North Somercotes CofE Primary School

NORTH SOMERCOTES CofE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th – 19 th May 2005

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NORTH SOMERCOTES CofE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 2 Crown copyright 2005

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NORTH SOMERCOTES CofE PRIMARY SCHOOL

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. 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. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Foundation Age range of pupils: 3 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 226

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Warren Road North Somercotes Louth Lincolnshire Postcode: LN11 7QB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01507 358221 Fax number: 01507 358125

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr S W Alcock

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

North Somercotes C of E Primary School is situated in a village about 10 miles north-east of Louth. It is about the same size as other primary schools with 226 children, including 19 part time in the nursery. Pupils’ attainment on entry is broadly average. Boys outnumber girls significantly in Years 1 and 6 and girls outnumber boys significantly in the Foundation Stage. About 3 per cent of pupils have minority ethnic backgrounds with very few having English as an additional language or being at an early stage of acquiring English. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average; those with statements of special educational need are above the national average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is average. Pupil mobility is significant in Years 3 to 6 particularly. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

2771 Mr C Green Lead inspector English Geography History Physical education Special educational needs English as an additional language 19419 Ms S Boyle Lay inspector 18505 Mr D Matthews Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Foundation Stage 20010 Mr J Sangster Team inspector Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Music

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

peakschoolhaus Ltd BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Boughton Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 28

North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 6 North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 7

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school. Every effort is made to help pupils succeed and to develop happy and healthy lifestyles. These efforts result in pupils having very positive attitudes to school and good relationships with each other and with adults. Standards are above average in most subjects. Good teaching means that most pupils achieve well and the strong support for personal development means they try hard in their work. The headteacher provides good leadership and is well supported by the governors in identifying the important priorities in moving the school forward. The school provides good value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• standards in English, mathematics, information and communication technology (ICT), art and design and geography are above average and pupils achieve well; • standards in science are below average and achievement is unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6; • pupils with special educational needs make very good progress and achieve very well; • pupils learn to read very well; • pupils develop very good attitudes to school and to life in general; good teaching leads to them being very well behaved; • assessments of pupils’ progress are not used consistently well in responding to the needs of the more able pupils; • physical education is a strength of the school; • subject and Foundation Stage leaders’ involvement in raising standards across the school is limited.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

This successful school has made good progress since the time of its previous inspection except in science where standards achieved then were well below average and still remain below by the end of Year 6. In most subjects standards are higher than they were in 1999 and there is a greater proportion of very good teaching across the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement overall is good . Children make satisfactory progress through the nursery and reception class and achieve well in their physical development. Their achievement is satisfactory in most areas of learning and they reach the goals which are appropriate to their age by the time they enter Year 1. Pupils make good progress by Year 2, standards are above average in most subjects but, in mathematics, science and music, pupils do not do well enough because progress is slower and only average standards are achieved.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English A C B C mathematics B B A C Science C B C E Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

By the time pupils leave the school, standards in English, mathematics, ICT, art and design and geography are above average and pupils achieve well. Due to effective teaching pupils have good skills in English; they read very well and this not only supports their work in other North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 8 subjects but provides interest and enjoyment. In science, progress for pupils in Years 3 to 6 is not sustained and standards are below average. Pupils’ achievement in science is unsatisfactory, particularly for the higher attaining pupils. Pupils’ skills in numeracy and ICT are well developed and these support their learning in a wide range of activities. Standards are well above average and achievement is very good in physical education. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well because of the very good teaching and support they receive from teachers and teaching assistants.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal development is very good as is their spiritual, moral and social development. Their cultural development is good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good . Teaching and learning are good. Assessment is satisfactory. Teaching has many very good features. Invariably pupils are praised and encouraged to do well and because of this they enjoy school and achieve well. Good quality resources are utilised well. Teaching assistants are used very effectively in the classes to which they are deployed and particularly in helping pupils with special educational needs. Teachers and teaching assistants insist on high standards of behaviour. This contributes to the strong focus on learning, which is an important characteristic within the ethos of the school. Assessments of pupils’ progress are used very well to plan the next steps of learning for those pupils with special educational needs but less so in responding to the needs of other groups, particularly those of the more able pupils. Planning takes careful account of national guidelines but there is sometimes insufficient adjustment of the content, based on the

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

assessments of pupils’ prior learning, to challenge pupils in science, mathematics, writing and music, particularly the more able. The school offers a good curriculum with very good opportunities for extra-curricular enrichment. Pupils have excellent trusting relationships with adults throughout the school and these reflect the high levels of support and care which pupils receive.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . There is a high commitment to including pupils in the full life of the school and the headteacher provides good leadership by example with an emphasis on securing good teaching. Financial management is well focused on achieving appropriately identified school improvement priorities and the governors are particularly effective in this aspect of their role. Although satisfactory, the subject and Foundation Stage leaders’ management involvement in evaluating and improving teaching and assessment, and in raising standards across the school, is too limited and so their impact is not as effective as it could be. Overall the school gives good value for money. PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Pupils and parents have a high regard for the school. Support from parents is good although some aspects of communication with parents, such as keeping them informed about their children’s progress, are not sufficiently effective.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• raise standards of achievement in science; • make better use of the assessment of pupils’ progress in planning for the next steps in learning for the more able pupils; North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 9 • improve the effectiveness of the management contribution of the subject and Foundation Stage leaders in bringing about further improvements across the school. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 10

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils achieve well and reach standards which are above average by the time they leave the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in English, mathematics, ICT, art and design and geography are above average and pupils’ achievement is good. • Pupils read very well. • Standards in science are below average and achievement is unsatisfactory. • More able pupils do not achieve as well as they could. • The standards achieved in physical education are very good. • Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress and achieve very well. • In the Foundation Stage opportunities are sometimes missed for children to achieve well.

