Frinton-on-Sea Primary School

FRINTON-ON-SEA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 th - 15 th September 2004

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FRINTON-ON-SEA 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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FRINTON-ON-SEA 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. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 210 School address: Fifth Avenue Frinton-on-Sea Essex Postcode: CO13 9LQ Telephone number: (01255) 674 007 Fax number: (01255) 851 686 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Geoff Harris Date of previous inspection: 22 nd February 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the Essex seaside town of Frinton-on-Sea. The town is a holiday resort, although much of the housing has changed character in the recent past. A number of large houses have been converted to flats, and the demographic make up of the town has changed downwards significantly. Almost all pupils are of white British heritage, though there are a small number of pupils from a number of different minority ethnic groups. All speak English as their home language. The proportion of pupils with identified special educational needs is below average. They have a range of special needs, including physical, specific learning, speech and communication and social, emotional and behavioural problems. The proportion of pupils with statements of their special needs is below average. The movement of pupils in and out of school during the school year is well below average. The school won a school achievement award in 2001 and reached the standards

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

necessary for the Healthy Schools and the Safer Journeys to School awards in 2003. The children have above average skills and knowledge when they start at school. The headteacher left at the end of last term and the school is currently being led by an acting headteacher, the previous deputy. New purpose-built accommodation was occupied almost two years ago. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20191 Mr J D Eadie Lead inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Personal, social and health education and citizenship Music 9121 Dr H Danpure Lay inspector 20560 Mr P Adams Team inspector Special educational needs English as an additional language English Geography History Religious education 18911 Mr D Nightingale Team inspector Foundation Stage Science Art and design Design and technology Physical education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Clifton Bristol BS8 2BN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 8 - 12

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Frinton-on-Sea Primary School is providing a sound education for its pupils. Pupils are achieving satisfactorily. The headteacher left at the end of last term and the school is currently being led by an acting headteacher, the previous deputy, who is holding the reins well. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in practice in the school, for example, systems of assessment are not consistent between classes. The new, purpose-built accommodation was occupied just under two years ago. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The school provides a caring environment where pupils feel safe and secure. • There are areas of management which are unsatisfactory. • The quality of teaching is good and the pupils are learning well with teaching assistants making a strong contribution to learning. • The school provides a good curriculum and wide range of opportunities for the pupils. • The school makes good provision for the pupils’ personal and social development, particularly for the children in the Reception class. • Assessment is not used consistently to help pupils to improve their work. • Accommodation for the children in the Reception class is inadequate.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made satisfactory progress since its last inspection. Much work has been done to raise standards in information and communication technology (ICT), which was the first issue in that inspection. Standards in ICT are now average, although there is still work to do in terms of increasing the use of ICT in other subjects. Progress on the other key issue, improving pupils’ investigative work in science, has been slower and has only been addressed in the last year. Standards across the range of subjects in the national tests have been more variable than one usually finds in schools of this size, although there was good improvement in 2004.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English B A A A* mathematics A B C C science A C D E Key: A* – very high; A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils are achieving satisfactorily. Children enter the school with above average skills and knowledge and achieve satisfactorily to reach standards above the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception. They continue to achieve satisfactorily through Years 1 and 2 to reach above average standards by the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. This achievement is maintained through Years 3 to 6 and the pupils are reaching well above average standards in English and mathematics and above average standards in science by the end of Year 6. The higher standards in English and mathematics are largely due to good achievement in Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs are achieving well, due Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 5 to the very good support they receive from teachers and particularly teaching assistants. In English in 2003, the school attained a score in the top five per cent of all schools which scored

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

similarly in the tests for seven-year-olds in 1999. Some high quality work in art and design was seen during the inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils’ personal qualities are developed well. Their spiritual, moral, social and particularly their cultural development is good. Pupils have good attitudes to their work and generally behave well. Attendance is in line with the national average and pupils arrive at school punctually. However, a far higher proportion of parents than one usually finds take their children away on holiday during term time.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good quality of education. The curriculum is broad and balanced and is enhanced well by a good range of trips and visitors into school. The quality of teaching is good and the pupils are consequently learning well. This is not leading to good achievement through the school as there are too many inconsistencies in assessment to enable teachers to know clearly what pupils have already learnt. This also means that it is not always clear what pupils need to do to improve. There is very good teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants which enhances learning, particularly of those pupils with special educational needs. There are good levels of care and support for the pupils. Partnerships with parents, other schools and the community are good and have a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The acting headteacher is maintaining good teamwork amongst all who are part of the school. There are a number of inadequacies in management, although it is satisfactory overall. For example, there is insufficient monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning. There are also a number of inconsistencies in practice between classes, for example, in the way the curriculum is planned. Governance of the school is satisfactory with governors supporting the work of the school well, but not being sufficiently involved in shaping its direction.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are broadly happy with the education that their children are receiving. However, there are a number of concerns expressed by a significant minority. Several feel that they are not listened to effectively when they raise worries and that their views are not sought sufficiently. Inspectors were unable to confirm or refute their views, although the parents agree with the inspectors’ judgement that they receive good quality information from the school. The pupils are generally happy with their school, though again, a minority feel that they are not listened to when they raise concerns and also that teachers do not always act fairly in their use of the reward system. The school has agreed to review its procedures.

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

• To improve the monitoring role of management and ensure that all policies are up-to-date and applied consistently. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 6 • To increase the effectiveness of assessment so that uniform systems are used through the school and assessment helps teachers plan for the next stage in each pupil’s learning. • To work together with the local education authority to provide more space for the Reception class.

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and, to meet statutory requirements:

• To ensure that the prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents contain all the required information. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils are achieving satisfactorily through the school, though the achievement of pupils in Year 6 is good. Pupils with special educational needs are also achieving well. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. At the end of Year 6, standards are well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average at the end of Year 2. • Standards are well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science at the end of Year 6. • Pupils are achieving well in Year 6. • Pupils with special educational needs are achieving well through the school. • There is room for improvement in pupils’ opportunities for independent learning. • High quality work was seen in art and design.

