Snape Community Primary School

SNAPE COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Snape Community Primary School - 2 - May 2005 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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SNAPE COMMUNITY 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. Snape Community Primary School - 3 - May 2005

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 33

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Snape Bedale North Yorkshire Postcode: DL8 2TF

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr T Douglas

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 15 March 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Snape is a community primary school that caters for pupils between the ages of four and eleven. It is situated in village of Snape, near to the town of Bedale. There are 33 pupils on the roll of the school: 16 boys and 17 girls. This is well below the average sized school in England. The roll has been fairly consistent in recent years. Pupils arrive at school reflecting the full range of attainment levels, but overall attainment on entry is average. Pupils are organised into two classes, each of which has more than a single age group of pupils. The pupils come from a small rural area which has few significant signs of deprivation. Housing is mainly private individual dwellings. The vast majority of pupils are white and a small proportion are from mixed race heritages. Seven per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals: this is below the national average. There are 3 pupils (nine per cent) on the list of special educational needs. This is below the national average. No pupils have

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

a statement of special educational need. The school has received the following awards:

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

- Basic skills Quality Mark Snape Community Primary School - 4 - May 2005

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

18824 J Heap Lead inspector English Information and communication technology Geography History Physical education Religious education English as an additional language 32655 J Bostock Lay inspector 14732 E Korn Team inspector Mathematics Science Art and design Design and technology Music Areas of learning in the Foundation Stage Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Anglia House Carrs Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 2LA

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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). Snape Community Primary School - 5 - May 2005

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 29

Snape Community Primary School - 6 - May 2005

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school where the strengths far outweigh the areas for development. Overall, pupils achieve well due to the effective teaching, learning, leadership and management and the way the school ensures that all pupils benefit equally from what it offers. As a result the school gives good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • In Years 1 to 6, pupils achieve well and standards are above average. • Elements of teaching, the curriculum and leadership and management in the Foundation Stage (reception) are weak. • Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are very good. • Links with parents, the community and other schools and colleges are very good. • Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are very good. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to write in the full range of subjects. • The school is very successful at involving pupils in the day-to-day running of the school. • Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of life in a multicultural society has shortcomings.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection is good. The provision and standards in information and communication technology are much better than at the time of the last inspection. The curriculum has better balance and there are few problems relating to behaviour and discipline. Leadership and management are much improved, most particularly the work of the governing body. Progress in the provision for Foundation Stage children has been slow.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good. Children enter the school with broadly average standards. By the end of their time in the Reception Year, children achieve satisfactorily and are on course to meet the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world. Insufficient evidence was available to make secure judgements in physical and creative development. The very small number of pupils in Years 2 and 6 means that results in national tests do not give a true picture of standards and achievement because each pupil may equate to as much as 33 per cent. However, a small amount of guidance can be gained from the trend in results over three years. In Year 2, results in reading and writing were well above average and they were above average in mathematics. Standards seen were above average in reading, writing and science and average in

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs and those identified as gifted and talented achieve well.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

By Year 6, the small number of pupils and higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs means that results in the national tests for the three years to 2004 were well below average in English and mathematics and average in science. However, the trend in results is above the national trend. In the work seen, standards were above average in English, mathematics and science. Achievement is good for most pupils, including those with special educational needs. Pupils designated as gifted and talented make very good progress because they are given responsibilities that are challenging and the support to meet them. Standards in information and communication technology are average at Year 2 Snape Community Primary School - 7 - May 2005 and above average at Year 6. In religious education, standards are above average in Year 2 and well above average in Year 6.

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Pupils’ personal qualities are very good. Overall, pupils’ spiritual, moral social and

cultural development is good. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning and school are very good. Attendance is very good. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of life in a multicultural society is weak.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Overall, the quality of education is good. Teaching and learning are good. Across the school , the proportion of good and better teaching is high, but the best practice was seen in Years 3 to 6. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and it is good in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 6. The use of information and communication technology is having a good effect on the equality of teaching. In the Foundation Stage, there are weaknesses in the quality of teachers planning and in the use of time. Assessment is good overall, but strongest in Years 3 to 6. In the Foundation Stage, there is a weakness in the way that assessment is used to respond to the children’s individual needs.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Overall, the curriculum is good. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is effective and this leads to pupils making good progress. In the Foundation Stage, all of the nationally recommended areas of learning are properly covered, but the planning is weak. This is because of the influence of the National Curriculum in this class with three year groups, two of which are provided for by the National Curriculum. The programme is well enriched by activities beyond the classroom and the school day. The accommodation for the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory. Overall, the level of care and involvement of pupils in seeking and acting on their views is very good. The school provides good support, advice and guidance. Links with parents, the community and other schools and colleges are very good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The governance of the school is effective and much better than at the time of the last inspection. The headteacher provides effective leadership for the school and key staff make a strong contribution as subject coordinators and members of a strong team. Management of the school is good.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have very positive views about the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve provision for the Foundation Stage. • Increase the opportunities for pupils to write in a range of other subjects. • Improve pupils’ knowledge and understanding of life in a multicultural society. Snape Community Primary School - 8 - May 2005

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Overall, achievement is good, including those pupils with special educational needs and those who are gifted and talented. Standards are average when children enter reception and above average in Years 2 and 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school successfully promotes pupils achievements in the basic skills of English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. • In Years 3 to 6, achievement in writing is less than it could be. • Standards and achievement are rising in information and communication technology. • Pupils with special educational needs and those identified as gifted and talented are provided with increasingly difficult challenges that ensure they achieve well.

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Commentary

1 Since the last inspection, the main improvement has been the in the raising of standards and achievement in information and communication technology. In other subjects, achievement has been maintained at similar levels to those reported last time. Parents are happy with the progress being made by their children. However, children in the Foundation Stage are not making the good progress reported at the last inspection.