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Commentary

1. The school has shown a trend of improvement in most subjects, except in science. A satisfactory start to school has been maintained for children during the nursery and reception class. Progress by Year 2 is good. Standards are above average and pupils achieve well in most subjects. Standards are well above average and achievement is very good in reading and physical education. In mathematics, science and music progress is slower; only average standards are achieved. Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.5 (17.1) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.6 (16.0) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 16.5 (17.1) 16.2 (16.3) There were28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year 2. By the time pupils leave the school, standards in English, mathematics, ICT, art and design and geography are above average and pupils achieve well. Due to good teaching and careful tracking of progress, pupils continue to learn to read very well. This not only supports their work but provides them with interest and enjoyment. In science, teaching over time has not been satisfactory and therefore progress has not been sustained. Standards in science are below average and pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory overall and particularly for the higher attaining pupils. Standards in physical education are well above average and achievement is very good. Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.2 (27.2) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 28.9 (28.0) 27.0 (26.8) North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 11 science 28.4 (29.7) 28.6 (28.6) There were 35 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is very good because of very good teaching and carefully designed support for them from teachers and teaching assistants.

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Commentary

4. Children make satisfactory progress through the nursery and reception class and achieve well in their physical development. Standards of attainment are broadly average when children start in the nursery and overall are average by the time they move into Year 1. The very good relationships and supportive ethos provide children with consistently satisfactory learning experiences but with too few opportunities for them to have choices and to make decisions for themselves.

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Commentary

5. Although there has been a trend of boys achieving significantly better than girls in assessment results, the inspection found that there are no significant differences between the achievement of boys and girls in lessons. The achievement of gifted and talented pupils is satisfactory but assessments do not indicate consistently the next steps of learning for the more able pupils and so these pupils do not do as well as they could.

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Commentary

6. The trends in the standards reached and the levels of pupils’ achievement have improved since those reported in the previous inspection, though levels in science remain below average.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and personal development are very good . Their spiritual, moral and social development is very good and their cultural development is good. Attendance and punctuality are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are friendly, polite and confident. • They have a good sense of belonging to the school. • Relationships are very good. • There are too few opportunities for the youngest pupils to use their initiative. • The school could do more to promote better attendance.

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Commentary

7. Pupils like school. They get on well with their teachers and with each other. They are interested in their lessons. The school encourages pupils’ very positive views by providing a very supportive ethos, and activities that stimulate and interest them. Pupils behave very well and this helps to contribute to the calm, purposeful atmosphere. There has been a small number of exclusions, but they have been for appropriate reasons.

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Commentary

8. Pupils’ relationships with each other are polite and respectful, and they are very clear about playground rules that are designed to minimise conflict and misunderstanding. This means that any incidents between children are of a minor nature and bullying is extremely rare. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 12 9. Pupils are very proud of their school. They are sensible, and show they can be responsible by looking after aspects of the school such as the library. However, children in the Foundation Stage have too few chances to choose what they do in their day-to-day routines and this restricts the development of their independence.

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Commentary

10. The school provides very good support for pupils’ moral, social and spiritual development through its ethos in which pupils are given high respect. As a result, they have a very good sense of spirituality and their place in the world. This is clear in their caring attitudes towards others and to living things. Moral development is evident in the way in which pupils behave, and in their understanding of rules and their involvement in rule making. The very good social development is demonstrated by the way in which pupils relate to others, and shows that they have a very good sense of living in a community. Pupils’ cultural development is stimulated by a good range of visits and visitors, for example a performance of Indian dance. Pupils enjoy performing themselves and do so in a variety of ways, such as maypole dancing and Shakespeare plays. These experiences give them a good understanding of their own

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Commentary

cultural heritage as well as the culture of others.

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Commentary

11. Pupils are keen to attend school and the overwhelming majority of absences are for health reasons. There is still a small number of families who take holidays during term time. The school encourages pupils to attend by providing a wide range of popular activities at school, but it does not promote attendance in its prospectus nor does it discourage parents from taking holidays in term time effectively enough. Pupil exclusions have been managed appropriately.

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Commentary

12. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development are now better than they were at the time of the previous inspection. Attendance remains good.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.5 School data 0.1 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 211 3 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good . Pupils are well cared for, guided and supported and respond well to the extra opportunities for them to learn which are very good. Good links with parents contribute significantly to pupils’ progress. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 13

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good . Assessment is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good at encouraging pupils to do well and enjoy school. • Resources are used very effectively. • Very good behaviour means that pupils are able to learn collaboratively and independently. • Opportunities for pupils to be fully involved in lessons and to learn effectively are generally promoted very well. • Assessments are not consistently well used in responding to the needs of the more able pupils. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 14

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

13. Overall teaching is good with some very good features. Invariably pupils are praised and encouraged to do well and because of this they are keen to learn, are confident about the tasks they are to tackle, enjoy school and achieve well.

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Commentary

14. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in the nursery and reception class. Teachers have appropriate expectations and provide a very supportive setting which engages children and helps them to make good progress in their physical development. The teachers and teaching assistants give children a satisfactory range of learning experiences and focus individuals and small groups on learning new skills at a satisfactory rate.

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Commentary

15. Teaching across the school utilises good quality resources and helps pupils to achieve well. Teaching assistants are used very effectively, particularly in helping pupils with special educational needs. Clear learning objectives are set for the activities directly supervised by adults and this ensures children make good progress. Teachers and teaching assistants insist on high standards of behaviour from the pupils and this is a very good feature of the teaching and is a part of the normal ethos of the school. The resulting very good behaviour means that pupils are able to learn collaboratively and independently and helps to provide opportunities for all pupils to be fully involved in the activities taking place and to learn effectively from them, for example in a lesson on orienteering where independence and co-operation were central to success.

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Commentary

16. However, assessments are not consistently well used in responding to the needs of all pupils and particularly the more able. The assessments made of pupils’ progress are used very well to plan the next steps of learning for those pupils with special educational needs but less so for the other groups of pupils. Planning takes careful account of national guidelines for English and mathematics and most subjects but there is sometimes insufficient adjustment of the content, based on the assessments of pupils’ prior learning, to challenge pupils in science, mathematics, writing and music.

