Crowmarsh Gifford Church of England School

CROWMARSH GIFFORD CE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 7 – 9 February 2005

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CROWMARSH GIFFORD CE SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 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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CROWMARSH GIFFORD CE 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. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 201

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Old Reading Road Crowmarsh Gifford Wallingford Oxfordshire Postcode: OX10 8EN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01491 836785 Fax number: 01491 839744

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Sarah Nesbit

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Crowmarsh Gifford is a smaller than average primary school with 107 boys and 94 girls on roll. Most pupils are White and of British heritage but there are also a very few pupils from Black African, Black Caribbean or mixed race backgrounds. There are no pupils for whom English is an additional language. Children entering the school show a wide range of ability but their overall attainment is above average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs (mainly learning or social, emotional and behavioural difficulties) and the percentage of pupils who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs are below average. The number of pupils who have joined or left the school other than in the first year is higher than usual, owing to families moving in and out of the area. Since the last inspection the number of pupils on roll has increased from 165 pupils and there are now

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

seven classes. The school received a Schools’ Achievement Award in 2000. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21124 Ann Coughlan Lead inspector Science, information and communication technology, physical education, personal, social and health education and citizenship 9770 John Baker Lay inspector 23300 Lily Evans Team inspector English, geography, history, music and special educational needs 19916 Debbie Kerr Team inspector Foundation Stage, mathematics, art and design, design and technology and religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 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 13

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 where most pupils achieve well owing to good teaching overall. The leadership and management of the school are good, constantly seeking ways to improve provision, and the school gives good value for money. Staff turnover in the last two years has been much higher than is usually found, largely owing to promotions or maternity leave, but this has been managed well.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Very good teaching in Y6 enables pupils to achieve very well in this class. • Pupils develop well above average skills in speaking, listening and reading and make good use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support their learning. • The very well enriched curriculum motivates pupils so that they develop very good attitudes to learning. • Provision in the reception year, although satisfactory, is not as good as in the rest of the school. • Pupils feel secure; they develop confidence and self-esteem and a very good sense of personal responsibility. • Pupils with special educational needs and lower ability pupils do not make as much progress as other pupils. • Parents support the school and their children’s learning very effectively and help to ensure that attendance is very high compared with most schools.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement has been good since the last inspection in 1999. The school has successfully addressed the key issues relating to curriculum and management. Significant improvements in accommodation and resources have supported curriculum initiatives. Above average standards have been maintained in English and standards have improved in mathematics, science and information and communication technology.

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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 B A C E Mathematics C A* A B Science A A B C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Achievement is good. Children enter the reception class with above average attainment and achieve satisfactorily so that nearly all are on course to meet the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception and many will exceed them. In Year 2 achievement is good and pupils are attaining above average standards. This is similar to the performance of last year’s Year 2 in national tests. The above table indicates that the performance in national tests for Year 6 dipped last year compared with previous years, Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 7 particularly in English and in relation to similar schools using value added comparisons. This was partly related to the mobility of pupils but analysis of national and school test

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

results shows that lower ability pupils do not make as much progress as other pupils. In the current Year 6 standards are well above average in mathematics and science and above average in English and pupils are on course to meet the challenging targets set by the school. Lower ability pupils and those with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily but their targets for progress are not specific enough nor reviewed rigorously enough to ensure that their learning moves forward quickly. Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good overall. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good in reception and in Years 1 and 2 and their behaviour is satisfactory. Attitudes to learning are very good in Years 3 to 6 and pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is very good. Pupils are very willing to take responsibility and to be part of a community and to

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

have good relationships with each other and members of staff.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

good overall. Teaching, learning and assessment are satisfactory in reception but there is insufficient adult intervention in child-initiated activities. In Years 1 to 5 teaching and learning are good overall. Effective cross-curricular links frequently make learning relevant to pupils. Good teaching occurs where there is a brisk pace to lessons and pupils are productive. In a few lessons where too high a noise level develops during group work or activities, teaching and learning are satisfactory. There is very good teaching and learning in Year 6 owing to the teacher’s level of challenge to pupils and her very high expectations for consistent good quality work. All teachers question pupils effectively and develop their speaking and listening skills well and teaching assistants provide good quality support. Assessment is satisfactory; teachers keep good track of pupils’ progress and group them appropriately in English and mathematics lessons but do not yet use individual target

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

setting effectively to help pupils improve. The supportive attitude of parents to their children’s education makes a good contribution to their learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . The headteacher has encouraged key staff to develop leadership skills through leading innovation in curriculum areas and this has had a positive impact on improving aspects of the school. The deputy headteacher provides a very good role model to staff who, through their hard work and commitment, have minimised the impact of recent staff changes. The work of the governing body is good; they manage funds well to support the school’s most important priorities and ensure compliance with statutory requirements.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents’ views of the school are largely favourable. Some feel that they would like more information on their child’s progress but inspectors found there were sufficient formal opportunities and other parents find that the headteacher and class teachers are willing to arrange to see parents promptly. However, inspectors agree that the annual written reports do not give sufficient information on progress. Inspection findings do not support the concerns expressed about homework or lack of consultation. Pupils feel they are expected Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 8 to work hard and are confident in approaching staff and know they will be listened to. They like their school but some are concerned when other children are noisy in class.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve provision in the Foundation Stage (reception). • Increase the pace of learning for pupils with special educational needs and for those of lower ability by improving target setting and the reviewing of progress. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is a measure of how well pupils are doing, taking their progress and their capability into account.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 achievement is good for most pupils but satisfactory for lower ability pupils and those with special educational needs. In Year 2 standards are above average. In Year 6 standards are above average in English, ICT and religious education but well above average in mathematics and science. Children in the reception class achieve satisfactorily so that most are on course to meet the early learning goals and many are likely to exceed them.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils develop well above average skills in speaking, listening and reading. • Pupils become very competent in mathematics and ICT. • Pupils with special educational needs and lower ability pupils do not make as much progress as other pupils. • Pupils make particularly good progress in Year 6.

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Commentary

1. Children enter the reception classes with a full range of attainment but above average levels overall. Their achievement is satisfactory but progress is uneven because the teaching quality is inconsistent. Where it is clearly focused on a specific area of learning, the teaching is good and children achieve well. However, where there is unstructured play, with insufficient intervention from adults, opportunities are missed to move children on in their learning. Weaknesses in the way work is planned and the way children’s progress is assessed also reduce the pace of learning.

