Lady Boswell's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sevenoaks

LADY BOSWELL’S CE (Aided) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 th – 17 th November 2004

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LADY BOSWELL’S CE (Aided) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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LADY BOSWELL’S CE (Aided) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 194

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Plymouth Drive Sevenoaks Kent Postcode: TN13 3RW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01732 452851 Fax number: 01732 465069

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr A Carpenter

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st February 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Lady Boswell’s is a typical size primary school. The socio-economic profile is broad but favourable when compared to most schools. Very few pupils are receiving free school meals. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above average. These relate to language, behaviour or learning difficulties. An average number have statements of special educational needs.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The majority of pupils are of white British origin and a small minority is of mixed Asian or African background. No pupils are learning English as an additional language and no pupils are in public care. The number of pupils who leave and join the school other than at the usual times is small. Children join the reception class in September or January in the year they will be five, depending on their birth date. Their overall attainment on entry is above average. Pupils are taught in classes that contain single year groups.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There are greater proportions of pupils with special educational needs than at the last inspection. The acting headteacher became substantive headteacher in March 2003. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23630 J Palk Lead inspector The provision for pupils with special educational needs, English, history and geography. 11096 J Chesterfield Lay inspector 22967 R Crompton Team inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, physical education and music. 23412 J Taylor Team inspector The Foundation Stage curriculum, science, art and design, and design and technology.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

3 Greenacres Puddletown Dorchester Dorset DT2 8GF

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 26

Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This effective school is giving good value for money. It sustains high standards in English and mathematics but there is scope for pupils to achieve more in some other subjects. Pupils are well motivated to give their best. The teaching is mostly good but there is a need to extend and challenge older pupils in some subjects. The leadership and management are good. All staff and governors are clear about the next steps to further improve the school.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Results in national curriculum tests are well above those of similar schools. • Pupils achieve very well in English and mathematics but standards are below average in information and communication technology (ICT), art and design and design and technology (DT) by year 6. • The curriculum provides well for pupils with special educational needs and they make very good progress towards their targets. • The teaching in the reception class is very good. • Older pupils need to be challenged to use their very good literacy and numeracy skills in subjects such as ICT and history and geography. • Pupils are enthusiastic about their work, behave very well and work very well together. • The leadership is strong and determined.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. Results in national tests have risen steadily and the proportion of pupils reaching higher levels has increased year on year. The strengths of the school have been maintained. Pupils’ attitudes are better. The curriculum for reception children is much improved and they are achieving well. Teachers are making better use of assessment information in their planning but the expectations of what pupils can achieve in some subjects are still not high enough. Pupils’ progress is tracked effectively. The school has addressed the previous issues regarding leadership and management and team work is now much stronger.

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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 A A A* A mathematics A A A A science A A A* A Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement overall is good . The most recent test results in English and science are in the top five per cent of schools nationally and results in mathematics are well above average. Inspection findings largely reflect the results in English and mathematics and pupils are achieving very well in these subjects. In science inspection found that standards are above average but achievement is only satisfactory in respect of pupils’ skills in investigative science. All children make good progress through the reception class and the majority are on course to exceed what is expected by the time they start in year 1. Pupils in years 1 and 2 achieve well because the work is well matched to their needs. Standards achieved in ICT are average for pupils in years 1 and 2 but below by year 6. The pupils in years 5 and 6 do not have enough experiences to develop their skills because of limitations in resources and teachers’ expertise and this limits what they can achieve. Standards are below

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 7 expectations in art and design and DT. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs are making very good progress towards their individual targets because of good support; most reach at least average standards in English and mathematics.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are very good . Pupils value each other and behave very well. Attendance is well above average; punctuality is satisfactory and all pupils are keen to get on with their work.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Overall teaching and learning is good . Lessons are well managed and there is good support for pupils when they need it. Relationships between pupils and teachers are very good and teachers’ questions give pupils the confidence to share their thinking. Teaching assistants offer good support to teachers and pupils. Demanding work is set in English and mathematics but the tasks set in some other subjects do not challenge the pupils to use these skills.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

In years 3 to 6 the curriculum is rather narrow and this limits the opportunity for pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills. There is some good enrichment for all pupils, including the gifted and talented, in sport and music and a good range of visits to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils’ care and welfare are good. Links with the community and local primary schools are good, particularly those with the church.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The school is very well led by the headteacher who has a clear vision of how to bring about effective improvement. Management is good. Pupils’ achievements are adequately tracked and teaching is monitored effectively. All teachers have management responsibilities for curriculum development but this is yet to prove effective in some foundation subjects. The work of the governing body is good. They have formed a strong team that has a clear grasp of the school at all levels. Statutory responsibilities, however, are not fully met in the temporary prospectus.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are pleased with the school. They feel their children are well looked after and encouraged to learn. Parents would like more information about how pupils learn and inspectors support this. Pupils really like their school and the way they are involved in making it better.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Raise standards in ICT and art and design and design and technology • Provide purposeful opportunities for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects in years 3 to 6

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Inform parents of their right to withdraw their children from collective worship and RE • Provide for all aspects of the ICT curriculum. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good overall and pupils achieve well above average standards in English and mathematics by year 6. There are no differences in the achievements of boys and girls but there is scope for all pupils to achieve higher standards in some subjects in years 3 to 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Test results for 11 year olds are well above national averages. • Children achieve well in the reception year. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress towards their individual targets. • Pupils’ achievements in years 3 to 6 vary between subjects. • Standards in ICT, DT and art and design are below average by year 6.

