Crowhurst CofE Primary School

CROWHURST C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 21 – 23 February 2005

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CROWHURST C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Crowhurst C of E Primary - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CROWHURST C of E 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. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 108

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Crowhurst Battle East Sussex Postcode: TN33 9AJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01424 830324 Fax number: 01424 830662

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs G Ferguson

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Crowhurst is a small Church of England voluntary controlled primary school located in a village near Battle, East Sussex. Pupils come from a predominantly white background, mostly of UK heritage. There are very few pupils for whom English is an additional language and few pupils of mixed background. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs is average, while the number of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs is above average. Their needs include moderate and severe learning difficulties, behaviour and speech difficulties, and autism. Attainment on entry is wide and varies slightly from year to year, but is average overall. Pupils’ economic circumstances vary widely but are also average overall. An above average number of pupils either join or leave the school during the course of the year.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has experienced a large number of staff changes in the recent past. Two new teachers were appointed in September 2004 and two part–time teachers in January of this year. The headteacher, herself, has only been in post for two years and the senior management team is also new. The school has barely had time to induct its new staff. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

19824 Mrs Janet Sinclair Lead inspector Foundation Stage, English, art and design, religious education and music. 11077 Mrs J Harrison Lay inspector 31029 Mr P Thrussell Team inspector Mathematics, science, information and communication technology, geography, history, physical education, special educational needs and English as an additional language.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Crowhurst C of E Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s effectiveness is satisfactory and it provides satisfactory value for money. It is an improving school but one that is just settling down after a period of disruption due to high levels of staff change. The headteacher, who has only been in post for 2 years, is providing good leadership, a strong drive to raise standards and a positive ethos for learning. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, although better in Years 3 to 6, where achievement is good. Standards are above average by the time pupils leave at the end of Year 6.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The headteacher leads the school well, with good support from the senior management team. • Pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. • Whilst satisfactory overall and improving, some aspects of teaching in reception and Year 2 are not yet good enough. • There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. • Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are good; the school makes good provision for their care and enriches the curriculum well. • The accommodation inhibits the provision for physical education, particularly gymnastics and outdoor games.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection in March 1999. Standards have improved in English and information and communication technology (ICT) by Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) now make good progress. Leadership has improved as has the contribution of the governing body. Teaching and learning is similar to that of the previous inspection while standards in Year 2 are not as high as previously. However, over the last 3 years the improvement in standards in Year 2 has been above the national trend.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English A A A A mathematics C A B A science B A A A* Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2. Overall achievement is satisfactory Standards are currently above average in English, mathematics and science in Year 6, and achievement for these pupils has been good. The slight variation in standards since 2004, when test results were well above average overall, Crowhurst C of E Primary - 7 is due to minor variations within year groups, which can have a significant effect on results given the small numbers in each year group. Pupils with SEN make good progress in relation to the targets set in their individual education plans (IEPs). Standards in religious

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus and achievement is satisfactory. Standards in Year 2 are average and achievement is satisfactory. Children in reception are on course to attain the goals expected by the end of reception in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world. Their achievement is also satisfactory. There was not enough evidence to judge standards in the other areas of learning. There are very few pupils for whom English is an additional language; their needs are fully met and they achieve as well as their peers.

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

development, are good across the school. Relationships are good and pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. Pupils enjoy coming to school because they know they will be well cared for and their ideas will be valued. Pupils are punctual and the school encourages good attendance.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall with some good and occasionally very good teaching seen. Almost all of the good teaching seen was in Years 3 to 6, although the only unsatisfactory lesson was also within these year groups. Where teaching is good, work is well planned and organised, pupils are keen and motivated and there is a good level of challenge based on good knowledge of pupils’ differing learning needs. Where teaching is less successful, usually in reception or Years 1 and 2, the pace of lessons is slower and not enough attention is given to pupils’ differing learning needs so pupils are not challenged well or occasionally find lessons daunting because they are too difficult. A review of the writing books of pupils in Year 2 showed that although there was a good variety of writing which was regularly marked, work was often untidy and improvements in work slow to show. In

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

science and mathematics, there was very little written work and what there was indicated weak recording skills and lack of expectation. In reception, another weakness is that activities are sometimes dominated too much by the teachers and children miss out on opportunities to express themselves. The curriculum is satisfactory and the senior management team has worked extremely hard recently in order to produce whole school plans for all subjects. The procedures for child protection, health and safety are good. The partnership with parents is good overall and parents are supportive of the school.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. Governance is good. The headteacher and senior management team share a very clear vision for the future development of the school. It is firmly rooted in securing a high level of achievement for pupils within a caring and supportive environment. The school has experienced a huge number of staff changes and many new initiatives that have still to bed down, but there is already some evidence of the effectiveness of these initiatives. The governors and senior staff provide good role models for all staff and have a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses derived from a detailed analysis of performance data. The school complies with all statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Crowhurst C of E Primary - 8 Parents have confidence in many aspects of the school. They are particularly pleased that their children enjoy coming to school, behave well and are not bullied or harassed. Most think that the school is well led and managed and that staff treat their children fairly. However, some feel that they are not well enough informed about their children’s progress, Children are positive about the school. They like being at the school, find other children friendly and believe they are expected to work hard. They think teachers are fair and most believe there is an adult they can approach if they are worried.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve teaching in Year 2 in English, mathematics and science. • Improve teaching in reception through improved provision and better use of assessment. • Improve the accommodation for physical education as it currently inhibits the provision for gymnastics and outdoor games. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards are above average in English, mathematics and science in Year 6, and achievement is good overall. Standards are average and achievement is satisfactory by Year 2 and in reception.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching leads to good achievement in the Year 5/6 class. • Some weaknesses in teaching prevent pupils from making consistently good progress in Years 1 and 2. • Some weaknesses in provision also prevent children in reception from making good progress. • Pupils with SEN achieve well. • The school has worked hard to improve standards in reading.

