Kilmersdon Church of England Primary School

KILMERSDON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th to 20 th April 2005

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KILMERSDON CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Kilmersdon CEP 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; 157 School address: School Lane Kilmersdon Radstock Postcode: BA3 5TE Telephone number: 01761 432283 Fax number: 01761 432283 Appropriate authority: The governing body, Kilmersdon CEP School Name of chair of governors: Mr I Whatley Date of previous inspection: February 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Kilmersdon CE Primary School is smaller than most other schools of the same type. There are eight fewer pupils compared with when the school was last inspected. The school has 16 pupils on its register of special educational needs (SEN), which is below the level of the national average. One of the pupils has a statement of special educational need which is broadly the national average. The number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The school has similar numbers of boys and girls on roll although some years have a significant imbalance in the numbers of boys and girls. Very few of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and none speaks English as an additional language. Both of these features are lower than in most schools. During the last school year, five pupils entered the school other than at the usual time of first admission and six left it at a time which was not the normal leaving or transfer

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

time for most pupils. This rate of mobility is low. In the last two years, one teacher left the school and one was appointed. This is also a low rate of turnover. Pupils enter the school at levels of attainment which range between average and above average in different years. The school holds Investor in People status and is involved in a national initiative to develop information and communication technology (ICT). At the time of the inspection, the Foundation Stage was taught by a temporary teacher as the permanent teacher was on leave of absence. Religious education (RE) was not inspected as the school is a Church of England voluntary aided one.

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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. Kilmersdon CEP School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

15917 Bob Cross Lead inspector Mathematics, ICT, design and technology, physical education (PE). 9691 Jon Vincent Lay inspector 22745 Rosalind Johns Team inspector English, art and design, personal, social, health education and citizenship, music, SEN, English as an additional language. 18083 Judith Howell Team inspector Science, geography, history Foundation Stage.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

37 Broadlands Avenue North Petherton Bridgwater 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). Kilmersdon CEP 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 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school which has a significant number of very good features. The school’s leadership and management are very good and promote good quality teaching and learning. As a result, pupils make good progress and, by the time that they leave the school, reach above average standards. The school gives good value for money. The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The school’s self evaluation is excellent because of the headteacher’s very good leadership. These facts drive the school forward. • The headteacher is very well supported by the very good leadership of other members of staff and by very good governance. • Good quality teaching and learning promote good achievement and above average standards by Year 6. • The school’s relationship with parents and the community is very good and this helps to raise the standards achieved by the pupils. • Provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and this

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OVERALL EVALUATION

gives rise to very good behaviour and good attitudes to work. • Assessment procedures are very good in Years 1 to 6 and are particularly well used to promote the pupils’ learning in Years 3 to 6. • Although the school’s provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has improved significantly so that it is now good, pupils still do not use it sufficiently to promote their learning in other subjects. • The role of co-ordinators, particularly in monitoring teaching and learning rigorously, is under developed. • The effectiveness of teachers’ marking and the quality of the presentation of pupils’ work are not always good enough. The school has made a very good improvement since it was inspected in 1999. The key issues for action from that inspection have been very well addressed. For example, procedures for monitoring attendance and punctuality and all aspects of health and safety are now judged to be very good

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OVERALL EVALUATION

rather than issues for action. In addition, there have been improvements in areas such as leadership and management, curricular and extracurricular provision and the quality of the school’s accommodation. Strengths in areas such as relationships with parents, teaching and learning and the pupils’ attitudes have been maintained.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English B B B D mathematics C B D E science B B C D 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

Achievement is good. Pupils of all abilities and needs do well in this school by the end of Year 6. Achievement in Year R is satisfactory. Children are on course to reach the goals they are expected to reach by the end of Reception except in their personal, social and emotional development where achievement is good and standards are above average. In Years 1 and 2, achievement is good and standards are well above average in reading, mathematics, science and ICT and above average in speaking, listening, writing and art. Standards and achievement in physical education (PE) are Kilmersdon CEP School - 5 satisfactory. In Years 3 to 6, standards are above average in English (where writing is well above average), mathematics, science, art and PE. Standards in ICT are average. In the national Year 6 tests in 2004, the school’s results were lower than in previous years except in English compared with all schools. Compared with similar schools based on the number of pupils known to be entitled

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

to free school meals, they were below average in English and science and well below average in mathematics. However, the school has taken very effective steps to address this dip and current standards compare very favourably with the 2003 results.

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Pupils’ behaviour, attendance, punctuality and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development are very good. Their attitudes are good. The pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. Their relationships with others and their confidence are very good although some are very passive in lessons. Attendance is well above the national average.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good with a significant number of very

good features. Overall, teaching and learning are good. Teaching and learning are good in Years 1 to 6. As a result, the pupils do well in Years 1 to 6 and standards are generally good. Throughout the school, teachers are very effective in promoting good behaviour and providing equality of opportunity. Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). The marking and presentation of pupils’ work are not always good enough. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year R. Overall, curricular provision is good, although it is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. The school has very good links with parents and the community which enhance the pupils’ learning. Pupils are very well cared for.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good. Very good leadership by the headteacher results in a successful focus on raising standards. All other staff with management responsibilities make a very good contribution to the school’s development. The temporary arrangements for the management of the Foundation Stage are good. There is an excellent team spirit in the school. Equality of opportunity and fairness to pupils are at the heart of its work. The governance of the school is very good. The support and challenge provided by the governing body are fundamental factors in helping the school to continue to move forward. The governors have ensured that all statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very supportive of the school. For example, they feel that children have to work hard and are helped to mature. They also like the progress made by their children, the school’s open door policy and the strength of its leadership and management. Pupils , especially the younger ones, are generally very happy with school life. Some parents and pupils expressed concern about the standard of behaviour and aspects of teaching. The findings of the inspection are that behaviour is very good and teaching is good. However, within the overall judgement of teaching, there were some minor indications supporting the concerns expressed.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Enhance the pupils’ use of ICT to promote their learning in other subjects. • Develop the role of co-ordinators, particularly by involving them fully in more rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning. • Improve the effectiveness of teachers’ marking of pupils’ work and the quality of the presentation of pupils’ work. Kilmersdon CEP 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 in Year 6. Achievement in Year R is satisfactory and standards are average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year R, children make satisfactory progress overall although their progress in personal, social and emotional development is good and progress in physical development has considerably improved since the school was inspected in 1999. • In Year 2, pupils do best in reading, mathematics and science. • Pupils in Year 2 also do well in other aspects of English and in ICT and art. • In Year 6, pupils reach their highest standards in writing. • Pupils in Year 6 also do well in other aspects of English and in mathematics, science, art and PE. • Weaknesses in national test results in Year 6 in 2004 have been rigorously addressed. • Throughout the school, standards in ICT have improved significantly since the school was last inspected. • In Years 1 to 6, the use of basic skills in other subjects has weaknesses. • Pupils, whatever their needs, make good progress by Year 6.

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Commentary

1. Overall, the current Year R pupils entered the school at average standards. In most areas of development, the teaching and learning they receive are satisfactory. This promotes sound achievement and means that the pupils are on course to reach the goals they are expected to reach by the end of Reception in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. Teaching and learning are good in personal, social and emotional development. This promotes good progress and the children are on track to exceed the goals they are expected to reach by the end of Reception in this area of learning. No judgements were made in creative development as insufficient evidence was gathered. Compared with the findings of the school’s 1999 inspection, standards are similar in personal, social and emotional development, higher in physical development and lower in all other

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Commentary

areas of learning where comparisons are possible. Lower standards are fully explained by the fact that the 1999 year group entered the school at above average standards. Improved standards in physical development reflect the greatly improved resources and buildings available for Foundation Stage children.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.8 (17) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.1 (14.8) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 17.3 (17.3) 16.2 (16.3) There were 19 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 tests in 2004, standards were above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing compared with all schools. Compared with all schools based on the numbers of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals, standards were well above average in reading, average in mathematics and below average in writing. The trend in standards is below the Kilmersdon CEP School - 7 national trend. However, due to the small numbers involved, these results must be treated with some caution. In the national assessments in science made by teachers in 2004, standards were in the highest five per cent in the country compared with all schools and with similar schools. The only significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls in the school is in mathematics where boys have outperformed girls over the last three years. This is due to boys doing particularly well in 2003. However, compared with national standards, boys do better than girls in all three subjects.

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Commentary

3. Overall, achievement in Year 2 is good. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 2, standards are well above average in mathematics, science and ICT and above average in English and art. Within English, standards are well above average in reading. Standards are average in PE. No judgements were made in other subjects. In those areas where comparisons with the judgements of the school’s 1999 inspection are possible, standards have risen in mathematics, science, reading, writing and ICT and speaking and listening remain above average. The school’s end of Year 2 national tests and assessment have all improved in terms of the percentage of pupils gaining the expected Level 2 and above in reading, writing and mathematics when the results published in the 1999 report are compared with those for 2004.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.6 (27.6) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 26.7 (27.6) 27 (26.8) science 28.9 (29.5) 28.6 (28.6) There were 19 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 2004, standards were above average in English, average in science and below 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 below average in English and science and well below average in mathematics. These data must be treated with some caution because of the small number of pupils involved. The school’s results in these tests show an upward trend which is slower than the national rate of improvement. However, standards in mathematics and science were lower in 2004 than they were in 2003. The school’s addressed this issue with a rigorous analysis of the problem. Very effective teaching and assessment strategies were then implemented effectively so that standards have now returned to the level they were in 2003. Similar reasons explain the rise in standards in other subjects. As in

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Commentary

Year 2, the only significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls in the end of year national tests is in mathematics where boys have outperformed girls over the last three years. However, this is, again, due to boys doing particularly well in 2003. However, as with Year 2, compared with national standards, boys do better than girls in all three subjects.