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.1 (17.9) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.6 (16.1) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 17.4 (17.7) 16.2 (16.3) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

1. Overall test results are above the national average. In 2004 results were average when compared with similar schools 1 and lower than in previous years. In the main this was due to some underachievement by average pupils. More able pupils performed well in writing and mathematics and as they should in reading. Inspectors found current year 2 pupils are on course to achieve standards that are better than these test results. Pupils of average attainment are achieving well. This is due to the successful use of assessment information gathered from the reception class to match work more precisely and ensure good development of pupils’ English and mathematics skills. The many opportunities for pupils to write in a range of subjects and good teaching of letter sounds, spelling and handwriting have made a significant contribution to improved standards in writing. Mathematics skills are extended well in activities

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

such as problem solving and complex numerical operations. Pupils achieve a good knowledge of numeracy facts and tables and are able to commit much to memory.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 30.6 (29.6) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 30.0 (29.8) 27.0 (26.8) science 31.5 (30.9) 28.6 (28.6) There were 28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

When compared with schools having a similar proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 9 2. In Year 6 English and science test results in 2004 were in the top 5% of all schools, and well above average in mathematics. When compared to pupils’ prior attainment in the year 2 tests, the results show some very good achievement. Test results have been consistently well above average since the last inspection, in spite of fluctuations in the attainment on entry of different year groups and above average numbers of pupils with special educational needs. The proportion of pupils reaching higher levels in the writing test has improved on previous years’ results reflecting the emphasis given to this. Inspectors found standards of the current year 6 to be well above average in all elements of English and mathematics and above average in science.

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

Inspectors’ findings 3. Children’s attainment on entry is above average in language and mathematical skills. Personal and social skills are well above average. The teaching in the reception class capitalises on this feature. With lively teaching, very good organisation and a stimulating range of opportunities the children achieve well. In particular, children’s early writing skills and problem solving skills are extended. The lower attaining children learn well because of the strong emphasis on developing their vocabulary in all areas of learning. Children are on course to exceed the goals that they are expected to meet by year 1.

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

4. Throughout the school, achievement in English and mathematics is very good overall. Pupils listen extremely well to each other and learn a great deal from working together. Pupils enjoy reading and demonstrate a very good understanding of plot and character development that helps them in their own writing. There is strong emphasis on developing vocabulary in all subjects and this has boosted the achievement of pupils throughout the school. The high expectations teachers have of pupils’ writing results in well-crafted stories. However, in years 3 to 6 these expectations are not evident in their written work in history and geography to enable higher standards to be reached. There is a high priority given to problem solving in mathematics, and mental arithmetic helps pupils’ confidence. The encouragement given to lower attaining pupils to explain their answers boosts their achievement. Whilst there is a strong investigative

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

and practical approach to learning taken in mathematics lessons there is little evidence of this being extended into other subjects, particularly science, as pupils move through years 3 to 6. Pupils have a very good general knowledge in science. Scientific ideas are very well understood and, by year 6, pupils are accurate in their recording of science investigations. Their skills in handling data and using computer-related equipment are weak. They do not have enough opportunity to set up and follow through their own investigations and this is limiting their attainment in this aspect of science.

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

5. There are very clear targets for pupils with special educational needs. The good levels of support for these, and lower attaining, pupils in the majority of lessons ensures that they build effectively on what they have learnt. Pupils’ progress towards their targets in literacy and numeracy is regularly checked by teachers, teaching assistants and the special educational needs co-ordinator and very effective action is taken to support their progress. This rigour does not, however, extend to their learning in other subjects. The pupils, who the school recognises as gifted and talented, are consistently well challenged in English and mathematics but are not given the breadth of curriculum necessary to achieve as highly in other subjects.

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

6. Pupils’ achievements in years 1 and 2 are good in the majority of subjects because there is a strong emphasis on teaching skills in a challenging and stimulating manner. Achievement in ICT is satisfactory but limited by the shortage of suitable resources to support learning of skills. Through years 3 to 6 achievements vary between subjects. Pupils achieve well in ICT where they have the necessary software. However, a lack of suitable resources to ensure older pupils learn the full range of skills limits their attainment. These gaps include control, modelling, and the extension of pupils’ experiences and use of computers in science and mathematics. There is insufficient systematic teaching of skills in art and design as pupils move through years 4 to 6, resulting in standards that are below expectations by year 6. Pupils attain above average standards in DT in their making, and learn a good range of fixing and modelling skills. However,

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

there is not enough demanded of them in the design and evaluation stages of the work and in these areas standards are below average. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 10 7. Standards are average in history overall; pupils have a very good general knowledge of events and characters because there is an emphasis on acquiring a large body of historical facts. The pupils’ presentation of work does not reflect their very good literacy skills because they are not acquiring a range of techniques for interpreting historical events. There was not enough evidence to judge standards and achievement in geography. However, the small sample of work available indicated that there is insufficient attention given to teaching geographical skills or to using pupils’ very good numeracy skills. Pupils’ singing is well above expected standards and the very good provision for extra curricular music has a positive impact on pupils’ learning

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

through the school. There was insufficient evidence to judge standards in all areas of physical education (PE). As in music, the very good provision available to all pupils, such as specialist teaching and clubs, provides good challenges for the development of skills.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes to what the school offers and almost all behave impeccably. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. Pupils’ attendance is very good and punctuality satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are very interested in lessons and enjoy learning. • Children in the reception class show an exceptional commitment to learning. • Pupils’ personal development is very strong. • Pupils’ very good behaviour means that lessons usually move forward without interruption but occasional interruptions in a minority of lessons slow the learning of the class.

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Commentary

8. Pupils enjoy being at school. In almost all cases they listen very well to what their teachers have to say, follow instructions competently, concentrate well and work hard. The youngest children make sensible choices about what they will do and pay attention for a long time; they are confident learners who work independently when the adults in the classroom are teaching other children.

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Commentary

9. The school places much emphasis on creating a sense of community. Their emotions are easily moved by aspects of their curriculum, such as an enjoyment of music. There are good opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities, but more could be provided for them to take decisions about the improvement of the school. The pupils have a very clear understanding of others’ needs. The youngest children help each other with coats and take turns with toys readily. Very good relationships also exist within the classroom where pupils collaborate well, urge each other on and respond very well to staff members’ suggestions. In a wider context, pupils are generous in their support of others, in other countries, less fortunate than themselves. They have satisfactory opportunities to learn about and appreciate the richness of our multicultural world and very good opportunities to experience local culture.