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Commentary

1. In the National Curriculum tests taken by pupils in Year 6 in 2004, results were well above average in English and science and above average in mathematics. The school’s trend of improvement in results is above the national trend and pupils achieved very well, given their attainment at the end of Year 2. Boys tend to achieve better than girls and the school is currently analysing the reasons for this. There was no evidence of differential achievement during the inspection. Standards are currently above average because of good teaching in the Year 5/6 class. Pupils are challenged well and work is stimulating and well matched to their learning needs.

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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 29.1 (28.9) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 28.5 (29.2) 27.0 (26.8) science 30.9 (30.8) 28.6 (28.6) There were 20 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. In the National Curriculum tests taken by pupils in Year 2 in 2004, results were below average in reading and were average in writing and mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, results were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. These low results against similar schools are misleading, as they are based on the number of pupils having a free school meal rather than the fact that pupils’ attainment on entry is only average. Results of teacher assessments for science were in the top five per cent nationally at the expected Level 2 and well above average at Level 3.

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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 Crowhurst C of E Primary - 10 reading 15.1 (16.7) 15.8 (15.7) writing 14.6 (14.9) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 16.3 (16.6) 16.2 (16.3) There were 13 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. Current standards in Year 2 are average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. This is the result of satisfactory teaching with some strengths in the curricular provision but weaknesses in presentation, written work and the development of recording skills. Overall standards are lower than that of the previous inspection. In terms of changes between the 2004 results and current standards the school has worked hard to improve reading and standards have risen as a result.

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Commentary

4. Children start school with levels of attainment which are wide but average overall. By the end of reception, they are likely to attain the goals expected for their age in all areas of learning on which a judgement could be made. Their achievement is satisfactory, but there are weaknesses in the teaching that inhibit good progress. There is not a good enough balance between child initiated and teacher directed activity, more could be done to develop children’s ideas and extend their thinking, the pace of lessons is not always brisk enough, and the good assessment that is in place is not used effectively to target individual needs.

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Commentary

5. Standards in ICT are average in Year 6. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when standards were below average. The school now has a computer suite to which all pupils have regular access and this has led to improvements in pupils’ skills and attainment. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. There was not enough evidence to judge standards or achievement in other subjects.

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Commentary

6. Pupils with SEN achieve well. They make good progress in meeting the well focused targets set out in their individual education plans. Support in lessons is generally well organised, enabling these pupils to learn as well as others in the class. Pupils who have been identified from tests as not making enough progress are also given extra support, either from teaching assistants within the classroom or as part of a small group taken by a teacher. The small minority of pupils for whom English is an additional language have a good understanding of English and achieve as well as their peers.

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Commentary

7. The school has worked hard to improve standards in reading, particularly in Year 2, through a variety of initiatives such as purchasing a new reading scheme, giving parents guidance on how to help with reading at home, book weeks and guided reading sessions. This is beginning to show results as standards are rising in Year 2.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes towards the school and their work. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• Pupils’ good behaviour and good attitudes enable effective learning. • The school effectively promotes good personal development. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 11 • Attendance has improved, because of good monitoring.

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Commentary

8. Pupils are pleased with their school. They say it is a friendly school and their teachers are helpful. They behave well, both in and out of the classroom, in response to the teachers’ consistent expectations. Due to good classroom management and clear expectations for behaviour, even those pupils identified as having difficulty maintaining good behaviour are behaving well. Pupils show respect for their teachers. This sets a good climate for learning in all classes. In a few lessons seen, there was some inattention if the work set did not interest the pupils enough, but attitudes were never less than satisfactory. Children in reception are happy to come to school and behave well. They are on course to attain the goals expected by the end of reception in their personal and social development.

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Commentary

9. Pupils make good gains in personal development at the school. Assemblies are of good quality and foster a sense of community and spirituality. There are close links with the local church. Pupils are active in raising funds for charities and aware of those less fortunate than themselves. They explore feelings and emotions in their personal and social education and in ‘circle time’. Most pupils feel that their efforts are recognised and appreciated and so they respond well. Pupils develop a good understanding of their own and other cultures, for example, in ‘Arts Week’ they recently studied Indian art and the local area of Hastings. The links established with a school in Ghana help pupils to appreciate the ways of life in other countries. Pupils are keen to take part in the good range of school clubs and contribute effectively to school life and decision making through their school council. They take a responsible part in the day-

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Commentary

to-day running of the school. Some of the older pupils help as playground buddies; others help to clear up at lunch times or help their teachers with classroom duties.

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Commentary

10. The ten-minute ‘brain gym’ sessions before the start of the school day help to establish a calm and orderly start to the day. Attendance levels are in line with national norms and are continuing to improve. This improvement has been secured by consistent follow-up of absences by the school. Attendance procedures are satisfactory overall, but there is some inconsistent practice in the recording of late arrivals, which does not help the monitoring and promotion of good punctuality.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 2003/4

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.9 School data 0.1 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

11. Pupils agree that there are relatively few ‘short term fallings out of friendships’. The school takes any such incidences seriously and resolves them appropriately with good procedures. Nevertheless there were a relatively high number of exclusions in the last year. This was a temporary situation and related to only two pupils. There have been no exclusions in the current school year. The school promotes racial harmony effectively.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year Crowhurst C of E Primary - 12 Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 108 5 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. The curriculum is satisfactory and is enriched well through a number of visitors, extra-curricular clubs and sporting activities. Teaching is satisfactory overall, although good teaching in the Year 5/6 class is enabling pupils to achieve well. Pupils are looked after well, and there are good links with parents and the community.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is mainly good. • Pupils do not always learn as well as they could due to weaknesses in teaching, particularly in Year 2. • Good relationships and behaviour management help pupils with their learning. • Good assessment procedures in English and mathematics allow pupils’ progress to be monitored well. • Assessment in the Foundation Stage is not used well enough in planning the next stages in children’s learning. • The marking of pupils’ work is variable. • Good support for pupils with SEN enables them to make good progress.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

12. Some good and occasionally very good teaching was seen during the inspection, mainly in Years 3 to 6. In these lessons planning was detailed and learning intentions shared with pupils so that they were clear about the expectations for the lesson. Teachers demonstrated good subject knowledge and encouraged pupils to use subject specific vocabulary so that their subject understanding was enhanced. Good relationships and good behaviour are hallmarks of these lessons and as a result pupils are keen to do well and are very motivated to learn. Good questioning and clear Crowhurst C of E Primary - 13 explanations ensure pupils increase their understanding. For example, in an English lesson, the teacher wanted to know what a simile was and to which part of the poem it referred, which required some careful thought on the part of the pupils. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the effectiveness of these lessons.

