Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School

LING BOB JUNIOR, INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 13 th January 2005

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LING BOB JUNIOR, INFANT AND NURSERY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 2 Crown copyright 2005

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LING BOB JUNIOR, INFANT AND NURSERY 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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LING BOB JUNIOR, INFANT AND NURSERY 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. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 302

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Albert Road Pellon Halifax West Yorkshire Postcode: HX2 0QD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01422 366925 Fax number: 01422 358225

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Julie Bousfield

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a large primary school, with 302 boys and girls aged between three and eleven. In addition, there are two nursery classes for 69 children who attend for half days only. There is resourced provision for ten pupils who are visually impaired and who travel to the school from some distance. Most of the pupils are drawn from the immediate area, where there is increasing economic and social disadvantage and a high incidence of anti-social behaviour, including vandalism. Housing in the locality is mainly rented accommodation and some low cost privately owned dwellings.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than the national average, as is the proportion of pupils with special educational needs. The school has identified about one third of the pupils as having special educational needs. Most of these pupils have moderate or severe learning difficulties, or social, emotional or behavioural difficulties and six have speech and communication problems. A higher than average number of the pupils has Statements of Special Educational Need, mainly for visual impairment. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage though about 15 per cent are from minority ethnic backgrounds, mainly Asian or Asian British. In addition, eight of the pupils are from refugee or asylum seeking families. The percentage of pupils whose first language is not English is higher than in most schools and 22 pupils are still at an early stage of learning English.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupil mobility is high at 40 per cent and a significant barrier to learning which adversely affects results in national tests. The attainments of most of the children when they join the nursery are well below average. The school has won several awards, including an Activemark in 2004, an Achievement Award in 2002 and Investors in People status in 2001. The school has also won a Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 4 range of Education Extra awards and National Charter Standard awards. Investors in Pupils and a Healthy School award are pending in 2005. The school has undergone significant changes in staffing in recent months. At the time of the inspection two teachers had been in post only one week, one newly qualified. A further three were on maternity leave and were replaced by temporary staff and there were three newly qualified teachers. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 5

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21045 Susan Walker Lead inspector The Foundation Stage curriculum; Science; Art and design. 19365 Gordon Stockley Lay inspector 4676 Mary Griffiths Team inspector Special educational needs; Mathematics; Physical education; Religious education. 1678 David Peckett Team inspector English as an additional language; English; Information and communication technology; Music. 30745 Pat Thorpe Team inspector Design and technology; History; Geography; Personal, social and health education and citizenship.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

peakschoolhaus Ltd. BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Newark Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 6 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.ofsted.gov.uk). Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 7

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 13

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 FINDINGS 36

Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 8 Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 9

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a thriving and effective school providing good value for money. Standards in English and mathematics are below average, and in reading and science they are well below average. Nevertheless, pupils achieve well and make good steady progress in their learning because many start the school with well below average levels of attainment. The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher, supported by a strong management team and committed and effective governors. The teaching is good, creating a positive climate for learning and pupils, in the main, behave well.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils achieve well although standards in English, mathematics and science remain low and standards in reading and speaking could be higher. Girls achieve better than boys. • Pupils with special educational needs are catered for well and make good progress, as do those pupils at an early stage of learning English. Visually impaired pupils do especially well as a result of the specialist teaching. • The school is very well led and managed. • Teaching is good, but assessment in science is not effective enough. • Punctuality is unsatisfactory • The school takes exceptionally good care of its pupils and nurtures their personal development very well; the provision outside of school hours is excellent.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has improved well since the last inspection and all issues from the previous report have been remedied successfully. Standards however are lower than at the last inspection because the attainments of the intake of pupils have changed significantly since then. Leadership and management have strengthened considerably with an improved management structure and better systems for monitoring teaching and learning and analysing performance data.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English C E E E mathematics B E E E science C E E E 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

Pupils throughout the school achieve well though standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are below average in writing and mathematics and well below average in reading and science. This reflects good progress from the well below average levels of attainment that most children start school with. Despite the school’s efforts to raise attainment in reading, many pupils continue to struggle because there are too few opportunities to read aloud, few pupils read for pleasure and not all teachers are equally good at promoting speaking. These limitations in literacy help to explain partly why standards in science are so low. As can be seen in the table above, standards fluctuate because of the differing groups of pupils. Girls tend to outperform boys. In the national tests in 2004, results in Year 6 were well below the national average and lower than those in similar schools in all three subjects. However, the results do not tell the full story. The proportion of pupils with

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

special educational needs is above average and increasing year on year, while the proportion of Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 10 pupils who join the school midway between Years 1 and 6 is much higher than average; in 2004 it was two and a half times the national average. Analysis of results illustrates clearly that the pupils who have been in the school from Year 1 to Year 6 and benefited from continuity in their education achieve significantly better results in national tests than those who joined the school at other times.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage and achieve well over time, though, with the exception of physical development, very few usually achieve the expected goals in the areas of learning by the end of the reception year. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and those with visual impairment do very well given the difficulties they face. In information and communication technology (ICT) pupils achieve very well and reach the standards expected for their age by the time they leave the school. In religious education and all the other subjects pupils achieve satisfactorily.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The provision for the development of pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is very good and contributes to the pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour. Attendance is satisfactory and improving though punctuality is unsatisfactory because too many pupils arrive late for school.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

good overall, enabling pupils to achieve well in relation to their capabilities. Teaching is especially good in English, mathematics and ICT. There are strengths in the way staff manage their pupils, insisting on high standards of behaviour, and in the way classroom assistants are used to complement the teaching. Assessment is used well to help pupils to improve, though the information is not always used fully to match work to the needs of the pupils. The school lacks a common system for assessing progress in science and so teachers do not always have a clear enough picture of what pupils have learned . Pupils with special educational needs are well taught and make good progress because work is tailored to their needs and they are supported well by classroom assistants.

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The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are

The school provides a good curriculum to which all pupils have full access. There are many additional activities that enrich and extend the curriculum well. The pastoral care is e xcellent and there is a good level of support for pupils with differing needs. The school has good links with parents and very good links with the local community. The quality of accommodation and resources are good overall and very good in the Foundation Stage, supporting teaching and learning well.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is very well led and managed . The leadership of the headteacher is very effective and senior staff and governors form a strong and supportive team. The governing body carries out its duties well. The school is strongly committed to promoting inclusion and equality of opportunity.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The pupils are proud of their school and most enjoy coming. There are good links with parents, who acknowledge that teaching is good and the school is well run.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• The most important things the school should do to improve are: Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 11 • Raise standards in English, mathematics and science by providing more opportunities for pupils to improve their skills in speaking, reading and investigative science; • Devise and implement an effective system of assessing the progress of pupils in science ; • Improve punctuality. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 12

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is good throughout the school but standards remain stubbornly below average in English and mathematics and well below average in science. In reading standards are well below average. The school faces a number of challenges, which adversely affect its overall performance in national tests and assessments.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well in relation to their attainments when they first start school and they make good progress in the Foundation Stage. • By Year 6 standards are below average in speaking, writing and mathematics and well below average in reading and science. Pupils’ progress in science and mathematics is hampered by a lack of skill in reading and writing. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and those who are at an early stage of learning to speak English achieve very well because of the good level of support they receive. Visually impaired pupils do very well because they benefit from additional specialist teaching. • The school makes very good use of performance data to track the progress of the pupils and to target additional support. • Standards in ICT are now average and pupils achieve very well in this subject. • Girls tend to do better than boys.

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Commentary

1 Standards in English and mathematics are lower now than at the time of the last inspection. This is because the attainments of the groups of pupils have changed noticeably since that time. Consequently the comparative data over time and between schools should be interpreted with caution. Pupils make good progress and achieve well in relation to their well below average attainments when they first start school. In general, results in Years 1 and 2 are better than in Years 3 to 6 because of the changing nature of the groups of pupils and because the effects of the improved teaching have not yet impacted fully by the end of Year 6. The school’s rate of improvement has been above the national trend in Years 3 to 6. This shows that the school is improving at a faster rate than most other schools. The school’s data shows that results in 2005 are on course to improve slightly in English and mathematics.

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Commentary

2 As can be seen in the tables below, the results for pupils in Year 6 in national tests in 2004 were lower than the national average in English, mathematics and science. The results were lower than those in schools with similar attainment at the end of Year 2 in all three subjects although they showed a small improvement since the previous year. The school’s standards in reading throughout the school are a particular cause for concern because many pupils lack confidence and few read books for pleasure. Reading has been the focus of much attention because limitations in literacy are holding some pupils back in other subjects, such as science and mathematics. Although many pupils retain a satisfactory body of knowledge in science, many find it difficult to record their work in written format. Similarly, many are unable to describe their observations and findings orally because they struggle to find the words to do

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Commentary

3 Pupils in Year 2 fared a little better in the national tests and assessments in 2004 to reach standards that were below, rather than well below, average in writing and mathematics. These Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 13 standards were similar to those in schools with a similar intake and represent good achievement when account is taken of the pupils’ well below average starting point. Writing results in 2004 dipped to below average for the first time in four years. Until then there had been a steadily improving trend over the past three years, rising to well above average in 2003. This improving trend reflects the good emphasis that has been given to writing throughout the school in recent years. Compared to similar schools results were average in both writing and mathematics. In reading however, as in Year 6, standards were well below the national average and lower than those in similar schools.