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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 17.3 (18.3) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.5 (16.6) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 16.9 (17.7) 16.2 (16.3) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. Standards in the national tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 2 have been consistently above the national average for the last few years and sometimes well above. In 2004, at the higher Level 3, the school’s performance was above the national average in writing and mathematics and well above in reading. Teachers’ assessments in science indicated well above average attainment with pupils attaining in the highest five per cent of schools at the expected Level 2 and gaining above average standards Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 10 at the higher Level 3. In comparison with schools with a similar percentage of eligibility for free school meals there is a more mixed picture. The performance in reading was above average, in writing it was average and in mathematics it was below average. The proportion of lower attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs who fell below the expected Level 2 in reading and writing affected the overall results.

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Commentary

Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 11 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 27.2 (29.9) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 29.2 (30.2) 27.0 (26.8) science 29.9 (31.3) 28.6 (28.6) There were 27 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. In Year 6 also the standards attained in national tests have consistently been above or well above national averages for the last few years but dipped in 2004. Analysis of the results shows that despite the above average percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 overall performance was affected, particularly in English, by the higher than usual proportion of pupils who did not attain the expected Level 4. As a result the school failed to meet its targets in English. Value added figures indicate there was above average achievement in comparison with similar schools in mathematics, average achievement in science but well below average in English. This was partly related to the mobility of pupils but also because lower attaining pupils did not make as much progress as other pupils except in mathematics.

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Commentary

4. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the majority of pupils in the current Years 2 and 6 are achieving well in the subjects seen. Teachers ensure that pupils develop very good speaking and listening skills by the way they use them effectively in all subjects. Owing to good quality planning and teaching, pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop and consolidate their literacy and numeracy skills well. These provide a firm basis for learning across the curriculum. The school recognised that in all year groups writing standards were lower than pupils’ standards in reading and introduced new strategies to promote writing; these are having a positive effect. The very good teaching in Year 6 promotes very good progress so that pupils attain high standards in speaking, listening, reading, mathematics and science. Standards are above average in writing and religious education.

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Commentary

5. Test results indicate that girls are attaining better than boys but no significant difference between boys and girls was seen during the inspection. The school has taken appropriate steps to motivate boys better in reading and writing. The school’s own assessment results also indicate that the small number of lower ability pupils and those with special educational needs are not progressing at the same rate as most pupils, though their achievement is satisfactory. Some join the school late and their progress towards targets is not closely enough monitored and recorded. The school has begun to address this but, as yet, the targets in English and mathematics and those on pupils’ individual education plans are not specific enough, nor are they reviewed rigorously enough in order to increase the pace of learning of these pupils. By contrast, pupils who are gifted or talented achieve well because they are well

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Commentary

challenged in lessons and their talents are nurtured well both in school and in extra- curricular opportunities. For example there are very good musical opportunities within the school week and also weekend music school and sport have a high profile.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 12 Pupils’ attitudes are very good. Their behaviour and their personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. Attendance is very good and punctuality is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• Pupils enjoy school and are interested in their work. • Pupils are very clear about the school’s values and their responsibility to uphold them. • Older pupils are willing to take responsibility for aspects of school life and help the school to run smoothly. • Pupils develop good self-awareness by reflecting on the beliefs and values of others.

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Commentary

6. There has been good improvement to this aspect of the school’s work since the previous inspection. The good attitudes to learning noted then have been further improved and are now very positive. Pupils enjoy the school and their enthusiasm for learning is an important factor in their good achievement. They work hard in lessons and thrive on the challenging and interesting activities that teachers provide. Many pupils take part in the wide range of after school activities on offer and learn to work and play harmoniously together. Parents consider that behaviour in the school is good. Pupils behave well in most lessons and around the school and older pupils set a very good example for younger ones. They know that the school deals firmly with any kind of harassment or bullying and play their part in making the school a safe and secure place to be. They thrive on their responsibilities as ‘Sunshine Friends’ and look out for

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Commentary

anyone feeling insecure or lonely. The attitudes and behaviour of pupils with special educational needs are mostly good but those of some pupils with behavioural difficulties, especially younger pupils, are just satisfactory because they have poor concentration and can be noisy. The exclusions in the table below were all related to one pupil.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 184 4 0 White – any other White background 7 0 0 White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Black or Black British - African 1 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

7. Children enter school with good levels of personal development. The teacher and support assistant help them to feel secure and to develop an appropriate degree of independence. Most are likely to reach the early learning goals in personal, social and Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 13 emotional development by the end of the reception year and some exceed these. The school make very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development in Years 1 to 6 and this is reflected in pupils’ care and concern for one another, their school and the wider community. The school has a very clear set of values that it promotes strongly. The Golden Rules and the system of sanctions and rewards are firmly established and understood by all. As a result most pupils are very clear about the impact of their behaviour on others and treat one another with respect and consideration. Older pupils take a very active role in ensuring the school runs smoothly

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Commentary

on a day-to-day basis. They help by setting up equipment, maintaining class gardens, helping in younger classes and playing instruments in school gatherings. The school council is well established and is an effective means by which all pupils can contribute to school improvement.

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Commentary

8. Pupils develop their spiritual awareness well through the school’s provision for personal and social education and religious education. They share their work with one another in class assemblies and enjoy celebrating one another’s’ achievements. They know that religious belief plays an important part in many peoples’ lives and respect this. Daily acts of collective worship are important school occasions that provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect on the meaning of stories both from the Christian tradition and from a variety of faiths and cultures. Pupils extend their knowledge of other cultures through work in other subjects and through visitors to school.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 2.8 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 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

9. Attendance is very good because most pupils are keen to come to school and parents ensure that their children attend regularly and punctually. The school takes effective measures to encourage good attendance. Last year attendance levels were very high compared with most schools.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good. The school provides a good quality curriculum with very good opportunities for enrichment. Provision for pupils’ care is good and for their guidance and support is satisfactory. The very good links with parents and good links with the community and other schools promote pupils’ learning.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good. Assessment is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers engage and involve pupils in lessons well. • Emphasis on pupils’ speaking and listening skills promotes good learning. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 14 • In the very good lessons pupils tackle challenges confidently. • In a few lessons, noise levels limit learning. • Good assessment procedures track pupils’ progress but individual target setting is at an early stage of development.

