Nettlestone Primary School

NETTLESTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd - 25 th January 2005

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NETTLESTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 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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NETTLESTONE 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. Nettlestone Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 - 9 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 129 School address: Nettlestone Seaview Isle of Wight Postcode: PO34 5DY Telephone number: (01983) 613 171 Fax number: (01983) 616 663 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Margaret Brandt

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 6 th July 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is smaller than the average primary school with 129 full-time pupils on roll aged four to nine. The school has an annual intake of 30 in each year group and is organised into five classes from Reception to Year 4. The school is located in the village of Nettlestone on the Isle of Wight. It serves the villages of Nettlestone and Seaview but draws the majority of its pupils from further afield with more than half the school population coming from the nearby town of Ryde. The school admits children in the year that they are four and most pupils transfer to one of two middle schools at the end of Year 4. Nearly all the pupils are from white UK background and currently there is one pupil at an early stage of English language acquisition. Pupils come from a broad spread of family backgrounds and employment. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is close to the national average. The attainment of pupils on entry is generally similar to that typically

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

found nationally. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs (11 per cent) is below the national average. Currently, there are no pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Need. Nettlestone Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23744 Peter Howlett Lead inspector English History Geography English as an additional language 8519 Sue Pritchard Lay inspector 22704 Garry Williams Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education Special educational needs 22330 Laurie Lewin Team inspector Foundation Stage Science Information and communication technology (ICT) Religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Tribal PPI 1 - 4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Nettlestone Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9 - 14

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Nettlestone is a sound and improving school with many good features. The school provides a good education for its pupils because the quality of teaching and curriculum is good. Standards are in line with national expectations in Year 4 but are above those typically found nationally in Year 2. The school is well led and managed and gives satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils achieve well in Reception and Infant years because teaching and learning are good overall and very good in Year 2. Expectations of Year 4 pupils could be higher. • Standards are above nationally-expected levels in English, mathematics, science, ICT, religious education, history, geography, music and physical education by Year 2. • Standards in writing are not good enough in Year 4 and pupils’ achievement in ICT, although satisfactory, is constrained by inadequacies in resources. • The partnership of headteacher and assistant headteacher provides a strong educational direction to the school community. • The school’s well-planned curriculum is enhanced by very good provision for extra- curricular activities and for gifted and talented pupils. • Very good provision for pupils’ social and moral development promotes well pupils’ personal qualities, and their attitudes, behaviour and relationships are good.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The school focuses well on self-improvement, but does not consider sufficiently measures to demonstrate the effectiveness of its actions on pupils’ achievement. • Parents do not always have a clear view of the work of the school, how well their children achieve and what they need to do to improve further.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. Initially, the school was slow in addressing the key issues raised then, due to a period of uncertainty in its leadership and management. However, good efforts in the last two years, under the leadership of the current headteacher, have led to success in tackling the main points for action: co- ordinators are effective in their subject management roles and the school now makes effective use of assessment information in English and mathematics to raise standards. The school has made good progress over the last two years because management and governors are committed to improvement. The small numbers of pupils involved makes it unwise to make direct comparisons between standards achieved at the end of Year 4 or between national test results in Year 2 in different years.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

reading B C A A writing B B B B mathematics B D C C Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals. Nettlestone Primary School - 5 Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. Children in Reception achieve well and are on course to attain or exceed the early learning goals in all areas of learning by the end of the Reception Year. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well and standards by Year 2 are above those expected nationally in English, mathematics, science, ICT, history, geography, physical education, religious education and music. No judgements were made on standards in other subjects in Year 2. The achievement of pupils in Year 4 is satisfactory. Standards in English, mathematics, science, ICT and religious education are as expected nationally. Standards in history are above expectations. No judgements were made on standards in

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

other subjects. In Year 4, achievement in writing is not matching that in reading and speaking and listening. Pupils’ achievement in ICT is constrained by the shortcomings in the school’s resources. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and achieve well. More able pupils generally make good progress in lessons. The school provides very well for its gifted and talented pupils.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal development is good . Their spiritual and cultural development is good and moral and social development very good. Pupils’ attitudes to learning, their behaviour and relationships are good. No incidences of bullying were observed. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good education. Teaching is good overall and very good in Year 2, but is not as strong in Year 4 because the teacher does not always expect enough of the pupils. Teaching was at least satisfactory in all lessons seen with a high proportion of good lessons and some very good lessons. Teaching in English, mathematics and science is mostly good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and foster a positive ethos for learning. They plan lessons well and use a good range of teaching methods and resources. Pupils’ learning is enhanced by an effective team of committed and experienced support staff. However, the use of homework to support pupils’ learning is inconsistent. The school provides a good curriculum enhanced by a very good range of extra-curricular activities. Provision for gifted and talented pupils is very good and for pupils with special educational needs good. Assessment in English and mathematics is good but teachers do

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

not give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve further, particularly in writing. Pupils are well cared for and the school has effective measures to deal with any incidences of bullying or misbehaviour. Links with other schools are good. Links with parents are satisfactory but could be improved, if parents were better informed about pupils’ achievement and their targets for improvement.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher and assistant headteacher give the school strong and effective educational leadership. The headteacher’s high expectations and drive are significant factors in promoting the continuing improvements to the school. Senior management is responsive to change and innovative in its approach, and management of the curriculum is good. An effective governing body provides good support and challenge and ensures that all statutory requirements are met. The school development plan is a good tool for improvement but the school does not use sufficient effective measures to evaluate how well it is doing. The school’s finances are managed well.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Nettlestone Primary School - 6 Most parents have satisfactory views of the school but some have concerns about bullying, homework and information about their children’s progress which the school has not fully addressed. Pupils like their school and feel that the school considers their views and ideas.

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

• Raise standards in writing, especially in Year 4, and raise pupils’ awareness of what constitutes good quality writing, and involve them more in evaluating their own work. • Ensure expectations of Year 4 pupils are sufficiently high to enable them to achieve well. • Provide pupils with better access to ICT resources. • Inform parents more about homework, pupils’ targets and the school’s success stories. • Ensure that the school improvement plan has clear measures to evaluate the effectiveness of planned actions. Nettlestone Primary School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ achievement by Year 4 is satisfactory and standards are in line with national expectations. Achievement by Year 2 is good and standards are above those expected nationally.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well in Reception and are likely to meet or exceed the expected levels in all areas of learning by the time they enter Year 1. • Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2. • Standards are above nationally expected levels in English, mathematics, science and physical education by Years 2 and 3 and in ICT, geography, music and religious education by Year 2. Standards are above expected levels in history by Years 2 and 4. • Pupils’ achievement in ICT is constrained by resource inadequacies. • Standards in writing are barely in line with those expected nationally in Year 4 and standards of presentation are unsatisfactory. • Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and achieve well. • Gifted and talented pupils achieve well because of the very good range of opportunities provided by the school.

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Commentary

1. Standards of attainment when children join the Reception class vary from year to year, but generally are close to those typically found nationally. Children in the current Reception Year are doing well because good teaching and a well-planned curriculum help them to achieve well. They are on course to meet or exceed the expected levels in all areas of learning by the time they enter Year 1. Pupils continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2, often achieving very well in Year 2 because of high quality teaching. Standards in Years 2 and 3 are above nationally expected levels, but in Year 4, they are generally in line with those found nationally. Standards in Year 4 are not as high as those found in other year groups, partly because of a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs, but also because the teacher’s expectation could be higher. Achievement by Year 4 is satisfactory.

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Commentary

2. Care needs to be taken when comparing standards achieved by different year groups or when considering national test results at the end of Year 2 in any one year because of the small numbers of pupils involved. The school’s own assessments 1 in 2004 of standards achieved by Year 4 pupils indicated that standards were above nationally expected levels in reading and mathematics and as expected in writing. These results represented good achievement for pupils in reading and mathematics and broadly satisfactory in writing from their Year 2 national test results.