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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 14.4 (15.1) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 13.6 (15.9) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 15.5 (17.0) 16.2 (16.3) There were 43 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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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 25.2 (23.7) 27.0 (26.8) Mathematics 25.1 (24.9) 27.2 (26.8) Science 27.3 (27.9) 28.9 (28.6) There were 44 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

4 The decline in standards since the last inspection is due to the ever-changing intake of pupils and complex extraneous factors that have a negative effect on overall results. Since the last inspection the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals has increased significantly, from 17 to 26 per cent. The number of pupils at an early stage of learning English has doubled. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs has jumped from 13 to 32 per cent and there has been an increase in the number of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need. Crucially, the proportion of pupils who join and leave the school at different times during the course of the year is much higher than average, currently running at around 40 per cent. This high turnover of pupils means that many of those taking national tests in Year 6 are relatively new to the school and have not benefited from continuity in their education. This

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Commentary

factor was especially noticeable in the cohort taking the tests in 2004, where the number of pupils new to the school was two and a half times the national average. Analysis of the school’s results illustrates clearly that the pupils who have been in the school from Year 1 to Year 6 achieve very well, attaining significantly better results in the national tests than those who joined the school at other times.

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Commentary

5 A high proportion of children starting the nursery do so with attainments that are well below average. As a result of the well-planned curriculum, good teaching and the positive ethos for learning they achieve well, though few usually reach the goals expected for their age by the end of the reception year, except in physical development. Many children start in the nursery class with underdeveloped speech and with a very limited vocabulary for their age; few speak in complete sentences and a small minority are reluctant to speak at all. Furthermore, the social skills of a substantial number of the children are under-developed as some are unused to socialising with others, while some have yet to learn how to behave in an acceptable manner. The majority have little knowledge of the world around them. Consequently, many of the children have considerable ground to catch up. Despite the efforts of staff throughout the

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Commentary

school the linguistic limitations of many of the pupils hamper their progress throughout their school life and across all subjects. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 14 6 Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and make good progress towards their targets because of the good provision. Pupils with physical, learning or behavioral difficulties are identified at an early stage and are given plenty of well-focused support. Pupils who are learning to speak English as an additional language achieve very well. Most start at the school with little or no understanding of English yet they steadily gain confidence in speaking and writing in their new language as a result of the good support they receive. The school has very good assessment procedures that monitor the progress and achievement of all groups of pupils to ensure they are making the expected progress.

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Commentary

7 Those pupils who are visually impaired achieve very well because they benefit from the school’s good provision enhanced by very good specialist teaching. Most of the teaching takes place in the classrooms so pupils are fully included in all activities alongside their peers. High quality technical support ensures very good access to the curriculum so pupils do not miss out on any lessons. Learning even continues on the journeys to and from school with tasks that pupils can undertake en route so no time is wasted.

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Commentary

8 The school works hard to raise standards and the success of this is most clearly seen in the very good progress of the pupils who have remained in the school from Year 1 to Year 6. The pupils who join the school part way through the school year are assessed swiftly so that suitable provision can be made to meet their individual needs to help them to catch up. Senior managers make very good use of performance data to track the progress of pupils and to highlight pupils needing additional help. The achievement of all groups of pupils is regularly monitored to ensure that no one slips through the net and extra support is given where it is needed. Girls tend to do better than boys, as is the national picture. The school is aware of this trend and has started to tackle the issue by monitoring data for gender differences and by planning more activities that appeal to boys, though not all teachers are equally effective in

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Commentary

9 In ICT standards have improved considerably since the last inspection. This is because the facilities are much better, teachers are more confident in using the equipment and pupils have more opportunities to develop and use their skills across the curriculum. Standards are now in line with national expectations and pupils achieve very well. Pupils reach standards that are typical for their age in religious education and all the other subjects of the curriculum and make good progress. Pupils have good opportunities to hone their skills in numeracy and ICT in most other subjects. Literacy is used satisfactorily to support other subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have good attitudes and their behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils’ personal development is very good overall. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. Attendance is satisfactory, but punctuality is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school sets very high standards for pupils’ conduct and works very hard to achieve them. • Pupils have a very good understanding of right and wrong and show great respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. • The school deals very effectively with any incidents of inappropriate behaviour.

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Commentary

10 Most pupils have good attitudes and behave well and this has a positive impact on their learning. Most are keen to come to school, work hard and are proud of their school. Most enjoy their lessons, although a small minority of pupils find difficulty in Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 15 maintaining their concentration and effort for long periods. Many pupils show a high level of interest and enthusiasm by taking part in the many clubs provided before, during and after the school day.

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Commentary

11 The school has very high expectations of behaviour and pupils in the main rise to them. Pupils know the school rules on behaviour and the majority abide by them. They are polite to each other and to adults and show a caring attitude to one another around the school. Older pupils provide a valuable service by acting as ‘befrienders’ in the playground, helping children to develop friendships and mediating between pupils when disputes occur. Those selected as ‘befrienders’ are proud of their job and take it seriously, and this also helps to raise their own self-esteem.

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Commentary

12 A small minority of pupils find it difficult to conform to the high expectations and their behaviour is at times challenging. The school is doing a great deal to tackle behavioural issues and is succeeding in creating a calm and purposeful learning environment. There has been a lot of work on improving the ethos of the school. The influence of senior managers in this respect is strong. All staff have benefited from training, which has provided consistent strategies for dealing with occasional incidents of challenging behaviour. School expectations are made explicit and each class sets its own code of conduct. Any incidents of unacceptable behaviour are monitored as a means of measuring the effectiveness of interventions.

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Commentary

13 The school’s work is successful in eradicating bullying. Pupils say they do not consider bullying to be an issue because they know that the headteacher or deputy will deal with any offenders very effectively. The school is involved in several local schemes to improve and foster good behaviour and attendance, such as the recent anti-bullying week when pupils were resourceful in suggesting their ideas on how to prevent bullying. The school does not use exclusion as a sanction for poor behaviour. However, just occasionally it is necessary to exclude pupils for their own safety or the safety of others. During the last academic year there was one permanent exclusion and two fixed-term exclusions.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 238 1 White – Irish 2 1 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

14 The school works hard to develop the confidence of all pupils, most of whom enjoy being at school and make good progress. Pupils work amicably together and are supportive of one another. Teachers and support staff work continually to improve pupils’ social skills and social development is very good. Staff promote a high level of self-esteem by praising pupils’ efforts and giving them significant responsibilities. For example, one pupil was given the task of taking photographs of the inspectors for publication in the weekly newsletter to parents. Other pupils have opportunities to take part in sporting activities, such as the recent football match at the local stadium in front of a large crowd and screened on national television. Residential visits also promote Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 16 the skills of teamwork and other aspects of social development, as do public performances by the choir.

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Exclusions

15 Pupils’ moral development is very well encouraged. The school has clear and firm expectations of good behaviour and pupils are taught to distinguish right from wrong right from the start. Well-planned assemblies and religious education lessons provide good opportunities for reflection, allowing pupils to develop their self-knowledge and spiritual awareness. A local vicar, who visits regularly, has an excellent rapport with the children and makes a very good contribution to their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development by leading thought-provoking assemblies.

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Exclusions

16 The school promotes cultural development well by helping pupils to appreciate their own cultural traditions and those of others. It provides a range of opportunities for pupils to develop and celebrate their talents and the curriculum is enriched by many opportunities for pupils to visit places of interest and to learn from visitors from a variety of backgrounds. In particular the school draws extensively on the achievements of local sportsmen and women as role models to the pupils to demonstrate the need for high aspirations.

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Exclusions

17 Attendance by the vast majority of pupils is satisfactory overall and has improved since the previous inspection though there is a recurring minority of pupils whose attendance is unsatisfactory. The school has good procedures to monitor and promote attendance, including individual and class awards. The learning mentor plays a key role in this by working with pupils and their parents to help them recognise the importance of good attendance. Despite these efforts the school has not so far been able to improve sufficiently the attendance of this group of pupils. The statistics kept by the school show that an unsatisfactorily high number of pupils arrive late each term . This can adversely affect progress over time because of the cumulative effect of time lost and late arrivals disrupt the flow of lessons .

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Exclusions

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Exclusions

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.6 School data 0.4 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 good quality of education. Teaching and learning are good throughout the school and help pupils to achieve well. The curriculum is good, with due emphasis on the important subjects of English and mathematics. It is extended well by a wide range of additional activities, including the excellent provision for pupils out of school hours. The level of care the school provides for the welfare and nurturing of the pupils is excellent. Links with parents are good and links with the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school, especially in English and mathematics. This position has been maintained since the previous inspection. Teaching in ICT is particularly good and has improved since the previous inspection now that teachers have gained more confidence and expertise. The quality and use of assessment are good. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 17

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have secure knowledge, plan well and employ effective teaching methods. • Positive and effective class management promotes good behaviour and learning. • Teaching assistants are well deployed. • With the exception of science, assessment is thorough and constructive but the planning of work at an appropriate level for all abilities is sometimes inconsistent. • Speaking and listening features well in lessons though questioning is occasionally too narrow and opportunities to develop pupils’ vocabulary are missed.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 47 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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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

18 The quality of teaching has strengthened since the last inspection; the proportion of good and very good teaching has risen slightly. Parents are happy that the teaching in the school is good. The majority of lessons are productive because teachers are well organised and plan their topics and resources well with a good structure that ensures there is variety and a balance between written activities and direct teaching. Planning clearly identifies what pupils are expected to learn and this information is shared with them so that they know what is expected of them and why they need to work hard. Good planning enables pupils to be appropriately grouped according to their ability. However, planning of work is not always precise enough to meet the needs of all pupils, particularly in science. This helps to explain why few pupils attain the higher levels in national tests. The influence of senior management has impacted very well on

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Commentary

the quality of teaching. There are clear systems for marking, assessment and planning, all of which are helping to promote the achievement of pupils. The rigorous monitoring of teaching and samples of pupils’ work is also helping to improve the teaching overall.