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Commentary

2 When the children enter Reception Year, standards are broadly average. By the time they reach Year 1, all children achieve satisfactorily and standards are average. Children move steadily towards the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals in personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world. Insufficient evidence was available to make secure judgements about standards and achievement in physical and creative development.

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Commentary

3 Owing to the very small numbers of pupils in Years 2 and 6 in most years it is very difficult to draw secure conclusions from the results gained in national tests. However, it is possible to look at the overall trends from results over three years. So, in Year 2, standards were well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. There is clear evidence in these trends that results in writing are improving over time because of the extra attention that has been paid to this area of English. In Year 6, results were well below average in English and mathematics and average in science. It is to the credit of the school’s leadership and management that they have tracked these outcomes and much successful work has been done to improve provision and standards. In English, the inspection evidence points to shortcomings in writing, most particularly the variety and opportunities to write at length in a range of subjects. The school’s tracking of pupils’ achievements

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Commentary

shows that pupils achieve well in relation to their prior learning, despite the results that they get. Snape Community Primary School - 9 - May 2005 4 By Year 2, the attainment of the large majority of pupils is above average in reading, writing and number. Pupils are able to read simple texts with accuracy, using appropriate strategies to decipher unfamiliar words. Most are able to write simple sentences, using full stops and capital letters, and many can spell correctly words they use frequently. In mathematics, most pupils use addition and subtraction in solving problems in number and using money. The basic skills in using number are strong because of the good teaching that they receive. In science, pupils predict sensibly the outcomes of the experiments they do. They have good knowledge of plants and their parts. Once more, good teaching provides the pupils with skills and the confidence to succeed.

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Commentary

5 By Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils continue to build well on the good basic skills learned earlier. In English, achievement is very good in speaking and listening, good in reading and satisfactory in writing. These overall judgements match the focus of the teaching, most particularly the fact that there are more opportunities to develop speaking than there are to write at length, most particularly in a range of subjects across the curriculum. In mathematics, achievement is good and standards are rising. This is due to the good and, often, very good teaching, particularly for the higher attaining pupils.

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Commentary

6 Pupils use their good basic number skills to solve challenging tasks, such as the conversion of metric measures into vulgar fractions. In science, achievement is good because of the effective teaching. Pupils are developing a confident approach to investigating and predicting outcomes to experiments. Furthermore, the quality of their recording of findings is enhanced by their good basic skills in mathematics and information and communication technology.

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Commentary

7 In information and communication technology, standards are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. In Year 2, pupils’ word processing skills are sound. They produce good work while they develop the basic skills that are successfully built on in Years 3 to 6. As a result, Year 6 pupils are competent when producing, for example: - Power Point presentations; - information based on findings from the internet. Gifted and talented pupils are asked to take a management role with the work produced by younger pupils. This is challenging and good work that is packed with responsibility.

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Commentary

8 In religious education, standards are above average overall. Pupils’ achievement is good, including those with special educational needs. Year 2 pupils have good knowledge and understanding of festivals and important religious figures. This basic knowledge and understanding of religions is built on well in Years 3 to 6 and by the end pupils’ achievement is very good. Pupils know a lot of facts about a range of religions, such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Furthermore, they develop good thinking towards expressing their feelings and views.

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Commentary

9 Owing to the sampling of other subjects, it is not possible to judge securely the standards and achievement in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education.

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Commentary

10 The pupils with special educational needs achieve well. Many have specific and effective programmes that address their individual needs and help them to make good progress. The highest attaining pupils and those identified as gifted and talented achieve well. The school uses its mixed age classes effectively to extend Snape Community Primary School - 10 - May 2005 the high achievers and it supports the individual pupils with specific talents very well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils` attitudes and behaviour are very good. Provision for pupils` personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural elements, is good overall. Attendance is very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• The enthusiastic attitudes of pupils to their learning result in a positive learning environment. • Relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are very good as a result of the school’s caring ethos and the very good examples set by the staff. • Pupils’ understanding of life in modern multicultural Britain is the weakest aspect of their personal development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

11 The strengths identified in the last report have been maintained. There are no longer any disruptions caused by badly behaved pupils. Parents are very happy with all aspects of this part of the school’s character. There has not been as much progress with preparing pupils for life in a multicultural society.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

12 Teachers quickly establish clear expectations of the required attitudes to learning of pupils in all aspects of school life. Consequently, pupils listen attentively, are keen to answer questions and to be involved in discussions. Pupils respect each other’s opinions and ideas, concentrate very well and are focussed on tasks and work hard. Participation in the clubs run outside lesson time is also very good. In this positive learning environment pupils learn well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

13 High expectations of good behaviour at all times are rewarded by the performance of pupils. Teachers establish and maintain an atmosphere of quiet controlled behaviour in pupils by encouragement through praise and quiet reminders. They are considerate of the feelings, possessions and personalities of one another. Play at break and lunchtimes is energetic and friendly. During assembly, pupils are orderly and quiet. While around school they also behave well. As a result of this very good behaviour teachers are able to concentrate on teaching and learning. There is no evidence of bullying, or racism, or bad behaviour and parents agree with this. Pupils feel that any problems are quickly sorted out. There have been no exclusions last year or this.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

14 Pupils make the most of the opportunities that the school provides for them to learn by having very good levels of attendance - although the levels have declined slightly in recent years.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Attendance in the latest full complete reporting year – 2003/4 (%)

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.8 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 Snape Community Primary School - 11 - May 2005 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

15 Through their own conduct teachers help create the school’s caring ethos which values fairness, friendliness and respect for one another. This results in a safe, happy and disciplined environment. Pupils respond to this by forming very good relationships with each other and with adults in the school. They help each other with work, mix well and display care and compassion when other pupils are upset. Teachers encourage responses from all pupils in lessons, praise their successes in all aspects of school life and support their participation in the out-of-school clubs available. As a result pupils are confident when approaching and talking to staff. In lessons they display a mature relationship with teachers and with each other which is seen in their sensible participation in discussions. The pupils respect staff and are polite and helpful to visitors.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