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Commentary

13. In a good number of lessons that were otherwise satisfactory, there were weaknesses that prevented pupils from making good gains in their learning. In some lessons the level of challenge was not appropriate – occasionally too difficult and sometimes too easy. For example, in one mathematics lesson pupils had real difficulty understanding and recording work involving division. In a science lesson, the group activity was too easy for pupils; they finished it quickly and had no extension work. Sometimes the pace of lessons is slow or too much time is invested in an activity with limited challenge. Where teaching was unsatisfactory, the task was too difficult, the pace of the lesson was slow, or, as in the case of the reception children, the short physical activity was too difficult for most. Thus a significant number of pupils did not make sufficient progress.

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Commentary

14. There are good relationships between staff and pupils across the school and this encourages and motivates pupils in their learning. They listen well to each other and respect each other’s views. This was especially noticeable in a lesson where pupils were discussing issues of drug taking in which they had to role play how they would deal with difficult situations; for example, an emphatic ‘no thank you’ or walking away. Even the youngest children in reception are considerate of each other and listen carefully during ‘show and tell’ time. Most pupils think that teachers are fair and expect them to work hard.

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Commentary

15. Good termly assessment procedures in English and mathematics are now enabling the school to build up an understanding of pupils’ performance, and to set targets for teachers and pupils. They have helped to identify areas of underachievement that are now being addressed. A careful evaluation of weekly planning is starting to help teachers to more carefully match future work to pupils’ learning needs. In other subjects assessments are made against learning objectives, but these have yet to be used more fully in planning the content and level of work for all pupils.

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Commentary

16. Whilst assessment is undertaken regularly and recorded carefully in the Foundation Stage, this information is not always used well to plan work to meet the differing learning needs of children. In the sample of work seen, children of all abilities completed the same tasks with varying levels of success. In lessons, work was sometimes either too easy or too difficult for them.

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Commentary

17. The quality of marking is variable. Where it is better, there are constructive comments that refer to learning objectives, inform pupils how well they have done and give pointers for improvement. There are, however, examples of work not being marked. Sometimes, although marking is regular and detailed, it has little impact on improving pupils’ work.

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Commentary

18. The support for pupils with SEN is generally well organised within lessons, particularly in English and mathematics where they have literacy and numeracy targets. Teaching assistants fill in review sheets for the pupils they are supporting, and these provide a clear record of the progress pupils are making in meeting their targets. When pupils are withdrawn from lessons for support, planning is detailed and shows great attention to individual needs. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 14

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The curriculum

The overall quality of the curriculum is satisfactory. There are good opportunities for enrichment and resources are satisfactory, but the accommodation is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of extra-curricular activities, including participation in sport, supports pupils’ learning. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Pupils are prepared well for later stages of education. • The accommodation is unsatisfactory and restricts curricular provision.

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Commentary

19. There has been satisfactory improvement in the curriculum since the last inspection. The national strategies for English and mathematics are now soundly embedded; the resources for teaching ICT, including a new computer suite, are now good; and a full review of the curriculum has recently been carried out, helping to ensure an improved balance between all subjects. Schemes of work are in place for all subjects, and these take account of mixed age classes so that topics are not repeated unnecessarily. Encouragement is given to make relevant links between subjects by developing ‘learning journeys’. Much of this curriculum development is recent and has yet to be followed through, monitored and evaluated for its effectiveness.

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Commentary

20. Considering the small size of the school, much is being done to enhance the curriculum through extra-curricular activities such as recorders, computers, French, art, gardening and book club. Despite inadequate indoor and outdoor accommodation for physical education, the school provides good sporting opportunities. Clubs for football and netball, links with local schools for tournaments, matches and training, and opportunities for coaching, for example, in gymnastics and tag rugby, all contribute to this provision.

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Commentary

21. Pupils with SEN are fully included in the life and learning of the school. The provision for them is well organised and supported, enabling them to make good progress in developing the skills to more fully access the curriculum. 22. All pupils in Year 6 are well prepared for their next school through achievements in English, mathematics and science and a developing emphasis on independent learning, for example, through the use of ICT. They are also given good opportunities to take on areas of responsibility.

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Commentary

23. The school accommodation is unsatisfactory. It lacks suitable space for assemblies, lunches or for physical education and there is not enough storage space to enable the most efficient sharing of resources. Physical education lessons are taught in the adjacent village hall. This is not ideal as there is insufficient storage space for moveable apparatus and no provision for fixed apparatus, thus the range of activities is too limited. The outside playground area is cramped, and whilst just about adequate, does inhibit opportunities for the children’s free play. The school makes good use of the accommodation it does have and maintains it well. Several of the classrooms are only accessible through other classrooms, which can be disturbing to the continuity of lessons, however, pupils and teachers cope very sensibly with such distractions. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 15

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils are well cared for at the school. They are given good personal support and guidance and satisfactory academic guidance. Health and safety procedures are good. The school has good procedures for taking pupils’ views into account.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good personal guidance and monitoring enable pupils to learn with confidence. • Child protection procedures are good. • There are good levels of supervision. • Pupils know their views matter and this makes them feel valued. • Pupils with SEN are well supported.