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Commentary

10. Pupils have been involved in establishing class rules and are very clear about what behaviour is valued and what is not acceptable. They consider that staff are fair and helpful and they respond well to ‘circle time’ (time when pupils sit and discuss common issues together). In these sessions they have the opportunity to think about and discuss such aspects as their own and other peoples’ strong points or issues that are particularly pertinent at a given time. Pupils usually behave very well, seldom needing to be reminded of the school’s high expectations. Unfortunately a few pupils occasionally show a disregard for the needs of others and disturb the smooth running of lessons. There were no exclusions in the last academic year. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 11

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.5 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a sound education. The curriculum is satisfactory but not sufficiently balanced to provide for a challenging range of experiences in all subjects. The teaching is good. Pupils are well cared for and there are good links with the community, parents and other schools.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall; there is some variation between subjects and classes. Assessment of pupils is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching in the reception class is very good; which is a significant improvement since the last inspection. • Literacy and numeracy are taught well throughout the school. • Relationships between pupils and adults are very good and good use is made of support staff. • Some of the tasks given to pupils in years 3 to 6 do not always provide enough challenge.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 36 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

2 (6%) 6 (17%) 18 (50%) 9 (25%) 1 (3%) 0 0

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

11. Teaching in the reception class is very effective. Adults have a clear grasp of children’s needs based on careful observation of them at work and play. The activities are exciting and very well organised. The very good emphasis placed on developing children’s vocabulary that inspires them to ‘have a go’ with reading and writing. Practical activities and games make a very valuable contribution to the success of children’s learning.

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Commentary

12. Literacy and numeracy teaching is a strong feature throughout the school. The teachers make very good use of assessment information to group pupils and set work that is well matched to pupils’ needs. There is very effective support for those pupils with special educational needs and pupils who are not making the progress expected. Teachers and teaching assistants have a very good knowledge of pupils’ academic and personal needs and this ensures they match work and support appropriately. The strategies to accelerate their reading and writing development are carefully chosen and their success is monitored. Sensitive support in mathematics ensures pupils learn well and gain in self-confidence. Teaching assistants and adults make a big contribution in all lessons; they work closely with individual and groups of pupils and have a sharp grasp of what pupils need to learn. Teaching assistants have a good understanding of

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Commentary

Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 12 how to teach English and mathematics effectively and are always seeking ways they can improve their effectiveness through discussions with the class teachers.

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Commentary

13. The atmosphere and relationships in lessons make a very important contribution to pupils’ learning. In particular pupils are given the chance to listen to each other and in turn respect what others have to say. Teachers’ skilled questions and pupils’ independence and collaborative skills lead to some good learning in lessons through the school. In most lessons questions are suitably demanding and require the right amount of intellectual effort to extend pupils’ knowledge. In some science and history lessons for older pupils the teachers were not clear about how to develop the pupils’ responses in order to challenge their reasoning and evaluative skills. Pupils with special educational needs are encouraged to join in and gain as much as others from the chance to share and present ideas to the class.

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Commentary

14. Lessons in years 1 and 2 are well planned to teach pupils new skills and extend others in all subjects through exciting and stimulating activities. For example, while pupils have been learning to compare old and new toys they have learnt to write instructions, set up a class museum and design and make their own moving toys. The teachers carefully planned the tasks to meet the range of needs and this ensured some highly effective learning. In years 3 to 6 teachers share well with pupils what they expect them to achieve and this contributes to good motivation in lessons. They make good use of the lesson time, ensuring a good balance between discussion, independent and collaborative working and an opportunity to review what has been learnt. However, there are weaknesses in some teachers’ subject knowledge and they are not always clear about what will take the learning forwards. Their medium and short term

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Commentary

planning is not sufficiently clear about the skills to be learnt and this leads to a lack of challenge in the tasks that are set. The lack of assessment information to help match expectations appropriately in subjects such as geography and investigative science means that the pupils do not learn as well as they might.

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The curriculum

Overall the curriculum is satisfactory. Enrichment activities are good. Accommodation is good and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a very good curriculum for children in the reception class. • Pupils’ very good literacy and numeracy skills are not used enough in some aspects of science, geography and history in years 3 to 6. • There are shortcomings in the resources to support learning in ICT and insufficient guidelines to ensure systematic development of older pupils’ skills in DT and art and design. • The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Extra-curricular provision for sports and music is very good.

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Commentary

15. The impact of the curriculum and the coverage is monitored regularly by the headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors. The curriculum for the reception children has been significantly improved since the last inspection by providing inviting and engaging activities. These are very well planned and based firmly on what children need to learn next. The weaknesses in the curriculum in years 3 to 6 are well understood by the school and some initiatives have already been implemented to make the curriculum more enjoyable and challenging. For example an ‘art week’ opened up opportunities for older pupils to visit the Tate Modern as a stimulus for their work on portraiture. An ‘Africa week’ introduced pupils to a broad range of art and music skills that gave them a greater insight into African life. A strong cross- curricular approach provides relevant and purposeful opportunities for all pupils in the reception

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Commentary

and years 1 and 2 classes. This is encouraging high standards across the curriculum, drawing especially on the skills taught in literacy and numeracy. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 13 16. The school has successfully used national strategies to secure an improvement in writing and mathematics throughout the school. There is unsatisfactory coverage of some foundation subjects, because they are not covered in sufficient depth. Too much of the work in history and geography is limited to collecting knowledge without developing pupils’ investigative skills. Much of the art and design work and DT work is a collection of one off experiences without building systematically on skills already gained in years 1 to 3. The scrutiny of older pupils’ work during the inspection revealed that the design of the curriculum did not incorporate sufficient use of literacy and numeracy skills, therefore valuable opportunities to raise standards in foundation

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Commentary

17. There are gaps in the resources for ICT to enable pupils to experience the full range of curriculum requirements. This also limits the quality of work in subjects such as science. The governing body are aware of this and further development of the ICT suite is a priority development.

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Commentary

18. Great importance is paid to the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans identify appropriate targets and teaching assistants support pupils well in lessons. Pupils and teachers alike value the contributions that pupils with special educational needs make. There is a small amount of highly effective support for higher attaining pupils in year 6 mathematics, although there could be more provision made for pupils identified as gifted and talented.

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Commentary

19. The school offers very good music and sporting opportunities for pupils, including inter-school football, tennis, tag rugby and concerts. This is an important means of extending pupils’ interests and learning outside lessons. The choir regularly contributes to church and community events and the school hosts a considerable range of instrumental tuition. Educational visits enhance the very good provision for pupils’ personal development.

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Care, guidance and support

The attention given to pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is good. Support, advice and guidance for pupils, based on monitoring, are good. Involvement of pupils is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships between staff and pupils are very good. • The school’s daily routines run smoothly. • Pupils play their part in the life of the school.

