Molescroft Primary School

MOLESCROFT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 14 th April 2005

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MOLESCROFT PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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MOLESCROFT PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 350

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St Leonard’s Road Molescroft Beverley East Yorkshire Postcode: HU17 7HF

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01482 861762 Fax number: 01482 871236

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr T. Knight

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Molescroft Primary School is located on a large and attractive site, about a mile from the centre of Beverley. Most children come from the surrounding area. The school is above average in size, with 350 pupils currently on roll. This includes 59 children attending full time in the two reception classes. The school is larger than at the time of the previous inspection and numbers on roll are rising; the building has recently been extended. The vast majority of pupils are white. There is fairly significant mobility of pupils, with 19 joining the school other than at the time of first admission in the last year and 15 leaving during this period. The area around the school displays some of the characteristics of socio-economic advantage. Attainment on entry is broadly average, although there is a wide spread of ability and children’s learning is more developed in some areas than others. There are 32 pupils (9.2 per cent) on the school’s register of special educational needs, which is below average

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

compared with schools nationally; seven of these pupils have a statement of special educational need, which is higher than found in most other schools. None of the very small number of pupils with English as an additional language are at an early stage of English language acquisition.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school plays an active part in the EMDIRECT School Consortium for Initial Teacher Training (SCITT). There is community provision in the parish centre for a variety of groups and a toddler group. The school was awarded the Activemark in 2002, achieved the Basic Skills Quality Mark in 2003 and received a Healthy Heart award in 2004. Molescroft Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

6327 Dr J N Thorp Lead inspector The Foundation Stage History Physical education Religious education 12682 Mr J Griffin Lay inspector 18703 Mrs C Canniff Team inspector Mathematics Science Art and design Design and technology Music 15015 Mr M Wehrmeyer Team inspector English Information and communication technology Geography Special educational needs

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peakschoolhaus ltd

BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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peakschoolhaus ltd

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

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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 JUDGEMENTS 35

Molescroft Primary School - 6 Molescroft Primary School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school, with some excellent features . The headteacher provides outstanding leadership. He communicates a very clear and inclusive vision and purpose for the school, with a strong focus on high standards and continual development, which very effectively inspires all those who work with him. The quality of education the school provides is very good; very good teaching ensures that pupils’ learning and achievement are very good, with standards above average in some key subjects by the time pupils leave the school. The commitment to the care and well-being of all pupils ensures their personal development is very good. The curriculum meets pupils’ needs very effectively and there are excellent opportunities made to enrich it. The school has forged an excellent partnership with parents and provides very good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

▪ Standards are above average in key subjects by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 ▪ The headteacher’s leadership is excellent, providing drive and direction for all in the school ▪ There is a strong commitment to the inclusion of all pupils ▪ Very good teaching, a stimulating curriculum and the rich variety of additional activities provided, promote high levels of achievement and ensure most pupils do as well as they can ▪ Very good assessment procedures enable teachers to track pupils’ progress very effectively and to set clear targets for improvement, enabling them to move learning on at a good pace ▪ Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour and the very good relationships amongst pupils and adults contribute to the positive ethos in the school and to their very good achievement ▪ High levels of care and very good guidance and support ensure that all pupils’ particular needs are identified and met; pupils have very good opportunities to take responsibilities

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

▪ Very good teamwork contributes towards ensuring very good management and governance

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

There has been very good improvement in the school’s effectiveness since the previous inspection in March 1999. Very good improvement in provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is enabling pupils throughout the school to achieve expected standards. Standards have also improved to expected levels in religious education. The new senior management team has clearly defined roles and responsibilities, fully supporting the headteacher’s drive for improvement.

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall achievement is very good . Children generally start school with broadly average attainment overall, although there is a wide spread of ability. They make good progress, with the majority reaching the expected goals well before the end of reception. Pupils continue to make good progress through Years 1 and 2; achievement is very good with the majority reaching standards which are higher than average in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards improved significantly at the end of Year 6 in 2004 in comparison with the previous year. These pupils made very good progress through Years 3 to 6; as the table shows, standards were above or well above average when compared with those of pupils in similar schools based on their prior attainment. This represents very good achievement. Throughout the school standards in ICT and religious education are in line with those expected, a significant improvement since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development, is very good . High levels of care and guidance and very good relationships contribute to pupils’ very positive attitudes. Behaviour is very good. Attendance is well above average and pupils are punctual to school, which have a positive impact on their learning.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is very good . Teaching and learning are very good overall , with some lessons of very high quality. Teachers and other adults have very good relationships with pupils and they manage behaviour well. They encourage positive attitudes and stimulate pupils’ interest very effectively, which contribute positively to pupils’ learning and their achievement. They have created a most positive environment for learning; the curriculum is very good with a rich variety of activities both in lessons and at other times of the day. There are very good procedures for assessment. The information gained is used well to enable teachers to set appropriate targets for improvement and to track pupils’ progress. Very good care and support for pupils ensure that their personal needs are identified and met. Pupils’ views are valued. The school’s links with parents are excellent and with the community are very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall leadership and management are very good . The headteacher provides excellent and dynamic leadership, communicating to everyone his clear vision for the continuing development and improvement of the school. This inspires very good teamwork, with the deputy, key stage co- ordinators, subject leaders and the school administrative staff all providing very good support. There is a strong commitment to the inclusion of all pupils, regardless of their abilities or talents. Management systems are very effective in ensuring the school runs smoothly and continues to adapt to change. Senior managers and subject leaders monitor all aspects of the work of the school effectively, but now need to ensure their evaluations of teaching are in line with current criteria. The governing body is very well led; governors fulfil all their legal responsibilities and contribute very effectively to the strategic management and further development of the school.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have exceptionally positive views of the school. Most are pleased with their children’s progress and believe they are very well cared for. Parents think the quality of teaching is a strength of the school, contributing positively to high standards; they are pleased with the provision for higher attaining pupils. Most parents were very enthusiastic about the wide range of curricular opportunities available; the concerns of a very small number of parents about a perceived lack of emphasis on physical education and sport are not justified. Pupils also have very positive views about school. The vast majority enjoy coming to school; they are happy and secure, enjoy the wide range of opportunities available to them and feel that their teachers help them to learn.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

There are no major aspects of the work of the school identified for improvement as a result of this inspection. The headteacher and governors may consider the application of the most recent criteria for the evaluation of teaching useful in ensuring appropriate rigour in school self-evaluation. Molescroft Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Overall pupils’ achievement is very good . Standards on entry to the school are broadly in line with those expected overall, although there is a wide spread of ability; children’s prior attainment in some areas of learning is better than in others. They achieve very well, however, with the vast majority achieving the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception well before then. Learning is very good and pupils continue to make good progress, so by the time they leave the school standards in mathematics and science are likely to be above average. Although standards in English are average overall at this stage, standards of reading are above average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Children achieve very well in the reception classes with the majority on course to reach the expected goals well before they enter Year 1 ▪ Pupils achieve very well in Years 1 and 2, with standards currently well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science ▪ There has been a year-on-year improvement in standards by the end of Year 2 at a rate faster than that in other schools nationally ▪ Test results in 2004 indicated that pupils made particularly good progress through Years 3 to 6, representing very good achievement ▪ Throughout the school there has been significant improvement in standards in ICT and religious education since the previous inspection ▪ Pupils enjoy learning because lessons are interesting and teaching is very good ▪ Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well

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Commentary

1. Children enter the school from a variety of pre-school settings and with wide-ranging attainment, although overall standards are broadly in line with those expected. Children’s ability to communicate and use language is not as good as reported in the previous inspection. Very good leadership and the very good teamwork among teachers and teaching assistants in both reception classes ensure that children settle quickly into school and make good progress in all areas of learning. The very effective provision enables children to achieve very well, with the majority on course to reach the expected goals well before the end of reception in all areas of learning. There is an appropriate emphasis on extending children’s personal, social and emotional development and a strong focus on promoting their language development, at which staff are skilful. Good progress in both these areas contributes positively to supporting children’s learning in other areas.

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Commentary

2. The achievement of pupils in Years 1 and 2 is very good. Very effective teaching enables pupils to make good progress. The results of national tests in 2004 indicate that pupils attained standards that were well above average in reading, writing and mathematics when compared with pupils in all other schools. This is an improvement since the previous inspection; standards in writing in particular have improved significantly. Furthermore, there has been a year-on-year improvement in standards in these subjects over the last three years, at a rate faster than in other schools nationally. The picture is not quite as good when results are compared with those of pupils in similar schools, but in reading and writing they were above average and in mathematics they were average. Very effective assessment procedures and the rigorous monitoring of standards ensure that pupils’ specific learning needs are identified, targets are set and very effective measures put in place to support their learning.

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Commentary

This contributes very effectively to improving standards. Molescroft Primary School - 10 Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 17.3 (17.0) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 16.2 (15.8) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 17.4 (17.2) 16.2 (16.3) There were 51 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. Inspection findings indicate that standards among pupils currently working towards the end of Year 2 are well above average in English and above average in mathematics and science. In ICT and religious education standards are in line with those expected of pupils their age. In history very good teaching is enabling pupils to reach higher than expected levels and there are many examples of higher than expected standards in pupils’ art work. In music, standards of singing are above average. There was insufficient evidence to support a judgement about standards in other subjects.

