Elsenham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

ELSENHAM C OF E VC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 29 th November - 1 st December 2004

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ELSENHAM C OF E VC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ELSENHAM C OF E VC 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. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 1

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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: 121 School address: High Street Elsenham Bishop’s Stortford Hertfordshire Postcode: CM22 6DD Telephone number: (01279) 813 198 Fax number: (01279) 816 783 Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr N Yeadon Date of previous inspection: 9 th November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Elsenham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is smaller than the average primary school, with approximately 121 pupils on roll. There are 63 boys and 58 girls. The school is in the village of Elsenham, near to the market town of Bishop’s Stortford. Most pupils live in Elsenham village, but some pupils come from the surrounding area. Pupils live in a mixture of private, owner-occupied, and rented accommodation.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupil mobility is below average. Most pupils are from a white, Christian background and there is a strong Christian ethos. There are no pupils whose first language is not English. The percentage of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below the national average, but overall, the socio- economic status of the pupils is in line with what would be expected in most schools. Most pupils enter the school with attainment on entry which is in line with the average compared to what is expected for most children at that age, and there is a wide range of ability .

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with statements of SEN, is broadly in line with the national average. There are 22 pupils on the SEN register, with eight at the school action plus stage. Most of these pupils have specific learning needs or social, emotional and behavioural needs.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There are close links with the local community, with the school hall also used as the village hall. There is a pre-school playgroup on site, which most pupils attend before starting in the school. The school works very closely with the playgroup to ensure a smooth transition to the Foundation Stage. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

15215 Brian Holmes Lead inspector English Information and communication technology History Geography Physical education Citizenship 11439 Jill Moore Lay inspector 22113 Aileen King Team inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology Religious education 28200 Paul Stevens Team inspector Mathematics Science Special educational needs English as an additional language Music

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Tribal PPI 1 - 4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR

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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 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 14

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Elsenham Primary School is a rapidly improving school and gives good value for money. Pupils attain above-average standards in English, mathematics and information and communication technology by the ages of seven and 11 and achieve well. The leadership of the headteacher has had a significant impact since her arrival at the school in September 2003. She has focused on raising attainment and this has been achieved by empowering staff and subject co-ordinators, developing strong teamwork, consistently good teaching, a focused approach to include all pupils in all activities, good assessment procedures and involvement of pupils in their own learning. There is also a strong emphasis on the care and personal development of all pupils. The school is highly regarded both by pupils and their parents.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Standards are above average in English, mathematics, ICT and religious education by both ages seven and 11. • Pupils achieve well in the Foundation Stage, and in English, mathematics, ICT and religious education by age seven and age 11. • Standards of spelling are below the overall levels of writing. • Leadership and management are good, with very good leadership from the headteacher. • There is a good quality of teaching and learning throughout the school. • Pupils’ attitudes, values, relationships and their personal development are all very good. • The curriculum is broad and balanced, with good provision for pupils with special educational needs, good levels of inclusion and very good provision for pupils’ personal, social, health education and citizenship. • There is very good provision for pupils’ care and guidance and strong links with parents, the community and other schools.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Since the previous inspection, there has been a good improvement in the school’s effectiveness, particularly with the impact of the current headteacher in improving the quality of provision and pupils’ standards of attainment. The issues raised in 1998 have now mostly been addressed well. In science, there has been a satisfactory improvement based on the findings of the inspection and recent improvement in pupils’ attainment in science. In addition, in a number of areas, notably standards of attainment, pupils’ progress and achievement, the quality of teaching and learning, pupils’ personal development and the leadership and management of the school, there has also been a good improvement since the previous inspection. There is a good capacity to build on achievements and improve even further.

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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 C C C C mathematics D E C C science D E E E Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement, on the basis of the inspection findings, is good by age 11 . Standards have risen recently because of improvements in the provision of teaching and learning and leadership and management. Attainment on entry to the school is in line with the average expected. In the Foundation Stage, children make good progress in most areas of learning and very good progress in creative development. They are on target to achieve the goals expected of them at the end of the Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 5 Reception Year . Inspection findings show that by the age of seven, pupils make good progress to achieve well and attain standards above the average expected in writing, mathematics and ICT. Standards of attainment in reading and science are in line with the average and improving. Standards of spelling, however, are below the level of pupils’ writing overall. In the junior classes, pupils’ progress is good and they attain standards above the average expected in English,

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

mathematics and ICT and above the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education. Attainment in science is satisfactory and not yet at the same level as in English and mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs and those who are higher attaining and gifted and talented make good progress and achieve well.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and their behaviour is very good. There is good provision for pupils to become independent and to take responsibility for their own learning. Attendance and punctuality are both good, with very good procedures for promoting both.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided is good, with very good features. The quality of teaching and learning is good, with very good features and examples of excellent teaching in the infant class . All teachers have high expectations of pupils’ learning and their behaviour and engage pupils extremely well in their learning. Very good use is made of teaching assistants, with good promotion of equality and opportunity for all pupils. Assessment procedures are good in English, mathematics and ICT and are used well to set pupils’ targets for improvement.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides its pupils with a good , broad and balanced curriculum. It enriches pupils’ experiences with a good range of extra activities in sports, arts and personal development. There is very good provision for pupils’ personal, social, health education and citizenship, and good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Accommodation and learning resources are good and have improved well in the last year particularly. Provision for pupils’ care, welfare and health and safety is good and the guidance and support offered to pupils is very good. There is a strong partnership with parents, the local community and other schools.

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The leadership and management of the school are good, with very good leadership from the

headteacher . The headteacher provides a very good role model to other staff and to pupils, and leads the school with a clear ethos and sense of direction for all pupils to achieve their best. She has empowered other staff to successfully focus on raising standards of attainment in both their class teacher and subject co-ordinator roles . Governors fulfil their role and legal responsibilities satisfactorily and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Managerial responsibilities have been delegated effectively, with most staff having responsibility for more than one curriculum area. Subject co-ordinators fulfil their roles well and are focused on raising standards of attainment. All co-ordinators have undertaken monitoring activities to this effect in their areas of responsibility.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents’ and pupils’ views of the school are both very positive. Parents are pleased with all aspects of the school’s provision. Pupils know that they are expected to work hard and that they will get help from the teachers if they are stuck.

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

• further improve achievement in science at ages seven and 11; and • further improve standards of spelling in line with overall levels of writing. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 6

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Standards achieved in subjects

Standards of attainment are above the national average at the age of seven and at the age of 11 in English, mathematics, ICT and religious education. All pupils achieve well and make good progress throughout the school. In science, attainment is satisfactory and not yet at the same level as in other subjects. The leadership of the headteacher has had a significant impact. She has empowered staff and subject co-ordinators to raise pupils’ attainment, and this has been achieved through consistently good teaching, a focused approach from all staff to include all pupils in all activities, good assessment procedures and pupils themselves being clearer about what it is expected of them.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average in English, mathematics, ICT and religious education at the ages of seven and 11. • Pupils’ standards of spelling are below their overall levels of writing. • Pupils achieve well in their application of ICT skills across the curriculum. • Pupils with SEN, and those who are gifted and talented, make good progress throughout the school.

