investigational work. • Learning is fun and so pupils are well motivated. • Visitors to school and very good links with the technical college enhance provision and aid learning.

p.31

Commentary

53 The standards attained by pupils throughout the school vary from satisfactory in Year 2 to above average in Year 6. Standards attained by pupils in different year groups vary and reflect a higher than normal number of pupils joining school at times other than in their reception year. Given children’s low starting point overall and particularly when they begin school in nursery, pupils achieve very well over time in science although they achieve better in Years 5 and 6 than elsewhere. This is because of the quality of teaching, which was good overall in lessons observed but was excellent in Year 6. In spite of strengths in teaching, pupils in Years 1 to 4 who are more able do not always achieve as well as they should. In addition, pupils who have special educational needs do not consistently have appropriate tasks set for them to complete during lessons and often their work goes unfinished.

p.31

Commentary

54 A strong feature of teaching in science is the emphasis placed on learning being fun. Pupils’ investigational work has improved significantly since the last inspection when it was judged to be unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2. During this inspection, pupils in Year 1 enjoyed experimenting with different materials to test whether or not they were waterproof and this supported their understanding well. In Year 6, pupils collaborated extremely well to test the effectiveness of their parachutes based on a given number of variables that had been introduced. All were clear about the principle of fair testing and worked very well with this in mind. What made this lesson excellent was the pace of the lesson, the teacher’s very high expectation for excellence from the pupils and his very clear explanation of what the learning objectives actually meant and not just reading them out. The excellent working

p.31

Commentary

relationships that exist between teacher and pupils clearly helped the success of the lesson, but all enjoyed them selves, including the teacher, and all pupils regardless of ability achieved very well.

p.31

Commentary

55 A strength of the science curriculum is the link made beyond the school to enhance what is already in place. At a young age, pupils enjoy visits from other adults. For example, in Year 2, the teacher had organised a successful visit from a parent and baby to help pupils understand the concept of growing up and how it linked to physical processes. Very good links have also been established with the local technology college as part of a three-year electronics project. Expert teaching once a week from college staff, that is then followed up very well by the class teacher, means that once again pupils in Year 6 achieve very well and attain above average standards in their work.

p.31

Commentary

56 The co-ordinator for science has worked very hard to put the initiatives in place that have helped lift the profile of science in the school. In this she has shown good leadership. She is aware Caedmon Community Primary School - 30 that there is still much to be done. This relates mainly to introducing effective tracking of pupils’ progress so that predictions that relate to their capabilities can be made and challenging targets set to raise standards. Similarly that assessment information is not at the moment used well enough to ensure pupils are challenged appropriately in lessons. Management of the subject is therefore satisfactory. The co-ordinator is however, totally committed to the subject and has plans in place to improve these areas for development in the very near future. Caedmon Community Primary School - 31

p.31

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching is developing basic skills well. Standards are higher than they were at the last inspection. • The subject is now well resourced. New electronic boards in all classrooms are helping to raise achievement. • Teachers are using technology effectively to support learning in other subjects. • Leadership is good. All the weaknesses seen at the last inspection have been put right. • A very small number of lessons lack pace where pupils do not complete the work set.

p.33

Commentary

57 The school has done well since the last inspection. Standards then were below those expected for pupils’ age and pupils did not use computers enough to make progress in all areas. Since then the school has invested well in equipment, resources and training for teachers, for example, the school now has a large computer suite with rapid Internet access. Teachers' expertise and confidence have also improved. As a result standards are rising. In Year 2 and Year 6, pupils are working at the level typically seen in other schools and meeting expectations for their age. Pupils are achieving well. There is no difference in the enthusiasm, or rate of progress, between girls and boys. However because classes usually all do the same work, and computers are shared, the more able pupils do not always have enough chances to move ahead and show what they can do. Similarly, when pupils with special educational needs work with a partner, it is not always clear how much