16 Pupils` personal qualities are very strong in moral and social development and their spiritual development is good. Cultural development is good in relation to their knowledge and understanding of their local and immediate world. However, their understanding of multicultural life in modern Britain is weak. Displays around the school do not highlight the cultural diversity of this country. Teaching introduces only token ideas of our multicultural society, such as by bringing some visitors to the school from other cultures and faiths. The school recognises that further development of pupils` real knowledge of what life is like in cities, towns and other areas is necessary.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

17 Pupils are able to show their personal development in various ways. They eagerly take on responsibilities by representing pupils on the school council and health committee as well as taking turns on rotas for issuing free fruit or dealing with play equipment. Older pupils act as “buddies” for younger ones needing some support and year two “mini buds” also help. Pupils are involved in extensive work for charity, which is well supported by parents and the community.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Overall, the quality of education is good, including the quality of teaching and learning. The curriculum effectively promotes pupils’ learning. The school has very good procedures and practices for care, welfare, health and safety. The links with parents, community and other schools are very good.

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Teaching and learning

Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. Assessment is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching for the Foundation Stage children has some shortcomings. • The best practice was observed in the Year 3 to 6 class.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

Snape Community Primary School - 12 - May 2005 Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons;

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

18 Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory for the Foundation Stage and good throughout the rest of the school. In all lessons observed, teaching was at least satisfactory and very frequently better.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

19 The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection. The main reasons for this are: - the elimination of the unsatisfactory practice observed last time; - there is more guidance to help teachers and assistants. Parents are very happy with the quality of teaching and learning and pupils describe their enjoyment of most lessons. However, teaching is not as good in the Foundation Stage as last time and this is because of: - weaknesses in assessment, planning and the use of time; - the accommodation being unsuitable.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

20 In the Foundation Stage, the strengths in the teaching are: - good questioning by the adults make the children concentrate hard on the task in hand; - the teacher successfully insists on the children behaving well and applying themselves to the prepared tasks. However, there are too few opportunities planned for the children to learn through play. All too often they are joining with the Year 1 and 2 pupils in dealing with work that is planned towards the National Curriculum, rather than the nationally recommended areas of learning. Assessment does not provide the practitioners with good and sufficient guidance about individual needs. Nevertheless, the teacher and teaching assistant have a pleasant, helpful and encouraging manner with children and give them much praise for their work. This is an important factor in promoting their satisfactory learning.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

21 There are now some significant strengths in the teaching of the infant and junior classes that enables most pupils to achieve well and make good progress. Teachers' planning is of good quality. They carefully plan what they want their pupils to learn in each lesson and share this with them. This provides pupils with a clear focus for their allotted activities and has a particularly good impact on their pace of working and ability to learn quickly. Teachers use a good range of activities to consolidate pupils' learning and vary the way in which they teach using, for example, whole-class teaching to very good effect in lessons such as religious education. However, the key strengths are: - the insistence on high standards of behaviour and this means that time is not wasted; - the very promotion of equal opportunity in the Year 3 to 6 class ensures that all pupils gain equally from what the school has to offer;

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

- the growing use and influence of information and communication technology in the work of other subjects and this leads to pupils becoming more independent in their learning; - the focus on developing key basic skills, particularly in Years 1 and 2. Snape Community Primary School - 13 - May 2005 22 The best teaching was seen in the Year 3 to 6 class, and all of the very good and excellent lessons were observed in this part of the school. These lessons have some common features, for instance: - the level of challenge is high and this encourages pupils’ enthusiasm, as in the very good English lesson where pupils identified and discussed the possible uses of alliteration in advertising; - very good matching of tasks to the needs of individual pupils, such as the wide range of practical mathematics experiences for lower attaining pupils; - the very good pace in the science lesson that fired pupils’ interest about the ways

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

that musical instruments produce sounds. In discussions, pupils are treated as mature people and given a chance to express their ideas fully. However, the amount of discussion is high and this reduces the time and opportunities for the pupils to write, particularly in subjects such as geography, history and religious education.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

23 Resources are used well to support learning in the classrooms, particularly in information and communication technology and religious education. The learning support staff are used effectively in the classes where they give support. The class teachers value their input and see them rightly as a very valuable resource.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

24 In the infant and junior groups, the quality of day-to-day assessment is good with some very good features in the juniors. Teachers' marking is particularly good and helpful in the juniors where the comments are usually linked effectively to pupils’ own targets. Although most comments are positive, there are timely and strong reminders to keep on track. Teachers monitor the pupils' work well in the class giving support and advice as needed. Assessment through questioning is used well to gain insights into the pupils' level of understanding and to develop their speaking skills. Pupils in the juniors have a very good understanding of what they need to do to improve.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

25 Pupils with special educational needs are well catered for and make good progress. Throughout the school, teachers are aware of those pupils with specific and special educational needs and they are given good support in the classroom. Teaching assistants give targeted help in the infant classes. Here work is set specifically for these pupils and they are helped by the assistants and teachers to succeed. In junior classes, the teachers set work that is matched to the pupils' prior attainment and their targets set out in individual educational plans. Pupils are given satisfactory support in additional programmes in literacy. Snape Community Primary School - 14 - May 2005

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The curriculum

Overall, the curriculum is good. The school provides a good level of activities that enrich the overall programme. There are weaknesses in the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is well planned to meet the mixed age classes of the school. • There has been some good innovative curriculum planning to link the skills the pupils need to learn. • The accommodation for the children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory. • There are too few teaching assistants to meet the demands of the curriculum.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

26 Overall, there has been good improvement in the curriculum since the previous inspection for pupils in Years 1 to 6. Very good improvement has been made in the provision and use of information and communication technology, particularly in the support of learning in other subjects. There has been good improvement in the manner in which the curriculum is planned to develop skills and this is reflected in the improvement in scientific investigations. French is no longer provided. Parents are very happy with the range of activities provided for their children.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