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Commentary

17. The quality of teaching has been improved since the time of the previous inspection. There is now more very good teaching, including the teaching of pupils with special educational needs.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good overall. It is enriched very well through extra-curricular and other activities. Accommodation and resources are very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Health education is a strength of the school and good links are made between different subjects. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 15 • There is very good enrichment of the curriculum through extra-curricular and other activities. • Classroom accommodation and outside areas are very good. • There is a high number of well-trained support staff who contribute well to pupils’ learning. • Good use is made of specialist teachers. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 16

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Commentary

18. The school’s curriculum is planned to cover the full range of all the National Curriculum subjects, as well as personal, social, and health education, including teaching about sex and relationships and the misuse of drugs. Education to promote fitness and healthy living is a strength of the school. Teachers make good links between different subjects, which helps to make learning more relevant to pupils. For instance during the inspection pupils in Year 2 were studying the life cycle of a caterpillar not only in science but through art, where they made clay models of the caterpillar and its eggs. In music they combined sounds to represent the different stages of the life cycle. Good opportunities to reinforce literary and mathematical skills are also provided in other subjects, as for example in a Year 1 geography lesson, when pupils’ understanding of time was developed and they were encouraged to use

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Commentary

connecting words as they described their route to the local church.

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Commentary

19. The teaching of French to all pupils from the nursery to Year 6 broadens the curriculum further. This is done very well by a specialist teacher, who uses a wide range of games and other activities, but with an appropriate emphasis on the accuracy of the language, for instance in the use of gender or adjectival agreement. Learning is supported well by class teachers, who make good use of opportunities to reinforce what is taught at other times, for instance using French weather expressions in a geography lesson, or encouraging pupils to answer the register by saying how they are in French. Specialist coaching for physical education also enriches the curriculum and contributes to high standards of achievement in this area.

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Commentary

20. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils take part in county chess championships and have been national finalists. They compete successfully in rugby, cricket and athletics competitions. They take part in dance festivals, concerts and dramatic performances. There are recorder and computer clubs. Each class has a visit to a place of interest, often historical, and the Year 6 visit is residential. There are also visitors to the school, including a theatre and musical groups.

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Commentary

21. Pupils with special educational needs receive very effective provision. Careful attention is paid to ensuring that these pupils receive the undivided attention of their teaching assistant. Where, in some cases, this support is offered more broadly across a group of pupils then learning becomes more effective for all the members of the group.

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Commentary

22. The school has a very good number of support staff. Each class has a general teaching assistant and also teaching assistants with special responsibility for pupils with special educational needs, who make a significant contribution to the very good achievement of these pupils. Teaching assistants plan lessons well with teachers and participate fully in giving pupils good opportunities to learn. In one lesson observed during the inspection the teaching assistant was ‘reading’ a newspaper during the opening part of the lesson to enable the teacher to use a ‘story’ about an invasion of insects and spiders to introduce the concept of odd and even numbers.

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Commentary

23. The school’s accommodation is very good. Classrooms are light and modern in their design, and teachers make good use of the ample wall space with displays of pupils’ work. A recently installed computer suite is a very good addition to the school’s facilities and is having an impact on standards. There are enough computers in the suite for each pupil to be able to work independently in most classes. The hall is well suited to physical education and other activities, and there is a very good field for North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 17 other games. Resources for learning are very good and those in ICT, English, geography and physical education contribute particularly well to the pupils’ high levels of achievement. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 18

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Care, guidance and support

The school’s efforts to ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are very good . Provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring is good . There is satisfactory involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The opportunities for pupils to develop trusting relationships with adults are excellent. • There is a very good commitment to pupils’ health. • Pupils are very well cared for. • Induction arrangements for children starting school are good.

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Commentary

24. High levels of trust are evident in the school and these provide an excellent basis for effective care and guidance. The school provides very well for the health and safety of pupils. Assessment of risk is rigorous and there are many suitably qualified staff to deal with accidents and emergencies. The school takes promoting pupils’ good health very seriously and has implemented a number of initiatives to encourage pupils to adopt a healthy life style. These are well thought out and effective. Child protection procedures are well established.

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Commentary

25. The high number of adults working in the school means that staff are able to get to know individual children well, and give them good support for their personal well-being and academic progress. Pupils know to go to adults with a concern, and effective relationships means that they are confident to do so. The school works well with local agencies, and also those further afield to ensure that families are well supported.

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Commentary

26. Pupils have been consulted appropriately about issues that are relevant to them, such as the playground improvements. Sometimes pupils are given greater involvement in their learning by working with the teacher to set personal targets, but this is does not happen in all classes. The school recognises it needs to give pupils a greater say in what happens in school and is planning a school council.

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Commentary

27. The induction arrangements for children entering the nursery are very flexible to suit the needs of parents and children. As a result children usually settle quickly and feel well supported. This helps them to feel positive about school and willing to work. The transition to the reception class is particularly smooth because of the very close liaison between the two classes.

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Commentary

28. These findings are, overall, similar to those reported at the previous inspection.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The schools links with parents, the community, and other schools and colleges are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are some very good ways of seeking parents’ views. • Support from parents for learning is good. • Some aspects of communication with parents are limited. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 19

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Commentary

29. Most parents have positive views about the school. The school is popular and draws a number of families from outside the area. Parents like the pupils’ annual reports, which are generally informative and clear about the progress pupils have made. They find staff approachable and are confident that concerns are sorted out. However, formal opportunities for parents to speak with class teachers about the progress their child has made were, in 2004, fewer than in most other schools. The school is aware of this and already has plans to address the situation in line with parents’ needs.

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Commentary

30. The school consults parents very fully in the construction of the school development plan. However, the numbers of parents who take up the opportunity are extremely small. The school gives parents information about the work their child will be doing in general terms and there are opportunities for parents to find out how the curriculum is taught and how they can help at home. Generally parents support learning well by encouraging children with their homework.

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Commentary

31. The home school association, although run by a very small group, is very well supported and raises substantial amounts of money each year which are used to enhance provision and provide fun events for pupils, such as the regular discos. These sorts of events are important in developing pupils’ positive attitudes to school.