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Commentary

10. As found at the last inspection, teaching is good overall in Years 1 to 6, but there has been an increase in the proportion of very good teaching and there are now no unsatisfactory lessons. There is some variation between classes, although some good teaching was seen in all classes. There is consistently good teaching in Years 2, 4 and 5 and in Year 6 teaching and learning is very good. Teaching in reception is satisfactory overall with good teaching of small focus groups.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 39 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. 11. A strong feature in many lessons in Years 1 to 6 is the way teachers motivate pupils with interesting challenges, supported by good resources, and use their good questioning skills to guide pupils’ thinking and understanding. Teachers listen carefully to pupils’ ideas and use them well. Another good feature of many lessons is the use of response partners when pupils work together in pairs to solve problems, to discuss their feelings about an issue or how they were going to tackle challenges in mathematics or science. As a result, pupils begin to take on some responsibility for their own learning. The effective encouragement of pupils’ speaking and listening skills helps pupils to articulate their thoughts clearly and explain their reasoning; this makes a good contribution to pupils’ achievement. A significant strength of teaching is the way

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Commentary

teachers use ICT to help pupils to learn effectively in many areas of the curriculum such as English, mathematics, science, and religious education.

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Commentary

12. Satisfactory lessons share many of these good features but during group work or activities, teachers do not reinforce their expectations of pupils’ behaviour sufficiently and noise levels rise. This is distracting and the pace of learning slows. Teaching is very good when teachers have very high expectations for pupils to listen to instructions, to work very hard and to behave very well. Pupils have to call on previous learning and use a range of skills to undertake complex tasks. Pupils meet these high expectations, make very good use of time and learn quickly. Teachers target questions and activities effectively to groups of pupils to ensure that all are included and challenged appropriately. Pupils are confident to contribute to the lessons owing to the very good relationships. As a result, the pupils get through a lot of good quality work and their understanding broadens and deepens.

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Commentary

13. Pupils with special educational needs are fully included in lessons because they are supported well by the teaching assistants and work is designed to meet their needs through group target setting. However, the targets on the individual educational plans for these pupils are often too broad and often repeated. There is insufficient indication of progress towards the targets and the plans are not reviewed often enough. There are good evaluations of lessons but opportunities to collect assessment information on individuals in lessons are missed. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 15 14. The school has worked hard to address the issue on assessment from the last inspection. There has been good improvement so that assessment is now satisfactory. Day-to-day assessment by teachers is good, pupils are beginning to evaluate their own work and the school has developed thorough systems for tracking pupils’ progress. However, the

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Commentary

information gained is not always used constructively to inform teachers’ planning. Although information is used to group pupils in English and mathematics lessons, the use of individual targets for English and mathematics is in an early stage of development and has not yet had an impact. Target setting and reviewing is not yet used rigorously enough to increase the pace of learning of lower ability pupils.

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The curriculum

The breadth and balance of the curriculum are good and enrichment is very good. Accommodation and resources are both good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Curricular programmes of study build effectively on previous learning. • There are very good opportunities for broadening personal skills through a wide range of clubs with particular strengths in sport and music. • Enquiry skills are strongly promoted in science and speaking and listening skills developed well across the curriculum. • Provision for special educational needs is only satisfactory because individual education plan targets are often inappropriate. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 16

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Commentary

15. The school has worked successfully since the last inspection to address key issues and has made good improvement. The National Numeracy Strategy and programmes of study for all curricular areas including religious education and ICT, based on national guidance, have been implemented well. They show clearly the ongoing tracking and development of skills within subjects and time is now allocated effectively for the whole range of subjects. Plans show cross-curricular links within subjects and where ICT can support learning and there is a good focus on citizenship. Scientific enquiry is very good, and this has had a good effect on pupils’ questioning in all subjects across the curriculum. There is a detailed programme of development of speaking and listening skills through the whole school resulting in well above average standards in Year 6. This is a strong feature of the school. There is careful planning of any withdrawal time

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Commentary

to ensure pupils do not miss out on lessons and have opportunities to catch up; this is an improvement since the last inspection.

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Commentary

16. The good personal and social education planning in place supports teachers in developing skills and understanding from early in the school where the focus is on self awareness, family and healthy eating. In Year 5 issues broaden to consideration of how we treat our bodies related to eating, drugs and smoking and personal responsibilities and choices. Opportunities for pupils to participate in sports and other activities are very good. There is a very wide range of extra-curricular clubs, some of which have a rolling rota of year groups because they are so popular, for example art and ICT clubs. Current sports are football and netball and Youth Moves, a keep fit club that has two sessions to cater for each key stage. Chess, brass, French club for Years 1 and 2 (3 times weekly) and gardening are some of the current activities. In addition within school there are regular visits and visitors that support subjects across the

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Commentary

curriculum. Pupils entertain regularly and visit theatre and concerts as well as participating in local festivals. There are two regular residential visits each year for older pupils and many visits into the local community.

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Commentary

17. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) have a good range of additional programmes such as Early, Additional and Further Literacy Strategies to reinforce and catch up on their learning. However, as identified recently by the school, some targets in individual education plans are not sufficiently specific to meet the child’s needs. This leads to targets being repeated over long periods of time; this is discouraging for the pupils. In the recent past the plans have not been reviewed frequently enough so that pupils’ progress in those areas has not been as good as it could be. This is evident in the school’s tracking information that shows pupils’ progress over time.

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Commentary

18. The accommodation offered by the school is good and recent changes have promoted more effective learning. For example, there is now a designated ICT area with networked computers and a refurbished library with a good range of information books and fiction. An attractive new classroom for the reception class was opened last September. Learning resources have improved significantly since the last inspection in most subject areas and resources in English, mathematics, science, ICT, physical education and religious education are now good; they are satisfactory in other subjects. In music the staff are continuing to extend the range of musical instruments from different cultures. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 17

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Care, guidance and support

The school makes good provision for ensuring pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. It provides pupils with satisfactory support and guidance overall and involves them well in the work of the school and its development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good care given to pupils ensures that they feel secure and work in a healthy and safe environment. • There is good promotion of pupils’ healthy and safe living. • Staff know pupils and their families well and give pupils good support and guidance in their personal development. • Induction arrangements are good overall. • The involvement of pupils in the school’s work and development is good and helps pupils to mature and use their initiative.

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Commentary

19. Health and safety procedures are good. The premises are inspected monthly; risk assessments have been carried out on a range of activities and any issues resolved with appropriate urgency. First aid provision is good and ensures good coverage in the school and on educational visits. Child protection procedures are good with very good liaison with other agencies. Pupils’ healthy and safe living is well promoted through the personal, social and health education programme. The school is working towards the Healthy Oxfordshire Schools award.

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Commentary

20. Teachers and support staff know the pupils and their families well, are sensitive to their needs and are thus able to provide good personal support and guidance. The good relationships between pupils and staff encourage pupils to raise any concerns they may have knowing that they will be dealt with sympathetically. Records are kept of pupils’ achievements such as the award of merit certificates. There is thorough monitoring of pupils’ academic achievements and pupils have some opportunities to evaluate their own work. However, the good information gained, is not used always used constructively to make pupils fully aware of what they need to learn next.