27 The curriculum for the pupils in the Years 1 to 6 is good. It is sufficiently broad and balanced and it provides good opportunities for pupils to build successfully on their skills, knowledge and understanding. The National Curriculum and the North Yorkshire curriculum for religious education are appropriately covered. The National Primary Strategy are effectively implemented and standards in reading and numeracy are good, particularly those of the older year groups. In the planning, subjects are linked together to improve pupils' learning and to foster the use of their skills in a range of subjects. However, too few opportunities are provided for pupils to use and develop their writing skills across a range of subjects, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Numeracy skills, such as measuring and drawing graphs are used well in science but not in design and technology projects. Good provision is made for

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Main strengths and weaknesses

personal, social, health and citizenship education and its impact is reflected in the pupils' very good attitudes within the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

28 The curriculum for the pupils in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and all six areas of learning are properly provided for. It promotes satisfactory achievement. However, there are shortcomings: - the planning for these young children is inappropriately influenced by, and biased towards, the demands of the National Curriculum, rather than reflecting the national directives for the Foundation Stage; - the accommodation provided for these children is unsatisfactory. It restricts their movement inside the classroom and their opportunities to learn in an active manner; - too few teaching assistants support these children and one consequence of this is that the children have insufficient opportunity to learn in an outdoor environment.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

29 Owing to the mixed age classes, the school is particularly conscious of the need to provide equality of opportunity for all. The provision is very good for the pupils in Years 1 to 6 and for these pupils, the work is well matched to their needs. The provision for the children in the Foundation Stage is, however, just satisfactory. At times, the curriculum provided for them is not sufficiently planned to their individual learning needs. The size of the school facilitates good preparation as the pupils move from one key stage to the next. Very good curriculum links exist and preparation procedures for the pupils before they move to the local high school are very good. Snape Community Primary School - 15 - May 2005 30 The provision for pupils with special needs is good and the special needs code of practice is implemented well. These pupils have individual and appropriate learning targets. A good feature is that these are written in a 'child friendly' manner that they understand. They are

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Main strengths and weaknesses

given specific programmes for their needs and the teaching assistant supports them well in these programmes. The school relies heavily upon volunteers and students to support the special needs pupils in the lessons due to the fact that there is insufficient support staff time. The provision for the pupils who are identified as gifted and talented is good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

31 Despite its small size and rural location, the school provides a good range of clubs and out of hours learning with an appropriate mix of sport, the arts and other activities, such as chess. For example, all pupils in Years 3 to 6 play squash twice a week at lunch-time. Ministers from the local church, parents and villagers support the school well by providing help and resources to enhance the curriculum. A good feature is that the pupils in Years 3 to 6 have two opportunities for a residential experience, where they participate in many outdoor and adventurous activities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

32 There are advanced plans to improve the accommodation for the Foundation Stage children and to give them easier access to the outdoors. Improved access for the disabled is also planned and the school should then comply with regulations. The deficiencies in the building, in relation to the physical education curriculum have been overcome. The resources for information and communication technology are good.

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Care, guidance and support

Arrangements for ensuring pupils` care, welfare, health and safety are very good. Provision for pupils` support, advice and guidance is good. The school takes very good account of pupils’ views.

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Care, guidance and support

• Pupils play a very strong role in the running and development of the school. • The school provides good advice about what pupils need to do to improve. • Effective provision for care and welfare ensures pupils are well looked after. • Well organised management of health and safety arrangements ensures that pupils and staff are secure.

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Care, guidance and support

33 The school has maintained the significant strengths identified at the last inspection. Parents find the school to be a fair place and one that welcomes the arrival of pupils new to the school. At the meeting with inspectors, parents expressed high praise about the caring and ‘family’ nature of the school.

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Care, guidance and support

34 Pupils have an active role in the school’s work. The school council is well established and provides mature discussion about issues relevant to pupils such as friendship benches, fairness of rotas for tasks, improving lunches and playground equipment. Senior pupils are “buddies” for younger ones and “mini bud” pupils in year two learn the skills by working with their peers. Until recently pupils ordered fruit for the “fruit bar” and “did the books” - although this has now been overtaken by the generosity of parents who provide free fruit. There is a road safety committee and even informal support for ICT maintenance on occasions. Snape Community Primary School - 16 - May 2005 35 Pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6, are well aware of their targets for improvement and often have them on their desks as reminders. They are involved in setting some of these in conjunction with teachers. Marking of homework and other work provides advice about how

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Care, guidance and support

to improve and in day-to-day school life teachers discuss with pupils any amendments to their ideas.

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Care, guidance and support

36 Pupils are well cared for and have a trusting, secure and confident relationship with their class teachers and teaching assistants, so that most pupils feel that they have a person to go to if necessary. During play and lunchtimes the children are well supervised. In lessons, teachers care for the feelings of pupils as well as their physical health. If pupils become upset they are quickly comforted by staff (and other pupils) and any incidents are managed well. Child Protection measures are very good. The support of a range of outside professionals is welcomed and used appropriately. The successes of pupils are celebrated in class and in assemblies. Parents are very satisfied that good care is taken of their children and that they enjoy school.