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Commentary

1. Standards at the end of Year 2 in the national tests in 2003 were well below average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. When compared with the results in schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, results were well below average in all three subjects. There was a much higher proportion than is usual of pupils with special educational needs in this group. They also had their education disrupted considerably by the building of the new school, having had to move at least twice into temporary accommodation. Although standards declined during the building work, unconfirmed results for 2004 indicate that there has been a significant improvement back towards the standards achieved in 2000 and 2001.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results reading 14.5 (14.9) 15.7 (15.8) writing 13.2 (14.5) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 16.3 (16.2) 16.3 (16.5) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

2. In the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2003, results were well above average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. Compared with the results in schools which scored similarly in the tests for seven-year-olds in 1999, results were in the top five per cent of these schools in English, average in mathematics and well below average in science. Standards in English have been maintained well during recent years, though those in mathematics and science have declined somewhat from a high in 2001. These results partly reflect the varying abilities of the groups taking the tests, and that English has been a focus for development in this time. Science has also been a focus and in 2003 all the pupils who took the test achieved the expected level for 11-year- olds; however, too few achieved the higher level, explaining the lower grade. Unconfirmed Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 8

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Commentary

results for 2004 show that, as in Year 2, there has been a significant improvement, with almost all pupils gaining the expected level and a high proportion gaining the higher level in the tests in all three subjects.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003 Standards in: School results National results English 29.8 (28.6) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.2 (28.2) 26.8 (26.7) science 27.6 (28.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

3. Children enter the school with above average skills and knowledge and achieve satisfactorily overall. They attain well above the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception in their personal, social and emotional development. Children reach above average standards in all other areas of learning, except their knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative development, where standards are average.

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Commentary

4. Standards being reached at the end of Year 2 are above average in reading, writing and mathematics. The judgement of the inspection confirms the school’s own tracking system, which shows that pupils in Years 1 and 2 are achieving satisfactorily. Standards are above average in religious education and average in ICT at the end of Year 2.

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Commentary

5. Pupils continue to achieve satisfactorily in Years 3 to 6, although this achievement improves in Year 6, where it is good. This is due to the good, well-planned teaching in this class. Standards being reached at the end of Year 6 are currently well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. The reason that standards in science are not as high as in the other two subjects is that improvements in this subject have not yet had an opportunity to work through the school. For example, although there was a key issue regarding improving pupils’ investigational skills in science at the last inspection, the work done on this is only now beginning to have an impact. Because it is in its early days, the pupils are still not working as independently as they might, for example, they are not developing their own methods of analysing and recording the results of their investigations. Standards at the end of Year 6 are above average in

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Commentary

religious education and average in ICT. There is a very good range of high quality work in art and design around the school. Although there has been some variation in the performance of boys and girls in the national tests in some years, there was no clear reason for this and girls and boys are presently achieving at a similar level. The small number of pupils of minority ethnic backgrounds are achieving at least as well as their classmates.

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Commentary

6. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Evidence confirms that they are making good progress and are achieving well. This progress is linked to these pupils receiving targeted support. They achieve better than their classmates, largely because of the skilled work of the teaching assistants and the clear objectives for learning that teachers are working towards with them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 9 Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are good and their attendance is satisfactory. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are keen and enthusiastic to learn and behave well. • The attitudes and behaviour of pupils in the Reception class are very good. • Pupils mix well and racial harmony is good. • Older pupils take their positions of responsibility seriously. • Pupils’ cultural development is very good. • A large number of pupils are taken on holiday in term time.

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Commentary

7. Pupils respond well to their teachers and teaching assistants and endeavour to complete the work they are given. Most enjoy school and their positive attitudes are helping them to achieve. Children who have just started in the Reception class are responding particularly well. This is resulting in them making significant gains already in their learning and personal development. Pupils’ good punctuality and readiness to settle down to work help them to make a good start to the day. Pupils behave well in most lessons and around the school. They are polite and helpful to visitors. They mostly listen well to the instructions they are given and are keen to respond and contribute. Pupils work well together and readily support each other. Racial harmony is good and pupils with specific needs gain significantly from the tolerance and understanding of their classmates.

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Commentary

8. Overall, pupils’ personal development is good. In particular, pupils in Year 6 and members of the School Council take their positions of responsibility seriously and represent their peers well. Those who help, for example, in assemblies and as buddies, do a good job and provide a good role model for other pupils.

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Commentary

9. Pupils’ cultural development is very good because of their visits to local places and the opportunities they have to meet and learn about other cultures and ways of life. For example, Year 5 pupils have visited an African village community set up in the county and the whole school plays host to an African children’s choir, who visit regularly. These events provide a superb multicultural experience for the children.

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Attendance

10. Pupils’ attendance remains satisfactory and similar to the national average. However, a much higher than normal number of pupils are taken out of school for holidays in term time. This disrupts both their education and that of their peers, as the teacher is diverted away from class activities to help returning children catch up with the work they have missed.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.5 School data 0.1 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 10

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education and pupils are consequently learning well. Although there are some systems of assessment in place, these are not consistent between subjects or classes and do not give teachers good information to help pupils to progress at the best rate. There is a broad and relevant curriculum, with some good links made between subjects. The curriculum is enhanced well by a good range of trips and visitors into school. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall. Resources are good, but the accommodation, whilst satisfactory overall, is unsatisfactory for the Reception class. The school cares well for its pupils. There are good links with parents, the community and other schools which enhance learning.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good and the pupils are learning well. This quality has been maintained since the last inspection. Assessment procedures are inconsistent through the school and do not help the teachers know what pupils need to learn next.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Lessons have a good structure and teachers employ a good range of styles. • There is very good teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants, who enhance learning well. • There are times when the introductory activities in lessons are too long. • Assessment is not consistent throughout the school. • Teachers make good reference to prior learning and usually review learning well at the end of lessons.