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Commentary

21. Pupils with SEN are supported satisfactorily. There is good involvement of outside professionals who provide help and advice as well as special support programmes delivered by teaching assistants. However, there is insufficient attention to monitoring whether achievement is good enough and taking action to move pupils on to the next stage in their learning. The school recognises that these pupils could be more involved in their own learning. Statutory regulations are met and annual reviews are prepared for appropriately involving parents, pupils and professionals. Also records are kept of inappropriate behaviour and support is given through a pastoral support plan or the involvement of outside support agencies.

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Commentary

22. Induction arrangements for reception pupils include two half-day visits, one of which includes lunch, together with a further morning visit when all pupils move up a class to meet their new teacher. The entry arrangements into the reception class help them to gradually adapt to full time education. All staff have time allocated to hand over their class to the next year’s teacher. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 18 23. Pupils are involved well in the development of the school through the school council, whose proposals have resulted in the provision of waste bins and picnic benches in the playground as well as additional playground equipment. All pupils are involved in discussing and agreeing their class rules.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very well informed about the school and the curriculum. • The very good contribution parents make to their children’s learning at school and at home makes a significant contribution to their achievement. • There is good involvement of parents through seeking their views and acting on them. • Annual reports to parents do not give enough information on their children’s progress. • The good links with the community helps to enrich the curriculum. • The good links with other schools ensure that pupils transfer happily on to their next stage of education.

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Commentary

24. The partnership with parents has improved well since the last inspection. Parents are very well informed about the school through the prospectus, the governors’ annual report and fortnightly newsletters. They are also very well informed about the curriculum through class newsletters each term and curriculum evenings. Parents are consulted when a pupil is causing concerns and targets are shared with them at regular review meetings, the regularity and frequency of which has recently been improved. A significant number of parents feel that they are not well informed about their children’s progress but other parents report that teachers are readily available to talk to them. The inspection team found that the school provides a satisfactory range of opportunities for parents to find out about their children’s progress. However, inspectors agree that the annual reports merely indicate what children have covered

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Commentary

and give insufficient information on attainment or progress and lack targets for improvement.

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Commentary

25. Parents provide excellent help in the classroom and very good help on trips and visits. They also raise prodigious funds for the school through the Parent Teachers’ Association and, in particular, their magnificent efforts through the Buildings Action Group provided funds for building the new reception classroom. Parents are well informed about homework expectations through the homework policy and details in the class newsletters that also give guidance to parents on how to help their children. Virtually all parents support their children well through homework.

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Commentary

26. Parents’ views have been sought through a recent questionnaire that resulted in the introduction of an extra consultation evening, arranged for the spring term. Parents’ views are also obtained informally by parent governors and through the governors’ annual general meeting that is well attended. The inspection team does not support the Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 19 concerns about homework or lack of consultation expressed by a significant number of parents.

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Commentary

27. Links with the community and other schools support pupils’ personal development well. There are very close links with the parish church. The vicar leads assembly weekly and pupils celebrate Christian festivals in the church and use it as an educational resource. Other links include inviting senior citizens to the dress rehearsal of Christian services, carol singing at the village hall and participation in the church flower festival. The community also makes good use of the school. There are close links with other schools through the cluster group and through sport as well as good liaison with the Crowmarsh Pre-School. Links with Wallingford Secondary School include an open day in the autumn term, close liaison between staff, an induction day for all pupils with additional visits for pupils needing extra support. Pupils also undertake transfer projects and visit the school for functions including sports tournaments. The school

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Commentary

provides good training opportunities for students from Oxford Brookes University and Henley College.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff, governance and management are all good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has effectively managed change in some important areas. • Teachers are encouraged to develop their leadership and management skills. • Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage, although satisfactory, are not as good as in most other areas in the school. • Good evaluation and reflection on the work of the school inform the priorities for further development. • There are good arrangements for the professional development of staff. • Governors are involved well in shaping the direction of the school.

p.19

Commentary

28. The school has worked hard to address the issues raised by the last inspection, has managed change successfully and brought about good improvement in the school’s overall provision. Pupils respond well to the good ethos for learning; they work hard and achieve well and this is much appreciated by parents. A strong feature of the headteacher’s leadership is the way he encourages teachers with subject responsibilities to develop their own leadership skills through leading and managing a project to improve provision in their subject. This has had a very positive impact in areas such as English, science, ICT and religious education. The headteacher leads mathematics very well.

p.19

Commentary

29. The management structure of the school has been improved and the regular meetings of the senior management team help to promote a clear focus on the school’s priorities. The school monitors and evaluates its work well through a range of strategies that provide good information on strengths and weaknesses. Senior management can then make arrangements to address the latter. The deputy Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 20 headteacher provides a very good role model for staff both in her teaching and the way she carries out her responsibilities. This has encouraged the strong commitment and hard work of school staff. Owing to staff changes the co-ordination of several subjects has moved to different teachers. However, the school has good systems in place so there has been a smooth transition of responsibility and minimal disruption. The leadership shows a strong commitment to inclusion. There has been an improvement

p.19

Commentary

in the identification and provision for higher attaining pupils since the last inspection. The school is addressing areas such as book provision and writing to improve motivation for boys.

p.20

Commentary

30. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The headteacher worked hard with parents to raise considerable funds to provide a new classroom but he and the co-ordinator are aware where further improvement need to be made. The co-ordinator is to attend training shortly on planning for the early years. The leadership and management of SEN is a developing area for the new co-ordinator of special educational needs. There has been expert advice from an outside consultant and by auditing provision and practice a suitable start has been made.

p.20

Commentary

31. Performance management is now fully in place and the targets support the school’s priorities well and inform arrangements for staff training. The school has a higher proportion of newly qualified teachers than is usually found but induction arrangements are good and these teachers are very pleased with the support they receive from all members of staff.

p.20

Commentary

32. The well led and organised Governing Body fulfil their statutory duties well and support the school effectively owing to good relationships with the headteacher and staff. They monitor the school’s work in many ways; through reports from key staff and through their visits, and consequently understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses well. Governors are also in close touch with parents and the needs of the local community. They are involved with the strategic development of the school through meeting with subject co-ordinators to discuss relevant aspects of the school improvement plan. This is a useful document, though it lacks a clear focus on raising standards. Since items are not costed it is difficult for governors to measure the value for money of developments. The school’s finances are, however, well managed. There were only a very few minor points for improvement in the last audit report and these have been

p.20

Commentary

addressed. The relatively high carry forward to the next financial year is related to planned costs the school will incur in further improving the accommodation. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 21 Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.20