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Care, guidance and support

37 The school has received the healthy schools award, recognising its work in improving healthy eating and living. This results from activities by an innovative committee of pupils, parents, community and staff, which co-ordinates work on a wide range of initiatives. These include: - the walking bus and safe travel to school arrangements; - exercise and the supply of fruit and snacks, and work with caterers to improve lunch provision. Risk assessments of the school’s facilities and trips are carried out thoroughly. The school is attractively decorated. All necessary routine health and safety checks and arrangements are managed well. Equipment and facilities are kept in good order, playground equipment is safe and the playground is well maintained. All these lead to an attractive, healthy and secure learning environment.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership arrangements with parents the community and with other schools and colleges are very good. These arrangements promote pupils’ learning strongly.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

• Parents and the school work closely together to promote children’s good learning. • Pupils and the school benefit from the close links with other local schools. • The school is extremely well integrated with the local community, which benefits pupils’ development.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

38 Since the last inspection, the school has successfully maintained the strengths identified in that report. Parents are very satisfied with the work the school is doing, particularly the on-going development of links with parents and the very good relationship with the local community.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

39 Many parents assist in the classroom by hearing readers and helping small groups, or by running clubs or by supporting swimming and trips. For example one brought fresh baked bread into the school during the inspection for younger pupils to taste and look at. There are three consultation evenings for parents a year, which are very well attended, to discuss the development of pupils. The school provides workshops and leaflets to parents about numeracy, and one is scheduled in information and communication technology, so that they are better able to help their children. Termly Snape Community Primary School - 17 - May 2005 statements of work being carried out are provided. Regular homework provides parents with the opportunity to help their children and to learn more about the work they do. Annual reports for parents provide good information about the quality of each pupil’s development. As a result, nearly all parents feel involved in their child’s

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

development, well informed about the progress made and satisfied with the school’s provision.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

40 The school benefits from being a member of a cluster group of 10 local small primary schools and the main High school. They share training, arrange visiting speakers and the headteachers meet regularly to discuss problems such as how to improve behaviour. The school is also a member of a Primary Headship partnership, which discusses matters such as finance, lesson plans and marking. Pupils attend sports afternoons, with each other, put on at the High school and swimming galas. There has recently been a workshop about French and German languages for pupils from which further language teaching is being explored. Pupils attend the high school to use their gym and are shortly to do dance lessons in their performing arts complex. The school also supports teacher training.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

41 The community is closely integrated into the activities of the school. Strong elements are: - local clergy from two churches hold assemblies regularly and pupils visit their churches in support of their religious development; - there are popular Christmas and summer performances that parents and the community attend; - the Friends of Snape School (FOSS) is very active with many events which are both fund raising and develop the links between pupils, parents and the community. Funds raised often finance trips that pupils make; - the very good support that the community and parents give to the many charitable activities organised through the school. Pupils make good use of the immediate locality and go wider afield to their residential visits for Years 5 and 6 and many other visits in support of the curriculum. These include Ripon Cathedral and Fountains Abbey, Eden Camp for World War 2 history, Beamish museum for

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Victorian history, the work of the emergency services and the coast for geography. There are frequent visitors to the school to support various aspect of the curriculum including people recounting their experience of life in the Yorkshire dales and also of being evacuated in the war, a few people from other cultures and faiths, and community police . These activities also help develop in pupils their awareness of religious values, of right and wrong, of the responsibilities of being part of a community, and also their self confidence and their social skills.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. Governance is effective. The headteacher provides good leadership. Key staff support the headteacher well and provide good leadership in their areas of responsibility. Management is good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Management is now better focused on monitoring and evaluation. • Governors are much more active and have a good role in leadership. • Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are weak. • The bursar provides effective support to financial management.

p.17

Commentary

Snape Community Primary School - 18 - May 2005 42 Since the last inspection, there have been good improvements in leadership and management. The main areas of development are: - a much stronger relationship between governors and headteacher; - roles and responsibilities of all are much clearer and effective; - monitoring and evaluation are much stronger and based on a clear view of pupils’ achievements and staff qualities. As a result, the judgement on leadership and management is clearly better than at the time of the last inspection. Nevertheless, the work is not completed because of weaknesses in the leadership of the Foundation Stage.

p.18

Commentary

43 The school is well led by an experienced headteacher who, together with staff and governors, is promoting good standards, teaching and learning. There is a shared commitment to move the school forward on the basis of a clear educational direction and the school is well placed to continue improving over time. The main strengths of her leadership are: - the very good example she provides as a teacher, which takes up 60 per cent of her time; - the willingness to improve matters on the basis of the detailed information she gathers; - the clear vision for the direction the school is going.

p.18

Commentary

44 Subject coordination is sound and there are increasing opportunities for staff to review planning in their areas and they have begun monitoring pupils' standards alongside the quality of teaching and learning. This approach has been relatively successful in core subjects such as literacy and numeracy and is now being spread to all subjects. Most coordinators have a sound grasp of the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects and have begun to contribute suggestions for growth and improvement to the annual school development plan. However, leadership for the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory. In part, this is a reflection of the large number of roles and responsibilities that each staff member shoulders in the school. There has been insufficient evaluation of the provision that these children receive.

p.18

Commentary

45 The governing body fulfils its statutory responsibilities well and is becoming increasingly influential in many areas of school life. It has improved its impact and influence since the previous inspection and is undoubtedly taking a major share in helping to shape the direction taken by the school. Governors are involved well in matters of finance and strategic planning and are kept well informed of all that goes on in the school, by the good communication with the headteacher. A key feature here is the good work of the committees that ensures that the strengths and interests of individual governors are used effectively. Governors have tangible links with curriculum areas and these are being strengthened further by organised visits when they can see the pupils at work and judge for themselves the standards reached.

p.18

Commentary

46 Management has a well-organised approach to measuring school performance. Good structures are now in place to: - monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school. This is more rigorous and effective because of more focused observations as part of the school's effective approach towards performance management; - track pupils’ achievements, both in the test results and in their day-to-day work. A good example of the success of these measures is the identification of difficulties in mathematics and the successful seeking of assistance from the local education authority to put it right. Snape Community Primary School - 19 - May 2005 Although room for improvement still exists, there is, in many areas of school life, a greater sense of self-review including an awareness of how a thorough diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses can secure greater improvement and raise the school's future performance.

p.18

Commentary

47 The leadership provided by the special educational needs coordinator is good. She has a secure overview of the school's needs and its provision and she ensures that the code of practice is adhered to well.