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Commentary

3. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 2 fluctuate from year to year, but the overall trend since the last inspection is broadly in line with the national trend of improvement. Results in writing have followed the national trend, and are consistently above the national

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Commentary

1 Based on standardised scores in nationally referenced tests. Nettlestone Primary School - 8 average, whilst those in mathematics and reading have fluctuated widely from well above the national average to average in reading and well below average to above average in mathematics. Tests results are generally above the national average in English and average in mathematics. The three-year average in results to 2004 was well above the national average in reading, above in writing and slightly better than average in mathematics. The school was very successful in the proportion of pupils who achieved the nationally expected Level 2 in all the national tests in 2004. In reading, nearly half the pupils exceeded this standard but in writing and mathematics, the proportion achieving Level 3 was a little less than the national picture. Despite variations in test results between years, results over the last four

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Commentary

years when compared to those of similar schools were above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results reading 17.7 (15.8) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.6 (15.4) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 16.5 (16.1) 16.2 (16.3) There were 25 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

4. The school has shown good commitment over the past two years to raising standards, focusing particularly on raising pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics. Inspection findings confirm that pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well and standards by Year 2 are above those expected nationally in English, mathematics, science and ICT. Standards in English, mathematics and science in Year 3 are also above those typically found nationally, as might be expected given their test results at the end of Year 2. Standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT are in line with national expectations in Year 4. In English and mathematics, this represents broadly satisfactory achievement from their national test results at Year 2, although achievement in writing is not matching that in reading and speaking and listening, and standards of presentation are unsatisfactory. In mathematics, the school sets pupils in

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Commentary

the junior classes by prior attainment into two teaching groups, which is having a positive impact on achievement. In ICT, pupils’ achievement, although satisfactory, is constrained by inadequacies in computer resources.

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Commentary

5. In history, pupils achieve well and standards are above those typically found nationally in Years 2 and 4. In religious education, geography and music, achievement is good and standards are above those expected by Year 2. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are as expected in religious education by Year 4. In physical education, achievement is good and standards are above those expected by Years 2 and 3. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement on achievement and standards in geography, music and physical education in Year 4. In art and design and design and technology, there are examples of standards above expectations across the school but insufficient evidence to make a judgement on overall standards.

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Commentary

6. Pupils with special educational needs and lower-attaining pupils achieve well because of the good support they receive, including that from well-trained teaching assistants. The quality of learning opportunities for these pupils is good and impact positively on raising standards. Teachers generally meet effectively the learning needs of higher-attaining pupils in English and mathematics but science tasks are not always sufficiently challenging for older pupils. There are very good opportunities for talented and gifted pupils across a range of subjects, enabling them to achieve well. Few differences were noted between the performances of boys and girls but the attitudes to learning of some Year 4 boys sometimes create barriers to higher Nettlestone Primary School - 9 learning. Appropriate support enables the one pupil at an early stage of English language acquisition to achieve satisfactorily.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ good attitudes, behaviour and relationships contribute to a harmonious community and effective learning. • The school promotes pupils’ social and moral development very effectively.

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Commentary

7. Pupils show good attitudes to school life. They are happy to come to school and most are eager to learn. This represents a somewhat similar picture to the previous inspection. Children in Reception start school with good attitudes and the school builds well upon these. Pupils display very good attitudes to their learning in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 and 4. Pupils display enthusiasm for their work, positive attitudes in nearly all lessons and always feel that their contributions are valued. Pupils with special educational needs also display positive attitudes to their work, behave well at all times and focus on their individual tasks. As a result they are proud of their achievement.

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Attendance

8. Pupils’ attendance has improved since the last inspection. It is now good and supported very well by all parties: governors, parents, pupils and staff. Many pupils are bussed in from the surrounding area, giving them a well organised and prompt start to their day. Pupils want to be in school and are rarely late. Parents promptly notify the school when their children are absent. There is no unauthorised absence. Accurate registration procedures quickly alert staff to the unlikely occurrence of a pupil failing to turn up for school for no apparent reason.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.6 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

9. Pupils’ behaviour, both in class and around the school, is good. The school has effective behaviour management strategies in place but the most effective behaviour and positive attitudes are achieved through lively introductions, clear explanations, probing questioning, purposeful activities with high interaction and lessons conducted at a brisk pace. When this occurs, it raises the quality of learning and achievement overall. Reception children behave very well in their lessons. They are polite and helpful and keen to please. Some parents expressed concerns about incidences of bullying but no incidences of bullying were observed during the inspection and pupils played harmoniously in the playground. Relationships throughout the school community are good. Nettlestone Primary School - 10 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Attendance

Categories used in the Annual School Census Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 122 1 0 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed- White and Black African 2 0 0 Mixed- White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Asian 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Attendance

10. Pupils’ personal development is good. Provision for their social and moral development is very good. Pupils show good personal levels of maturity and responsibility. Their social and moral awareness is effectively fostered so that they know how to behave, help others and interact and support the school community. Examples of very good collaborative work were seen in many activities, fostering very good social awareness. Pupils work very well together and help each other with care and enjoyment. They show very good understanding of right and wrong and respect for the views and opinions of others. Children in Reception show very good independence in their learning and are confident to try new things. High levels of co- operation, particularly in Years 1 and 2, have a very positive impact on achievement. The school gives many opportunities to contribute to the daily routines of the school and develop a sense of responsibility as monitors, members of the school council or

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Attendance

older pupils sharing reading sessions with younger pupils. Pupils’ spiritual development is good because it is promoted well in class and assemblies when pupils are given good opportunities to communicate thoughts, feelings and ideas. Their cultural development is also good and is promoted well. For example, using India as a half-term focus, the school promotes its culture through first-hand experiences of dancing, cooking, hand painting, music and learning about religion.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good education because teaching and curriculum are good. Pupils are well cared for and staff give good support to pupils’ personal needs and satisfactory guidance on their academic progress. Good links with other schools and the local community support pupils’ learning well and links with parents are satisfactory.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Assessment is satisfactory overall but good in English and mathematics.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and assessment of Reception children are good. • The quality of teaching and learning in Year 2 is very good. • Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach and plan lessons well. • Teaching assistants make a very effective contribution to pupils’ learning. • The procedures to check and track pupils’ progress in English and mathematics are good. • Teachers do not give pupils sufficient guidance on how to improve further. • The use of homework to support pupils’ learning is inconsistent. Nettlestone Primary School - 11 • Teaching in Year 4 does not always expect enough of pupils.

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Commentary

11. The good teaching and learning reported at the time of the last inspection has been maintained. In all lessons seen, teaching and learning were at least satisfactory, and in more than eight out of ten lessons, at least good, including around a quarter that were very good. The good teaching was spread across all National Curriculum subjects observed and all classes. Lessons seen in English, mathematics and science were mostly good. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good in Year 2 and satisfactory in Year 4. In other years, including Reception, teaching is good.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons 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.

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Commentary

12. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and insist that they work hard. This is achieved effectively through good organisation of their learning and effective implementation of the behaviour policy. Consequently, almost all pupils consistently show a positive attitude towards the tasks in hand and these attitudes, together with the good relationships, contribute strongly to the overall good ethos for learning. An exception to this is that a small minority of older boys appear not to value the importance of writing and therefore make less progress than they should.

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Commentary

13. Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach and plan work carefully to ensure that the pupils acquire appropriate knowledge and skills. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is good. Lessons are thoughtfully planned with clear learning objectives that identify new skills to be taught. In most lessons, teachers modify tasks appropriately to match pupils’ different attainment levels. They are particularly aware of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and work closely with the special needs co-ordinator, using individual education plans to help match the work effectively to their learning needs and keeping helpful notes on their progress. These factors impact positively on these pupils’ achievement.