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Commentary

20. Adults look after all pupils well; in keeping with the school’s caring Christian ethos. Staff and pupils respond to one another with respect and good humour throughout the day. In the reception class care is very good. This is because the staff take advantage of every opportunity to teach the children how to look after themselves and others, by, for example, washing their hands, picking up belongings and learning how to use resources safely. Throughout the school, pupils are given very good personal guidance, although academic monitoring is not yet firmly established beyond English and mathematics.

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Commentary

21. The school day is well organised so that pupils can enjoy their time outside lessons. At break and lunchtimes pupils have a good selection of play equipment to keep them busy. The school is planning to redevelop the playgrounds, which do not currently have enough seating areas or facilities for quiet activities. Good induction procedures mean that children arriving in the reception class or joining classes in other year groups quickly settle and feel at home in their new surroundings. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 14 22. Pupils have good opportunities to get involved in the school’s daily life. They have the chance to express their views and represent their classmates as part of the school council. Older pupils help staff with the younger ones at break and lunchtime. They carry out a very valuable role, for example giving out fruit, leading games or running clubs for the benefit of others.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents, the community and other schools are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school keeps parents well informed. • Parents are very keen for their children to do well. • Very strong links with the church underpin the school’s work.

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Commentary

23. Parents enjoy a good range of well-presented information about the school’s life and work. Regular newsletters, along with the prospectus and the governors’ annual report, give parents a good idea of how the school works. However, the interim prospectus does not tell parents of their right to withdraw their children from RE and collective worship. Guidance on homework is very good indeed, while termly timetables and topic information are good. This means that the school enables parents to support their children successfully with their learning through for example, homework. The school has recognised the need to include more general information about the overall curriculum for parents with children starting in the reception class. Whilst the prospectus sets out what is taught, more information needs to be provided to explain how children learn. Reports to parents on their children’s progress are good and have improved

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Commentary

immensely over the last few years, following consultations with parents. However, the grading system still does not make it clear exactly how well pupils are doing for their age.

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Commentary

24. Parents are very supportive of their children’s education, and many are able to devote a lot of time and energy to the school as members of the parents’ and teachers’ association, governors, classroom helpers and organisers of clubs. The school appreciates their hard work and values the contributions of all parents. It harnesses their ideas effectively through systematic consultation via questionnaires, the parents’ forum, and working parties. The parents’ access to teachers to discuss their children’s progress is good. The availability of teachers at the beginning and the end of the day has recently been restricted because some parents were delaying the start of lessons or taking up too much of teachers’ planning and preparation time. The weekly open house is a good compromise, but does not offer the same opportunities for parents and teachers to chat briefly and informally about the children on a daily basis.

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Commentary

25. The school’s special, close relationship with the church and the church community adds much to the pupils’ development as individuals and their understanding of spiritual, social and moral issues. Pupils take part in a range of activities that support the curriculum with smaller local schools. The additional teaching expertise in French is a valuable addition to the curriculum. The school also makes the most of its location near to Sevenoaks town centre, using local features such as Knole Park to help add colour to the curriculum.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and is supported well by key staff. Governance is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher’s clarity of vision inspires staff and pupils to improve. • The deputy headteacher makes a very significant contribution to the success of the school. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 15 • Governors are supportive of the school and provide a good sounding board for new ideas.

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Commentary

26. The headteacher inspires the school to seek continual improvement. Her vision for the future is clear and is shared effectively with staff and governors. Since her appointment two years ago, she has transformed the management structure. Leadership teams have been established to manage groups of subjects and they are responding well to the new initiatives to improve standards. All staff are involved and know that their contributions are valued. The team co- ordinating mathematics has already had an impact on children’s achievement. Following a systematic review of assessment results, work in lessons is more finely tuned to pupils’ prior attainment. With the headteacher’s encouragement, subject managers are increasingly looking for ways to bring more excitement and enjoyment to lessons, whilst maintaining and improving standards. In addition to her very positive relationships with the adults in the school, the

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Commentary

headteacher has a strong influence on pupils’ attitudes and personal development. This is evident during the uplifting school assemblies where pupils respond warmly to her efforts to promote and sustain their self-esteem and pride in the school.

p.15

Commentary

27. The deputy headteacher works in close partnership with the headteacher to help ensure that the school’s commitment to inclusion is integral to its everyday life. Together their monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning are effectively shaping the strategic development of the school and informing the professional development of staff. The deputy headteacher is very effective in her management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs, resulting in the early identification of pupils who find learning difficult and the provision of some very good support. She provides an excellent role model for staff in supporting pupils with emotional or behavioural problems and in helping the most able pupils to meet their potential.

p.15

Commentary

28. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They manage the budget effectively and evaluate spending carefully. The principles of best value are applied well. They are fully involved in the improvement planning process and challenge the senior staff to ensure initiatives are thought through. All governors are fully aware of the information on pupils’ achievements and attainment. Governors work closely with subject management teams and regularly check on the work of the school. For example, they have evaluated the impact of changes to the way reading is taught. They play a strong role in helping parents new to the school and in maintaining links with the church community.

p.15

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 524,047 Balance from previous year 43,505 Total expenditure 539,464 Balance carried forward to the next 28,087

p.15

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Expenditure per pupil 2,781 Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 16

p.15

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is very good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well. • The organisation and management of daily activities is especially good. • Aspects of provision in personal, social and emotional development are excellent. • Measures to track children’s development build a rich profile of each child’s achievement that is extended most effectively into year 1.

p.16

Commentary

29. When children start school their attainment is above expectations for their age and for personal and social development; speaking and listening and counting is well above expectations. Staff monitor and support children very well in their progress along the ‘stepping stones’ towards the goals they are expected to reach. By the time they are ready to start year 1, most of the children exceed many aspects of these goals and have already begun the national curriculum activities. In all areas teaching is very good. Children are challenged well through exciting and unusual activities. The school has made very good improvement since the previous inspection.

p.16

Commentary

30. Children are lively and well motivated young learners. In their personal, social and emotional development , all them already exceed many of the goals expected of them by the time they start in year 1. Children confidently tell each other what interests them and what they think about their work. They follow routines and organise themselves with a maturity beyond their years, absorb themselves in books and play very well with each other in the many interesting role play experiences. The children are remarkably well behaved and supportive towards each other and when, during play activities, confrontations arise they discuss and negotiate to reach satisfactory conclusions. The teacher’s recently introduced measures to ensure children make choices about their work and take responsibility for their decisions provide excellent opportunities for rapid achievement.