p.19

Commentary

48 Financial management is good. Headteacher and governors prudently identify the main areas for expenditure and these are drawn from the priorities identified in the school improvement plan. Earmarked funding for functions such as special educational needs are spent appropriately and, in fact, the amount is greater than that received in the budget. As a result, the provision for these pupils is good. The school benefits from the effective work of a part-time and very experienced bursar. He monitors closely the school’s expenditure and provides good, clear advice and guidance when budgeting is being done. He also provides a useful link with other schools that he works in. The school has good procedures and practices for seeking and obtaining value for money in their acquisition of supplies and services.

p.19

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.19

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 150,208 Balance from previous year 17,200 Total expenditure 153,550 Balance carried forward to the next 13,858 Expenditure per pupil 4,953 Snape Community Primary School - 20 - May 2005

p.19

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

p.20

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

The provision for the four children in the Reception Year is satisfactory . The achievement of the children is satisfactory and they are on target to reach the Early Learning Goals in each of the areas of learning by the end of reception. This is despite the unsatisfactory accommodation that restricts their independent movement in the classroom access and to the outdoor area.

p.20

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

Although the provision is similar to that identified at the time of the last inspection, the philosophy of the Foundation Stage curriculum guidance has not been implemented as rapidly as in many other schools and, therefore, the provision is no longer well above the average, as it was previously.

p.20

SUBJECTS AND COURSES

The reception children are taught in the same classroom as the Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. The teaching they receive is satisfactory overall and they benefit from the teacher's good questioning skills and expectations of behaviour. However, there are some unsatisfactory elements in the teaching for these children; specifically in the way the lessons are planned and how the time is used. Too frequently, the reception children spend time listening to explanations of work for the older pupils, rather than being actively involved in their own learning. There is unsatisfactory use of assessment information to match the teaching and the specific work to their individual needs of the children. The impact of the teaching assistant on the children's learning is good, but this support is only available for the equivalent of one day a week.

p.20

Personal, social and emotional development

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is insufficient use made of the Foundation Stage curriculum and of assessment in order to provide well targeted teaching that is matched to each child's needs. • Procedures for welcoming children into the school are good which help them settle quickly.

p.20

Commentary

49 The children make satisfactory progress and they should all achieve the early learning goals by the end of the Reception Year. The teaching is satisfactory, but there are some weaknesses. Induction procedures are good and the children are speedily established into school on a full time basis. They have a good relationship with the adults who teach them. All the children are confident to speak within the lessons. They are familiar with the school routines and are sufficiently confident and independent to, for example, collect and return their own reading books. They sit quietly and listen to their class teacher, but frequently this is for too lengthy a period and they do not comprehend the information, which it is for the older year groups. This curtails the children's time for exploration and active learning and restricts their personal social and emotional development. Consequently, when taught away from

p.20

Commentary

the class teacher's authority they are less willing to respect rules and agreed methods of behaviour. Assessment data is insufficiently used to focus the teaching, for example by supporting the child who is less confident and by guiding the more exuberant to understand and consider the needs and feelings of others. The adults do not have a consistent set of expectations for basic skills such as the children Snape Community Primary School - 21 - May 2005 treating school resources with respect and tidying away their equipment after use and, therefore, good habits are not as well formed as they could be. Snape Community Primary School - 22 - May 2005

p.20

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

• The spoken language skills of the majority of the children are good. • Basic reading and writing skills are good.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

50 The children achieve satisfactorily and they should all attain the early learning goals for these areas of the curriculum. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In a full class situation, such as when the teacher reads a book or introduces the lesson, the children listen attentively. There are many good opportunities for them to develop their spoken language skills, these include the times when they sit in a circle and express their ideas. Adults are good at encouraging the children to use spoken language to negotiate and to sequence their thoughts and actions and they model language well. When they enter into conversations with adults the children respond clearly, audibly and mainly in full and frequently complex sentences. The children all listen with enjoyment to a story when it is read to them. They are all established upon the school's reading scheme and most are recognising basic words in a

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

range of contexts. Half of the children are exceeding the Early Learning Goals for writing and are linking two sentences together. They can all write their own name legibly.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

• Higher attaining children have competent counting skills. • Teaching is enhanced by the use of the interactive whiteboard. • There is insufficient recording of children’s mathematical work.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

51 The children achieve satisfactorily and are on target to attain the early learning goals for number and computation. The teaching is satisfactory. Children make satisfactory progress. The children's attention is held well by the class teacher using the interactive whiteboards and they are introduced to simple addition sums and to recognising numerals on the one hundred square in this manner. At other times, when being taught separately from the older pupils in the class by a teaching assistant or a volunteer, they learn the value of coins and how to use these for 'shopping'. In this context, the higher ability children confidently count to 11 pence, but others cannot do this, or identify that this is a number larger than 10. Children write most numerals to 10 clearly, but some write them the wrong way around. Over the year the children have had insufficient opportunity to record their mathematical work. Children

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

recognise simple basic shapes of a circle and a square and they have opportunity to select round shapes to make into flower collage pictures. During the inspection no singing of number rhymes to help counting skills, nor use of large equipment to develop spatial awareness was observed.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

Knowledge and understanding of the world

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

Main strengths and weaknesses Snape Community Primary School - 23 - May 2005 • Much of the curriculum is too closely planned to the National Curriculum. • In the lesson that reflected the Foundation Stage curriculum the teaching was good and the children were excited by their learning.

p.22

Communication, language and literacy

52 Overall, the teaching is satisfactory and the children are attaining the early learning goals for this area of the curriculum. In the lesson observed, the teaching was good and the children were encouraged to observe the various flowering plants that grow around their school. Children achieve satisfactorily. A great deal of excitement was generated as they matched the flowers to photographs that their teacher provided. Previously, they have planted seeds and baby pansies. Adults help the children to develop their sense of smell and taste by providing opportunities for them to taste, for example, bread decorated with sunflower seeds and spread with sunflower margarine. Together with the infant children in their class, they have studied the lifestyle of the Inuit and of arctic animals such as polar bears. They are helped to develop a sense of time by their class teacher asking them to reflect upon the