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Commentary

24. Nearly all parents say that their children are happy, well cared for and the school promotes good values. Most pupils say that their teachers are helpful if they have problems with their work and that they are well looked after. This reassurance has a positive impact on their learning. There are good induction procedures so that parents and the children can get to know the teachers quickly.

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Commentary

25. The school behaviour policy is effective, so that pupils get along together harmoniously and everyone is included in activities. Teaching assistants give effective support to pupils. The school maintains very good records on behaviour, which help to identify potential concerns quickly. This information is used to good effect. For example, the school has started a nurture group to help raise the self-esteem of an identified group of pupils and is starting ‘creative’ groups for shy pupils. At the start of each school year pupils take part in a project to boost their confidence. This year pupils enjoyed a wide range of activities on the theme of ‘I’m fantastic’. Academic guidance is satisfactory and developing. Pupils are now involved in some self-assessment of their own learning and this is good practice. Pupils are set targets to improve their writing and this is contributing to rising standards in writing, but target setting is not as well developed in

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Commentary

the other subjects. Groups of pupils who are identified as needing additional support in English or mathematics are given extra help and this is proving effective in raising standards.

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Commentary

26. The school is well maintained by an efficient caretaker. Staff have been trained in risk assessment and there are regular site inspections and appropriate records. Supervision in school and the playground is good. Teachers take good care of pupils when going out from the school premises. For example, teachers and governors supervise the children well when going to the local church for the Tuesday assembly. 27. Child protection procedures are effective. There have been several changes to teaching staff in recent years and the school plans updated training for all staff in this area. However, the day-to-day practice is good, as teaching and non-teaching staff are well informed about policy and procedures and keep good records to monitor any welfare concerns they observe. The school promotes healthy living effectively, for example, the younger children are provided with fruit. Pupils and parents were suitably

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Commentary

consulted about the topics they wanted to be included in sex and relationship education. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 16 28. Pupils are very keen to help in the day-to-day running of their school. The school council is having a positive impact. The school has provided more clubs and activities at pupils’ request. Pupils have been consulted about the development of their playground and help to evaluate some of their lessons. The active and willing involvement of pupils in the running of their school makes a strong contribution to their personal development.

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Commentary

29. Concerns about pupils’ learning are identified as early as possible so that their progress can be monitored and, where appropriate, individual education plans drawn up. Plans are reviewed regularly and both parents and children are becoming increasingly involved in knowing and understanding targets. Support for pupils with SEN is well organised and becoming better focused. Pupils with emotional and behavioural needs are well supported through the school’s policy for managing behaviour; some further training has been received to enhance this area of support. Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs receive their full entitlement of support.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are effectively involved in their children’s learning. • The school actively seeks and listens to parents’ views. • Written communications are satisfactory; they are of good quality but some parents have not always received them on time. • Good links with other schools and the community enrich pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

30. Parents are satisfied with the school. They say that the school is approachable, that their children are expected to work hard, make good progress and that the school promotes good values. There was little significant dissent from these positive views, but there were more mixed views about the effectiveness of communication from the school.

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Commentary

31. There is a good partnership with parents. Parents are supportive of the school and education. They demonstrate this by their good levels of attendance at the consultation meetings with teachers to discuss their child’s progress and by helping in school or with visits and swimming. The school provides good opportunities for parents to become involved in their children’s education. Parents of younger children are invited in every term to work alongside their child in ‘golden time’. The school has hosted several family learning courses, including ‘reading is fantastic’ and computing. These courses were much appreciated by the parents who attended.

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Commentary

32. Parents remarked that they felt they could easily approach the school to discuss issues. The school consults parents effectively, for example, by sending out regular questionnaires. In response to parental suggestions there is now the opportunity for parents to meet their child’s prospective class teacher in the autumn term. Parents of pupils with special educational needs have opportunities to discuss their children’s progress and receive copies of individual education plans. The headteacher has held a ‘surgery’ for parents to discuss issues. This is very effective and strengthens the home school partnership. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 17 33. A minority of parents felt they were not receiving enough newsletters or information on the curriculum and a few felt that they were given some short notice of events. The inspectors consider that the school has largely met these concerns. Written communications are now suitably frequent and of good quality. Nevertheless the

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Commentary

system of ‘pupil post’ can be unreliable, so some parents may not receive letters on time. The written information sent to parents on their child’s progress is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. However, the inspectors consider the reports would be improved with an outline of the work covered, comments on the progress made in subjects beyond the core of English, mathematics and science, and the inclusion of targets for improvement so that parents can help their children at home.

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Commentary

34. The school has good links with other primary schools through a local ‘small schools cluster’ to share resources and expertise and this collaboration is helping to increase the provision for those pupils identified as gifted and talented. Links with a local secondary school are helping to supplement the school’s facilities for physical education. Community links have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Pupils have taken part in community arts projects. The older children made a film about rivers and the water cycle as part of the local film festival. This year, pupils enjoyed a visit to Hastings as part of a ‘creative arts’ week and built upon their experiences to provide inspiration for their projects in art, poetry and history. There are close links with the local church, which pupils visit for services and for history projects.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff is good, as is the quality and effectiveness of management. Governance is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is giving good leadership ensuring that there is a clear sense of purpose to the work of the school and a strong commitment to improvement. • There is a strong team ethos, particularly within the senior management team but across the school as a whole. • The management of change and the improvements to the school brought about by the headteacher and senior management team are good. • Good strategic planning enables the school to meet its targets for development. • SEN provision is well co-ordinated. • Finances are well managed and targeted to support school improvement.