p.16

Commentary

31. In communication, language and literacy the children achieve well. They listen very well and answer with phrases or clear statements; some ask thoughtful questions. They use speech well to reason as they follow text. One said “I’ve just realised the middle-sized bear has a middle- sized bowl, and spoon and bed.” In the shared stories they read they show a high level of understanding of what happens and what familiar characters get up to. They recognise familiar words and use their recognition of letters and letter sound to make sense of the text. They are hugely interested in the activities planned for them and some are drawn towards very challenging work such as writing and illustrating personal stories. Children form their letters well and use them to write sentences, often with little or no help from adults. In all these areas they already exceed expected levels.

p.16

Commentary

32. Children achieve well in mathematical development . A lot of their mathematical understanding comes through the daily practical mathematical activities as well as the stimulating class lessons. Opportunities are skilfully used to link ideas from other areas of learning. In one example, children used a puppet theatre to act out the ‘Three Bears’ story to ensure they matched objects of the correct size to each character. Numbers to 20, secured magnetically to the back of the puppet theatre, constantly fell to the floor and needed frequent rearrangement during performances. As a result most children demonstrated their ability to name and order these numbers. There is a good level of challenge in number and, consequently, most children write numbers to 20 accurately and recognise them in different situations. Some tell the time competently. They are on course to exceed what is expected in their mathematical development.

p.16

Commentary

Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 17 33. Children achieve well in their knowledge and understanding of the world . The fluency of the language that most children bring to school and the confidence they gain means that they soak up information eagerly and love ‘finding out’. Very well planned activities, and lots of adult discussion and conversation, ensure they find tasks rewarding. In one session about tasting sweet and sour foods all the children boldly tasted porridge and lemons. Some were startled by the lemons, but persevered politely and then purposefully explained their reactions. There are computers in the corridor and children use these well to draw pictures. The children exceed the expected level in this area of learning.

p.17

Commentary

34. No teaching sessions were observed in the area of creative development . Evidence from children’s work and photographs indicate that they achieve well. Their skills and exploration of collage and paint show a high level of detail and representation above that typical of five year olds. Children’s role play is stimulating and helps them to step into imaginative scenes such as the pizza parlour. Here children handled cooking tools and served each other enticing meals. A good level of make-believe enabled children to play the roles of cooks and customers well.

p.17

Commentary

35. Provision for physical development is good. Although the school has no outdoor area for scrambling and climbing these activities take place in the hall several times each week. New plans, already drawn up, will resolve this concern in the near future. As part of everyday activities the children work outside, learning, for example, to park the bikes, scooters and other equipment. They show a high level of understanding about taking care not to bump each other and swerving to avoid collisions. Children’s skills of fine motor control, manipulation and co- ordination are good. They handle tools well and with precision. They have frequent opportunities to use construction bricks and small resources.

p.17

Commentary

36. Children learn well and become enthralled in their work and play because there is a vibrancy to the teaching sessions that engages their attention and guides them to take a big part in what goes on. This highly organised environment is so well managed that there are no times when children are aimless. The Foundation Stage leader has formed a perceptive and hard working team who work very closely with other staff. She knows the next steps that need to be taken to help children to achieve even more than they do now.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The improvement since the last inspection is good. • The teaching is good and pupils maintain well above average standards throughout the school. • Support for lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs is very good. • The good assessment procedures help managers monitor effectiveness.

p.17

Commentary

37. The school has raised standards since the last inspection. It has ensured that pupils of different prior attainments make consistent progress by carefully monitoring their achievements and by improvements in the quality of teaching. All groups now achieve very well and many lower attaining pupils make very good progress. The proportion of pupils with above average standards is high and represents very good achievement through years 3 to 6. The underachievement by average attaining pupils in years 1 and 2 in writing has been addressed through a greater range of opportunities. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 18 38. Lessons are well planned to meet the high expectations the teachers and pupils have in English. The books used to teach and develop reading skills are carefully chosen to encourage pupils’ comprehension skills. The use of whole class and group reading sessions support this well.

p.17

Commentary

Challenging questions and good opportunities for discussion and collaborative work in a year 6 lesson reflected the confidence teachers have in their teaching. Pupils acquire a love of books, and well-maintained collections are provided for pupils to choose from. Lessons offer many opportunities for speaking and listening and pupils in all lessons readily volunteer to answer questions. In a year 5 lesson pupils took on a character from their studies to convincingly answer questions that demonstrated considerable maturity in the use of spoken languge. Teachers use group and paired talk very well to refine and extend pupils’ ideas and explore new ones. Activities are chosen very well to stimulate discussion and the emphasis on developing oral skills gives an added boost to vocabulary.

p.18

Commentary

39. Pupils’ achievements in writing have improved considerably in recent years. There are more opportunities to write for a range of purposes in English lessons and targets help pupils understand what they have to do to improve. A particular strength in teaching is the way the teachers use discussion to encourage pupils to develop ideas for their writing. The skilful teaching, using demanding texts, inspires pupils in their own writing. There is some effective marking of pupils’ work in English lessons but this has not been extended to written work in other subjects and this leads to some carelessness. High standards of presentation are insisted on in the younger classes but some untidy presentation detracts from the writing of older pupils. Teachers make good use of a structure for writing to help lower attaining pupils and the pupils with special educational needs are very sensitively supported in lessons. The individual

p.18

Commentary

education plans are very clear about what pupils have to learn next and teaching assistants make good use of this information when they offer support in lessons. For example, helping them edit their writing or discussing how they can phrase their writing more effectively.

p.18

Commentary

40. The tracking and monitoring of pupils’ achievements is a strong feature of the good leadership and the staff has a very clear view of what pupils need to do to continue to improve. Senior managers have supported teachers well in the use of various strategies to improve teaching effectiveness, in particular through setting clear learning objectives that meet the needs of individual pupils. In addition extra support has been provided for those lower attaining pupils, for example through the use of computer programs. There has been a recent change in the leadership of the curriculum with the introduction of a team linked to the development of humanities subjects. This has the potential for strengthening the development of literacy skills in other subjects. The team have yet to monitor the impact of recent developments such as the implementation of the marking policy which is not yet consistently applied through the school.

