Holy Trinity Primary School

AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th to 13 th October 2004

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AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior School category: Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils: 4 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 190 School address: Broad Croft Bradley Stoke Bristol Postcode: BS32 0BD Telephone number: 01454 866735 Fax number: 01454 866737 Appropriate authority: The governing body Holy Trinity CE Aided Primary School Name of chair of governors: Mr M Mitchell Date of previous inspection: 24 th February 2003

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Holy Trinity School is an averaged sized primary school which has roughly the same number of pupils on roll as it did when it was last inspected. There are broadly equal numbers of boys and girls in the school although some year groups have a significant imbalance in the number of boys and girls. The school has 24 pupils on its register of special educational needs which is within the national average. Pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties form the largest group. Five pupils have a statement of special educational needs which is above the national average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. Four pupils are in the early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language which is higher than in most schools. About 12 per cent of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds which is around average. During the last school year, seven pupils entered the school other than at

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

the usual time of first admission and 12 left it at a time which was not the normal leaving or transfer time for most pupils. This rate of mobility is low. In the last two years, two teachers left the school and two joined it. This is also a low rate of turnover. Pupils enter the school at above average levels of attainment. The school received an achievement award in 2003 and was recognised as a Healthy School in 2004.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

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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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 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. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

15917 Bob Cross Lead inspector Science, information and communication technology, geography, physical education. 9092 Ron Elam Lay inspector 22745 Rosalind Johns Team inspector English, English as an additional language, personal, social, health and citizenship education, history, music, special educational needs. 19142 Audrey Quinnell Team inspector Mathematics, art and design, design and technology, Foundation Stage.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Phoenix Educational Consultants 37 Broadlands Avenue North Petherton Taunton Somerset TA6 6QS

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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 contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 31

Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 4

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school although it has two important areas of weakness. Pupils’ achievement is good due to good leadership by the headteacher and consistently good teaching in Years 1 to 6. As a result, standards in the national curriculum tests in Year 6 are generally high. The school gives good value for money. Provision for children in Year R is not good enough. Throughout the school, although this is more marked in some classes than in others, the pupils do not always apply themselves to their work with sufficient concentration.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The pupils do well in many areas by the time that they leave the school. • Standards in English, mathematics and science are high especially in Year 6. • The school is successfully focused on improvement as it is well led by the headteacher. • Teaching and learning and curricular provision are good in Years 1 to 6. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and for those who are gifted and talented is good. • Very good assessment procedures promote the pupils’ progress well. • Very good relationships with parents help the pupils to do well. • Children in Year R do not do well enough because provision for them is unsatisfactory. • Too many pupils do not always work as hard as they could.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has improved significantly since it was last inspected. The quality of teaching in Years 1 to 6 is better than it was. There has been a significant rise in the standards reached by the pupils. The progress that they make is now judged to be good whereas the findings of the last inspection were that progress was unsatisfactory. Overall, the five key issues from the school’s last inspection have been addressed well. However, aspects of the issues relating to the behaviour of pupils and their attitudes to their work have not been fully dealt with. Children in Year R do not do as well as they did when the school was last inspected.

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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 A A A B mathematics D A B C science C A A C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar numbers of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, the pupils’ achievement is good. Achievement in Years 1 to 6 is good for pupils of all abilities and needs. In Year 2, standards are well above average in science and above average in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT). They are average in listening and personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE). In Year 6, standards are well above average in mathematics and science. They are above average in English except for listening where standards are average, and also above average in ICT. Standards are average in history, geography and PSHCE. Provisional data indicate that pupils in Years 2 and 6 reached well above average standards in all aspects of the national tests and assessments in 2004. Achievement in Year R is unsatisfactory. In Year R, children are on course to reach the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception in their mathematical development and in

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

communication, language and literacy except for listening where they on course to fall below the expected goals. The children are also on track to fall below the expected goals in their personal and social development and in their physical development. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 5

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Overall, the pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory. Their spiritual, moral, social

and cultural development, attendance and punctuality are good. In almost all cases, pupils are attentive and work hard when being taught as a class. However, when asked to work on their own, many pupils in most classes lack application and self discipline. This results in a leisurely pace of work and some silly behaviour because many of the pupils have not developed a good work ethic. These attitudes do not occur in those classes where the best teaching is found. However, they are most pronounced in Year R where the children’s attitudes to work are unsatisfactory. This means that teaching in that class is not establishing the best attitudes for others to build on at the earliest stage in the children’s school life.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Overall, teaching and learning are

good. Teaching and learning are good in Years 1 to 6 but unsatisfactory in Year R. As a result, the pupils do well in Years 1 to 6 and standards are generally good. In these year groups, ICT is well used to help the pupils understand other subjects. However, children do not make enough progress in any area of development in Year R given their standards on entry. Throughout the school, insufficient attention is paid to developing the pupils’ listening skills and their PSHCE. Assessment information is generally very well used to plan the pupils’ work. However, there are some shortcomings in ensuring that the most able pupils always get interesting work. These facts largely account for weaknesses in the pupils’ attitudes and behaviour when not directly supervised. Curricular provision is good in Years 1 to 6 but unsatisfactory in Year R. The school has good links with the community and other schools. Pupils are well cared for and are closely involved in the life of

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The good leadership and management of the headteacher are successfully improving the school. All staff, especially the deputy headteacher, make good contributions to the management of Years 1 to 6. The management of Year R is unsatisfactory. The governance of the school is good. All statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very supportive of school. They generally agree that it is well led and managed and that teaching is good. Some concern was expressed about aspects of behaviour and homework. Almost all of the pupils like being at the school and most feel that teachers are fair and show them how to make their work better. Significant numbers feel that other children do not always behave well and that lessons are not interesting. The findings of the inspection are that the provision of homework is good but there are some weaknesses in pupils’ attitudes to their work.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the quality of provision in Year R. • Develop the school’s provision of PSHCE in order to benefit the pupils’ attitudes to work and their behaviour. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, achievement is good. In Years 1 to 6, pupils of all abilities do well. As a result, standards are above average in Year 2 and well above average in Year 6. Achievement in Year R is unsatisfactory and standards are not high enough.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year R, children do not reach their potential. • Pupils, whatever their needs, make good progress by Year 6. • National test results show high standards and an improving trend • In Year 2, pupils do best in science, reading, writing, speaking, mathematics and ICT. • In Year 6, pupils reach their highest standards in mathematics and science. • Pupils in Year 6 also do well in most aspects of English and in ICT. • In Years 1 to 6, basic skills are used well in other subjects. • Throughout the school, standards in listening and PSHCE are not high enough.

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Commentary

1. Children enter the school in Year R at above average standards. However, the findings of the inspection are that they are on course to reach the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception in their mathematical development and in communication, language and literacy except for listening where they on course to fall below the expected goals. The children are also on track to fall below the expected goals in their personal and social development and their physical development. Insufficient evidence was gathered to make firm judgements about the children’s standards in knowledge and understanding of the world or creative development. Achievement in Year R is unsatisfactory due to the unsatisfactory provision the school makes for Year R. Compared with the findings of the school’s 2003 inspection, standards are not as high and the quality of teaching is not as good as it was in Year R.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.7 (15.9) 15.7 (15.8) writing 15.6 (14.9) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 17.2 (16.2) 16.3 (16.5) There were29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. In the end of Year 2 test in 2003, standards were above average in reading, writing and mathematics compared with all schools. Standards in these subjects were average compared with all schools based on the numbers of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals. There has been an upward trend in standards similar to the national improvement. In the national assessments in science made by teachers in 2003, standards were in the highest five per cent in the country compared with all schools and with similar schools. There are no significant differences in the achievement of boys and girls. The provisional test and assessment results for 2004 show well above average standards compared with all schools in all subjects tested or assessed.

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Commentary

3. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 2, standards are well above average in science, above average in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics and ICT and average in listening and PSHCE. Insufficient evidence was gathered to make judgements in other subjects. Compared with Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 7 the findings of the school’s 2003 inspection, standards have risen in English, mathematics and science. No comparisons can be made with standards in ICT or PSHCE as the 2003 inspection did not make judgements in these subjects in Year 2.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.5 (28.8) 26.8 (27) Mathematics 28.3 (28.8) 26.8 (26.7) science 30 (30.5) 28.6 (28.3) There were 24 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

4. In the national tests in Year 6 in 2003, standards were well above average in English and science and above average in mathematics compared with all schools. Compared with similar schools based on the number of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals, standards were above average in English and average in mathematics and science. Compared with all schools based on schools whose pupils entered Year 2 at similar levels of attainment, standards were well above average in all three subjects. This measure must be treated with some caution as fewer than 80 per cent of the pupils who entered at Year 2 remained in the school to take the tests in 2003. Provisional test results for 2004 indicate that pupils reached well above average standards in English, mathematics and science. The school’s results in these tests show an upward trend which is faster than the national rate of improvement. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys

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Commentary

5. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 6, standards are well above average in mathematics and science, above average in ICT and in English overall, and average in listening, history, geography and PSHCE. Insufficient evidence was gathered to make judgements in other subjects. Compared with the findings of the school’s 2003 inspection, standards have risen in English, science, mathematics, ICT, history and geography. These were the only subjects where valid comparisons between findings of the two inspections could be made. In both Year 2 and Year 6, any differences between the findings of the inspection and national test and assessment results are because different groups of pupils are involved.