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Commentary

4. The results of the national tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2004 indicate that standards in mathematics were above average and in science they were well above average, but in English they were average when compared with those of pupils in all other schools nationally. In all three subjects there was a significant improvement over those the previous year; there was very good improvement in standards in science. Over the last three years, however, standards in these subjects have not risen as fast as they have in other schools nationally. The picture is much more positive when results are compared with those of pupils in similar schools on the basis of their prior attainment at the end of Year 2. This indicates that standards were above average in English and well above average in mathematics and science, which represents very good achievement. Again the very effective teaching, underpinned by detailed

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Commentary

assessment, rigorous monitoring of standards and target setting have contributed very positively to pupils’ learning and the progress they have made.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.4 (26.0) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 28.1 (26.9) 27.0 (26.8) Science 30.6 (28.3) 28.6 (28.6) There were 50 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5. Standards in mathematics and science are currently above average; in English they are average overall, although pupils’ reading is better than average. Standards in ICT are now in line with those expected. They have improved significantly since the previous inspection because both teaching and available resources are now much better. As a result pupils’ skills are built up successfully as they move through the school. Standards have also risen in religious education because pupils are now effectively taught, lessons are carefully planned and the curriculum meets the requirements of the local agreed syllabus. Standards in art and history are also higher than expected because pupils are taught very well. The specialist teaching in music and the wide range of opportunities to play musical instruments contributes to the richness of pupils’ musical experience. There was insufficient evidence to support a

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Commentary

judgement about standards in other subjects.

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Commentary

6. Throughout the school, boys and girls achieve very well. Very good teaching, the detailed planning of lessons and the clear targets set for improvement all contribute to pupils’ high levels of interest and motivation. They concentrate well in lessons, work hard at tasks set and show they are much more able to work independently when required than they were at the Molescroft Primary School - 11 time of the previous inspection. The school’s approach to involving pupils in lessons, through ‘talking partners’ for example, or with the targeted support of classroom assistants, is very successful in promoting and extending learning. Pupils enjoy the rich variety of experiences provided for them. The school is fully inclusive; all pupils are valued equally and encouraged to do their best, whatever their ability.

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Commentary

7. The school has invested significant resources to support its pupils with special educational needs. As a result most of these pupils make consistently very good progress and achieve very well. This is because work is planned at a suitable level for them and classroom assistants support them very effectively. Particular groups of pupils, for instance those with specific behaviour needs, make exceptional progress. Overall, this is a very good improvement since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils show very good attitudes towards school and their work in lessons. Their behaviour is very good; relationships are very good. Pupils’ personal qualities are very well developed. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are very good. Pupils’ attitudes and values have improved significantly since the previous inspection.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Pupils’ attitudes towards school and their work are very good ▪ Pupils’ are very well behaved and relationships among pupils are very good ▪ Pupils’ personal qualities are very well developed, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ▪ Parents deliver on their key responsibility to ensure pupils attend regularly and on time

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Commentary

8. Pupils are proud of their school and very nearly all enjoy attending. Key features behind these very positive attitudes towards school are the excellent relationships among pupils, the very good opportunities pupils have to contribute to the day-to-day running of the school and the rich variety of extra-curricular opportunities and clubs available to them. Pupils are also very positive about their teachers, who are kind, listen, encourage and are happy to re-explain things if they do not understand. In most lessons, pupils listen very well and show high levels of interest and determination to complete set tasks. Pupils respond particularly well when expectations are high and tasks are demanding. Whilst pupils’ attitudes are very good overall, excellent attitudes were seen amongst pupils in Years 5 and 6; good attitudes prevailed in the mixed Year 3 and 4 classes.

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Commentary

9. Behaviour in classrooms and during lunchtime and playtimes is very good. Staff set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and most pupils are very keen not to let down their teachers or themselves. Year 6 pupils, for example, talk about the sense of responsibility they feel in relation to setting a good example for younger pupils. The very good and reliable behaviour of very nearly all pupils is a key element in the very positive atmosphere for learning and social development throughout the school. A calm yet social atmosphere prevails in the dining hall. Incidents of racism are very rare indeed, fully investigated and reported. Pupils confirm that rare incidents of bullying are reported, taken very seriously and rapidly resolved by staff. As usual, there were no exclusions in the previous school year.

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Commentary

10. Exceptionally harmonious relationships among pupils, irrespective of background, learning ability or gender, are a very positive feature. Teachers value pupils' work and very effectively praise effort and good work. As a result, from an early age pupils are comfortable and confident in asking questions of their teachers. This contributes very positively to their learning. Molescroft Primary School - 12 11. Pupils who have special educational needs have a very positive attitude to their learning. They are growing in self-esteem by the day, as they are enabled to achieve success in a far wider range of situations than most schools can manage. Their behaviour is very good. They take part in everything. Their ability to integrate with their peers is far better than at the time of the previous inspection. They, more than any pupils, encapsulate the school motto ‘Everybody cares, Everybody learns, Everybody matters’ . This is a significant improvement since the

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Commentary

12. Most children achieve the expected goals in their personal, social and emotional development, well before the end of reception. Throughout the school most pupils are noticeably calm and consistently well mannered. As a result, teachers are increasingly able to rely on pupils to work sensibly in pairs or small groups, without constant supervision. There has been a very good improvement in pupils’ ability to work independently since the previous inspection. Older pupils rightly say that personal, social, health and citizenship lessons make an important contribution to their very good social development, because they get good opportunities to share their feelings and concerns. Nearly all pupils have a very well developed sense of right and wrong and of what is fair. They hold the rewards system in high regard and fully support the school’s sanctions, where needed. Nearly all pupils show respect and care for others. For

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Commentary

example, they hold doors open for adults and befriend peers who are feeling unwell or left out, in the playground. When involved in discussions, pupils listen calmly and with respect to different views expressed by others. There are very good opportunities for pupils to exercise responsibility around the school.

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Commentary

13. The well-planned programme for collective worship provides very good opportunities for pupils to reflect on values, such as responsibility, trust and honesty, and the importance of the community and the environment. The high proportion of inspiring lessons contributes significantly to pupils’ very good spiritual development. The emphasis on self-assessment, leading to greater self-knowledge, is a very positive feature, in art, music and physical education lessons. The opportunities for reflection as part of discussions in history also make a very positive contribution. Pupils’ understanding of their own culture is very good, aided significantly by the wide range of visits and visitors. Pupils confirm that they learn about respect for differences of all kinds as part of their personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE). Special events, such as the excellent ‘International Evening’ observed

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Commentary

during the inspection, when pupils and their parents could sample music and dance, food and drink and meet people from around the world, contribute very positively to pupils’ personal, social and cultural development. Visiting musicians and dancers, as well as lessons in art and design, history, religious education and modern foreign languages also make a very good contribution, as do the excellent opportunities pupils have to work with visiting teachers, recently from Denmark for example. As a result, pupils get a very good start to their preparation for life in a multi-cultural society.

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Attendance

14. For several years, attendance has been well above the national average. Unauthorised absence is minimal. The table below provides attendance and absence data for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.1 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Attendance

15. The school’s measures to monitor absence and promote high attendance are good. Parents ensure that pupils attend school regularly and on time. Punctuality is very good. The Molescroft Primary School - 13 arrangement whereby pupils can arrive at school and enter their classroom up to 15 minutes prior to the start of the school day, is a very good practice that contributes to the very good punctuality. Pupils get on with handwriting or reading, under the supervision of a member of staff. As a result, few pupils arrive at the last minute, contributing effectively to the calm start to the day.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very good quality of education for all its pupils. This has improved since the previous inspection. The excellent leadership of the headteacher and very effective management, underpin the very good teaching and learning. Assessment is very good, so teachers know exactly what pupils have to do to improve further. The curriculum meets all pupils’ needs very effectively, including those with special educational needs and there are very good opportunities provided to enrich it. There is very good care and guidance for pupils and an excellent partnership with parents. The school has very good links with the community and other schools. All of these contribute most positively to pupils’ very good achievement.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are very good. Assessment is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Teaching and learning have improved since the previous inspection and are now very good, contributing effectively to improving standards ▪ Teaching and learning are very good overall in the reception classes, but sometimes lack of additional support limits children’s learning outdoors ▪ Teachers understand what pupils need to learn next and they plan an interesting range of activities effectively to meet pupils’ learning needs ▪ Teachers’ shared planning and agreed approach to teaching and learning contribute positively to consistency across the school ▪ Pupils are interested and work hard, which contributes very well to their learning ▪ There are very good procedures for assessment, enabling the school to track pupils’ progress effectively; there is a consistent approach to marking ▪ Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good

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Commentary

16. Teaching and learning are even better than they were at the time of the previous inspection, when they were good. Teaching and learning in this inspection were very good. The table below indicates that most teaching seen during the inspection was good and that there was a high proportion of very good teaching. The evidence gained from looking at pupils’ work also reinforces this view of teaching across the school. Parents value the high quality of teaching in the school. A particularly strong feature is the teachers’ focus on pupils’ learning and their determination to continually improve standards.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 53 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

17. Teaching and learning are very good overall in both reception classes. Teachers plan a wide range of relevant activities, providing children with opportunities to work on self-chosen tasks, to work with adult support on focused or directed activities and to learn in more formal whole- class lessons. As a result, this enables teachers to work with different groups and individuals, Molescroft Primary School - 14 according to the children’s specific needs, including those with special educational needs. Teachers manage the work of their teaching assistants to support them doing this very effectively. Children are confident to choose from the wide range of activities available at the appropriate times because they have successfully learned how to work independently and manage resources for themselves. This enables teachers and assistants to work intensively with other children. Good classroom routines are very quickly established, enabling teachers

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Commentary

and children to concentrate on learning. Effective organisation of the various learning activities enables teachers to work with a variety of groupings and they use the available space well. This is very effective during indoor activities, but the limited additional support available means that opportunities are sometimes missed to extend children’s learning as they work outdoors.