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Commentary

32. The school draws well on visitors from the local community to support the curriculum and pupils’ personal development. Links with other schools have been developed well and the school uses their specialist expertise and facilities to enhance the curriculum. Links with local churches are appropriate in developing good community relations, and the school works well with the local playgroup to tailor provision to suit the needs of parents and pupils.

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Commentary

33. The school has maintained its good links with parents and the community since the previous inspection.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good , as is governance.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership of the school has a high commitment to including and meeting the needs of all pupils. • The headteacher leads by example providing an emphasis on securing good teaching and learning. • Financial management is well focused on achieving appropriately identified school improvement priorities. • Subject and Foundation Stage leaders’ involvement in evaluating and improving teaching and assessment and raising standards across the school is too limited.

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Commentary

34. The school has built upon its previous achievements and the headteacher has led an effective course for improvement. His good leadership has ensured a high commitment throughout the school community to including and meeting the needs of pupils. This explicit commitment to inclusion has created a very good ethos for North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 20 establishing a proper concern for the needs of individuals and in raising standards. Every child matters; the leadership and management of the school reflect this principle well, especially in relation to the children’s good health and well-being.

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Commentary

35. The headteacher has promoted a climate conducive to learning and progress. His leadership of the programmes for pupils with special educational needs and healthy living, for example, is very good. The high proportion of teaching which he undertakes sets a good example across the school. The headteacher and senior staff provide good role models; leading by example is an effective feature of the life of the school.

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Commentary

36. The governors fulfil their statutory duties well. The governors know the strengths of the school and those areas which are in need of development. The governors and senior staff face up to issues and take decisions. They are careful to focus the use of financial resources, and amounts to be carried forward, onto appropriately identified priorities. This is evident in the well-conceived school development plan which has been constructed with the involvement of a number of interested groups drawn from across the school community and in the careful costing of its priorities over time.

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Commentary

37. The roles undertaken by subject leaders and Foundation Stage leaders are conscientiously carried out in terms of planning, resource provision and in leading by example from their own classrooms. However, the school does not have consistent and systematic procedures in place for these leaders to be effective in monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching, assessment and the standards of work produced by the pupils across the school in order to bring about further improvements effectively. Whilst informal conversations with subject leaders are very helpful, rigorous analysis of what needs to be done in detail to bring improvements, and the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of actions taken, are not well embedded. This is particularly the case in leading and managing science. Consequently, the impact of the school’s self-evaluation procedures is not as effective as it could be.

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Commentary

38. The good quality of the leadership and management of the school has been maintained since the time of the previous inspection and in some aspects, for example the quality of the writing of the school development plan, has improved. Apart from in science, the school has successfully addressed the key issues for action from the previous report relating to action planning in important areas such as special educational needs.

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Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

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Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 592,708 Balance from previous year 69,220 Total expenditure 596,506 Balance carried forward to the next 65,422 Expenditure per pupil 2,639 North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 21

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. Children get a solid start to school life because adults in the nursery and reception class plan closely together to ensure appropriate provision. They give children a satisfactory range of interesting learning experiences in all areas of their learning. Some activities are exciting. There are valuable opportunities for children to try things out for themselves and to choose between activities, though such opportunities are sometimes limited and this prevents achievement from being even better. Adults focus on individuals and small groups to ensure that children learn necessary skills at a satisfactory rate. Leadership and management are satisfactory, ensuring that planning makes effective use of all adults in supporting and encouraging individuals and groups. Teaching is satisfactory in the nursery and reception class across the areas of learning, with some good teaching of physical development, notably in the reception

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

class. Adults’ informal assessments of children’s progress are useful in giving a clear picture of what they can and cannot do. The school’s introduction of the nationally recommended arrangements for assessing and recording children’s progress are at an early stage and do not yet, therefore, contribute as well as they might to what teachers plan for individual children to learn next. The good arrangements for introducing children to the nursery help them to settle quickly because the school is flexible in meeting the needs of these young children and in working well with parents. Children with special needs, particularly those with physical disabilities, receive very good support. Those identified as more capable are usually, but not always, given tasks that challenge them well. There have been good improvements in the provision of outdoor facilities since the previous inspection. As a result, children have good

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

opportunities for co-operative and imaginative outside play, though these are not as frequent as they might be to make progress in all areas of learning better still.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children play well together. • Sometimes there are missed opportunities to make children increasingly independent.

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Commentary

40. Children exercise their independence from an early stage, as when choosing activities. There are valuable opportunities for them to choose from a wide range of interesting activities inside and outside. On these occasions they become animated because of the increased chances of making decisions for themselves, as when choosing what they will do. Confidence then blossoms. At times, however, such opportunities are too limited. This slows their progress in becoming increasingly responsible and independent. Children usually work and play alongside one another well. Teaching is satisfactory because it effectively encourages children to behave well and to concentrate on their learning in small groups that are supported well by adults. Adults encourage children to take responsibility; for instance children are expected to say ‘sorry’ if they accidentally hurt others and they take time to change properly for

p.21

Commentary

physical education in the hall. Most children listen well in discussions, except on North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 22 occasion when these go on too long. The majority are on course to meet the targets for their age by the end of reception. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 23

p.21

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good strategies for helping children to associate letters with sounds often contribute well to their progress in writing and reading. • There are good opportunities for children to talk and listen in different situations though at times these sessions go on too long. • Tasks given to more capable children usually, but not always, challenge them well.