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Commentary

6. Good use is made of the pupils’ literacy, numeracy and ICT skills to support their learning in other subjects. Good examples of these skills being well used to promote the pupils’ development in other areas of learning are evident in all aspects of the curriculum.

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Commentary

7. Overall, in Years 1 to 6, achievement is good. This judgement supports the views of both parents and pupils. Standards have improved in these year groups since the school’s 2003 inspection because of its very positive response to the finding that the pupils were underachieving. In particular, the quality of teaching and learning is better now and this promotes improved standards. Teachers make good provision for pupils of all needs and abilities. As a result, overall, all pupils do well. Achievement in listening and PSHCE is satisfactory. This is because insufficient attention is paid to developing the pupils’ listening skills and because PSHCE is not sufficiently well organised.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Overall, pupils' attitudes to school and behaviour are satisfactory. Attendance and punctuality are good. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The behaviour and attitudes of the pupils have strengths and weaknesses although this is an improvement since the school’s last inspection. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 8 • The level of attendance is similar to that at the time of the previous inspection when it was above the national average. • The school's provision for social and moral development leads to good relationships around the school. • The school does not provide sufficient experiences for pupils to appreciate life in multicultural British society.

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Commentary

8. Overall, the behaviour of the pupils is satisfactory and they respond well to the moral guidance from the school. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong. They are open, well mannered, and polite to adults and to each other and welcoming to visitors. Nevertheless, the recent training and new strategies that the school has introduced to improve behaviour have still to become fully effective. In some classes, the pupils can be noisy and some have not developed self- discipline. Teachers sometimes adopt a confusing approach. For example, a clear reminder to put hands up to answer is followed by praise of the contribution made by a pupil who calls out. Additionally, procedures to reward pupils or to apply sanctions are not always consistent throughout the school. In the questionnaires, both parents and pupils expressed some concern about behaviour and, in each of the past few years, the school has had to exclude three or four pupils for extremely

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Commentary

poor behaviour. Last year, four pupils were excluded as can be seen in the table below.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 161 4 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 2 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 9 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0 Chinese 3 0 0 Any other ethnic group 8 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

9. The pupils' attitudes towards learning are satisfactory. This includes those of pupils with SEN and EAL. Parents confirm what their children told the inspectors and what was seen during the inspection. Pupils are eager to answer questions and are prepared to contribute their ideas. In some classes, pupils settle quickly to group work in lessons. Nevertheless, in a number of the lessons seen, the pupils did not maintain their interest unless they were being directly supported or encouraged by an adult. The pupils lacked the ability to concentrate, as they have not developed good work habits. This lack of attention and the unsettled atmosphere limit learning. These mixed attitudes reflect the quality of teaching and the variation in the level of interest in the activities in the lessons. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 9 10. The level of attendance deteriorated in the year following the previous inspection and as shown in

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Exclusions

the table below. However, it improved last year to over 95 per cent. Absences are mainly due to medical reasons although some parents insist on taking holidays during term time, despite the adverse effect this has on their children's education. Few pupils are late in the mornings. The effective arrangements at the start of the day lead to the great majority of pupils being in school before the beginning of the day and a prompt start to lessons.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.7 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.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

11. Pupils' social development is good. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to interact with classmates in group work, paired discussions and monitor tasks within each class. The pupils in each class have a range of responsibilities around the school. The school council and the house system enable pupils of different ages to work together. Their awareness of the wider world is enhanced with sports and music festivals, the different visitors, inter-school sports matches and talks by representatives of charities. Pupils' relationships with their peers and with adults have improved since the last inspection. These contribute to the quality of work in lessons and to the progress they make, especially by giving them the confidence to ask and to answer questions.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

12. The opportunities for pupils to gain insight into values and beliefs in order to enhance their spiritual awareness are satisfactory and are improved by means of the ethos developed from the Christian faith and values that permeate the school. These provide a set of values and principles that guide their perspective on life. School assemblies help pupils to experience a sense of belonging to a whole school community and, each week, to celebrate the contributions and achievements of others. ‘Circle time’ helps pupils to start to appreciate their own worth and to raise their self-esteem. Pupils willingly demonstrate that they can act responsibly and take care when carrying out tasks in the classroom and around the school.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

13. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Various subjects provide pupils with a fuller understanding of the world around them with, for example, painting and music developing aesthetic awareness. Pupils are starting to appreciate the western cultural background from nursery rhymes and work on, for example, the Greeks and Tudors in history and European artists and composers. The study of world faiths in RE helps them to appreciate others’ practices and beliefs. Pupils' awareness of other non-western cultures is starting to be developed from the occasional visitors, such as a Moslem parent talking about her life and African choir and drummers, and the visits out such as to the Bristol ‘Slave Walk’. Work in art includes Mendhi and Moslem patterns and Aboriginal finger painting. Nevertheless, such occasions are limited and, for example, the school provides no opportunities to experience the cultural dimension that comes from the festivals of other

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Overall, teaching and learning are good. Teaching and learning are good in Years 1 to 6 and the pupils do well and reach good standards. The use of ICT in other subjects is a particular strength in these years. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory in Year R and children do not make enough progress in any area of development. Throughout the school, insufficient attention is paid to developing the pupils’ listening skills and their Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 10 PSHCE. Assessment information is generally very well used to plan the pupils’ work although the most able pupils do not always get work which is sufficiently challenging. These facts largely account for weaknesses in the pupils’ attitudes and behaviour when not directly supervised. Curricular provision is good in Years 1 to 6 but unsatisfactory in Year R. The school has very good

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

relationships with parents and good links with the community and other schools. Pupils are well cared for and are closely involved in the life of the school.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall and in Years 1 to 6. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory in Year R. Assessment is very good overall and in Years 3 to 6. It is good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Year R.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Years 1 to 6, teaching is strongest in English, mathematics, science and ICT. • Teachers in Years 1 to 6 have high expectations of the pupils’ academic standards. • Assessment information is mostly used well to plan the pupils’ work. • Pupils have a good understanding of how to improve their work especially in English and mathematics. • Good use is made of the pupils’ literacy, numeracy and ICT skills and of learning resources to promote their learning across the curriculum. • There are significant shortcomings in the quality of teaching and learning in Year R. • Pupils with SEN, English as an additional language (EAL) and those who are gifted and talented are well supported. • Listening skills and PSHCE are not taught well enough. • Throughout the school, there are some weaknesses in the ways in which the teachers encourage pupils to apply themselves and to behave well.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

0 (0%) 3 (9%) 18 (55%) 11 (33%) 1(3%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

14. Overall, there has been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching and learning since the school was last inspected. In 2003, teaching and learning were judged to be satisfactory and 36 per cent of lessons were deemed to be good or better. In this inspection, teaching and learning are judged to be good and, in Years 1 to 6, 73 per cent of the lessons seen were at least good. As in 2003, the best teaching occurs in Year 1.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

15. In Years 1 to 6, teaching and learning were judged to be good in English, science and ICT and satisfactory in PSHCE. In Years 1 and 2, teaching and learning were also good in mathematics. In Years 3 to 6, teaching and learning were very good in mathematics, good in history, and satisfactory in geography. In those areas where the evidence allows comparisons with the findings of the school’s last inspection, teaching and learning have improved in all subjects except ICT where it remains good.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

16. In 2003, strengths in teaching included preparation, sharing the objectives of the lesson with the pupils and the use of homework. These strengths remain. However, in addition, this inspection now finds that, in Years 1 to 6, the teachers have high expectations of the academic standards that they Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 11 expect the pupils to reach. This is a major factor in raising standards. The marking of the pupils’ work also remains good but assessment procedures have improved from satisfactory to very good. Assessment procedures are particularly strong in English, mathematics and science and in Years 3 to 6. This results in the pupils being given work which is challenging but attainable most of the time. There are, however, still some instances where the needs of the able are not fully met. This occurs when teachers’ planning sets work for pupils of differing abilities at the same level of challenge. The

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

extension work planned for the more able is often more examples of the task being undertaken by all of the pupils. Additionally, the extra extension work, which is generally challenging, is rarely undertaken by the able pupils. This is because they are required to complete too much general work - which they frequently fully understand already - before they get to it.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

17. In Years 1 to 6, the teachers give the pupils a range of targets to improve their work which are often shared with parents too. In conversation, the pupils said how valuable they found these targets in making their work better. They also indicated how valuable they found the written and oral comments that teachers make on their work in helping them to achieve high standards. The pupils in Year 6 liked to know what National Curriculum level they were expected to achieve and were glad that they knew what they had to do to reach or exceed that level.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