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Commentary

19 A common thread that runs through the teaching is the confident and often lively way in which teachers introduce lessons, reflecting their secure subject knowledge. This often features the skilful use of computer-linked interactive whiteboards to illustrate topics and hold the attention of the pupils. Explanations are usually clear and engaging so that pupils are well motivated. Because the lessons are well planned, teachers have very clear expectations of what they want the pupils to learn. Classroom assistants are deployed well and generally make a good contribution to the quality of teaching although, particularly in the management of pupils whose behaviour is challenging, some are more proactive than others in spotting when help is needed and taking appropriate action. The expertise of the technician adds greatly to the efficiency of teaching in ICT lessons.

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Commentary

20 Behaviour is good in most lessons due to a consistent approach by teachers. Despite the potential of a minority of pupils, usually boys, to disrupt lessons, the insistence on high standards of behaviour ensures that pupils concentrate on their work. Any incidents are dealt with in a low key and positive way. By focusing on positive behaviour the teachers correct the inappropriate behaviour of a minority of pupils without detracting from the flow of the lesson. Relationships with pupils are good leading to productive learning within a purposeful but Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 18 relaxed working atmosphere. Time is used effectively and lessons are well paced to take account of the limited concentration spans of many of the pupils.

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Commentary

21 As a result of the good provision, the monitoring and analysis of progress the achievements of pupils who are in the early stages of learning English is good. This enables these pupils to make the same rate of progress as their peers. Pupils benefit from lots of experiences to develop their spoken language and they make very good progress. Teachers include the pupils in all parts of a lesson and the pupils answer questions readily. As pupils progress and develop their written language the support focuses on the learning of spelling and extending their vocabulary. The pupils are involved in all aspect of the curriculum and school activities.

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Commentary

22 Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. Class teachers and support assistants work very well together to support all pupils with a wide range of needs. Most teachers plan activities at an appropriate level although this is sometimes inconsistent between classes. For example, not all teachers are equally good at modifying resources, such as written texts, to suit the needs of pupils who have difficulty with reading. Pupils are taught in the mainstream classroom alongside their peers so they do not miss out on any activities. Specialist teaching to support visually impaired pupils is very good. Visually impaired pupils are helped to move around the school and the systematic development of their independence is a strong feature of the support. ICT is used effectively to help pupils learn and the plentiful, good quality resources are used effectively.

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Commentary

23 The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall, though it is currently better in the nursery classes where the staff are well established and experienced, whereas in the reception classes both teachers are relatively new to the year group. Consequently in some activities in the nursery classes there is a sharper focus and a better emphasis on language development. In all classes there is a good emphasis on the development of independence and the promotion of speaking and listening and children steadily gain confidence in the calm and well-ordered surroundings. Activities are well planned for each area of learning. Procedures for assessment are very good because the progress of each child is observed and recorded frequently and the information used to help determine what needs to be learned next.

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Commentary

24 Assessment is good overall. With the exception of science, assessment is thorough and constructive. It is generally used effectively to identify areas of weakness and for planning future programmes of work, though tasks are not always well matched to the abilities of the pupils. The school has comprehensive systems of tracking the progress of pupils and information collected is used well to help pupils make the best possible progress. The school has a clear system of colour coding to indicate whether or not pupils have achieved or exceeded their targets and this information is used well to identify those pupils requiring extra support. Assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress are carried out each term, using computer technology to record information. Factors affecting performance, such as gender, ethnicity and special educational needs, are all taken into consideration when setting targets. In science however the school has yet to devise a common method of assessing pupils’

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Commentary

progress against levels of the National Curriculum. Although most teachers have their own system of assessment the lack of a whole-school approach is hindering the drive to raise standards in the subject because teachers do not have a clear enough picture of what each pupil has achieved to assist with planning work that is pitched at the appropriate level of attainment of each pupil. The day-to-day marking of pupils’ work is good, especially in English and mathematics. Teachers give clear indications of how well pupils are doing and what they need to do to improve.

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Commentary

25 All staff are mindful of the need to extend the speaking of pupils so most lessons include good opportunities for discussion and talk. An effective device to promote talking is the use of ‘talking partners’. This strategy works well in encouraging pupils to discuss their ideas, as when pupils in Year 5 pooled their knowledge about magnetism. Most lessons include some form of discussion but not all teachers are equally skilled at framing questions in such a way that provides scope for pupils to give extended responses. When teaching is satisfactory rather than good, questioning is narrow often demanding only one-word answers and teachers do not Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 19 offer a range of additional words that would help pupils. Pupils who remain passive are not always drawn into discussions and so contribute little.

p.18

The curriculum

The school provides a broad curriculum that meets the needs of all its pupils well and helps them to learn and make progress. There is very good provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities that caters for a range of interests and extends and enriches the learning in class. The accommodation and resources are both good in quality and quantity, enhancing the teaching effectively.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a broad and varied curriculum. • The curriculum in the Foundation Stage gets children off to a fine start with their education. • Personal, social and health education and citizenship are promoted very well. • The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is good and the pupils are well supported. Support for visually impaired pupils is very good. • The school provides a good range of activities outside normal lessons that enriches the curriculum well. The provision for pupils outside of school hours is outstanding.

p.19

Commentary

26 There has been good improvement in developing the curriculum since the last inspection. Personal, social and health education and citizenship are now an integral part of the curriculum and a strength, whereas at the last inspection they were at an early stage of development. The provision for ICT is now good and pupils are achieving very well. This represents very good improvement because the development of the subject was a key issue in the last report.

p.19

Commentary

27 The school offers pupils a good range of learning opportunities to ensure they achieve well. The curriculum is well managed with planning for all subjects of the National Curriculum soundly based on national guidance. Although the school rightly places a strong emphasis on the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics, due prominence is given to all the other subjects of the curriculum. Planning for these subjects is not always consistent however and there are times in some subjects such as art and design and design and technology when insufficient attention is given to the development of skills so that the quality of pupils’ work becomes increasingly sophisticated as they grow older.

p.19

Commentary

28 The curriculum in the Foundation Stage effectively helps to launch the children into their education. It is well planned to take account of all the areas of learning and helps to introduce children to the expectations of the school. Children in the nursery and reception classes benefit from well-planned activities that are invariably geared to developing the language acquisition of the children that is a major barrier to learning for many pupils in the school. Children establish good learning habits in the Foundation Stage that help them to settle to school routines and they are introduced to a wide range of resources and materials that equip them well for learning in later years.

p.19

Commentary

29 The school reflects its aims extremely well in its provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship. Pupils are actively encouraged to think about Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 20 their own well-being and that of others. This is seen as an important priority and the school provides a wide range of effective experiences. A programme of drugs education and sex education, involvement in the ‘Healthy Schools’ project and parts of the science and physical education curriculum all help pupils to develop a good appreciation of the need for a safe and healthy lifestyle. By having the opportunity to take part in the class and school councils, pupils gain valuable experience in supporting others. This equips them well for adult life in the community.

p.19

Commentary

30 The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs of all kinds, enabling the pupils to achieve well. Pupils with visual impairment are catered for very well indeed both by the arrangements made for them when they integrate into classes and through the sensitive and very effective specialist teaching they receive. Pupils take a full and active part in the life of the school where there is a very strong commitment to inclusion. They have full access to the National Curriculum as well as to a range of extra-curricular activities. The curriculum is relevant to their needs. All pupils are supported within mainstream classes alongside their peers, whilst specialised tuition such as touch typing skills and learning Braille are taught within the visually impaired resource base.

p.20

Commentary

31 The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities and visits that extends pupils’ knowledge and understanding in a variety of subjects. These include competitive sports, musical activities and opportunities for pupils to use ICT. The excellent provision that is made for pupils out of school hours does much to help overcome barriers to learning, to promote language and to broaden educational experiences for the high number of pupils who attend. From very early in the morning until well into the evening the school is buzzing with activity as pupils enjoy worthwhile extra-curricular activities, all of which are carefully supervised and monitored. The early morning breakfast club promotes good attendance and punctuality by encouraging pupils to come to school early and start the day with a breakfast. The school fosters very good links with the local community and has good relationships with the church,

p.20

Commentary

college and local schools. These links greatly contribute to pupils’ learning and pupils are well prepared for further stages of education.

p.20

Commentary

32 The school’s good links with other schools include joint training days and opportunities for pupils from Ling Bob to work with pupils from other local primary schools. Pupils at Ling Bob also communicate with pupils at a school in Liverpool and this gives them the opportunity to find out what life is like in another area of the country. The school makes very good use of the range of opportunities to enhance the curriculum experiences for its pupils provided by local groups such as the Halifax Excellence Cluster and the Calderdale ‘Leisure in Action’ team. These links have resulted in funding for a number of out-of-school clubs and other initiatives for pupils’ benefit. A committee of the governing body is charged with improving links with the local business community. Currently a local supermarket has provided food for parents to taste at a healthy eating event and a local firm is currently sponsoring the school’s weekly newsletter.

p.20

Commentary

Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 21

p.21

Care, guidance and support

The school takes excellent care of pupils’ welfare, health and safety, providing them with extensive support, advice and guidance. The school’s involvement of pupils in its work and development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff establish very good relationships with pupils, providing each pupil with a very good, trusting relationship with one or more adults. • The school is a safe and healthy place. • Very good induction arrangements give pupils a secure start to their school life. • The developing school council makes an effective contribution to school life. • Every child is valued and their achievements are celebrated very well.