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 454497 Balance from previous year 38027 Total expenditure 462412 Balance carried forward to the next 30112 Expenditure per pupil 2527 Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 22

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

33. In Crowmarsh Gifford School, the Foundation Stage is the time that children spend in the reception class. Children start in the autumn term, some on a part-time basis, and when they start, their experiences and knowledge vary. On the whole they are better than those expected for children of the same age. Overall provision, teaching, learning and children’s achievement are all satisfactory. This satisfactory achievement is not as good as found in the rest of the school and there are several reasons for this: • there are some weaknesses in the way the curriculum is planned. The planning is done to a format that is required for the rest of the school and this is not suitable for the specialised planning required for the Foundation Stage • the school is still developing an effective system for monitoring and assessing children’s progress across the six areas of learning • some resources are of poor quality and do little to engage children’s interest

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• the dedicated outdoor area is very small and this limits children’s outdoor play.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

34. The school is aware of some of these problems and there are plans already in place to improve the outside area. Teaching and learning are good when adults work with small focus groups and give children individual attention. The reception class is adequately staffed and the teacher and classroom assistant work well as a team to provide an environment where children feel happy and cared for. No valid comparisons can be made with the situation at the time of the last inspection, when there were only two children under five in a mixed age class.

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Personal, social and emotional development

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Supportive relationships ensure children feel secure and confident. • Routines for the school day are well established. • Children do not always move around the classroom in a quiet and orderly manner.

p.22

Commentary

35. Children enter school with good levels of personal development. Teaching, learning and achievement are all satisfactory so that by the time the reach the end of the reception year, most are likely to reach the early learning goals and some will exceed them. Children enjoy coming to school. Parents are welcomed into the classroom at the start of the day, often staying to join their child at one of the activities or share a book with them. Good relationships exist between adults and children, helping them to feel secure and confident. The teacher’s expectations of what children can do for themselves are high. They make choices about their play; get what they need for a task and put equipment and toys away at the end of the session. The teacher and support assistant provide good role models for children. They are friendly and approachable and treat children with respect and courtesy. Children feel safe and

p.22

Commentary

happy in the school. They enter the hall confidently for whole school gatherings and Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 23 lead quietly and sensibly back to their classroom at the end. The classroom is not always as quiet and orderly, as noise levels are sometimes too high when children are playing on their free choice activities.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The basic skills of reading and writing are taught well to class and small groups. • Rules for speaking and listening are not made clear enough. • Resources for reading are barely adequate.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

36. Teaching, learning and children’s achievement are satisfactory overall. Children enter with language skills that are better than average and when they leave reception, most will reach the early learning goals and many will exceed them.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

37. Children are taught their letter sounds systematically and quickly learn to use their knowledge to help them read and write new words. Teaching often takes place in small groups where children receive a lot of individual help. As a result, all children are familiar with some letter sounds and higher attaining children can identify some letter combinations. Children develop an appreciation of books and recognise the links between letter sounds and words. Their progress in reading is monitored carefully, enabling them to make steady progress. By the time they leave many can read simple texts. Children have daily opportunities to read in the classroom but the books available are well worn, the reading area sparsely furnished, and this does little to foster the children’s interest. From the start children are taught the skills of writing and given regular opportunities to write independently, for example when taking customer

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

orders in the role play laundrette, or making lists for their fashion show. The teacher makes good use of visual aids such as toys, puppets and pictures to engage children’s interest and make learning fun. Children’s speaking and listening skills develop satisfactorily. Children have regular opportunities to listen to stories and ask and answer questions. They do not always listen carefully to one another, however, and adults do not stress enough the importance of taking turns when speaking. Adults also focus heavily on their small teaching groups and miss opportunities to extend children’s vocabulary by talking to them about their free choice activities.

p.23

Mathematical development

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Practical activities are used well to promote learning. • Good use is made of the outdoor area for mathematical investigation.

p.23

Commentary

38. Children achieve satisfactorily and by the time they leave the reception class most will meet and some exceed the early learning goals for this area. Teaching is satisfactory and there is good direct teaching to small groups. The teacher and classroom assistant Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 24 take regular opportunities to teach children their numbers to 10 and beyond. They make good use of number songs and rhymes and ask children to solve simple number problems in their heads. Some activities are well planned to help children learn through play and a group of children enjoyed making mice tails and comparing their lengths to develop their understanding of longer and shorter. The small outdoor area is used well as an extension of the classroom. Children engaged in measuring used sticks to compare the lengths of the wheeled toys. They were able to record the number of times they could fit the measure along the object and write it independently. They knew

p.23

Commentary

that there would be a higher number of times for the longer objects. Some of the free choice activities support mathematical development but adults do not intervene in children’s play often enough to help consolidate their learning or move it forward.

p.24

Commentary

Knowledge and understanding of the world

p.24

Commentary

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Learning in this area links well with work in other areas of the curriculum. • Play is used well to promote learning.

p.24

Commentary

39. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The teacher and classroom assistant work closely together to plan an appropriate range of activities which link well to the theme for the half term. In their topic of clothes, children had investigated materials and their suitability for the weather, compared babies’ clothes to those worn by adults and learnt about children’s national dress in other countries. Teaching was good when groups of children observed the changes that occurred when chocolate was melted and then allowed to cool down. The teacher encouraged children to predict what may happen, to observe carefully and describe their observations. Children use the computer regularly and know how to manipulate the mouse to operate simple programs which link with the topic being studied. Adults use the outdoor play area to support learning whenever they can, but the lack of space restricts what can be done. Children enter the reception

p.24

Commentary

class with a good understanding of the world for their age. They achieve satisfactorily and by the time they leave, most will reach the early learning goals and some will exceed them.

p.24

Physical development

Provision for physical development is satisfactory .

p.24

Physical development

• Weaknesses in resources limit children’s physical development.

p.24

Commentary

40. This is another area where the lack of resources and suitable equipment limits what children can achieve. Teaching, learning and achievement are satisfactory overall and children have regular daily opportunities to play indoors and out. Their fine movements are developed well through their opportunities to use construction toys, paint, draw and Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 25 use scissors and small tools. Children have regular lessons in the school hall for dance, movement and gymnastics but there are some weaknesses in the provision. There is not enough appropriately sized equipment for them to explore, and noise levels in the gymnastic lesson seen were too high, posing safety hazards when children could not hear the teacher’s instructions. As a result, children’s movements are not always as precise and controlled as they could be. Most should reach the early learning goals at the end of reception but few are likely to exceed them.