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Commentary

1. Since the previous inspection, standards of attainment in national tests have improved satisfactorily by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Then, standards in English were in line with the average expected, and in science they were below the average expected. The tables below show the results achieved in the 2004 tests, firstly, in Year 2, and then, in Year 6. Standards of attainment in Year 2 were in line with the average in reading and above average in writing and mathematics compared to pupils’ performance in all other schools. In comparison to results in similar schools, performance was in line with the average in writing and mathematics, but well below average in reading. In science, based on teacher assessments, pupils’ performance was above average . In the 2004 Year 6 tests, pupils’ performance against other schools, and compared with their own prior learning, was in line with the average in

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Commentary

English and mathematics but well below average in science. Compared to the performance of pupils in similar schools, performance was well below average in English, mathematics and science. One factor which affected the Year 6 results was that one fifth of the year group were absent from school during the week of the tests, all of whom were targeted to attain the expected or higher levels. Overall, there has been an improvement in writing, which was an area for improvement in the last inspection, although in science at the end of Year 6, standards attained in the national tests are still well below the levels expected.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results reading 16.0 (15.1) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.6 (14.7) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 17.2 (17.6) 16.2 (16.3) There were 22 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 7 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results English 26.6 (26.6) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 27.0 (24.8) 27.0 (26.8) science 27.3 (27.0) 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 Foundation Stage, the children come into school with average skills in personal development, language and mathematical understanding. They are making good progress and achieving well in most areas of learning. In creative development, they are achieving very well. Their standards of work are at the expected level for their age, especially as they have been in school for a relatively short period of time and about half the children attend mornings only at the moment. There is one intake of children per year into the Reception class in September and the youngest children who do not become five years of age until the Spring Term attend part-time until then.

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Commentary

3. Inspection findings show that by the age of seven most pupils have achieved well , attaining standards above average in speaking and listening, writing, mathematics and ICT. Although in line with the average, standards in reading are continuing to improve because of the introduction of guided reading and focused leadership and management in English. In science, attainment is in line with the level expected. The indications are that, given the rate of progress they are making, all pupils in the current Year 2 will achieve the expected level by the end of the year and a significant number will achieve the higher levels . In Year 6, standards of attainment for the current Year 6 are above average in English, mathematics and ICT, and above the expectations in the locally agreed syllabus in religious education. In science, attainment is in line with national expectations, and improving, but not yet in line with

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Commentary

that in English and mathematics. Pupils with SEN and those who are gifted and talented also make good progress and achieve well. Most pupils with SEN attain standards at least in line with their ability and often better because of the very good support they receive.

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Commentary

4. There are a number of factors relating to why standards have risen recently:

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Commentary

• The leadership of the headteacher has had a significant impact. She has empowered staff and subject co-ordinators to focus on raising pupils’ attainment. • The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good, and sometimes very good and excellent, particularly in mathematics and English. • There is a focused approach from all staff to including all pupils in all activities and to helping all pupils achieve their best. • Subject co-ordinators are focused on raising standards and there are good assessment procedures which are being used positively to target individual improvement, particularly in English and mathematics. • Pupils themselves have become involved in the assessment process, especially in Year 6. This has helped them to understand more clearly what they need to do and has motivated pupils to achieve even more highly because they are clear about what is expected of them.

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Commentary

5. The use of literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects is satisfactory, whilst in ICT it is good. Pupils develop a sound knowledge and use of subject terminology in different subjects. They are given opportunities to apply their literacy skills, particularly in history and ICT, and opportunities to produce extended writing were observed in history. Further development of writing across different subjects is planned, focusing initially on science and geography. In numeracy, science is used as a vehicle for applying mathematical skills and pupils also record mathematically using computers such as when they produce pie charts of data in other subjects. This skill, however, is under-used in science to record and analyse the results of scientific experiments. Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to use ICT in a range of Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 8 curriculum areas and make good use of ICT to support their teaching through the use of

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Commentary

interactive whiteboards in all subjects . The use of ICT is strongest in English, mathematics and science where pupils have regular opportunities to use ICT in their writing, to increase their knowledge and understanding and to present their work. However, in science, more use could be made of ICT in presenting and analysing the results of experiments.

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Commentary

6. Higher-ability pupils, and those who are gifted and talented, achieved well during the inspection. Planning to meet their needs is effective in all classes. There is clear evidence that, in Year 6, a significant proportion of pupils, both boys and girls, are on course to attain the higher levels in English, mathematics and science - sufficient for the school to meet the challenging targets it has set for the current Year 6 pupils. The good level of support given to pupils with special educational needs enables them to achieve well. Nearly three quarters of these pupils in Year 6 attained the expected level in reading in the 2004 national tests. They were less successful in writing, but more successful in both mathematics and science, where nearly nine out of ten pupils attained the expected level. The school is well aware of these pupils’ strengths and weaknesses through its assessment and testing procedures in English

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Commentary

and mathematics. Teachers plan appropriate work for pupils with special educational needs, especially in English and mathematics. There are also no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls. The evidence of the inspection indicates clearly, in the current Year 6, that girls’ attainment has improved and is at the same level as that of boys.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development have improved and are now very good. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is now also very good. The above- average attendance levels have been maintained and are improving each year.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships are very good - underpinned by the school’s strong Christian ethos. • The school has very high expectations of good behaviour and attitudes. • Very good social, moral, spiritual and cultural developments contribute to pupils’ understanding and respect for others. • The school has very good procedures to monitor and improve attendance and punctuality.

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Commentary

7. Pupils quickly develop positive attitudes to learning and enjoy coming to school. They arrive promptly and settle quickly into school routines and lessons. They enjoy joining in activities, are polite and keen to talk about their school. Pupils are happy to share their opinions and listen to others. These positive attitudes, nurtured so well by the staff, enable pupils to learn and develop well and widen their understanding of the world around them. Pupils develop maturity and understanding through the very good relationships at all levels around school, and the many opportunities now offered for them to develop and express their own ideas and to undertake responsibilities. Pupils' personal, moral and social development is enhanced by their involvement in circle time and contributing, either with ideas or as class representatives, to the work of the school council. They know that they are listened to and that their views are

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Commentary

acted upon. Pupils value the reward schemes in place in school to promote good attendance, attitudes and behaviour, and think that the sanctions are fair.

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Commentary

8. Attitudes and behaviour in school are now very good and there were no exclusions for poor behaviour last year. Pupils listen well, answer questions eagerly, contribute thoughtfully and concentrate well. The policy of including pupils with special educational needs in planning their learning establishes very positive attitudes and behaviour. These pupils flourish because their achievements are recognised in the classroom and in assembly. Parents appreciate the way that the school affects their children’s values. They think that behaviour such as bullying is rare and is handled effectively by teachers if it does occur. The school helps parents well to Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 9 understand how their children learn. Pupils' targets are shared and achievements are celebrated enthusiastically by staff, pupils and parents alike. An improvement since the last inspection lies in the extent to which pupils are able to take responsibility for their learning.

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Commentary

Targets are agreed with staff and progress towards them reviewed throughout lessons. This ensures that pupils fully understand what their personal learning focus is and why, thus enabling them to achieve well.

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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 Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 108 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0 Information not obtained 13 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

9. Provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is now very good. There is a strong Christian ethos of care throughout the school, which underpins the work of developing relationships in personal, social, health education and citizenship (PHSEC) lessons. In the secure atmosphere of circle time, pupils build up understanding of the reasons behind their own and others' behaviour. They are then able to overcome problems and develop friendships. Time is frequently given for reflection and so pupils have many and varied opportunities - in assemblies, lessons, and activities - to mature and develop in confidence, self-esteem and understanding of themselves and the world about them.

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Commentary

10. The table below shows the attendance figures for the school. Attendance continues to be above the national median, and is rising year on year. The school has very good procedures in place to support regular and prompt attendance, making first day contact for all un- explained absences and working effectively with the educational welfare officer when necessary. Registers are marked, closed and monitored very effectively. The school ensures that parents and carers understand their role in supporting good attendance, minimise holidays taken in term time, and appreciate the consequences for their children's learning and development if they miss vital exams.

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Commentary

Authorised absences Unauthorised absences School data 4.4 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided is good , with very good features. The quality of teaching and learning is good . Teaching and learning are enhanced by a good, broad and balanced curriculum, with good opportunities for pupils to experience an enriched curriculum and very good provision for their personal, social and health education and citizenship. There is good provision for pupils with SEN. Very good levels of support and guidance and the very good quality of pupils’ personal development strengthen the ethos and climate for learning in which pupils learn and achieve. The school has a strong partnership with its parents, the local community and with other schools. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 10

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good , with very good features and some examples of excellent teaching . There are good arrangements for assessment, particularly in English, mathematics and ICT.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good encouragement and engagement of all pupils. • Teachers have very good subject knowledge, which is applied well to pupils’ learning. • Staff set high levels of expectation and challenge for all pupils. • Teaching assistants are used extremely well to support pupils’ learning and to work with targeted pupils. • Pupils work very well on their own and in partnership with others. • Assessment is thorough and used well; pupils have a good understanding of how to improve their work.