p.21

Commentary

33 The school is a happy and caring place where children trust the staff and feel safe and secure. The excellent attention given to pupils’ welfare, support and guidance is underpinned by the very good relationships between staff and children. Discussions with pupils revealed that they would readily seek help from their teacher or the learning mentor if they had a personal problem. They explained that those who did not feel able to talk about a problem could write about it in the “Dear Miss……” book and their teacher would read it and respond to them.

p.21

Commentary

34 Pupils benefit greatly from the help available from the school nurse and the learning mentor. For example, the nurse visits the school each week and runs programmes for pupils in Years 5 and 6 about taking care themselves, which includes matters such as bullying and friendships. She is also helping the school to work towards the Healthy Schools Award. The learning mentor is a fairly recent appointment but she has already made a significant impact through her work with pupils who have behaviour problems and low self-esteem. She is also playing a major part in trying to improve attendance and punctuality, as well as promoting greater parental involvement in the school through the provision of courses for parents.

p.21

Commentary

35 All necessary health and safety checks are carried out meticulously, and thorough risk assessments take place for all necessary aspects of school life. Pupils are made aware of safe practices in lessons, and regular fire drills take place at random and at varying times of the school day. There is a designated member of staff with appropriate training in child protection. She and all other members of staff are vigilant, aware of the procedures and ready to implement them if necessary.

p.21

Commentary

36 There are very good arrangements to help children who join the Foundation Stage to settle into school routines quickly and happily. Those children who join the school later than usual are quickly made to feel a valued part of the school community. Their educational needs are quickly assessed so that they can be supported without delay. Staff and pupils have established routines to help them to settle in and the headteacher keeps a particular eye on their progress. Where the new arrival has a different home language, the school obtains a selection of books in the home language to help them with their work and to make them feel ‘at home’. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 22 37 Pupils’ personal development is very effectively monitored by class teachers and particularly by the learning mentor. Achievements are rewarded with praise and celebrated in the weekly assembly and in the weekly newsletter to parents. The school

p.21

Commentary

council is a relatively recent development but it is progressing well under the watchful eye of the learning mentor. The councillors have been trained in their role and are effectively running their own meetings with sensitive adult support. They have already discussed a range of matters and have suggested, for example, playground improvements. The council has also discussed ideas for events to raise money for the victims of the recent tsunami disaster.

p.22

Commentary

38 The care, support and guidance of pupils with special educational needs are a very strong feature of the school. The same can be said of all pupils. They are encouraged to develop both independence and self-esteem. Procedures for the early identification of pupils with special educational needs and their regular assessment are clear and well understood. The learning mentor has a very effective pastoral role within the school. She supports individual pupils who have particular concerns and works both in the classroom and in the privacy of a small designated base. Well-constructed individual education plans are in place for all pupils requiring them. They closely reflect the recommendations made in respect of pupils with statements of specific need. Very close monitoring of progress against pupils’ targets is regularly carried out. This process is shared with pupils and their parents and is helpful in enabling them to be

p.22

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents and other schools and colleges are good. Links with the community are very good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Weekly newsletters to parents keep them very well informed about school events and celebrate pupils’ achievements. • The quality of information for parents, including the written annual reports on pupils, is very good. • Very good links with the community help to support pupils’ learning and personal development.

p.22

Commentary

39 The school’s written communication with parents is very good. It meets legal requirements and is produced with the reader in mind. The weekly newsletter is brief, but informative. The style is lively, with punchy headlines, similar to that of a popular newspaper. As well as the news of the week, it contains a helpful list of recent letters sent home from each class so parents can check whether they have missed anything important. It also celebrates the weekly achievements of pupils and classes in various areas, including attendance. The newsletter is also published on the school’s website each week.

p.22

Commentary

40 The school is constantly looking for innovative ways to help parents to assist their children’s learning and to help parents to become more involved. There are regular workshops on various curricular and other topics, such as literacy, numeracy, art and craft, and healthy eating. At the start of each term teachers issue a booklet for parents which tells them what their child will be learning about during the term. These booklets, Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 23 which parents find very useful, include details of homework expectations as well as other valuable information such as which days kit for physical education is required. There are three parents’ evenings each year and a very good quality annual written report is produced at the end of the summer term. The annual reports are of very good quality. They are easy to read and understand and show clearly how well the child is doing and whether performance in the core subjects of English, mathematics and

p.22

Commentary

science is above, below or in line with national expectations for the child’s age. They also say what the child should work on to improve and give pointers as to how parents could provide support at home.

p.23

Commentary

41 A number of parents help regularly in school and there is an active parents’ association, which supports the school by raising money through a range of social events. The association has recently donated £4000 for playground developments. The school regularly seeks parents’ views in a number of ways. For example, there are questionnaires on specific matters, such as whether parents liked the new-style weekly newsletter. Parents’ views are valued and taken on board. For example, security arrangements were changed following suggestions from parents.

p.23

Commentary

42 The school makes every effort to ensure that links with parents of pupils with special educational needs are good, particularly with parents of those pupils who are visually impaired. They are well informed and where possible are involved in target setting. The school operates an ‘open door’ policy when parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns they have. There is good attendance by parents at annual review meetings.

p.23

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are both very good . The governance of the school is good and the governing body meets its statutory duties fully. Leadership and management have improved significantly since the last inspection.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership of the headteacher is very good. • The leadership of other key staff is very good. • The governing body carries out its duties well. • Management is very effective. • Planning is highly effective in bringing to life the school’s aims and values. • The school is very good at promoting inclusion and equality of opportunity.

p.23

Commentary

43 At the time of the last inspection the school leadership and management were in need of improvement, particularly in the development of the role of subject leaders. Since that time, the school has done a lot to address its weaknesses and there have been significant improvements. The headteacher now provides very good leadership. Her strong sense of purpose reflects her ambitions for the school to provide the very best possible education for its pupils. The headteacher has drawn together and inspired a very effective team who share her commitment to raise standards. She works very closely with the deputy headteacher, who shares the vision and strives to help to achieve it. Together, the headteacher and deputy headteacher inspire and motivate all the staff, governors and parents with their positive approach, and with their ability to make sure that planned improvements are seen through successfully. The senior leadership team, for example, has improved arrangements for

p.23

Commentary

assessing pupils’ attainment, monitoring the quality of teaching, setting targets for pupils and monitoring pupils’ progress and has helped to create a calm and orderly school. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 24 44 The very effective deputy head and senior management team support the headteacher and governors in their work, contributing ideas and working hard to help to bring about improvements. Subject leaders work very well together as a team and are united in their commitment to sustained improvement. They generally manage their subjects very well, particularly in English, mathematics and ICT. The effectiveness of subject management is reflected in the achievement of the pupils, the consistently good quality of teaching and pupils’ enthusiasm for learning.

p.23

Commentary

45 The governing body is fully involved in shaping the vision and direction of the school. It carries out its statutory duties well. Governors are very well informed, through regular contact with the senior staff, about all aspects of the school’s work. Though some are relatively new to the role, they have a clear, accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Drawing on a wide range of expertise, governors support the school and its staff well in their work, combining support with constructive challenge. They share fully in the school’s commitment to raise standards and are rightly proud of its achievements.

p.24

Commentary

46 There are very effective systems for the management of the school. Arrangements for self- evaluation are rigorous and detailed. Governors and school staff draw on full, concise, up-to- date information about pupils’ attainment, for example in literacy and numeracy, to track progress and identify areas for improvement. The delegation of clearly defined roles and responsibilities is very effective. Teachers continue to target the quality and range of pupils’ writing and the skills of reading. As a result of carefully planned action, standards of all pupils, but especially those who attend the school throughout the primary stage, are improving. Procedures for the professional development of staff are very good and closely linked with agreed priorities for improvement. Strong teamwork and professional support are key strengths of the school. The good quality of teaching and learning, the excellent quality of relationships

p.24

Commentary

and the positive ethos enable the school to make a valuable contribution to teacher training. Very detailed and secure financial management underpins the school’s very good planning for improvement.

p.24

Commentary

47 The school’s success in bringing about inclusion and equality of opportunity is a real strength. The school is very caring and provides well for all its pupils across a wide spectrum of needs and abilities. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is a second language are enabled, by means of the good provision, to share in the achievement of all pupils. This reflects the school’s commitment to inclusion and the skill of teachers, support staff and governors in achieving it.

p.24

Commentary

48 The leadership and management of pupils with special educational needs are good. There is very good leadership of the resourced provision for visually impaired pupils. The school is successfully operating the national Code of Practice and is complying with legal requirements in respect of pupils with statements of specific need. A tribute to the good quality management of special educational needs is the fact that arrangements continue to operate smoothly in the absence of the co-ordinator.

p.24

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.24

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 974,693 Balance from previous year 67,029 Total expenditure 1,010,791 Balance carried forward to the next year 30,931

p.24

Commentary

Expenditure per pupil 2660 Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

49 Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good overall and children get off to a good start with their education. There are two nursery and two reception classes. Nursery children attend half days only. The majority of children start in the nursery with attainments that are well below average. A high proportion have poor speech, a narrow vocabulary and under-developed social skills. Many of the children have very limited knowledge of the world around them and some lack confidence in interacting with other children and adults . Throughout their time in the Foundation Stage the children achieve well in terms of their capabilities and make good progress because of the good teaching and stimulating learning environment. Consequently the attainments of the children by the end of the reception year are below, rather than well below expectation for their age. Only a minority are likely to reach the expected goals for their age in the