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Commentary

41. This area of learning is taught satisfactorily in the nursery and reception class so that most children are on course to meet the goals set for them by the end of their time in reception, with some going beyond them. In the nursery and reception class there are ample opportunities for children to listen and talk to adults and to each other in groups including the whole class. Just occasionally such discussions go on too long so that children become restless and begin to lose concentration. Teaching in nursery and reception makes good use of the links between letter names and sounds in small group work, though again these sessions are sometimes too long to retain children’s full attention. In the nursery there are good opportunities for children to experiment with their developing mark-making skills as when using small notebooks. In reception, teaching effectively helps children to use their knowledge of letter sounds to start the

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Commentary

words that they want to write or read. On occasion, teaching does not challenge the more capable children as much as it might, as when they are required to practise the words and sounds that they already know well, rather than moving to more demanding and engaging text. Adults in the nursery and reception foster children’s love of reading well by, for example, reading ‘big books’ in imaginative ways and encouraging children to join in. Adults conscientiously promote conversations through skilful questioning as when children mix paint and organise numbers. Children in nursery and the reception class respond very well to their lively French lessons, joining in with action songs enthusiastically, and quickly learning to count.

p.23

Commentary

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers make good use of everyday situations to improve children’s understanding of number. • The good opportunities for exploring number independently are not as frequent as they might be to make progress better.

p.23

Commentary

42. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, and result in most children working effectively towards the goals set for them by the end of the reception year with some likely to go beyond them. Teachers make good use of daily situations to improve children’s understanding of number, as when the reception teacher takes the register and asks how many children were there if one out of 16 was away. In the nursery situations are contrived to help children to sequence and order numbers. Candles are put onto North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 24 imaginary cakes and teaching skilfully questioned one child about a number 10 that he had hung up-side down on the clothes line: “Look at that to see if it is right”. By the end of the reception year the more able children have gone beyond what is typically expected of children of their age and know, for example, that a ball is a sphere and how to read larger numbers in their thousands. Less able children do not always count

p.23

Commentary

accurately to five. There are imaginative opportunities for children to explore numbers outside such as throwing beanbags into numbered buckets. Such opportunities are not as frequent, or extensive, as they might be to promote progress further.

p.24

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good teaching about the natural world and how things grow. • Opportunities for children to use their own ideas are occasionally limited.

p.24

Commentary

43. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, ensuring that most children are on course to achieve the goals set for them by the end of reception. Children’s involvement with growing plants excites them and nursery children talk animatedly as they water their potato plants. Good use is made of visits, such as that to a garden centre. The ‘pretend’ garden centre in the reception class extends children’s knowledge of the world beyond the school by enabling them to ‘buy’ such items as compost using cash or ’credit cards’. Reception children learn effectively about the past through objects that they can handle, such as a candle in a holder. They take advantage of satisfactory opportunities to make things such as flags by cutting and sticking. Sometimes there are missed opportunities to enable children to use their own initiative, for example to select which tools and techniques they might use to shape, assemble and join the materials and generally to experiment and explore ideas and

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching in the reception class excites children and helps them to achieve well. • Children are effectively encouraged to present their writing neatly. • Outdoor provision is sometimes, but not always, used well.

p.24

Commentary

44. Good teaching in the reception class makes effective use of the hall to enable children to move imaginatively. It engages them very well through stimulating opportunities such as when using scarves to help children move in an imaginative way. As at the last inspection, the teacher makes good use of her knowledge of dance and drama to focus children’s attention well on controlling their movements. As a result, most control their actions well, moving creatively, for example, like ‘scarves’ floating to the ground. Satisfactory teaching in the nursery enables children to choose from a wide range of physical activities though opportunities are sometimes missed to give children access North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 25 to the good outdoor resources and children are on occasion restricted to using the limited indoor climbing equipment. Nevertheless when access is given to outdoor facilities, nursery children make good progress in their climbing and the control of the

p.24

Commentary

small vehicles that they ride. Reception children enjoy the opportunities to develop handling skills such as when using scissors, paintbrushes and pencils. More capable children show good control of pencil in their careful handwriting and sketches, and of brushes in their ‘flower’ paintings. They make good progress and most are on course to exceed the set goals by the end of the reception year in their physical development. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 26

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good teaching of necessary skills. • Opportunities are sometimes missed for children to apply their new skills or to try out ideas of their own.

p.26

Commentary

45. Teaching is satisfactory throughout and reception children are set to reach the expected standards by the end of the year. Good teaching of skills enables children to explore and talk about the effects of mixing colours to create new ones. Adults support children well by engaging them effectively in talking about which colours they are mixing and the results. They effectively help children to acquire new skills such as printing using objects and fingers. There are fewer chances, however, for children to explore freely and to try out their own ideas, to ‘make mistakes’ and to see for themselves what works and what does not. Where children are given the chance to make something of their own choice, such as when using only black and white items to make a collage, children do well and often achieve dramatic results. Opportunities for role-play inside and out when children take on a wide range of roles, such as

p.26

Commentary

shopkeeper, are often good. Singing is a strong feature of nursery and reception classes.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards reached in English are above average and pupils’ achievements are good. • Pupils read very well. • Support in English for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • Teachers take from English too few strategies to enable pupils to write at length and independently in other subjects such as science and geography.

p.26

Commentary

46. Standards in English are consistently above average and the achievement of pupils is good, particularly so in reading where their rate of progress is very good.

p.26

Commentary

47. By the end of Year 2, most pupils read with understanding and can talk with interest about the ideas contained in their reading. Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Although the achievement levels in writing by the higher attaining pupils have not matched those of their reading in the past, the pupils in Years 1 and 2 currently are writing well.

p.26

Commentary

48. Pupils enjoy books and sharing the words, pictures, stories and information they contain. Pupils of all abilities read frequently and regularly. They are given many interesting opportunities to practise their reading skills and develop them further using North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 27 expression and intonation. The teaching of English is good and the school is very successful in helping pupils with special educational needs make rapid progress, mainly through well-planned teaching and the very high level of deployment of skilled teaching assistants to work either with individual pupils or with small groups. More demanding writing is being expected of the pupils in Years 1 and 2 than previously. Where pupils make the best progress, it is because the planning is based upon careful assessments of what they have already learned. However, assessments are sometimes imprecise, especially for the higher attaining pupils who occasionally do

p.26

Commentary

not understand what they should do in order to make the most improvement possible.

p.27

Commentary

49. Good achievement and progress are made through Years 3 to 6 and, by 11, pupils achieve standards which are above average. Many pupils write interesting stories and achieve well, especially when using literature and poetry as their stimuli. Too much writing requires the completion of short exercises, invariably completed without error. Whilst this is effective in helping pupils practise essential structures in grammar, punctuation and spelling, such exercises do not inspire the pupils to write at their highest levels in more meaningful and challenging situations. Computers are used well to support and extend writing but the creative stimulus used to inspire lessons, and the use of dictionaries and thesauruses, are too readily left behind once writing on the computers begins. Support through Years 3 to 6 for pupils who continue to have special educational needs and others in ‘booster groups’ is very good.

p.27

Commentary

50. The subject leader analyses performance and monitors the trends in standards across the school effectively and provides satisfactory leadership. She has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the English curriculum and is rightly proud of the school’s achievements in English. Good quality resources have been secured and the school development plan has a priority to raise achievement further in writing. However, assessments of what pupils have already learned are not consistently well used to adjust the pitch of some lessons and therefore learning does not always build on these as effectively as it might. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching, learning and assessment in English and in the use of English in other subjects are not rigorous or frequent enough and are therefore less effective than they could be in supporting, for example, the development of writing.

p.27

Commentary

51. The subject is well placed to improve further from its strong position which it has consolidated since the previous inspection.