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Commentary

5. Overall, achievement is good in Year 6. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, art and PE. Within English, standards in writing are well above average. Standards in ICT are average. In those subjects, where comparisons with the judgements of the school’s 1999 inspection are possible, standards have improved in writing, mathematics and ICT. They have remained above average in reading and science and are above average, rather than well above average, in speaking and listening. The school’s end of Year 6 national tests and assessment are broadly similar in terms of the percentage of pupils gaining the expected Level 4 and above in English, mathematics and science when the results published in the 1999 report are compared with those for 2004. However, when 2004 is compared with 2003, these results are similar in English but show a marked decline in mathematics

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Commentary

and science. The school has addressed this issue very well through the identification of weaknesses and the effective implementation of strategies to address them. As a result, the pupils are on course to match the 2003 results in the 2005 national tests.

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Commentary

6. When the school was inspected in 1999, standards in ICT were below average throughout the school and National Curriculum requirements were not met in the subject. The school has worked Kilmersdon CEP School - 8 hard and successfully to address this issue and the present standards in ICT represent a very good improvement since 1999. However, the pupils’ use of ICT to support their learning in other subjects of the curriculum remains a relative weakness. There are examples of ICT having been used well, for example, in history, but this is the exception rather than the norm. Similarly, literacy and numeracy skills are used satisfactorily in other areas of the curriculum. For example, in science, there are some examples of high quality free writing, on the other hand, pupils’ written work is sometimes identical. Also in science, numeracy skills are applied well but there was very limited evidence of their use in DT. Overall, as with ICT, the use of these skills is not good enough to

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Commentary

promote their development in other subject areas fully or to benefit the pupils’ learning in other subjects sufficiently.

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Commentary

7. During the inspection, there was no evidence of any differences in the achievement of boys and girls in Years 1 and 2 although this is indicated by the analysis of the national end of Year 2 test data. Similarly, no clear reasons for differences in the attainment of boys and girls in the national Year 6 tests were evident during the inspection. However, it was clear that boys were outperforming girls in mathematics in some year groups. The only noticeable difference in teaching which had a bearing on this fact was that teachers did not always fully involve girls who were passive in class discussions. The analysis of data showing these differences must be treated with caution because of the small numbers involved. The judgement of the inspection is that differences in achievement between boys and girls are not related to their gender but to the varied aptitude of individuals in particular subjects. Overall, boys and girls of all abilities and needs do well in this

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Commentary

school by Year 6. Pupils with SEN have suitable individual education plans (IEPs) although, in some cases, the content is too general. These pupils also receive good support from teaching assistants which also promotes their progress. Pupils who are gifted and talented are identified early across a range of subject and curricular areas. Their needs are met in class and by additional provision where possible. Each pupil identified has an individual record of progress which is monitored by the co-ordinator for gifted and talented pupils. In conversations, and in their responses to their questionnaires, most pupils felt that they had to work hard.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes are good and their behaviour and attendance are very good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The confidence and self esteem of pupils of all needs and abilities are very good. • The school sets high expectations and most pupils strive hard to achieve them. • Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults, are very good. • Pupils have a very good awareness of right and wrong and show respect for others’ feelings and beliefs. • Pupils’ appreciation of their responsibilities of living in a community is very good and their understanding of their own and others’ cultural traditions is good. • Pupils’ spiritual awareness and self knowledge are very good. • The school now has rigorous procedures for promoting and ensuring good and prompt attendance. • Pupils’ attendance rate is very good. It is high in comparison with similar schools and this level has been maintained since the last inspection. Unauthorised absence is in line with the national average.

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Commentary

8. Most pupils show good interest in their lessons and strive hard to achieve the expectations of their teachers. The very good methods of behaviour management adopted by the whole school staff have a positive effect on pupils’ learning. Overall, behaviour is very good in lessons, around the school and on the playground. These standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils are all aware of the school and class rules and fully understand the difference between right and wrong. Pupils’ spiritual development and understanding continue to be very good Kilmersdon CEP School - 9 and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development overall is now very good. The culture promoted by the school is one of a caring and nurturing environment where everyone is valued and respected. Both parents and pupils confirm how much they enjoy and benefit from this family atmosphere.

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Commentary

9. Pupils have many opportunities for taking on additional responsibility and they respond well to them. The school council ensures that pupils’ views are heard, listened to and, if practical, acted upon. Classes from Year 3 upwards are represented on the council. A member of the school council interviewed during the inspection displayed a mature, articulate and very responsible attitude. Other routine responsibilities are also carried out quietly and without the need for supervision. Parents acknowledge that the school encourages their children to become mature and independent. 10. Pupils have a very good level of respect for the feelings and values of others and are given many opportunities to reflect on these feelings. ‘Circle time’ and regular self-evaluation activities, together with school assemblies, ensure that pupils constantly think of the effect their behaviour has on others. One assembly attended during the inspection had the very effective theme of ‘build

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Commentary

bridges with people rather than a wall – even though it takes longer to build a bridge than a wall’. The bricks in the wall demonstrated selfish and non caring attitudes and the reverse of the same bricks used in the bridge were labelled ‘loyalty, kindness, honesty’ and similar qualities. Pupils were involved in demolishing the wall and then building the bridge. This whole school assembly also had a musical and spiritual content and was just one example of how the school continually fosters social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. 11. Other unrehearsed and reflex acts of kindness and consideration for others were witnessed during the inspection. In one instance, while talking to pupils, a Year 6 pupil sensitively guided a Year R child when she did not quite understand a question. Social development of all pupils is continually encouraged by the whole school staff. Their efforts, together with the school council

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Commentary

system, routine classroom responsibilities and volunteer duties coupled with the family atmosphere that permeates the school ensure that pupils’ social development is now very good. Relationships between pupils and with all the staff are very good and pupils work and play together collaboratively. Cultural development of pupils is good. The school has made visits to the theatre, Wells Cathedral, a Mosque in Bristol, various musical workshops and has enjoyed many visitors from different faiths and countries. As a result, pupils have a good understanding both of their own and other cultures.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.0 School data : 0.1 National data: 5.1 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

12. Attendance is very good and above the national median and this high rate is maintained and supported by the rigorous procedures practised by the school. The weaknesses highlighted in the last inspection report regarding delays in registration for both morning and afternoon sessions have been fully addressed by the school. Parents and pupils both understand the need for prompt and regular attendance at school. During interviews and discussions with pupils, it was very evident that they enjoyed school. There have been no exclusions during the past school year.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year Kilmersdon CEP School - 10 Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 140 0 0 White – any other White background 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 3 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

13. The quality of education provided by the school is good with a significant number of very good features. Overall, teaching and learning are good. Teaching and learning are good in Years 1 to 6. As a result, the pupils do well in Years 1 to 6 and standards are generally good. In Years 1 and 2, teaching and learning are best in reading, mathematics and science and weakest in PE. Assessment information is used particularly well to plan the pupils’ work in Years 3 to 6 in English and mathematics where the pupils have a good understanding of how to improve their work especially in these subjects. Throughout the school, teachers are very effective in promoting good behaviour and providing equality of opportunity. Pupils with SEN and those who are gifted and talented are well supported. The marking and presentation of pupils’ work are not always good enough. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory in Year R and in all areas of development

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

where judgements were made except personal, social and emotional development and physical development where they are good. Overall, curricular provision is good, although it is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. Extracurricular provision and the school’s accommodation and learning resources are very good. The school has very good links with parents and the community which enhance the pupils’ learning. Provision for the pupils’ care, guidance and support is very good.

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Teaching and learning

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In Year R, the strongest teaching occurs in personal, social and emotional development. • In Years 1 and 2, teaching and learning are best in reading, mathematics, science and ICT and weakest in PE. • Throughout the school, teachers are very effective in promoting good behaviour and providing equality of opportunity. • Assessment information is used particularly well to plan the pupils’ work in Years 1 to 6 in English and mathematics. As a result, the pupils have a good understanding of how to improve their work in these subjects. • Pupils who are gifted and talented are well supported. • The use made of teaching assistants is generally good, for example, when helping pupils with SEN, although there are some weaknesses in their deployment particularly in literacy lessons. • Teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 are consistently good and effective strategies to address weaknesses in last year’s Year 6 national tests have been implemented well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The marking and presentation of pupils’ work are not always good enough. • Satisfactory use is made of the pupils’ literacy, numeracy and ICT skills to promote their learning across the curriculum.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

Kilmersdon CEP School - 11 Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

0 (0%) 2 (7%) 21 (70%) 6 (20%) 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 30 lessons

14. Overall, teaching and learning are good. This is the same judgement as that made by the school’s 1999 inspection. However, teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory and promote satisfactory achievement. They are good in personal, social and emotional development and in class physical development lessons where achievement is good. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in communication, language and literacy, mathematics development, knowledge and understanding of the world and, overall, in physical development. However, teaching and learning in PE lessons are good. No judgement was made about teaching and learning in creative development. The overall judgement of satisfactory teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage was the same as that made when the school was inspected in 1999. At the time of the inspection, Year R was taught by a temporary teacher who had only just taken up post.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

There are gaps in the teacher’s subject knowledge, which sometimes detracts from her teaching, which in other respects has many strengths. This is reflected in the length of time the children are kept sitting on the carpet at the start of lessons, which means that they do not fully benefit from group activities. At times, the tasks are too directed.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

15. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is good. This is an improvement on the findings of the school’s 1999 inspection when they were judged to be satisfactory. Teaching and learning are very good in mathematics, science and ICT and good in English and art. In the one PE lesson seen in these year groups, teaching and learning were unsatisfactory. Strengths in the teaching of PE include the structure of the lesson in terms of warming up, main activity and cooling down and the provision for pupils with SEN. Shortcomings in the teaching of the subject largely relate to lack of control of the pupils and weaknesses in organisation which result in pupils being inactive for too long. Judgements were not made in other subjects. Where comparisons with the findings of the school’s 1999 inspection are possible, the quality has improved in mathematics and remained good in English.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

16. Throughout the school, the teachers are normally very good at insisting on and obtaining very good behaviour. This is done in a firm but natural manner to which the pupils respond very well so that the quality of their behaviour enhances their learning significantly. In 1999, shortcomings in the management of the pupils were regarded as a weakness in a small number of lessons. This weakness was only seen in one lesson during this inspection. The school has very good and very thorough assessment procedures in Years 1 to 6. The use of the assessment information generally ensures that pupils of all abilities, including those who are gifted and talented, receive work which is challenging but attainable and which enables them to reach their potential. This is particularly the case in English and mathematics. In English, procedures for assessing and developing writing are particularly strong. In mathematics, pupils have clear targets which are