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

areas of learning, with the exception of physical development.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50 The Foundation Stage is very well led and managed with a growing level of teamwork between teachers, nursery nurses and other adults. The provision has improved since the last inspection. It has recently been re-organised, resulting in a carefully managed, vibrant learning environment where children learn well. There are good systems for planning the curriculum and very effective methods of assessing the progress of the children. Systems are the same in both year groups resulting in similar approaches and ensuring that the learning in the reception class builds on that in the nursery. Planning is prominently displayed in each area of learning so it is a handy point of reference to staff. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 26 51 There is currently some variation in the quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage brought about by very recent changes in staffing. The teaching in the nursery is good

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

overall, because the staff are well established in the year group and have a very good understanding of how young children learn. In reception, while there is some good teaching, it is currently satisfactory overall because the teachers are still finding their feet and the activities sometimes lack a sharp focus . At the time of the inspection there was a newly qualified, temporary teacher in reception who had been in the school for only one week.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Despite their limited skills when they first start school children achieve well. • The curriculum and organisation of classrooms encourage confidence and independence. • Behaviour is good and children work in a calm atmosphere. • Children settle into the nursery quickly because of very good induction arrangements.

p.26

Commentary

52 When children first start nursery many of them have limited social skills, for example, some still need adult help with their personal hygiene. A number are immature for their age and need much encouragement to join in with activities and to play with other children. Several of the children are reluctant speakers and need a great deal of coaxing by staff to enter into conversation and to play with other children. By contrast, a few are more boisterous and have little understanding of acceptable behaviour. These children need constant guidance to teach them to follow the rules and expectations of the school. The staff in both year groups create a calm and productive working atmosphere and the children gradually learn to play harmoniously together, to share and to be kind to each other, although when they start in the nursery many children prefer working on their own. By the time they are in reception many have developed

p.26

Commentary

the confidence to initiate conversations. Teachers are mindful of the short concentration spans of most of the children and plan accordingly to take account of this.

p.26

Commentary

53 Teaching is good in the nursery classes and satisfactory in the reception classes. Teaching in the nursery is better because staff tend to be more proactive in spotting children who are playing alone or who seem unsure of what to do and guiding them to use their time productively. They are more experienced at drawing every learning opportunity out of each activity and promoting vocabulary wherever possible. Most children achieve well in terms of their capabilities but most are unlikely to reach the goals in this area of learning by the end of the reception year.

p.26

Commentary

54 Throughout the Foundation Stage children develop their personal and social skills well because the classrooms are carefully organised to promote independence. Resources are easily accessible to children and clearly labelled to help them to replace items when they have finished with them so children develop the confidence to make choices and access materials for themselves. Physical education lessons also help to promote personal development well when children dress and undress themselves. Children are learning to listen to the teacher, though quite a few need frequent reminders to refrain from calling out. By contrast, a number make very little contribution and sit passively throughout class discussions and stories because they have not yet developed the confidence or linguistic skills to join in. The best teaching draws these children into the discussion and sensitively prompts then to contribute. In

p.26

Commentary

all classes teachers establish good patterns of behaviour and routines that set the tone of Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 27 expectation for further up the school. Children readily tidy away at the end of each session and many are eager to be helpful – one girl was observed busily sweeping up the sand that had been spilt.

p.26

Commentary

55 The school’s systems for inducting new children are very good indeed, helping children to settle quickly and establishing early links with their parents. Home visits prior to starting nursery are invaluable in helping children to quickly feel comfortable with their new surroundings and staff quickly get to know the children by playing with them and finding out what they can do. A useful meeting is held for new parents when a video is shown demonstrating school routines and how parents can help at home.

p.27

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is well planned. • Classroom displays promote language well. • Role-play is used well to promote speaking and listening. • Children are introduced to real-life purposes for writing right from the start. • More could be done to promote a love of reading.

p.27

Commentary

56 Throughout the Foundation Stage staff are mindful of the importance of promoting language at every opportunity and curriculum planning ensures that children experience plenty of opportunities to develop their skills each day. Standards are below those expected by the end of the reception year but the children do make good progress and achieve well because the teaching is good in the nursery and satisfactory in reception. Story time is an important part of each day for language development and children enjoy looking together at a ‘Big Book’ with their teacher. Teachers are good at telling stories with animation and engaging children in discussion that promotes vocabulary and builds confidence, though occasionally opportunities are lost to promote letter sounds and whole words or make links with other areas such as numbers or colours. Classroom displays are rich in language, with an appropriate emphasis on

p.27

Commentary

broadening the narrow vocabularies of many of the children. 57 Role-play is used well to promote imaginative play and to encourage children to gain confidence in talking. Role-play areas are well equipped to provide plenty of scope for imaginative play in settings that are suitably linked to class topics. The best role-play benefits from adult support as was seen when a nursery nurse in one reception class worked productively with children in the ‘doctor’s surgery’, initiating discussion, questioning and reinforcing key words such as ‘bandages’ and ‘appointment’ . The adult provided a good model of speech for children to follow. Where there is not enough involvement by adults children make less progress. In a home corner in the nursery children, for example, children were playing together socially, making a cup of tea, but there was very little conversation and so the activity was of limited benefit in promoting language.

p.27

Commentary

58 Children are encouraged to write for a good range of different purposes such as recording appointments in the doctor’s surgery or writing letters to a fire-fighter. Children make a start in expressing themselves on paper through mark-making opportunities in the nursery. In reception this is built upon as the children become used to writing for a broader range of real- life purposes and their control of pencils becomes more secure. The writing of the older children shows that those of above average attainment can write recognisable and correctly formed words in a simple sentence, though most need a considerable amount of help to do this. The least able have immature pencil control and their marks are barely decipherable. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 28 59 Classrooms in the Foundation Stage have book corners where children may browse through books, though few choose to do so and the resource is not always used to best advantage to

p.27

Commentary

encourage children to develop a love of reading. Few children were observed looking at books or discussing the pictures. More could be done to promote a love of reading by making book corners inviting and staff actively encouraging children to look at books for pleasure and to talk about them.

p.28

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good range of activities that successfully develops children’s mathematical skills. • Resources are of good quality and used well to promote the children’s mathematical development. • Children begin to use mathematical language correctly because of the good opportunities that teachers provide.

p.28

Commentary

60 The children achieve well and make good progress because of the good teaching in the nursery and the sound teaching in reception, though less than half are on course to meet the expected goals for their age. The provision throughout the Foundation Stage is planned well so that work in the reception classes builds on that of the nursery. Many practical activities are provided for children to count and understand the values of numbers. Experimental play in sand and water helps children to understand mathematical concepts such as capacity and volume by pouring water into containers of different sizes. Class organisation includes lots of good opportunities for the development of mathematical understanding such as sorting small playbears according to colour and building towers with coloured cubes to learn words associated with height. The school has plenty of attractive and colourful resources that are

p.28

Commentary

61 All staff promote mathematical language well by introducing new vocabulary and reinforcing it at every opportunity. Children have good opportunities to develop their recognition of number using well-chosen computer programs. Curriculum planning identifies precisely which mathematical words are to be introduced and used each week. Class displays are helpful in reinforcing mathematical language such as ‘longer’ and ‘shorter’.

p.28

Commentary

62 Direct teaching takes place in the reception classes in small groups and this approach works well because it suits the short concentration spans of many of the children. Teachers make good use of the class topics as a focus for counting activities, such as counting fire-fighters’ helmets and using them to practise simple addition and subtraction. When teaching is satisfactory it sometimes covers too many concepts simultaneously without ensuring that children have fully understood each one and as a result becomes a little disjointed and confusing.

p.28

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum introduces children to a good range of topics. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 29 • Children respond well to first-hand experiences. • There is good attention to language development.

p.28

Commentary

63 Teaching is good in nursery; no direct teaching was seen in reception so a judgement cannot be made. In both year groups children take part in a good range of worthwhile activities to broaden their understanding. Nevertheless, although most children achieve well, standards by the end of reception are below expectation. Few children are likely to reach the goals set for them by the end of the reception year because the school cannot compensate in such a short time for the narrow range of experiences most of them have had when they start school. Good links are made with other areas of learning and good attention is paid to raising the children’s awareness of different cultures, for example through holding a Diwali celebration.

p.29

Commentary

64 In both year groups there is a good emphasis on first-hand experience. For example, children begin to learn the importance of people who help us through their work on the fire service. Children in the nursery were enthralled as they listened to a fire-fighter talk about his work and demonstrate his fire-fighting equipment. They learned how to make an emergency call to summon the fire service. The children had good recollection of the things they had seen and learned. Worthwhile topics such as this are effective vehicles for discussion, painting, and writing and also sow the beginnings of understanding citizenship.

p.29

Commentary

65 Teachers in both year groups pay good attention to language development and introduce children to appropriate new words at every opportunity. Children are encouraged to use the correct word, as was seen in nursery when the teacher insisted that the children refer to the headgear of the fire-fighter as ‘helmets’ not ‘hats’. Children recorded in pictures and writing the things they had learned about hedgehogs and the topic was used effectively to widen vocabulary with the use of adjectives such as ‘cosy’ and ‘dingy’ to describe the hedgehog’s home. Children are learning to use computers with increasing confidence to help them widen their experience of the world. Large construction toys are used well to promote imaginative play and creativity within the context of class topics.