p.18

Language and literacy across the curriculum

41. This is satisfactory overall but more could be made of literacy skills to support achievement in other subjects. Satisfactory use is made of word processing skills throughout the school and there are some good examples of ICT used to present information. There is ample evidence of pupils in years 1 and 2 using writing skills well in other subjects. In years 3 to 6 opportunities are missed for pupils to use their literacy skills to explain, for example, their ideas and thinking in science and history, or to present their work through different devices such as poetry or play scripts. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 19

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve very well because the teaching is consistently good. • Good assessment procedures help to identify strengths and gaps in pupils’ knowledge. • Mathematics does not feature strongly enough in other subjects.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

42. Standards are well above average across the school. Pupils make very good progress in each year because teachers are confident in the subject and use a good range of methods to stimulate their interest. Lessons are taught at a brisk pace. In a year 2 lesson, for example, the teacher challenged the pupils to answer as many questions as they could in five minutes. They were eager to improve on their last scores and this got the lesson off to a very good start. Work with numbers is given a high profile and this provides pupils with a solid base from which to tackle other aspects of mathematics. This was evident when year 6 pupils were converting capacity measures using cubic centimetres, centilitres and litres. Their confident use of fractions and decimals was underpinned by good skills in numeracy. Pupils cover a lot of work each half term and make good progress from week to week. For example, year 5 books include

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

increasingly challenging work on multiplication, division, rounding to the nearest 100, fractions, decimals, money problems and probability. Pupils in years 3 to 6 use a good range of tables and graphs in their work but the general level of presentation is variable. Pupils enjoy learning mathematics but their eagerness to get on sometimes means neatness suffers and this leads to inaccuracies.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

43. The subject is led and managed well by a team of three teachers. They regularly look at pupils’ work across the school and carefully analyse assessment information. This gives them a very good idea of where children are doing well and where there are gaps in their learning. For example, as a result of this systematic approach, teachers were advised to give more emphasis to money problems and pupils’ skills in this area improved. A recent evening for parents, when the leadership team explained how aspects of mathematics are taught, proved very popular.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

44. Effective leadership and management have brought about good improvement since the last inspection. Teaching in years 1 and 2 is now strong and pupils are making good progress in contrast to the variable levels of achievement identified previously. Much has been done to ensure that more able pupils in each year are set appropriately challenging work. Teachers are now good at grouping children and setting them work which builds on their prior attainment. In year 6 more able pupils benefit from excellent teaching during their weekly sessions with the deputy headteacher. This good provision for higher attaining pupils is evident in the well above average proportion achieving the higher levels in national curriculum tests in year 2 and year 6.

p.19

Mathematics across the curriculum

45. There is potential for pupils to practise and consolidate their mathematical skills far more in other subjects. Opportunities are missed for pupils to refine their data handling and graph work in science, to measure accurately in DT and to explore shape and number patterns in ICT.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children are taught information very thoroughly but need more opportunities to extend their skills of investigation and for recording their work independently. • Good developments in years 1 and 2 are improving provision. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 20 • There are insufficient opportunities to extend science through mathematics and ICT.

p.19

Commentary

46. Pupils achieve well overall although they are weaker in investigation and scientific enquiry than in knowledge of science. This is reflected in the teacher assessments for pupils in year 2 where their standards in scientific enquiry have been below average while knowledge elements were above average. In year 6 tests, while their knowledge has proved to be well above average, skills in investigative work are average.

p.20

Commentary

47. In years 1 and 2 the teaching and learning are good. The teachers and teaching assistants work well together to organise lessons, to cover the ability range of the pupils. The learning for the lessons is clearly set out at the start and the teachers capture the pupils’ attention by explaining the practical nature of the tasks. Pupils’ enquiry skills have been identified as a weakness and the year 1 and 2 teachers ensure that the pupils now practise them. Through good, difficult tasks, the year 2 children were required to hypothesise and use earlier learning when identifying materials. A glass marble flummoxed them. ‘It can’t be glass because it doesn’t break when I drop it. Look. But you can see through it.’ In year 1 the children plastered the school with labels identifying whether objects were moved by either pushing or pulling them. They pulled a rope fiercely in order to overcome the strength of their support assistant and clearly learned to use

p.20

Commentary

terms relating to forces in accurate contexts.

p.20

Commentary

48. Pupils are interested and enthusiastic and recall details learned much earlier. When they conduct experiments, in year 4 for example, the children become very excited and talkative, demonstrating their pleasure in this type of activity. However, by year 6 the pupils find it difficult to set out their own findings in individual styles, as they have had intermittent experience during the junior years. Sometimes the introductions to lessons are over-long and, in year 6, several pupils chatted through high quality comments provided by their peers despite being asked to show more respect.

p.20

Commentary

49. Analysis of pupils’ work shows they experience a wide curriculum in science. Pupils begin to learn about fair ‘tests’ early on. In years 3 to 6 teaching is satisfactory and pupils demonstrate a very good grasp of scientific knowledge. However, having ensured their understanding, teacher support continues for too long. In the early days, quite rightly, pupils are given a structure in which to plan and write up their experiments and present their results. These formats are still used for older children and the pupils are not challenged to write their accounts in ways of their own choosing. Pupils do not, therefore, use mathematics and ICT skills to help them tackle the significance of observations, as well as communicating their findings. Not enough opportunities are provided when investigations could be presented to them as open questions rather than as steps to follow. Pupils use scientific vocabulary accurately and measure their findings against

p.20

Commentary

50. Pupils cover the full range of the different strands of the curriculum and in most year groups there is a high volume of appropriately presented recorded work. The range of ICT used to support the subject is limited; for example, opportunities are missed to use digital cameras and research from the Internet. The team of teachers co-ordinating science are poised to lead their colleagues forwards later in the year and have identified the concerns noted during the inspection. They already support teachers through example and by giving advice and provide satisfactory leadership. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Gaps in the curriculum and a lack of suitable resources prevent pupils from meeting the expected standards by year 6. • Pupils have good computer skills, but have too few opportunities to use them in day-to-day lessons. • The school is aware of what needs to be done to improve the provision.