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Commentary

18. Throughout the school teachers plan an interesting and relevant range of learning activities in their lessons very well. They understand what pupils of different abilities need to learn next and they communicate this clearly to them. The consistent approach to teaching and learning across the school, ensuring that basic skills are taught so effectively, results from the excellent leadership and strong teamwork. Throughout the school teachers have very good relationships with their pupils and high expectations of their behaviour, enabling them to manage their classes very well. This has a most positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to learning and their response in lessons, which are very good, ensuring pupils are able to learn and enjoy their work. Teaching in English, mathematics and science is strong; teaching in Years 5 and 6 is of a consistently high quality. There is currently specialist teaching in music which is

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Commentary

very effective in extending pupils’ skills.

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Commentary

19. Teachers’ shared planning ensures a consistency across the school for pupils of the same age in different classes. Teachers make learning objectives very clear at the start of most lessons and they are skilful at assessing what pupils already know and understand. This usually enables them to set tasks that are well matched to pupils’ particular learning needs and their capabilities. On the very few occasions where teaching fell below the generally high standard seen, it was the result of the lack of sufficiently focused or challenging tasks for the different groups in the class. A strong feature of most lessons was the pace with which teachers managed pupils’ learning. Teachers skilfully engage and involve pupils in discussion, with clearly focused questions and the very good use of talking partners at various points in the lessons for example, or in involving pupils in evaluating their own work and reflecting on

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Commentary

that of others. Very good use is made of available resources, including the interactive whiteboards, and this enhances pupils’ learning very effectively.

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Commentary

20. Pupils are interested and very keen to do well and this makes a strong contribution to their learning. When their work is challenging, they persevere; most pupils can maintain good levels of concentration. There is strong learning ethos in the school which underpins all the work of teachers and pupils. The rich variety of learning opportunities, both in lessons and in other activities, sustains this ethos very effectively.

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Commentary

21. The school has very good systems and procedures for assessment. There are clear and understood expectations of what is required, with regular assessments providing very good information with which the school can track pupils’ progress. Detailed analysis of the outcomes of assessment informs target setting across the school and this serves to focus everyone’s attention on learning and improving standards. Individuals and small groups requiring more careful monitoring and support are clearly identified. Day-to-day assessment in lessons is very good. Skilful questioning enables teachers to gain a good understanding of pupils’ learning and to identify aspects which require further explanation, extra support or additional work. The plenary parts of lessons are used well to evaluate pupils’ learning. Pupils’ work is marked regularly, providing vital feedback for pupils so that they know what they need

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Commentary

to do to improve. The new policy is implemented fully, with the very helpful displays of the agreed marking conventions in each classroom ensuring pupils are fully informed. Pupils are kept fully aware about how successful they are in meeting their targets and, at times, they are told what they must do to move on to the next level in their work. Ongoing assessment is contributing effectively to teachers’ written reports to parents. Molescroft Primary School - 15 22. The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs is very good. Teachers give very good support to these pupils; repetitive, dull tasks are a thing of the past. Teachers set appropriate activities, closely matched to the pupils' abilities and needs, to link with the targets on the pupils’ individual plans. At other times teachers set open-ended assignments which the pupils like because they then feel they are learning in exactly the same way as their

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Commentary

classmates. In these the support and encouragement from the teaching assistants are particularly valuable. The strong relationships enable the pupils to attempt challenging work. They persevere as well as their peers, and sometimes better. Teachers ensure that the pupils’ successes are recognised. Their work is often greeted with spontaneous applause from their classmates. Another feature that has improved since the previous inspection is way that support staff help pupils learn from the start of a lesson right through to the end.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is very good and fully meets all statutory requirements. Opportunities for enrichment throughout the school are excellent. The accommodation and resources are very good and support teaching and learning very well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ The rich and varied curriculum inspires pupils and they find activities very interesting ▪ Curriculum development has a very high focus ▪ The range and quality of extra-curricular activities enhance pupils’ learning very well ▪ The opportunities for pupils to take parts in a wide and varied programme of extra-curricular activities, particularly in the arts, are very good ▪ There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs ▪ There is a good match of teaching and support staff to the needs of the curriculum and their high level of expertise makes a very valuable contribution to pupils’ learning

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Commentary

23. The curriculum is broad and well balanced and provides very good opportunities for learning. While striving to maintain and raise standards further in English, mathematics and science, the school has not neglected other areas of the curriculum. Without losing their distinctive character, subjects are interlinked by using skills and knowledge learnt in one subject to support work in another and this makes learning more coherent. The challenging and interesting curriculum, which includes the teaching of French and opportunities to gain some knowledge and skills in German and Danish, is a key factor in the high standards and pupils’ very good achievement. There has been very good improvement in the provision for ICT and religious education. As a result pupils are now making considerably better progress; standards are higher and in line with those expected in these subjects for pupils their age. The school

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Commentary

promotes its very good curriculum for personal, social, health and citizenship very effectively across all subjects. Expertise within and outside the school is used very imaginatively to enrich the curriculum and promote pupils’ personal development.

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Commentary

24. Under the excellent leadership of the headteacher, curriculum development has been prioritised and has broadened considerably since the previous inspection. English and mathematics are well represented across the curriculum. The ‘blocking’ 1 of other subjects, based on a careful analysis of the time needed for pupils to develop the appropriate skills and knowledge, ensures that the school’s strong focus on the development of pupils’ skills is realised. Innovative practices include the half-termly ‘special’ weeks, such as the recent ‘International Week’, which considerably enrich the curriculum. Pupils have very good opportunities to take part in well-planned and exciting residential visits and practical workshops in art, music and drama and to enhance their learning in all subjects, bringing

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Commentary

1 Blocking involves teaching a particular subject more intensively over a shorter ‘block’ of time, such as a half term, rather than weekly over a longer period of time. Molescroft Primary School - 16 about new insights into the world about them as well as learn about themselves. Projects such as these make a very significant contribution to pupils’ personal development, helping to promote a good understanding of other cultures and foster very good relationships with schools and teachers in other countries.

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Commentary

25. An outstanding feature of the school is the wide range of stimulating and interesting extra- curricular activities that gives support to learning outside the school day. These include Club Français, three chess clubs, drama, ICT, football clubs for girls and boys, model making, music clubs and others managed by teachers and volunteer helpers. Participation is very good, and during the week of the inspection the school was buzzing with activities during lunchtime and after lessons. The opportunities pupils have to participate in the arts are excellent. Art is well promoted across the curriculum and enriched by visits to galleries and opportunities to work with artists. There are many very valuable opportunities for pupils to take part in musical activities and drama productions. The recorder groups, choir and orchestra perform each week in assemblies. Pupils throughout the school take part in music workshops

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Commentary

with visiting musicians, such as Brazilian drumming, and these make a significant contribution to the development of their skills. Sporting activities are numerous and pupils achieve a high level of success in competitions with other schools.

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Commentary

26. It is the school’s policy that all innovation and the use of technology are accompanied by staff training, ensuring that teachers work very effectively. The school makes very good use of teachers’ specialist skills to ensure that staff have up-to-date skills and knowledge and that there is a generous range of suitable resources to support teaching and to interest and motivate pupils. The very well planned deployment of learning support staff and voluntary helpers, who work closely with teachers, make certain that the needs of all pupils are met. The school has done a tremendous amount of work to improve the accommodation since the last inspection. The recently completed extension provides spacious and very attractive classrooms including a music room, two computer suites and library. The problems of space and disturbance from other classes, which previously affected the range of activities and

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Commentary

pupils’ concentration, have been eliminated. The school is beautifully presented throughout and the vibrant high quality displays of pupils’ work create a stimulating environment for learning and are used very effectively to celebrate pupils’ achievements and to support their learning. These demonstrate admirably that not only do pupils take learning seriously and want to do their best, but that they find work extremely enjoyable. The grounds also provide a good space for work and recreation, although, at the present time, their use is still restricted until building work is completed.

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Commentary

27. Provision for pupils who have special educational needs is very good. Teachers put a lot of thought into pupils’ individual education plans. These are much more precise than at the time of the previous inspection, with learning strategies which are well selected and followed carefully by teachers and support staff. The targets in the plans are comprehensive, very specific and measurable. The staff are now adept at constructing the criteria that tell them when a pupil has achieved a given target. Since the plans contain up to five relevant targets, some will be achieved more quickly than others, but in their current format, they do not show the different time-scales expected for the range of targets. The co-ordinator is currently working on ‘exit strategies’ to enable pupils to be phased gently out of special needs provision when ready.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

The school cares very well for its pupils. Pupils get very good support, advice and guidance. There are very good measures to involve pupils in school’s work and development. The support for pupils’ learning and development has improved significantly since the previous inspection.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Rightly, parents speak highly about the very good levels of care provided for all pupils ▪ Pupils’ personal development benefits from the significant opportunities to take responsibility Molescroft Primary School - 17 ▪ Very good use is made of pupil targets and clear expectations to support pupils’ academic progress ▪ Pupils’ views are very effectively heard and acted on

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Commentary

28. Staff know pupils very well and where there are concerns, teachers and other staff work very closely with pupils and their parents to identify how these can be overcome. They act quickly if a pupil is unhappy or under pressure and are careful to make sure new arrivals are helped to settle in. As a result, pupils feel safe, are fairly treated and have a very good and trusting relationship with one or more adults. Levels of minor accidents are low in the playground. First aid and health and safety arrangements are clear and effective. Good arrangements are in place for child protection and looked after children. The school has a very clear grasp of the types of health and family problems experienced by a small minority of its pupils. These additional needs are very effectively supported. Parents justifiably talk about the high quality care that pupils get, based on valuing each pupil as an individual and treating their needs as

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Commentary

paramount. The arrangements for induction to the reception and other classes are very good.