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Commentary

14. Teachers use a good range of teaching methods. In most lessons, teachers have high expectations, moving lessons on at a brisk pace. They successfully promote pupils’ learning through effective questioning that assesses their understanding and challenges and extends their thinking. Teachers place good emphasis on promoting pupils’ learning through practical work and use effectively a good range of teaching resources to make learning more visual and interesting. A recent innovation is the use of interactive whiteboards, which some staff use to good effect. Teachers encourage pupils to work both independently and co-operatively, providing them with good opportunities to understand new ideas through discussion with their peers. They manage well the contributions of teaching assistants and parent volunteers to help pupils learn. Teaching assistants work very well alongside class teachers and effectively interact with pupils and contribute well to pupils’ learning, including those

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Commentary

with special educational needs. They often work with specific pupils whilst the rest of the class is being taught together, enabling these pupils to access the points being taught and to contribute to the lesson. In many lessons, the assistants work effectively with small groups during part of the lesson. Nettlestone Primary School - 12 15. However, there are some shortcomings in teaching and learning. The use of homework to support pupils’ learning is inconsistent. Homework is appropriate in the infant classes and in Year 2 is planned very effectively to reinforce the work undertaken in lessons. However, in the junior classes, homework is neither consistent nor effective and is a source of complaint by some parents. Pupils do not always have a clear understanding about how they can improve because teachers’ marking often fails to indicate how work could be improved further. Teaching is not as strong in Year

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Commentary

4 because it does not always expect enough of the pupils.

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Commentary

16. Assessment procedures have strengths but also weaknesses. The assessment of the needs of pupils with special educational needs is good. The special needs co- ordinator uses a range of assessment procedures to identify these pupils at an early stage and monitor their progress. These are effective and give positive guidance for the next stage of planning and learning. Detailed and precise assessments of children when they start school take place and continue through their time in Reception. Procedures for checking and tracking individual pupils’ progress in English and mathematics over the long term are very thorough as achievement is assessed against national benchmarks on a regular basis. This information is used effectively to monitor the individual performance and to target support for pupils judged not to be making sufficient progress. In lessons, pupils’ learning is checked regularly and this

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Commentary

information is generally used effectively to ensure that pupils are provided with suitable work. But teachers are inconsistent in using this information to set pupils specific targets for improvement and involving them in assessing their own learning. However, in ICT, there are good opportunities for pupils to be involved in evaluating their own work. Assessment in science is satisfactory but teachers undertake no formal assessments in other subject areas. However, lesson planning includes assessment opportunities and provides teachers with a firm basis upon which to develop appropriate assessment systems in all subjects.

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The curriculum

Curriculum provision is good and is enriched by a very good range of additional activities. The school is well staffed, accommodation is satisfactory, and resources are good, except in ICT.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has an innovative approach to planning how the curriculum is taught. • Very good provision is made for supporting and encouraging gifted and talented pupils. • Good provision is made for supporting pupils with special educational needs. • The computer suite is an unsatisfactory facility.

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Commentary

17. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good. It covers all of the nationally recommended areas of learning and well-organised activities ensure that children have a rich range of learning opportunities each day. Throughout the rest of the school, all of the appropriate areas of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus are covered in good depth and detail. Across the school, staff work hard to ensure that work provided for pupils is interesting and carefully matched to their attainment levels. The school plans an effective programme for personal social, Nettlestone Primary School - 13 and health education which is well integrated into the overall curriculum provision and, in particular, provides good enhancement for pupils’ personal development.

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Commentary

18. All groups are fully involved in all activities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school organisation ensures that these pupils are involved in all aspects of school life. This promotes confidence, self-esteem and positive attitudes to their work and their behaviour. The number of support staff is good and their impact on pupils’ learning is of a high quality. Pupils benefit from clear individual plans, which are precise with clearly identified targets. These are monitored regularly. A strong parental/school partnership contributes well to this good provision.

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Commentary

19. The school has worked particularly well to provide for its gifted and talented pupils. In close partnership with other schools, the school has moved forward with a good range of projects in different subject areas to give all of the identified pupils a chance to extend their skills. Comprehensive action plans are established to maintain the momentum of this work, with the school, for example, looking to gain national accreditation for its work in this area in the future. Projects are planned for most subject areas and a particular feature is the provision by each teacher of a six-week course of work for gifted and talented pupils during the year. This is a very good way of boosting the provision by tapping into teachers’ individual specialist skills.

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Commentary

20. The school has implemented an innovative system for planning lessons, using a computer-based commercial package that encompasses all aspects of the curriculum and which gives teachers the chance to select and review lesson objectives that match precisely with the pupils’ current learning needs. The integration of assessment facilities into this package means that the school is in a strong position to build its assessment systems in each subject and use assessment information well to inform each stage of lesson planning.

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Commentary

21. The curriculum is enhanced very effectively through the wide range of extra activities. In addition, a very good range of visits and visitors to the school boosts pupils’ learning significantly. For example, visits to a farm, the beach and a castle provide very good opportunities for pupils to learn through a practical and interesting approach. Visits from individuals who role-play for example, a Viking character or a Tudor sailor, further enrich pupils’ historical understanding. Staff also make good efforts to make learning more relevant and interesting by linking studies in different subjects. For instance, teachers planned work on a ‘rings around the world’ theme - featuring India. This involved Indian visitors coming to talk to the pupils and Indian dancers performing for the school. 22. The school has a good level of teaching staff and uses their expertise well to enable continual development of the curriculum. Also, the school employs a good number of

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Commentary

teaching assistants who are well deployed and provide strong support for teachers and pupils. Whilst the internal accommodation is satisfactory overall, the school benefits from having extensive grounds that it uses well to enhance pupils’ learning. However, there is no outdoor area specifically designed to support the needs of children in the Foundation Stage and this restricts the opportunities for children’s physical development. Also, although the provision of interactive whiteboards in most classrooms gives teachers an effective way of promoting pupils’ ICT skills, the small size of the ICT suite means that opportunities for pupils to work on the computers are too limited. Most other areas of the curriculum have a good level of resources to support pupils’ learning.

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Care, guidance and support

Nettlestone Primary School - 14 Arrangements to ensure the health, safety and welfare of pupils are good. Staff give good support to pupils’ personal needs and satisfactory guidance on their academic progress. The school takes very good account of pupils’ views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are guided well in their personal conduct but not so well in their work. • The pupils are always listened to; their comments are valued and acted upon. • The school actively promotes a healthy and safe lifestyle for its pupils.

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Commentary

23. Teachers take time to talk to pupils about their personal achievements and, in doing so, inspire their confidence and gain their co-operation. The school council is used well to consult with pupils and gauge their views. Pupils turn readily to the adults in school for support and are confident about asking for help when they are stuck on a piece of work. Most verbal feedback given by teachers to pupils during lessons is helpful but often more directed towards good attitudes than good work. Procedures for assessing pupils’ academic achievement are not sufficiently focused on helping them understand exactly what it is they need to do to improve their work.

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Commentary

24. Specially organised games and activities at the early morning ‘Smiley Club’ help pupils who need support with managing their behaviour and those with low self-esteem to gradually improve their personal and social skills. Others gain in self-confidence by just talking things through with a member of staff in the ‘Treasure Chest’ room. High achievers have opportunities to work with pupils of similar capabilities in other schools on creative activities such as art and music, improving their achievement and motivation to succeed. The school makes good efforts through liaison with parents and health agencies to ensure that pupils with specific medical needs receive the care they need to take part in all school activities. The school gives good support to pupils with special educational needs. Their individual education plans are compiled by teachers in close collaboration with the co-ordinator. These are subject to frequent

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Commentary

reviews to ensure that their targets are met and the progress of each individual child is carefully tracked. Due consideration has been given to making the school accessible to people with disabilities. The school’s child protection procedures are secure and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities towards children at risk. They listen closely to what children say and are careful to report any concerns they may have at once to the headteacher.

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Commentary

25. Pupils are actively encouraged to know, understand and follow a healthy lifestyle. Activities such as ‘Walk to School Week’, road safety lessons and the weekly award to the pupil with the healthiest lunchbox, reinforce pupils’ understanding of the need to look after themselves and their bodies. Governors acknowledge the benefits the school bus service brings in terms of pupils’ safety, attendance, punctuality and in securing numbers on roll. There are well-established procedures for health and safety, with a good number of staff trained in basic first aid. The accident book is kept up to date but not monitored with a view to identifying particular trends or circumstances prevailing to the accidents that do occur. There are good arrangements for children starting school. Pre-school nursery and classroom visits and briefing meetings help the process considerably and parents appreciate these. Parents at the pre-inspection

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Commentary

meeting commented favourably on the written guidance they receive at this time. Nettlestone Primary School - 15

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents are satisfactory . The good links with other schools and the local community support learning and achievement well. However, communication with parents could be improved.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Links with other schools and the community help pupils gain more from their time in school. • The school does not do enough to promote and celebrate its achievements to parents. • Reports to parents on their children’s progress are not clear enough. • Parents have a good understanding of the curriculum and how it is taught but are unsure of the purpose of some of the homework tasks.