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

designed to assist them to progress through the National Curriculum levels. These targets are known to parents who are, therefore, able to assist their children’s progress effectively. Another strength of the teaching throughout the school is the fact that teaching assistants are well used to support pupils with SEN. This largely occurs in supporting pupils’ needs in English but it was also observed in PE. These strengths in teaching and learning underpin the school’s success in providing full equality of opportunity for its pupils.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

17. Weaknesses in the way teaching assistants were used to assist the pupils’ learning were seen in literacy. Too often, teachers did not ensure that teaching assistants were fully engaged in the lesson. For example, teaching assistants were sometimes given routine jobs such as filing during the initial input to a lesson. This meant that, although they were fully aware of the lesson’s planning, their ability to respond to the pupils’ reaction to the initial input was reduced. Kilmersdon CEP School - 12 18. Teaching and learning are good in Years 3 to 6. They are good in English, mathematics, science, art and PE and satisfactory in ICT. These are the only subjects in which judgements were made during the inspection. Comparisons between the findings of this inspection and the school’s 1999 inspection are only possible in English and mathematics where both inspections found teaching and learning to be good. However, the 1999 inspection judged teaching overall in these

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

year groups to be very good. Particular strengths of the teaching and learning in these year groups are the strategies adopted to address shortcomings in the school’s national test results in 2004. The data from the 2004 tests were rigorously analysed and areas of weakness targeted in teaching. Teaching assistants are particularly well used in the teaching of mathematics in Years 3 to 6. The way teaching assistants are deployed allows pupils to be taught in year groups so that they are able to reach their potential. Similar deployment of teaching assistants was observed in science in Years 5 and 6. These strategies have been very effective in raising standards in mathematics and science.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

19. The marking of pupils’ work is variable. However, in general, it consists of ticks, some correction and praise. There is very little developmental comment which would help pupils to improve their work. Furthermore, in subjects other than English, mathematics and science, assessment information is not always used well enough to provide work which challenges and extends the most able pupils. Too often, pupils of all abilities do the same work although pupils with SEN frequently get additional support so that they can complete the tasks given. Additionally, and too frequently, the quality of the presentation of the pupils’ work is too low. This can restrict their progress particularly in mathematics where it makes calculations unnecessarily difficult for the pupils to carry out. Another relatively common weakness in teaching is overlong introductions by the teachers. This can make the pupils restless and restricts the amount of time they have to

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

complete their work. Questioning of pupils was regarded as a strength of the teaching by the school’s 1999 inspection. This inspection finds that there are some weaknesses in the teachers’ questioning techniques. In particular, they often fail to ensure that the more passive pupils, particularly girls, are encouraged to make a contribution to lessons.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

20. In their questionnaires and meetings, parents and younger pupils generally felt that teaching was good. A few of the younger pupils felt that they did not always have to work hard but this was not evident during the inspection. Some parents expressed concerns about the way teaching assistants were deployed in the school, about lack of challenge in mixed aged classes and the provision of homework. The findings of the inspection are that the deployment of teaching assistants is variable as described earlier, that pupils are generally well challenged and that the provision of homework is good. Older pupils expressed significant concerns about the behaviour of other pupils and the lack of interest in many lessons. The findings of the inspection are that behaviour is very good and the quality of teaching and learning is good. However, within the overall judgement of good teaching the weakness identified by the inspection, particularly long

p.13

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

introductions, give some support to the pupils’ point of view.

p.13

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

21. All teachers make good use of ICT to support their teaching. In particular, the use of interactive whiteboards to interest the pupils and extend their knowledge and understanding was a strength in many lessons. However, in the case of the pupils, their application of their ICT skills to promote their learning in other lessons was, at best, satisfactory. Compared with many other schools, a very limited range of work in other subjects was available either on display in the school or from work which was stored electronically or by other means. Similarly, teachers do not always encourage the pupils to make full use of their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. Too often, the pupils’ output is restricted by undemanding worksheets which restrict their capacity to respond to their full potential.

p.13

The curriculum

Overall, and in Years 1 to 6, the curricular provision is good. The school supports the pupils’ learning outside of the school day and develops the range of their interests very well. Overall, the Kilmersdon CEP School - 13 school’s accommodation and resources are very good. Curricular provision is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage where accommodation and resources are good.

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s strong community ethos and team spirit ensure pupils’ personal development is promoted well. • Equality of opportunity is very good for all pupils. • The pupils’ learning is enriched successfully through numerous visits and visitors and extracurricular activities, which support the curriculum very well. • Curricular provision for pupils with SEN is good. • The school’s staffing in terms of teaching assistants is very good. • There are too few opportunities for pupils to use ICT across the curriculum.

p.14

Commentary

22. The school provides pupils with a good curriculum that meets all legal requirements. It is well organised and ensures that pupils achieve well. Good attention is given to the way the curriculum is planned to meet the needs of pupils in the mixed age classes. The school keeps the effectiveness of its curricular provision under constant review and implements changes well when necessary. Teachers seek to plan productive links between subjects to reinforce learning. However, the use of the pupils’ basic skills in other subjects is generally only satisfactory. Although the school has significantly improved the provision for ICT since the previous inspection, the opportunity for pupils to use their ICT skills across the curriculum is not sufficiently structured. A useful addition to the curriculum is the teaching of German to pupils in Years 2 and 3, which broadens pupils’ experiences.

p.14

Commentary

23. The school has a very good ethos. It is a caring, supportive community, which appreciates the full range of pupils’ achievements highly and treats them as individuals. All of the pupils are well known to the staff and their academic and personal needs are very well catered for. As a result, all pupils are fully and successfully included in all aspects of school life. Equality of opportunity is very good.

p.14

Commentary

24. Provision for pupils with SEN is good. Pupils with SEN take part all in that the school has to offer. The school ensures that requirements in the pupil’s statement of SEN are fully implemented. IEPs are reviewed regularly. In some cases, targets are not clear or specific enough to show what pupils are expected to learn within a given time scale.

p.14

Commentary

25. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall and provides a suitable range of relevant experiences that meets children’s needs satisfactorily. At the time of the school’s last inspection, it was noted that the absence of a safe outdoor area for the children was a significant weakness. It has significantly improved and the resources and accommodation are now good and well suited to the demands of the curriculum.

p.14

Commentary

26. The curriculum is well enriched through a very good range of educational visits and visitors. This judgement supports the parents’ view that the school provides a very good range of activities. Poets, musicians and artists provide pupils with a wide range of experiences that enrich their learning in the creative arts. In addition, the school makes very good use of the local area and the wider environment to support and complement the curriculum, with visits to places such as Bristol Zoo, Gloucester Docks, a mining museum and a Tudor house. Other subjects such as RE are similarly supported, for example by visits to the local church, Wells Cathedral and a mosque. Visitors to school, such as Morris dancers, Roman soldiers, an African storyteller, a Muslim cleric and people from the local community, play an important part in developing many aspects of pupils’ personal and academic development. Older pupils benefit from an activity week to the Black

p.14

Commentary

Mountains. The school has a good range of extracurricular activities for its size including football, gymnastics, country dancing, music and drama. Kilmersdon CEP School - 14 27. The school has a good number of teachers and very good number of skilled teaching assistants, which enables them to organise and manage the mixed age classes well to support the needs of the pupils effectively. Overall, the accommodation and resources are very good and support the curriculum very well. Since the school’s previous inspection, a new purpose built, well resourced, high quality building now accommodates the younger pupils as well as providing a large hall, library and offices. In addition, the old school building has been upgraded, the outdoor areas improved and new playground equipment purchased.

p.14

Care, guidance and support

The provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is very good . The provision of support, advice and guidance based on the monitoring of pupils’ achievement is very good. The involvement of pupils through seeking and acting on their views is very good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are very good procedures for health and safety and child protection. • Relationships with adults in school are very good. • The school has very good systems to monitor pupils’ academic standards and progress and these are well used to provide pupils with advice and guidance. • The involvement of pupils in the school’s work and development is very good. • Induction arrangements are good.

p.15

Commentary

28. The school now has very good health and safety procedures in place. All the issues regarding pupils’ safety and well being raised in the last inspection report have been fully addressed. Apart from formal regular full risk assessments, health and safety checks are carried out on a daily basis. The emphasis the school places on safety is exemplified by the provision of tickets for those entitled to use the school bus. This simple system overcomes any risk of ‘unofficial’ passengers. There are full child protection procedures in place with the head teacher being the named child protection officer.

p.15

Commentary

29. All adults who work in the school form close and trusting relationships with the pupils. They know them well and provide good role models for behaviour. Discussions with pupils show that they feel very safe and secure and would turn to any adult in school should they need help, comfort or advice. No inappropriate behaviour was seen during the inspection and, in discussions with pupils, it was evident that they fully understood and tried to meet the standards of behaviour expected of them. The views of pupils about different aspects of school life are welcomed both on an informal basis and also through the school council.

p.15

Commentary

30. Pupils with SEN are cared for very well and have trust and confidence in those who support them. The school draws appropriately on the expertise of outside agencies to support individual pupils’ programmes of work. The school’s assessment procedures are used very well to track pupils’ progress and to give them very good support and guidance.

p.15

Commentary

31. The school’s very good systems to monitor pupils’ standards and progress include pupil tracking systems that allow accurate and agreed challenging learning objectives to be set. Pupils are involved in evaluating their own progress and in setting personal targets to raise their academic standards. As a result, they become more committed to the improvement of their work. Learning objectives are also made clear for most lessons and effective plenary sessions at the end of lessons provide information for planning future lessons.