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

52. The school is committed to developing literacy skills through other subjects and is successful in doing this in reading and speaking and listening. The use of language and literacy in these aspects is good. It is less successful in securing good writing. Planning makes regular reference to literacy opportunities and these are taken well, for example in history where pupils do have some good extended writing. However, pupils use too few strategies to help them write independently and at length in subjects such as science and geography. Good displays of pupils’ work and other materials on classroom walls often have a strong literacy emphasis which supports pupils’ endeavours to improve their language and literacy skills effectively.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is good . North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 28

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Year 6 achieve above average standards. • Teaching and learning are good. • Good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their numeracy skills in other subjects. • Sometimes tasks are not matched closely enough to the ability of pupils, particularly for those who are more able.

p.28

Commentary

53. In the national tests in 2004, pupils in Year 6 achieved results which were well above average. The standards in the current Year 6 are not as high, because of the greater number of pupils with special educational needs in this year group. Nevertheless, standards are still above average and pupils’ achievement is good. In a lesson observed during the inspection, most pupils worked well with numbers to three decimal places, and their written work shows a good understanding of aspects of probability, as well as of two and three-dimensional shapes. They also make good use of bar graphs to interpret data. However, there is little evidence of higher attaining pupils carrying out open-ended investigations, which would extend their learning further. In the national tests in Year 2, pupils achieved average results overall in 2004, but the proportion of pupils achieving above the expected level was below average.

p.28

Commentary

Standards are similar in the current Year 2 and overall achievement is satisfactory.

p.28

Commentary

54. The quality of teaching and learning is good across the school. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and plan lessons well, although sometimes they do not match work sufficiently closely to the needs of all pupils. Teachers plan extension tasks for higher attaining pupils, but these pupils usually have to complete the basic work set before they can proceed to these tasks, rather than starting with more demanding work. Occasionally, these tasks have not been thought through sufficiently for pupils to be able to complete them independently, especially the groups of more able pupils. Teachers make lessons interesting, for example when learning about odd and even numbers in Year 1 linked with a story about insects, and this involves pupils fully. Teaching assistants provide very good support, particularly with pupils who have special needs, enabling these pupils to make very good progress. ICT is used well in

p.28

Commentary

some lessons, as for instance in Year 4, where the teacher used a tables program to enable pupils to practise at their own pace. Pupils used calculators to assist in more complex work in Year 5, but opportunities are missed for pupils to use computers in lessons,

p.28

Commentary

55. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The subject leader has a good understanding of the subject but does not at present have the opportunity to monitor regularly teaching, planning and pupils’ work to enable him to support teachers more effectively.

p.28

Commentary

56. Standards in Year 6, and the overall quality of teaching and learning, have been maintained since the last inspection. Improvement has been satisfactory.

p.28

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Numeracy skills are promoted well in other subjects. For instance, pupils were encouraged to use their tables to sort themselves into groups in a physical education lesson in Year 3. In a French lesson in Year 6 pupils were challenged to convert euros North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 29 into pounds using the seven times tables. Mathematical skills are developed further in science and geography, as well as in design and technology, where pupils make careful measurements in the planning and making stage.

p.28

SCIENCE

Provision in science is unsatisfactory .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers do not set work that accurately matches the needs of more able pupils. • Some good use of first-hand experience develops pupils’ understanding and skills well. • There are missed opportunities for pupils to follow through their predictive suggestions.

p.29

Commentary

58. The standards achieved by the current Year 6 pupils are below those expected for their ages. Although there are significant numbers of pupils with special educational needs in Year 6, too few pupils are achieving the higher Level 5 in science. This picture reflects that of the previous year’s tests results which indicate too little progress from Years 3 to 6. The school acknowledges that it has not prioritised science for improvement to the same degree as for English and mathematics and pupils’ achievements are therefore not as good as in those subjects, notably for the higher attaining pupils. The standards reached by the current Year 2 pupils are broadly as expected for pupils of their age and their achievement is satisfactory. Most Year 6 pupils have an adequate knowledge of science; they appreciate, for example the feeding relationship between plants and animals, and they know that light travels

p.29

Commentary

in straight lines and reflects off certain things. They tend to lack the learning that would enable them to raise questions and then pursue the methods to investigate them at an appropriate level.

p.29

Commentary

59. Although the school identifies weaknesses in past teaching as contributing to pupils’ unsatisfactory achievement in Years 3 to 6, teaching is now at least satisfactory. The last inspection found teaching to be good. Currently there is some effective teaching of practical skills, though this important aspect of learning is not developed consistently well through the school. In a Year 3 lesson the teacher made good use of hands-on opportunities to enable pupils to find out about the effects of different habitats on daisies. Pupils successfully investigated which flowers were bigger and which stems were taller in shade or in sun. Sometimes, however, teaching misses opportunities to enable pupils to use their imaginative suggestions about how they might organise investigations, as when considering what condition seeds might need to germinate. Pupils’ abilities to select ways to present findings effectively are not as

p.29

Commentary

good as they might be as teaching sometimes provides pupils with a prescribed, narrow form for recording without encouraging pupils to decide for themselves which method might be most effective. The information that teachers have about what pupils know, understand and can do is not always used as well as it might be to match work to the differing abilities of pupils. This often results in pupils across the range of capabilities doing the same work as one another. On these occasions the more capable pupils are not always challenged as much as they might be.