p.29

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well in this area of learning. • The outdoor environment is well planned and organised. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 30

p.29

Commentary

66 Children achieve well in this area and overall most are on course to meet the goals for their age at the end of reception. This is because the skills of the majority of children when they first start nursery are better developed than in other areas of learning though a number of children still lack dexterity when handling small apparatus. The teaching is good in the nursery and satisfactory in reception. Children make good progress because there are plenty of activities that promote physical development both inside and outside the classroom. Children in the reception class enjoy a physical education lesson in the hall each week where they learn to use their bodies in a large and more controlled setting. They learn to use the large space to travel and change direction and to move in different ways. In the satisfactory lesson seen children responded well to percussion instruments as they enthusiastically performed star

p.30

Commentary

jumps, hops and skips though the lack of guidance as to how movements could be refined hindered the progress of lower attainers.

p.30

Commentary

67 There are daily opportunities for children to play outside on large apparatus such as wheeled toys to develop their muscles and balance. The outside environment is used well as an extension of the classroom with a good range of games and activities that are linked to what is being taught in class. It is well equipped and activities are carefully monitored. Role-play is appropriately included in this as children act out the tasks of the fire-fighter. The outside environment is well organised and teachers are on hand to promote learning and encourage children as they play. Inside there are plenty of well-planned opportunities for children to use pencils, scissors and brushes to develop their manipulative skills.

p.30

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

68 It was not possible to make a judgement about teaching in this area of learning because no direct teaching was seen. However, it is likely that only a minority of children will meet the goals expected for their age at the end of the reception year. Teachers’ plans and samples of work indicate that good provision is made to introduce children to all strands of the curriculum and to widen their experiences with a range of materials and techniques. For example, children use finger paints to practise mixing colours to create different shades of blue.

p.30

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

69 Although most of the children start in the nursery with no experience of handling paint, their work shows an increasing confidence in applying colours to make bold, bright pictures from their own imagination. In the reception classes this is built upon well as children progress to mixing their own shades of colour with powder paint and applying it to papers of different textures. They make the best progress with direct adult help so that they refine their skills and have good opportunities to talk about their work. There are good opportunities for children to experiment with the sounds made by instruments. The well-equipped music corner has a tempting range of instruments that can be shaken, rattled or tapped and children are fascinated by the sounds they produce. Listening skills are promoted well though games. There are lots of opportunities for children to design and make things associated with their

p.30

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

topics, such as a sturdy model fire engine, which later became a focus for imaginative play.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 31 • Standards overall are below the national average and well below average in reading. Pupils achieve well overall, though not in reading. • Standards of those pupils who remain in the school from Year 1 to Year 6 are in line with national standards and these pupils achieve very well. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Very good subject leadership has brought about good improvement since the last inspection. • Pupils are able to listen satisfactorily but teaching does not do enough to improve their speaking skills.

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Commentary

70 Pupils’ attainments in English are generally well below average on entry to the school. Pupils achieve well in English but the end of Year 2 assessments show that the overall standards are below average, particularly in reading. In reading and speaking standards are well below average and pupils do not achieve as well as they do in writing. Nevertheless, the number of pupils achieving the higher levels in reading is similar to the national average and above that in similar schools. In writing by Year 2 standards are below the national average though pupils achieve well. By the end of Year 6 the standards in English are below the national average and lower than similar schools. Reading is still a significant weakness and standards are well below average. Limitations in speaking and reading impede pupils’ progress in all subjects of the curriculum.

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Commentary

71 The school’s data shows that pupils who remain in the school from Year 1 to Year 6 achieve at least average standards compared to the national expectations and some achieve the higher level. This improvement from the last inspection is the result of good teaching, better use of assessment information and very good subject leadership to guide planning, as well as to track pupils’ progress over time. Data shows that girls tend to do better than boys and the school has taken steps to tackle the issue, but more could be done to raise the attainment of boys.

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Commentary

72 Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well, although the standard of work by the end of Year 2 is below average overall. A small group are attaining above average standards in both reading and writing. The focus on improving writing throughout the school is beginning to show the improvements expected by the teachers. Handwriting is taught well and pupils are developing a neat well-formed script. Pupils’ work is planned well and teachers generally expect the most from all their pupils. Spelling is taught well and most pupils can spell common words and use their knowledge of letter sounds to attempt less familiar words. However, the current Year 2 has a significant number of the pupils on the special needs register so it is unlikely that the outcomes of the tests will show any improvement in 2005.

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Commentary

73 Standards in listening are in line with expectations throughout the school but the standards in speaking are below average, especially among younger pupils. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6, most pupils lack the wider vocabulary and experiences that will help with their reading and writing. Pupils listen and converse confidently and show good consideration for listeners. Teachers do not always take every opportunity to use and explore a wider vocabulary in all subjects. Equally, when preparing for writing not all teachers spend enough time in promoting a more extensive vocabulary by creating a bank of words for pupils to draw on.

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Commentary

74 Reading is given a high priority so that pupils build on the skills learned in Years 1 and 2. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have good understanding of how to use reference books through the contents and index pages and they know how to use the glossary. About half of the pupils change their books regularly to practise their reading at home; however, a significant number find it difficult to get support out of school and their progress is slower. A discussion with pupils in Year 6 shows that they can read independently and have access to a wide choice of appropriate literature but many do not read for their own pleasure outside school. Most of the Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 32 pupils prefer factual, non-fiction books because they find it more difficult to read stories and the more complex language that requires greater comprehension. The school does not do enough to promote a love of reading. Strategies used to teach and develop reading are in need of

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Commentary

review to give more support and regular practice to the majority of pupils. Overall there is insufficient focus on the development of reading skills, extending the pupils’ vocabularies and promoting the joys that reading can give.

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Commentary

75 Teaching and learning are generally good throughout the school. The examples of very good teaching result in the high motivation of pupils who are fully engaged in improving their writing skills. Teachers are very skilled at using ICT to support their teaching. Lessons are planned carefully with clear purposes, and teachers make sure that pupils understand what they are going to learn. Support staff work closely with the teachers and fully understand what is expected of them and they make an important contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the extra help they receive. Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour very well and as a result pupils settle to work readily and quickly. Teachers are very good at using imaginative ideas to interest and motivate the pupils to improve their writing. It is the good teaching that has raised achievement and as a result

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Commentary

76 The good use of assessment information helps to make sure that teachers focus on the targets they have set for individuals and for groups of pupils. There is some excellent marking, particularly in Year 6, when the assessment of progress is linked to the planned learning and the pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve. Good practice in self-assessment is helping pupils to review their work and correct some of the errors and this helps them to review their learning and personal targets. All classrooms are attractive and stimulating and provide good support for the learning of literacy, though book corners are not all equally inviting or used to best advantage.

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Commentary

77 Leadership and management are very good. The subject leader is well informed, sets very high standards and is very effective in bringing about improvement. Results in writing have risen as a result of a recent whole-school strategy and there is currently a focus on improving standards in speaking that is beginning to bear fruit. Through systematic monitoring of teaching and pupils’ work, the detailed tracking of pupils’ progress and careful analysis of results provide the co-ordinator with good information about what is working well in the subject and what needs to be improved. The school uses this information very well to build on strengths and to target areas for improvement. The resources for reading have improved significantly since the last inspection and are now good.

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

78 The National Literacy Strategy has been fully implemented and there are satisfactory activities in which pupils practise their reading and writing skills in other subjects such as science, geography, history and religious education. Teachers frequently use questioning across the subjects to promote speaking by encouraging pupils to discuss their ideas and to extend their answers. Overall, however, the limitations of literacy skills impede progress in other subjects because many pupils still find difficulty in articulating their thoughts clearly in speech or in writing. Staff try hard to motivate pupils who find difficulty with writing by devising imaginative ways for the recording of work in other subjects, such as science. This approach is beneficial in promoting interest in the subject but limits the extent to which other subjects contribute to standards in English.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 33 • Teaching is good overall. • There is a good focus on pupils learning their multiplication tables and they are taught a range of strategies for calculating their answers. • Good initiatives have been put into place, which are beginning to be effective in raising standards. • The subject is very well managed. • Assessment and tracking procedures are very good. • There is no evaluation of setting arrangements in Years 3 to 6.

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Commentary

79 Standards are below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 but are showing signs of improvement. Reasons for such low standards are numerous and include the high mobility of pupils as well as low standards of literacy and numeracy on entry to the school. Increasing numbers of pupils with special educational needs are a contributory factor together with poor behaviour of a minority of pupils, which sometimes adversely affects the progress of others.

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Commentary

80 Results of national tests in 2004 show that by the end of Year 2 standards were below the national average, having deteriorated over the last three years. When compared to similar schools however, standards were average. In Year 2 girls have outperformed boys, whereas in Year 6 the trend is reversed with boys performing better than girls.

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Commentary

81 Despite all the barriers to learning pupils achieve well due to good teaching and learning and the commitment of teachers to raising standards. About one third of pupils in Years 1 and 2 are of below average ability and many cannot yet identify numbers 1 to 12 in the correct order. Low levels of literacy have a significant impact on the progress pupils make. For example, in Years 3 and 4 pupils know good strategies for calculating numbers but many cannot explain the process. However, pupils are encouraged to use appropriate vocabulary in an attempt to correct under-developed speech.

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Commentary

82 By the end of Year 6 most high attaining pupils have a good understanding of fractions, decimals and percentages. Pupils use a range of strategies to calculate their answers. Pupils of average ability concentrate well but a few lack confidence when trying to position fractions and decimals on a number line. Many pupils are unable to retain information sufficiently well and teachers skilfully build repetition and consolidation into their lessons. Despite the teachers’ good focus on multiplication tables the unsatisfactory retention has a negative impact on learning for pupils of below average ability. Pupils with behavioural difficulties are often unable to operate without adult support to keep them on track.