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

previous day's activities and this is good practice. They learn about other cultures and celebrations such as the Sikh festival of Holi and in this context they tasted traditional foods. Children manipulate a computer to follow a simple programme satisfactorily. Partially due to the restricted space in which the children are taught, they have less opportunity than is frequently seen to observe and explore the properties of basic materials such as sand, water and dough and to play with miniature toys and construction kits.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

53 This area of learning was not a focus for the inspection and insufficient evidence was available to make a judgement upon provision. The children's manipulation skills are good. The lack of an outdoor enclosed area or of a school hall for gymnastics restricts the curriculum. Despite this, the children exhibit satisfactory standards in their ability to run, skip with a rope, balance upon a scooter and to kick a large ball. In the small quantity of outdoor activity observed, there was insufficient direct teaching to improve the children's skills. In their ability to use a pencil and to write clearly, to use scissors and to apply glue with a spreader the children are all meeting the expectations and could exceed these by the end of the reception year.

p.23

Communication, language and literacy

54 This area of learning was not a focus for the inspection and insufficient evidence was available to make a judgement upon provision. No direct teaching was observed of music or of art. Children were given the opportunity to create flowers from collage, which they did well. In mathematics lessons they are encouraged to play and shop imaginatively in the 'garden centre' or at the 'lucky dip' and adults are involved to extend this role play, but the children are given insufficient time or encouragement to take on characters and develop creatively. Snape Community Primary School - 24 - May 2005

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Progress in writing in Year 3 to 6 is not as great as in speaking or reading. • Writing in Years 1 and 2 has improved well. • Pupils have good basic skills in reading and writing. • In Years 3 to 6, the use and development of writing in other subjects has shortcomings.

p.24

Commentary

55 Since the last inspection, the school has improved the provision and standards in writing in Years 1 and 2. This is confirmed in the range of inspection evidence, from books to results in national tests. This is due for the most part to good teaching and leadership and management. Otherwise, the strengths identified in the last report have been maintained. Overall, standards are above average and achievement for all pupils is good, including those with special educational needs.

p.24

Commentary

56 By Year 2, standards are above average. This is also reflected in the well above average three year trend in results of national tests in reading and writing. Pupils are confident speakers, listeners, readers and writers and they make good progress in each of these areas. The reasons for this are: - good teaching that places strong emphasis on pupils developing good basic skills, such as handwriting, spelling, punctuation and knowing the sounds of letters; - strong coordination that recognized shortcomings and then put strategies in place to improve them, for example, in writing.

p.24

Commentary

57 By Year 6, standards are above average, but there are only two pupils to make this judgement about. Higher attaining pupils are fluent speakers and readers who enjoy complex plots of books and show good ability when framing and argument. They have good basic writing skills and the ability to grasp the reader’s attention early in the story: ‘ People crowded in the market square in windows, doors and anywhere they could find to watch the German soldiers parade through the town.’ Achievement is variable, but not less than satisfactory. For example, pupils throughout Years 3 to 6 make very good progress in speaking and listening, good progress in reading and satisfactory progress in writing. The main reasons for these different rates of progress are, for example: - very effective teaching in speaking and listening that encourages pupils to listen with great care and to use a broadening and very interesting vocabulary;

p.24

Commentary

- there are too few opportunities for pupils to write at length in subjects other than English. The school rightly recognizes that writing standards need to improve and, further, that there are too few opportunities in the Literacy Hour format. Pupils' attitudes to learning are good. Snape Community Primary School - 25 - May 2005 58 Overall, the teaching observed was good. The range included a very good lesson in Years 3 to 6. The significant strengths of this lesson were: - really good opening pace with ‘speed spelling’ that was challenging and fun. As a result, pupils were highly enthusiastic and concentrating very well; - very good recapping of previous learning with the partner teacher and the strong insistence on pupils providing more specific detail in their answers, which they duly did; - the excellent relationships that contributed to a challenging discussion about the appeal of a variety of advertisements.

p.24

Commentary

In more general terms, the teaching successfully fosters pupils’ gaining of good basic skills. Marking is good and the challenges for individual pupils are clearly linked to the outcomes of their previous work.

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

59 Overall, this is a satisfactory picture. In Years 1 and 2, the use and development of writing in other subjects is good and contributes well to pupils overall competency in literacy. However, in Years 3 to 6 there are shortcomings because the range of writing is too narrow. As a result, pupils’ progress is no more than satisfactory and the amount of writing is relatively low.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The work in the pupils' books shows that the pupils achieve satisfactorily in the Years 1 and 2 and well in the Years 3 to 6. • Teachers use the mixed age classes very well as an opportunity to extend the higher attaining pupils. • Teaching is consistently strong.

p.25

Commentary

60 There has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection. In 2004, the results in national tests at Year 6 were not officially compared to the national average but over the three years 2001 to 2003, there has been a rising trend in mathematics. In the current Year 6, the pupils are achieving well. Standards in Year 2 are around the average. Pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs.

p.25

Commentary

61 The implementation of the Numeracy Strategy has ensured that the basic skills are taught well from Year 1. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher makes effective use of the newly installed interactive whiteboard to demonstrate links between numbers and the value of coins and this visual interactive medium is helping the pupils to understand and to reflect upon their work. In Years 3 to 6, pupils' work is well presented and they develop a good understanding of number processes. In the lessons seen, pupils effectively demonstrated how to convert metric quantities into fractions and, supported by very good teaching, the higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 solved problems relating to cubic capacity. These pupils made considerable gains in their knowledge and understanding and by the end of the lesson they had the confidence to use a calculator independently to aid their work. Snape Community Primary School - 26 - May 2005

p.25

Commentary

62 During the inspection, the teaching was consistently good and for the older pupils, at times it was very good, with some excellent features. These included the ability to demonstrate clearly and to ask questions that extended the pupils' understanding. In all the lessons observed, the planning was good with challenging work well matched to the pupils' varying ages and abilities. The pupils achieved well and they made good progress. However, in order to ensure that the pupils were all fully involved and learning, the teachers relied heavily upon volunteers or students. The work in the infant books and also the local education authority monitoring reveals that the pupils up to Year 4 have not always made this good progress. The teachers' marking in the Years 3 to 6 is of a very good standard.