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Commentary

26. Most parents view the school as providing a satisfactory, all-round education for their children. However, there is some misunderstanding about the way the school deals with incidents of bullying. The inspection evidence shows that the school has a number of measures in place that have proved effective in eliminating and dealing with poor behaviour in school. Staff work hard to support pupils with emotional and behavioural needs. However, the school does not make the best use of newsletters and reports to celebrate and demonstrate its methods of success in these and other areas. Often, the focus is on the organisational aspects of a planned activity rather than what pupils will gain from participating in it and the impact it will have on their learning.

p.17

Commentary

27. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept well informed of their children’s targets and are involved in setting new ones. However, accurate information on most pupils’ academic achievement remains difficult for most parents to gauge. Regular consultation sessions between parents and teachers allow for valuable exchange of information, but the written reports on pupils’ progress vary in their usefulness. The best examples make good use of the knowledge teachers have on what pupils have achieved over the year, certainly in terms of their personal progress. Targets for their academic progress are not as clear, as all too often these are neither specific nor measurable. ‘To build on the success s/he has achieved in this subject’ is an example that is often repeated. A recent survey of parental opinion confirmed the view that parents do not have sufficient information on their child’s strengths and

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Commentary

weaknesses to gain a clear picture of their overall achievement.

p.17

Commentary

28. Information about the curriculum is good. A very well attended evening workshop gave parents a clear understanding of how the school teaches mathematics and how children learn basic numeracy skills. Parents who have taken advantage of the school-based Family Learning project say they now have a much better understanding of how children learn in the classroom. However, the part homework should play in their child’s life remains a mystery to many. This is because parents as a whole do not receive the guidance they need to help them interpret homework tasks and the support they can give their children.

p.17

Commentary

29. Transfer arrangements between schools are good. The older pupils say they feel well prepared for the move to their next school. Induction evenings for new parents are carefully planned and the Reception class teacher works closely with the local pre-school settings to get to know the children before they start school. The Family Learning project has come through the school’s good links with local colleges. Pupils continue to benefit from the good links forged between a group of local schools. These open up a wealth of additional experiences, particularly for gifted and talented pupils, who get the chance, for example, to excel in music and art activities. All pupils play a part in local events, such as the Ryde Carnival. Nettlestone Primary School - 16

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is well led and managed . The headteacher and assistant headteacher form an effective partnership in providing strong leadership to the school community. Governance is good. Senior management, staff and governors have a strong commitment to school improvement.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a very clear vision for the future direction of the school. • The assistant headteacher provides a very good role model as a teacher and as a subject co-ordinator. • The governing body makes a good contribution to the work of the school. • The school focuses well on self-improvement, but does not consider sufficiently measures to demonstrate the effectiveness of its actions on pupils’ achievement. • Management of the curriculum is good. • The school’s finances are managed well.

p.18

Commentary

30. The school is well led. The headteacher provides strong leadership and shows a clear commitment to improving pupils’ achievement and supporting their academic and personal development. She is well supported by the assistant headteacher, who provides colleagues with a very good role model of classroom practice and as a subject leader. Together, they make an effective management team and give positive and focused educational direction to the school community. As a result, other adults, teaching, administrative and learning support staff respond well and teamwork is good with a clear sense of shared purpose. For example, the school shows a very clear commitment to inclusion and to meeting the needs of all pupils within a supportive and positive ethos.

p.18

Commentary

31. There have been significant changes in staffing since the last inspection, some of which have hindered its ongoing development. After the early retirement of the previous headteacher following a long-term period of sick leave, the school was without a permanent headteacher for some time. As a result of this instability in management, the school had been slow in addressing the key issues from the last inspection. Although more than five years have elapsed since then, it is only in the last two years that the school has taken effective steps to tackle these. The new headteacher and assistant headteacher carried out a major school review and developed a long-term improvement plan that provided clear direction to the school with forward planning spanning a three-year period. This plan has proved an effective tool for improvement, giving the school a clear set of priorities and proposed actions. Comprehensive in scope, it reflected the range of improvements needed and

p.18

Commentary

incorporated clear steps to address the issues from the previous inspection. On these, the school has made good strides over the last two years. The school has a very clear agenda for improvement and the headteacher, supported by key staff and governors, has been effective in moving the school forward purposefully. Consequently, there have been good improvements in many areas since the appointment of the current headteacher.

p.18

Commentary

32. However, it is now an appropriate time to review both the content and format of the improvement plan. It is difficult to identify what priorities remain because there has not been an effective evaluation of progress to adjust the plan with the passage of time. Nettlestone Primary School - 17 Whilst planned actions are clearly set out, measures to judge their success are not always formulated in a helpful way. They do not concern themselves with the impact of actions and are insufficiently linked to pupil achievement. Nevertheless, under the direction and encouragement of the headteacher, staff are getting better at self- evaluation and the school has a number of effective strategies to monitor its work. It makes good use of performance data in English and mathematics. Arrangements for checking and developing teaching and learning are good. Subject co-ordinators undertake a good range of monitoring activities. They systematically check test

p.18

Commentary

results, scrutinise samples of pupils’ work and look at lesson plans to identify and tackle shortcomings. However, they do not always do enough to consider ways of ensuring consistency in practice between the junior and infant stage, for example, in teachers’ expectations, homework, marking and presentation of work.

p.19

Commentary

33. The school is well managed. There has been a complete change in teaching staff since the last inspection but good professional development and well-established performance management procedures have helped the school maintain the good quality teaching. The management is responsive to change and innovative in its approach, and has successfully tackled the key issue on enhancing the role of subject co-ordinators. The headteacher delegates responsibilities appropriately. Although the school is small and most staff have multiple responsibilities, as well as their class teacher roles, management of the curriculum is good. Subject co-ordinators are effective in their management roles, and the co-ordinators of English, mathematics, science and ICT lead and manage their subjects well. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The co-ordinator has done much to raise the profile of this area, including working with staff and governors to ensure a full

p.19

Commentary

understanding of what is required. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is well managed.

p.19

Commentary

34. There has been a complete turnover of governors since the last inspection. Whilst some governors are relatively inexperienced, they are very supportive of the school. They are keen to learn, embarking on appropriate training, are supported by an experienced clerk and are kept well informed by the school. Consequently, they are knowledgeable about the school and their roles. The governing body is effective in its involvement in the work of the school, conducting much of its business efficiently through a well-established committee structure. It makes an appropriate contribution in planning and decision and policy making. An improvement since the last inspection is the establishment of clear procedures to monitor the work of the school. For example, there are regular visits by governors, liaising with subject co- ordinators, and standards are monitored through full discussion on national test results.

p.19

Commentary

Governance of the school is good because the governing body works effectively with the management of the school to improve the school further.

p.19

Commentary

35. The governing body takes an effective role in financial decisions. These decisions are well informed by the school’s priorities. For example, the school has earmarked funding for future improvements to the accommodation, including ICT facilities. The school has effective procedures for monitoring the budget. The governing body oversees financial matters appropriately and the chair of the finance committee is well informed. Day-to-day administration is efficient and financial control is secure. Best value principles are recognised, but there is no formal statement to guide practice and ensure that these principles are an integral part of management. Currently, the school gives satisfactory value for money because achievement by Year 4 is satisfactory. However, the improving picture and good achievement and standards above those nationally expected in other year groups indicate that the school is well on the way to

p.19

Commentary

providing even better value for money. Nettlestone Primary School - 18

p.19

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004 Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 360,100 Balance from previous year 31,196 Total expenditure 363,356 Balance carried forward to the next year 27,940 Expenditure per pupil 2,711

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The school has maintained the good provision for children in the Foundation Stage since the last inspection. Children begin school with levels of attainment broadly typically of that found nationally. Good teaching and well-organised curriculum provision help them to achieve well, so that most children are well on course to meet or exceed the expected levels in all areas of learning by the end of the academic year. The teacher in the Reception class has a good understanding of how children of this age learn and he ensures that all of the activities provided are carefully set up to match individual learning needs. Although the school has no outdoor area specifically designed for the use of children of this age group, the teacher makes effective use of the school’s facilities to meet children’s physical needs.