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Commentary

11. Since the previous inspection, when teaching was satisfactory, there has been a good level of improvement, particularly since the arrival of the current headteacher. The quality of teaching is good , with very good features in both the infant and junior classes, and some examples of excellent teaching in the Year 1/2 class. Both parents and pupils are very positive about the teaching staff. Pupils know that they are expected to work hard and that the staff will help them to make their work better. The table indicates the quality of teaching in lessons seen during the inspection.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 31 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 2 (6%) 8 (26%) 13 (42%) 8 (26%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

12. In the Foundation Stage , the quality of teaching and learning is good, with very good elements. Members of the staff have a good understanding of the curriculum for young children and plan effectively. They engage and encourage the children very well, and use resources, especially technology, with great skill to support the children’s learning. This means the children’s skills and confidence in using the interactive whiteboard are progressing very well. Staff promote very good behaviour, and there are very good levels of interaction and participation and very good support from teaching assistants. Children’s skills are developing well, and they have a very good capacity to work independently and to co-operate and collaborate in their work and play. There is a good balance of activities directed by an adult and those which children initiate for themselves. Teachers provide a very imaginative

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Commentary

and interesting approach to learning, which motivates and inspires the children’s imagination very well. Lessons are generally well-paced, although in a physical development session the pace of learning slowed because of problems with the equipment for the lesson. There is good attention to concerns for safety, ensuring the children behave very well and listen to instructions on the safe handling of large equipment. Assessment is effective and well organised, using observations by all staff to inform future teaching and learning. Children’s progress is systematically assessed, with a focus on individual children’s learning each term and particular emphasis on their personal and social development.

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Commentary

13. There are some common strengths of teaching that underpin the quality of pupils’ learning in both the infant and junior classes. Teachers engage pupils extremely well in their learning through thorough planning of work and high expectations and levels of challenge . This is consistent in all classes, as seen during the inspection, and accounts for why pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive and why standards of attainment have risen recently. Most Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 11 teachers have very good subject knowledge which they use and apply well to enhance pupils’ learning. Teaching assistants are deployed extremely well to support pupils’ learning and work with targeted groups, including pupils with SEN, and those who are higher attaining and gifted and talented. They have a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Most pupils demonstrate very good attitudes to learning and behave extremely well. They work hard in all

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Commentary

classes and work very well, either on their own or in partnership with other pupils. Where teaching is excellent, for example, in a mathematics lesson in the Year 1/2 class, where pupils were working on place value , activities were extremely well matched to meet the needs of different abilities of pupil, the interactive whiteboard was used extremely well to make concepts and ideas clear and very good subject knowledge was applied well to create relevant activities. As a result, pupils were highly motivated and excellent use was made of ‘expert’ pupils as ‘teachers’ in small groups . As a consequence, most pupils achieved extremely well over the course of the lesson. Occasionally, the pace of learning slows a little, either because lesson introductions go on too long or the class is not organised properly for the activity they are undertaking.

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Commentary

14. All pupils are involved well in all classes, and teachers and all other staff fully promote the equality of opportunity for all pupils. Teachers plan effectively to meet the needs of lower, middle and higher ability pupils. For higher-attaining pupils, and those who are gifted and talented, provision to meet their needs is good, based on regular assessment of their progress and effective targeting of their learning as a result. For pupils with special educational needs, the quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers work with the co-ordinator to prepare individual plans for pupils where needed. The school also involves the pupils in this process so that they feel thoroughly involved. These plans are kept at hand so that teachers can monitor pupils’ progress. Most support is given within the classroom so that pupils feel included in the class’s everyday learning. This support is good and helps pupils to achieve

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Commentary

well. Where pupils have physical or emotional problems, assistants provide close, caring support.

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Commentary

15. Assessment procedures are good and used effectively to improve learning. Pupils are regularly assessed in English and mathematics, with learning targets being set as a result, enabling staff to identify target groups of pupils to focus on more closely. In science, a system of assessing pupils after each unit of work has been established, but has not yet had much impact on helping to raise pupils’ attainment. In other subjects, assessment procedures are good and focus on assessing pupils’ progress against the main expectations in each unit of work, based on the National Curriculum level descriptions. The marking of day-to-day work is thorough and indicates to pupils what they need to do next to improve their work , guiding them towards the achievement of their targets . Good use is made of pupil self-assessment, particularly in Year 6, where pupils are involved in assessing their own, and other pupils’,

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Commentary

16. Homework is used satisfactorily. It is effective in promoting the development of English and mathematics and supporting the further development of pupils’ learning in all classes.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Provision for pupils with special educational needs enables them to achieve well. • The school enriches pupils’ experiences with extra activities which add to their learning and personal and social development. • Provision for personal, social, health education and citizenship is very good. • The school’s accommodation and resources support learning well. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 12

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Commentary

17. Statutory requirements are fully met in all subjects and in religious education. The school has made good revisions to the overall curriculum, which has resulted in a good improvement in breadth and balance of the curriculum since the previous inspection and in the continuity and progression of pupils’ learning. The long-term plan now ensures that pupils cover all aspects of subjects, revisiting them in increasing depth as they grow older. Moreover, what pupils undertake is now more exciting, so that their attitudes to science, for example, are now more positive. Teaching aims to take into account pupils’ learning styles. The school tries to link the ways pupils learn as they move from one stage of education to another. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for the changes they experience. Members of the staff are very open to curriculum change aimed at raising pupils’ achievement and participate in thorough reviews of

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Commentary

18. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and part of a strong inclusion policy. All policies refer to inclusion and meeting special educational needs in particular. The school assesses all pupils on entry and ensures that special provision is made for those who need it, including those who are higher attaining. Consequently, the pupils achieve well. Pupils pass from one level of support to another as required. Teachers plan lessons so that all pupils undertake activities at a level and with resources that meet their needs. They are based on good systems of assessment of individual attainment. Moreover, the school’s learning support assistants work closely with individual pupils or small groups to give advice and guidance. The school’s approach to care and learning is such that all pupils are treated with respect and feel secure. Pupils are rarely withdrawn, unless it will benefit their learning.

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Commentary

19. Provision for personal, social, health education and citizenship is very good. The curriculum successfully promotes the school’s caring ethos and the intellectual, physical and personal development of the pupils. There is a planned programme supported by a scheme of work, which includes timetabled PSHEC lessons, circle time and ‘R time’, where pupils are encouraged to discuss issues with other pupils on a one-to-one basis. Pupils with special educational needs have an equal opportunity to undertake responsibilities such as being ‘buddies’ to younger pupils.

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Commentary

20. The school provides a good range of opportunities for pupils to enrich their learning. There is a range of sporting activities, including football, netball, skipping, cricket and rounders and links with a professional football club. There are also dance, bible class and ICT clubs. Pupils are given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument from specialist musical tuition. ‘Book fairs’ are held regularly with a publisher. Year 5 and 6 pupils have the opportunity of a residential visit to the Isle of Wight and visits and visitors are used effectively to support the curriculum. For instance, Year 1/2 visited the Bethnal Green Toy Museum as a part of their history topic. Children in the Reception class have been visited by different local people as a part of their ‘People Who Help Us’ topic.