18. The pupils in Years 1 to 6 have good literacy, numeracy and ICT skills which the teachers enable them to apply well to their learning in other subjects. This interests the pupils and develops their basic skills in these areas in the subjects in which they use them. Teachers also use a good range of learning resources to stimulate the pupils’ learning. A particular instance of this is in science where investigative science involves a range of individual and group work which the pupils enjoy.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

19. In Year R, teaching and learning are not as good as they were in 2003. At that time, teaching and learning in Year R were judged to be satisfactory. This inspection finds that they are unsatisfactory. The teacher has insufficient knowledge of the statutory curriculum for children of this age and how young children learn, in order for her to provide an appropriate curriculum for children in their Reception year. Many of the children start school with standards above those expected for their age. However, the teaching methods do not allow these children to learn sufficiently well and, as a result, they do not reach high enough standards. Although the teacher’s planning is linked to the curriculum areas of learning for children of this age, it does not contain specific details of what the children are expected to learn within each lesson. The planning shows that there is only one area of learning to

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

focus on for each day, such as mathematical development or the teaching of phonics, which are each scheduled for almost a whole day once a week. This does not ensure that the children experience a well-balanced and broad curriculum. Also, it is very difficult for children of this very young age to build successfully on the knowledge they do gain, as there is such a long time between each session for the different areas of learning. Although in-class observations are made of the children, the information gained from the assessments is not always used sufficiently well to ensure that the curriculum is adapted to the diverse needs of the children.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

20. The school carefully identifies pupils who have SEN or who are gifted and talented. All are given appropriately challenging work. For example, able mathematicians work with older pupils and an outstanding gymnast attends special classes outside of the school. Pupils with SEN have their work carefully matched to their needs in good individual education plans (IEPs). These are well used by teachers and teaching assistants to promote the pupils’ progress. The school arranges for pupils who have EAL to have their needs carefully assessed and then has a suitable programme for their progress devised. This programme is carefully implemented and monitored. As a result, these pupils soon learn English well enough to take a full part in the life of the school.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

21. Throughout the school, the teaching of listening skills and PSHCE, although satisfactory, is not good enough to maximise the pupils’ progress in these areas. Teachers are not consistent in their approach to requiring pupils to pay attention and listen carefully to what they are told. For example, in some cases, teachers ask the pupils to be quiet but continue with the lesson before silence has been achieved. The importance of listening so that pupils understand what they have to do is not emphasised enough. The school acknowledge that PSHCE is an underdeveloped area. Provision is Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 12 not fully planned and teachers miss opportunities to develop the pupils’ understanding in this area in lessons. In many cases, pupils are not willing to contribute to PSHCE sessions.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

22. A key issue for action from the school’s 2003 inspection was to improve the pupils’ behaviour by raising teachers’ expectations of them. This has been implemented soundly and behaviour has much improved and is now satisfactory. However, there are still some examples of lack of self discipline by a few pupils when given individual or group work which adversely influences the rest of the class. This is more marked in some classes and subjects than in others but indicates that the school policy on promoting good behaviour is not fully effective. Reasons for this include the unsatisfactory attitudes developed in Year R, the variations in approach to promoting good behaviour between different classes and the failure to develop the pupils’ listening and PSHCE skills fully. These factors also result in some pupils showing too relaxed an attitude to their work. Again, this occurs when they are working independently of the teacher but also when they are undertaking tasks

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

which they do not find stimulating. For example, when classes carry out group reading, the group working with the teacher does well. However, those set to undertake other work such as practising handwriting, proceed at a very slow pace, engage in social chatter and produce limited amounts of work of low quality.

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The curriculum

Overall, the curriculum provided at Holy Trinity Primary School is good. The school supports the pupils’ learning outside of the school day and develops the range of their interests very well. Overall, the school’s accommodation and resources are satisfactory. Curricular provision, accommodation and resources are unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school plans its curriculum well and adjusts it successfully in order to cater for the changing needs of the pupils and national requirements. • The pupils’ learning is enriched well through the very good range of clubs, visitors and educational visits provided by the school. • Provision for pupils with SEN and those who are gifted and talented is good. • There are shortcomings in curricular provision for children in the Reception class. • Learning resources for children in the Foundation Stage have some limitations.

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Commentary

23. The school provides a good curriculum, which enhances pupils’ learning well. It keeps the effectiveness of its curricular provision under constant and effective review and implements changes well. The school is seeking to improve the curriculum even more through greater emphasis on creativity. The school combines aspects of the curriculum, such as art with history and English, and mathematics with geography, in order to make subjects more meaningful and interesting for pupils, as well as extending their learning. Overall, provision for pupils’ equality of access and opportunity is good. This represents a good improvement since the school’s last inspection when improving curricular provision was a key issue for action.

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Commentary

24. The statutory curriculum for children in the Reception class is unsatisfactory. It is not fully implemented, due to the teacher’s lack of sufficient knowledge and understanding of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Too much of the curriculum is teacher directed and the children do not have sufficient opportunities to choose activities for themselves. Opportunities to choose between indoor and outdoor activities are very limited. Planning is linked to the statutory curriculum for children of this age, but lacks details of what the children are to learn within each lesson. Colourful displays of the children’s work enhance the indoor accommodation. However, although the outside area is attractively decorated, it is small for the number of children in the class and is underused. Access to the outdoor area is difficult, as the door to it is narrower than an average sized door. Also, it does not have a covered area, which limits the children’s access to the outside area in bad weather. Overall,

p.13

Commentary

Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 13 the range of resources is limited and there are insufficient large wheeled toys and clambering apparatus for outside play for the number of children in the class.

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Commentary

25. Curricular provision for pupils with SEN is good. The needs of the pupils with statements of SEN are well met. IEPs are well organised; targets are clear and achievable and relate well to pupils’ needs. They are reviewed regularly and provision is reassessed appropriately. The school also makes good curricular provision for pupils who are gifted and talented. For example, a Shakespeare workshop was organised during the school holidays for the school’s own gifted and talented pupils and for those from other local schools. Plans are in hand to repeat this provision in other curricular areas.

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Commentary

26. The school extends pupils’ learning very well through a very good range of visitors, clubs and educational visits. Visitors, such as the vicar, the school nurse, the police, a dog warden, an American who came in during the geography week and grandparents who come in to talk about their childhood during the Second World War greatly enrich pupils’ understanding of life in the community. Theatre groups, including one on Victorian drama, and musicians, such as the Pearl of Africa choir and the local musicians who led workshops for the whole school for different forms of jazz, deepen pupils’ learning very well of different cultures and diverse styles of music. The annual geography week extends pupils’ geographical knowledge very well. Pupils enjoy and support well the very good choice of out of school clubs. These include football, cricket, tag- rugby, netball, tennis, French, choir, gardening, art and craft and a homework club. Pupils from the chess club compete against

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Commentary

pupils from other schools and were delighted to be promoted to the highest division within the local area. Pupils enjoy competing against pupils from other schools in friendly sports matches and in the local festival for sports. This judgement supports the parents’ view that the school provides a good range of extracurricular activities.

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Commentary

27. Pupils take part with pupils from other schools in an arts week, as well as in the Bradley Stoke Festival for music and in school performances, such as Oliver Twist , which is very good for their self-esteem, when they perform before an audience. Visits to the Commonwealth Museum, Bristol Cathedral, Bristol science centre, Bristol zoo, Caerleon and Willsbridge Mill enrich pupils’ learning of many areas of the curriculum very well. The residential school camps for pupils in Years 3 and 5 are very good, as these enable them to learn to live together and experience outdoor adventure activities.

p.14

Commentary

28. The school has a satisfactory number of teachers and teaching assistants to support the curriculum. The school building provides the school with good accommodation and together with the satisfactory range of resources supports the curriculum suitably. The good information and technology suite is used well to promote pupils’ learning of the subject. The spacious grounds are laid out well and include some very good quality climbing apparatus. The good curriculum meets all statutory requirements.

p.14

Care, guidance and support

The arrangements for pupils' care, welfare and health and safety are good overall and support pupils' learning appropriately. The provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring is satisfactory. The involvement of pupils in the school's work through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is good.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils trust the teachers and other staff and know there is always someone to whom they can turn. • The adults in the school are very caring and know the pupils well. • Pupils with SEN and those with EAL are well looked after. • The school provides a variety of opportunities for pupils to express opinions about life in the school. • Although the assessment of the pupils’ academic standards is strong, the monitoring of pupils' personal development throughout the school is limited. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 14

p.14

Commentary

29. As at the time of the previous inspection, staff show good concern for the needs of the pupils and provide good role models to encourage development. Parents are pleased with the level of support in the school, seeing it as a caring community where staff are approachable if there are any problems. In particular, parents agreed that their children were well supported when they first come into the school either into Reception or if they arrive in other years. Pupils know to whom they would go if they needed help. They also consider that the teachers listen to their ideas. Pupils are enabled to influence what happens in the school by means of the school council and in discussions in the classroom in ‘circle time’ and at other times. Innovations they have helped to introduce are water bottles in the classroom and improvements to the playground.

p.15

Commentary

30. Pupils with SEN and those with EAL are cared for well and have trust and confidence in those who support them. Their contributions are valued and their achievements soundly recognised. The school taps effectively into the expertise of outside agencies to support pupils’ individual programmes of work.

p.15

Commentary

31. The school ensures that its health and safety procedures are audited annually. The teachers follow the relevant guidance for lessons such as science, design and technology and physical education. The lunchtime supervisors have good written guidance on health and safety in the playground and in the dining hall. An example of excellent safe working was seen in a Year 1 lesson preparing a salad, with the pupils given clear guidance on how to use a knife and grater and their being closely supervised by the appropriately high number of adults present. The school has risk assessments for visits out but also intends checking with the advisor on the need for such assessments for the various activities that take place in the school. The school follows the local procedures for child protection and staff have received guidance on how to deal with any concerns that may arise. The arrangements for first aid are good with several trained staff, records kept of

p.15

Commentary

treatment and parents contacted after minor accidents.