p.33

Commentary

58 Teaching is good overall and sometimes very good. Lessons are carefully prepared and teachers demonstrate new skills clearly and so pupils know what to do and enjoy the work. Pupils say that they have learned a lot from their lessons, those in Year 6 were especially proud that they can now solve many problems for themselves. This is because, throughout the school, teachers do not ‘spoon-feed’ pupils, they are expected to apply what they already know. In Year 2, for example, the teacher introduced a new graphics programme with just enough information to get the class started. The pupils responded well to this and made good progress. In most lessons, teachers strike a good balance between allowing enough time to explore new skills and using these to get a task finished. However, where a very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching was observed, the pace dropped, pupils became distracted and only a small number of pupils completed

p.33

Commentary

the given task. As a result, pupils did not achieve as well as they should have done.

p.33

Commentary

59 The co-ordinators have achieved a lot since the last inspection and there are good plans to move the subject on further. The curriculum has been improved and gaps filled. For example, the previous weakness in using control technology has been strengthened through very good links with a secondary school. There has been some monitoring of teaching and learning, which teachers have found helpful. However, the monitoring of pupils’ progress is an area for further development to ensure that pupils make as much progress as they can manage. There is useful provision for technical support, but the systems for saving work electronically are overloaded and confusing for pupils and in every lesson seen there were problems with at least one computer.

p.33

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

Caedmon Community Primary School - 32 60 There is frequent use of ICT across the curriculum. The provision of Interactive Whiteboards in every classroom has enabled this to be a strong feature of the school. Teachers use these regularly to enhance their presentations in subjects such as history or religious education. In mathematics, the use of the screens to demonstrate new ideas is having a marked impact on learning and achievement. Teachers are using material from previous lessons to help pupils make links; for example, in Year 3 the teacher had saved a good class brainstorm on ‘Rules for our classroom’, and used this to introduce ‘The Ten Commandments’. Pupils in Year 6 take this further, if they are unsure about any work, they are encouraged to find the screens shown in earlier lessons and revise independently. Pupils like this and use the equipment sensibly. Computers in the suite are also used well to support work in other subjects. For example, in Year 4, pupils improved their

p.34

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

stories on screen by adding powerful words and in Year 6 they celebrated their lively arguments on foxhunting by making a multimedia presentation.

p.34

HUMANITIES

61 Insufficient evidence was available during the time of the inspection to make secure judgements on the provision for history and geography. Therefore these subjects have been sampled.

p.34

HUMANITIES

62 Only one part-lesson was seen in history . However, evidence from pupils' work, displays, teachers' planning and a brief discussion with pupils indicates that history has an appropriate place in the curriculum. Pupils in Year 2 for example, could remember some facts about the Great Fire of London and were very pleased with their illustrated word processing. In Year 4, pupils tried the idea of looking at sources of evidence by speculating about character from some Tudor portraits. This led to a very good display on Tudor monarchs which visitors walk past at their peril. These pupils have also looked at the differences between fact and opinion in history.

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HUMANITIES

63 No lessons were seen in geography , and very little work was available. This is partly because the subject is given more emphasis in the summer term. The curriculum is properly planned and is adapted from national guidelines. It includes good cross-curricular links with English, maths, ICT and religious education. Both subjects have a reasonable collection of resources and both are enhanced by regular visits. The subject leader looks at every teacher's planning twice yearly and some lessons have been observed. From both of these, useful advice and points for improvement are fed back to teachers.

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Religious Education

Provision in religious education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers make lessons interesting and relevant. This promotes good attitudes to religious belief. • The school makes good use of visits and visitors to bring lessons to life. • Teachers are making increasing use of ICT and the Internet to help learning.