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Commentary

11. The overall quality of teaching is good. Pupils are learning well in lessons because of this good teaching. However, this is not leading to good achievement because of inadequacies in systems of assessment. At present, although teachers assess pupils’ standards regularly, there is no consistent format for recording and handing on these assessments. This means that teachers are not always aware of what pupils need to learn next. Instances were observed during the inspection where teachers erroneously assumed that pupils had learnt something in a previous year. Also, there were times when pupils had previously been taught a skill that teachers planned to teach in a particular lesson. Part of the reason for this inconsistency is the lack of focused monitoring of teaching and learning carried out by managers. There are some strengths in the systems of assessment. For example, teachers are good at adapting the plan for

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Commentary

the next lesson on the basis of what pupils have learnt in a particular lesson that they have taught. There are also good statistics kept of pupils’ progress from one year to the next, although the analysis of these statistics is not used as well as it might be. These statistics are based on the results of nationally recognised tests, which the school has now stopped using, and this will make it more difficult to measure pupils’ progress in the future.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 27 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 11 0 0 16 11 0 0 0

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

12. Lessons are carefully planned and teachers ensure that there is a good range of activities to interest and engage the pupils. Lessons almost always start with a clear indication of what it is that the pupils are expected to learn and a good question and answer session of what has been covered in recent lessons. Learning is also often reinforced by a good review of learning at the end of the lesson. There is one area for development in this positive picture. The initial introductory sessions are sometimes too long. Teachers are often keen to ensure that the vast majority of the class has mastered a particular skill or concept before they set them to work. This means that the more able and those of average ability have often understood well before they start the set task and are therefore wasting time sitting listening instead of extending their learning.

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Commentary

13. Teachers and teaching assistants make good teams in classes. The teaching assistants are skilled, well trained and fully included in all the planning. They are therefore making a very significant contribution to the pupils’ learning. This is particularly the case when they are supporting pupils with special educational needs. This support is planned carefully and there is a good system of teaching assistants reporting back to teachers on the success of learning for these pupils. There is generally good teaching and learning for those pupils with special educational needs, but it is not consistent across the school. Teaching is less effective for pupils with special educational needs when teachers make little reference to different groups in their lesson plans, with the result that work is not appropriate for all ability levels. Teachers do not always use specific and achievable targets within individual education plans and in these instances do not plan lessons that

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The curriculum

Overall, curriculum provision is good. This shows satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum is enriched well through visits and sports and music events. The accommodation is satisfactory for the number of pupils in the school and resources are good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides well for pupils with special educational needs. They are all fully included in all aspects of school life and achieve well. • There are good links between subjects which reinforce learning. • The curriculum is enhanced by a good range of visits and visitors. • There is inadequate evaluation of the curriculum and its impact on teaching and learning. • Many policies are not up to date and do not take account of recent changes in the curriculum. • Shortcomings in the accommodation for Reception age children have a negative impact on the curriculum and their children’s achievements.

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Commentary

14. The school provides a broad range of worthwhile curricular opportunities and all statutory requirements are met. The school’s curriculum provides a framework for teaching but is insufficiently detailed. Long-term planning gives an overall framework but teachers do Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 12 their own medium and short-term planning; this creates opportunities for inconsistencies and a risk of repetition. Sex and relationships education and attention to drug misuse are taught, but policies are out of date. As with personal, social and health education, provision is unplanned and inconsistently applied. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been implemented effectively and results are good. In some classes, the National Literacy Strategy has been adapted effectively, but there is no whole school approach to literacy. The major reason for these inconsistencies is a lack of monitoring

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Commentary

and evaluation carried out by senior and subject managers. There is limited evaluation of the curriculum; co-ordinators are not given enough opportunities to monitor their subject by analysing standards and observing how it is taught. There are few opportunities to share good practice across the school, other than in staff meetings. There are limited whole school approaches to policy and planning; many policies are not up to date and do not take account of recent changes in the curriculum. Teachers make very good links between subjects; these links enhance learning and improve the relevance of the curriculum to pupils.

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Commentary

15. Overall, the children are well prepared for entry into the Reception class and other years within the school. The school provides good opportunities for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those from minority ethnic backgrounds to have equal access to all aspects of its work and to achieve their best. Preparation for subsequent stages of education is good through the provision of homework and the introduction of French lessons, as well as visits to and visitors from the local secondary school.

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Commentary

16. The curriculum is developed positively by a good range of visits and visitors. These first- hand experiences offer a breadth and relevance that promote learning. The curriculum is enriched through extra-curricular provision in sports. There are football and netball teams and older pupils participate in dance, drama, yoga and swimming. The opportunities for learning outside the classroom are satisfactory; there is a suitable system of homework.

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Commentary

17. The school has a satisfactory number of teachers. They know their subjects and are conversant with the curriculum and planning. The quantity and quality of support staff and non-class-based teachers are well matched to the school’s needs. They make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly in supporting inclusion practices and assisting those pupils with special educational needs. The school is well resourced in English, mathematics, ICT, music and physical education; in particular, the new computer suite has been effective in raising standards in ICT. There are insufficient resources to support learning in geography and religious education. The school makes the best use of the accommodation, making it a welcoming and stimulating environment that adds positively to pupils’ desire to learn. Overall, accommodation is satisfactory. Whilst the building is new, there are some deficiencies, such as the limited space both indoor and out of doors

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Commentary

for the Reception class. This has a negative impact on learning for the youngest children.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils are well cared for in a safe environment. They receive satisfactory guidance and advice about their work and their views and ideas are valued.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff are caring and respond well to the diverse needs of the pupils. • The school is a safe and healthy place to work. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 13 • Systems to support and guide pupils with their work are not fully developed. • A number of pupils feel that the reward system is not always used fairly. • The School Council is effective in giving pupils a say in how their school operates.

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Commentary

18. All staff, especially class teachers and teaching assistants, know the children well, are sensitive to their needs and provide good care. This results in good trusting relationships between staff and pupils that help to raise pupils’ self-esteem and confidence and enable them to learn effectively and make good progress.