p.15

Commentary

32. The rigorous procedures for monitoring attendance have successfully overcome the unsatisfactory situation noted in the last inspection report. Registers are completed on time and maintained correctly and there is regular contact with the educational welfare officer. Kilmersdon CEP School - 15 33. The school has good induction arrangements for children starting school and works closely with the local nurseries and pre school groups. Similarly links with the secondary schools it feeds ensure a smooth transition to secondary education. All these factors ensure that pupils feel secure and cared for and are a strength of the school.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents and the community are very good . There are good links with colleges, other schools and pre-schools.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have very positive views of the school. • Very active Parent Teacher Association. • The school provides parents with very good information about the curriculum and how to help their children at home. • Parental involvement is very good and their contribution to learning at school and at home is good. • Procedures dealing with complaints and concerns are good. • Good links with colleges, pre-schools and secondary schools. • Very good links with the community.

p.16

Commentary

34. Parents and carers have very positive views of the school and the school works very well with parents, encouraging them to support the school through the Parent Teacher Association and to help their children at home. Parental contribution is very good and they support the school well in many differing ways. Parents say they feel welcome in school and appreciate the speedy and effective response they receive to any concerns and complaints they may have.

p.16

Commentary

35. The school provides a very good range of information for parents about the curriculum and how they can help their children at home. In addition to very detailed annual reports, parents receive information through weekly newsletters, the reading record book and mathematics target book. There are good levels of involvement for parents of pupils with SEN. All IEPs are shared with parents and there are opportunities for both parents and older pupils to contribute to the targets.

p.16

Commentary

36. The school operates a genuine open door policy and parents take advantage of this to meet staff informally. There are three formal parent meetings a year consisting of one open meeting to discuss the pupils’ annual reports and two parent/teacher discussion meetings. Many parents help in school and those with special skills make themselves available when the need arises. The Parent Teacher Association fund raising ability has resulted in the provision of the superb new school building and many other valuable extra resources. The commitment of the association to the school is extraordinary. Members take holidays from work to man their ‘Jack and Jill’ jacket potato stall at the Glastonbury music festival with profits going to school funds. Selfless activities such as this have enabled them to raise the extremely large sums of money needed to pay for the school improvements. The PTA is a tremendous asset to the school.

p.16

Commentary

37. There are good links with the local pre-school groups and children begin their school career on a part time basis. There are equally good links with the secondary schools the school transfers pupils to. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 visit the secondary school and undertake ‘bridging’ work which they will continue in their new school. Secondary school Year 7 teachers also visit the school to meet their new pupils. The school has organised a Community Learning Partnership with other local schools to share good practice, exchange ideas and to facilitate training for teachers and teaching assistants. The school also provides work experience for students and teacher training practice for Bath University undergraduates. Kilmersdon CEP School - 16 38. The school has very good links with the community. The school provides musical entertainment for local senior citizens, exhibits work at the local museum and takes part in local

p.16

Commentary

competitions. Every summer, pupils attend the Somerset Schools’ Country Dancing Festival. Since the last inspection, the school has continued to maintain and build its very strong partnership with both parents and the wider community.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school’s leadership and management are very good. The leadership of the headteacher is very good as is the leadership of other staff with management responsibilities. Management and the governance of the school are also very good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school’s self-evaluation of its performance is very rigorous and is used very effectively. • Performance data are reviewed stringently and the outcomes of this review give rise to improvements in standards. • Concern for individuals is at the heart of the school’s life. • Strategic planning is very effective. • The leadership of the headteacher gives the school a strong sense of purpose. • The teamwork of all those associated with the school is excellent. • Governance makes a significant contribution to the school’s success. • The monitoring of teaching and learning is not rigorous enough. • The management role of co-ordinators is not fully developed.

p.17

Commentary

39. When the school was inspected in 1999 its leadership and management were judged to be good. The current very good leadership and management of this school are exemplified by its excellent self evaluation. In most instances, the school’s evaluation of its performance and the judgements of the inspection were identical. In no case was the school’s assessment more favourable than that of the inspection. In the very few cases where the findings of the inspection were more positive than the school’s view of itself, this was due to additional later evidence.

p.17

Commentary

40. It was also because the school deliberately downgraded its self evaluation until the outcomes of the strategies implemented to address weaknesses in the Year 6 2004 national tests and assessments were apparent. This is a very rigorous approach. Standards in the 2004 Year 6 tests were lower than they had been in previous years particularly in mathematics and science. The school, therefore, analysed the data from those tests especially rigorously. Strengths and weaknesses in the pupils’ performance were carefully identified and effective strategies to address them were implemented. These included teaching pupils in year groups in mathematics, improving assessment procedures so that pupils know how to improve their work and ensuring that assessment information is used to give them challenging but attainable work. As a result of these measures, standards are now as high as they were in 2003.

p.17

Commentary

41. This very effective drive for improvement is also shown by the school’s response to the key issues for action from its 1999 inspection. All of the issues raised as matters of concern by that inspection are now judged to be very good or good because of the school’s actions to bring about improvement. This stringent approach ensures that the school has a relentless and successful approach to promoting the pupils’ achievement. It also demonstrates the school’s commitment to ensuring that pupils of all abilities and needs reach their full potential. As a result, all pupils are fully included in all aspects of the school’s life and receive excellent equality of opportunity.

p.17

Commentary

42. The school improvement plan is a very effective management tool which identifies suitable priorities for improvement and sets out clearly how they will be implemented. Staff and governors are fully involved in the identification and monitoring of the plan’s priorities. The plan identifies those responsible for implementing the targets, staff development and costs, criteria for judging the Kilmersdon CEP School - 17 success of the initiatives and completion dates. The way in which the plan promotes the school’s ambition to continue to improve is shown by the fact that its priorities for 2004/5 are already considered to be at least good by the findings of this inspection.

p.17

Commentary

43. The very good leadership and management of the headteacher are at the core of the school’s success. He has high aspirations for the pupils and a clear vision of how to achieve these aspirations. As a result, he very effectively transmits purposeful educational direction to all of those connected with the school. There is a first rate partnership between staff and pupils. Key staff, such as the deputy headteacher, make a very good contribution to the school’s management and support the headteacher fully. Staff development and performance management are designed to meet the needs of the individual and to address the needs of the school. These processes underpin the progress that the pupils make. They also mean that the school is a very good place for teachers to undertake initial training.

p.18

Commentary

44. Governors are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of school. They are very clear on how effectively the key issues for action arising from the school’s last inspection have been addressed. The governors use their skills well on their committees, for example, in finance and ICT. They undertake an annual self evaluation of the functions of governance and identify strengths and areas for improvement. Many governors oversee areas of curricular responsibility. They make both informal visits to the school and visits linked to issues in the school improvement plan. The governing body helps to decide priorities in the school improvement plan and ensures that the headteacher’s performance targets are linked to it. Progress in implementing the school improvement plan’s targets is monitored monthly by sub-committees and by regular reports from the headteacher. The governors discuss sections of the school’s self evaluation process at each

p.18

Commentary

meeting. They use their knowledge of the school to be effective critical friends, for example, in the development of ICT and in the construction and management of the budget.

p.18

Commentary

45. The school’s budget figures shown in this report show a much higher level of reserves than is recommended. However, these funds include monies held on behalf of other schools in a local consortium. When this money is deducted, the school’s reserves are broadly within the levels expected. Financial planning and control are very good and fully assist the school’s educational aims. However, the governors have not compared the costs of running the school with those of similar schools. Additionally, they have not addressed the variation in the quality with which teachers use teaching assistants to support the pupils’ learning which this report has recognised.

p.18

Commentary

46. The headteacher and some co-ordinators undertake regular monitoring of teaching and learning. The quality of this monitoring is satisfactory and gives a clear picture of teaching and learning in the school. However, it lacks rigour in the sense that, although OFSTED’s criteria are used, no overall judgement of teaching and learning is made. Furthermore, the monitoring, although recognising the strengths of teaching and learning, rarely contains any guidance to teachers on how to improve their performance. Monitoring of teaching and learning is one area in which the role of many co-ordinators is underdeveloped as they do not take part in it. This means that their ability to know the strengths and weaknesses of their subject fully and to support and develop it are restricted. The school’s self evaluation recognises this as it identifies an area of improvement as giving co-ordinators more time to manage. The school plans to address this issue

p.18

Commentary

by covering co-ordinators’ classes to allow them to develop their management commitments. Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 453677 Balance from previous year 58363 Total expenditure 380171 Balance carried forward to the next 73506 Expenditure per pupil 2391

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Kilmersdon CEP School - 18 Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory .

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47. Children enter the school part-time in the September after their fourth birthday and enter a class with a small group of Year 1 pupils. At the time of the inspection, there were 23 children in the Foundation Stage attending the school full time. Children’s attainment on entry varies each year and is usually above average. Currently, however, it is average. From this average starting point, children achieve satisfactorily in all areas of learning and they achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

48. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall and provides a suitable range of relevant experiences that meets children’s needs. Children with SEN are well integrated and receive good support. They, like their classmates, are helped to maintain concentration by the nature of the activities offered. The school has significantly improved the accommodation for children in the Foundation Stage since the previous inspection. An attractive enclosed area outside the classroom and a range of play equipment provide children with the opportunity to support their physical development.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator is currently on maternity leave and in her absence the headteacher is maintaining an overview. This ensures that the provision is suitably managed. At the time of the inspection, the Reception teacher had only been in school for a week. However, the hand over has been managed well. The teamwork between the teacher and classroom assistant is already strong and ensures that each day’s activities are well organised and run smoothly. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Good relationships between children and adults ensure that children feel confident and happy. • Routines are well established and well known to children. • Children do not have enough opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

50. Achievement is good because of good teaching. Routines are well established and children feel secure, and settle to tasks with a minimum of fuss. Children are successfully encouraged to share, take turns and show consideration for others. They make good progress and, by the time they enter Year 1, many children have exceeded the nationally expected goals. All adults encourage the development of social skills in a variety of ways, such as encouraging children to work together in different groups and to support one another as they play. The children show interest in what they are doing and have a good understanding of the need to listen to the contributions of others. At times, however, the provision for children to initiate their own ideas is insufficient in terms of scope and frequency. As a result, their ability to make decisions about their work is limited. Good levels of independence in caring for themselves are evident, for example,

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

when they change for PE lessons. The very supportive relationships ensure that children learn the difference between right and wrong and learn to work together and treat others with courtesy and respect.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher and support staff take every opportunity to develop children’s language skills. Kilmersdon CEP School - 19 • The development of reading skills has a high priority.