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Commentary

29. The Year 5 ‘buddies’ play an important role in the playground, by providing a listening ear for pupils who are new, lonely or have any other concerns. There are very good opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence and self-esteem through the wide range of opportunities for taking responsibility. Good attitudes, work and achievements outside of school are very effectively recognised at weekly celebration assemblies. Older pupils say that teachers expect them to behave in a more grown up way as they move through school. They do. The social language group is very effective in addressing the additional needs of a small minority of pupils. The support of all pupils’ achievement, through monitoring, is frequent, thorough and very effectively shared with pupils and parents. Staff discuss the outcomes of tests with pupils and regular marking provides very good suggestions on how their work can be improved. All

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Commentary

pupils have individual targets in writing and group targets in mathematics, which are valued by pupils and regularly reviewed and updated. In many lessons, teachers support pupils’ learning very well by referring to shared written expectations in relation to pupils’ work.

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Commentary

30. The very good relationships, between pupils and their teachers, create a positive atmosphere in which to hear pupils’ views. Pupils confirm that their PSHCE lessons, especially ‘circle time’ where pupils share their feelings and concerns, provide very good opportunities to share views with staff. Pupils’ views are heard in a variety of other ways on a very wide variety of subjects. For example, the headteacher dines with ten different pupils on a weekly basis to discuss issues, such as school meals, playground equipment and games as well as the lessons that are liked and disliked. A number of pupils are members of the steering group, working towards the Healthy School award. The wide range of responsibilities given to pupils and the associated opportunities to hear pupils’ views are key reasons behind pupils’ very positive views about school life.

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Commentary

31. The staff monitor the general progress of pupils who have special educational needs very well. The school draws very effectively on the expertise of specialist services for more detailed diagnostic testing and support teaching. The school values its excellent links with the specialist agencies very highly, because they impact so much on the pupils’ very good progress. Overall support, involving teaching assistants, teachers and specialists, makes an outstanding contribution to realising the school’s philosophy of inclusion.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

There is an excellent partnership with parents. Links with the local community make a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development. Links with other schools and colleges are very good. The effectiveness of the links with all partners has improved significantly since the previous inspection.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

Molescroft Primary School - 18 ▪ The school has created a highly impressive partnership with parents, based on openness and responding to parents’ needs ▪ Parents also make a very significant contribution to the partnership ▪ Links with churches, charities, public services and business contribute significantly to pupils’ personal development ▪ Links with other schools and colleges are diverse and productive

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Commentary

32. The partnership works exceptionally well, as school and parents work on the basis that both have key roles in a shared enterprise. Based on the inspection survey and the parents’ meeting, parents are exceptionally positive about what the school provides and achieves. The school’s key contributions to the exceptional partnership include the emphasis given to encouraging parents to share any concerns and the exceptional efforts to resolve any concerns to achieve the best outcomes for the pupils concerned; thereafter, feedback to parents on progress is another unusually positive feature. The school also listens and responds decisively to the views of parents, based on regular surveys. There are very good opportunities and materials provided to help support pupils’ learning; the key features are high quality written annual reports, parents’ evenings, and curriculum information for each year group, together with tips on how to support pupils’ learning. Arrangements for homework are

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Commentary

very effective, supported by a homework diary.

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Commentary

33. Parents’ key contributions to the highly successful partnership include routinely ensuring their children attend school and contacting school in the event of absence. Parents’ nearly full attendance at parents’ evenings, which pupils are also encouraged to attend, is also a very positive feature, as is their very high attendance at performances and the rich range of other events, such as the ‘International Evening’ held during the week of the inspection. Parents also make a most valuable contribution through the Friends of Molescroft School (FOMS), to a series of successful fund-raising events; these events also contribute to pupils’ personal development and the strong sense of community that prevails, as staff, parents and pupils are involved in these events.

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Commentary

34. The parents of children who have special educational needs feel they are very well involved in the process from the very start. The school goes out of its way to put their minds at rest. Parents regularly have good feedback on their children’s progress. They particularly appreciate the school’s open door policy, and they and their children very much appreciate the effort put in to help them.

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Commentary

35. Under its own direct management, the school is a very successful parish centre, with its facilities used regularly by around a dozen community groups, including senior citizens and a range of adult education classes. Pupils take part in a wide range of collections and sponsored events for charity. Pupils play a leading part in organising an annual Charity Fortnight, which also contributes significantly to pupils’ opportunities for personal responsibility. There are close and highly productive links with a number of local churches. Pupils visit a local church, whilst preachers regularly lead assemblies and provide support with the religious education curriculum. The orchestra and choir perform at Beverley Minster, as part of its Christmas festival of music. Pupils’ learning benefits from a very good range of visits and visitors. Public services, such as the police, the school nurse and fire services, enrich the

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Commentary

curriculum with contributions on community projects, personal safety and healthy living. Pupils also gain important insights into the world of business and enterprise. With the help of the education business partnership, pupils take part in an Enterprise Day, whilst Year 5 pupils operate the school bank, with the support of the local building society. Molescroft Primary School - 19 36. Links with a local nursery and with a number of other pre-school settings are close and contribute to the very good induction arrangements into the reception class. School has very good links with other local primary schools. In regular meetings, headteachers discuss approaches to common issues, such as workforce remodelling. Key co-ordinators in the cluster of schools also meet regularly. The school shares its very good practice, in relation to school leadership, special educational needs practice and accelerated learning, with other

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Commentary

primary schools. There are very good links with the local secondary school to which nearly all Year 6 pupils transfer. The school benefits from the secondary school’s specialist status in the performing arts. As a result, specialist teachers deliver lessons in dance, drama and music on a regular basis. Year 5 pupils are taught French and there are plans to extend the scheme to two languages. Year 6 pupils start bridging units in English, mathematics and science in preparation for secondary school. Older pupils take part in sporting events with other schools, giving them additional understanding of the local community whilst developing their sense of fair play and competition. The school plays a full part in supporting the development of students and pupils from other institutions. It provides work experience for secondary school pupils and students from the local college on child care courses. There are close and

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Commentary

productive links with the education departments of local universities. Student teachers, from York or Hull University, have taken part of their teaching practice at the school. The school also takes part in the Graduate Teacher Programme. The headteacher addresses groups of student teachers at Hull University. As part of the Comenius Language Apprenticeship scheme, links have been formed with a Danish school. As a result, a Danish teacher, on a six- month secondment, has taught Danish to all year groups and German to a number of classes.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Overall leadership and management of the school are very good. The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding, and of other key staff is very good. The school is very effectively managed. The governance of the school is very good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ The excellent leadership of the headteacher, very well supported by governors and key staff, provides a very good role model for pupils and other staff ▪ There is an excellent format for development planning, particularly responsive to the needs of the school ▪ There is an outstanding commitment to, and concern for, the needs of individual pupils ▪ Excellent management of the recruitment, deployment and induction of staff contributes to the effectiveness of the school ▪ Very effective financial management enables the school to achieve its educational priorities particularly well ▪ Within a very good programme of self-evaluation and performance management, the process of monitoring teaching relies on out-dated sets of criteria

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Commentary

37. Leadership and management became a key issue in the previous inspection, with weaknesses in the structure and roles of co-ordinators, evaluation of standards and the programme of staff appraisal. The governors, who have a very good grasp of the context of the school, were determined to appoint a new headteacher who would ‘defend the arts and develop the creative curriculum’. With an exceptionally clear vision of the end product, the headteacher has put in place a particularly effective whole-school improvement plan. This very clear working document has been the engine driving the very wide range of improvements. These go far beyond merely addressing former weaknesses, into a level of curriculum development and innovation that is first rate. The headteacher has not just defended the arts, he has driven them forward, with the unstinting backing of subject leaders, into a prominence that makes an excellent model of the Department for Education and Skills’

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Commentary

Molescroft Primary School - 20 guide document Excellence and Enjoyment: a strategy for primary schools for other schools. The wider curriculum very effectively extends the core subjects 2 with high quality experiences.

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Commentary

38. In their own right the key leaders have a very clear picture of where they want their subjects to be, and of the best sustainable pace for raising standards within them. Within a short period of time the school has become a centre of best practice for demonstrating accelerated learning, special needs procedures and headteacher consultancy, for the wider community of schools. The key strength behind this inspirational leadership is the total commitment to inclusion. This has transferred to the whole staff, and each day is a working out of the school motto ‘ Everybody cares, Everybody learns, Everybody matters’ . In 1999 such inclusion was just adequate, now it is second to none.

p.20

Commentary

39. It has taken excellent leadership of special needs provision to bring about the sense of commitment and teamwork that is evident in the staff. The deputy head as co-ordinator has developed a coherent provision based on very good communication, raising expertise and monitoring all aspects and trends closely. For instance, the projected training of the support staff in the use of the interactive whiteboards carries the potential to use increasingly more electronic aids for the benefit of pupils with special needs. Careful timetabling of the support assistants enables their contribution to run smoothly and very effectively. The co-ordinator has all the data to hand to begin to look at deployment patterns based on best value. The money allocated to special needs is very well spent.

p.20

Commentary

40. The headteacher and governors are concerned to put the school ‘well ahead of the game’ in the management of workforce re-modelling. This aspect, based on a very strong programme of professional development, is excellent. Teachers, teaching assistants and administration staff are engaged in a continuous process of upgrading expertise. This is linked to raising standards through the mechanism of rigorous staff appraisal, with hard targets in terms of pupils’ attainment levels, in all subjects. Very good oversight of financial systems enables these educational priorities to be realised. The moderate budget surplus from last year contributes to the breadth of the training programme.