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Commentary

19. The school provides a safe and stimulating learning environment by regularly checking that high standards of health and safety are maintained, both in school and on visits. There are good systems in place to care for pupils who are sick, injured or have specific medical needs. The school follows the locally agreed child protection arrangements and responds well to any child protection issue, but the acting head, who has just taken on the lead role, has not yet received further training.

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Commentary

20. Pupils’ questionnaires, completed last term, showed that a significant number of pupils would not seek help from any adult in school if they had a problem. Discussion with all Year 6 pupils during the inspection did not confirm these reports. However, some continue to be concerned at the unfair way merits are awarded. The school has agreed to review its reward system.

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Commentary

21. Pupils have targets to help them improve their work but they are often ones they select for themselves. However, systematic procedures to help and guide pupils with their work are not in place. Systems to pass on information from one class teacher to the next, to enable staff to group and support pupils appropriately, are not effective; a view shared by parents. There are good procedures for the induction of pupils into the Reception class and other classes and very good advice is given to parents in a booklet about starting school.

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Commentary

22. The well-established School Council, drawn from pupils from Years 3 to 6 due to the differing break times, continues to act as an effective voice of the pupils and recent successes include getting bike racks provided and the school garden improved. The pupils on the Council are being consulted about the selection of the new headteacher.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents and carers are good, as are the links with the local community and other schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides good information for parents. • Parental support for the school is good. • The responses of parents who gave their views to inspectors were mixed. • Beneficial links have been established with the local community. • There are effective links with other schools, particularly the cluster group and main receiving secondary school. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 14

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Commentary

23. The prospectus and frequent newsletters are good and keep parents well informed about the school’s procedures and events. However, the prospectus and the last governors’ report to parents do not contain all the required information. In addition, pupils’ reports are detailed and give parents a good indication about what their child can do, particularly in English, mathematics and science. However, there is insufficient guidance about what children need to do to improve their work further. Parents have plenty of opportunities to see teachers and discuss their child’s progress or other matters, particularly through the “meet the teacher” evening at the start of the autumn term and at weekly after-school “open door” times.

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Commentary

24. Parental support for the school is good. A number of parents help the school, for example, with after-school clubs or as governors and as members of the Friends Association; the latter provides substantial additional resources for the school. Many contribute to pupils’ learning at home, which is helping to raise standards. However, a significant number of parents, who completed the inspection questionnaire and attended the parents’ meeting, had concerns, such as that they were not listened to effectively and that their views were not sought sufficiently. Insufficient parents were seen during the inspection to confirm or refute these views and some of those who voiced their opinion no longer have children at the school.

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Commentary

25. There continue to be beneficial links with the local community, particularly with local churches, whose ministers take assemblies and provide a venue for the school’s Christmas concerts. Pupils also benefit from coaching provided by members of the local tennis and cricket clubs. Pupils show good citizenship by taking their productions into local residential homes, participating in “Frinton in Bloom” and in musical events in the town.

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Commentary

26. Good links have been established with the two main pre-school providers from which children transfer and with the other primary schools in the local cluster group. These involve joint sporting events and sharing curriculum expertise. Strong links continue with the main receiving technology college, including opportunities for Year 5 to visit their school and for secondary teachers to come into the school to teach science and technology. These links are all benefiting the pupils and enhancing their learning.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The leadership of the acting headteacher is satisfactory, as is that of other key staff. Management is satisfactory overall, though there are a number of shortcomings in this area. Governance is also satisfactory. There is a breach of statutory requirements in that the prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents do not contain all the required information.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The acting headteacher has maintained good teamwork in the school. • A number of subjects are led well. • The school runs smoothly, but there are aspects of management which are unsatisfactory. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 15 • The governors offer good support, although they are insufficiently involved in strategic planning.

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Commentary

27. The acting headteacher has ensured that good teamwork is continuing in the school and is building the confidence of staff and parents well. He has already identified some areas for development. A number of subjects are led well. For example, much work has been done by the co-ordinator to raise standards in ICT, which was a key issue at the time of the last inspection. Less progress has been made in science, also a key issue at the last inspection, as the school has found it difficult to engage a full-time co-ordinator. Leadership of the subject over the years has been unsatisfactory for this reason. The post has now been filled, though only at the start of this term.

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Commentary

28. There are good routines in place to ensure the school runs smoothly. Staff follow procedures thoroughly, but many policies for these procedures are out of date. The school development and improvement plan is in the final year of its three-year cycle and there is no strategic plan for future development. It does not contain a specific development plan for science, despite the improvement of pupils’ standards in this subject being a key issue at the last inspection. There is, however, a very thorough plan for progress in ICT, the implementation of which has raised standards in this subject.

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Commentary

29. Professional development of all staff is based on an analysis of needs and is supported by an evaluation of their work. However, there is little other monitoring and evaluation carried out. For example, subject co-ordinators have carried out very few classroom observations to establish how effectively their subject is being delivered. Senior managers, too, have carried out few observations to refine teaching and learning and to enable best practice to be shared. The school is fully committed to the graduate teacher training programme and is gaining a great deal from this in terms of the graduates in school. These trainees are supported well. Financial management is good, with due care being taken over all spending decisions, and the school gives satisfactory value for money.