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Commentary

21. The school has made good improvements to the accommodation and facilities for learning. The building provides a safe and attractive environment in which to work, with a good amount of space and pleasant carpeted areas. There is appropriate flooring for the creative subjects. The Foundation Stage is well equipped for purposeful activities as well as recreation both inside and outside. The school is staffed by a good number of teachers and assistants who provide strong support to pupils. All innovations are well supported with increased resources. For example, the school has improved the variety in its book resources to stimulate increased interest in reading. The improvements to pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology have been brought about by major additions to its equipment, including interactive whiteboards and a dedicated ICT suite. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 13

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Pupils’ care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care, welfare and health and safety is good. The guidance and support offered to pupils is very good. Involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is very good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Induction procedures for young children are good and the school ensures that all pupils quickly build trusting relationships with each other and staff. • Pupils are involved in setting their targets for learning and helped to improve and develop their skills. • The school works very well with other groups to establish a trouble-free transition for pupils to secondary education. • The school council gives all pupils a voice in how their school is run and helps them to develop valuable social and citizenship skills. • There are many opportunities for the pupils to see outside groups in school and benefit from a wide range of opportunities and initiatives. • A few risk assessments are not fully in place.

p.15

Commentary

22. The school takes good care of its pupils and provides a safe, secure and healthy place for learning. Staff work well together and with other agencies to support pupils' welfare. Parents are happy that the school promotes good behaviour in many ways. For example, staff have high expectations, care about the pupils, and deal quickly and effectively with incidents of 'falling out', enabling pupils to maintain and develop friendships and so widen their understanding of the consequences of their actions on others. All pupils have a member of staff in whom they can trust and confide their concerns. Staff respond very well to pupils' individual needs with appropriate guidance and support, working closely with support staff and the many parents who regularly help in school. Pupils are actively involved in setting their own targets for learning. These are focused on in lessons and all pupils enjoy and celebrate

p.15

Commentary

their own and others' achievements when targets are met. They understand how to improve and develop their skills and so make good progress. Pupils learn well because they are settled, happy and secure.

p.15

Commentary

23. The very good relationships, and the detailed knowledge teachers have of individual pupils, their backgrounds and needs, are a tribute to the school’s caring, Christian ethos, and its place at the heart of the local village community. The healthy schools initiative, with free fruit daily for the youngest pupils, is encouraging pupils to eat healthily and exercise regularly. The wide range of extra-curricular activities and clubs offered by the school is a tribute to the dedication of the adults who support the school and greatly enhances pupils' learning experience. For instance, the popular caretaker, despite having years of practical experience running a football club, was willing to acquire the now essential 'certificate'!

p.15

Commentary

24. The school listens to its pupils and actively seeks and frequently acts upon their views. For instance, pupils' views were sought when developing effective learning and teaching methods. Pupils learn valuable social and personal skills through the work of the school council, either as representatives or by contributing ideas. Representatives negotiate how its small termly budget can best be spent. Agreement is reached through meetings and classroom discussions, so developing valuable negotiating and citizenship skills. Pupils are encouraged to look out for each other through the popular 'Buddy' scheme, and all ages play happily together. The older pupils enjoy the responsibility of looking after the younger children and are very good role models. They also act as lunchtime food monitors, and are responsible for the distribution of outdoor play equipment. The school has an 'open door' policy for parents to

p.15

Commentary

talk over any concerns so that they can be overcome quickly and effectively. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 14

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnerships with parents, the community and with other local schools are very good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have very positive views about the school. • Good communication with parents provides them with insights into their children’s learning, attainment and progress. • Very good links with local schools, groups and initiatives increase teachers’ expertise and enhance the curriculum opportunities for pupils’ learning. • The school is a focal point for the local community – the school hall is also the village hall.

p.16

Commentary

25. Information sent to parents is of a high quality, is varied and contains all the statutory requirements. Curriculum details are sent home by class teachers at the start of each term so parents know what their children will be studying. Progress reports are clear and cover all subjects appropriately for the age of pupils, with targets for improvement in all subjects for parents to work on with their children at home. The school consults with parents regularly on a variety of issues and adapts its approach in line with the feedback. Parents have the opportunity to talk to staff about their children's reports in the Summer term and also support their children's learning by attending parents' evenings each term. There is an active Friends Association, which provides regular social events and raises much needed funds. Parents have their own notice board in the school where they can see copies of the weekly newsletters

p.16

Commentary

and other useful information. The school has a long list of parent helpers on whom it can call to regularly assist in the classroom or to help with trips and visits. Staff chat informally to parents before and after school and any concerns are dealt with sensitively, quickly and effectively.

p.16

Commentary

26. The school has very good links with other schools, colleges and agencies. These links support the curriculum and staff training. For example, the Think First Cluster and Cambridge University link has enabled staff to raise their expectations of pupils' progress and development and so lift levels of attainment. Areas of the curriculum have been extended, and provision for gifted and talented pupils has benefited from regular input – science in the Autumn term, dance in the Spring term – supplied by staff from other schools and colleges. The school is also supporting the local secondary school in its bid for specialist status and hopes to benefit in key areas that have already been identified in the school's development plan.

p.16

Commentary

27. There are also very good links with the local Church. The lay preacher leads a weekly assembly and the school uses the church as a venue for concerts and several services throughout the Christian year, thereby increasing the number of parents able to attend these events. The school has built up good relationships with the very small number of ethnically diverse members of the community and they are happy to come into school to share their traditions with pupils. The many multicultural resources available in school provide opportunities within RE for pupils to see and understand the rituals and customs of races and creeds different from their own. Year 4/5 pupils were fascinated by the Puja Tray that is used in Hindu homes when celebrating Divali. The school has good relationships with its neighbours and has low levels of vandalism. It is a vital and popular part of community life - the hall even doubles as the village hall. Members of the local community come into school

p.16

Commentary

regularly, providing pupils with good role models, varied and interesting activities and opportunities, and an insight into the world around them. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 15

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The headteacher provides very good leadership and the leadership of senior staff is good . Management is good . Governors fulfil their role in leading and managing the school satisfactorily .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher’s very good leadership is empowering other staff to follow her example in raising standards and achievement. • All staff are fully committed to inclusion through an ethos where all pupils are valued equally. • Subject co-ordinators lead their subject areas well and are focused on raising standards in their areas of responsibility. • Finances are managed efficiently and resources are deployed for the benefit of all pupils in the school.

p.17

Commentary

28. The headteacher provides very good leadership, which is highly regarded by staff, governors, parents and pupils. She has been at the school since September 2003 and has had a major impact in all areas of the school’s work, mainly because of an ability to empower other staff in their different roles to develop professionally and focus on raising the achievement of all pupils. She provides a very good role model for the pupils and all staff. She also has a clear vision of how the school should develop and improve. In putting this vision into practice she has created a very effective team of staff to work with her, both teaching and non-teaching, and has managed a period of high staff turnover extremely well. An example of her very good leadership is the involvement of the staff in a teaching and learning initiative, in partnership with Cambridge University, focused on improving the range of teaching and learning

p.17

Commentary

approaches used and interactive teaching. This has led to an increased amount of interactive teaching using interactive whiteboards and an improved learning environment through interactive displays in the classrooms. The impact of the headteacher’s leadership on pupils’ achievement is that there is a clear philosophy for attaining high standards and also for pupils’ personal development and valuing their all-round achievements. As a result, standards of attainment have improved and are now above average for pupils at ages seven and 11.

p.17

Commentary

29. The reflection of the school’s aims and values in its work is good. The commitment to ensuring that pupils feel valued and develop as individuals underpins its life and contributes well to pupils’ standards of attainment and achievements. There are very good relationships at all levels throughout the school. All staff are fully committed to providing pupils with equality of access to all the opportunities the school has to offer, with the result that all pupils make good progress and achieve well.

p.17

Commentary

30. The headteacher leads the curriculum extremely well and the delegation of managerial responsibilities is good . She works closely, and effectively, with the assistant headteacher and the literacy co-ordinator as a leadership team on the key aspects of the school’s work. She is directly involved as mathematics co-ordinator and as special educational needs co-ordinator. In this role, she provides very good leadership and management, ensuring that there is good communication between those responsible for support to pupils with SEN. The school’s provision is regularly reviewed by both governors and by the school in its annual improvement plan. The school budgets well to provide pupils with the resources they need. These roles make the headteacher well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject co- ordinator’s management role in school. The performance management process is used effectively to provide the basis of monitoring pupils’ progress and the impact of teaching.