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. The teacher works closely with the teaching assistants and parent volunteer helpers to ensure they are fully briefed and prepared for all sessions. As a result, activities flow smoothly and a busy purposeful atmosphere pervades the Foundation Stage work areas at all times. The teaching assistant seen during the inspection shows good skills and supports the teacher and children very effectively. Similarly, the parent voluntary assistant supported and encouraged pupils effectively in activities. The curriculum is well planned to ensure all areas of learning are taught in an interesting and carefully linked manner. This means that focused, adult- supported activities run effectively alongside a wide range of independent activities, which are geared to, and carefully linked with, the current overall class theme. The teacher assesses children’s performance regularly and maintains very clear records. He analyses

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

their attainment and progress so that next steps in learning are planned carefully to build on current knowledge, skills and understanding.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good. • Children achieve well and standards are above expected levels. • Children have good opportunities to learn to work independently. • Children form good relationships with each other and adults.

p.20

Commentary

36. Teaching is good because the teacher and teaching assistant have a good understanding of the children’s individual needs and use this knowledge well to Nettlestone Primary School - 19 support, guide and encourage children. For example, in all the activities observed where an adult supported groups or individuals, the pace of the teaching was adjusted well to suit each child’s current level of understanding. Perceptive questioning by the teacher helps individuals develop in a confident way. As a result, children explore confidently, show an excitement and enthusiasm for learning and show a good sensitivity to the needs of others around them. They select and use different classroom resources independently and with good confidence. Children are attentive and most show a mature attitude and can listen carefully for sustained periods. Role- play work, with children dressing in costumes and re-enacting parts of the Little Red

p.20

Commentary

Riding Hood story, is a particularly good example of children working together well and collaborating effectively as different characters in the story. Children achieve well and are on course to exceed the expected level in this area of learning by the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching of basic literacy skills is good. • Children learn to speak confidently and they have good opportunities to learn to read and write. • Children achieve well and standards are above expected levels.

p.21

Commentary

37. Teaching and learning are good. A wide range of interesting activities promotes good chances for children to acquire new vocabulary, gain an appreciation of words/stories in books and learn to write. The teacher uses classroom discussions and whole-class activities well to develop children’s awareness of how to use different vocabulary. For example, in one story time session, he got individuals to act out the roles as he read the story. This heightened children’s interest and kept them all thoroughly engaged and interested. Activities in this area of learning are gauged very carefully to extend children’s skills and the good quality writing work on display is an example of the hard work and care that goes into helping individuals learn to form their letters and write simple words legibly. Children enjoy the activities and readily transfer the vocabulary they learn in whole-class sessions into their independent play activities. Most speak

p.21

Commentary

clearly and audibly, although in general, it is noticeable that the girls are more confident and fluent in speaking out than the boys. Very effective use is made of well- known nursery rhymes to develop children’s skills. Through their work on the current Little Red Riding Hood theme, children show a good understanding of the main elements of stories, such as main character, scene setting, and openings and endings to stories. Most have a good basic awareness of sounds in words and many are beginning to identify and read short words accurately. Similarly, most children produce short pieces of writing, with some words clearly identifiable and well formed. The majority of children write most letters and digits properly, albeit with the size often varying markedly. They all try very hard with this work and achieve well so that most are on course to exceed the expected level by the end of the year.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Nettlestone Primary School - 20 Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve well and acquire good counting skills. • Resources are used well by the staff to support children’s mathematical learning.

p.22

Commentary

38. This area of learning exemplifies well how good teaching in Reception links children’s experiences in different activities very well. For example, the emphasis on using nursery rhymes that have a counting or sequencing context successfully develops mathematical learning within literacy work. The teacher makes full use of opportunities in classroom discussions to draw on and extend children’s counting ability and, as a result, children are often eager to follow up counting work on an independent basis. For instance, in play activities, two pupils were seen enthusiastically writing numbers up to 20 on mini whiteboards. The teacher provides a good range of well-planned activities to help children develop their knowledge in a practical way. The classroom shop is well used, and focused activities involving simple money problems ensure children gain good skills and understanding about how to write simple money quantities and work out what 1p more or less of the costs will be.

p.22

Commentary

In a lesson observed, the teacher provided well for children of different abilities, with lower- attaining children having the chance to work with cutting and pasting relevant pictures of priced articles, while a more confident group wrote out sums carefully – with guidance - to show their calculations. Most children are confident in counting items up to 20 and a few go much further, with all having good number recognition skills. Children achieve well in this area of learning and are on target to exceed the expected level by the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.22

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good, enabling children to achieve well. • A wide range of opportunities helps children learn to explore and investigate. • Staff make good use of computers to support children’s learning.

p.22

Commentary

39. Teaching is good in this area of learning because the teacher provides a very wide range of opportunities for children to investigate and explore different themes. For example, through the artwork that they do, children gain a good knowledge of patterns and how these can be used to make attractive designs. They are given good opportunities to develop their skills of using different equipment and techniques to make things and, through using computers, they learn how technology can assist them in carrying out activities. For example, when children were using a program to move a figure through a maze, they realised that by inputting different instructions from the arrow keys they could successfully navigate through the maze. Children gain a good knowledge of the world around them. Posters made with digital photos of their families are a good example of how knowledge of their immediate family is used well to

p.22

Commentary

help them develop a good sense of the wider world - and how their own family fits into this picture. Children achieve well in this area of learning and are on course to exceed the expected level.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Nettlestone Primary School - 21 Provision in physical development is good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children show good control in using small apparatus and equipment. • The lack of an outside play area specifically for their use restricts the range of opportunities for developing some aspects of children’s physical skills. • The teacher makes effective use of the school’s outdoor and indoor facilities to meet children’s physical development needs.

p.23

Commentary

40. Children are well taught. They achieve well in this area of learning and pupils are on course to meet or exceed the expected level by the end of the Foundation Stage. In the lesson observed, children showed appropriate co-ordination and control and most moved around the school hall with a good awareness of safety. Through intensive input and guidance from the teacher and teaching assistant, they learned to handle small and large balls with confidence and good control. In the classroom, children show good skills with using apparatus and small equipment, for example, controlling the movement of a computer mouse and scissors with good accuracy. The children make good use of the hall and outdoor facilities. However, the school has no outdoor area specifically designed for the use of children of this age group and this restricts the range of opportunities for accelerating their progress.

p.23

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve because there are many opportunities for them to develop their creative ideas and techniques. • Children use colour well in making designs, patterns and when decorating their work, and develop their imaginations well during role-play.

p.23

Commentary

41. Teaching is good in this area and ensures that children have lots of interesting opportunities to develop their creative ideas and techniques. Many opportunities are provided for children to work with paint, and the displays of work around the classroom show many examples of children exploring and investigating the use of colour. As well as learning to use colours boldly and confidently, children learn to see the effect of mixing colours and contrasting colours in patterns that they create. Children work with a good range of different materials and gain a good idea of the effect of using these different materials when making collages; for example, making cotton wool collages of snowmen stuck on painted snow scene backgrounds. With guidance, children were also seen to be successful in making three-dimensional items – making a small basket for Little Red Riding Hood. Children decorate the items they make with

p.23

Commentary

thoughtful and imaginative use of colour. Many of them show good accuracy with colouring in shapes. Children also express their imaginations well in role-play. They enjoy dressing up in the clothes provided for the Little Red Riding Hood story and enter fully into acting out the roles – making up dialogue and sequences of actions during their independent work. Children achieve well in their creative development and are on course to meet or exceed the expected level by the end of the Foundation Stage.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Infant pupils achieve well and standards are above expected levels by Year 2. • Teaching and learning are good overall, despite some shortcomings in Year 4. • The school’s procedures to check and track pupils’ progress are very thorough. • Some teachers do not do enough to raise pupils’ awareness of what constitutes good quality writing or involve them sufficiently in evaluating their own work. • The co-ordinator provides very effective leadership.