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Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 634,108 Balance from previous year 20,240 Total expenditure 635,366 Balance carried forward to the next 18,982 Expenditure per pupil 3,069

p.17

Commentary

30. Governors provide good levels of support and have sound knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Much of this knowledge is based on the comprehensive reports they receive from the headteacher. A number are regular visitors into school, which gives them further knowledge of what is going on in school. They challenge management well. A good example of their involvement is that the tracking system for pupils’ progress was set up at their request some years ago. They could see a need for this information so that they could understand more fully the success of the school. Governors are not sufficiently involved in strategic planning, however, allowing the school to set the agenda for development. Once again, they carry out insufficient formal monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the school. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 16

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good . Children enter school with overall attainment that is above average. Evidence from children’s work and teachers’ records shows that by the time they leave the Reception class most children achieve standards that are better than those expected for children of their age. Achievement overall is satisfactory, except in children’s personal, social and emotional development, where it is good. Children receive good teaching, which is based on a careful assessment of how well children manage the set tasks. Standards have been sustained since the last inspection.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Accommodation for children at this stage is inadequate. Adults successfully overcome the limitations of space to provide children with good opportunities to explore and learn but movement around the room is inhibited by a lack of space and the children often need to wait for others to move to allow passage, for example, to the outside area. The co-ordinator provides good leadership to the well-organised team working in the Foundation Stage. The school management team does not monitor teaching and learning frequently enough to help the co-ordinator highlight strengths or identify any issues for development.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults encourage and support children well to become independent and adapt to school life. • There is a good balance between adult-led activities and opportunities for children to choose activities for themselves. • Children work and play together well. • Children achieve well and are reaching standards that are, overall, well above those expected for children of their age.

p.18

Commentary

31. Teaching and learning are good. The teacher ensures that each day children experience a good balance of activities with an adult and times when they can make their own choices. This area is given a high focus at the beginning of the year so that children quickly learn the school routines. Snack time is used very well to develop polite and appropriate responses, respect for others and a sense of shared community. Children are eager to learn and excited by the activities provided. They talk confidently with adults and play well together. Most children sustain concentration, take account of others and develop an understanding of what is right and wrong. They manage their personal hygiene well and dress and undress themselves when needed. Even at the start of the year, children take responsibility for tidying away toys at the end of lessons. By the end of Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 17 the year, almost all children are near to achieving all the early learning goals 1 and a

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching ensures children develop their communication skills well. • Children know initial letter sounds and are beginning to link letter sounds together. • Children speak clearly, listen carefully and explain what they have been doing well.

p.19

Commentary

32. Records show that almost all children meet and a majority exceeds the early learning goals for this area. Work is carefully planned and systematically assessed to ensure that each child has appropriate tasks. Children enjoy listening to stories and offer comments or answer questions clearly. Even at an early stage, they begin to link letters to sounds and by the end of the year most children use this knowledge to read simple regular words. Children use pencils to write recognisable letters and write their own name from memory.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan a good range of activities to help children develop their numeracy skills. • Children achieve standards that are, overall, better than those expected for their age.

p.19

Commentary

33. Children’s mathematical abilities are carefully assessed when children start school so that suitable activities are provided. By the end of the year, their achievement is good and almost all children reach and a majority exceeds the early learning goals for this area. They confidently manage numbers up to 10 and sometimes larger numbers. By the end of the Reception Year, children use appropriate mathematical language to describe shapes, compare measurements and describe patterns. However, a few children still do not use the vocabulary associated with addition and subtraction.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

1 The ‘early learning goals’ are the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 18 Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults provide suitable and interesting activities. • Provision for ICT is good and children enjoy working on the computers.

p.20

Commentary

34. Children acquire a sound understanding of the world around them as a result of the range of activities provided. Adults encourage children to talk about personal experiences and give them opportunities to experience new activities that help them learn about the world around them. At the start of the year, they talk about themselves through their ‘Treasure Boxes’. By the end of the year, children know something of their own and other cultures, begin to ask questions about why things work and investigate places, objects and materials. Children competently use a computer with suitable programs.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A well-planned range of activities, both indoors and outdoors, helps children develop their skills. • By the end of the Reception Year, children’s attainments are better than those expected for their age. • Outdoor play area space is limited.

p.20

Commentary

35. Children have access to a good range of equipment so that they benefit from the activities planned for them. Space in the outdoor area is limited so that movement on large toys is sometimes restricted. Its location next to the main school playground also places limitations on its effective use, as children cannot always hear what adults are saying during main school playtimes. Children have access to the hall where they are encouraged to make good use of the space and develop control over movements and exercises. By the end of the Reception Year, children manipulate pencils and small tools such as scissors safely and with basic control. When playing with larger apparatus, they move with confidence, imagination and safety.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children benefit from a wide range of varied activities. • Children are encouraged to develop their imagination through creative play. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 19

p.20

Commentary

36. Standards are as expected of children of this age. At the beginning of the year, children have good opportunities to develop imaginative play through activities in the role-play area and playing with toys. This also helps with their social development. They have opportunities to work with paint, crayon, paper and glue and other materials to create pictures and patterns. Children use these to explore colour, texture and space, both in two-dimensional pictures and with three-dimensional objects. They enjoy joining in songs and rhymes. Adults lead these activities where appropriate or make suitable suggestions and give appropriate support when needed.

p.21

ENGLISH

• The good quality teaching in the school enables pupils to learn well. • The good relationships and positive attitudes make for a good learning environment. • There are insufficient opportunities to monitor and evaluate both pupils’ progress and classroom practice. Overall judgements

p.21

ENGLISH

• Standards are above average at the end of Year 2 and well above average at the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. • Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

p.21

COMMENTARY

37. The observations during lessons and the analysis of the pupils’ work show that the pupils enter Year 1 with standards that are above the expected level. Their achievement is satisfactory in speaking and listening, reading and writing so that by the end of Year 2, their standards overall continue to be above expectations.

p.21

COMMENTARY

38. The standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening of the pupils in Year 6 are well above the level expected for their age and a review of their previous performance shows that they too achieve satisfactorily. Achievement is good in Year 6, resulting in the higher standards at this age. The pupils with special educational needs are well supported and achieve well and those from the minority ethnic groups achieve as well as the others in their year group.

p.21

COMMENTARY

39. The teachers develop pupils’ listening and speaking skills through discussion, by using effective questions and answers and by getting pupils to discuss their ideas with each other. A good example of this was seen in a religious education lesson in Year 2, where the pupils were discussing what words they could use in a wedding ceremony and showed confidence as they enacted the celebration. By Year 6, the pupils are much more Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 20 confident speakers and many of them express themselves clearly, using both informal and formal language. Year 6 pupils spoke with maturity about their responsibilities and relationships in school.