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Commentary

64 Pupils make a good start in the Foundation Stage in beginning to learn about the world and their place in it. This good achievement continues in Years 1 and 2. As a result, their knowledge and understanding is in line with the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus for their age. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to make good progress. In Year 6 they achieve standards above those expected. This is because the teaching is good, and pupils listen well, they are interested and open-minded. Consequently they gain Caedmon Community Primary School - 33 understanding from some stimulating and thoughtful discussions. The school allocates generous time to religious education and so pupils are building up a good store of knowledge about people, events and beliefs.

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Commentary

65 The curriculum is well-organised and balanced. Teachers ensure a basic knowledge of the main world religions, as well as showing how the stories and ideas can apply in everyday life. During the inspection, for example, pupils of all ages were queuing to add their own sticker to a display on ‘When is it right, or not right, to help someone?’ Regular visitors also help to make lessons interesting and relevant. Pupils in Year 6, for example, prepared interview questions for a visiting vicar. These worked so well that she spent over an hour giving the class a fascinating picture of her work and beliefs.

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Commentary

66 Achievement is good overall because teaching is effective. Lessons are well planned, with lots of things to look at and handle. These help pupils to remember and understand what they learn. Teachers use well-chosen websites to extend the school's own resources. In Year 4, for example, pupils grasped some difficult ideas on the ‘Pillars of Islam’ because they had good materials to study. Older pupils use technology well in their independent research, for example, in Year 6 they have made a good collection of creation stories from around the world. Another strength is that teachers link stories well to the pupils' own lives and experiences. In Year 2, for example, the teacher introduced the story of the Prodigal Son by staging an argument over some pencils. The class became very involved in ideas about fairness; this not only made the story more meaningful but encouraged thinking and speaking skills.

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Commentary

67 The subject leader has been effective in building up resources and keeping an eye on teaching and the standards of pupils' work. Religious education has a high profile in the school, this is evident from talking to pupils and the good displays around the school. Pupils are achieving well, and standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

68 There is insufficient evidence to make secure judgements on provision in design and technology, music and physical education and so these subjects have been sampled.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

69 During the inspection it was not possible to observe any full lessons in design and technology . However, photographic evidence was available and a display of the work achieved by last year’s Year 6 pupils in conjunction with the local technology college. From this evidence it is possible to see that children have a good start when developing their early design and technology skills in the Foundation Stage. As they progress through the school, younger pupils make their own puppets and use paper fasteners to create movement in pictures. In Year 2, they used a simple design sheet and listed the materials they are going to use. Photographs show that construction kits are used well as pupils investigate wheels and axles. Older pupils extend their skills well. In Year 4 pupils extend their design and evaluation skills when they evaluate money containers before making their own. Levers are the focus of work for Year 5 when they design and make moving pictures.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Year 6 pupils have been involved in a very challenging bridge project. This incorporates science and computer skills as well as those used with design and technology. The models pupils produced were of a very high quality and show very good group work, much effort and real pride in the finished product.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

70 During the inspection, only one lesson was observed in music. It is clear from the one lesson seen and assemblies that pupils enjoy singing and creating music. Pupils have the opportunity to participate in a good range of after-school activities through provision organised by the music co-ordinator for guitar and through effective links with Gateshead Caedmon Community Primary School - 34 Music Services. Pupils attend choir and a keyboard club and in Year 6 pupils can have drum lessons. Pupils enjoy the expertise of visiting musicians, such as Fanuel from Zimbabwe, a ten piece African band and from the LEA music services. Pupils also have the opportunity to perform in Christmas concerts and at harvest time in the local church. These opportunities contribute very well to pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71 During the inspection no lessons were seen in physical education . However, it is evident from a discussion with the co-ordinator, the headteacher and from pictorial evidence of pupils’ participation in the sports that significant progress has been since the last inspection when provision and standards were judged to be unsatisfactory. The headteacher has introduced a new scheme of work that supports teaching and learning throughout the school in gymnastics, swimming, games, dance, outdoor education and athletics. In addition, each class now has significantly more curriculum time allocated to physical education during the week. The deputy headteacher, as co-ordinator, has worked hard to raise the profile of the subject and has secured bids to improve resources and provision. The school is now actively involved in events beyond the school, winning the swimming gala in 2004 and taking part in the Gateshead Dance Festival also in 2004 and in