p.17

Commentary

35. The headteacher has been in post for just over two years and in this short period of time has had to deal with many staff changes whilst trying at the same time to bring about huge improvements in the school’s educational provision. She has set the school securely on the road to improvement through a series of well thought through initiatives. There is now a more settled staff and a senior management team in place. She has already developed a very good sense of teamwork within the newly formed senior management team and throughout the school. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 18 36. The headteacher has clearly focussed on improving provision for pupils and has already put good systems in place to analyse where the school is successful and where it needs to improve. For example, through a careful analysis of test data, talking to pupils and observing them at work; effective steps were taken to improve standards

p.17

Commentary

in reading. All pupils now have targets for their writing and these are shared with parents. The school is fully inclusive. Pupils who were underachieving have been identified and given additional support in English and mathematics. The school is starting a group to support pupils with low self-esteem. The headteacher’s own evaluation of the school, carried out prior to the inspection, is very similar to the inspection findings.

p.18

Commentary

37. The newly formed senior management team is beginning to play an effective part in the school’s development. There is a very clear sense of purpose and a determination to improve provision for the pupils that is shared by all. They have appreciated the advice and guidance given by advisory staff and have been keen to put it into practice. However, they have been judicious in this and have trialled all new initiatives themselves before encouraging all staff to use them. They are clear about their priorities and about the importance of tracking pupils’ progress. For example, through an analysis of mathematics, planning issues were raised and, as a staff, they discussed and agreed changes to the planning. This ensured that all staff would have ownership. There have been many changes and they are aware that they need to adopt a better pace in order to fully embed new initiatives. The quality of teaching is

p.18

Commentary

monitored on a regular basis and areas for improvement or support are identified.

p.18

Commentary

38. There is a good school development plan in place that clearly identifies the school’s priorities. This has been shared with all staff and governors and even parents and children have been encouraged to be involved. All subject leaders are clear about their roles and responsibilities and this is set out in their action plans. Governors meet staff and visit the school regularly to ensure they are well informed of initiatives and to take some responsibility for monitoring progress. Although success criteria are clearly identified in the plan, they are sometimes too vague to be rigorously monitored.

p.18

Commentary

39. Governors are keen to be involved in all aspects of the school’s work, but particularly in a supportive and encouraging role. They take their responsibilities seriously and ensure all statutory requirements are met. They have a good grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and with their good knowledge of the school development plan and its priorities they also know what the school needs to do to raise standards and improve provision. They are well organised and are keen to improve their knowledge and understanding through training.

p.18

Commentary

40. The provision for pupils with SEN is well co-ordinated. The subject leader works well alongside staff as individual education plans are drawn up and reviewed. These now generally provide a clear focus for effective support to be planned and for progress to be monitored. Individual needs assistants meet regularly with the co-ordinator to discuss special needs issues.

p.18

Commentary

41. The chair of finance has a very clear understanding of school financial management and, as a result, finances are well managed and resources targeted appropriately. For example, until recently there was poor provision for ICT. The school used a good proportion of its funds to set up an ICT suite and employ a teacher specifically for the purpose of teaching ICT to the pupils. This has been successful in ensuring that all pupils are now working at least to the expected standard. The school has concerns about the accommodation and some of the high under-spend is appropriately being Crowhurst C of E Primary - 19 held to improve the facilities. The school also has suitable plans to meet the requirements of the remodelling of the workforce.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April2003 to March 2004

p.19

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 376168 Balance from previous year 68519 Total expenditure 387102 Balance carried forward to the next 57585 Expenditure per pupil 3358 Crowhurst C of E Primary - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Children in the Foundation Stage are in a mixed age class, which includes some Year 1 pupils. The ten older reception children attend full time while there are five younger children who attend part time. They enter school with a wide range of attainment that is average overall. Children are likely to attain the goals expected by the end of reception in personal social and emotional development, communication language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Teaching and achievement are satisfactory in these areas of learning. There was not enough teaching seen to make judgements on creative or physical development. This is a similar finding to that of the previous inspection.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. There are good induction procedures and staff work hard to involve parents through encouraging them to read with their children at home and by providing ’golden time’ - an opportunity for parents to work alongside their children in the classroom.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. All of the full lessons seen were satisfactory, with one short session of physical activity being unsatisfactory. The strengths of the teaching are the supportive environment that has been created, the systematic teaching of basic skills, the involvement of the teaching assistant in group activities, the quality of relationships between the children and staff and good resources. There are weaknesses in the pace of the lessons and limited opportunities for child initiated activities through well planned play. In group sessions the teacher does not always maintain an overview of the class so occasionally groups of children are not fully involved in their work. Whilst assessment is undertaken regularly and recorded carefully, this information is not always used well to plan work to meet the differing learning needs of children. In the sample of work seen, all children completed

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the same tasks with varying levels of success. The areas the inspection has identified as weaknesses are already priorities within the school development plan. Visits and special events are used to enrich the curriculum, for example, celebrating Chinese New Year and a visit from the Fire Service.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are happy to come to school because of the warm and friendly atmosphere created. • There are not enough opportunities for children to make decisions or solve problems through self-chosen activities.

p.20

Commentary

45. There are good relationships between staff and children ensuring that children are keen to come to school. They come in happily with their parents in the morning and settle sensibly to the activities which are on offer. They feel secure, are clear about what is expected of them and know how they are expected to behave. Adults are good Crowhurst C of E Primary - 21 role models and listen carefully to the children ensuring they can respond sensitively to their needs. The children are mainly interested in what they are doing and cooperate well with each other and remain involved in activities for sustained periods of time.

p.20

Commentary

46. Children have limited opportunities to work on child initiated tasks which encourage them to solve problems or make decisions. Much of their work is teacher directed and, although play activities are provided, there is not enough opportunity for well-planned role play or other activities to provide the opportunities to solve problems or make decisions.