p.24

Creative development

41. It was not possible to make an overall judgement of provision or standards. There is a satisfactory programme of activities in place to develop children’s learning in art, craft and design, and teachers appreciate the importance of role-play as an opportunity for learning. ‘Free choice’ activities are provided each day but the planning for these is unsatisfactory, as it does not indicate clearly what children are expected to learn from them. Adults rarely monitor these or support the play to help move children’s learning forward, or ask children to talk about the activity.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement in speaking, listening and reading is very good. • Writing skills are taught effectively with teachers using good strategies for promoting pupils’ ideas and planning work. • Information from good assessment procedures is not always used effectively. • Pupils’ handwriting and presentation of work are of good quality throughout the school.

p.25

Commentary

42. In Year 2 and Year 6 standards in English are above average and most pupils achieve well. Since the last inspection there has been a rise in the proportion of pupils with special educational needs but standards have been maintained as there has been good improvement in the teaching of literacy. However, the achievement of pupils with SEN and some lower ability pupils is satisfactory, as assessment information is not used effectively to quickly identify pupils who are making less than expected progress. In addition the targets on individual education plans for pupils with SEN are too broad and progress towards achieving them is too slow.

p.25

Commentary

43. Pupils continue to attain high standards in speaking and listening and in reading because of a well-planned programme for development and a strong emphasis on developing these skills across every subject. In a Year 2 discussion in a geography lesson pupils interviewed the teacher who played the part of a farmer, asking relevant questions such as ‘What is it like doing your job?’ and ‘Do you have any bulls up there on the farm?’ Group and individual reading is effective in developing pupils’ interpretative skills. Teachers have reviewed texts and purchased books that capture the interest of boys to in order to address the gender difference indicated by tests. Parent helpers provide invaluable help in listening to individual pupils read and the Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 26 Parent Teacher Association has donated many books for the library. Pupils use the Internet well to research topics such as World War 2 rationing and a good range of

p.25

Commentary

programs are effective in promoting good spelling, writing and reading skills. Pupils use dictionaries, thesauruses and reference books routinely and younger pupils have their own dictionary notebooks that they use when writing.

p.26

Commentary

44. The quality of teaching is good overall and pupils respond well. Teachers’ planning is detailed. Teachers evaluate learning in lessons and in a few classes pupils evaluate their own learning. In order to raise standards in writing to the same level as other aspects of English, the school has introduced a wide range of writing styles, insisting on correct punctuation of sentences as a routine from an early age. In Year 2, in planning writing, teachers support pupils well by giving a wide choice of story settings and writing frameworks. In Year 6 pupils discuss the features of formal writing and enjoy exploring prefixes, suffixes, and roots of word groups. Teachers’ expectations are high for good presentation and handwriting. As a result, pupils produce work of a good quality and feel successful; this raises their self-esteem. Where teaching is satisfactory, time is used less well, motivation of pupils is less effective and a few

p.26

Commentary

pupils do not get on as well as they could with their writing tasks. This is usually because teachers accept noise levels that are too high during independent tasks and this reduces concentration and productivity.

p.26

Commentary

45. Teachers set group targets for literacy, there are regular evaluations and the information is used to group pupils suitably in lessons. Personal writing targets have recently been introduced but have not yet had time to have a significant impact. Pupils with SEN have good support in literacy lessons and have broadly appropriate work set for them. There is a good range of additional programmes for promoting reading and spelling skills but the recording and monitoring of progress not used effectively to promote progress further.

p.26

Commentary

46. A different teacher has recently taken over co-ordination of the subject so no judgement can be made on her impact. It is clear that leadership and management have been very effective as the school has successfully developed many aspects of the subject since the last inspection and staff training has been effective in promoting teachers’ skills, as for example, in teaching writing and poetry. There is good awareness of the need to give some extra time to develop extended writing and to make further use of ICT, which is already good in some classes. Gifted and talented pupils have good extension activities and challenge planned into lessons. English makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development through the successes pupils achieve, good co-operation and the wide range of experiences in their lessons.

p.26

Language and literacy across the curriculum

47. Language and literacy are promoted well in other subjects such as science, design and technology, history, geography and religious education. For example pupils write good accounts of work in science and very full and honest evaluations of their projects in design and technology, with added touches of humour. In most lessons pupils make very good use of their speaking and listening skills and teachers promote the learning of subject specific vocabulary.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is good . Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 27

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good overall with some very good features. • Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and present their work well. • The subject is very well led and managed. • ICT is used very well. • Opportunities for numeracy across the curriculum are not planned systematically at present.

p.27

Commentary

48. There has been very good improvement in the subject since the previous inspection. Standards in mathematics are above average in Year 2 and well above average in Year 6. These high standards reflect the school’s results in the 2004 national tests when almost half the Year 6 pupils reached higher than average levels. This represents good achievement for all groups as a result of the good teaching and learning. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in lessons by teachers and classroom assistants, enabling them to take full part.

p.27

Commentary

49. There have been significant improvements to the management of the subject since the previous inspection. The school monitors its provision and analyses its results carefully to enable it to target areas for development. Teachers receive regular training and feedback from monitoring of their lessons and planning. Assessment has been improved to enable teachers to plan work more appropriately for groups and individuals although some assessment strategies have only been in place a short time and have not had time to have a significant impact on provision.

p.27

Commentary

50. Teaching and learning are good and there is some very good teaching in Years 4 and 6. Teachers’ planning is detailed and takes full account of the national guidelines in all the strands of the subject. Lessons have mental and oral starters that engage all pupils in brisk calculations and teachers make good use of individual whiteboards to ensure every pupil contributes. Pupils’ computation skills are developed well so that by Year 2 pupils can add and subtract two-digit numbers mentally and higher attaining pupils can solve simple algebra problems. In Years 1 and 2 practical activities are used well to help pupils learn about shape, space and measure. Pupils in Year 2 know the names of regular 2–D shapes and can count the sides and angles to name irregular shapes.

p.27

Commentary

51. In the very good lessons seen in Years 4 and 6 the striking features were the quality of relationships and levels of challenge for each group of pupils. Pupils are confident to answer questions, make predictions and explain their thinking in front of the class because there is an ethos of mutual respect in the classrooms. Teachers target questions and activities to groups of pupils to ensure lower attaining pupils are fully included in the lesson and higher attaining pupils have harder work.