p.17

Commentary

Pupils’ progress is ‘tracked’ well and appropriately challenging targets are set for improvement as the result of data analysis. All of these measures lead to a good level of school self- evaluation and are impacting positively on standards of attainment . The school improvement plan reflects the outcomes of monitoring and the priorities the school needs to address, and is Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 16 an effective document for school improvement. It is monitored both by the staff and the governing body. Staff have good opportunities for professional development, both in their class teacher and leadership roles.

p.17

Commentary

31. The leadership and management of the subject co-ordinators are good . All subject co- ordinators are focused on raising standards of attainment in their curriculum areas and have undertaken monitoring activities to this effect. They have all been given release time for this purpose. Their activities have varied according to the subject. In English and mathematics, there are detailed analyses of pupils’ performance in national and other tests to identify targets for improvement and to identify where additional resources need to be deployed. In all subjects, pupils’ work is sampled each term in order to establish coverage of the scheme of work and to monitor standards. In some subjects, lesson observations have been undertaken, other than in English and mathematics. For example, in physical education, lesson observations directly led to improvements in the apparatus for gymnastic work. In the Foundation Stage, leadership and management are good. Staff work very well together as a

p.18

Commentary

team and the co-ordinator has very clear ideas and very high aspirations for children’s learning.

p.18

Commentary

32. Statutory requirements are fully met, and the governing body performs its role satisfactorily. The chair of the governing body has recently taken up the post and there have been a number of changes in personnel recently. The committee system has been restructured and governors are more involved directly in the work of the school, with a planned programme of visits into school for governors and more purposeful meetings . The governors share the headteacher’s vision for the school and governors have a clear view of the strengths and areas for improvement. They are now fully involved in the school’s development and adequately hold the school to account for its performance.

p.18

Commentary

33. Financial planning and management are good. The school budget is managed well, with efficient systems in place to make sure that the finances are carefully controlled and expenditure regularly reviewed. When the headteacher arrived, there was a large surplus in the budget from the previous financial year. This has been used wisely to improve aspects of the school’s accommodation and learning resources, with resource development planned to reduce the ‘carry over’ further. Day-to-day administration and systems of financial control are both efficient and effective, with the school administrator working very closely with the headteacher. The principles of best value are applied effectively and, taking into account the good standards achieved by pupils in Year 6, the good quality of teaching and learning, curriculum provision, and leadership and management, set against the expenditure per pupil, the school provides good value for money.

p.18

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 467,572 Balance from previous year 102,722 Total expenditure 468,717 Balance carried forward to the next year 36,956 Expenditure per pupil 2,585 Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 17

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for the youngest children in the school in the Foundation Stage is good , with very good features. Children make good progress and achieve well, especially in their creative development where achievement is very good. Progress since the previous inspection is good, with the addition of the covered area outdoors, which was identified as an issue at the time. The children come into school with average skills in personal development, language and mathematical understanding. They are making good progress and achieving well. Their standards of work are at the expected level for their age in most areas of learning, especially as they have been in school for a relatively short period of time and about half the children attend mornings only at the moment. There is one intake of children per year into the Reception class in September and the youngest children who do not become five years of age until the Spring term attend part-time until then.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children, including those with special educational needs, behave very well. • Children’s confidence and self-esteem are promoted effectively. • Staff are very good role models for the children.

p.19

Commentary

34. The children are making good progress, achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development and behave very well. Their standards are at the expected level for children at this age. The quality of teaching and learning is good and as a result, childrens' attitudes to their learning are very good, because the staff motivate them very well. Confidence and self- esteem are well promoted and those children who are reluctant to join in or offer suggestions are encouraged and reassured. Staff are very good role models for the children, showing respect for children and each other. The children’s awareness of a variety of cultures other than their own is well promoted. Being independent and working together are encouraged very effectively, through the very imaginative approach to learning and active participation which staff provide. As children are so well motivated in their learning, their ability to

p.19

Commentary

concentrate and persevere at tasks is enhanced.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good practice for the children to learn about the sounds in words and letter names. • Very good role-play activities are provided for the children to use their imagination and develop language.

p.19

Commentary

35. Standards of attainment are at the expected level for children at this age. Teaching and learning are good. The children are learning to identify the sounds letters make in words, as staff ensure they have regular practice in recognising these. They achieve well, from an average level of attainment. However, they are still learning to speak confidently, although a few children are already becoming quite self-assured and articulate. The children share books Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 18 readily, know that print has meaning and can handle books properly. Some children have knowledge of simple words and identify these. They are learning to write their names, using the appropriate upper- and lower-case letters, and use the writing area to practise making marks, drawing and note taking. Role-play opportunities are used very effectively to promote this type of work and also to develop the children’s imaginative ideas through language.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good experiences for the children to learn about numbers and counting in a very interesting and imaginative way. • Children who are particularly able in mathematical development are encouraged to extend their thinking. • Missed opportunities at times to record findings in mathematical development.

p.20

Commentary

36. Children achieve well in their mathematical development. Progress is good because teaching is effective. Standards of attainment are at the expected level for children at this age. The children have average skills in mathematical understanding when they first start school. One or two children have already displayed particular skills in understanding numbers and how to handle these and the staff ensure they have very good opportunities to develop fully. Those children who are particularly skilled in mathematics are able to extend their thinking because they are given a good level of challenge. There are regular experiences for them to work out simple problems, and use practical experiences to compare, sort and classify objects. There are very good opportunities to count, recognise numerals and put these in the correct order; this work is presented to them in a very interesting and imaginative way. Children are learning

p.20

Commentary

how to form numerals correctly, but some opportunities to record their findings are missed.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision for the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good, which promotes the children’s understanding. • Very good work in designing and model-making activities, which also enhances the children’s creativity. • Technology is used very well to support the children’s learning.

p.20

Commentary

37. Children’s development of their knowledge and understanding of the world is progressing well, with good achievement. Their standards are at the expected level for children at this age. The staff make very good use of the school grounds and locality to enhance the children’s learning. Teaching and learning are good, and very good in teaching the children to use technology to support their learning and in developing ideas in designing and making models, which in turn promotes the children’s creative work. The children have good opportunities to explore the school grounds and observe the features and changes in natural materials and living things. They also investigate manufactured objects, for example, when exploring sound, using musical instruments and comparing modern toys and those from the past. Through their work in knowledge and understanding of the world, the children are learning to find their way

p.20

Commentary

about the school, developing their sense of direction and awareness of the features of the environment. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 19

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for the children’s physical development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good opportunities are provided for the children to develop their hand control, using malleable materials, implements and tools. • A good range of toys and other equipment, for example, in the school hall, is available for the children to use to develop their skills.

p.21

Commentary

38. Teaching is good overall, with the children developing their confidence in moving with co- ordination and control. As a result, they make good progress and are achieving well. Their standards are at the expected level for children at this age. Their development in using their hands is progressing well, especially as they are offered a good range of activities which involve using implements and tools, for instance, when making moving toys and spinners. Lessons are planned to offer a good warm-up session and to teach the children how to handle apparatus safely, but there is sometimes not enough pace and challenge to keep children fully active. However, there is a good range of toys for the children to practise and develop their skills using bikes. These have been carefully chosen to ensure there is good progression in developing these skills, for example, in pedalling.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is very good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good role-play opportunities for the children to develop their imaginative ideas are offered. • Teaching and learning are very good, especially to inspire and motivate the children. • Children have very good experiences to develop their ideas about sound and how to make music. • There is very good input from staff to help the children design and make three-dimensional art work and models.