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Commentary

41. Other management systems are very good. The practice of monitoring performance data is very effective, providing detailed information about pupils’ progress and informing target setting. The school does more monitoring of teaching than most. Detailed feedback enables teachers to improve performance and contributes towards the achievement of greater consistency in teaching and learning throughout the school. Current monitoring formats, however, come from an earlier framework and the school would do well to adopt the most up- to-date versions so that teachers can become acquainted in greater depth with the more rigorous criteria, and the link between learning and progress measures, so that they can then use them in their own subject monitoring.

p.20

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.20

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 757,567 Balance from previous year -1126 Total expenditure 733,814 Balance carried forward to the next 22,627 Expenditure per pupil 2230

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Financial information

2 Core subjects are English, mathematics and science, along with ICT and religious education. Molescroft Primary School - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Children enter the school’s reception classes at the beginning of the term in which they become five. At the time of the inspection, very early in the summer term, there were 59 reception age children, 20 of whom had been in the school for only a few days.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. Children enter the school with overall broadly average prior attainment, although there is a wide spread of ability. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is generally good but initial assessment indicates that their ability to communicate and use language is not as good as might be expected. Induction is very good and children settle very quickly into the reception classes. They make good progress and achieve very well, so that by the time they enter Year 1 the majority are working at above expected levels in all areas of learning.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The improvements noted in the previous inspection have been maintained. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator provides very effective leadership, which is ensuring that provision continues to develop and improve. Overall teaching is very good. Teachers have created a richly varied environment for learning, both indoors and outside, which they exploit skilfully to extend children’s learning through a well-balanced range of activities. At times they work effectively with the whole class or smaller groups on intensive directed work, while at others they provide opportunities for children to choose from the wide range of learning opportunities set up for them. This well thought out approach is successful in capturing children’s interest and effective in engaging them in purposeful learning activities. There is good teamwork amongst all the staff working in the reception classes. The carefully co-ordinated planning and

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

flexible use of the two reception classrooms ensures consistency across the Foundation Stage as a whole. There is very good provision for children with special educational needs; children with statements of special educational needs are fully included in the life and work of the two reception classes.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Children settle quickly into school because they feel safe and secure ▪ Children make good progress and achieve well, with the majority reaching the expected goals well before the end of reception ▪ The approach to teaching and learning and the effective organisation of available resources enable children to develop the skills of working independently ▪ The very good relationships established and very good teaching ensure that children enjoy learning and help them sustain interest and concentration

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Commentary

45. This area of learning is given an appropriately high priority right from the start when children enter the school. Teachers provide a secure and welcoming environment and they are very skilful in building very good relationships; these help children to settle quickly and ensure they are ready for learning. Children make good progress in this area of their learning and they achieve well, gaining confidence quickly and showing they can work with sustained concentration on the various activities planned for them. As a result, the vast majority achieve the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception well before then.

p.21

Commentary

46. In both the reception classes, teachers encourage children to share, take turns and co- operate with others. This enables children to develop the skills to work independently or in Molescroft Primary School - 22 small groups, without constant supervision. The very good organisation of resources in both rooms also supports the development of these skills, enabling children to access them as they choose and work with them independently. Children respond very positively to these opportunities, most of them showing they can work confidently on their own or with a small group of other children. They are increasingly sensitive to the particular needs of others. This was illustrated very well indeed when one child gathered the individual mat for another with special educational needs and sat with him, helping him to settle, stay focused and be fully part of the whole-class group.

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Commentary

47. Teaching is very good. Well-established and effective routines ensure that children feel secure and as a result they come into their classes happily and confidently each morning. All the staff are good role models, contributing effectively to the very good relationships which are established throughout the reception classes. The effective balance of teacher-directed and individually chosen activities ensures that children enjoy learning. They show they can sustain their interest in the various activities they choose over extended periods of time, but there are missed opportunities to help them plan what they are going to do. Children are very well behaved and they interact confidently with the adults and each other, which also contributes positively to their social development.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Very good teaching and learning enable children to achieve very well, with the majority reaching the expected goals well before the end of reception ▪ Teachers ensure children have a good range of opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills so they learn to communicate clearly and confidently ▪ Children have good opportunities to develop their skills in reading, but there are missed opportunities to use books to support their learning in other areas ▪ Very good opportunities are taken to extend children’s understanding of phonics (individual and combined letter sounds), which supports the development of their reading skills very effectively ▪ Children make good progress in developing their early writing skills

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Commentary

48. Children enter the school with broadly average language and communication skills. Teaching is very good and, as a result of the good opportunities provided to extend their skills, children’s learning is very good enabling them to make good progress. Consequently achievement is very good, with the majority of children reaching the expected goals well before the end of reception.

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Commentary

49. Teachers effectively reinforce good routines for speaking and listening, which are successful in ensuring children know how to listen to each other and take turns in speaking. All the adults provide very good opportunities for children to speak; activities in the classrooms provide continual opportunities for conversations and discussions, which are used well to extend children’s communication skills. Teachers are skilful in involving children in discussion with the range of questions they ask, both in groups and as they interact with them individually. Children are confident to talk in front of the whole class and are keen to contribute in discussions. At times teachers encourage children to talk to each other before giving a response to a particular question and this reinforces their speaking and listening skills very effectively. By the end of reception, children generally communicate confidently and

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Commentary

50. Listening to stories, sharing books with the teacher, teaching assistants or other adults, and re-telling stories to each other are all used effectively to encourage a love of books and Molescroft Primary School - 23 develop children’s reading skills. Children’s understanding of phonics is very positively reinforced and enabling them to make very good progress with their reading. In one session, the teacher made very good use of the interactive whiteboard to involve the children, reinforcing their understanding well. In another, the sharing of a big book, The Treasure Map , with the whole class, enabled the children to extend their understanding of rhyme. In one early morning activity, children showed they could read the simple sentence ‘This is Grandpa having a nap’ and they understood the basic use of capital letters and full stops. When the teacher cut up the separate words of the sentence, with support most children could put it

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Commentary

back together again. In both classrooms good use is made of displayed language to promote children’s recognition of appropriate words. Labels help children access or organise the various resources, while captions on displays effectively stimulate their interest and curiosity. Although books are available to read or browse, more could be provided to support children’s work and extend their learning in the various areas set up in each classroom.

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Commentary

51. Teachers provide a good range of activities to promote the development of children’s early writing skills. These include both directed activities with the teacher and the activities they choose for themselves. Children make good progress. In their stories about the lost snails, for example, many of them write in complete sentences, sequence the events appropriately and make a good attempt at spelling more difficult words. In another activity, a small group, which had chosen to make a card for their parents, showed good pencil control and good letter formation as they wrote completely unaided. Some children can already write their own names appropriately.

p.23

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Very good teaching ensures children make good progress and achieve very well ▪ Teachers provide a good range of practical activities and resources which promotes children’s mathematical development very effectively ▪ Very well managed and focused teaching contributes positively to children’s very good learning

p.23

Commentary

52. Teaching is very good. Teachers make good use of a wide range of practical activities to promote children’s mathematical development very effectively. This ensures children’s learning is very good and contributes positively to the good progress they make. As a result achievement is very good, with the majority of children achieving the goals they are expected to reach well before the end of reception.

p.23

Commentary

53. Teachers ensure that children experience a wide range of practical activities which promotes and reinforces children’s understanding very effectively. All the adults are good at helping children use appropriate mathematical language and at interesting children in numbers, counting and, at times, calculation. Number lines of various kinds, including one in Danish, effectively reinforce children’s understanding of number and counting. The majority of children can count accurately to 20, and many of them beyond. Attractive displays interest children in calculation, reinforcing their understanding of addition and subtraction. The resources available in the classrooms support children’s learning very effectively and ensure that they have very good opportunities to use their developing mathematical skills. In the sand tray, for example, children test how many small vessels can be filled from a bigger one and use ‘more

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Commentary

than’ or ‘less than’ to describe what they find. As they work with the playdough, children can compare their cakes, describing one as ‘heavier than’ the other.

p.23

Commentary

54. At times teachers work intensively with the whole class or smaller groups on focused mathematical activities. On these occasions children’s learning is managed very effectively, contributing very positively to the good progress they make. In one session, for example, the Molescroft Primary School - 24 teacher very successfully taught the children how to find the total of two numbers by adding on and in another she reinforced children’s understanding of doubling. Such intensive and focused activities are effective in ensuring that children’s learning is very good.

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Very good teaching ensures children’s learning is good and it contributes positively to the higher than expected standards they reach ▪ A very good range of practical activities reinforces children’s understanding very effectively ▪ Visitors to the school make a valuable contribution to children’s learning

p.24

Commentary

55. Teaching is very good. Teachers provide a very good range of practical opportunities to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world. These extend children’s horizons very effectively. As a result learning is good, and children achieve well, with the majority reaching the expected goals well before the end of reception.

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Commentary

56. The very good opportunities which teachers create effectively stimulate children’s curiosity and sometimes engender a real excitement in learning. In one investigation, for example, children were challenged how to keep a bottle hot. Their thinking was aroused, with an effective introduction to prediction, before they tested various materials to insulate the bottle. Good resources support children’s work. Children are able to manipulate small construction toys well, creating models of Thunderbirds planes with folding parts for their imaginary play for example, or building marble runs. Children’s understanding of how things have changed since times in the past is very well reinforced as they look at historical artefacts such as old washing equipment. In working with the computers most children are confident, showing good control of the mouse as they move the cursor around the screen. They are able to ‘drag and drop’

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Commentary

objects as they play with a mathematics program, thus reinforcing their counting skills.