p.27

Commentary

52. ICT is used well to support learning in all classes. Younger pupils play mathematical games on the computer and use software to display their work in simple charts and graphs. Excellent use is made of the interactive whiteboard as a teaching tool in Year 6. In the lesson seen teacher and pupils worked together to investigate reflective symmetry and read and plot co-ordinates in all four quadrants of a graph. By the end of the lesson higher attaining pupils could draw and label the co-ordinates of shapes in all four quadrants while the lower attaining group could use mirrors to draw reflections on a line of symmetry. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 28 53. Pupils’ attitudes to work are very positive. They carry out practical activity enthusiastically and work for extended periods at challenging problems. Their work is neatly presented and this supports their understanding of place value very well in their number work.

p.27

Mathematics across the curriculum

54. This is satisfactory. There are some incidental opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy skills in other lessons, particularly in science when they record data and when measuring in design and technology, but teachers do not plan systematically for this at present.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most pupils achieve well and acquire a good knowledge of scientific facts and principles. • Teaching is consistently good with several strong features and helps pupils develop good enquiry skills. • Very good leadership and management and staff training have supported teachers well. • Lower ability pupils do not achieve as well as other pupils.

p.28

Commentary

55. Standards are above average in Year 2 and well above average in Year 6. These high standards reflect the school’s good results in the 2004 national tests when 60 per cent of Year 6 pupils reached higher than average levels. This represents very good improvement since the last inspection and reflects the considerable effort the school has put in to improve the teaching of investigative and experimental science following good quality staff training. This is taught consistently well throughout the school, as performance management targets related to science teaching have been effective. There is a very well balanced curriculum in all year groups as a result of a clear scheme of work including the introduction of warm-up activities. Leadership and management of the subject are very good and have included moderation of work and classroom observations.

p.28

Commentary

56. Strong features of the teaching include the way teachers prepare and manage practical work and their high expectation for good quality recording. However, the most important factor is the way teachers present motivating problems to pupils and use their good questioning skills to guide pupils’ thinking. Teachers listen to, accept and value pupils’ ideas and this gives pupils the confidence to offer and try different approaches. Following investigations teachers encourage pupils to give reasons for their findings using follow-up questions to probe and assess pupils’ understanding.

p.28

Commentary

57. As a result, pupils’ enquiry skills are developed well. From Year 1 pupils are encouraged to make predictions and in Years 1 and 2 they carry out tests making use of standard measures in length and time, using equipment such as rulers, clocks and thermometers and developing Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 29 an understanding of how to make a test fair. They learn to write good accounts of their experiments, draw clear charts, tables and graphs to record their results. Pupils develop very good attitudes to work in science owing to motivating challenges. For example, using their knowledge of forces, Year 2 designed a marble run that had to last at least 10 seconds. Pupils also develop a good understanding of the application of science in everyday life.

p.28

Commentary

58. Teaching is very good in Year 6: for example, when the teacher challenged pupils to investigate a problem about the solubility of sugar in tea. The teacher helped pupils to develop different hypotheses and consider ways of testing these. Pupils built on previous knowledge and skills well when in small groups they designed and carried out tests. Following the practical work, the teacher helped pupils to evaluate their work in order to suggest how they could improve their working methods. Pupils were able to say if a test had not been fair or the range of temperatures used in testing was too narrow.

p.29

Commentary

59. Day-to-day assessment is good and is supported by end of module assessment and examples of levelled work are regularly placed in pupils’ individual ‘snapshot’ books. However, analysis of test results in relation to prior attainment indicates that lower attaining pupils are not achieving as well as other pupils. Assessment is satisfactory overall but improved target setting for lower ability pupils would help them to attain average standards.

p.29

Commentary

60. Increasing use of ICT supports work in science as opportunities are built into planning. The teachers in Years 5 and 6 make good use of interactive whiteboards to support their teaching using graphics effectively to help pupils to understand concepts such as the water cycle. Year 3 pupils were excited by their observations of rocks and crystals using a digital microscope. Science makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development through helping them to apply scientific knowledge to everyday life, for example in understanding the roles of micro-organisms, the effects of food and exercise and waste management. A science Open Afternoon last year provided a good opportunity for pupils to demonstrate their scientific skills to parents.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is very good .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils acquire very good skills in a range of contexts and applications because teaching is good overall, and sometimes very good. • Teachers are learning to make good use of a variety of resources including interactive whiteboards to enhance their teaching. • ICT is used effectively to support learning in many subjects.

p.29

Commentary

61. Standards are above average in Year 2 and Year 6 with some examples of well above average work across a range of contexts and applications in Year 6. Standards are rising as pupils achieve well because teachers give pupils purposeful tasks to practise their skills. Improvements in provision introduced over the last two years are providing a wider range of opportunities that are linked well to other subjects in curriculum planning. The ICT curriculum is very well planned to cover a broad range of contexts and uses a very good choice of appropriate programs and other resources that support learning well. Most pupils have computers at home and parents support the learning of skills. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 30 62. This positive picture reflects the good improvement the school has made since the last inspection. The school has benefited from employing a specialist teacher as the subject co-ordinator who was effective in developing the subject. As a result of good

p.29

Commentary

quality training and the increasing use of new technology in the management of the school, most teachers and support staff are competent and confident in their use of new technology. Though the computer suite is rather small teachers make effective use of the facilities and are now supported by a technician. Teachers in Years 5 and 6 make very good use of the recently installed interactive whiteboards and the school plans to put these into Years 3 and 4 shortly. There is evidence of effective use of digital cameras, digital microscopes and video cameras.

p.30

Commentary

63. Pupils are well managed in the ICT suite and closely monitored by teachers and assistants to ensure all can progress and resolve any difficulties they encounter. Pupils are well motivated by the lively contexts for their work so behave very well and are productive. Teachers in Years 5 and 6 challenge pupils with complex tasks that involve a number of skills. The teacher in Year 5 asked pupils to produce a storyboard to explain the water cycle to younger pupils. The pupils were able to log on quickly and navigate the Internet competently, choose pictures, crop these appropriately and use a text box to write explanations alongside. Following homework observing and recording the sequence of traffic lights at a narrow bridge the Year 6 teacher asked pupils to write a procedure to control lights in this situation. Pupils found this challenging but began to realise that apparently simple things in everyday life require complex control.

p.30

Commentary

64. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The deputy headteacher, who has had experience in leading ICT, has taken over as subject co-ordinator since the specialist teacher left and is continuing to move the subject on well. There is a useful portfolio of samples of work across all strands and the previous co-ordinator introduced an individual assessment system to show the levels pupils were attaining.