p.21

Commentary

39. Teaching and learning are very good, which inspires and motivates the children very well. They achieve very well, because of the highly imaginative way lessons are presented. Their standards are above the expected level for children at this age. There are very good role-play opportunities for the children to develop their imaginative ideas. Music sessions are very well planned and carefully considered to make sure the children have very good experiences in exploring sound and developing a sense of rhythm to create their own musical patterns. The interactive whiteboard is used extremely well in these sessions for the children to record their own graphic score of symbols to represent beats in music. There is very good input from staff to help the children design and make three-dimensional artwork and models. The children are learning very successfully to develop their own ideas, because adults support them very well,

p.21

Commentary

allowing them to test their theories. For instance, during the inspection, when the children made 'tumbling' toys, they discovered that the number of marbles they used affected the balance of their toy and how quickly it 'cascaded' down a slope. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 20

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ progress is good and they achieve well at both ages 7 and 11. • Guided reading is well managed and is improving standards of attainment in reading. • Standards of spelling are below the overall level of writing. • Teaching assistants are used very well to support pupils’ learning. • Pupils are engaged in their learning and work well independently and in small groups. • Assessment procedures are good at identifying targets for pupils to work towards and marking makes clear to pupils what the next step in their learning is. • The subject is well led and managed, with a clear focus on raising standards of attainment further.

p.22

Commentary

40. Standards of attainment in English seen during the inspection are above average at the age of seven and at the age of 11. This represents good progress since the previous inspection, when standards were in line with the average at age 11. This improvement in attainment is recent, mainly since the arrival of the current headteacher in September 2003. Progress and achievement are good for pupils with SEN and those who are higher attaining. There has been a good improvement in standards of writing, which were identified as an area for improvement in the previous inspection. Inspection findings are different to the results of the 2004 tests at age 11, when pupils’ attainment in English was similar to the performance of pupils in all other schools and in similar schools for all pupils, including those who are higher attaining. The reasons for these different findings are:

p.22

Commentary

• the impact of strategies to improve attainment as a result of the monitoring of provision and teaching and learning; • the good use of assessment procedures and information to group pupils effectively, target their improvement, give them regular constructive feedback and involve them in their own assessment; and • the consistently good teaching and learning which pupils experience, focused on maximising the achievement of all pupils and ensuring that all the different abilities in the class are sufficiently challenged at all times.

p.22

Commentary

41. For pupils in Year 2, standards of attainment are above average and are improving in reading through the use of guided reading sessions . These findings show some improvement from the results of the 2004 when standards of attainment in reading were in line with the average when compared to all schools but well below average compared to the performance of pupils in similar schools. In writing, standards of attainment are consistent with the 2004 results when pupils’ performance was above average compared to all schools and in line with the average for similar schools.

p.22

Commentary

42. At the ages of both seven and 11, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above average. Pupils progress, and achieve, well. Teachers plan speaking and listening opportunities into lessons well and use a range of strategies to engage pupils in talk activities, for example, a role-play area in the infant class. Year 2 pupils work well in pairs as talk partners to suggest describing words for aliens. In Year 6, pupils engage well with response partners to stimulate ideas for writing and to discuss alternative connectives for the word ‘by’.

p.22

Commentary

43. Standards of attainment in reading are in line with the average at seven and improving. Standards are above average at age 11. Pupils are making good progress in their reading Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 21 through the guided reading sessions. Most pupils in Year 2 read accurately and fluently with good understanding. Year 6 pupils read with accuracy, fluency and good expression. The focus of their guided reading sessions is to develop their comprehension and research skills . Higher-attaining pupils ‘scan-read’ and make inferences from a text, whilst average-attaining pupils extract key facts through ‘skim-reading’ techniques.

p.22

Commentary

44. Standards of attainment in writing are above average at the age of seven and at the age of 11. Pupils make good progress and achieve well throughout the school. However, standards of spelling are below the overall level of most pupils’ writing. They develop their ideas well using connectives and attempt to use a wide vocabulary. Their spelling of more complex and descriptive words is often inaccurate. Writing is a constant focus in the school to improve standards of attainment and achievement. Important strategies which the school has put in place to achieve this are:

p.23

Commentary

• a consistent approach to the use and application of basic punctuation; • regular assessment of pupils’ writing by teachers, leading to individual learning targets to improve writing levels; • a wide range of writing genres used to develop pupils’ writing - creative and imaginative stories, reports, narrative poems, letters, instructions; and • a focus on using speaking and listening opportunities, and guided reading session, as a stimulus for writing.

p.23

Commentary

45. The quality of teaching and learning are good, and ranged from satisfactory to excellent during the inspection. This overall judgement is supported by the analysis of pupils’ work in Year 2 and Year 6. Most pupils show very positive attitudes to their learning, concentrate extremely well and enjoy their lessons. Teachers engage them extremely well in the lessons and make expectations clear through demonstrations of tasks and a broad range of approaches. The main characteristics of the good and excellent teaching and learning are:

p.23

Commentary

• good subject knowledge and its application to make lessons accessible and challenging for all pupils ; • very good use of teaching assistants to support individual pupils and targeted groups of pupils; • high expectations of pupils’ learning and thorough planning to meet the needs of different abilities, including pupils with special educational needs and those who are higher attaining; • assessment procedures are good and pupils have targets for their learning, which are regularly monitored. The marking of pupils’ day-to-day work is thorough and indicates to pupils what they need to do next to improve their work. In Year 6, pupils are involved in assessing their own work, identifying what they need to do next to improve their work; • a clear focus on developing pupils’ basic skills of grammar, spelling and punctuation as the basis for more extended, complex and challenging work for a range of reading and

p.23

Commentary

writing tasks; and • good use of ICT to support teaching through the use of the interactive whiteboard and to support learning through a range of opportunities to use ICT skills to present work combining text and graphics, to meet literacy objectives and to produce longer pieces of writing.

p.23

Commentary

46. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The subject co-ordinator has a clear focus on raising pupils’ standards of attainment, with effective strategies to achieve this based on the monitoring of pupils’ progress and of teaching and learning through lesson observation and the sampling of pupils’ work. Recent developments as a result of the monitoring of provision include the introduction of guided reading, improvements to learning resources and each pupil having writing targets, all of which were seen to be having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement during the inspection. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 22

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

47. Provision for language and literacy across the curriculum is satisfactory . Pupils develop a sound knowledge and use of subject terminology in different subjects, for example, mathematics and science. They are given opportunities to apply their literacy skills, particularly in history and ICT, and opportunities to produce extended writing were observed in history. Further development of writing across different subjects is planned, focusing initially on science and geography.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching enables pupils to achieve well and thoroughly enjoy their learning. • Teachers’ use of good assessment systems supports them in providing a good, relevant curriculum. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and is part of the school’s effective approach to being fully inclusive. • Very good leadership and management continuously improve provision.

p.24

Commentary

48. In the 2004 national tests for 11-year-olds, pupils’ attainment was in line with the average in mathematics, both compared to all other schools and to the performance of pupils in schools with a similar intake. Inspection findings show that, in the current Year 6, pupils are performing well to attain standards above the average expected. They are achieving well. All pupils, including those who are higher attaining and those who have special educational needs, make good progress. They add and subtract money to £20.00. Pupils construct line graphs to show mile/kilometre equivalence and understand probability. They work out the median, mode and range of a group of numbers and know the side and angle properties of different quadrilaterals.

p.24

Commentary

49. A large proportion of pupils are on target to achieve higher levels and girls and boys are attaining equally well. There are three reasons for this improvement: building on the improved proportion of pupils who attained the expected level in the 2004 tests; consistently good teaching over the course of the current year; and the impact of the headteacher’s leadership of the subject, focused on raising pupils’ attainment. Provision for mathematics has improved well since the last inspection. Consequently, standards of attainment have also improved so that all pupils now achieve well.