p.19

Commentary

51. Teaching and learning in this area of learning are satisfactory. This promotes satisfactory achievement and children are on course to reach the goals they are expected to attain by the end or Reception. By the end of the Reception year, most children talk freely about their experiences and the things that interest them. They listen attentively and speak clearly when offering their ideas in class discussions. A few children are fluent and demonstrate that they have a broad vocabulary. However, there are others who are still at the early stage of verbal communication. Learning new vocabulary is a priority and staff take every opportunity during activities to develop children’s vocabulary through probing questions, so that they have to think and choose appropriate words to describe what they are doing. Role-play is used well to stimulate communication between children, particularly for those children who have speech and language difficulties.

p.20

Commentary

52. The early stage of writing is developed appropriately with suitable opportunities provided for children to express themselves by making marks on paper. A good number of children in the Reception year are able to write their name clearly. They make marks on paper and attempt to write their own words, as for example when writing a list of work for the ‘mechanics’ to complete in the class garage. By the end of the Reception year, the more able children write independently and use their knowledge of letter sounds to write simple words. However, a number of children are still at the stage where they copy under an adult’s script. The children enjoy listening to stories and join in with well-known phrases from stories such as Whatever Next . Many children in the Reception year are aware of how books are structured and understand that words carry meaning. Frequent opportunities for them to practise in class, both independently and in small groups, and the good

p.20

Commentary

support from home ensure that children achieve well in this aspect of their learning.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Children are given plenty of mathematical experiences to assist them in developing their understanding of number. • The activities given to children do not always sufficiently match their needs.

p.20

Commentary

53. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. However, there are areas of weakness in the teaching and learning of this area of children’s learning that relate to a lack of challenge in the activities set. For example in the lesson seen, the tasks set for the more able children involved working with numbers with which they were already familiar.

p.20

Commentary

54. Achievement is satisfactory. By the end of the Reception year, most children are likely to meet the goals children are expected to reach by the end of Reception. They have gained sufficient knowledge and understanding of number to count, recognise and add two numbers together when solving problems that involve ten objects, including doubling numbers. Their use and understanding of language to compare two numbers, such as ‘one more than’ and ‘one less than’ are well developed. The children’s previous work showed that they had been provided with activities, which helped them to use the correct mathematical vocabulary to compare size, weights and quantities.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory . Kilmersdon CEP School - 20

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A wide range of interesting activities is planned to promote learning in this area. • There is some over direction in design and technology work.

p.21

Commentary

55. Standards and learning in this broad area of development are satisfactory because of satisfactory teaching. Achievement is satisfactory. A variety of interesting activities is planned to stimulate children’s curiosity and enhance their understanding. Most children are working at levels expected for their age and are likely to reach the expected goals by the time they enter Year 1. Work is organised into topics that relate to the interests of the children, so that learning is linked and made relevant to them. Role-play is used well to increase children’s knowledge and understanding of everyday life. Play areas are converted to enable children to use their imagination, for example by taking on the role of mechanics in the class garage or making phone calls to order the spare parts needed to repair the tricycles.

p.21

Commentary

56. Children are given a wide range of activities that includes finding things that need pushing or pulling to make them move and composing group pictures from prepared images based on a theme. A weakness, however, is that, at times, the introduction to these activities is overlong and the tasks are over directed. As a result the children lose attention and their ability to make decisions about their own work is limited. The construction work is purposeful, and commercial kits, as well as large building bricks, are provided for children to explore and create models. Children have regular access to the computers in the classroom and were observed using the computers confidently to support their learning.

p.21

Commentary

57. Children’s awareness of religious and cultural traditions is successfully enhanced through stories and special events such as the celebration of festivals. A strong sense of their own religious beliefs and customs is well promoted through RE lessons and through the school’s strong Christian ethos.

p.21

Commentary

Provision in physical development is satisfactory.

p.21

Commentary

• The teaching in PE lessons is good. • The use of apparatus for free play outside is limited. • There are good opportunities for children to develop their manual dexterity.

p.21

Commentary

58. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory and promote similar progress and average standards. No outside sessions for physical activities were observed during the inspection. However, in the one PE lesson observed, teaching was good and the children achieved well as they travelled around the hall in different ways, in a stretched way and curled up. They happily experimented with travelling on different body parts on the floor and most children managed to transfer this skill to help them travel over, under and around the apparatus. Since the school’s previous inspection, the facilities for children’s physical development have been significantly improved, including a well resourced outside play area. However, the children do not have continuous access to the outside, so opportunities for them to extend their skills are lost.

p.21

Commentary

59. The children quickly learn how to use tools for cutting and sticking as they are taught these skills well. They show increasing control of brushes and most manipulate small objects, such as building bricks, well. Kilmersdon CEP School - 21 CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT.

p.21

Commentary

60. It was not possible to make an overall judgement of provision or standards but the work on display indicates that the children are provided with a suitable range of art and craft activities and they achieve satisfactorily. They explore a range of materials, paint pictures, print with different objects and weave with a range of fabrics. In terms of their creative role-play, the children are provided with worthwhile opportunities to use their imagination.

p.22

ENGLISH

• Standards are above average and pupils are developing a good feel for language. • Very good improvement in writing because of the school's openness and willingness to learn. • Targets are acting as a good incentive to higher achievement. • Pupils are careful listeners and confident speakers. • Pupils read with accuracy and pleasure but older ones do not challenge themselves. • Writing is often inventive and thoughtful. • Teaching is confident and well informed and pupils achieve well. • Marking is not useful or practical in showing pupils how to improve their work which is not always well presented. • Good leadership and very good assessment underpin the school's drive for improvement. • The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development.

p.22

ENGLISH

61. In both Year 2 and Year 6, standards in English are above average overall. This broadly reflects the pattern of results in the national tests during recent years. The achievement of all groups of pupils is good. There has been a good overall improvement in English since the last inspection but improvement in writing has been very good. This is because of the school's very rigorous and objective analysis of its own performance and its keenness to draw on the expertise of outside resources. As a result, robust measures have been put in place to tackle weaknesses in writing highlighted by the lack of higher attainment in Year 2 in the 2004 tests. A particularly successful initiative has been the high profile given to writing targets so that pupils can focus on the specific work needed to reach the next level. Targets are written in very straightforward language so that they help to raise pupils’ expectations of themselves very effectively.

p.22

ENGLISH

62. Across the school, standards in speaking and listening are above average and many pupils communicate their ideas clearly, confidently and concisely. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils spoke audibly and offered their ideas freely as they improved their work on Mr Bear. When talking about the features of writing a diary, Year 6 explored the topic in a considered and balanced way and developed their answers with understanding and maturity. Sometimes, teachers allow more articulate pupils to dominate discussions so that more reluctant speakers become passive and detached. Pupils are also careful and accurate listeners so that their comments are thoughtful and constructive. In an assembly on the theme of saying sorry, pupils were very reflective in their responses to Jesus’ reply to Peter’s question about how often we should forgive others.

p.22

ENGLISH

63. In Year 2, pupils’ reading skills are well above average. Many read with great fluency and pleasure. They use their knowledge of sounds, word building techniques and the context confidently to tackle unfamiliar words. A few less able pupils guess new words rather than using their knowledge of sounds to help them. Younger pupils like talking about simple events and favourite characters and authors and the more able skilfully use their knowledge of sequencing and story language to retell stories. In Year 6, standards in reading are above average and pupils enjoy reading for pleasure and for information. They respond imaginatively to plot, characters and ideas and are well aware of how to bring the book alive by using the voice to create tension and build up a sense of drama. Some are intelligent and reflective as they consider themes in their reading and how the story develops. However, they read a comfortable rather than challenging range of fiction.

p.22

ENGLISH

Kilmersdon CEP School - 22 This means that they do not learn to approach their reading with increasing insight and maturity by tackling works of greater significance and complexity. Pupils are good at researching information from books and other sources.

p.23

ENGLISH

64. In Year 2, standards in writing are above average and pupils are given plenty of opportunities to write in a range of styles such as stories, play scripts, instructions and invitations. Many are aware of the importance of improving their work with vivid descriptive words and appropriate connectives. They are developing greater confidence in their use of language and are becoming more adventurous in their choice of words. The richness of their imaginations is evident in their work in Mythical Creatures from around the World. In Year 6, writing skills are well above average and pupils write in an interesting and challenging range of styles. Their writing is often extensive and their choice of vocabulary bold and original. Some are developing a strong, individual style. The vitality and freshness of some of their work are seen in their version of the witches’ brew from Macbeth and writing based on Poison by Chris Wooding. Work on grammar is

p.23

ENGLISH

good and most pupils have a good grasp of spelling and punctuation rules. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Some pupils in Year 2 have a neat joined style of handwriting but others have less control over the size and shape of letters. Older pupils generally have a fluent style but teachers do not stress sufficiently the importance of neat presentation which often detracts from the quality of pupils’ finished work.

p.23

ENGLISH

65. As in the previous inspection, the overall quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers’ confidence in teaching the subject is shown in the clear and structured way in which they teach key skills and in their good expectations of the quality of pupils’ work. In a Year 6 lesson about writing in the style of a diary, the teacher focused very explicitly on the features that pupils would have to achieve to complete the task successfully. Teachers are also good at asking questions which extend language and ideas and help pupils to think what they are going to write. In a Year 1/2 lesson, the teacher’s carefully framed questions helped to expand pupils’ imaginations by creating a sense of fun and enjoyment in language. Teachers also treat pupils with sensitivity and respect which creates a friendly, supportive atmosphere in which to work. The Year 4/5 teacher drew on her easy rapport with pupils to encourage their responses to the dilemmas presented in their

p.23

ENGLISH

reading of Bill’s New Frock. Other common strengths are comprehensive planning, good use of ICT as a teaching aid and lively interaction to help and challenge pupils. Occasionally, the pace of lessons flags so that pupils’ initial interest and enthusiasm begin to wane. Teachers do not always make the best use of the skills of teaching assistants. Marking does not give enough constructive guidance on how pupils can improve their work.