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Speaking and listening, reading and writing skills are taught systematically. • There are too few opportunities for children to engage in purposeful writing.

p.21

Commentary

47. The teacher ensures that letter sounds and their recognition are taught regularly. She reinforces this well by asking for sounds in words. The children are using this knowledge well in their reading, with many building up simple words. A few higher attaining children use this means extensively to help with their reading. Children mainly enjoy reading, both at school and at home, but there was little evidence of them reading for enjoyment within the classroom situation. They also use their knowledge of initial sounds when writing words although they are mainly encouraged to use word banks or, in the early stages, the teacher writes for them. Sometimes reception children are given inappropriate writing activities. For example, reception children were involved in a formal letter writing session to a pen friend in Wales – they were also expected to write on lined paper. There are limited opportunities for them to practise

p.21

Commentary

writing in role play situations, although when given the opportunity the children will quite happily do so. The children are confident speakers. They were keen to take part in a role play with the teaching assistant in which they made animal noises and discussed where the animals lived. In ‘circle time’ they learn to listen to each other and wait their turn. There are sufficient opportunities within the class for them to talk about things that interest them. However, adult questioning does not always seek to develop their vocabulary or allow them to explain their ideas.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher plans lessons well and includes a good range of activities. • Activities are not always pitched at the correct level.

p.21

Commentary

48. In the lesson seen there was clear planning but the mental mathematics session, which included doubling numbers, was too difficult for most of the younger children so Crowhurst C of E Primary - 22 they had limited involvement. The older reception children had slightly more success when counting and adding numbers together, while the younger children were able to count up to ten using their fingers. In the group activities, most children were able to grasp the idea of ‘heavier’ and ‘lighter’ through comparing the weight of plasticine shapes with the weight of Barnaby Bear. Through effective questioning by the teaching assistant, some children learned that changing the shape of their plasticine would not change its weight. Most were able to use the terms ‘heavier’ and ‘lighter’ appropriately by the end of the lesson. A small group of children left to carry out a weighing activity in the science lab enjoyed playing at being scientists but did little to fulfil the task and

p.21

Commentary

no adult intervened to redirect them. They enjoy singing number rhymes such as ‘5 little men in a flying saucer’. In the sample of work seen, which was limited, all children completed the same tasks. Most of the work is undertaken practically and the planning seen covers the curriculum appropriately. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 23

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is an appropriate range of activities on offer to cover this area of learning.

p.23

Commentary

49. Children learn to classify materials in simple terms by describing how the objects feel, for example, ‘soft and fluffy’. A few children were able to classify them more scientifically by using terms such as ‘fabric’ or ‘metal’. Most are confident to use the computer and manage to manipulate the cursor on screen, but there was limited evidence of anyone challenging them to improve their vocabulary, understanding or skills. When in the computer suite, children were able to click and drag using the mouse and were given sound support from the teaching assistant. In the sample of work seen, children compared changes in themselves from looking at baby photographs. In autumn, they collected leaves and sorted them by shape and size. In terms of cultural development, they have made dragons for Chinese New Year and listened to a story about four dragons. They have made New Year resolutions such as ‘I will play with my brother’ and have retold the story of Zacchaeus in simple terms.

p.23

Commentary

They learn about different parts of the world through the adventures of Barnaby Bear.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

50. It was not possible to make an overall judgement about this area of learning, but the standards seen were mostly average. In the one full lesson seen, which was satisfactory, reception children were working in the hall. They worked confidently, and were able to sustain physical activity and move safely. They moved in different ways such as jumping like a frog or galloping like a horse. Occasionally, they have short, but unplanned, outdoor sessions when they use hoops or ride tricycles. One such unsatisfactory session involved skipping, which they found very difficult. Outdoor physical activity is not planned on a regular basis and therefore limits the benefits of it to enable the progressive development of play or skills. The school encourages healthy eating by providing fruit for the children to eat at snack time. Children have sound control over crayons, pencils and glue sticks and can use scissors appropriately. They enjoy

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

using small world toys that help to improve their manipulative skills.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

51. It was not possible to make an overall judgement on provision or standards in this area of learning, but the standards seen were mainly average. Children can select materials and draw patterns. They observe carefully and make appropriate representations. In the sample of work seen, children have painted self-portraits, listened to music such as ‘Carnival of the Animals’ and taken part in a Fireworks dance. Some of their art work is very adult directed and limits the opportunity for them to express their own ideas.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

Crowhurst C of E Primary - 24 • Teaching in Years 3-6 is good and pupils achieve well. • The school has worked hard to raise standards in reading. • Aspects of teaching in Year 2 are not rigorous enough. • The subject is well led and managed.

p.24

Commentary

52. Overall the quality of teaching is good. It is consistently good in Years 3 to 6 and satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. All teachers organise and structure their lessons effectively and work hard to interest pupils in their lessons. In the good lessons, planning is detailed with each part of the lesson being clearly identified and carefully structured, enabling pupils to build incrementally on their previous knowledge; lessons are of good pace, provide challenge for all pupils and there is a good variety of activities to engage them. There are good relationships and, as a result, pupils behave well. Where teaching is satisfactory, teaching assistants are not fully involved in all aspects of the lessons, the pace is slower and the teaching lacks conviction.

p.24

Commentary

53. Standards in reading in Year 2 were below average in 2004. The school has purchased many new books, and pupils have regular guided reading sessions as well as paired reading. The Year 1/2 class teacher hears pupils read regularly and has engaged parents well in reading with their children at home, but occasionally books are too difficult for pupils and they struggle with the text. Teachers have shared their favourite books in assemblies and the school has also organised a book week when the author, Alan Durant, was invited and pupils dressed up as character from books. This is helping to raise the profile of reading and books in the school.

p.24

Commentary

54. All Year 2 writing books were scrutinised. Whilst this demonstrated that pupils are given a good variety of activities to interest and engage them and develop their writing skills, there are weaknesses which hamper pupils’ learning. For example, in their handwriting books, pupils’ badly formed letters are not corrected. Although marking is regular and detailed and frequently tells pupils what they can do well, when focusing on areas for improvement it does not ensure that essential improvement takes place, so pupils often continue to make the same errors. Much of the work is untidy and badly presented, with no evidence of any emphasis on improving this.