p.24

Commentary

50. Pupils currently in Year 2 attain above-average standards and achieve well both in lessons and over time. This represents good achievement and is building well on the results of the 2004 tests for seven-year-olds, when attainment was above average compared to all schools and well above average for higher-attaining pupils. The indications are the current Year 2 group will achieve at least as well, with all pupils, including those who are higher attaining and those pupils with special educational needs, making good progress. Pupils multiply by 2, 5, and 10 and calculate a quarter of numbers up to 25. They suggest several ways to spend 50p and add and subtract to 50. Less capable pupils work to 40. More capable pupils work beyond 100 and calculate three quarters of numbers. They understand place value involving thousands and add and subtract to 10,000.

p.24

Commentary

51. The quality of teaching is consistently good. During the inspection, lessons ranged from satisfactory to excellent. The work scrutiny showed good teaching over time. Lessons are invariably lively and interesting, which leads to very good attitudes and application to learning. Teachers work closely with classroom assistants to provide good support to pupils with special Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 23 educational needs. Teachers aim to develop pupils’ independent learning, who respond by collaborating well to solve problems for themselves. Two strong features of teaching are expecting pupils to choose from a variety of strategies to solve a problem and to assess their own success. Marking is effective in raising standards and gives pupils a clear indication of what they need to do to improve. ICT is used well in both the infant and junior classes to support pupils’ learning in a number of areas ranging from data handling to shape and

p.24

Commentary

52. The headteacher co-ordinates the subject very well. She has very clear, well thought-out plans based on thorough evaluation of provision and very good systems for tracking individual pupils’ attainment. She is an excellent role model for staff and inspires them to work as a team to raise standards continuously. She has successfully ensured that the curriculum gives all pupils opportunities to use and apply mathematics. It includes them using the computerised interactive whiteboards to learn new ideas and practise skills.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

53. The use of mathematics across the curriculum is satisfactory . Science is used as a vehicle for applying mathematical skills. In an experiment in Year 6, for example, pupils carefully measured amounts of different substances with an exact amount of water. This was in order to make a fair test of which of them were soluble and which were not. Pupils also record mathematically using computers such as when they produce pie charts of data in other subjects, for example, ICT. This skill, however, is under-used in science to record and analyse the results of scientific experiments. In history, Year 6 pupils used Venn diagrams to show similarities between different periods of time in their study of Ancient Greece.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of attainment do not match those in English and mathematics. • The new subject leader has introduced good measures to raise pupils’ achievement. • The revised curriculum provides good opportunities to learn through experimentation. • The use of ICT, literacy and numeracy to record the results of investigations is insufficient.

p.25

Commentary

54. In the 2004 national tests for 11-year-olds, pupils’ performance was well below average in comparison with schools nationally and with schools who have similar pupils. It was also well below average for higher-attaining pupils, and boys attained more highly than girls. Inspection findings show that standards for the current Year 6 group are better than last year and the indications are that they will attain standards in line with the average expected for all ability groups . Their achievement is satisfactory. They list the main organs of the human body and understand the workings of the water cycle, but are unsure about the names of some of the processes such as condensation. Higher-attaining pupils explain how to retrieve salt once it has been dissolved. The reasons for the improvement in performance is that teaching and learning have improved, curriculum revision has resulted in a greater emphasis on pupils

p.25

Commentary

investigating and finding out for themselves and leadership and management are focused on raising pupils’ attainment.

p.25

Commentary

55. Although pupils are now achieving satisfactorily by age 11, their performance still compares unfavourably with that of pupils in English and mathematics at the same age. The inspection found no evidence of any significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Overall, the subject has now made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. However, the school recognises that further improvement in provision is necessary in order to Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 24 raise standards and thereby pupils’ achievement. This includes more secure and accurate assessment procedures. Consequently, science is the main focus of this year’s school improvement plan.

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Commentary

56. In 2004, teacher assessment of pupils’ performance in science at age seven judged standards to be above average overall, with an above-average number of pupils gaining the higher level (Level 3). Inspection findings show that pupils’ attainment in science in Year 2 is in line with the average. This represents satisfactory progress and achievement for the current Year 2 pupils, including those who are higher attaining and those who have special educational needs . Pupils in Year 2 know what plants need to live, and understand that some materials return to their original state when heated or stretched and that some do not. Pupils explain how an electric circuit works. Higher-attaining pupils explain why glass is used for windows and how pushing and pulling are the two main forces.

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Commentary

57. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. During the inspection, one lesson in four was good, with the remainder being satisfactory. The work scrutiny also showed satisfactory teaching over time. Teachers’ subject knowledge varies. Planning aims to include all pupils in challenging activities but, in a few lessons, does not always stretch the more able. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils in exercising self-discipline. This encourages pupils to work hard. Teachers’ assistants give good support to pupils with special educational needs. Consequently, their achievement is good. Teachers give pupils experiences which arouse their wonder, such as at the strength in eggs when they place heavy weights on them. Access to a wide variety of resources adds to the pupils’ enjoyment of learning. Good use is made of ICT to support the teaching of science through the use of the interactive whiteboard and to

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Commentary

reinforce pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their science topics. However, insufficient use is made of pupils’ literacy, numeracy and computer skills to record and analyse the results of experiments and investigations.

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Commentary

58. The recently appointed science co-ordinator has made a satisfactory impact on teaching and learning. She has already revised the curriculum to ensure pupils receive their entitlement and has improved resources in order to support the changes. She has not yet been in a position to monitor and formally influence teaching. Moreover, the systems for assessment are not yet sufficiently well established to take appropriate action to improve standards further.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement is good at both age seven and age 11, which is a good improvement since the previous inspection. • There is good leadership and management. • There is good resource provision for both the teaching and learning of ICT. • There is good provision for ICT across the curriculum in most subjects.

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Commentary

59. Pupils’ standards in ICT are above the average expected both at age seven and 11. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are higher attaining, make good progress. This represents a good improvement since the previous inspection, when pupils’ attainment at both age seven and 11 was judged to be in line with the average. A major factor in this improvement has been the introduction of interactive whiteboards in every classroom, which are used to support teaching regularly and are also used by pupils to develop and practice their skills and increase their understanding. Another recent development has been a dedicated ICT suite, which is well used by the staff, both for whole-class and small group work. The curriculum is also well balanced and planned, covering all the programme of study Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 25 requirements and giving pupils good opportunities to apply their ICT skills and capabilities to

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Commentary

60. The quality of teaching and learning, observed through lessons and the analysis of pupils’ work, is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and apply it well in their own use of ICT to support teaching, to provide pupils with learning experiences which build on their prior learning, and to make their expectations clear to pupils. Teaching assistants are used very well, especially in the infant class, to support pupils in small groups in the ICT suite. Pupils’ learning is good. They are given time to practise their skills and most show good knowledge and understanding of the programs they are using. For instance, pupils in Year 2 word process confidently and show the ability to edit and amend text. They use shape and repeat tools in their graphics work and combine images with text in some of their work. Most pupils show very good attitudes to learning with computers. They work productively at the

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Commentary

computers, either independently or in pairs, and show sustained interest and concentration in the activities they undertake. Pupils in Year 6 undertake their own Internet research and import digital images into a document. They produce a variety of charts and graphs based on analysing a database linked to science work on animals and in their control work use software to monitor temperature in their science work.

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Commentary

61. The leadership and management of the subject are good. The subject co-ordinator has worked hard to develop the use of ICT to support learning, but also for teaching and in teachers’ professional role. She has focused on improving resources and staff expertise and confidence in the use of ICT resources and facilities. The curriculum has been adapted to link to subjects and, in addition, an ICT club for junior-age pupils builds on the skills pupils learn in class. There is a good system for assessing pupils’ progress, based on material provided by the local education authority, and this enables pupils’ progress and the curriculum provision to be closely monitored.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

62. The use of ICT across the curriculum is good . Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to use ICT in a range of curriculum areas and make good use of ICT to support their teaching through the use of interactive whiteboards in all subjects . Teachers give pupils opportunities to support their learning and to develop ICT knowledge, understanding and skills well in a range of subjects. It is strongest in English, mathematics and science where pupils have regular opportunities to use ICT in their writing, to increase their knowledge and understanding and to present their work. However, in science, more use could be made of ICT in presenting and analysing the results of experiments. In other subjects, for example, history and religious education, pupils use the Internet for research into topics, and in art they use graphics programs to reinforce their basic skills.