p.30

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

65. The many opportunities teachers take to link the teaching of basic skills in ICT to pupils’ work in other subjects are a significant strength and an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils use CD ROMs and the Internet to research information. Older pupils use e-mail to send and receive messages and some use this means to send their homework to their address in the school network! Year 6 pupils have produced very high quality published work, combining pictures and text in imaginative ways on a poster to explain gravity to younger pupils, and have evaluated their work in detail. Activities are planned that enable pupils to use sensors and data-loggers to gather information, such as in Year 4 when investigating changes in classroom temperature during the day. ICT supports mathematics very well. A range of programs supports the development of literacy skills. For example, lower attaining boys in Year 2 were

p.30

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

encouraged to write sentences by choosing and clicking on a pre-set bank of words. They accomplished this quickly and could save and print their work.

p.30

HUMANITIES

Religious education was inspected in full and is reported below. Geography and history were sampled.

p.30

HUMANITIES

66. In history planning is fully in place with appropriate time allocations, progression of skills and cross-curricular links. These are especially good in speaking and listening Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 31 reading and writing. Pupils have visits and visitors such as a local person to talk about experiences during World War 2. Pupils research independently on the Internet and use CD ROMs to find out more about chosen topics. There are good opportunities for visits and resources are satisfactory. Formal assessment is not yet in place.

p.30

HUMANITIES

67. In geography , planning is fully in place. Pupils in Year 2 learn about life on an island in Scotland, are aware of the topography of the island and how islanders make a living. In the lesson seen teaching was good with ‘hot-seating’ to develop questioning about a farmer’s day on the island. An interesting range of tasks that promoted pupils’ ideas and imagination followed this. There are maps in classrooms for quick reference in all subjects. Skills are steadily built upon and in Year 6 pupils learn to use 6 figure grid references and apply and develop their knowledge and skills during the annual residential visit to the Isle of Wight. The subject has contributed well to citizenship through units of work, recycling project and eco-awareness. Formal assessment is not yet in place.

p.31

Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good and pupils achieve well. • The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development. • Leadership of the subject is very good.

p.31

Commentary

68. There has been very good improvement in the subject since the previous inspection when several aspects of the provision were judged to be unsatisfactory. A new curriculum has been put into place that supports teachers well and ensures pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the subject systematically. It is securely based on the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus and offers pupils a good balance between learning about religions and learning from religions. The school is well resourced with pictures, books and artefacts and teachers make good use of these to engage pupils’ interest. Most pupils reach the standards expected by the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and some exceed them. Pupils with special educational needs are fully included in lessons and make satisfactory progress.

p.31

Commentary

69. An appropriate amount of time is allocated each week to the subject and teachers use it well to teach pupils key features of the Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Year 2 pupils demonstrated an impressive recall of their work on Judaism. They knew the special names for the Jewish scriptures, items of clothing and artefacts, and recognised the link between the Jewish and Christian faiths. Year 6 pupils were immersed in a study of Islam and their enthusiasm for learning was evident in their discussions and questions. Some had researched the subject independently and were able to contribute additional information to the lesson. The subject makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ personal development. They learn to appreciate the importance of belief in many peoples’ lives and develop respect and tolerance. Lessons learnt in Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 32 religious education are reinforced in the daily acts of collective worship and this help

p.31

Commentary

pupils develop an awareness of spirituality.

p.32

Commentary

70. Teachers make good use of ICT to support the subject and older pupils use the Internet regularly for research. In Year 6 the interactive whiteboard was used to great effect as a resource for teaching about the Hajj and the information on display generated questions and comments. Speaking and listening skills are developed well in lessons as a good proportion of time is spent in listening to stories and in discussion. A useful system of assessment is in place that helps the school monitor standards and teaching but does not enable teachers to assess what individual pupils have learnt.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Design and technology, music and physical education were sampled. Art and design was not inspected.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71. There was limited evidence of design and technology in classrooms. Discussions with the subject co-ordinator indicated that this is an area where some teachers lacked expertise. A scheme of work has been prepared to provide more support to teachers but was still in the draft stage. Evidence from the lesson seen and photographs of pupils’ work demonstrated that they had had opportunities to work with an appropriate range of materials and tools such as card and wood, hacksaws and bench hooks. The pupils’ work seen was of the standard expected for their age. They used sketchbooks for their initial designs and had received opportunities to make choices about their work, test and improve it.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

72. In music there is a good programme of study, which tracks closely the development of skills. There is a good balance of all areas of the subject but formal assessment of music is not yet developed. There is a very good range of instrumental tuition available as well as recorder groups and a choir. Pupils’ time out of class for tuition is managed carefully to ensure they do not miss the same lessons each week. Pupils in Year 6 created their own musical scores for ‘Crowmarsh Bypass’ working co-operatively and reviewing and refining their pieces. Singing in assembly was tuneful and filled with joy, for example the ‘ Wake up’ song and all pupils joined in. Music contributes well to pupils’ personal development.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Since the last inspection there has been a significant improvement in resources for physical education. The school has also developed a good scheme of work that promotes the systematic development of skills in dance, games and gymnastics. In a good gymnastics lesson seen in Year 4 pupils used movements learnt during the half term to make sequences in groups. The teacher had high expectations, allowed time for planning and improvement and kept up a brisk pace so pupils learnt well from each other. Pupils in Year 2 were able to identify the forces used when they worked on apparatus but the teacher had to remind them too frequently about the acceptable level of noise, and this slowed the pace of the lesson. Pupils in Year 3 are learning the main rules for netball but in the section of the lesson seen their skills were not sufficient to use a full court effectively. Sport has a high profile in the school promoting

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

pupils personal development well and catering for talented pupils. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have swimming lessons and attain above average standards. Pupils can choose from a wide range of extra-curricular sports clubs and there are a number of school teams for playing matches with other schools. Pupils in Year 5 have opportunities for outdoor and adventurous activities as part of their physical education curriculum. Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 33

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Personal, social and health education and citizenship was sampled.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

74. Personal, social and health education and citizenship are well promoted throughout the school. Adults give very positive support to the development of pupils’ good relationships with each other and their teachers and assistants. Personal, social and health education lessons are timetabled but ‘circle time’, when pupils have the opportunity to discuss issues relevant to their needs, is not yet established in all classes. In a Year 2 lesson it was used effectively to help pupils recognise and deal with feelings. Through work in science older pupils learn how to care for their bodies and the effects of smoking and substance misuse were discussed sensitively in a Year 5 lesson. There is a good scheme of work in place that covers all aspects of the PSHE curriculum but has not yet had full impact. The citizenship aspect has been addressed successfully by the formation of the school council and the responsibilities older pupils

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

take in running the school and looking after younger pupils. Good leadership and management has led to good improvement in the systematic way pupils’ knowledge and skills are developed since the last inspection.

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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 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 3 Attendance 2 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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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 3 Crowmarsh Gifford CE - 34 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 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 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

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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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