p.29

Commentary

60. The leadership and management of science are unsatisfactory. Not enough has been done to ensure that underachievement, notably by more able pupils, is rigorously tackled. The subject leaders have yet to observe teaching to identify what is working North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 30 well and what needs to be improved so that they can have a measurable impact on the quality of learning. The school development plan has a priority for this to happen.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The computer suite is used well to promote pupils’ skills. • The subject leader provides good support to teachers and support staff who are deployed effectively in order to contribute well to pupils’ learning. • Satisfactory attempts to ensure that pupils’ progress is systematically assessed have not been maintained.

p.30

Commentary

61. Pupils reach standards that are above those expected for their age by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and the achievements of those of differing abilities are good. This is an improvement on pupils’ satisfactory attainment at the last inspection. Pupils in Year 6 competently combine pictures and text, though they are less familiar with using sound in their presentations of information for others. They are skilled when using the Internet, realising the need for the careful phrasing of questions. All pupils have designed their own website, though their exchange of information has yet to include emails. Most pupils have good levels of confidence.

p.30

Commentary

62. Teaching and learning are good. Teaching usually makes good use of what pupils know and do not know in order to plan what they need to do next to make good progress. This is particularly so for the subject leader who has very good knowledge of what individual pupils need to learn next. Teachers have a wide range of skill, and adequate to very good levels of confidence in teaching the subject. Despite this there is a lack of a well-structured system of assessing pupils’ progress to support teachers in their planning of pupils’ work. As a result of these shortcomings the next steps for pupils’ learning are not consistently identified. Teaching engages and encourages pupils very well through giving clear explanations, for example when Year 5 pupils learned how to use spreadsheets. Consequently the pupils feel well supported and they really enjoy learning new skills.

p.30

Commentary

63. Leadership and management of the subject are good in many respects because the subject leader gives all teachers and support staff good training and guidance and he is able to observe teaching at first hand to influence its quality. Following the last inspection the school addressed the key issue to introduce a system for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. Having evaluated its manageability the arrangements were subsequently abandoned. This has left teachers without the best available support in planning what individual pupils should learn next to make learning even better. The subject leader is aware of this weakness and plans to remedy it urgently. The modern computers in the computer room are used well to ensure pupils learn new ICT skills at a good rate and the subject leader is always looking for ways to improve the wealth of resources. The high number of support teachers and other

p.30

Commentary

knowledgeable adults make a strong impact on pupils’ good progress because they are deployed well in supporting pupils.

p.30

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 31 64. Good links with other subjects support learning well. Those with science include virtual experiments such as finding out how much light, heat and water different plants need. In geography, Year 1 pupils use ICT effectively to ‘build a city’ while pupils in Year 5 make good use of the NASA website to find out about planets. Pupils are selective about which information they will retrieve and they present resulting data in a range of ways. Year 6 pupils word-process their work when writing as journalists about an imaginary Second World War incident. Results are imaginative and evocative and enhanced by pictures.

p.31

HUMANITIES

65. No lessons were seen in history during the inspection and so no overall judgement is made. Analysis of a sample of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils indicate that at least a satisfactory range of learning opportunities is available throughout the school. These cover essential areas of knowledge and understanding and help extend pupils’ literacy skills. Good use is made of the local environment where pupils undertake a number of local studies. Educational visits to places of historical interest further afield, such as the Yorvik Museum where Year 3 pupils find out about the past and similarly at Eden Camp where Year 5 pupils study the Second World War, are effective in securing good understanding which pupils are keen to discuss. This indicates that there has been at least satisfactory progress since the previous inspection.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well because teaching is well organised and interesting and encourages them to interpret what they see and hear. • Visits to places of interest help pupils’ learning and understanding of geographical patterns and processes. • Pupils have good opportunities to consolidate their understanding through argument and debate but ideas are not mapped, recorded and communicated in sufficient depth.

p.31

Commentary

66. Standards in geography are above average and achievement is good. The teaching of geography is organised in ways which interest the pupils, for example in orienteering in physical education which provided Year 3 pupils with an exciting way of developing skills with plans and maps. Pupils are involved in good activities to develop their geographical skills, for example in debating the arguments for and against a particular route for a by-pass of North Somercotes, interviewing local people and influential stakeholders about their views, taking up particular stances in the argument and suggesting how the impact might be felt over time. Achievement is good because pupils are asked to enquire about geographical ideas and to use their powers of interpretation based on a realistic and appropriate understanding of their grasp of ideas.

p.31

Commentary

67. Visits to places of geographical interest are an important feature of the programme of work across the school. Pupils talk enthusiastically and knowledgeably about their visits to Grafham Water in Year 6, and pupils lower down the school know a lot about North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 32 Hull and Cleethorpes because of visits they have made with the school. These visits and the use of good quality resources such as maps and aerial photographs of the local area help pupils to understand the patterns and processes created by physical and human features in the landscape. Year 2 pupils, for example are able to explain natural forms and the man-made uses of tracts of land along the local strip of the east coast and have accurate views about weather conditions and human processes which have influenced the way the land has been developed.

p.31

Commentary

68. The teaching of geography is generally good. Speaking and listening and reading skills are promoted well but pupils are not challenged enough to find information for themselves from a variety of books, globes, atlases, maps, documents, diagrams and computer and Internet sources. Pupils’ geographical understanding is not recalled, selected and recorded in sufficient depth so as to be communicated in appropriate ways. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The overall monitoring and evaluation of work in geography are difficult because the subject leader does not observe lessons directly and the pupils have little recorded work to show their progression and to consolidate their learning over time.

p.32

Commentary

69. Since the previous inspection significant improvements have been made.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

70. It is not possible to make a judgement on provision in design and technology as no design and technology lesson was observed during the inspection. Teachers follow national guidelines. Work on display and in pupils’ books is of a good quality. It includes finger and glove puppets from Year 2, purses in Year 4, musical instruments in Year 5 and plans for shelters in Year 6. There is also good evidence of pupils evaluating their finished product.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average, and pupils produce a good range of work. • Good links are made with other subjects. • There are good resources for the subject, but limited use is made of visits and visitors.