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Religious education

Provision for religious education (RE) is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards above locally agreed expectations are achieved in Year 2 and Year 6. • Teaching and learning are good. • The curriculum for religious education is interesting and relevant for pupils.

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Commentary

63. In religious education, the pupils achieve well, including those identified as having special educational needs. Standards in Year 6 are above the expected level for this age group, and Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 26 in Year 2 the pupils' attainment is also good for their age. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection and the good standards in religious education seen then have been maintained.

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Commentary

64. Pupils' work in Year 6 indicates that a good standard is achieved. The main topics so far this year have focused on Christianity, Bible stories and aspects of Judaism. The work is well documented by the pupils, who show insight and understanding, and those who are still grasping ideas are given good guidance by staff on how to improve and think carefully. In Year 2, work is matched appropriately to the pupils' needs and covers Bible stories such as 'The Good Samaritan'. There has been a significant investment in resources for religious education and these are now good.

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Commentary

65. The quality of teaching and learning, observed during the inspection, was good. In lessons, the pupils generally make good progress, because of the interesting and informative way the curriculum is delivered. For example, in a Year 3 lesson the emphasis on exploring Asian cultures, traditions and beliefs was very well supported by a range of interesting tasks, such as listening to music, some of which reflected modern pop music and was therefore very well known to the pupils. Different types of dress were discussed, including the influences of other cultures on styles and fashion. In this way a very positive and open-minded approach was established to enable the pupils to think about a variety of religions and also their impact on everyday society.

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Commentary

66. Leadership and management are good, with collaborative teaching and planning in Year 6, and observations of lessons in other year groups. Resource needs have been identified and pupils' work is sampled each term.

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Geography

67. No lessons were observed during the inspection, so evidence was gained from an analysis of pupils’ work and a discussion with the subject co-ordinator. From this limited evidence, the provision in geography is satisfactory , which is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. There is satisfactory coverage of the programmes of study, with a satisfactory balance between increasing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of people and places, and developing their geographical skills . Year 2 pupils learn how to use two-figure grid references and use bar charts to record the different types of transport people use locally, while pupils in Year 6 study different aspects of the geography of Greece in their topic. The subject co- ordinator provides sound leadership and has identified appropriate priorities for development based on an analysis of curriculum planning, observation of lessons and sampling of pupils’

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History

68. One lesson was observed during the inspection, in Year 6, and evidence was gained from an analysis of pupils’ work, curriculum plans, and a discussion with the subject co-ordinator. From this limited evidence, the provision in history is at least satisfactory with good features in the use of visits and literacy, numeracy and ICT skills to promote pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils achieve satisfactorily over time, which is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. In Year 2, pupils looked at old toys and devised their own questions about what they wanted to find out about toys in the past. By Year 6, most pupils show appropriate understanding of features of life in past societies in their studies on Ancient Greece. This includes Greek Gods and the ancient Olympic Games.

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History

69. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that in both the infant and junior classes, pupils make sound progress in developing their historical knowledge and understanding through their study of the past. Literacy, numeracy and ICT skills are applied well to support pupils’ learning . Pupils use their English skills well in writing non-chronological reports in Year 2 about old toys and in a newspaper style in Year 6 in work on Ancient Greece. ICT is used well for research and presentation in Year 6, and pupils also use their reading skills well to search for information Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 27 and their speaking and listening skills well to debate different points of view, for example, about Athens and Sparta. They use Venn diagrams effectively in a Year 6 lesson to illustrate similarities between the modern and ancient Olympic Games. The subject co-ordinator provides sound leadership and has identified appropriate priorities for development through

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History

working alongside colleagues, an analysis of curriculum planning and the sampling of pupils’ work.

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Art and design and Design and technology

70. Art and design and design and technology were sampled during the inspection. Few lessons were observed, and therefore there is no overall judgement on standards. However, artwork in Year 6 is in line with the national expectations and design and technology is carefully planned and well presented. Pupils’ skills in design and technology have improved well since the previous inspection when they were identified as a weakness.

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Art and design and Design and technology

71. Pupils are enthusiastic about their art and design work. Each classroom has an art base and the curriculum is based on national guidelines, with some adaptations. The co-ordinator for art and design has developed a portfolio of pupils' work, which has been monitored and used to identify future areas for development, for example, to develop the use of sketchbooks through the school. Resources have been audited, with a major investment in art materials; the main curriculum focus recently has been on developing the use of different media. Art and design supports the pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively; for example, there have been visiting artists in Aboriginal art, sculpture and a cartoonist.

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Art and design and Design and technology

72. Design and technology is well resourced, and the curriculum follows national guidelines with a half termly focus, for example, on food technology. The pupils are developing good skills in using a variety of tools and implements and are aware of safety and use these properly. The co-ordinator has only recently taken up the post and no formal observations of lessons have been completed as yet. The staff share their skills in design and technology across the school and work is well presented. Assessment procedures for both subjects are satisfactory and are completed at the end of each unit of study.

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Music

73. Insufficient evidence was gained from the inspection to make a reliable judgement about provision in music. One lesson was observed in Year 3, singing was listened to in assembly, and two practical sessions were held with representative groups from Years 2 and 6. The evidence suggests that pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations in all aspects of music. Pupils in Year 2 compose simple short rhythmic phrases, whilst pupils in Year 6 maintain their own longer phrases against several others. Singing was mainly in tune and in time. There is a very good collection of instruments.

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Physical education

74. Two lessons were observed during the inspection, in Year 1/2 and in Year 4/5. It is not possible to make a full judgement on standards of attainment, but from this evidence and a discussion with the subject co-ordinator, pupils’ progress in physical education has been satisfactory since the previous inspection, when standards were judged to be in line with national averages, both at age seven and age 11.

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Physical education

75. In the Year 1/2 lesson , all pupils made satisfactory progress in developing different ways of moving and using a range of actions to illustrate feelings. They worked well with a partner in paired activities and began to develop their ability to evaluate how their partner might improve their performance. In the Year 4/ 5 lesson , most pupils made good progress in their ability to create different shapes at different levels and organise them into a sequence of movements to Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 28 music. Very good teaching made expectations clear through demonstration and opportunities to practice, encouraging pupils to evaluate their own, and others’, performance.

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Physical education

76. There is a good range of extra-curricular sports activities , including football, netball, skipping, and some links with a professional football club. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The subject co-ordinator has observed lessons in different classes and, as a direct result, has improved apparatus for gymnastic work.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHEC)

Provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good .

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Commentary

77. Personal, social and health education and citizenship (PSHEC) are promoted very well and provision is a strength of the school. The curriculum successfully promotes the school’s caring ethos and the intellectual, physical and personal development of the pupils. There is a planned programme supported by a scheme of work, which includes timetabled PSHEC lessons, circle time and ‘R time’, where pupils are encouraged to discuss issues with other pupils on a one-to-one basis.

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Commentary

78. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 have plenty of opportunities to discuss their feelings about a range of topics, including other pupils’ behaviour. They express their views maturely. Pupils in Year 4/ 5 use speaking and listening well to discuss issues about drugs and develop their understanding of health and safety issues related to drugs awareness. The school’s very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development makes a significant contribution in promoting PSHEC. Pupils are encouraged to look out for each other through the popular 'Buddy' scheme, and all ages play happily together. The older pupils enjoy the responsibility of looking after the younger children and are very good role models.

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Commentary

79. The school council promotes citizenship well. Pupil representatives take their responsibilities very seriously and other pupils learn to present views for and against proposed changes to school life. Elsenham C of E VC Primary School - 29

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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 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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