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Commentary

83 The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, motivating pupils to want to learn by making mathematics fun. Tasks are challenging and expectations are high, encouraging pupils to make the best possible progress. Most teachers are secure in their knowledge of the subject. Good class management and positive reinforcement of good behaviour enable most pupils to apply themselves effectively. Pupils with special educational needs are well catered for and make good progress, particularly those who are visually impaired. This is largely due to the teachers’ very good knowledge of the subject and of individual pupils’ needs. Very effective use is made of classroom assistants who complement the teaching effectively. In Years 3 to 6 where teaching is often very good, teachers work hard to ensure that mathematics is a natural process of pupils’ everyday lives by making tasks relevant to their experiences. Most marking

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Commentary

in the school is sensitive and clearly informs pupils how well they are doing.

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Commentary

84 Leadership and management of the subject are very good and contribute to the good progress since the previous inspection. Effective initiatives have been introduced in order to raise standards, including the observation of lessons and scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. This partly helps to explain why the school has improved at a faster rate than the national average. Workshops for pupils and their parents have proved to be a great success in letting parents see what is happening in school. Regular tracking and thorough assessment Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 34 procedures have been instrumental in identifying areas of weakness in order that action can be taken to correct them and these are slowly taking effect. ‘Booster classes’ are particularly well organised to improve pupils’ work. The arrangements for the grouping of pupils according to their ability in Years 3 to 6 enable teachers to plan work well at an appropriate level. However,

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Commentary

the school recognises that it has not yet determined how successful these arrangements are through monitoring and evaluation. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 35

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Mathematics across the curriculum

85 There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their mathematical skills in other areas of the curriculum. In science, for example, in Year 4, graphs were used to record the ‘stretch’ factor in different pairs of tights. In Year 3 pupils measured the height of a litre of liquid in differently shaped containers and the length of long and short bones in their bodies. Estimating, timing, scoring, measuring and counting are regular features of physical education lessons. Pupils are familiar with using time-lines and sequencing of events in history. Geographical skills of plotting co-ordinates are understood and used effectively. The use of ICT to support learning in mathematics has greatly improved.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils who remain in the school from Year 1 to Year 6 achieve well. • Teaching is satisfactory overall but there is insufficient emphasis on practical work and investigation. • Teaching places a good emphasis on developing pupils’ scientific vocabulary and makes good links with numeracy. • The school lacks an overall system to assess the attainment of pupils and track their progress. • The subject is well managed.

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Commentary

86 Standards are well below average though achievement is satisfactory overall. Standards fluctuate from year to year but are currently well below average by the end of Year 6. Results in national tests have fallen since the last inspection as a result of the increased proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the growing number of pupils who join the school at different times between Years 1 and 6. The performance of the pupils who have remained n the school since Year 1 is significantly better than those who join at other times. Samples of work show that most pupils are working at a lower than average level for their age. Although many pupils have a good body of knowledge and retain facts they have learned quite well, the limitations of their spoken and written English hinder their progress in the subject. Despite the school’s efforts, a significant number of pupils have a narrow vocabulary, which prevents them

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Commentary

from articulating what they want to say in clear scientific terms. Most lack a depth of scientific thinking and skill in devising and carrying out experiments and investigations.

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Commentary

87 Teaching is satisfactory overall, but variable throughout the school. The best teaching has a practical element, is well pitched to match the short attention span of many pupils and draws well on ‘talking partners’ to help pupils reinforce their vocabulary and discuss their understanding. All these features came together well in a very good lesson in Year 3/4 when pupils deepened their understanding of the properties of magnets and learned to make predictions. The lesson worked well because it was well paced with plenty of variety and the tasks were chosen carefully to match the needs of the pupils. Linguistic skills were challenged when the teacher asked pupils to put the new words they had learned such as ‘repel’ and ‘attract’ into sentences. Throughout the school there is a good emphasis on the use of scientific language and good curriculum planning ensures consistency between classes in each year group. By contrast, when teaching has a pedestrian pace or tasks are unimaginative

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Commentary

pupils quickly become restless and lose interest. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 36 88 There are some good examples of investigative work, as in Year 5 when pupils investigated how they could change the pitch of sound coming from bottles containing different levels of water. Likewise, in Year 4 pupils learned how to conduct a fair test. In general however, there are too few opportunities for pupils to undertake practical tasks or to devise their own investigations and this is reflected in the school’s well below average results in national tests. 89 Teachers are mindful that a number of pupils find difficulty in recording their work in written format. Consequently there has been a recent emphasis on recording scientific work in more creative ways that do not require extensive writing, such as in tables or charts. This approach is beneficial for pupils who have difficulty in recording their thoughts in writing, but there are

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Commentary

times when more able pupils would benefit from further opportunities to record their findings in more demanding ways, including writing or word processing. Furthermore, although this initiative is successful in maintaining the interest of the pupils it does little to promote literacy across the curriculum. On the other hand there are some good links with numeracy, for example when pupils in Year 6 made graphs to record their normal heart rate and make comparisons with the heart rate after exercise.

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Commentary

90 Assessment occurs regularly through teachers’ marking, and some of this is of good quality, especially when it helps pupils to understand how to improve their work, for example “You have muddled pitch and volume”. However, although good use is made of data to analyse the school’s overall performance in national tests and to identify areas of weakness, there is no clear, common system to assess the attainment of each pupil against levels of the National Curriculum and to track their progress. This makes it difficult for teachers to accurately match tasks to the capabilities of the pupils.

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Commentary

91 The subject is well co-ordinated by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable subject manager who is working hard to raise standards in the school. There is a very good level of monitoring of teaching and learning as well as samples of pupils’ work. Constructive written feedback is provided to staff and this includes suggested targets for improvement. The monitoring provides a clear picture of strengths and weaknesses in the subject. Good support from senior managers provided staff training in areas where there is an identified weakness such as in raising the profile of investigative science among staff. This is beginning to pay dividends in the growing amount of practical work in the school, but work still needs to be done in this area.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good subject leadership has brought about significant improvements since the last inspection, especially to teaching and learning and the quality of resources. • Pupils achieve well to reach nationally expected standards by the end of Years 2 and 6. • Teaching is consistently very good and builds pupils’ skills systematically over time. • Pupils’ skills are not yet used well enough to support their work in other subjects. • Pupils respond very positively and enjoy learning. • The subject successfully promotes pupils’ personal development and includes all pupils fully.

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Commentary

92 Standards are in line with national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6. This is higher than was reported at the time of the last inspection. Resources have improved substantially and are now very good. There is a computer suite with sufficient computers for each pupil to work independently and several interactive whiteboards. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 37 93 The quality of teaching is now very good and this has resulted in highly motivated pupils and higher standards. Teachers have very good subject knowledge to teach pupils the skills required to use computers successfully; as a result pupils work with intense concentration. The teachers know what to teach and when to teach it, and use the interactive whiteboards in the computer suite and in the classrooms very well to demonstrate skills and show pupils how to work the programs. Lessons are well prepared and no time is lost. Pupils enjoy using the

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Commentary

computers and this encourages them to work hard. All pupils make the same very good progress, regardless of their ability, gender or background because of effective support from teachers and support staff. Groups of pupils work before school every day and others follow an individual mathematics programme that reflects their enjoyment and determination to learn. Other equipment such as the digital cameras and programmable toys has added to the provision. The expertise of the technician makes a substantial contribution to the very good teaching and learning by assisting individual pupils alongside the teacher and ensuring that lessons are not disrupted by technical glitches.

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Commentary

94 Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The subject leader has put in place helpful guidelines that ensure teachers build pupils’ skills systematically over time. This has brought about improvements to standards, particularly in the development of basic skills. Pupils’ progress and understanding are assessed after each unit of work and the information used well to review the curriculum and plan the next stage of learning. Pupils in Year 6 acknowledge how well the school helps them learn and understand the basic skills compared to their work at home when they use the technology in quite different ways. This shows in all classes where some pupils still have poor knowledge of the lay-out of the keyboard. Standards are rising and many Year 3 pupils already have the skills and understanding to achieve above the expected standards by the end of Year 6.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

95 The implementation of effective teaching guidelines that promote skills in ICT has brought about improved teaching. This in turn has led to an increasing use of computer skills to support learning in other subjects, particularly numeracy and literacy. The pupils learn to use PowerPoint and develop ways of presenting information. There are good examples of exploring the links to art and design and there are many opportunities for pupils to use the Internet to gather information for history and geography.

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HUMANITIES

History and religious education were inspected in full; geography was sampled.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ enthusiasm for history is high. • Good links are made with other subjects. • The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ moral, social and cultural development.

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Commentary

96 Since the last inspection the school has been successful in maintaining standards that match those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Achievement is good and pupils are interested and enthusiastic for the subject. Teachers choose topics that are interesting to pupils. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn about the important events in history through studying the lives of famous people such as Guy Fawkes, Grace Darling and Neil Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 38 Armstrong. As a result, pupils develop an increasing sense of chronology, as they put each event in time.

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Commentary

97 Teaching is good. Teachers make good links with literacy when pupils are expected to find information from books, photographs, objects and the Internet. They plan interesting ways to present historical facts. For example, pupils in Year 4 responded enthusiastically to becoming ‘detectives’ and followed a series of clues to discover all they could about Ancient Egypt from the artefact in front of them. Teachers plan good links with other subjects such as art and design and in ICT. Teachers are also beginning to use drama to encourage pupils to express how people must have felt in the past and this is making a good contribution to speaking and listening.