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Commentary

71. Pupils’ work is of a standard above that expected for their age. They have produced painting of good quality in the style of Rousseau in Year 6 and very effective work based on aboriginal art in Year 5. In Year 5 they have also made good observational drawings from their own window at home, as well as good quality textile work linked to history, based on images from the Bayeux tapestry. Pupils in Year 2 have painted in the style of Jackson Pollock and also produced clay models based on their study of the life cycle of a caterpillar in science. Pupils in Year 3 have made clay models of Viking boats to support their work in history.

p.32

Commentary

72. From the evidence of pupils’ work, it is apparent that the quality of teaching and learning is good. In the lessons observed, resources were used well, for instance to make a North American Indian ‘dreamcatcher’ in Year 4 or to produce a bowl in the North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 33 style of a calabash from the nomads of Niger in Year 6. Teachers make good links with other, non-European, cultures. Insufficient use is made of visits to places of interest and artists in residence to broaden the stimulus for art and design work. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. It has not been a priority in the school’s development plan, and the subject leader does not have the opportunity to monitor systematically, although she provides good informal support to other teachers.

p.32

Commentary

73. The good standards of work and quality of teaching have been maintained since the last inspection. Improvement has been satisfactory.

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils sing well. • Teaching and learning in lessons are good. • There are limited regular opportunities for pupils to develop their interest in music outside lessons.

p.33

Commentary

74. Opportunities to observe music being taught during the inspection were limited. Pupils were heard singing in assembly and in lessons, and the quality of singing was good. In a Year 6 lesson pupils sang the song ’Stars Hide Your Fires’ in two parts, with clear diction and a good emphasis on mood, following the very good lead provided by the teacher. In Year 2 pupils showed an understanding of the qualities of different sounds produced by different instruments as each group began to compose a piece on a stage in the life-cycle of a caterpillar. However, opportunities for pupils to develop their music further, for instance in a choir or through instrumental lessons, are limited. Opportunities are missed in assemblies to identify a range of composers or for pupils to sing to a live, rather than a recorded, accompaniment. As a result, although the quality of teaching in lessons is good, with teachers showing a good understanding of

p.33

Commentary

the subject, the standards achieved are broadly as expected for pupils’ ages.

p.33

Commentary

75. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. It has not been a priority in the school’s development, and the subject leader does not have the opportunity to monitor planning, teaching and learning on a regular basis. She leads extra-curricular recorder and hand bell groups for small numbers of pupils, and music also features prominently in school productions. There is a good range of musical instruments available, and pupils make some use of computers in composing music.

p.33

Commentary

76. Standards are similar to those found at the previous inspection, and assessment, a weakness at the last inspection, is now carried out on an annual basis. Improvement has been satisfactory.

p.33

Physical education

Provision in physical education is very good .

p.33

Main strengths and weaknesses

North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 34 • Achievement is very good and standards are well above average. • Exercise is promoted as a central feature in the school’s healthy living programme and is a very good feature • Good planning and extra-curricular activities lead to effective teaching and learning. • Close links with sports clubs and the secondary specialist school extend provision effectively.

p.34

Commentary

77. Standards in physical education are well above average and achievement is very good; inclusion in lessons is thoughtful and expectations are appropriately demanding. Planning covers the full range of the National Curriculum programme, which is supported very well by extra-curricular activities. The planning shows that the pupils take part in a wide range of games, gymnastics, swimming and athletic activities. Resources for these activities are good. The school maintains and uses its own shallow outdoor pool, lets it to parents to support swimming over the summer and uses a local pool for more advanced swimming teaching.

p.34

Commentary

78. Every morning the pupils undertake a few minutes of planned and guided outdoor physical exercise. This is conducted well in different pupil groupings. It is emphasised that it is not competitive whilst giving those who want to undertake a more challenging session the option to do so. Less active pupils are encouraged to run or walk to their own level and many try hard to extend and improve on their previous performances. These sessions are very good practice as part of the school’s wider programme of healthy living and eating.

p.34

Commentary

79. Pupils enjoy learning skills in games involving ball control and gymnastics and teaching is good. Teachers have good command of the subject and so pupils listen well to instructions and get on task very quickly. In one Year 4 lesson, the teacher very effectively led a short warm-up and then quickly moved on to the main activity on helping the pupils to learn hitting and fielding skills. Set very much in a context for cricket, the pupils learned how to hold the bat, deliver the ball to the target and field effectively both to stop runs and maintain the pace of the game. In another lesson on tag rugby with Year 6, though the opening was slow and under-challenging for many, the subsequent high pace of learning meant that the children were engaged in appropriate physical demand, got their heart rates up and benefited in both the development of their skills and their fitness. Pupils make good progress because they

p.34

Commentary

are clear about what is expected of them, both in terms of the task set and in the expectations of their behaviour. Pupils respond well to the challenges set in lessons and perform well.

p.34

Commentary

80. The school has good links with a local secondary school specialising in sports. Sport coaches visit to assist with a range of activities, notably gymnastics. The coaching of gymnastics in Years 1 and 2 observed during the inspection was of high quality but the organisational features of the lessons were not because they lacked sufficient input by the skilled class teachers. This provision contributes well to the physical education opportunities that exist for the pupils both in curriculum time and beyond it.

p.34

Commentary

81. Since the previous inspection significant improvements have been made in physical education. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 35 PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH and CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION (PSHCE)

p.34

Commentary

82. There is a strong commitment to PSHCE, and it is taught as a discrete subject throughout the school. However, because during the inspection only one lesson was seen, it was not possible to make an overall judgement about provision A strong contribution to pupils’ PSHCE development is made in aspects of the school other than lessons, such as the very effective relationships between adults and pupils, the supportive ethos and the very good provision for extra-curricular activities. This has a significant impact on pupils’ personal development as it helps them to see how education affects all aspects of their lives. North Somercotes CofE Primary School - 36

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.36

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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 4 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.36