p.23

ENGLISH

66. The subject is well led and resourced. The co-ordinator has a good overview through his long established monitoring role in the classroom and in depth analysis of standards. Tracking procedures are very good and form the basis of the school's objective review of its performance. English makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development when, for example, they write their patchwork quilt of memories, discuss moral issues in their reading, write books for younger pupils and compose their own Haiku poems.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

67. The development of language and literacy in other subjects is satisfactory. For example, pupils in Year 1/2 evaluate their fridge magnets in DT and discuss what they are good at and what they could do better in PSHCE. In history, Year 4/5 pupils make leaflets describing the history of the village and Year 5/6 pupils create booklets about rivers in geography and discuss topics like anti social behaviour in PSHCE. In science, inappropriate worksheets limit pupils’ recording and wider research skills. Specific vocabulary in subjects is not reinforced regularly enough to allow pupils to use it naturally and confidently.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

Kilmersdon CEP School - 23 • All pupils achieve well throughout the school and standards are well above average by the end of Year 2 and above average by Year 6. • The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. Pupils are very well managed and they learn in a calm and effective learning environment. • Assessment and target setting procedures are very good and are helping to raise standards. • The curriculum is good and all areas of mathematics, including using and applying knowledge and understanding, are well provided for. • The grouping of pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 is effective. • Pupils are not always encouraged to lay out their work carefully. • There are weaknesses in the marking of the pupils’ work and the development of the co- ordinator’s role.

p.24

Commentary

68. Standards of mathematics are above average in Year 6, which represents good achievement. There have been many initiatives and improvements over the last year in response to a fall in standards in the 2004 tests, and these are resulting in the raised standards. The school has reorganised the teaching of mathematics to allow pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 to be taught in small year groups and has established very effective procedures for individual target setting. Since the school’s last inspection, standards have risen from average to above average which represents a good improvement in the subject since that time.

p.24

Commentary

69. In Year 2, standards are well above average, which represents very good achievement. It also reflects the high standards achieved in the national tests. This judgement is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were above average.

p.24

Commentary

70. Pupils work well in all areas of mathematics. Pupils in Year 6 are able to use a variety of methods to calculate in all four operations and many show confidence in a range of mathematical strategies to work out answers in their head, although some take longer than others. They have a good understanding of place value, which enables them to work confidently and, in most instances, accurately with decimal fractions. They can write equivalent fractions as decimals and translate them into percentages. Pupils are confident in working with angles and they understand data handling. Most pupils in Year 6 use their knowledge of mathematics competently to solve problems. However, too many older pupils do not present their work carefully. This sometimes results in pupils setting out calculations wrongly and then they make mistakes.

p.24

Commentary

71. Pupils in Year 2 can order numbers to and from 100, can count in tens, have an understanding of tens and units and are developing a good understanding of basic multiplication facts of two, five and ten. They have a secure knowledge of shape, space and measurement and are able to solve problems with money. By Year 2, most pupils have a sufficiently secure understanding of mathematical vocabulary to address word problems with reasonable confidence.

p.24

Commentary

72. Teaching and learning in mathematics are consistently good throughout the school and very good in the Years 1 and 2 class. The mixed age group classes in Years 4, 5 and 6 are split and taught in small year groups with the additional support of two skilled teaching assistants. This has enabled teachers to focus effectively on the pupils’ needs. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and challenge them effectively so that pupils at all levels of attainment and at all stages of the school achieve well. This is a feature of all lessons, even in mixed ability classes, where teachers plan for all levels of attainment effectively so that different groups of pupils achieve well irrespective of ability. In the Years1 and 2 class, a very strong feature was the way that work was tailored to the wide range of ages and abilities in the class. Well prepared tasks at different and challenging levels related to the needs of the pupils were set for the main activity. These involved positioning numbers

p.24

Commentary

on a hundred square with varying degrees of difficulty with the more able pupils working with a shape cut out of the hundred square. Kilmersdon CEP School - 24 73. An important feature of the good quality of teaching is the very good management of pupils. This means that they are invariably very well behaved and they have very positive attitudes towards their learning. This enables the creation of a very effective learning environment, in which pupils sensibly get on with their work and allows teachers and teaching assistants to support focus groups effectively and without being distracted.

p.24

Commentary

74. The very good analysis of data and tracking of pupils’ progress help teachers to plan carefully for all abilities in order that all pupils make progress and are challenged. Marking of work is inconsistent, however and does not always give pupils advice about how to improve their work. However, the individual target books, shared with parents, ensure that all pupils are aware of their targets to help them understand how they can make further progress.

p.25

Commentary

75. The subject co-ordinator provides good leadership and management. She has ensured that work in the subject has a high profile in the school and has devised a range of strategies to ensure that high standards are maintained and any identified weaknesses are addressed effectively. However, she has not had the opportunity to observe teaching in classes other than her own. Her good subject knowledge and good ideas about how to lead and develop mathematics in the school support improved provision and high standards well.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

76. The use of mathematics across the curriculum is satisfactory. Pupils are introduced to the concept of scale in geography as they look at maps and directions as they study the local area. Links are satisfactory with ICT, as for example when older pupils use spreadsheets to calculate data and younger pupils write a set of instructions to control and operate a programmable toy. There is some useful support given by mathematics to other curriculum areas, although this is not planned systematically. For instance, pupils draw time-lines to help their historical understanding and tables and graphs to help them understand their scientific work.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils do well in this subject and standards are higher than those found in most schools. • The school took very effective steps to address a fall in standards in the 2004 end of Key Stage 2 national results. • Pupils have a broad range of scientific knowledge and apply their numeracy skills well in science. • The pupils have very good attitudes to the subject. • Although good use is made of the pupils’ mathematical skills in science, the use of their literacy and ICT skills is less well developed. • The subject is thoughtfully and effectively managed and good use is made of the skills of teaching assistants. • Strengths identified when the school’s was last inspected have been well maintained. • There are weaknesses in the marking of the pupils’ work and the development of the co- ordinator’s role.

p.25

Commentary

77. Pupils in Year 2 reach well above average standards. In the 2004 national assessments made by teachers, all the pupils reached the level they were expected to attain and 47 per cent reached above average standards. This represents very good achievement for pupils of all needs and all abilities. It also represents an improvement since the school was last inspected as, at that time, standards in Year 2 were judged to be above average. Standards in Year 6 are above average and achievement is good. This is the same judgement as that made by the school’s 1999 Kilmersdon CEP School - 25 inspection. Standards in the Year 6 national tests fell in this subject compared with 2003. The school took very prompt action to put this right. The test results in 2004 were carefully analysed for strengths and weaknesses and strategies to address these weaknesses were put into place. As a result, standards have now risen to the levels they were in 2003.

p.25

Commentary

78. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. It is very good in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. In all year groups, the pupils show a secure knowledge of all aspects of the subject because of the quality of teaching and learning. For example, in Year 2, pupils are aware of the importance of a healthy diet, know why some materials are suited to specific purposes and can explain why a bulb will not light in an open circuit. They have undertaken some useful investigative work such as measuring how far a pencil will roll down a ramp when the height of the ramp is altered and have recorded their results as a block graph. In Year 6, pupils know the location and function of the main organs of the body such as the heart. They understand the conditions in which condensation will occur and are aware of some of the effects of the movement of the earth. The pupils have also made good use of the school grounds and have recorded the animals and other

p.26

Commentary

items they found diagrammatically. They have recorded other investigations they have carried out in both block and line graphs. This illustrates the good application of the pupils’ numeracy skills in this subject. The pupils clearly enjoy their work is science. They concentrate and apply themselves well in lessons and, in conversation, talk animatedly and enthusiastically about work that they have completed in the past.

p.26

Commentary

79. Weaker aspects in teaching and, therefore, the pupils’ work include the development of their literacy skills. Scientific vocabulary is not developed systematically enough. Pupils do not use it naturally in context in the subject. For example, Year 6 pupils found it hard to explain what a fair test was although they clearly understood the concept. Teachers do not always encourage quieter pupils, who are frequently girls, to respond to questions. The application of the pupils’ writing skills is very varied although, overall, it is not good enough in view of the pupils’ high standards in this aspect of their work. There are some examples of good, well written free work. However, too often, the pupils’ application of these skills is restricted by inappropriate worksheets. In some cases, - too many to be acceptable - their writing is identical to that of the rest of the class. The quality of the

p.26

Commentary

way in which pupils present their work is also too variable. Again, there are examples of well presented work, for example, in Year 6. However, there are also too many cases where presentation detracts too much from the quality of the pupils’ work and inhibits their understanding and learning.

p.26

Commentary

80. The teachers use ICT well as a teaching aid and this significantly enhances the quality of teaching and learning and the pupils’ progress. However, although there is some evidence of the use of ICT by the pupils, for example, the drawing of block graphs and some gathering of information, this is not good enough. It is considerably less than commonly seen in many schools. The marking of pupils’ work is, too frequently, limited to ticks, correction and praise. There is limited comment to help the pupils to understand how to improve. Additionally, although the assessment procedures in the subject are good, the evidence shows that day-to-day marking is not always used to ensure that the work given to the more able is hard enough for them. The evidence also indicates that, particularly in Years 3 to 6, too much of the investigative work is demonstration rather than hands on experiments by the pupils. It also indicates that, especially in Year 6, experimental

p.26

Commentary

work is often too spoon fed rather than challenging the pupils to devise their own investigations. In some lessons, introductions are too long which restricts the pupils’ working time and, in some cases, causes them to lack interest.

p.26

Commentary

81. The subject is very well managed. The co-ordinator has, for example, recently revised the scheme of work, improved resources and planned to improve the use of ICT. She has also broadened the curriculum by activities such as a Healthy Child Day and a visit to the Bristol Outreach Project. Her plans for the further development of science include having a writing skills development plan and holding a science week. However, the co-ordinator does not regularly monitor the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. There has been a very good improvement in the school’s provision for science since it was inspected in 1999. Standards have been maintained at above average in Year 6 and have risen to well above average in Year 2. Numeracy skills are still developed well, assessment procedures remain good and the subject is still Kilmersdon CEP School - 26 well resourced. The school pond is now fenced and locked when it was unfenced in 1999 and