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

the local district festival for Kwik Cricket in 2003. Pupils enjoy orienteering as part of their outdoor education programme and now enjoy a good range of extra-curricular activities, such as dance and football. The curriculum makes a very good contribution to pupils’ moral and social development. Caedmon Community Primary School - 35

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Visiting artists support pupils’ art and design development very well. • Art and design is linked well with other areas of the curriculum. • The quality and range of art and design resources is very good.

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Commentary

72 The provision for art and design is enhanced by the very attractive displays seen in all areas of the school building and which are influenced significantly by the input of a range of artists who visit the school. The quality of pupils’ work reflects good teaching in art and design. An effective example of this is in the hall where a beautiful silk painting has been inset under glass as part of a table surface. It represents the school’s garden and shows very good attention both to detail and colour. This work was a joint project by Year 1 pupils with other schools and was very successful. Older pupils visit art galleries to be inspired in their work. For example, in Year 5 pupils visited the local gallery and studied the work of Fiona Rutherford. They worked with the artist to create their own ideas and their very good finished pieces combining designs on paper and pattern was created using a range of

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Commentary

fabrics. These links have been extended well. Year 5 pupils use felt very effectively to make chunky necklaces. This work is beautifully finished and is going to be displayed in the local gallery and then will form part of a national exhibition that tours the country.

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Commentary

73 The work pupils do in art and design links well to their work in other subjects. In Year 1, pupils create good collages of characters from stories and add painted houses and vehicles to their science work when learning about light and dark. These pupils use ICT well to create their own pictures using line, selecting colours and using the fill tool. Year 2 pupils use pastels and tissue paper successfully to represent the fire of London as part of their work in history. Year 4 extend their art and design skills further when they mix paint confidently to use in their Tudor portraits after studying the work of Hans Holbein. They have completed paintings of each other in the style of royalty in Tudor times and much adornment has been added as jewellery. Paintings of the characters from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are displayed effectively outside the Year 6 classroom and the characters are easily recognised!

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Commentary

74 The wide range of resources and their very good quality help pupils to achieve the best results possible with the skills they have. An example of this is in Year 5 where pupils have used pastels very skilfully to produce very good observational drawings of a collection of bottles and an arrangement of fruit. Very good emphasis is placed on shading and shadows. Pupils demonstrate a high level of observational skills when they show clearly the direction of the light as it falls on each object. From the evidence available it is clear that pupils throughout school achieve well and attain standards that are above expectations for their age.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

75 Too few lessons in PSHE and citizenship were observed to make a judgement about provision and so the subject has been sampled. A scrutiny of information available and discussion with the headteacher reveal that the school has a clear focus on the development of PSHE and citizenship and that this underpins the very good ethos of the school. From a young age pupils are aware of what it means to be a member of their class Caedmon Community Primary School - 36 community and of the rules to which they must abide. As they get older, pupils consider issues such as making choices, rights and responsibilities, democracy, feelings, relationships, community and health. It is no small wonder that the school has been awarded the Healthy Schools award and the pride that the school has in its healthy eating programme is clear to see from displays in school.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

76 The school provides an oasis of calm where all members are valued. None-the- less it has very high expectations for pupils to be responsible and to care for one another. This is demonstrated in the school council that provides a well-focused vehicle by which pupils’ views can be heard. The confidence and ease with which school council members show round visitors to school and the trust that is placed in them is testament to the quality of work that occurs in the school. All pupils are proud of their school and feel very involved in what happens within it. Pupils relate very well to their friends and to adults in school. They clearly know the importance of being a thoughtful citizen. Caedmon Community Primary School - 37

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 2 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities ( ethos ) 2 Attendance 5 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 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 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 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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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