p.21

Commentary

51. Pupils are achieving satisfactorily in years 1 and 2 and reaching the expected standards. Although pupils in the older year groups are mostly good at what they do in ICT, the range of work covered is too narrow. Achievement is unsatisfactory through the years 3 to 6 because pupils cannot reach the standards expected by the end of year 6 in important aspects of the subject.

p.21

Commentary

52. By the end of year 2, most pupils have good word-processing skills and confidently use painting programs. They are skilled in combining text and graphics to produce illustrated stories. Working with a programmable floor robot, they gain a good understanding of how to generate a sequence of commands to make it move around and this provides a good basis for subsequent work in control technology.

p.21

Commentary

53. Pupils are very confident in the use of computers by year 6. They use the Internet competently to search for information and are adept at copying and editing text and graphics for use in their own documents. Pupils use ICT in increasingly sophisticated ways to publish their work and to produce multimedia presentations. For example, pupils in year 5 created some informative and entertaining presentations about Henry VIII. Other aspects of the subject are not sufficiently developed in years 3 to 6. Database work is patchy. The older pupils learn to use a spreadsheet but have little understanding of how to search a database or to compile their own. The skills that younger pupils learn in using painting programs are not extended to include more complex work with digital images and the school lacks the equipment to extend pupils’ skills in control technology. A further gap is the use of sensors to record changes in temperature, light and

p.21

Commentary

54. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in the aspects that are taught. Teachers and teaching assistants have a good level of computer competence but the lack of suitable resources, such as control and sensing equipment, means that they cannot cover all aspects of the curriculum. The headteacher has taken over responsibility for managing the subject and has a clear idea of what needs to be done. Although resources have improved since the last inspection, the school has not made enough progress during the last five years because the provision has not been managed well enough. However, governors have been very active recently in exploring ways in which facilities can be improved and are keen to address the weaknesses.

p.21

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

55. The use of ICT across the curriculum is unsatisfactory. It is used more in English than in other subjects, where pupils use word-processing and paint programs to publish their work. Some good use is made of Internet resources. For example, work in art was very well supported when year 3 pupils used the National Gallery website. There is little use of ICT in other subjects. When pupils gather information in geography and science it is rarely entered into a database. There is more potential for electronic communication with other schools. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 22

p.21

HUMANITIES

History is reported in full below. Pupils work was sampled in geography but no lessons were seen.

p.22

HUMANITIES

56. It was not possible to form an overall judgement about provision, standards or achievement in geography . The scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates that there is some variation in the expectations of teachers throughout the school. Pupils in years 1 and 2 are challenged well through their work on the isle of Struay. The three dimensional map of the island, combined with careful selection of vocabulary, extended pupils’ knowledge of the physical and human features of the island and enabled them to achieve good standards. The guide to the town produced by year 2 pupils set out the main points of interest for visitors, and was a very good example of pupils making sense of the information they had collected from their studies. No lessons in years 3 to 6 were seen but the scrutiny showed a piecemeal coverage of skills. For example, pupils had acquired a reasonable quantity of information from their Egyptian studies but had not

p.22

HUMANITIES

developed this to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of key features. Much of the work seen was more concerned with pupils acquiring knowledge than developing important skills. For example, the work undertaken on local traffic problems did not demand enough of pupils’ data collection and interpretation skills and this was reflected in some poor presentation. The introduction of ‘Africa week’ is a good step forward in developing geography opportunities but overall unsatisfactory progress has been made since the last inspection. Whilst the work covered is broad enough to embrace all skills and knowledge elements, activities are not challenging enough. There are still insufficient planned opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills in studies in years 3 to 6. There is no routine assessment and this hinders teachers from planning well-matched work.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of practical and relevant experiences in years 1 to 2 results in good achievement. • There is a lack of well focused and developed history study units in years 3 to 6, and pupils could achieve more.

p.22

Commentary

57. Standards at the end of year 2 are above average and they are broadly average in year 6. At the end of year 2 pupils have a developing sense of chronology, they recognise distinctions between the present day and the past. They are developing a systematic way of collecting and exchanging information. The teaching is good. Activities such as the study of past and present toys are exciting and very well organised to ensure that pupils develop deeper thinking. The class museum, for example, provided opportunities for pupils to arrange and label items as well as research into who may have owned the toys on display. Further study skills were developed as some higher attaining pupils set out rules for visitors to the museum as well as some of the tasks that visitors could undertake. The opportunities to show the museum to pupils from other classes, and welcome parents in at the end of the day, considerably extended their vocabulary.

p.22

Commentary

A very good example of how to develop enquiry and comparative skills.

p.22

Commentary

58. Pupils in years 3 to 6 have a very good general knowledge but this is not developed adequately because teaching is too often geared to the acquisition of facts rather than the development of skills. Lessons during the inspection were generally well taught. It was clear that in one year 5 lesson the teacher successfully used drama through hot seating to develop deeper thinking and understanding of events in the life of Henry VIII. In year 3, pupils were exploring a variety of ways of recording and grouping facts about the Tudors. However, the scrutiny of work shows too little creativity in the way pupils’ knowledge is presented. For example, there is no evidence of pupils following their own lines of enquiry or creating their own hypotheses as a basis for Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 23 research. There is not enough guidance to show teachers how they should plan to develop these skills in the medium term. Teachers make good use of pupils’ very good reading and

p.22

Commentary

writing skills to extend their knowledge, but the development of systematic research skills is haphazard. Not enough is expected of pupils, particularly in developing interpretative skills.

p.23

Commentary

59. The subject has not received much attention since the last inspection, when provision was judged satisfactory. The newly appointed team link well into the overall curriculum development of English. They have developed the curriculum well in years 1 and 2 and have a clear development plan aimed at further improving teachers’ expertise throughout the school.

p.23

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Music and art and design are reported in full below. Pupils’ work was sampled in DT and physical education (PE).

p.23

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

60. No lessons were seen in DT and no examples of work were available in year 6, so no judgements are made about overall provision. However, a wide range of other evidence shows that, whilst pupils’ skills in making are often above average across years 1 to 5, the design aspect is average in years 1 and 2 and below average in years 3 to 5.