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils make good progress in ICT particularly in Years 1 and 2. • Strengths of the subject include word processing and control technology. • The use of E mail and sensors are areas of relative weakness in Years 3 to 6. • Pupils are very confident in this subject and work well together although their keyboard skills are variable. • Teachers make good use of interactive whiteboards to assist the pupils’ learning. • Governors take a close, effective and helpful interest in the development of ICT. • Provision in this subject has improved very significantly since the school was last inspected although aspects of the co-ordinator’s role remain under developed. • The school has taken part in a national project to develop the use of ICT in schools. • Although there has been significant improvement, there is still a drive to improve the subject further. • The use of ICT to assist the pupils to learn in other subjects is variable.

p.27

Commentary

82. Standards in ICT in Year 2 are well above average and pupils’ achievement is very good. Lesson observations and conversations with pupils indicated that they have a good understanding of all aspects of the subject. For example, they spoke confidently about presenting their work using word processing and pictures, about using models and simulations which required them to make choices and drawing graphs in mathematics. The pupils’ knowledge and understanding of control technology are particular strengths of their work in ICT. They test and improve instructions that they give to both robotic toys and on screen control programs very well.

p.27

Commentary

83. In Year 6, standards in ICT are average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. The evidence showed that, for example, pupils regularly present their work well using text and graphics, they show a sound understanding of spreadsheets, have made good use of the Internet to find information and know the value and operation of digital cameras. As in Year 2, their understanding of control technology is very strong. Areas of relative weakness in Year 6 are the pupils’ limited use of E mail and their knowledge of the functions of sensors.

p.27

Commentary

84. Pupils of all ages talk confidently about this subject and operate equipment with equal confidence. They work together very well when sharing equipment and discuss their work with assurance. The pupils show good understanding of basic computer skills such as accessing and operating programs, saving and retrieving their work, using a mouse control and applying the basic keyboard functions. Their keyboard skills are varied although most operate the keyboard using two fingers. The pupils have the self-confidence to learn from their mistakes and to apply the skills that they have to new situations. This helps them to improve their rate of progress. They are well aware that ICT is much broader in scope than just computers and, for example, mentioned video players, CD ROMS and mobile telephones in this context. The pupils also know that ICT is not the only, or necessarily the most appropriate way, for example, of presenting information.

p.27

Commentary

85. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. It is very good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. No judgement was made about the quality of teaching and learning in the school’s 1999 inspection. A particularly strong feature of teaching throughout the school is the way teachers use ICT, especially interactive whiteboards, to stimulate the pupils’ learning in many subjects. This gains the pupils’ attention, increases their application and enhances their progress. Other strengths of the teaching of ICT were illustrated in a very good Years 1 and 2 lesson about Kilmersdon CEP School - 27 control technology. The teacher explained the task very well and the pupils soon got the idea. They planned how they would program a robotic toy to knock down a number of skittles set out in a pattern. The pupils then put their ideas into operation as they watched as some programmed the

p.27

Commentary

robot and tested the outcomes. The pupils were very interested and maintained high levels of concentration. The teacher increased their understanding of programming by drawing their attention to the results of failing to clear previous instructions, reviewing their understanding of the symbols used for programming the robot and by developing their mathematics vocabulary through using terms such as “estimate” and “right angle”. At the end of the lesson, the pupils enhanced their understanding of control technology by working on this aspect of ICT on computers. In this lesson, pupils were absorbed in challenging work and made very good progress because of the teacher’s expert knowledge and stimulating teaching.

p.28

Commentary

86. Relative weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning include overlong introductions to lessons. This frustrates the pupils who are keen to use the computers and their attention wanes. It also means that they do not have enough time to complete the work which they are set. In addition, on some occasions, teachers do not ensure that all pupils take part in class discussions. The eager who raise their hands tend to dominate at the expense of the quieter pupils who are often girls. Furthermore, when pupils are given tasks, there is rarely any allowance for differences in ability or attainment. This means that the more able, in particular, are not maximising their progress. Indeed, in rare instances, teachers inadvertently hold these pupils back by insisting that they follow the instructions given rather than allowing them to apply and develop their own approach and skills.

p.28

Commentary

87. The governors take a specific and effectively developmental interest in the growth of ICT in the school’s curriculum. The governor responsible for the oversight of ICT visits the school and talks to the staff. Following the school’s involvement in the national project, the governors established an ICT committee to support, challenge and guide the school. This committee meets regularly. At a recent meeting, the governors involved discussed delays to the implementation of broadband, the progress of the school’s website and monitoring compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

p.28

Commentary

88. When the school was inspected in 1999, standards were below average throughout the school and progress was unsatisfactory. In addition, the requirements of the National Curriculum in ICT were not fully met. Additionally in 1999, assessment procedures were unsatisfactory, there was no overall scheme of work, staff lacked confidence and knowledge in teaching the subject and resources were unsatisfactory. All of these issues have been addressed well. The current standards, achievement and provision represent a very good improvement since the school was last inspected. This is due to the very good leadership of ICT and to the planned and effective way in which the development of the subject has been supported by staff and governors. As a result of this improvement, the Department for Education and Skills selected the school to take part in a national project as an example of good practice in ICT. Lessons in which the teaching of ICT was observed

p.28

Commentary

were subsequently used as exemplars of good practice at national conferences.

p.28

Commentary

89. In spite of the significant improvement in provision for this subject, the school is not complacent and continues to plan further improvements in ICT. For example, the governors have identified a series of recommendations for inclusion in the school improvement plan including videoconferencing by the pupils. This complements and extends issues for development already recognised in the school’s planning. In addition, the school’s self evaluation recognises the need to embed learning in ICT into the curriculum more fully. A relative weakness in the management of the subject is that the co-ordinator is not enabled to monitor teaching and learning regularly and rigorously.

p.28

ICT across the curriculum

90. Overall, the use of ICT in other subjects of the curriculum is satisfactory, however, there are significant weaknesses in its application across the curriculum. Teachers make good use of ICT to assist the pupils’ learning in most subjects of the curriculum largely through their productive use of interactive whiteboards. However, the use of ICT in other subjects by the pupils is much more variable. There are some examples of ICT skills being used to help the pupils’ learning in most Kilmersdon CEP School - 28 subjects. However, this is never better than satisfactory and the school was able to provide little evidence of what pupils had done in other subjects either from displays of work or work which the pupils had recorded or saved. For example, in history, pupils have worked on Tudor fashions and planned a website about their work in the subject. In geography, they have produced leaflets of

p.28

ICT across the curriculum

village life that have involved combining text and graphics and found out information about rivers using appropriate websites. In addition, the use of ICT in English, for example, for word processing, in mathematics, for data handling and in PE, for the evaluation of the pupils’ work is satisfactory. The use of ICT by the pupils to support their learning in science and art is unsatisfactory. Overall, the use of ICT across the curriculum is not as good as is commonly seen in many schools and is not a natural, regular and in depth part of the pupils’ learning in other subjects.

p.29

HUMANITIES

91. There was insufficient evidence for overall judgements to be made about the quality of provision or teaching and learning in geography. An analysis of pupils’ work and discussion with pupils showed a satisfactory understanding of the topics covered. Younger pupils draw the route of their journey to school and use some simple map symbols to show geographical features. They learn to use an atlas and locate Radstock and Weston-Super-Mare on a map of South West England. Pupils identify different places in the world as a result of the travels of ‘Barnaby Bear and Barry’.

p.29

HUMANITIES

92. Older pupils discover some of the facts about Kenya and, in Year 6, pupils showed a secure knowledge and understanding of rivers around the world. They are familiar with river systems and how a river can affect the landscape. Their use and understanding of geographical vocabulary such as erosion, flood plain, tributary and estuary when investigating rivers are good.

p.29

HUMANITIES

93. Across the school, good use is made of the local area. For example older pupils produced some attractive well informed booklets about the village that involved the use of ICT, incorporating text, picture and maps.

p.29

HUMANITIES

94. Only one lesson was observed in history. Inspection evidence gathered from discussions with pupils and from evaluating pupils’ work indicates that pupils are introduced to a range of different topics and themes as they move through the school.

p.29

HUMANITIES

95. Discussion with pupils in Year 2 and 6 and analysis of their work indicated satisfactory teaching and learning. By the end of Year 2, pupils know facts about the Great Fire of London and are developing knowledge about famous figures such as Louis Braille. Pupils in Year 6, have a sound understanding of the topics they have studied. They know for example, details of the lifestyle of people in Victorian times and what life was like in Ancient Egypt.

p.29

HUMANITIES

96. In the Years 4 and 5 history lesson seen, pupils were learning about life in the 1960’s and, in particular, the life of John Lennon. The lesson began with pupils sharing their knowledge gained from carrying out personal research at home. This had clearly captured the pupils’ interest and they responded eagerly when asked to show and discuss items such as, photographs, newspaper articles and videos they brought into the class. However, the time used for this was over long and, as a result, pupils began to lose interest. The pupils themselves showed that a lot of historical information could be learnt from a wide variety of sources.

p.29

HUMANITIES

97. The headteacher as co-ordinator for both history and geography provides good leadership and management. The schemes of work for both subjects cover all aspects of the curriculum. Provision is enriched with journeys out of school and visitors invited into school, so that pupils can apply skills in a practical situation.

p.29

Art and design

Kilmersdon CEP School - 29 Provision in art and design is good.

p.30

Art and design

• Pupils are given plenty of opportunities to develop their creative skills. • Teachers’ skills and confidence mean that pupils achieve well. • The work of well-known artists is used effectively to encourage pupils to experiment. • Sketchbooks are used well to collect visual information and develop pupils’ ideas. • The co-ordinator does not play a pivotal role in developing the subject. • There is not enough use of ICT in art. • Pupils are not sufficiently aware of artwork from other cultures. • Arts Week has helped to raise the profile of the subject effectively. • Art makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.30

Art and design

98. Standards in art and design are above average in Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils achieve well. This is evident from displays of work, observing lessons, talking to teachers and pupils and looking at sketchbooks. As they move through the school, pupils have plenty of opportunities to experiment with colour, size and shape and to develop their skills progressively. As a result, they show increasing confidence in exploring techniques and effects and in using various media.