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Commentary

32. The school’s procedures for assessing pupils’ progress in their academic work are good. As a result, they receive good advice and support on how to improve. This is evident in the level of work pupils are given. It is also evident from the clear understanding that pupils have of how to make their work better. Pupils particularly valued the ‘mind maps’ which help them to think deeply about their work and to recognise how much they have learnt about a subject. Pupils' self-esteem is raised by the range of rewards such as praise, house points, displays of certificates and mention in newsletters to parents. The school has produced a programme of support to develop pupils' collaborative skills. Pupils in Years 3 and 5 go on residential camps. Pupil profiles are updated yearly with the pupils identifying what they are most proud of. At the end of the year the class teacher gives the new class teacher information about the pupils and a summary is provided in the

p.15

Commentary

annual reports to parents about their children's progress. Nevertheless, the school has no structured approach to monitoring and recording pupils' personal qualities and attitudes to work. This limits the staff being able to ensure that pupils develop good work habits.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are very good overall. Links with the local community and other schools are good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents hold the school in high regard. • Parents' support at home and in school makes a good contribution to pupils' achievement. • The school provides a wide range of information about what happens in school. • The school has good links with parents of children who have SEN or EAL. • The involvement of a range of organisations and people in the community extends experiences for pupils' personal, social and academic development. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 15

p.15

Commentary

33. In their response to the pre-inspection questionnaire and at the meeting, parents showed that they are very pleased with what the school provides. Their children like school, the staff expect their children to work hard and they make good progress. These responses are similar to those at the time of the last inspection and the inspectors' findings confirm their views.

p.16

Commentary

34. The school sends home regular news and other letters about general matters. At meetings in the evenings, the school outlines what is being taught and how parents can work with their children. Other information is provided by the homework timetable, reading diaries, some of which are also used for a home-school dialogue and via the school's website. Teachers are readily available. In particular, parents are welcomed into school with their children before the start of the day. From the relaxed, informal conversations seen to take place during the inspection, it is apparent that parents are comfortable talking to the staff. Parents meet the class teachers formally in the autumn and summer terms. The annual reports on pupils’ progress in the summer term generally have a good summary of what the children know and can do in each subject.

p.16

Commentary

35. Parents’ involvement with the school makes a good contribution to its work and to the achievement of the pupils. Most parents come to the consultation evenings with the teachers or meet them shortly afterwards. Some parents help regularly in the classroom and many more accompany trips out. The school provides feedback cards to enable parents to comment after the annual governors' meeting. Parents are actively involved in helping to formulate school policies such as, recently, homework and changes to the school day. Parents form part of the focus group which also includes governors and staff. Discussions with pupils show that their parents either help with homework or at least ensure that their children complete it. The Friends' association works hard to organise successfully both fund raising and social events.

p.16

Commentary

36. There is good communication with the parents of pupils with SEN or EAL and there is plenty of contact between home and school to give ample information and to discuss areas of concern.

p.16

Commentary

37. Pupils' sporting skills are enhanced by the specialist coaching in tag rugby and cricket and by the matches against other schools. A local firm has donated sports prizes. Pupils' understanding of society is enhanced by the contact with local ministers, charitable organisations and staff from public bodies such as the police and fire brigade. The mainstream curriculum is enhanced by the trips out to places in the local area and further afield. Particularly important are the links with the local church which the pupils visit for services and whose vicar leads assemblies regularly. The links with a local pre-school provider smooth children's arrival into the Reception class. Contacts at the secondary level also help to smooth the transfer of pupils at the end of Year 6. The two partnerships of local and diocesan schools run joint training sessions. These provide good opportunities for staff to share

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The leadership of the headteacher is good. Most other leadership roles are fulfilled well including the management of the school’s provision for pupils with SEN. The leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are unsatisfactory. The school’s governance is good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good leadership and management of the headteacher have successfully promoted improvement since the school’s last inspection. • All staff, especially the deputy headteacher, make good contributions to the management of Years 1 to 6. • Weaknesses in the leadership and management of the Foundation Stage adversely affect the progress made by the children in Year R. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 16 • Provision for pupils with SEN and for those who are gifted and talented is well managed. • The school’s self evaluation is good. • Strategic planning is generally well focused. • The governing body supports and challenges the school effectively.

p.16

Commentary

38. The school has made a good improvement since it was last inspected. In 2003, the school was judged to be underachieving. The present inspection finds that it provides its pupils with a good quality education. Since February 2003, the quality of teaching and learning and the standards reached by the pupils have improved. This improvement is directly attributable to the good leadership and management of the headteacher and the support she has received from staff and governors.

p.17

Commentary

39. The issues arising from the school’s last inspection were taken very seriously and a considerable amount of thought and analysis were put into addressing them effectively. This resulted in a very strong action plan which was carefully monitored to ensure that it was being implemented successfully. The use of assessment information is now much more effective and this makes a major contribution to the higher standards achieved by the pupils. National test and assessment data are analysed carefully for strengths and weaknesses and any weaknesses are addressed. In addition, the progress of individual pupils is thoroughly checked, particularly in English, mathematics and science, to ensure that the pupils are reaching their potential. However, there are still some occasions when more able pupils are not fully stretched. Standards in history and geography in Years 3 to 6 are now average rather than below average and curricular provision, apart from that in

p.17

Commentary

the Foundation Stage, is now good. The pupils’ behaviour has improved and is now satisfactory. Nevertheless, significant numbers of the pupils still lack self discipline which adversely affects their levels of application and concentration.

p.17

Commentary

40. The issue concerning the monitoring role of co-ordinators has been very well addressed. Co- ordinators now have a secure and effective written statement of their duties and carry them out well. It also helps newly appointed co-ordinators to function effectively very quickly. This enables co- ordinators to make a significant contribution to the management of the school. The deputy headteacher’s support of the headteacher is particularly important. In addition, for example, to serving as a member of the senior management team and deputising for the headteacher, he acts as a first rate role model of classroom practice for all staff because of the quality of his teaching. The management of the school’s teaching of pupils with SEN and those who are gifted and talented is good. These pupils are identified quickly and correctly and are provided with work which helps them to succeed according to their capabilities. Their progress is monitored and their work modified

p.17

Commentary

as necessary. Teaching assistants are well prepared and appropriately trained and draw upon a good range of skills to support these pupils.

p.17

Commentary

41. The management of the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory. Although the Foundation Stage is recognised by the school as in need of improvement the rate of change is not fast enough. This is because the leadership and management of the area are not focused enough. There are significant weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning, classroom organisation, curricular provision and accommodation in Year R. As a result, the children are not making enough progress.

p.17

Commentary

42. The school’s self evaluation is rigorous and effective. In the major areas of improvement since the last inspection, the quality of teaching and learning, leadership and management and the effectiveness of the school, the views of the inspection and the school were identical. There was never more than one grade’s difference in any aspect of evaluation between the school and the inspection. In several areas, the school’s views were lower than the judgements of the inspection. This indicates a rigorous and objective approach to self evaluation. Furthermore, weaknesses in the Foundation Stage are recognised and are being addressed and there is a clear recognition that aspects of behaviour are not good enough. The key issues for action of this inspection are, thus, already at least to some extent, in hand. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 17 43. The school improvement plan is a useful management tool. This is a significant improvement

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Commentary

compared with the findings of the 2003 inspection which made it a minor issue for improvement. For example, the plan spells out how improvements in the Foundation Stage will be brought about and has priorities which involve motivating and involving pupils in their learning. However, it does not mention lack of resources or how to overcome problems with the accommodation for Foundation Stage children. In addition, it contains no plan to develop PSHCE although this is a recognised weakness which underpins the development of the pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. The headteacher is clear that performance management procedures are linked to ensuring that issues identified by the school as being in need of improvement are addressed in the targets set.