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Commentary

98 Knowledge of the past helps to foster pupils’ social, moral and cultural development well. Teachers try hard to ensure that pupils know about the cultural diversity of the periods they study and how harsh life was for the vast majority of people. As a result, pupils in Year 6 are beginning to understand, for instance, how life was very different for the rich and the poor in Tudor times. The subject is soundly led and there are clear plans for its future development. Visits and visitors help to foster interest in the past and bring history alive. Resources are good.

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Geography

99 Geography was not a focus for the inspection and no lessons were observed. However, the school makes satisfactory arrangements for the subject. The school has developed clear subject guidelines based on national guidance and there are sufficient resources to support teaching and learning. Teachers use the local area to ensure that pupils gain first-hand experience in order to develop their geographical skills. By the end of Year 2, pupils apply these skills when they study the fictional island community of Struay and are able to make comparisons with their own community. Teachers create attractive displays and make good use of role-play to introduce pupils to the wider world.

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Geography

100 Pupils in Years 3 and 4 study their local area in more depth by investigating why people settle in a particular place and begin to apply their knowledge to their study of a village in India. By the end of Year 6 pupils have begun to develop a deeper knowledge of the continents and countries of the world and the physical features of different environments. Teachers make good links with literacy by challenging pupils to seek out information for themselves, using a variety of methods including books and ICT. The subject manager has only recently assumed responsibility so it is not possible to make a judgement about the impact or quality of subject management. Procedures for assessing pupils’ work are satisfactory.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good opportunities for pupils to study other faiths and beliefs. • There are good opportunities for the development of independent writing. • Teachers do not always give sufficient attention to adapting difficult reading materials so that pupils can access information.

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Commentary

101 Progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory and pupils achieve well in the subject. Standards by the end of Year 6 are in line with the recommendations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils are familiar with places of worship and they have good knowledge of different Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 39 parts of the church and their use. The signs and symbols of Christianity are well understood. Pupils generally have a good understanding of other faiths and religions as opportunities to study these are varied. Pupils in Year 2 were very keen to talk about what they understood about a pilgrimage to Mecca. They had good knowledge of the order of events and showed understanding of the basic facts relating to the Muslim religion. Pupils in Year 6 are particularly knowledgeable about the Jewish faith. Working with ‘talking partners’, they are able to identify the similarities and differences in the design and structure of a synagogue.

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Commentary

102 A large part of teaching reflects Christian traditions but the school also prepares pupils well for life in a multicultural society. Daily acts of worship reinforce these values and follow a broadly Christian perspective. Themes are reinforced on a daily basis. The hall and corridors provide good focal points for displays of Christianity as well as other faiths and religions. There is little written work up to the end of Year 2 by which to judge standards, but discussion with pupils indicates they are achieving well.

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Commentary

103 Good teaching in Years 3 to 6 develops a keen interest among pupils and helps to explain why they are achieving well. Teachers display secure knowledge of the locally agreed syllabus and pupils’ books indicate that there is good coverage of topics. Marking is usually positive and helpful. Pupils are well informed about how well they are doing. Opportunities for extended independent writing are good. However, sometimes texts are not adapted sufficiently well to correspond with the pupils' levels of skill in reading and consequently pupils are not all able to access the information to best advantage.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Art and design was inspected in full; design and technology, music and physical education were sampled.

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Art and design

Provision in art and design is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Art is used well to illustrate what is learned in other subjects. • There is not enough emphasis on the development of skills.

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Commentary

104 Standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with national expectation and pupils achieve appropriately for their age. During their time in school pupils cover a suitable range of topics based on national guidance. Pupils experience an appropriate variety of materials and techniques and the standards achieved are typical for their age. For example, by the time they reach Year 6 pupils use pencils well to produce well-observed and detailed pictures of Henry VIII’s wives, while in Year 4 pupils use colour-mixing techniques well to capture accurate flesh tones in their self-portraits. Throughout the school art and design skills are used well to illustrate topics in other subjects but there is less emphasis on the development of skills.

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Commentary

105 Teaching is patchy throughout the school but sound overall. It is good when there is a clear focus on the development of particular skills. In a good lesson in Year 2 pupils employed a good range of modelling and painting techniques as they made realistic moon landscapes. The lesson worked well because pupils were well motivated and a good level of adult support enabled them to refine their skills as the lesson proceeded. Because pupils had the chance to experiment with media they quickly discovered the range of effects they could achieve, for example when printing with sponges and coffee or by working clay. By contrast, when teaching Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 40 is less successful an inappropriate choice of materials can hinder progress, as was seen in a satisfactory lesson where pupils reproduced hieroglyphics as part of their work on Ancient Egypt. The ready-mixed paint was too dense for the fine brushes selected and so the work of

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Commentary

many of the pupils lacked refinement and definition. Good provision is made for pupils who are visually impaired so they can join in activities with their peers in specially modified tasks that are well suited to their needs.

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Commentary

106 Pupils enjoy their work in art, especially those who find difficulty in more academic subjects, and it is a good vehicle for raising self-esteem. The well-attended art club adds to the breadth of the curriculum and pupils have additional opportunities to extend their studies learning new skills, such as decoupage, out of school hours. Pupils in Year 2 produced effective and colourful pictures in the style of African art using a graphics program on the computers. In general, however, there is little use of art from other cultures and this is an aspect of the curriculum that could usefully be developed to broaden pupils’ understanding of art forms. The subject is managed satisfactorily though the subject manager is currently on long-term leave.

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Commentary

107 Design and technology was not a focus for the inspection. Teachers’ plans indicate that the curriculum broadly follows national guidelines and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. In Years 1 and 2 pupils are provided with a range of interesting activities through which they develop the skills and techniques begun in the Foundation Stage. As pupils grow older, they acquire appropriate skills in choosing and using a variety of tools and materials for specific purposes to make items such as robust masks depicting a range of colourful characters. By Year 6, pupils know the stages they need to go through to turn an initial idea into a complete and well-constructed product. The strongest aspects of pupils’ learning are seen in the planning and making stage although pupils are beginning to evaluate their finished models.

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Commentary

108 Good links are made between subjects so that new learning in one reinforces learning in another. For instance, pupils in Years 1 and 2 designed and made vehicles out of recyclable materials as part of their study of forces in science and pupils in Year 6 designed and made musical instruments. Pupils’ work is assessed at the end of each topic and procedures for this are satisfactory.

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Commentary

109 Music is well used to promote the pupils' spiritual, social and cultural education and it contributes to the personal development of the pupils. The pupils enjoy taking part in performances and talked enthusiastically about how they had participated in performances at Christmas time. The school blends together national guidelines with its own teaching guidance and this means that the pupils have access to a carefully planned and well-organised music curriculum. There is a good range of recorded music to support each series of lessons.

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Commentary

110 The pupils reach a good standard of singing. In this the subject leader supports them very well. The pupils enjoy singing and know a good range of songs. They sing tunefully and pay good attention to phrasing. The Year 6 choir sing well and can perform songs with two parts that require concentrated skill. As the pupils move through the school there are opportunities for all to play the good range of percussion and tuned instruments that is available. Guitar lessons are available and a small number of pupils are learning with the specialist teaching. There is an after-school music club for pupils in Years 4 and 5 and recorder classes are also offered. There are good opportunities for the pupils to listen to and appraise music from a range of traditions and cultures. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn about drumming from a visiting teacher using African drums. Next term there will be a musician in residence to develop

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Commentary

the pupils’ knowledge and skills of composition.

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Commentary

111 The school makes satisfactory arrangements to promote physical education . In the two lessons observed in Years 1 and 2 pupils achieved standards typical for their age. Pupils demonstrated good hand/eye co-ordination when throwing and catching beanbags. They devised their own games with beanbags but many experienced difficulties when trying to explain the rules of games they had invented due largely to under-developed speaking skills Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 41 and lack of vocabulary. By the time pupils reach Year 6 they have a good understanding of why it is necessary for them to warm up thoroughly before they begin physical activity. Older pupils make knowledgeable evaluations about their own and others’ performance.

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Commentary

112 Pupils enjoy their lessons in physical education. Boys and girls perform equally well. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they are well supported and tasks are sufficiently open-ended to allow them to achieve success within their capabilities. In the lessons observed teachers demonstrated confidence and subject expertise.

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Commentary

113 A high level of commitment to extra-curricular activities furthers pupils’ skills. These are enhanced by ‘Leisure in Action’ tutors who are regular visitors into the school along with other qualified coaches. In the hockey activity observed pupils received knowledgeable specialist tuition to improve their techniques in dribbling a ball. A full programme of activities is offered for pupils of all ages. The school acknowledges the success of former pupils who have gone on to represent their country to inspire and motivate pupils. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 42

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

114 The programme for personal, social and health education and citizenship is now successfully embedded into the school curriculum. At the time of the last inspection it was at an early stage of development. The work undertaken ensures that pupils learn to take notice of the needs of others, take control of their behaviour and develop the personal skills they will need for the future. The subject has a strong impact on the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils. During ‘circle time’ (when pupils talk and share their thoughts and feelings with classmates) pupils have good chances to express their views and listen to others. Pupils feel free to enter into the discussion or take no active part depending on their feelings at the time. These sessions are handled sensitively and pupils like the opportunity to talk about things they feel are important. Such sessions play an important part in the development of speaking and listening and in

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

115 The recently formed class and school councils are becoming a significant part of school life. Pupils feel they are helping with decisions and giving voice to their particular needs and opinions. The curriculum further supports aspects of pupils’ moral and social development by helping them to enjoy being part of the school community and the need to be aware of the impact of their actions on others. It builds pupils’ confidence by helping them to feel valued and that their views are important. Ling Bob Junior, Infant and Nursery School- 43

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 1 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 1 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 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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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