p.24

Commentary

42. Standards in Year 4 are as expected nationally but are not as high as those at the last inspection, due mainly to the larger than normal (for the school) proportion of lower- attaining pupils in the year group. Standards in Year 2 are above those typically found nationally. The school generally does well in the national tests at the end of Year 2. Results in the 2004 tests were well above the national average in reading and above average in writing. The three-year averages in test results to 2004 were well above the national average in reading and above in writing. Results when compared to those of similar schools are generally above average in both reading and writing.

p.24

Commentary

43. Pupils’ achievement is good in the infant years and is particularly good in Year 2. Pupils continue to do well in Year 3. Achievement in Year 4 is satisfactory but a small minority of boys appear not to value the importance of writing and, in some lessons, make less progress than they should. Lower-attaining pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well as a result of good support. Higher-attaining pupils achieve well in most classes but in Year 4, expectations could be higher.

p.24

Commentary

44. Speaking and listening skills are good. Teachers successfully promote pupils’ learning through effective questioning and well-planned opportunities for pupils to talk to one another when working in pairs or in small groups. Pupils have many worthwhile opportunities to share work with each other, developing their listening and speaking skills well as they take turns to offer ideas, give explanations, answer questions, justify opinions and listen to one another.

p.24

Commentary

45. Reading is well taught and pupils’ achievement is good. Basic skills are taught well and teachers provide a good range of reading opportunities and structured support in literacy lessons. They make effective use of other adults to support pupils’ learning and monitor their progress well. An improvement since the last inspection is the effective use of the library to develop pupils’ abilities in research skills. Standards are above those expected nationally in Year 2. Results in the national reading tests in 2004 were particularly impressive, with all pupils achieving at least the expected level and nearly a half of the year group exceeding national expectations. Pupils enjoy books and read enthusiastically. More capable pupils read confidently and accurately, paying attention to punctuation for emphasis. Assessments made at the end of Year 4 in 2004 indicated that standards were above nationally expected levels in reading,

p.24

Commentary

representing good achievement from their national test results at Year 2. However, standards in the current Year 4 are as expected, mainly as a result of a significant number of lower-attaining pupils in the year group. Nevertheless, most Year 4 pupils read accurately and steadily, and more able pupils read fluently with expression and Nettlestone Primary School - 23 with a due regard for the audience. Pupils with special educational needs use appropriate strategies to decode unknown words.

p.24

Commentary

46. Writing skills are taught well in the infant classes and basic skills are developed well. Pupils achieve well to attain standards above those expected nationally by Year 2. In the national tests in 2004, the proportion achieving the expected level in writing was well above average but the percentage of pupils exceeding this standard was average. Nearly all pupils can write a short sequence of simple sentences, with the regular use of full stops and capital letters and commonly-used words spelt accurately. Short stories and accounts by more able pupils are well sequenced and have a clear beginning, middle and ending. Achievement by Year 4 is just satisfactory and standards are broadly in line with those found nationally. Assessments made by the school at the end of Year 4 in 2004 indicated a similar picture. Pupils are taught satisfactorily how to write in different ways for different purposes. More able pupils can

p.25

Commentary

produce good quality work, using imaginative words and phrases, together with punctuation like exclamation marks, to enliven sentences. However, teachers’ expectations are not always high enough and there is insufficient emphasis on encouraging pupils to improve the quality of their work. For example, handwriting and presentation are good in Year 2 but are unsatisfactory in Year 4.

p.25

Commentary

47. Teaching is mostly good. Teachers have a secure understanding of the subject and teach basic literacy skills well. They use challenging vocabulary and use questioning effectively to develop pupils’ thinking. Teachers prepare lessons well, taking care to ensure that the activities support the learning objectives, and often learning is connected to learning in other subjects, so the pupils can see a sense of purpose to the activity. Teachers use effectively a good range of teaching resources to make learning more visual and interesting. A recent innovation is the use of interactive whiteboards, and in one good lesson in Year 3, the teacher showed good ingenuity in her approach to teaching spelling patterns. Teaching assistants work effectively with pupils with specific learning difficulties, sometimes in the class and sometimes withdrawn for parts of lessons. They provide good quality learning experiences with

p.25

Commentary

work appropriately adapted to their needs.

p.25

Commentary

48. Assessment practices are good overall. Procedures to check and track pupils’ progress are very thorough. The school tracks the progress of individual pupils from the time they enter school and regular assessments of their work enable teachers to measure effectively pupils’ progress. The school has regular assessments of pupils’ writing and teachers keep effective records of pupils’ progress in reading. However, although pupils’ work is regularly marked, teachers are not consistent in providing useful comments to guide pupils in improving their work or providing specific learning targets. In Year 2, pupils have clear targets for improvement but in Year 4, pupils are not sufficiently aware of what they have to do to improve.

p.25

Commentary

49. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership and manages the subject well. The subject is led by a very knowledgeable teacher whose own teaching skills provide a very good example to colleagues. Results of assessment tests are analysed very carefully to identify areas for individual and school improvement. The co-ordinator regularly checks on the quality of planning, teaching and standards, and consequently has a good overview of standards and provision. However, she has yet to ensure consistency in presentation and marking.

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

Nettlestone Primary School - 24 50. This is satisfactory. There are good writing opportunities in other subjects for infant pupils. Teachers in the junior years could develop this aspect further in subjects such as religious education, history and geography.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above nationally expected standards by Year 2 and in Year 3. • Good teaching and well-focused lessons result in good achievement in Years 1 to 3. • Subject leadership is good, ensuring the subject has a high profile in the school. • Assessment information is analysed and used well, but aspects of monitoring require a sharper focus. • There are good opportunities to consolidate pupils’ numeracy skills in other subjects.

p.26

Commentary

51. Standards in Year 4 are as expected nationally and are not as high as those at the last inspection. Standards in Year 2 are above those normally found nationally, as they were at the last inspection.

p.26

Commentary

52. Results in the 2004 national tests at the end of Year 2 were in line with those found nationally. The proportion of pupils achieving at least Level 2 was well above the results achieved nationally and for similar schools. However, for those achieving the higher standards, the results were lower and were just in line with the national average. Results fluctuate significantly from year to year but the three-year average is slightly above the national average.

p.26

Commentary

53. Pupils’ achievement is good overall in Years 1, 2 and 3. This is due to the good, and often very good, teaching and teachers’ high expectations. The work seen during the inspection indicates that standards in Year 2, including those in numeracy, are above those found nationally. Nearly all pupils attain the standards expected and a significant proportion attain above this level. Pupils in the junior classes are set by prior attainment into two teaching groups. Setting is beginning to have a positive impact on achievement, particularly for the higher-attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs. However, this is not consistent. For example, assessments made at the end of Year 4 in 2004 indicated that standards were above those nationally, representing good achievement from their national test results at Year 2. Current standards in Year 4 are as expected nationally. This represents satisfactory

p.26

Commentary

achievement from their national test results at Year 2. Although some pupils attain standards above those expected, overall standards are depressed by a significant minority of lower-attaining pupils. Standards in Year 3 are above those found nationally.

p.26

Commentary

54. Pupils generally achieve well in lessons because they enjoy the subject and because activities are often practical and exciting. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from high levels of support, enabling them to quickly overcome any difficulties and make good gains in learning. Pupils work confidently and competently with numbers and practise their computation skills daily. They are developing good mental strategies and teachers use probing questioning to provide opportunities for pupils to explain the strategies they use as well as supporting day-to-day assessment procedures. Pupils Nettlestone Primary School - 25 are developing mature attitudes to mathematics and during task sessions work very hard to achieve high standards. In Year 2, for example, pupils showed confidence and understanding when identifying shapes from given properties. This encouraged systematic thinking when working collaboratively and subsequently, independently.

p.26

Commentary

They succeeded very well due to very good skilled teaching.