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Commentary

57. Good opportunities are provided for children to find out about other places and other cultures, as in their recent work on India for example, with artefacts, clothes and material. At times, very good use is made of visitors to the school to support children’s learning. For example, a visiting teacher from Denmark spent time with the classes and captured their interest in teaching them to count in Danish and some simple words so they could sing songs.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Overall good teaching and the good resources available ensure children have good opportunities to extend their physical development ▪ A good balance of teacher direction and opportunities for children to explore ideas for themselves is achieved in the more formal physical education lessons ▪ A good range of tools and equipment supports children’s physical development in the classrooms

p.24

Commentary

58. Overall teaching is good. Children make good progress in their physical development and achieve well, reaching the expected goals by the end of reception. There are good resources Molescroft Primary School - 25 to promote children’s learning outdoors, with secure spaces and a good range of equipment for both reception classes. Children have ready access to these areas and this ensures they have good opportunities to explore and experiment with the resources for themselves. Children show they can control the wheeled toys appropriately and their social development is also effectively promoted as they learn to share and co-operate in using all the equipment outdoors. 59. Children in both reception classes have opportunities to work in the hall, with more formal lessons in physical education. On these occasions teaching is very good. The teacher achieves a good balance between direct teaching and the provision of opportunities for

p.24

Commentary

children to explore space and movement for themselves. At times specific skills are taught and children are helped to improve the quality of what they do by evaluating their work but the teacher is skilful in providing good opportunities for children to explore the space and try out their own ideas and movements for themselves. This contributes to the good progress they make and their overall good achievement.

p.25

Commentary

60. In the classrooms, children have good opportunities to develop their skills in manipulating equipment such as writing and drawing pencils, modelling tools, paint brushes and scissors. They use the available construction equipment well, to make models for example, and the tools provided to cut and stick their collages. This contributes effectively to children’s learning, helping them make progress in developing their hand and eye co-ordination. This also helps them control the mouse well when working with the computers.

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Good opportunities are provided to stimulate children’s imagination ▪ Children enjoy the range of activities and opportunities to explore the various materials provided for them ▪ Children work well co-operatively and imaginatively at times as they develop their play in role- play or with other resources provided

p.25

Commentary

61. Teaching in this area of learning is good overall, although it was not possible to observe many activities. Teachers plan a good range of activities, which stimulate children’s imagination and children enjoy the range of opportunities they have. As a result their learning is good and their achievement good, with most children reaching the goals they are expected to achieve well before the end of reception.

p.25

Commentary

62. Children experiment with mixing colours, as they paint their large group pictures for example, and the teaching of specific skills and the use of the available tools is good. Children enjoy the various role-play opportunities, effectively using the good range of props provided to support their play. They are able to discuss their play in these areas and make plans to develop and sustain it as they work together in pairs or small groups. Good co-operation sometimes leads to children sharing in an imaginative story, as they re-tell a story they have read.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

Molescroft Primary School - 26 ▪ Standards by the end of Year 2 are well above average ▪ Very good teaching in most lessons enables pupils to achieve very well ▪ Very good support by classroom assistants helps raise standards well, particularly for the lower attaining pupils ▪ The development of pupils’ reading and writing skills is very good, but the range of pupils’ speaking skills is not as extensive as it could be ▪ At times the data from the very good range of assessment procedures is not used fully to set precise targets for group tasks, particularly in Years 3 and 4

p.26

Commentary

63. The school has been through a period of turbulence since the previous inspection and standards declined from the previously high level. Under new co-ordinators a rigorous programme of upgrading resources has given teachers better tools for the job. A re-thinking of the curriculum has produced a model that provides better inclusion, much clearer progression of skills in writing and reading and a central place for pupils’ independence and understanding. The result has been to re-establish high standards, which are now feeding through the school. Following two years of well above average results in the standard tests, the Year 2 standards observed currently are also well above average. Pupils are making rapid progress and achieving very well. The current Year 6 is the last year group to be affected by disturbances in the past. Despite the quite high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in this group, overall standards are average in writing and speaking, and above

p.26

Commentary

average in reading and listening. This represents a very good achievement, given that reading was average when the pupils were in Year 2, and their writing was below average. Their confidence now and their ability to work independently are striking.

p.26

Commentary

64. Teaching is very good overall throughout the school. In Years 3 to 6 it ranges from satisfactory to excellent. Teachers engage pupils well because they establish very good relationships and value pupils’ ideas. A great strength is that teachers give pupils ample opportunities to speak, and are careful to include all abilities during a lesson. As a result, standards in speaking and listening are improving. Teachers operate guided reading and writing sessions in groups at different attainment levels so that the discussion and content are very closely matched to pupils’ needs. Support staff work particularly sensitively with pupils who have special educational needs, keeping up their interest, perseverance and self-esteem. Teachers have very clear objectives for lessons, and set open-ended assignments to enable pupils to use their learning skills of planning, drafting, editing, note-taking and decision-making. The

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Commentary

teaching of upper juniors is consistently very good, and the pupils’ response is one of full engagement and effort, striving to do their best. The independence does not work quite as well in the Year 3 and 4 groupings, mainly because there is a wide range of attainment.

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Commentary

65. It is clear that the pupils’ involvement in the exciting wider curriculum is raising the quality of the literacy hour. In one excellent Year 5 lesson the teacher inspired the pupils to produce cameos of intense and moving imagery about a tsunami tragedy, easily reaching Level 5 writing. Pupils then ‘hot-seated’ the roles with great sensitivity, drawing on their experience of speaking in a wide range of plays and productions. Pupils know a lot about the evaluation of their levels, because this is a key process in the outstanding marking and homework procedures. Speaking and listening are not at present measured and studied to the same extent. This is partly why pupils’ speaking standards, though confident, are average in Year 6.

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Commentary

66. The headteacher has established much stronger subject leadership than seen in the previous inspection. The English co-ordinators lead and manage the subject very well, with a firm grip on standards and trends. Analysis indicated that writing was an area that needed attention, and the leader put in place a programme of measures that strengthened the provision significantly. These measures have been observed in action, from as early as the reception year, and are contributing to an even more secure pattern of progress, as the teaching of phonics skills is doing for reading.

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Language and literacy across the curriculum

Molescroft Primary School - 27 67. Teachers’ planning includes specific reference to a very wide range of opportunities to enable pupils to practise and use their language and literacy skills to enhance standards in other subjects. Year 6 pupils, for instance, are expected to produce comprehensive topic books of research into their history topic on the Victorians. Year 5 pupils use extensive drafting and note-taking skills in science and geography work. Good writing occurs in design and technology, where pupils record their design briefs, and evaluate their work well at the end of a project. Literacy links are monitored systematically by the subject leader.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Pupils are keen to learn and achieve very well ▪ Teachers present work in interesting ways and take into account the different ways pupils learn ▪ There is not enough emphasis in teaching on investigative work ▪ Leadership and management are very good because the co-ordinator knows the subject well and provides clear direction for improvement

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Commentary

68. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 do well and achieve above average standards because the quality of teaching and learning is very good. Standards are similar to those reported at the time of the last inspection. The results of last year’s national tests show that the proportion of pupils gaining the expected level or above was well above average for both Years 2 and 6. Teachers’ assessments indicate that not quite so many pupils will reach this level in this year’s tests because of the nature of the groups which contain a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than before. However, pupils in Year 6 are making very good progress and achieving very well given their below average standards at the start of Year 3. This is the result of the very good quality of teaching, which interests and motivates pupils in their learning. The setting arrangements in Years 2 to 6 are very effective, helping to ensure

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Commentary

that pupils’ learning usually moves on at a suitable pace for their needs. Pupils with special educational needs are given very good support from teachers and well-qualified learning support assistants, and, as a result, achieve very well.

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Commentary

69. The quality of teaching and learning is very good, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this well to promote high quality learning. They draw on their good subject knowledge to give clear explanations and demonstrations so that pupils use an increasing range of more demanding skills confidently. They have high expectations of pupils and design lessons very effectively to advance pupils’ learning in small manageable steps, checking that each has been understood before moving on. Teachers ensure that pupils understand what they are to learn and regularly check what pupils can do and what they find difficult. They use the information very well to identify groups and individual pupils who need to be moved on in their learning more quickly or need help in specific areas. For the most part, teachers tailor the work successfully to meet pupils’ differing needs. However, very

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Commentary

occasionally pupils are moved on too quickly or high achieving pupils carry out tasks which they can easily manage before moving to more demanding work. Teachers present work in interesting ways and take into account the different ways pupils learn. Pupils are fully involved in lessons through varied activities, such as playing number games, learning about angles by moving through different degrees of turn, and making very good use of interactive whiteboards and individual wipeable boards to record and demonstrate ideas or as individuals or as a class.

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Commentary

70. Pupils’ ability to solve problems is good. Pupils’ work shows good coverage of number work, measurement and handling data. Strong emphasis is given to opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge through solving word problems and discussing strategies for calculating. However, pupils, particularly the more able, do not spend as much time carrying Molescroft Primary School - 28 out activities which encourage them to think more imaginatively about mathematical questions or to explore patterns and ideas. This slows progress in the development of the higher thinking skills that help them to achieve at a more challenging level.