p.24

Commentary

55. The new subject leader is providing good leadership for the subject. She has done much to improve reading, has greatly improved teachers’ planning and has introduced a traffic light system so that pupils can give some indication of how well they are doing. She has undertaken two staff training days to improve reading and writing across the school. Tracking is now securely in place and all pupils have their own writing targets. There is evidence that these strategies are leading to improvement. For example, current standards in reading in Year 2 are better than those of last year. She has also instigated a register for underachieving pupils (based on data analysis) and as a result some Year 3 pupils are receiving additional support. However, much of this is very new and has not yet had sufficient time to fully impact on teaching and learning.

p.24

Commentary

56. Overall, there has been good improvement in English since the last inspection, with improvements in teaching in Years 3 to 6, leading to higher standards and good achievement.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

Crowhurst C of E Primary - 25 57. This is satisfactory overall. Pupils in Year 2 have written about their promises for Lent, in Years 3 and 4 they have written a diary of the events leading up to Easter, and in Years 5 and 6 they have written about their futuristic masks in terms of what they would like to be in the future. The school has begun work on learning journeys to encourage cross-curricular links, but overall the use of writing in the foundation subjects is not well developed. There is developing use of ICT, for example, play scripts have been word processed in literacy.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Year 6 achieve well due to effective teaching. • Teaching in Year 2 does not enable pupils to make good progress. • There are good procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress, leading to effective action. • Weaknesses in teaching and the use of assessment impede pupils’ progress.

p.25

Commentary

58. In Year 2 standards are average. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve satisfactorily. Pupils currently in Year 6, due to both past and current good teaching, achieve well. Their teachers have high expectations both of the quality and quantity of work produced. This was especially evident from a review of the work produced by Year 6 pupils, which showed that they are encouraged to use different strategies for calculation and have frequent opportunities to apply their skills to problem solving.

p.25

Commentary

59. Work samples in the Year 1/2 class showed a limited amount of work with weak presentation and some lack of expectation. In terms of marking, there was little reference to the learning intentions which were pasted into the books. However, much of the work is practical and discussions with pupils indicate average standards and an appropriate grasp of mathematical concepts. In the lesson seen, some pupils found the concept of division difficult, particularly the Year 1 pupils. The higher attaining pupils in Year 2 found it difficult to record division or find division facts in numbers 1 to 10. Only when pupils were involved in practical work using sharing did they show good understanding.

p.25

Commentary

60. In the past, some pupils in Year 5 have not achieved well due to weaknesses in provision, which the school has identified and addressed through its monitoring and effective tracking procedures. A group of Year 5 pupils, identified as underachieving, are now taught in a small group. This is particularly effective. The sessions are very well planned and prepared, and take good account of ongoing assessment to match work to pupils’ ability. Good pace and a variety of activities help to ensure that interest and concentration are maintained throughout. Questioning is thorough and helps both the pupils to further their understanding and the teacher to assess this. Pupils in these sessions understand and appreciate the support they are being given; their very positive attitudes are helping them to make greater headway in their learning.

p.25

Commentary

61. Class teaching and learning overall are satisfactory. Lessons mostly have clear learning objectives that are shared with pupils so that they know the purpose of lessons. At the end of lessons pupils often indicate with thumbs up or down how well Crowhurst C of E Primary - 26 they feel they have learnt. Although termly assessments are helping to identify ability groups within mixed age classes, day-to-day assessment is not always used well enough to match the level and content of work to different abilities. As a result, the work at times lacks challenge for some and is too difficult for others. Marking is variable; at its best it refers to learning objectives, and provides comments that show pupils how well they have learnt and what they could do to improve; sometimes it is just critical or congratulatory. One unsatisfactory lesson was seen. In this lesson the work was not matched well enough to the pupils’ knowledge and level of understanding

p.25

Commentary

and therefore insufficient progress was made.

p.26

Commentary

62. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Test results are analysed and any weaknesses become a focus for development in the subject. Monitoring has identified and addressed weaker teaching in the past but, with many new staff, has yet to improve further the overall quality and consistency of teaching and learning. The use of ICT to support learning, a weakness at the last inspection, is developing. On balance, with many changes in staff and the maintenance of above average standards by Year 6, improvement has been satisfactory. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 27

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Pupils are given increasing opportunities to use mathematics in other subjects and consequently develop an appreciation of the practical uses of the subject. Older pupils, especially, use mathematics in science to measure, record and compare the results of investigations; in geography they compare numerical information, for example, the heights of different world mountains. In ICT pupils input and compare data, and enter equations in their work on spreadsheets.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Year 3 to 6 achieve well due to good teaching. • Teacher expectations of recorded work, presentation and marking in the Year 1/2 class are too low and this affects standards and achievement. • The subject is well led and managed.

p.27

Commentary

64. By Year 6, standards are above average. Pupils in Years 3-6, due to some past, and current good teaching, are achieving well. Lessons are well planned, prepared and managed so that pupils achieve well. Pupils are encouraged to work independently on their investigations and teachers have high expectations. Accurate and full recording of findings is expected, but more time needed to be given, in one lesson particularly, to discussing this aspect more fully and explaining how to set work out.

p.27

Commentary

65. In Year 2, standards in science are average; pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve satisfactorily. This judgement on standards is reached particularly from discussion with pupils, who were keen to talk about their work and showed a clear knowledge and understanding of the topics studied. It was necessary to talk to pupils to confirm standards as pupils’ work in books was limited in content, not well presented, and shows little evidence of pupils working at a higher level. Teaching and learning, although satisfactory, have some weaknesses. Teachers are keen to link science to other subjects as part of ‘learning journeys’, but as a result do not always develop scientific skills and knowledge as much as they could. In one lesson seen on materials, more could have been done to challenge higher attaining pupils in their understanding of materials and their uses. Although questioning and investigative activities help to

p.27

Commentary

develop knowledge and understanding in lessons, the low expectation of recorded work, particularly of more able pupils, does not help pupils to begin to set out and communicate their findings in the developing and systematic way expected in science.