p.27

Commentary

55. Teachers across the school have good skills in teaching mathematics and in Years 1 and 2, these skills are often very good, resulting in good, and often very good, achievement. Lessons are well planned, leading to well-managed learning. All teachers are good at asking questions that focus on probing pupils’ knowledge and understanding and challenges their thinking. There are high levels of interaction and demonstration so that all pupils are aware of what is expected of them. Assessment of pupils’ achievements in lessons is good, helping teachers to plan tasks that are relevant, purposeful and matched to pupils’ different levels of attainment. This encourages pupils to think about what they have learnt from the tasks and how to improve their work. Marking, however, although consistent, does not always offer guidance to support pupils’ learning and encourage them to be an accessory to raising their own personal standards.

p.27

Commentary

56. Leadership and management are good and are having a positive impact on provision for the subject and standards. The school regularly checks and records the progress of individual pupils from the time they enter school, using regular assessments to measure the progress pupils make against national benchmarks. Effective data analysis has helped to identify any weaker areas so that remedial action may be immediately implemented. The co-ordinator has a clear overview of the provision. He regularly monitors planning to ensure coverage but acknowledges that a sharper focus to monitor teaching, learning and standards would assist in raising achievement. However, he is already considering appropriate strategies to improve this situation. The curriculum offered is good and the National Numeracy Strategy is delivered well. Resources are good.

p.27

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. This is good. Numeracy skills are used well across the curriculum and this helps to consolidate pupils’ understanding of the relationship between subjects. Numeracy skills are applied well in science. There are good examples of the use of numeracy in geography and in music where, for example, pupils are required to count beats in a musical score, ensuring they play and rest at the correct time with their percussion instruments.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in Years 1 to 3. • Standards are above nationally expected levels by Year 2. Nettlestone Primary School - 26 • Teaching focuses well on developing pupils’ understanding through carrying out practical work. • Provision is very effectively enhanced by the extra activities provided to support learning.

p.27

Commentary

58. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve well and reach above nationally expected standards. Although achievement overall is sound by the end of Year 4, pupils achieve well in Year 3. Standards are as expected by Year 4. This represents a similar picture from the previous inspection at Year 2 but indicates a dip at Year 4.

p.28

Commentary

59. Pupils in Year 2 are confident in making predictions about how their investigations will turn out and they gain a good knowledge and understanding, for example, about how forces can cause objects to speed up, slow down, change direction or change shape. They show a good ability to use their prior knowledge when explaining concepts and produce interesting ideas, as when one pupil suggested water running down a pipe as an example of gravity at work. While pupils in Year 4 cover most areas in appropriate depth and detail, higher-attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged by the activities provided.

p.28

Commentary

60. Teaching is good overall in Years 1 and 2, with very good teaching in Year 2. It is satisfactory overall in Years 3 and 4, with good teaching seen in a Year 3 lesson. Teachers generally have a good subject knowledge and work hard to make their lessons interesting. In all classes, there is a very effective emphasis on ensuring pupils learn through practical, investigative work. This means that pupils learn confidently and gain a secure, well-founded understanding of the concepts taught. This approach was especially well developed in a Year 2 lesson seen, where the teacher provided a carousel of interesting investigations – with several groups working on different tasks. The very effective guidance from the adults working with the groups meant that all pupils, including the more able and those with special educational needs, were fully extended by the activities, and therefore achieved very well and

p.28

Commentary

progressed at a very good rate with their learning. Good teaching in a Year 3 lesson placed a strong emphasis on developing links with design and technology so that pupils worked in a motivated way to begin investigating which materials would suit a design for shockproof packaging to protect an egg being dropped. They achieved well in developing their ideas about how materials could be best used to suit this purpose. Work in a Year 4 lesson satisfactorily developed pupils’ understanding about the melting points of different solids. However, the organisation of the lesson did not enable higher-attaining pupils to be fully extended and, although achievement was satisfactory overall, the pace of work was too slow at times.

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Commentary

61. The subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator has a clear overview of the quality of work across the school through her monitoring activities. Working closely with a local consultant, the staff have rightly upgraded the emphasis on teaching concepts through practical activities. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but initiatives such as maintaining the ‘Floor Books’ with pupils’ comments inserted, gives strong support to teachers in evaluating how well pupils have grasped the concepts they have been taught. Extra activities, such as the gardening club, the extra activity sessions provided for gifted and talented pupils, visits to a farm and use of the school pond all serve to very strongly enhance the quality of provision in science.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Nettlestone Primary School - 27 There is insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on overall provision in information and communication technology (ICT) because no lessons were seen. However, there are obvious strengths and weaknesses.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in Year 2 and attain above expected standards. • The subject is well led and managed. • The use of ICT to support pupils’ learning is constrained by an inadequate computer suite. • The teaching assistant with ICT responsibility provides very effective support for pupils.

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Commentary

62. Standards are above those nationally expected by Year 2, as they were at the last inspection. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well. Pupils know how to save and retrieve work on the computer. They show a confident approach to presenting their work attractively – changing fonts and importing relevant clip art items, as needed. They are familiar with using the Internet to support their work and with using art programs to produce attractive designs for different projects. Discussions with staff and pupils indicate that they make frequent use of the ICT resources.

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Commentary

63. Standards in the current Year 4 are as expected nationally. By Year 4, pupils make appropriate use of different ICT programs to support their work in different subjects. For example, they made good use of the Internet during a science lesson to broaden their understanding about a concept being taught. However, this is not a consistent picture. In other lessons seen in the junior classes, opportunities were sometimes missed to extend pupils’ skills by making more use of ICT. Year 4 pupils interviewed showed that they have sound experiences of using ICT in a range of different subjects and gain broadly satisfactory skills, knowledge and understanding. Their achievement is satisfactory, although their knowledge of using different programs is superficial in some instances and opportunities to work with computers are too limited.

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Commentary

64. No ICT lessons were observed and a judgement about the overall quality of teaching is therefore not made. However, work seen shows that the teaching assistant with responsibility for working with different groups of pupils across the school works very effectively to enhance pupils’ skills. For example, the work undertaken with Year 4 pupils has given them a clear insight about how to use graphs on the computer and how to make the best use of word processing facilities.

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Commentary

65. The subject is well led and managed. Although standards by Year 4 are not as good as reported in the last inspection, the co-ordinator, strongly supported by the headteacher, has put vigorous action plans in place that have resulted in good upgrades to staff training and facilities. For example, teachers in Years 1 to 3 are now confident with using the newly introduced interactive whiteboards to enhance lessons and boost pupils’ learning. Teachers’ use of these whiteboards is an added useful dimension to effectively promoting pupils’ overall ICT skills. However, the ICT suite is too small and provides very limited scope for teachers to build on pupils’ skills on a regular basis. The suite is also a multipurpose area and is therefore not conducive to fully developing pupils’ use of the equipment. The school has plans with earmarked funding to address this deficiency. Good assessment systems have been developed

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Commentary

and pupils are effectively involved in evaluating the quality of their own work. Nettlestone Primary School - 28 Information and communication technology across the curriculum

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Commentary

66. This is satisfactory. Teachers have a good awareness of the need to develop the use of ICT within other subjects and some sound links have been made in this respect, with research work in subjects such as history and science and satisfactory support for work in literacy and numeracy. However, there remains much potential for extending the use of ICT in this way. The school is currently constrained by the inadequate ICT suite and the resulting lack of opportunity for pupils to access computers on a regular and whole-class basis.

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HUMANITIES

A total of six lessons were observed in this curriculum area: three in history, two in religious education and one in geography. History and religious education were inspected in full and are reported upon below. Geography was sampled.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well because of good teaching. • Standards are above those typically found nationally. • The curriculum is well planned but appropriate assessment procedures are not yet in place. • Standards of presentation are good in Year 2 and unsatisfactory in Year 4.

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Commentary

67. Standards are above nationally expected levels in Years 2 and 4, as they were at the last inspection. Year 4 pupils’ verbal responses show good knowledge and understanding in their descriptions of key features of Tudor houses and appropriate skills in finding out information for themselves. Year 3 pupils show good skills in sequencing historical events in Roman times. Year 2 pupils show good awareness of the order in which things happen in their studies of the famous people such as Florence Nightingale and events such the Great Fire of London.

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Commentary

68. Whilst Year 4 pupils can organise their written work appropriately, their presentation, including their handwriting, is unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, the use of writing in history is helping to raise standards in English in most year groups. For example, Year 2 pupils take real pride in their achievements and present their work well.