p.30

Art and design

99. The quality of teaching and learning is good across the school. Basic skills such as drawing and colour mixing are taught well. Teachers are adept at demonstrating and developing skills while also helping pupils to be bold and imaginative. In a Year 1/2 lesson where pupils were trying out different techniques using paper, the teacher encouraged them to be adventurous with colour and shape. By the end, pupils had produced careful and inventive three-dimensional pieces of artwork. In a Year 2/3 lesson, the teacher drew upon the expertise of a parent to show pupils how to draw parts of a flower in detail. Pupils were very intent as they observed colours, shades and angles in the flowers that they had not noticed before. In their work on ‘A Sense of Place’ to produce two large scale pastel views of the school environment, Year 5/6 pupils carried out scaling techniques appropriately because of effective interaction and intervention by the teacher. Teachers make good

p.30

Art and design

use of the work of famous artists such as Renoir, Picasso and Van Gogh to teach pupils about their techniques and to encourage them to experiment. Pupils in the Year 1/2 class have looked at The Fighting Temeraire as a stimulus for their own exciting work. Year 4/5 pupils have studied the work of William Morris and have produced good quality work in their floral designs. Sketchbooks are used effectively to develop ideas and to record observational drawing skills. The work of some older pupils shows good attention to line, tone, space and shape, for example, in the way that they have created movement in their drawings.

p.30

Art and design

100. The subject is satisfactorily led. The co-ordinator shows a great deal of initiative in bringing new ideas to her work but she is not given sufficient opportunities to play a key role in monitoring and developing the subject. Resources are good. Displays around the school including portraits, textiles, collage, pottery, printing and silhouettes instil a sense of pride in pupils. However, some of them miss opportunities to identify techniques, explain how work was produced and elicit a response from the viewer. ICT is not used enough in the subject. There is little evidence of pupils exploring art forms and cultures other than their own. In discussion, pupils talked about their enjoyment of Arts Week based on ‘The Natural World’ and how it had made a lasting impact on their enjoyment of the subject. Art and design makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal development, for example, as they explore the language of colour, experiment with new techniques

p.30

Art and design

in groups, develop a Land Art project and work on their Aboriginal Journey pictures. No clear judgements were made in the school’s 1999 inspection and so it is not possible to judge improvement in the subject.

p.30

Art and design

101. Design and technology was not a focus of the inspection and no lessons were taught in Years 1 to 6 during the inspection. In addition, the subject co-ordinator was absent on leave of absence. Displays of work showed that pupils in Years 1 and 2 had designed, made and evaluated good quality refrigerator magnets. In addition, they indicated that pupils in Years 4 and 5 had made attractive fabric designs during the school’s Arts week. Additionally, photographic evidence showed that pupils had made good quality pots during a visit to the school by a potter. There was also an effective portrayal in slate of the story of Jack and Jill, with which the village is associated, to which Kilmersdon CEP School - 30 the pupils had contributed. However, the evidence was insufficient to make definitive judgements about this subject.

p.30

Art and design

102. Not enough evidence was gathered during the inspection to make overall judgements about provision and the quality of teaching and learning in music. Indications from the two lessons observed, assemblies, tapes and talking to pupils and teachers are that standards in music are above average across the school. Music enjoys a good profile in the school and pupils obviously enjoy their music making. This was seen in a good Year 4/5 lesson based on ‘East meets West’. Pupils were able to improvise a melody to given lyrics and to record their work using graphic notation. There was a good emphasis on considering their performance critically in order to improve it. High expectations of pupils’ performance were also evident in a good Year 5/6 lesson when pupils sang a call and response from African Chant with complete conviction. They also showed their lively enjoyment and appreciation of the Big Band sound and syncopated rhythm in

p.31

Art and design

their topic ‘Swinging’. ICT is not used enough in the subject. The school offers pupils a wealth of musical experiences including orchestra, three recorder clubs and instrumental tuition. Strong impetus is given to pupils’ enjoyment of music by school productions such as The Evacuees, concerts, services in church and in the school and Leavers’ service and song. Visits to the Colston Hall and Shakespeare4kidz musical and visitors such as the drumming workshop during Arts Week help to reinforce the strong tradition of music in the school.

p.31

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Provision in physical education (PE) is satisfactory.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2. • Pupils in Years 5 and 6 have good attitudes to the subject. • There have been significant improvements in the school’s provision for PE since it was last inspected. • The school’s accommodation, grounds and resources support the teaching of PE very well. • Links with the local secondary school enhance the school’s PE curriculum. • Competitive fixtures with other schools and extracurricular activities extend the school’s provision for PE. • There are strengths and weaknesses in the co-ordinator’s role. • ICT is used to evaluate the pupils’ work.

p.31

Commentary

103. Only two PE lessons were seen during the inspection. These were a Years 5 and 6 athletics lesson and a Years 1 and 2 gymnastics lesson. In the Years 1 and 2 lesson, achievement was unsatisfactory. However, standards were average because of the progress pupils had made in earlier lessons. Pupils produce satisfactory sequences of movement involving balance and rolling which show sound imagination, ideas and co-ordination. Their use of space is weak. In Years 5 and 6, pupils made good progress and reached above average standards. By the end of the lesson, they showed sound knowledge of the basic skills involved in putting the shot. However, their evaluative skills are not well developed. This lesson was taken by a teacher provided by the school’s links with the local secondary school and illustrates the value of these links. No swimming was observed. However, discussion with teachers and pupils and the school’s records show that

p.31

Commentary

most pupils can swim at least 25 metres safely and unaided using a recognisable stroke by the time that they leave Year 6. No comparisons about standards can be made with the school’s 1999 inspection as that inspection only judged the dance aspect of PE.

p.31

Commentary

104. The quality of teaching and learning in the Years 1 and 2 lesson was unsatisfactory. This was, essentially, because control of the pupils’ behaviour was not good enough and they did not apply themselves well enough. A similar comment was made by the school’s 1999 inspection. Additional weaknesses in this lesson were weak organisation which meant that pupils waited a long Kilmersdon CEP School - 31 time for their turn at an activity and insufficient knowledge of the subject. Pupils were, for example, allowed to bunch too much and did not set out floor mats correctly or quickly enough. There were strengths in teaching in Years 1 and 2. For example, planning was good, the lesson started promptly in an orderly manner and it was appropriately structured in terms of the basic format of the lesson. Support for pupils with SEN was good.

p.31

Commentary

105. Teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6 are good. The pace and variety of learning are good and pupils respond with enthusiasm and sustained application. Discipline and behaviour are good. Preparation is very good with all equipment and markings set out well before the lessons begin. Teaching builds well on the pupils’ earlier learning. For example, the chest pass, which pupils had a clear understanding of, was used to demonstrate that the shot putt was, essentially a similar push type movement. There was a firm emphasis on safety and an effective discussion about what had been learnt at the end of the lesson. Areas of relative weakness were the lack of a clearly structured warm up at the start of the lesson and the failure to develop the pupils’ skills of evaluation sufficiently.

p.32

Commentary

106. When the school was last inspected, its outside hard surfaced area was described as unsatisfactory for the subject and the outside areas were judged to be inadequate for the number of pupils in the school. Additionally, the hall was too small and the provision of resources only satisfactory. This is no longer the case. The school now has a new good sized hall, a large field and a good, flat hard surfaced area which is marked out for netball. Resources for the subject are now very good. The school’s accommodation and resources now make a very good contribution to the teaching of PE. This represents a very good improvement in the school’s provision for the subject since it was inspected in 1999.

p.32

Commentary

107. The management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator assumed his role at the start of the school year. He has recently introduced a new scheme of work for the subject and has improved resources and their storage. The co-ordinator has carried out a satisfactory review of the PE curriculum and targets for development include consistent extracurricular activities and appropriate in-service training. This action plan lacks rigour and the co-ordinator does not have a firm grasp of standards and quality in the subject. This is because he has not monitored the quality of teaching and learning and is not fully aware of the pupils’ achievement in swimming. The local secondary school provides some support for the school’s teaching of PE. A range of extracurricular activities occurs according to the season. These have included gymnastics, country dancing, football, netball, athletics and skipping. The school takes part in competitive football matches

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Commentary

regularly against other schools and, on occasions, competitive netball matches. The pupils enjoy these and have had some success. As in 1999, this makes a good contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school has good assessment sheets for PE. In addition, digital cameras are used as a form of assessment and evaluation to help the pupils improve their performance. ICT is also used in the subject in other ways, for example, to support dance activities. The use of ICT in PE is satisfactory.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHCE)

108. Because of timetabling arrangements, not enough evidence was gathered during the inspection to make reliable judgements about PSHCE . Planning, displays and older pupils’ folders were scrutinised and there were discussions with teachers and pupils. PSHCE is valued in the school and makes an important contribution to its ethos. Pupils are taught to develop self respect and to show courtesy and consideration towards others. For example, pupils in Year 2 discuss what they are good at and what they could change to make themselves better. Year 6 pupils have looked at issues like starting secondary school, anti social behaviour, how to treat others and interpreting right and wrong. A strong influence on the subject, especially among older pupils, is the concept of ‘self efficacy’ – a belief in your own ability to make something happen and to turn the vision into a reality. The school also gives pupils a good framework of values to regulate behaviour

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP (PSHCE)

and attitudes to work including team points, class rules, Golden Rules, certificate of excellence, ‘You’re a Star’ and ‘Student of the Week’. Regulations for sex and drugs education are met. 'Circle time' enables pupils to discuss issues that are important to them in an open yet confidential setting. The School Council allows them to feel that they can make things happen such as making Kilmersdon CEP School - 32 lunchtime more enjoyable. Visitors from Bristol Zoo, a recycling team and the school nurse remind pupils of their responsibilities towards themselves, others and the environment. PSHCE gives the school a real sense of its identity as a caring community where all have a part to play. Residential trips, such as that to the Black Mountains, help pupils to live and work together in unfamiliar surroundings. Kilmersdon CEP School - 33

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 3

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (Ethos) 2

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

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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 2 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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The leadership and management of the school 2

The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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The leadership and management of the school 2

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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