p.23

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

61. Year 1 and 2 pupils know how to plan, make and review their designs. In their glove puppet making, year 2 produced interesting and detailed pictures improved from initial sketches. They developed these into templates and ensured their hands could fit inside comfortably, showing a good understanding of purpose. Their completed puppets were individual and full of character and of a good standard. Their evaluations showed their pride in what they made and an eye for improvement where features were less successful than anticipated. Older pupils have made insufficient progress in the design process, with sketches remaining as the main design task. Some of these are less detailed than the work in year 2. No precision drawing, improved diagrams, accurate measurements or deconstruction are used to ensure the children record and improve the design procedures and make appropriate progress as they move through the

p.23

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

school. Completed artefacts are of an above average standard demonstrating that children’s craft skills reach good levels. Biscuit boxes in year 5, for example, are attractive, individual and sturdy, but insufficient attention is paid to reviewing the process and identifying strengths and weaknesses in the methods, materials and basic design used.

p.23

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

62. Only one lesson was seen in PE , so it is not possible to judge overall provision. However, observations of clubs and discussions with pupils and staff indicate that the subject is very popular. Pupils eagerly take part in physical activities and show a good level of sportsmanship. Effective leadership and management have led to improvements since the last inspection. The high profile of PE has been sustained and the range of sporting activities has been significantly increased. In addition to traditional school sports, pupils can take part in tennis, hockey, tag rugby, cross-country running and golf. Professional cricket, tennis and rugby coaches help with after-school clubs. Pupils have swimming lessons from year 2 onwards and this leads to good standards, with almost all able to swim 25 metres by the end of year 6.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of singing is very good. • Pupils have very good opportunities to learn an instrument. • There are not enough pitched instruments for older pupils to use.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

63. Pupils make satisfactory progress through the school and overall standards are in line with those expected by year 2 and year 6. The quality of teaching and learning in lessons is Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 24 satisfactory. A new teaching programme has just been adopted and this is helping class teachers, who are not music specialists, to cover all aspects of the subject systematically. Pupils have increasing opportunities to play instruments in lessons and to learn about the elements of music by trying things out for themselves. For example, pupils in year 4 made good attempts are picking out a repeated melody from a song and playing it themselves. The lesson was managed well, but with only one pitched instrument between five or six pupils they had to take turns and this hindered the rate of learning. Pupils achieve well in singing, where progress is less dependent on resources. The choir performs very well and the quality of singing in assemblies is

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

very good. Pupils sing with expression and control producing tuneful two-part harmonies.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

64. About thirty pupils are learning an orchestral instrument. The school orchestra provides a very good opportunity for them to develop confidence and to learn the techniques of playing in a group, counting in time, following the conductor and listening to one another. In contrast to the range of instruments that individuals bring into school, the shortage of melodic instruments identified during the last inspection remains and this still hinders composition work. In other respects good progress has been made. Pupils are introduced to a wider range of styles and music from different cultures. More visiting musicians perform and lead workshops, for example, the recent visit of an African drum ensemble. Overall progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The newly established leadership team is keen to further support class teachers in improving standards and has made a good start in doing so.

p.24

Art and design

Provision in art and design is unsatisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In years 1, 2 and 3 children reach above average standards and achieve well. • Work in sketch-books and during lessons shows standards are below average by year 6. • During the art week pupils’ learning experiences were valuable and effective.

p.24

Commentary

65. In years 1, 2 and 3 the pupils’ work is exciting and attractive. Their drawings are detailed and full of vigour and their paintings are sensitive and thoughtful. They show good attention to the use of colour and design, in work in the style of Monet, for example, where individuals have effectively combined paint to create atmospheric abstract work representing gardens. In year 1 the work on portraits, using many and varied media from pasta to photographs, showed a good development of skills as they explored methods of representing faces. Others appreciate their work and one young child who caught sight of the work was strongly moved to admire the bright faces, especially those captured using spaghetti and dried lentils.

p.24

Commentary

66. In year 3 the pupils’ work is above and sometimes well above average. Their use of digital photography, during the art week, to reveal natural beauty is both visually stunning and very thoughtful, as the evaluations showed. Photographs of trees, leaves, sky and water are exciting and demonstrate a spiritual awareness that is strengthened by comments such as, “I found this leaf beautiful, especially against the sky”. In year 4 the standards are average and some work is sometimes less sensitive than the work of the younger pupils. In years 5 and 6 the standards are below average, although the pupils demonstrate, through aspects of their tasks, the potential to reach much higher standards. The use of low quality media such as plasticine, and tasks that restrict the individual selection of paper size and type prevent pupils from demonstrating their true insights. Little evidence is available to show the steady development of perspective,

p.24

Commentary

67. Overall leadership is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is eager to improve provision and extend the subject knowledge and confidence of colleagues. The subject is in early stages of development and much is needed to improve the curriculum for the older pupils. The ‘art week’ was a success Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 25 in raising the profile of the subject and raising teachers’ understanding of how art could help pupils’ learning in other subjects. For example, year 6 pupils learnt about the influence of abstract art in the 1960’s. The week introduced pupils to a wide range of skills and was a start in addressing some of the gaps in the experiences of older pupils. However, it also revealed a wide variation in older pupils’ skills, particularly in their use of colour, space and shape to represent ideas. A lack of clear guidelines to help teachers develop these skills led to some disappointing results.

p.24

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Not enough lessons were seen to judge overall provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship (PSHCE) .

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

68. A wide range of evidence shows pupils’ personal development to be a strength within the school. The school council is beginning to provide pupils with opportunities to become involved in decisions about school development or activities. The school ethos strongly supports personal development and assemblies ensure the children are provided with time for reflection about everyday issues such as making decisions and sensible judgements. Lesson time is given to discussing social and moral issues with pupils, such as managing anti-social behaviour, which is designed to improve the children’s understanding of what happens when they forget to consider the needs and rights of others. ‘Circle time’ provides regular opportunities for class discussions. The programme of work for PSHCE is taught at specific times and through other subjects. The school provides appropriate sex, relationship and drug education. Aspects of citizenship, such

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

as living in a modern multicultural society and race relations, are addressed well. Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 26

p.25

The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

p.26

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

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

p.26

The quality of education provided by the school 4

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

p.26

The leadership and management of the school 3

The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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The leadership and management of the school 3

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Lady Boswell’s CE (Aided) Primary School - 27

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