p.21

COMMENTARY

40. The pupils are taught to value books for both pleasure and use in research. Their attitudes to reading are positive throughout the school, with all pupils spoken to saying that they read regularly both at home and at school. The pupils in Year 2 use a good range of skills, such as phonic and picture clues, to help them. Wider book skills are good and most can explain what is meant by the terms ‘author’, ‘contents’, ‘fiction’ and ‘non-fiction’. By Year 6, the pupils can demonstrate clearly how to use a contents page and an index to help them with their research. They regularly use books and the Internet to help them in school projects. Most of the pupils use their local library regularly. Good use is made of guided reading and there is effective home/school communication to support reading.

p.22

COMMENTARY

41. The standards in writing are improving. The pupils are given regular opportunities to improve their writing through a range of topics. Most pupils are able to write complex sentences in paragraphs, and make good use of imaginative words. In a lesson in Year 5, pupils were able to word process their own poems, using adventurous words for effect. For example, they described waves as ‘rampaging white horses’, and spoke of the ‘pink smell of candy floss’ and ‘the napping seaweed on the baking sand’. Poetry is extended in Year 6, as the pupils consider rhythm and pace, linking it to the numbers of syllables in words. Whilst handwriting is taught, this is not always transferred to day-to-day work and in several classes insufficient emphasis is given to developing a consistent and legible joined-up style.

p.22

COMMENTARY

42. The consistently good teaching, supported well by the effective work of the teaching assistants, supports pupils’ achievement. The good relationships between the staff and the pupils are a strength and teachers encourage pupils well. These relationships and the positive attitudes they create make for a good learning environment. The teachers manage the pupils well and have high expectations of behaviour. The lessons have a clear focus, and learning objectives are routinely shared with pupils so that they know what is expected of them. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. The quality of assessment is satisfactory, with useful individual literacy records and literacy profiles being maintained, but insufficient analysis is made in order to improve standards and raise achievement. Individual pupils’ targets are well matched to the target tracker system, but there is an inconsistent approach to their use, which means some classes do

p.22

COMMENTARY

not use them or review them sufficiently during the year.

p.22

COMMENTARY

43. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The policy is not up to date and does not take account of recent changes in the curriculum and the subject co-ordinator has insufficient opportunity to monitor classroom practice. The subject action plan aims at development through enhancing resources rather than the analysis of areas for improvement. The acting headteacher has begun a better analysis of standards and achievement through the use of target tracking but this initiative is not yet fully implemented. Overall, resources are good and the school library offers opportunities for research.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

44. Teachers make opportunities to teach literacy through other subjects and some good examples were seen. In Year 1, literacy was developed through geography as pupils described their route to school. The pupils in Year 4 in design and technology have used Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 21 instructional writing well, to describe the manner in which they made money containers. In Year 5, following a visit to a museum of African village life, pupils wrote a publicity leaflet to encourage others to visit. Language was well developed in religious education as pupils in Year 6 identified writing styles within selected Bible passages.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching is ensuring that pupils are learning well. • There are some innovative features to the curriculum. • There is insufficient monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning and of pupils’ performance.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average at the end of Year 2 and well above average at the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Leadership and management of the subject are good. • Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

p.23

Commentary

45. Standards have been maintained well since the last inspection, largely because of the consistently good quality of teaching. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and organise a good range of activities during lessons. This engages and enthuses the pupils who work keenly, co-operating particularly well when they work in pairs or small groups. This good teaching is not leading to good achievement for a variety of reasons. The most important of these is the inadequacy of assessment. At present, although pupils are assessed regularly, there are no consistent systems for recording these assessments and for handing the results on to the next teacher. Although the results of nationally recognised tests have been used to measure pupils’ progress from year to year, there are no detailed records of what each pupil has mastered. This means that teachers do not always know where to start when they approach a new topic.

p.23

Commentary

46. Pupils are gaining good numeracy skills, the teachers understanding the importance of ready recall of number facts and ensuring that pupils develop these skills well. The pupils also have good levels of competence at other areas of mathematics, for example, shape and space and investigative mathematics. Homework is used well to support learning in class, particularly for the older pupils. Teachers make good use of resources. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, the teacher was using a finger puppet to engage the pupils’ interest when carrying out some class counting exercises. The use of ICT to support learning is also good, a specific program being used by all pupils in the school. They can work through this program at their own level and the success gained spills over into their general class work. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 22 47. The subject is led well. The co-ordinator has instituted some interesting developments,

p.23

Commentary

such as the ‘Maths Week’ held last year. This involved the whole school and had input from the local education authority mathematics adviser. A wide range of events was organised to raise the profile of the subject. The co-ordinator has also been responsible for putting together a most useful booklet for parents so that they know how their children will be learning in each year group and, more particularly, how work is set out. This enables parents to support their children’s learning at home well. There are some inadequacies in management. The co-ordinator has carried out little monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning. This has resulted in the inconsistent application of systems, such as those for assessment and the failure to share good practice. There is also a lack of clarity about which aspects of the curriculum are relative strengths and weaknesses.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

48. Mathematics is used well in a range of other subjects. The co-ordinator has encouraged teachers to look for opportunities to support learning in mathematics and has kept a useful portfolio of work to demonstrate these uses. For example, the pupils in Year 5 used their mathematics skills when producing shapes in design and technology. In Year 1, the pupils were encouraged to think of the symmetry of butterflies that they created in art and design. Data handling skills were used when pupils carried out a traffic survey and good use was made of mathematical skills in ICT, for example, when producing a sorting tree.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The oldest pupils achieve well as a result of improvements in the use of investigative work. • Test results in 2004 were a significant improvement on the previous two years. • Subject leadership has been inconsistent, resulting in the slow rate of progress in developing issues from the last inspection. • Resources are good. • Planning for continuity between classes is inconsistent.