p.18

Commentary

44. The governors do a good job. They have a range of appropriate procedures for monitoring the school’s performance including being linked to specific subjects. The governors make an important contribution to the formation of the school improvement plan and act as effective critical friends to the school. They are strong on financial planning and control. The chair and the headteacher meet regularly to discuss any issues that arise. The governors are very clear about the strengths of the school but are less aware of its areas for development.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 489390 Balance from previous year 9910 Total expenditure 479050 Balance carried forward to the next 20250 Expenditure per pupil 2482 Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 18

p.18

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE.

p.19

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory.

p.19

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

45. Children are admitted to school on a part-time basis during September in the year in which they become five. They are usually integrated into full-time attendance at the end of their first month in school. There are 30 children in the Reception year. Induction procedures are satisfactory and this means that the children quickly get used to the school routines. Although children’s overall attainment is above average when they enter the Reception class, most are unlikely to achieve the standards expected of them, except in their mathematical and some aspects of their communication, language and literacy development. The quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory, which prevents children of all needs and abilities from achieving well enough.

p.19

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

46. The curriculum provided is unsatisfactory and does not meet the needs of the children. There are insufficient opportunities for children to develop their independent learning by selecting an activity and using their imagination in free-play activities. Although the school building places some restrictions on the range of outside activities, the outside area is not used sufficiently well, or often enough, to offer the full range of an appropriate curriculum for children in the Reception class. The size of the indoor classroom is relatively small for the number of children and they have very little space to move about in freely. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage has declined since the school was last inspected.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is unsatisfactory.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children are happy in school. • Relationships between adults and children are satisfactory. • Unsatisfactory teaching and learning limit the children’s progress. • The curriculum is not matched to the needs of the children.

p.19

Commentary

47. By the end of the Reception year, most children are unlikely to achieve the expected standards for children of this age in their personal, social and emotional development. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory, as too few opportunities are provided for the children to take part in their own initiated activities. Too often, the children are taught as a class, which limits the progress in their personal, social and emotional development. The children are happy to come to school and work and play enthusiastically with each other. Relationships between adults and children are satisfactory, and help to promote the children’s self-esteem and confidence. Overall, the children are well behaved, but many do not quickly respond when asked to stop their activities and be ready to listen. There are insufficient opportunities and equipment for outside play. There are only three good quality large wheeled toys, which are infrequently used and this limits the children’s opportunities to learn to

p.19

Commentary

share with others. This limits their personal and social development. Although most children willingly tidy up when the tidy up time music is played, they are not encouraged to tidy up as they finish an activity. This results in the classroom becoming very untidy, such as the children walking over painting aprons strewn on the floor. This does not encourage the children to develop good habits and limits their personal and social development, which is a very important part of their development in their Reception year. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 19

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is unsatisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. • Insufficient progress in speaking, reading and writing skills. • Unsatisfactory development of listening skills.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

48. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory, as many children enter the school with above average standards, but do not achieve in line with their ability. Most children are confident speakers and have a good vocabulary, but their listening skills are weak. Although the teacher provides opportunities for the children to talk, few willingly listen. Even when the teacher asks the children to listen when others are speaking, quite often they will shout out answers. However, she does not have a consistent approach to managing the children and does not always remind them how they should respond, so the children are not developing good listening habits. Their listening skills are not improving and this limits their learning. When an adult plays alongside the children in the home corner, this helps to stimulate the children’s vocabulary and imaginative play, which is good. The children enjoy listening to stories and most know about books and how to use them. However, they often call out, which

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

49. When they enter the school, most children can use pictures to gain an understanding of a story. Some are starting to learn that the text also conveys meaning. When working with individual children, the teacher helps to extend their early reading skills well by talking about the pictures with the child and pointing to the very simple text, as she says the words. This is helping the children to recognise the link between the pictures and the text and to extend their early reading skills. However, this happens far too infrequently for the children to make good progress and attain high achievement in line with their abilities. The children regularly take books home to share with their parents. Some children can write their name and sometimes use these known letters with other mark making in their emergent writing, which is good, as this gives them the confidence to write.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is unsatisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. • Lack of sufficient practical experiences. • Assessment information is not used sufficiently well.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

50. Many children enter the school with above average attainment in their mathematical development. However, teaching and learning are unsatisfactory, as the work is not based on the needs of the children. The lack of pace in some lessons does not move the children’s learning on quickly enough in order for them to make good progress. Although some practical experiences are provided for them, too often all the children in the Reception year are taught as a group. This does not ensure that the needs of each child are met. There is a lack of real, first-hand experiences for the children to gain well in their understanding of all aspects of their mathematical learning. When all 30 children were sitting in a circle estimating which car would travel furthest off a ramp, they were expected to watch. They were unable to take part in the practical experience, other than three children placing flash cards with one, two or three on them to show which car they thought had

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

travelled furthest from the ramp. The activity was very adult directed and limited the children’s learning. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 20 51. The children enjoy singing number rhymes and songs, which helps to develop their mathematical thinking. When lining up to go out of the classroom, the children are encouraged to say which number they are in the line, which is enabling them to learn to count by rote numbers up to 30. However, the children are often excited when they do this and try to shout more loudly than the previous child, but the teacher does not insist that they speak more quietly, which impinges on their personal and social development. The children have experience of playing with sand and water. However, this does little to extend their mathematical learning as they often do this without any adult talking with them to extend their knowledge of quantities or mass.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

52. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about the quality of teaching and learning for the development of the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. First-hand experiences, such as the visit to the Westonbirt arboretum for a teddy bears’ picnic engage their interest and extend their learning. The children listen to religious stories. They learn how they have changed since they were born. They enjoy using a computer and most children confidently control the mouse.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. • Children have too few opportunities to develop good control of their bodies.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

53. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory, so the children are unable to make enough progress in their physical development. Most children’s pencil control is in line with standards expected for their age. However, when painting, many children have weak brush control. The children only have a few physical development lessons each week, which limits opportunities for them to develop good control of their bodies. During a physical development lesson, children were able to run and hop in line with the control expected for their age. However, most had little awareness of space and tended to stay close together when sitting or moving. The teacher’s use of some vocabulary, such as ‘spatial awareness’ was too advanced for the children to understand and did not extend their learning. Also, the children found it very difficult to respond to the flash cards, stating tall, wide or small, which the teacher held up when she wanted them to stop running or hopping round the hall

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

and to make that shape. The children could not read the cards and were much too interested in their activity to be aware that the teacher was holding up a card. The children are not given sufficient opportunities to move easily between the indoor and outdoors play area in order for them to use the small number of large wheeled toys for outdoor play. This limits their physical and personal and social development.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

54. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about the quality of teaching and learning for the children’s creative development. However, many of their drawings and paintings are of a standard that is expected for their age. When playing in the role-play area, their imaginative play is sometimes stimulated and their vocabulary extended through an adult taking part with them.

p.21

English

Provision in English is good. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 21

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and are reaching above average standards. • Standards in the national tests are high. • Pupils are confident and adventurous in speaking but their listening skills are weaker. • Pupils read accurately and fluently but older ones cannot appreciate deeper issues and meaning in the text. • Guided reading sessions are not developed well enough. • Pupils are encouraged to write in inventive ways. • Teaching is confident and well-informed. • Assessment information is not being used productively. • Good subject leadership ensures a constant focus on improvement. • Good links with other subjects.

p.22

Commentary

55. In both Year 2 and Year 6, standards in English are above average overall. The achievement of all groups of pupils is good. At the last inspection, it was reported that there was significant underachievement in English across the school and that pupils were achieving average standards. Improvement has, therefore, been good. Standards in the current Year 2 and Year 6 are lower than those found overall in the national tests over the past two years because of the higher number of pupils in these year groups with significant learning needs in the subject.

p.22

Commentary

56. Across the school, standards in speaking are above average and many pupils are confident and clear communicators. In Year 2, pupils respond readily to questions and offer their ideas freely in well-formed sentences. Similarly, a lot of pupils in Year 6 put forward their views in a well-judged and balanced way and use words precisely and expressively. This was evident in a Year 6 lesson on journalistic writing when pupils talked about and enjoyed playing with words to create arresting headlines. However, some pupils have a more limited range of language structures and words for their age and lack the confidence to develop their ideas in any detail. These pupils sometimes sit passively and do not offer answers or show enthusiasm. Teachers do not adequately draw them in and often allow the more articulate to dominate discussions. Pupils’ listening skills were identified as a weakness at the last inspection and they remain the weakest aspect of the subject. Teachers do

p.22

Commentary

not consistently reinforce to pupils the importance of being careful and responsive listeners in order to improve their learning. In some classes, pupils do not always listen closely so that they do not know what is expected of them. In discussion, this often means that they do not build on the ideas of others and respect their views.