p.27

Commentary

66. The subject is well led by the subject leader. There has been a focus on developing and assessing investigative skills, and a weakness in making and explaining predictions has been identified. The full scheme of work, recently reviewed and introduced, takes account of mixed age classes. This has yet to be fully worked through and evaluated. There has been monitoring of teaching and learning that has identified strengths and weaknesses. However, the school’s approach to science through ‘learning journeys’ has not been monitored so current weaknesses in recording Crowhurst C of E Primary - 28 have not been identified. Improvement since the last inspection, when standards by Year 6 were also above average, is satisfactory.

p.27

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Work in ICT was sampled, as the school timetable meant that only one lesson could be seen.

p.28

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

67. As well as the one full lesson seen, ICT was observed being used in other lessons. In those aspects of the subject where there was enough evidence to judge from individual computer files and observations, standards by Year 2 and Year 6 are average. Work was seen on word processing, PowerPoint presentations, data handling, spreadsheets and the use of the internet. Good teaching and learning in the lesson seen in Year 1 enabled pupils to enter simple data to create a pictogram of their favourite pets. In the Year 5/6 geography lesson that included use of the internet for research purposes, pupils discussed differences between books and the internet as sources of information. In order to maximise the learning of pupils using the internet, the teacher prepared a list of helpful questions to focus their research and enable them to understand the scope of it. Pupils made good progress in their learning.

p.28

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

68. The subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator was able to spend the previous year covering all teaching in the subject, and therefore got a good understanding of the range of ability across the school, where there were weaknesses in learning, and how the subject could be effectively taught and assessed. The curriculum was reviewed and planned to take account of mixed age classes. In the current year her skills are being shared as she introduces new topics to teachers and classes, giving particular support to new teachers who might be diffident in the use of ICT. There are good resources for the subject. The school has a computer suite, some classroom computers and a small bank of laptops; interactive whiteboards have been installed in classrooms and training is underway for their use. These improved resources and raised standards by Year 6 show good improvement since the last inspection.

p.28

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

69. The use of ICT to support learning in other subjects is developing well: Year 1 pupils developed a better understanding of different materials with a program where they had to link objects with the materials they were made of; Year 5/6 pupils developed their use of the internet when researching facts about the world’s major mountains. Older pupils especially are starting to use ICT as an everyday tool for learning. For example, PowerPoint presentations were made on the Year 5/6 geography field trip to Cuckmere Haven; play scripts have been word processed in literacy; data bases have been built up on different animals in science.

p.28

HUMANITIES

Geography, history and religious education were sampled.

p.28

HUMANITIES

70. One lesson was seen in geography , which was judged to be good. This lesson was well planned and prepared and involved the effective use of ICT for research. No lessons were seen in history . The recently reviewed schemes of work and planning for these subjects take account of mixed age classes, but have yet to be fully worked through and evaluated for effectiveness. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 29 71. Due to timetabling, only two lessons could be seen in religious education. They were both satisfactory. Evidence obtained from discussions with Year 6 pupils, samples of work from across the age range and discussions with the subject leader indicate that standards are average in Year 2 and Year 6.

p.28

HUMANITIES

72. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 know about the life of St Francis and are beginning to develop an understanding of Christian and other festivals such as Divali and Christmas. The story of the Nativity obviously engaged them as there are some examples of good retelling of the events involved. They are currently learning about the 4 special days of Holy Week. In the lesson seen, pupils were developing a sound knowledge of the associated events but there was little questioning to help them understand the meaning of them. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are deepening their understanding of these events through writing a diary retelling sequentially the events leading up to the arrest of Jesus, from his point of view. By Year 6, pupils have a good knowledge of the different features of several religions. They have a clear understanding of the differences between Christianity and Judaism. They know Muslims believe in one God,

p.29

HUMANITIES

Allah, and have a holy book within which are commandments that are significant to their everyday life. They enjoy their lessons, which involve writing poems, making posters and using puppets. However, there is no evidence of extended writing in support of literacy across the curriculum.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Art and design, music, design and technology and physical education were sampled.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Only one lesson was seen in art and design . It was a satisfactory lesson in which pupils made clay dragons. This was part of their topic on Chinese New Year and pupils were keen to make models and learn to develop techniques. However, they had no opportunities to evaluate the work of others or refine their own. There is evidence of art work of an average standard on display across the school, for example, painting in the style of Van Gogh in Years 1 and 2, making sculptures in Years 3 and 4 and mask making in Years 5 and 6. There is also a weekly art club.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

74. One satisfactory lesson was seen in music . Pupils enjoyed their music making and were developing a good understanding of rhythm. However, the pace of the lesson was rather slow and some pupils became restless and misbehaved. In assembly, pupils sing enthusiastically. The school uses a scheme called ‘Musical Express’ as a framework for teaching music.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. No lessons were seen in design and technology . The school’s curriculum planning shows that all aspects of the subject are covered.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. One lesson was seen in physical education , which was judged to be satisfactory. The school’s curriculum planning shows that all elements of the subject, including swimming, are covered. Accommodation for the subject is unsatisfactory and restricts the progress that pupils can make, particularly in gymnastics and outdoor games. Resources, particularly for gymnastics, are also unsatisfactory, with no fixed and limited moveable apparatus available for use in the village hall.

p.29

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Crowhurst C of E Primary - 30 This area of the curriculum was sampled.

p.30

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

77. One lesson was seen in personal, social and health education. It was a good lesson that enabled pupils to explore their own values with regard to drug taking. It also focused on helping them to learn how to handle difficult life style situations in a positive manner. Good interactions and good relationships enabled this to take place effectively. The planning for personal, social and health education is satisfactory, through the school’s own scheme of work and through topics within other subjects, for example, ‘healthy eating’ in science. Crowhurst C of E Primary - 31

p.30

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 3 Attendance 4 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 5 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

p.31

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 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

p.31

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).

p.31