p.24

Overall judgements

• Standards are average at the end of Year 2 and above average at the end of Year 6. • Pupils are now achieving satisfactorily overall. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. • There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

p.24

Commentary

49. Progress in addressing the key issue from the last inspection has been inhibited by the lack of continuity in subject leadership over the past four years. During the last year, the Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 23 emphasis placed on developing staff expertise and confidence in investigative work resulted in a marked improvement in standards compared with those in previous years. Last year, the oldest pupils achieved well and attained standards that were above average. Provisional test results for 2004 were much improved, particularly in the number of pupils who attained the higher level. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Standards at the end of Year 2 are average, which is similar to those reported at the last inspection.

p.24

Commentary

50. The pupils in Years 5 and 6 receive good teaching, which enables them to acquire an extensive range of knowledge. Teachers use their good knowledge of the subject well to challenge pupils, particularly the older pupils, with suitably difficult investigations. Expectations of what pupils can achieve are high and this is reflected in the insistence of pupils using scientific vocabulary. Pupils enjoy the challenges set and show a positive attitude towards their work. Teaching in Years 1 to 4 is satisfactory or better. Planning in all classes ensures that pupils’ understanding is extended through the use of appropriate investigations. Although this is an improvement from the last inspection, there are still a few aspects that are not fully developed. Pupils are not always encouraged to explain how tests are made fair and to evaluate the success of their experiments more. They are also not encouraged to use different ways of recording their findings, such as in graphs

p.25

Commentary

and charts. Teachers demonstrate and guide pupils through investigations but don’t allow the older pupils sufficient independence in organising their tests.

p.25

Commentary

51. Planning ensures that pupils experience the full range of the National Curriculum but the changes in leadership of science has meant that the monitoring of teaching and standards has been inconsistent. As a result, issues such as the lack of continuity in planning between year groups has not been identified. The recently appointed well- qualified and enthusiastic co-ordinator has produced an action plan to begin to address these issues. She has ensured that the school is well resourced for teaching all the topics taught to pupils.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good use is made of skilled teaching assistants to teach ICT skills. • The school has a good range of computers and other hardware, which are used well. • Although some good use is made of ICT in other subjects of the curriculum, this is not yet planned fully.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are average at the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Leadership and management of the subject are good. • Improvement since the last inspection is good.

p.25

Commentary

Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 24 52. The first key issue at the last inspection was to raise standards in ICT. The school has worked very hard to do this. A good decision has been made not only to have a good and well-equipped suite of 16 computers, but also a trolley containing 16 laptops. This has ensured that pupils are having a good variety of experiences in the subject. For example, during the inspection, the suite was used regularly in the mornings for work to support numeracy, and then skills were taught in the afternoon. The laptops were used in six classes during the last two days of the inspection. As well as this, a digital camera was used to record some art work. All these experiences are having a positive impact on raising standards, which are now average through the school.

p.26

Commentary

53. Much of the improvement in standards has been based on training, both for teachers and teaching assistants. One of these teaching assistants is used very well to teach skills to half classes in the suite. Her expertise is communicated well to the pupils and her carefully planned lessons are raising skill levels significantly. She has good knowledge of the curriculum and is well aware of what pupils have already learnt. There is, however, no consistent system of recording what skills have been mastered so that other teachers are aware of where pupils are at.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

54. ICT is used well across the curriculum. Teachers use the skills taught in the suite to enhance learning in a wide range of subjects. For example, pupils produced well presented poems in literacy, combining text and graphics. The Internet is also used well and was observed during the inspection being used to carry out some research in geography. Younger pupils have created some very effective pictures in the style of Matisse, using a painting program, and pupils throughout the school use the computers to reinforce their learning in mathematics.

p.26

HUMANITIES

Religious education was inspected in full and is reported below. It was not possible to observe any lessons in geography or history and no overall judgements are therefore made. Scrutiny of work in pupils’ books indicates that standards are meeting those expected nationally and that standards in geography and history have been maintained since the last inspection.

p.26

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education is good .

p.26

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

• The quality of teaching is good. • The pupils show standards above expectations. • The coverage of the beliefs of different faiths is good. • There are good links to other subjects. • Resources are limited and there are insufficient artefacts from faiths other than Christianity.

p.26

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

• Standards are above expectations at the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 6. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 25 • Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. • Improvement since the last inspection is good.

p.26

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

55. Three lessons were seen in religious education. Teaching and learning in these lessons were good overall. In a Year 6, lesson the teacher was confident in her pupils and they were able to use a variety of learning styles, preparing responses for use later in the lesson. Strengths lay in her lesson planning and questioning, which were logical and challenging. She had confidence in her pupils’ knowledge and understanding from prior learning. This meant that she could work at pace, using vocabulary that went beyond pure description. This promoted pupils’ learning well. The pupils showed standards that were above expectations, being aware that Old Testament content is relevant to both Christianity and Judaism, but that the New Testament relates to the life of Jesus. In the Year 2 lesson, pupils discussed and enacted Christian and Sikh wedding ceremonies. This role-play meant they learnt well about the purpose of certain elements and the

p.27

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

meaning of associated symbols. Costumes and artefacts were used well to support this new learning. This contributed well to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development, as do the visits that are organised to places of worship. In all the lessons, pupils were interested and responsive, taking part in discussions.

p.27

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

56. Work in pupils’ books shows that they learn about Christianity and other main religions. For example, in Year 5, the curriculum matches the Locally Agreed Syllabus, as pupils learn about aspects of Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism, in which they compare laws and ceremonies. Good links are made with geography in Year 4, as pupils learn about Abraham’s journey from Ur. Also, links with literacy are promoted very well in the Year 6 class, where the teacher introduces the notion of literacy genre. Pupils are able to find selected passages in the Bible and know that there are different kinds of writing.

p.27

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

57. Overall, the leadership and management of religious education are satisfactory. The religious education policy is current, the school is just renewing its policy and documentation is before the governors. Teaching plans include cross-curricular links but the monitoring of teaching and learning is not yet in place and there are insufficient resources for faiths other than Christianity.

p.27

Geography and History

58. In geography , in Year 2, pupils are aware that Australia has different regions with different climates; this affects the types of weather, animals and plants found. Pupils in Year 1 use a simplified large-scale map of the area to show their journey to school and other local features. In Years 3 and 4, pupils use a key, they can explain that different colours on maps represent different land uses; and subsequently, they add features to a map of Abraham’s journey.