p.22

Commentary

57. In Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ reading skills are above average. Many read with a degree of confidence, fluency and pleasure appropriate to their age. Pupils in Year 2 have a good range of techniques for tackling new words and use their knowledge of sounds and letter combinations appropriately and their understanding of the context. More able pupils are keen to talk about aspects of stories they have enjoyed and to identify favourite books and characters. By Year 6, pupils approach books confidently and are fascinated by the twists and turns of the plot and the fate of characters. They are well aware of how to use their voices to create suspense or emotion. However, they find it more difficult to consider wider themes in their reading, detect hidden meanings in the text and predict possible outcomes. Older pupils also read a comfortable rather than a challenging range of books so that they do not learn how to tackle books with increasing insight and

p.22

Commentary

maturity. Guided reading sessions are unsatisfactory. In the classes seen during the inspection, the focus groups led by the teacher made good progress but other groups lacked real direction and many pupils were distracted or passive. Pupils have good skills for researching information from books and other sources.

p.22

Commentary

58. Standards in writing are above average across the school. Pupils are given plenty of opportunities to write in a variety of styles in Year 2 including instructions, postcards and story endings. They know how to improve simple sentences with descriptive words and with connectives Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 22 to provide a more interesting story line. In Year 6, pupils write in a challenging range of styles and their writing shows increasing confidence in exploring ideas and in experimenting with language and content. Some pupils are developing an individual style and are beginning to use words in an innovative and adventurous way. In the case of others, their output is small and ideas are not sustained consistently enough. Work on grammar is good and most pupils have a sound grasp of spelling and punctuation rules. Some pupils in Year 2 have a neat, joined up style of handwriting but

p.22

Commentary

others have limited control over the size and shape of letters. Older pupils generally have a fluent style but work is not always presented neatly enough.

p.23

Commentary

59. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers’ confident command of the subject means that presentations are lively and well-informed, constructive links are made between subjects and new knowledge is introduced in a clear and systematic way. This was evident in a Year 6 lesson when the teacher introduced the features of journalistic style and interacted constantly with pupils to reinforce and extend the concepts of the lesson. Linked to this subject expertise are teachers’ skills in asking questions. These help pupils to think more precisely about how to frame their ideas. In a Year 1 lesson about understanding the role of adjectives, the teacher’s simple, specific questions enabled pupils to think very carefully about what they were going to write. Teachers also urge pupils to use interesting and imaginative vocabulary in their creative writing. In a Year 4 lesson, pupils enjoyed writing poetry about the senses as the teacher encouraged them to

p.23

Commentary

expand their imaginations and to be bold and innovative in their choice of words. Other common strengths include a spirited pace, effective use of timed targets, simple yet constructive marking and friendly, supportive relationships in classrooms. However, in some classrooms, there is an undercurrent of restlessness which is not always checked by the teacher. This is sometimes linked to the fact that, although assessment procedures are good, teachers do not use this information precisely enough. They do not always provide tasks for pupils which are sharply defined or imaginative enough and which will interest and challenge pupils at their own level. As a result, pupils relax into a leisurely rate of working and their output is not as good as it should be.

p.23

Commentary

60. The subject is well led and managed. The leader has a good overview of the subject through regular classroom observations and looking at planning and pupils’ books. ICT is well integrated into the subject. The recent initiative to improve boys’ writing has been successful in increasing motivation and improving standards. Pupils’ targets also act as a good incentive to higher achievement.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

61. The development of language and literacy across the curriculum is good and has been a focus for improvement. For example, pupils evaluate hat designs in DT, explore a healthy life style in PSHCE, write Ancient Egyptian menus in history, compare Bradley Stoke with Bosham in geography and have good recording skills in science. Teachers also ensure that subject language is clearly defined and reinforced so that pupils use it naturally and confidently.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the end of Year 6 many pupils do very well. • Teaching and learning are consistently at least good. • Very good inclusion. • Very good procedures for, and use of, assessment. • The subject manager provides very good leadership. • Targets are set for pupils in order to raise standards.

p.23

Commentary

Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 23 62. Overall, pupils reach well above average standards. Standards are well above average in Year 6 and above average in Year 2. The provisional results for the national 2004 tests in Years 2 and 6 match this judgement. Throughout the school, pupils’ achievement is very good. Achievement is good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6.

p.24

Commentary

63. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently at least good in Years 1and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6. Teachers provide challenging tasks, which are suited very well to pupils’ needs. Pupils enjoy their mathematics lessons and positively respond to the tasks. Very good teaching in a Year 1 lesson inspired pupils to achieve very high standards for their age. The teacher explained the learning intention of the lesson, which was to understand that a symbol could represent a missing number, so pupils were aware of what they were to learn. After a brisk question and answer session, the teacher asked pupils to explain their ideas within their small groups. This enabled everyone to be involved and to feel confident. One group of very high achievers were challenged to add three numbers to make a total of 20. Each pupil had a series of three empty squares on a page and had to start with a number more than ten before adding on two more numbers in decreasing value. These

p.24

Commentary

pupils enjoyed the task and achieved very well. Other pupils were asked to use two numbers to fill in their empty squares to make numbers totalling ten. Both the teacher and the teaching assistant provided very good support for groups of pupils. The lesson was very challenging for pupils of all abilities. Lower achieving pupils were provided with appropriate levels of support, which enabled them to take a full part in the lesson and to achieve well. Pupils cooperated very well within their groups. They were engrossed in their work and successfully completed their tasks. Stimulating, enthusiastic and consistently challenging teaching inspired pupils to achieve very well with activities sensitively matched to their needs.

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Commentary

64. There are very good inclusion procedures, which ensure that pupils are supported very well. Pupils who have additional educational needs are fully included in all activities and are provided with good support , which enables them to make good progress towards their own targets. Gifted and talented pupils are enabled to achieve very high standards in line with their ability. When appropriate, mathematically gifted and talented pupils are enabled to work within an older year group of pupils just for their mathematics lessons, so that they can continue to be sufficiently challenged, which is very good.

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Commentary

65. There are very good procedures for assessment, which are used very well to plan future work and are effective in helping to raise standards. Marking is of a high standard, which enables pupils to know how they can improve their work and so achieve higher attainment. Pupils are given the most appropriate levels of work for them to achieve as well as they can. Specific, achievable targets help pupils to know the next steps in their learning in order to achieve higher attainment and to feel successful.

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Commentary

66. The coordinator provides very good leadership. She has a clear sense of direction on how to continue to improve the standards of mathematics across the school. She is a good role model for other staff and monitors teaching and pupils’ work. Since the last inspection, the school has made a good improvement in mathematics and has continued to raise the already high levels of attainment.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

67. Provision for developing pupils’ numeracy skills across the curriculum is very good. There are very good links with other subjects, such as time lines in history and block graphs and tally charts in geography. ICT is used well to reinforce pupils’ mathematical skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 24 • Pupils do well and standards are high. • Investigative work is well developed and is used to improve other aspects of the subject. • The pupils’ abilities to devise their own experiments, to predict results and draw and record conclusions are areas of relative weakness. • Pupils have good attitudes to science when the work challenges and interests them. • The management of the subject promotes its improvement effectively • ICT is well used to help the pupils’ learning in science. • Assessment procedures assist the pupils’ improvement well in most cases.

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Commentary

68. Standards in science are well above average in Years 2 and 6. Pupils of all abilities and needs achieve well. This judgement represents a significant improvement on the findings of the school’s 2003 inspection but is similar to the school’s results in the most recent end of Year 2 and Year 6 national tests and assessments. Throughout Years 1 to 6, the pupils show a very good understanding of all aspects of the subject. Most aspects of science are taught through investigative work. This is a significant improvement on the findings of the school’s 2003 inspection when the pupils’ knowledge of science was found to be much stronger than their investigative work. Year 2 pupils, for example, have undertaken experiments which show the conditions that plants need to thrive and have changed the state of ice to water. The amount of written work to record the pupils’ results in Year 2 was very limited. In Year 6, pupils’ work has included filtration, practical work

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Commentary

illustrating night and day and testing the effects of exercise on the body. There is a wide range of well written work in Years 3 to 6 and good use of mathematical techniques such as graphs to record the outcomes of the pupils’ work. Some of the experimental work in Years 3 to 6 is over directed by the teachers. As a result, in Year 6, there is a relative weakness in the pupils’ ability to devise their own experiments and to predict results and draw conclusions.

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Commentary

69. The pupils show great interest in experimental scientific work and apply themselves well. They co-operate fully, share resources and ideas and talk animatedly about work which they have carried out in the past and remembered well. This is a considerable improvement on the findings of the school’s last inspection. However, when their work is less interesting and challenging, some pupils still display limited application and do not concentrate sufficiently on the task in hand.