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Commentary

71. The subject leader is very well informed and strongly committed to maintaining and improving upon the standards achieved. She has a very clear understanding of what is taking place in the subject because she monitors both teaching and learning very well. Rigorous analysis of statutory tests and regular assessment of each unit of work give the school a very good understanding of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and ensure that prompt action is taken to support or challenge pupils further. As a result, pupils develop good accuracy and facility in mental and written number work, which they use successfully in the many exciting problem- solving activities that the teachers give them. Target setting is well established as part of the very good procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress. Teachers mark pupils' work against the learning objective for the task. This and the involvement of pupils in evaluating their own

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Commentary

learning in lessons are very effective in helping pupils to understand what they do well and what they need to improve. This helps pupils to become more articulate when talking about their work and to take more responsibility for their own learning, and makes an effective contribution to their personal development.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

72. The school promotes the use and importance of mathematical skills in other areas of the curriculum very well. Pupils make very good use of their knowledge of data handling to present and interpret their findings in science. Measuring skills are used accurately in science and design and technology, contributing well to their progress in these subjects. Teachers use ICT very effectively to support teaching and learning in mathematics. Their use of the interactive whiteboards enhances mathematics by presenting information quickly in a visually exciting way. Pupils do not make enough use of computers in lessons as a tool to develop their learning, although good use is made of their mathematical skills as part of the ICT curriculum. However, the mathematics co-ordinator has identified development of this aspect as a priority in her subject action plan.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Standards are above average by the time pupils leave the school ▪ Teaching is very effective and leads to very good achievement ▪ Assessment is thorough and the progress of all pupils is carefully tracked ▪ Very good leadership and management are bringing about very good improvements

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Commentary

73. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average. This represents good improvement since the last inspection. Results in national tests at the end of Year 6 have also improved and were high in 2004, following a dip to below average levels in 2003. Although teachers’ assessments indicate that not quite so many Year 6 pupils will achieve the expected or higher levels this year, standards are, nevertheless, above average and similar to those reported at the last inspection. The very good improvement to teaching and learning and the well-informed leadership and management of the subject have brought about improvements in achievement and standards. Pupils do very well in science because of the school’s emphasis on learning through investigation, which makes the work interesting and exciting and this helps to secure their understanding. A significant feature of Year 2 pupils’ work is that nearly all record their

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Commentary

knowledge, observations and investigations very thoroughly in words, charts and pictures. Pupils build on these strong foundations as they move through the school so that by Year 6 they devise their own investigations to test hypotheses, for example, about what force is Molescroft Primary School - 29 required to move a container. They consider the factors to create a fair test, collect and analyse results, and draw conclusions. More able pupils quickly spot anomalous readings and re-do the test or provide plausible explanations as to what may have influenced the results.

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Commentary

74. The quality of teaching and learning seen during the inspection was very good. Strengths common to all teaching are teachers’ good subject knowledge, enthusiasm for science, and ability to encourage and engage pupils. They use a range of very effective teaching methods to ensure that all pupils are fully included in learning opportunities. Teachers ask probing questions such as, ‘How do you know these results are reliable?’ to challenge pupils’ thinking. They provide good opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills through the recording of investigation results and the correct use of scientific terms in discussion. Measuring and the recording of results on tables, charts and graphs enhance their mathematical skills.

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Commentary

75. Teachers have a good understanding of the pupils’ knowledge and achievements because the subject co-ordinator has introduced a system of graded targets and regular assessment tasks. These ensure that pupils’ progress is regularly monitored. Pupils’ work is marked against lesson targets so that pupils can evaluate for themselves how well they are achieving.

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Commentary

76. Subject leadership is very good. The subject leader has played a key role in generating improvement. She has a very clear grasp of how well pupils learn and the standards they reach, because these are checked in lessons and pupils’ work is looked at. The results of evaluation of what is going on in science, monitoring of performance data, and review of emerging trends are used very successfully to effect improvements and to create a clear plan of action to sustain and bring about further improvement.

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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

▪ Pupils’ achievement is good ▪ Because of excellent leadership, there has been an outstanding improvement in provision since the previous inspection, notably in accommodation and resources ▪ A very good training strategy for teachers has built up a teamwork and determination that is developing basic skills and raising standards rapidly ▪ Teachers use the classroom technology very well for literacy, numeracy and science; there is scope to extend the range of applications in other subjects ▪ Staff have begun the training in the use of the interactive whiteboards so that they can be employed to their full potential throughout the school

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Commentary

77. Pupils’ standards are in line with the national expectation for seven and eleven year olds by the end of Year 2 and 6. Provision has improved out of all recognition since it was a key issue in the previous inspection. Pupils now work much more frequently and consistently in the purpose-built, well-equipped ICT suites, than at the time of the previous inspection on the few classroom computers. Pupils achieve well, given the somewhat irregular provision in the past. Pupils who have special educational needs receive good support from teachers or assistants to achieve at a similar level. Since there are now more opportunities for developing pupils’ own ideas, the higher attaining pupils are working well within their own level of challenge. The curriculum is much stronger, and now includes Internet and e-mails, monitoring and control topics, and complies fully with all the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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Commentary

78. This growth is due to excellent leadership, with the vision of where ICT provision ought to be and the financial management to make it happen quickly. This has turned the subject round from a weakness to a strength of the school. Staff confidence in using ICT has grown rapidly Molescroft Primary School - 30 as a result of significant amounts of very good quality training. Even the most hesitant teacher can now use the equipment to deliver competent lessons in which pupils benefit from the exciting visual effects. The school has purchased enough interactive whiteboards to supply most of the classrooms, which is proving of great value in the teaching and learning in virtually all subjects. They are helping to raise standards. For instance Year 1 pupils could link their numeracy and geography learning by getting a clear picture of the most effective way to display the results of their transport survey as computer pictograms. They sharpened their

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Commentary

computer skills at the same time, putting their standards up to above average.

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Commentary

79. The quality of teaching and learning is good. In some lessons it is very good. The strength lies in the planning and preparation. Teachers ensure they have entered the necessary software into the memory well before the lessons. They have clear objectives for the outcomes of lessons and give the pupils plenty of time for hands-on experience. This is particularly valuable learning because pupils are engaged in exploring their own ideas, making decisions and evaluating effects. For example, Year 6 pupils keep the audience in mind as they construct multi-media ‘brochures’ advertising holidays; they constantly judge if they are putting in the best effects for the purpose. The wide range of attainment in some Year 3 and 4 classes, however, means that the single set of objectives does not challenge all pupils fully. The pupils’ very good behaviour means they listen very well to instructions, use the equipment

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Commentary

sensibly and get the best out of the lessons. Consequently in some strands pupils’ standards are above average, namely word-processing in Year 2 and multi-media publishing, control and data-sensing in Year 6.

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Commentary

80. The co-ordinator’s comprehensive action plan rightly focuses on increasing the number of computers, interactive whiteboards and range of software to support other subjects in greater depth. Training in the use of interactive whiteboards has been extended to teacher assistants to give them greater flexibility in their support role. The assessment system gives teachers good information about how pupils are getting on, and is ready to be upgraded to encourage pupils in the process of self-evaluation. Provision is extended in a good range of extra- curricular clubs. The school is currently piloting the use of a website designed with local education authority support.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

81. Teachers use a very good range of opportunities to enable pupils to apply their ICT skills in other subjects. A good example is the Year 2 lesson where half the class evaluated their computer ‘observational drawing’ against the ‘paper and paint’ version produced by the other half. Teachers regularly make very good use of the classroom projectors to make learning more effective in a wide range of subjects. Many literacy sessions, for instance, benefited by the teachers’ fast editing and drafting in the interactive whiteboards. The full range of the links with other subjects is being charted in one cohesive master plan. There is still some scope to use ICT even more intensively in some subjects, like design software in design and technology or specific special needs programs, and also scope to extend classroom equipment as independent ‘tools of choice’ for pupils in some instances.

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HUMANITIES

82. It was possible to observe only one lesson in geography during the inspection and consequently there was insufficient evidence to support a judgement about overall provision.

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HUMANITIES

83. A study of pupils’ work in geography indicates that the curriculum is satisfactory. Pupils’ geographical skills are developed year on year in a smooth sequence of steps, because the curriculum is planned to take into account the mixed age classes. Planning indicates that lesson objectives are clear, although in the one lesson seen and in the planning for some others, the single objective did not take enough account of necessary challenge for higher attaining pupils. The subject has improved since the previous inspection in that assessment is now in place and the curriculum prominently emphasises the development of pupils’ skills. Molescroft Primary School - 31 The subject is particularly well linked to the wider curriculum. Pupils not only enjoy the wide range of relevant educational visits and the very valuable opportunities to work with visiting teachers from Europe, as with the one from Denmark over the past few months, they also love

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HUMANITIES

and derive great benefit from the regular ‘International Days’. These involve the whole school and are the culmination of a period of study for all pupils. One seen during the inspection was excellent, with geography springing to life for the pupils and their parents, as the classrooms became a grand tour of different countries, with pupils’ earlier research contributing to the creation of an authentic environment for visitors.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Pupils achieve very well and standards are higher than expected by the end of Year 2 and Year

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Throughout the school, teachers make very good use of a rich variety of primary source materials to promote pupils’ learning in history ▪ Posing questions for themselves stimulates pupils’ thinking and provides the starting point for the development of their skills of enquiry ▪ Pupils develop an understanding of chronology because they are introduced to timelines of different kinds right from the start

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Commentary

84. Very good teaching and learning in history are enabling pupils to reach higher than expected standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Throughout the school pupils make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of historical topics and their skills of historical enquiry. This enables them to achieve very well. This represents a significant improvement since the previous inspection when there was insufficient evidence of pupils’ work in history to support a judgement about provision at that time.

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Commentary

85. In Years 1 and 2 pupils extend their knowledge and understanding of the past through stories of famous individuals, such as Guy Fawkes, by studying how familiar objects have changed over time, such as toys, and about significant events such as The Great Fire of London. They begin to develop an understanding of chronology as they order events on simple timelines. Teachers make very good use of a variety of sources to extend pupils’ understanding, such as artefacts, pictures, photographs and film. In a very good lesson on seaside holidays with pupils in Year 2, the teacher made very good use of all these sources to extend her pupils’ understanding. She skilfully involved the pupils in thinking about the past 100 years ago and 50 years ago along with the present, managing their discussions about the various artefacts and pictures very well indeed. Very well focused questions supported pupils’ thinking and as a

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Commentary

result they thoroughly enjoyed the lesson, concentrating fully throughout the afternoon’s work. At other times, work in history is usefully linked to events in the community, as with the Remembrance Day service, which helps pupils understand how events in the past have an impact on people’s lives in the present.