p.27

Geography and History

59. Cross-curricular links with English, art and history are well developed. In Year 1, pupils write down their addresses and sketch local buildings. In Year 5, pupils consider how people can both improve and damage their environment as they examine traffic in a local street and consider reducing the dangers by closure. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 26 60. In history, the evidence of work in pupils’ books was limited in some classes. However, in Year 3, pupils use a publishing program to produce travel posters about Ancient Egypt, and their use of persuasive language indicates good links with literacy, which improves learning. In Year 5, the pupils have written about childhood in the Tudor period and related it to their own personal history. Pupils write factual accounts, in their own words, about what they have learned, and this promotes their skills in writing and contributes well to their learning in history. However, there is evidence of copying from

p.27

Geography and History

the board in some classes in geography and history; this means there is insufficient investigative and independent work. This does little to enhance pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. There are good links with English in history, but not with other subjects.

p.28

Geography and History

61. The humanities curriculum follows a long-term plan, which is of good quality, but the lack of a whole school approach does not ensure progression. Also, there is inadequate medium-term planning to ensure consistency across the school. Good use is made of educational visits, which often foster cross-curricular links with mathematics, science, ICT and history. The lack of formal and informal assessments in this area means that pupils’ previous and current learning cannot be tracked and built upon in a systematic way. There is a school library and ICT suite which are used by pupils to support their research and enquiry skills. Policies for history and geography are not up to date and do not take account of recent changes in the curriculum.

p.28

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

None of these subjects was a focus for inspection and it was not possible to collect much first-hand evidence so no overall judgements have been made.

p.28

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

62. Only one lesson was seen in art and design and the teaching and learning in this lesson were satisfactory. The work seen in pupils’ folders and sketchbooks and on displays was of a high standard. It showed good development of skills and techniques. Pupils benefit from looking at the work of major artists such as Hockney and Matisse as well as some of the art forms of different cultures. Pupils learn about shape, texture and tone and use a range of media, for example, pencil, charcoal, pastel, paint and crayon. Computer programs are also used to generate some pictures. Pupils are taught to observe closely and to use particular techniques which they try out in their sketchbooks. Art is given a high profile during the annual Arts Week when the skills of visiting artists are used well to extend pupils’ experiences. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their work in art, a subject which they clearly enjoyed.

p.28

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

63. No lessons were seen in design and technology . Discussions with pupils and examples of work on display indicate that the subject is taught for a short but appropriate amount of time. Displays such as the work on designing and making a money holder show that pupils are taught to draw annotated designs, select materials and make their article. Some pupils evaluated how effective their designing and making had been. The policy for design and technology is out of date and does not take account of changes made to the National Curriculum in 2000.

p.28

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

64. No lessons were observed in music , although a singing assembly was seen and some individual music tuition and extra-curricular music were observed. Evidence gathered from discussions and analysis of work available shows that all aspects of the curriculum are covered effectively. In the singing assembly, the technical skills of singing were Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 27 taught well and the pupils sang enthusiastically and with good regard to pitch, tone and diction. There are a number of other opportunities, such as individual lessons in violin and keyboard and a small recorder group that meets after school. A choir meets to prepare for special events, such as Christmas, and performs in local old people’s homes. The school has also been involved in some events with the local cluster group to give the more musical pupils even more opportunities to extend their expertise.

p.28

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

65. No lessons were seen in physical education . Discussions with pupils and with the co- ordinator showed that the curriculum is broad and balanced, covering all aspects of the subject. All pupils learn to swim, take part in athletics, games, gymnastics, dance and outdoor and adventurous activities. The school has applied for the Activemark – gold award - as part of its co-operation with the local group of schools. It benefits from links with the secondary school, whose teachers share their expertise with staff and pupils. There is a good range of activities out of school hours, such as football, netball and yoga. As part of its efforts to achieve the Activemark, the school has identified providing extra opportunities in sport for the younger pupils as a target. The subject is led well by an enthusiastic co-ordinator. There is a good level of resources, ranging from general equipment such as balls and hoops to specialised equipment such as javelins and

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

discus. The pupils with special educational needs achieve success because the school has some equipment designed to meet their specific needs; this enhances these resources.

p.29

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship is satisfactory .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good informal provision for the pupils’ personal development. • The pupils have good opportunities to be involved in the running of the school, and thereby learn the basics of citizenship. • The planning for the subject is inadequate.

p.29

Commentary

66. Although all necessary aspects of the subject are dealt with, there is no formal planning. For example, sex and relationships education and drugs and alcohol awareness are successfully covered in the science curriculum, as is health education. Other aspects are covered in the religious education curriculum and most classes have a circle time or specific lesson to cover the other aspects of this subject. At present, no-one has planned to ensure complete coverage and much of the delivery is left to individual teachers. For example, in some classes there is circle time while others have specific personal, social and health education lessons. This means that the whole curriculum is somewhat disjointed and there is no assured continuity and progression for pupils. Having said all that, the outcomes are good, with pupils’ personal development being good. Pupils play a full role, both in the decision making in the school and in their classes. For example,

p.29

Commentary

members of the School Council are to have an input into the interviews for the Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 28 appointment of a new headteacher and classes formulate their own class rules. In Year 6, each member of the class takes ownership of these rules by signing them.

p.29

Commentary

67. Only one lesson was observed and the teaching in this lesson was satisfactory. It was only the second lesson for this class in which they had experienced circle time and two boys with behavioural problems did not find it easy to fit in with this new regime. The teacher dealt with their indiscretions well and after a slow start much was achieved. In the Year 6 class, the pupils have ‘journals’ in which they can write down any problems that they are having. These are then collected by the teacher, who, if she considers any problem worthy of taking further, will discuss it with the pupil to look for a way forward. This helps pupils to be aware that there is always someone in whom they can confide. Frinton-on-Sea Primary School - 29

p.30

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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