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Commentary

69. Pupils achieve well because lessons are well planned and the subject is taught well. Teachers use a variety of teaching methods to stimulate pupils’ interest, including drama, artefacts and visits. They are careful to set appropriate tasks for the pupils, providing additional support for lower-attaining pupils and challenging tasks for more able pupils.

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Commentary

70. The subject is soundly led and managed. The curriculum is well planned and the National Curriculum is covered fully. Current assessment practices do not provide sufficient information on pupil progress. However, the school has introduced a Nettlestone Primary School - 29 curriculum planning scheme that can be adapted effectively to assess pupils’ achievement. There is some use of ICT in history, but not enough. Teachers arrange visits to places of local historical interest such as Carisbrooke Castle. These are closely related to what is being studied in classroom lessons, and help pupils to understand what it was like to live in the past.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Year 2 pupils achieve well and reach above average standards. • Presentation in Year 4 pupils’ books is poor. • Marking does not help pupils improve.

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Commentary

71. Pupils achieve well in Year 2 and standards are above those expected. They show an in- depth knowledge of Bible stories and a good knowledge of some of the traditions and practices in other faiths, such as Judaism. For example, they have a clear understanding of the story of Moses leading the Jewish people out of Egypt, how the ten commandments came to be and how all of such stories are recorded in the Jewish Torah.

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Commentary

72. Year 4 pupils achieve satisfactorily and attain expected standards. They know the main facts about the story of the ‘Creation’ and also have a sound knowledge of practices and traditions in other faiths, such as Islam and Judaism. Pupils are keen to contribute to discussions and generally show much interest in the themes presented. However, only a very limited amount of work done is properly recorded in pupils’ books and the presentation of this work is generally poor.

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Commentary

73. Only two lessons were seen. Teaching seen in a Year 2 lesson was very good. The teacher successfully accelerated pupils’ learning through her very interesting presentation of the story of the Exodus, and the very good questions she asked provided a strong level of purposeful interaction with the pupils so that they became very enthusiastic and involved in the work. Teaching in a Year 3 lesson was good, with the teacher making particularly good use of the interactive whiteboard to enable pupils to view portraits of Jesus held by the National Gallery, as a basis for promoting discussion about how Jesus looked. Whilst work is marked regularly, the marking does not generally indicate to pupils how they can improve in the future.

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Commentary

74. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory, with useful work recently carried out to provide clearer guidance to teachers about using the locally agreed syllabus. Suitable initiatives have been instigated to broaden pupils’ awareness, with, for example, a topic on India giving good opportunities for pupils to learn about Hinduism. The school has access to a good range of resources to support teaching and learning.

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Geography

75. Standards are above nationally-expected levels in Year 2. Pupils have a good understanding of life on a Scottish island and can identify and describe a range of its human and physical features. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement of Nettlestone Primary School - 30 standards in Year 4. However, an analysis of pupils’ work shows that the school provides a suitable programme of work that helps pupils extend their knowledge and understanding over a satisfactory range of topics. There are sound opportunities for pupils to develop their map skills. The subject is soundly led and managed.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. A total of four lessons were observed in this curriculum area: two in physical education, one in music, one in design and technology, and none in art and design. Physical education is reported upon in detail below. Design and technology, art and design, and music were sampled as there was insufficient evidence available to provide judgements on provision or standards.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. The analysis of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work in design and technology , together with a discussion with the co-ordinator, indicates that the school meets National Curriculum requirements. Teachers’ planning indicates an appropriate balance between design and food technology. In all classes, pupils use design sheets, identify materials needed and have opportunities to discuss how completed models could be improved. The quality of finished products seen was good. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and is keen to promote the subject. Resources are good. 78. Displays around the school indicate that a satisfactory range of topics is taught in art and design . Pupils learn a variety of skills and techniques. For example, different fabrics are used in collage work and pupils work with a variety of mediums. Pupils’ artwork around the school is of good quality. There is clear indication that the school

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

promotes art and design well and that there is a good level of interest in art-related activities. Teachers link the subject well with other curriculum areas. In Year 4, for example, pupils have created portraits of the wives of Henry VIII. Pupils ‘visit’ the online resources of the National Art Gallery to learn about different approaches and techniques used by famous artists.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

79. Music is promoted better than at the last inspection and provision is now secure. The subject now has a co-ordinator to lead developments and staff have attended courses designed specifically for the non-specialist, which have had a positive impact on teaching. The school uses specialist teaching for string, brass and wind instruments, using peripatetic teachers’ expertise. Standards in Year 2 are above national expectations. Pupils have good ideas of pitch and rhythm and, in a very good lesson, played confidently tuned and untuned instruments together as a ‘class orchestra’. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements on standards in Year 4. However, pupils sing regularly and have a wide repertoire of hymns, which they sing tunefully and with good expression.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve standards that are above those expected nationally in Year 2 and in Year 3. • The quality of teaching is good. • The curriculum is well planned but appropriate assessment procedures are not yet in place. Nettlestone Primary School - 31 • Extra-curricular activities, including residential visits, make a significant contribution to extending and complementing school-based activities.

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Commentary

80. Standards are above those expected by the end of Years 2 and 3. This represents a similar picture to the previous inspection. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on standards in Year 4. In dance and short games sessions, pupils display good skills in movement, use of space, awareness of other pupils and ball-handling skills.

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Commentary

81. The quality of teaching is good and activities are designed well to encourage body awareness, style and rhythmic co-ordination when responding to music. Learning and extra-curricular activities help pupils develop confidence, self-confidence and other personal qualities, such as dependency. Inclusion is a strong feature of lessons. Teachers ensure that all pupils participate together and consider the individual needs of pupils. In a Year 3 country-dance lesson, the teacher provided good opportunities for pupils to work in pairs and evaluate each other’s performance. This contributes significantly to building strong partnerships, as well as promoting their social development. The management of pupil behaviour is good overall and teachers use subject expertise, time and resources well, which contributes to good standards being achieved.

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Commentary

82. The curriculum is good. The school meets National Curriculum requirements and teaches gymnastics, games, athletics, dance and in Year 4, swimming. The curriculum is enhanced and complemented by extra-curricular activities and by residential visits for pupils in Years 4 and 3, which not only provides opportunities for pupils to experience different physical activities, but also promotes their independence and inter-dependence. Attendance at extra-curricular activities is good. Resources are good overall and effective use is made of the inside facilities and outside play areas, which include a generous, well kept playing field and an adventure area. Leadership and management are satisfactory but appropriate assessment procedures are not yet in place.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

83. Two lessons of personal, social and health education were seen, insufficient to make an overall judgement about provision. The school has a well organised programme to support pupils’ PSHE work. All classes have timetabled sessions for ‘circle time’ 2 . In a good lesson in Year 2, the teacher promoted a strong awareness amongst pupils of the responsibility that people have for looking after wildlife. Good questioning and discussion work helped pupils achieve well and show a mature understanding for their age. A satisfactory lesson in Year 4 gave pupils the chance to air their feelings about the problems of litter and they generally showed a confident approach towards expressing their views to one another. However, some pupils did not properly observe the rules of taking turns to talk and the teacher is aware of the need to emphasise rules of ‘circle time’ behaviour more stringently.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

84. A good range of opportunities exist around the school to enable pupils to develop their social responsibility skills and these opportunities are carefully recorded in each individual’s ‘Good Citizenship Record Book’. This record is an effective method of tracking pupils’ individual personal achievement. The school council runs effectively and gives pupils a voice in areas of school development. For example, pupils‘ views have helped promote improvements to the

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

2 When pupils sit in a circle together with staff to take turns in talking about issues which they feel are important. Nettlestone Primary School - 32 play facilities available at break times. There is a good awareness across the school of promoting pupils’ understanding of health issues, such as maintaining a healthy diet. Visitors to school, including the community policeman, also provide an effective extra boost to supporting the good overall provision. Provision in this area is well led and managed. The co- ordinator has a clear overview of the quality of work across the school and maintains close liaison with her colleagues to continually seek ways to improve the provision. Nettlestone Primary School - 33

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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