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Commentary

86. In Years 3 to 6 very good teaching and the use of a rich variety of sources contribute most positively to the quality of pupils’ learning. In their work on Britain since 1930, pupils in Year 3 and 4 extend their knowledge and understanding by examining artefacts, such as a gas mask, and through evidence watched on film. This topic, like many others, is also well supported with visits to museums like that at Eden Camp. Pupils’ appreciation of change over time is very well reinforced with time lines, charts and photographs all contributing to their developing understanding of chronology. In Year 5 their work on themes like eating and fashion also Molescroft Primary School - 32 contribute effectively to this understanding of change and continuity. By Year 6 pupils show they can make deductions about the past because they have had opportunities to work with a variety of primary source materials and they know how to use these as evidence about the

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Commentary

past. In one very good lesson seen pupils carefully examined some Victorian artefacts. Teaching was very good, ensuring that pupils’ thinking was challenged with carefully focused questions. Cameo role descriptions were used well to direct pupils’ thinking about the people who might have used these particular objects. Documentary sources are also used very effectively to support pupils’ learning. Extracts from the Children’s Employment Commission of 1867 and the Factory Act of 1874, for example, as well as from Charles Kingsley’s The Water Babies , were used to inform and enliven work on Victorian childhood. As with all age groups, very good use is made of visits to museums and historical sites to support pupils’ learning. Opportunities to work with such a rich variety of sources ensure that history fully supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 87. The promotion of pupils thinking is at the heart of the high quality of teaching in history.

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Commentary

Teachers are skilful at posing questions to challenge pupils’ thinking. They accept pupils’ ideas and build on them effectively, constantly pushing their thinking on. In response to one pupil’s comment, for example, the teacher replied, ‘That’s a very good answer, now what about ...’ Teachers also make good opportunities for pupils to pose questions for themselves. This stimulates their curiosity and is effective in encouraging pupils to use the skills of enquiry they are developing. This aspect of teaching history has improved significantly since the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

▪ Standards have improved since the previous inspection and are now in line with those expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6; pupils’ achievement is good ▪ Teachers plan a good range of interesting and relevant learning activities so pupils learn about the various religions they study, and from them ▪ As pupils get older, the planned topics they study make very good links with world events and significant personalities ▪ Imaginative use is made of drama and discussions are frequently good, but older pupils need more opportunities to record their work in writing ▪ Effective leadership is ensuring that provision continues to develop and improve

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Commentary

88. It was possible to observe only one lesson of religious education during the inspection and so there is insufficient evidence to support a judgement about overall provision. A careful scrutiny of pupils’ completed work and that on display, however, indicates that pupils now achieve well. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and are now in line with those expected of pupils at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6.

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Commentary

89. A well-planned range of interesting and relevant activities contributes positively to pupils’ good learning throughout the school. Pupils have good opportunities not only to learn about some of the stories from the various religions that they study, but also to learn from them. In their study of Christianity, for example, pupils in Year 2 learn about Jesus lost in the Temple or the Good Samaritan and in their work on Hinduism they learn about the story of Rama and Sita from the Ramayana. By Years 3 and 4 pupils reflect on such stories, on the parable of the Prodigal Son for example. Good use is also made of artefacts to extend pupils’ learning. In their work on Judaism, for example, pupils examined a menorah.

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Commentary

90. In Years 3 to 6 the carefully chosen themes and the very good range of planned activities support pupils’ learning very effectively. As a result pupils gain an understanding of the contrasting beliefs and practices of the major religions they study and, as they get older, they Molescroft Primary School - 33 consider the connection between belief and behaviour. In their work on the ideals and beliefs of others, for example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 consider themes such as peace or hope. Very good links are made with world events, such as the Indian Ocean tsunami, and significant personalities such as Martin Luther King. Imaginative tasks are set, such as writing their own version of the song Imagine , and interesting ways of recording what they do through drama or discussions are used very effectively to reinforce pupils’ learning. At times, however, older pupils in particular would benefit from more opportunities for written recording.

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Commentary

91. Subject leadership is good. The new co-ordinator has a clear view of priorities for further development because she has had some time for monitoring and planning. These include the extension of ICT resources to support teaching and learning. The curriculum meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus and is enhanced by a range of visits out of school and by visitors to the school. The subject contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The lunchtime Christian drama club provides good opportunities for pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding, at times preparing sketches for the whole school to see during collective worship. The very good links with the school’s international work, which includes the study of other cultures and beliefs, very effectively broaden not only pupils’ cultural understanding but also their personal development and citizenship. This

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Commentary

approach underpins the whole ethos of the school, in which respect, care and understanding are key elements.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. One lesson was observed in each of art and design , design and technology , and physical education and two in music , so these were sampled because it was not possible to make overall judgements about the quality of provision in these subjects.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

93. In art and design pupils are highly motivated by the very interesting projects and work hard to develop their skills and to achieve high standards in their work. Pupils’ artwork is effectively celebrated all around the school and the examples seen indicate that pupils achieve well. Many examples indicate that standards are above those expected of pupils their age, such as the vibrant displays of abstract art inspired by the cubist work of artists like Picasso and Braque. The school’s art curriculum is very well planned. It provides pupils with very good opportunities to work with a wide range of materials and to develop their skills and learn through studying the works and techniques of well-known artists, European art, and the traditional art found in other world cultures. Through the very well planned links, pupils use their art skills most effectively to enhance their learning in other subjects, such as history. In

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

the lesson seen, the quality of teaching and learning was very good. The planned activities built very well on previous learning, drawing on what pupils had learned from their visit to a local art exhibition, focusing on the abstract designs used by patchwork quilters. The teacher made very good use of visual resources to develop pupils’ understanding of the style and techniques required to create their own abstract designs, reflecting different moods. These Year 5 pupils were highly impressed and inspired by the artwork seen. Their genuine interest and the teacher’s own enthusiasm, high level skills and knowledge ensured that pupils made very good progress. They worked diligently, completing beautifully produced work based on a range of creative ideas, which demonstrated a very good understanding of colour, shape and texture. The whole art project contributed significantly to pupils’ spiritual and cultural

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

development. The curriculum is significantly enriched by opportunities for pupils to work with local artists and through visits to art galleries.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

94. Planning for design and technology indicates that pupils have opportunities to develop an appropriate range of skills and design and make their own products. In the lesson seen in a mixed age Year 3 and 4 class, teaching and learning were good with the emphasis on developing the skills needed to make mechanisms to generate different types of movement. Pupils were particularly interested in the project of creating a pop-up information book because it linked directly with their learning about World War 2 in history. The project provides good opportunities for pupils to use their historical knowledge, mathematical skills of measuring and ICT skills for researching relevant illustrations on the Internet. Molescroft Primary School - 34 95. Music has a high profile in the school. The time allocated to the specialist music teacher is planned very effectively so that both pupils and teachers benefit from her skills and

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

knowledge. All classes have a block of time during the year when they work with this teacher. Curriculum planning ensures a strong emphasis on the development of pupils’ key musical skills and good opportunities to apply these through performing and composing in lessons, in music clubs and the wide range of events, including assembly time, throughout the year. In the two lessons seen, teaching was very good in one and satisfactory in the other. Teachers matched the tasks well to pupils’ needs and the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding of music was very effectively integrated with the development of their keyboard playing skills. The good emphasis on the teaching and learning of musical terminology contributes well to the development of pupils’ language skills as well as their ability to discuss their work. The teachers’ enthusiasm and knowledge motivate the pupils well. Pupils greatly

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

enjoyed learning the skills of playing chords and building up an accompaniment for a rap. They listened carefully to their teachers’ advice and worked hard, persevering even when they found the task difficult. A large number of pupils are learning to play a musical instrument taught by visiting instrumental teachers. Some of these pupils take music examinations and achieve success. The music specialist rehearses a large orchestra each week so that these pupils can use and further develop their performing skills. Many pupils extend their skills joining a music club, such as the choir for example. There are also seven recorder groups and many opportunities provided for pupils throughout the school to sing and take part in musical performances. Pupils sing well. The singing in assembly and the singing of the chorus in the school production of The Pirates of Penzance were of a good standard.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

96. There has been good recent development in physical education , with the introduction of a new scheme and an improvement in the resources available to support teaching and learning both indoors and outside. The co-ordinator is managing this development well, with action plans to address the areas where provision is not as strong. She has some time to monitor the progress and action plans to support further development. Work is proceeding towards the renewal of the school’s Activemark award. These improvements should reassure those parents who were concerned that physical education was not given sufficient priority in the school. There is good support for the further development of the school’s dance programme provided by a teacher from the local secondary school. Appropriate assessment now informs the school’s view of pupils’ progress in developing their physical education skills.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

97. It was possible to see only one lesson in personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) during the inspection. Although this lesson was very good, there were insufficient other opportunities to observe teaching and learning to inform a judgement about overall provision for PSHCE. Nevertheless, there is a carefully designed programme to promote pupils’ health education, including a valuable ‘health week’, in line with the school’s approach to curriculum organisation. External visitors effectively support the school’s provision for sex education and the promotion of healthy eating. Wide-ranging and well-planned activities to extend PSHCE are also integrated into the different subjects. As well as circle times, allowing pupils to air their concerns, health, sex and social issues are built into geography, science and the physical education curricula. Even in English the regular debates are very good vehicles

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

for topical issues, for instance the recent tragic tsunami disaster.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

98. Citizenship education is in the forefront of the school’s planning. Many opportunities are provided to enable pupils to develop their awareness of their role in wider society. Literacy lessons give pupils opportunities for debate, and geography gives them insight into national and world problems. The support of charities like the Red Cross or guide dogs for the blind is entirely dependant on the pupils’ initiative in planning and running events to raise money. Although the school does not have a formal school council yet, the delightful informal ‘dinner parties’ with the headteacher serve much the same purpose. Molescroft Primary School - 35 Molescroft Primary School - 36

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 2

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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Inspection judgement Grade

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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