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Commentary

70. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 1 to 6. This is an improvement on the findings of the school’s 2003 inspection when the quality of teaching and learning was judged to be satisfactory. This improvement accounts for the higher standards now found in the subject. A good Year 6 lesson in which pupils were asked to carry out a fair test demonstrating how to alter one variable exemplified the good quality of the teaching and learning in Years 1 to 6. The lesson was well under way when the observation began and it was clear that the pupils were fully involved in their work. They were also very eager to explain what they were doing and why they were doing it and they did this well. One group made it clear that they had placed a fizzy tablet in water in a small container. They had put the lid on the container and timed how long it was before the gas created blew the lid off of the container. The experiment had been repeated with differing numbers of tablets

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Commentary

to see how the results were affected. The pupils made notes about their work in order to write it up in the future and to draw a graph of the outcomes. There was a good discussion at the end of the lesson which covered what had been done and the factors which could influence the tests being fair or not. The teacher set the pupils suitable research work to do at home to extend their understanding of the task. The pupils made good progress and reached high standards in this lesson.

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Commentary

71. There has been a good improvement in the school’s provision of science since the school was last inspected. The quality of teaching and learning has improved and standards have risen. This represents the effects of good management of the subject. Other improvements include more time given to teaching the subject and better use of ICT. For example, pupils have used websites and CD ROMS to research information about a range of topics in the subject. Assessment procedures have improved since 2003 and now include assessment of investigative work. However, assessment information is not always used effectively to implement work for the more able pupils. Teachers’ Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 25 planning often involves pupils of different abilities doing the same work. Extension work for the able is often to do more examples of the same task rather than being more challenging work. The extra

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Commentary

extension work planned is generally challenging but is rarely undertaken by the able pupils because they are required to complete too much work that they already understand before they can do it. As a result, time often runs out and their progress is restricted. Plans exist to redevelop the school’s environmental area to enhance the pupils’ work in this aspect of science.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have risen since the school was last inspected. • Pupils are very confident and interested in the subject. • The new co-ordinator has made a good start in his role. • The curriculum is broad and most areas are well developed but there are aspects of relative weakness. • Some resources are limited. • The use of ICT in other subjects is good.

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Commentary

72. Standards in ICT in Year 2 are above average and pupils’ achievement is good. No judgement of standards in ICT in Year 2 was made by the school’s 2003 inspection. Conversations with pupils indicated that they had a good understanding of all aspects of the subject. They were particularly interested and confident when talking about their use of models and simulations and the problems they had faced and solved in their use. Pupils were less confident about their knowledge of control technology.

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Commentary

73. Standards in ICT in Year 6 are above average and pupils achieve well. This represents an improvement on the findings of the school’s 2003 inspection when standards were judged to be average. Observations and discussions showed that the pupils confidently discuss the full range of the ICT curriculum. For example, they use websites to find information, understand spreadsheets, control movements on a screen and prepare power point presentations about their work. Areas of relative weakness indicated by the pupils were very limited experience of E mail and little use of sensors.

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Commentary

74. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 show great interest in this subject, like to settle to work and work together co-operatively. Due to these facts, there is little evidence of lack of motivation or significant lapses in behaviour in ICT. The pupils self assuredly demonstrate a good range of ICT skills appropriate to their age. These include logging on and off when using a computer, selecting and using programs, changing fonts, deleting, using the shift key and saving their work. The pupils have the confidence to try things out and to learn from any mistakes that they may make.

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Commentary

75. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 6 is good. This is the same judgement as that made by the school’s 2003 inspection. The good quality of the teaching and learning in ICT in Years 1 to 6 was illustrated by a good Year 2 lesson. This lesson immediately followed a mathematics lesson and continued the pupils’ work on the topic of symmetry. The pupils received very clear instructions about their ICT task in which good use was made of an interactive whiteboard to ensure that they fully understood. They settled to work quickly on their computers and worked confidently and co-operatively in pairs. The pupils were well supported by teachers and teaching assistants and almost all reached the objectives of the lesson. This meant that most pupils drew and saved a symmetrical butterfly. The lesson concluded with a useful discussion session in which the teacher reviewed what the pupils understood about symmetry in order to assess their progress and

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Commentary

understanding. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 26 76. Standards in the subject have improved in Year 6 and the use of ICT in other subjects is now more widespread. Given that the school was last inspected in February 2003, improvement in ICT in the school since then has been good. The subject is well managed. This is the same judgement as that made in 2003. The present co-ordinator only took up post at the start of the school year but is clearly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He has already carried out a thorough review of the subject and has identified areas for its further development. These include specific support for staff in aspects such as the development of control technology, improvement in the software supporting data logging and setting up video conferencing to extend the pupils’ abilities to exchange information and ideas. The co-ordinator recognises that the point made by the 2003 inspection that lack of

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Commentary

computers in classrooms in Years 3 to 6 reduced the pupils’ rate of progress has not been addressed. His action plan will incorporate this point and will also include a longer term aim to establish a lap top computer suite to provide greater access and flexibility and to address shortcomings in the school’s current hardware. The co-ordinator also plans to improve the school’s ability to assess the pupils’ progress by reviewing the way in which their work is stored and revising the school’s assessment procedures.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

77. ICT is well used to promote the pupils’ learning successfully in a wide range of other subjects. During the inspection, evidence was collected which showed systematic and planned use of ICT in English, mathematics, science, history, geography and art. For example, in history the Year 4 class was seen to use selected websites to research Tudor times. The pupils gathered pictures and text to contrast the life of rich and poor people in that period and assembled their evidence as a new document. It was clear that the pupils had been taught the necessary ICT skills well and were applying them effectively to support their learning in history.

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Geography

Provision in geography in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have improved in Years 3 to 6 since the school was last inspected. • Map work is relatively underdeveloped. • Some pupils lack motivation. • The subject leader has addressed the key issue for action effectively since the school’s last inspection. • Curricular planning is good. • The use of ICT supports the pupils’ learning in geography well. • Educational visits, displays of pupils’ work and other enhancements broaden the curriculum. • Geography contributes effectively to the pupils’ moral and cultural development.

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Commentary

78. In Year 6, standards in geography are average and pupils of all abilities and needs achieve satisfactorily. The represents a good improvement since the school was last inspected. In 2003, standards in Years 3 to 6 were judged to be below average. For this reason, this inspection focused on standards in these year groups and no judgements were made for Years 1 and 2 where standards were average in 2003. For Years 3 to 6, evidence was obtained from the observation of one lesson, from talking to pupils and teachers, an analysis of work, scrutiny of work on displays and an examination of a portfolio of work collected by the co-ordinator.

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Commentary

79. The evidence shows that pupils gain a sound understanding of most aspects of geography. For example, in Year 6, pupils have a secure knowledge of a range of features of India. They have Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 27 studied its rainfall patterns in a link with mathematics and applied their literacy skills in the subject by writing a diary of a child living in a village in India. The pupils have also studied photographs of India and compared and contrasted their observations with their knowledge of Britain. The only significant area of relative weakness in the pupils’ geographical skills revealed by the evidence was the development of map work. There is evidence that pupils learn simple map skills such as locating features on maps of the world and that they draw sketches of the local area. However, there was no evidence that these skills were developed to the levels expected in Year 6.

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Commentary

80. Overall, the evidence indicates that teaching and learning are satisfactory. In the one lesson observed in Year 4, the quality of teaching was good but the quality of learning was unsatisfactory. This was because the teacher had carefully prepared a lesson about improving the school environment which he taught well. As long as the pupils worked as a class they made good progress towards understanding that litter damaged the environment and that much of it was costly discarded and needlessly expensive packaging of products. One boy said that he had calculated how much the packaging his mother had thrown away in the last week cost and worked out that it was £75. This work made a good contribution to the pupils’ moral development. However, when the pupils were asked to work independently of the teacher, little progress was made. Many pupils had a relaxed attitude to their work, did not apply themselves and did not behave well enough. The teacher

p.28

Commentary

was well aware of this and set them a time limit to complete their work, provided help and support where needed, called the class together to point out the problems and checked those who were not behaving well enough. In spite of the teacher’s efforts, symptoms of the weaknesses in the pupils’ attitudes persisted and progress was not maximised. This is because the pupils have not developed good work habits or self discipline as they have progressed through the school.

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Commentary

81. The subject is well managed which is why it has made a good improvement since the school’s last inspection. In addition to improved standards, more time is now given to the subject and its content is carefully planned. As a result, curricular provision is now broad, well structured and the good links with other subjects such as art have clearly been maintained in the displays of pupils’ work. The effectiveness of the teaching is monitored very carefully. Furthermore, assessment procedures have improved significantly and ICT is well used to support the teaching of geography. For example, pupils have used websites to research a range of geographical topics and have produced booklets on a number of them including India and mountain environments.

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Commentary

82. As in 2003, the teaching of the subject is enhanced by a good range of broader educational experiences such as visits. These include studying the local area through early fieldwork, visits to places such as the Commonwealth Museum and Bristol Zoo and residential school camps for pupils in Years 3 and 5. The annual geography week is particularly significant in developing the pupils’ understanding in this subject. It has included events such as an American coming into the school to talk to the pupils about life in that country. These events and others, such as a visit by the Pearl of Africa choir and the basic curriculum, help to extend the pupils’ cultural development well.

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History

Provision in history in Year 3 to 6 is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has taken the key issue for action seriously and achievement is now good. • Key skills are being taught effectively. • Pupils enjoy using their detective skills to find out about the past. • Pupils’ abilities to interpret evidence for themselves are less well-developed. • The subject leader has played an important role in bringing about improvement. • Good links with other subjects enrich pupils’ learning. • The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Commentary

Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 28 83. In Year 6, standards are average and all groups of pupils achieve well. The school has addressed the key issue for action from the last inspection very carefully and good improvement has been made. At the previous inspection, standards were reported to be unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6 and average in Year 2. In view of this, the focus of the current inspection was on Years 3 to 6 and the subject was not inspected in Years 1 and 2. Judgements were based on classroom observations, looking at displays and pupils’ books, the portfolio of work and talking to pupils.

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Commentary

84. Overall, teaching and learning are good in Years 3 to 6. Pupils enjoy history and teachers try hard to bring their learning to life. They usually strike a good balance between giving pupils information and encouraging them to raise their own questions about the past. As part of their topic on Britain since 1948, Year 6 pupils closely questioned the headteacher about life as a teenager in the 1960s and her memories of pop groups, fashions, the World Cup and films. The interview helped pupils to draw sensible and well-informed conclusions about the past and made history come alive for them. Teachers also make lessons fun to be in. Year 3 pupils studying Ancient Egypt enjoyed being time detectives as their teacher urged them to ‘Keep on cracking the code!’ There was a buzz of activity in the room as pupils worked hard to decipher the meaning of the hieroglyphics and to decode the message given by the Pharaoh to his people. Teachers have a

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Commentary

good command of the subject which ensures that it is taught at the right depth and that pupils are encouraged to question the validity of evidence. Pupils have a good sense of chronology and the concept of a timeline and an understanding of the context in which people lived because their skills as young researchers are being developed progressively. Year 4 pupils have looked at the gulf between the rich and poor in Tudor times whilst Year 5 has investigated life in Ancient Greece and its legacy to the modern world. There is a good focus on historical language and pupils use it confidently but teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to identify why the past is represented and interpreted in different ways.

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Commentary

85. Leadership and management are good and the subject leader’s well-developed role gives her plenty of insight into provision. There are strong links with literacy and other subjects especially ICT which extend pupils’ appreciation of the subject. Eye-catching displays like Year 3’s Ancient Egyptian menus and Year 5’s posters on the Olympic Games help to raise the profile of the subject. History makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development when they study the meaning behind the Greek myths, consider moral issues as they follow the ‘Slave Walk’ in Bristol, visit Caerleon Roman fort together and listen to the reminiscences of a grand parent about World War II.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No evidence of the pupils’ work in design and technology or music was gathered during the inspection so no comments can be made on these subjects.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

86. During the inspection only one art and design lesson was observed. Pupils in Year 5 enjoyed their art lesson, which was part of a series of lessons based on the Ancient Greek myth Zeus and Typhon. They had previously used a wide variety of textiles very well for a class collage linked to the Greek myth and needed the lava to complete the collage. This good lesson was planned well. The teacher provided pupils with a wide range of textiles, which enabled them to try out different techniques to create the effect of lava erupting from a volcano. Pupils suggested how they could use splatter paints for the topmost part of the eruption and dribble thick paint to show the lava trickling down the mountainside. They chose many different ways to try to create the lava by layering, cutting, sticking, plaiting and sewing tiny glittering beads on to the different materials. They evaluated their own work and that of others, showing respect for each other’s efforts.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. Pupils’ artwork is attractively displayed around the school and enhances the learning environment well. The displays show that pupils experience a good range of different artwork as they progress through the school. Pupils in Year 1 effectively mix black and white paint to create varying shades to illustrate a seascape ranging from the seabed to the sky. Pupils in Year 2 made imaginative animal masks from black and white paper. Good links were made with mathematics when they painted their Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 29 name or a mini-beast before folding the paper to create reflective symmetry. Pupils in Year 3 have been learning to use different forms of printing. They have created interesting trees and made their own stencils, which they used with rich colours of paints to create interesting patterns. Many pupils in Year 4 use their good observational skills for their interesting pencil portraits. Pupils in Year 5 use

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

charcoal very well for their fungi and plant drawings. Very good links are made with history and English for their high quality textile collage depicting Zeus and Typhon. Pupils in Year 6 create paintings in the style of Mondrian and use pastels well for their self-portraits. Pupils use ICT well to create artwork, which is often linked to another area of the curriculum, such as the history work on the Ancient Greeks by pupils in Year 5. Some of the artwork is above average for the age of the pupils.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. Two lessons of physical education (PE) were seen. In Year 2, good quality teaching and learning promoted good progress. The pupils showed above average standards of control and imagination in making and linking a sequence of movements. The lesson was well structured, clear instructions were given and all the elements expected were present including assessing the effects of exercise on the body. Support for pupils with SEN was strong. The only significant weakness was bunching by pupils so that they did not make full use of the space available. In a satisfactory Year 4 lesson, the pupils showed average skills in moving with a ball and passing and receiving it. The pupils were very enthusiastic but failed to maximise their progress as they were more interested in chasing the ball than in applying the objectives of the lesson. The school’s last inspection noted this type of characteristic in some PE lessons. Discussion with teachers and pupils indicates that

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

standards in swimming are above average. Most pupils leave the school able to swim at least 25 metres using a recognised stroke safely and unaided. The co-ordinator took up post at the start of the term. He has already recognised the need to add more demanding work to curricular planning in order to raise standards. At the pre-inspection meeting, some parents expressed concerned about the school’s arrangements for children to change for PE. These arrangements were carefully observed during the inspection and found to be perfectly satisfactory at that time.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers do not always follow the rules for 'circle time'. • Some older pupils do not have the confidence and maturity to contribute their views. • Pupils can be very thoughtful when considering personal issues. • There are not enough visits or visitors to broaden pupils’ horizons. • Leadership is not providing appropriate direction for the subject. • There are no schemes of work to provide progression in pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

89. Standards in the subject are average in Year 2 and Year 6 and the achievement of all groups of pupils is satisfactory. The aims of the school based on ‘Resilient, Respect, Reflect, Responsible’ are at the heart of its ethos and pupils are encouraged to develop positive and caring relationships based on respect for others and the environment. Apart from classroom observations, judgements were made through looking at displays, teachers’ planning and talking to pupils.

p.30

Commentary

90. Across the school, teaching and learning are satisfactory. Lessons often take the form of 'circle time' where pupils talk about matters that are important to them and develop confidence and self esteem in an open yet confidential setting. However, in spite of their calm and thoughtful approach, teachers do not always uphold the clear and positively formed rules of 'circle time' in order to create a quiet, focused atmosphere for discussion. As a result, in a lesson about how choices can shape Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 30 our lives, a number of Year 6 pupils lacked the confidence to articulate thoughts and ideas about the consequences of difficult choices in life. In a Year 5 lesson about empathising with others, physical conditions were unsuitable for 'circle time' and many pupils did not contribute. However, in a discussion group later in the same lesson, pupils were mature and responsible when they talked

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Commentary

about how they could help a friend caught between warring parents during a divorce. In a Year 3 lesson, the teacher’s thought-provoking questions and sensitive guidance helped pupils to be sensible and reflective when they set personal goals for themselves and considered the steps they could take to reach them. This helped pupils to develop confidence and experience a sense of achievement. A class of Year 1 pupils talked about what they could do to cheer a friend up but the concept was not explored fully and some became restless.

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Commentary

91. The school also gives pupils an appropriate framework of rules to regulate their behaviour including class rules, rules for using equipment, well done certificates and house points. However, these are not always whole school based which leads to some inconsistency in their application. There are not enough visitors to give pupils a different perspective on the subject although the school nurse runs the drugs and sex education programmes, there are visits by the police and pupils attend the Life skills centre in Bristol. The school takes pat in the Healthy Schools initiative which has raised their awareness of the importance of healthy eating. The School Council gives pupils good opportunities to feel that they can make things happen. Residential trips in Year 3 and Year 5 help pupils to live, work and play together in different surroundings.

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Commentary

92. Evidence indicates that leadership and management are unsatisfactory as the subject is insufficiently developed. It was not taught as a separate subject at the last inspection so it is not possible to judge improvement. There is no scheme of work for the subject and this is at the root of the school's unsatisfactory provision. This means that teachers are not building progressively on pupils’ understanding and skills as they move through the school to enable them to grow in maturity, take increasing responsibility for their own learning and find their own identity while being part of a class and school. Holy Trinity CE and Methodist Aided Primary School - 31

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (Ethos) 4

Attendance 3 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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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