p.26

Commentary

63 Subject leadership and management are satisfactory. Recent recommendations to improve the teaching have been very effectively taken up in the junior class and there is now a greater emphasis upon teaching the pupils to comprehend mathematical problems and to identify the mathematics needed to solve them. Good assessment systems are in place and in the junior years, an emphasis upon recording the learning targets helps the pupils to reflect upon their work.

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

64 Overall, a satisfactory picture. The skills and competences learned in mathematics, such as drawing graphs and measuring are used well in science. Opportunities to use the skill of measuring accurately are not used sufficiently in design and technology, when the pupils plan their work.

p.26

SCIENCE

• Scientific enquiry skills are developed well. • The teaching seen was good for pupils in the Years 1 to 2 and very good for the pupils in the Years 3 to 6.

p.26

Commentary

65 Good improvement in science has been made since the previous inspection. In particular, a very good improvement in the teaching of scientific investigation skills for pupils in the Years 3 to 6. The standards observed throughout the school, during the inspection were above those expected for the age of the pupils. From an around average starting point, this indicates good achievement and progress.

p.26

Commentary

66 Standards in science are rising. An aggregate of the results at Year 6 from 2002 to 2004 shows standards at around the national average. However, in 2003 and 2004, standards were above the national average and these good standards are reflected in the work seen during the inspection. In Year 2, the pupils have a good knowledge of the functions of the parts of a plant and the Year 6 pupils have a good knowledge of physical processes. There was little evidence in the pupils' books of work on materials and their properties. Snape Community Primary School - 27 - May 2005 67 Basic scientific enquiry skills are developed well from Year 1. In this year, the pupils observe carefully and they use a magnifying lens sensibly. In the lesson observed, the pupils were using this skill to compare and contrast a range of leaves as part of their study of plants. By Year 2, this skill is extended to observing where plants grow

p.26

Commentary

in the school environment. Their previous work shows that Year 2 pupils are learning to make sensible predictions, write in a scientific manner and to record their findings in a table. These skills are built upon well in the Years 3 to 6. The pupils make sensible predictions and draw informed conclusions. Their recording of results includes line graphs by using an electronic measuring probe linked to a computer. In the lesson seen, where the teaching was very good, the pupils investigated how sound travels through various materials. The learning in this lesson was very good, due to the interesting activity, the class teacher's good subject knowledge and her ability to answer difficult questions.

p.27

Commentary

68 All teachers match the work to the age of the pupils well. They plan lessons that involve the pupils in practical activities and they make good use of the available adults to support the pupils' learning. The marking for the pupils in the Years 3 to 6 is very good and informative.

p.27

Commentary

69 There has been good leadership in the development of science. The curriculum is well planned to develop the pupils' scientific enquiry skills and the assessment procedures are good. There is some lack of balance within the overall planning structure, which results in little work on materials and their properties during the year.

p.27

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good strategic planning has brought about significant developments in resources and pupils’ and teachers’ skills. • Gifted and talented pupils make a significant contribution to the organization of all pupils’ work. • The subject makes a good contribution to work in other subjects.

p.27

Commentary

70 Good leadership and management by the headteacher and governors have brought about really good progress in improving the provision since the last inspection. There has been a significant increase in the number of computers and programs and this has led to pupils being able to do a range of work, encompassing links with several other subjects. These improvements have been effective in raising standards and in helping teachers in their work. Standards in Year 6 are now above average and achievement for all pupils is good, including those with special educational needs.

p.27

Commentary

71 In Year 2 standards are average and achievement is good. Pupils have a sound understanding of word processing. For example they are able to write a simple text, change the size and colour of the font, draw pictures print out their work or save it to work on in another lesson. Pupils explain their actions well and through encouragement they work independently on the work that is carefully matched to Snape Community Primary School - 28 - May 2005 their level of expertise. Pupils successfully enter and correct their individual text, use the space bar correctly and use the shift key and backspace keys appropriately.

p.27

Commentary

72 In Year 6, pupils are able to copy formulae onto spreadsheets, create tables of results and understand that a change in one cell affects another. Pupils successfully produce Power Point presentations which include word processing, importing pictures and use hyperlinks. Pupils use the internet to find information in a range of subjects, for example, finding facts about Mother Theresa. Pupils respond very well to their information and communication technology work. They work collaboratively on their activities and try hard to complete the set tasks. Gifted and talented pupils make a significant contribution by assisting the adults with the storage and organization of pupils’ work, particularly that of the Year 1 and 2 pupils.

p.28

Commentary

73 The quality of teaching and learning is good. In the one lesson seen in Years 3 to 6, teaching was very good. The main strengths were: - good subject knowledge and understanding that helped in the setting up of links between the subject-matter in religious education and in information and communication technology; - planning is good with clear lesson objectives and planned activities that are shared well with the pupils; - teacher had high expectations regarding standards of work and effort and pupils were challenged by good, thoughtful questioning and by appropriate tasks.

p.28

Commentary

74 Coordination is good. The policy and programmes followed give a good idea of the growing strength of the subject in the school. Resources are very good. The curriculum is prepared and developed well, particularly in the junior years, where the quality of teaching and learning is also at its best. There are no issues relating to equal opportunities.

p.28

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

75 Pupils are competent users of information and communication technology, mainly because the subject and its use is well promoted as a good tool for learning in other subjects. Science is supported by working with an electronic microscope and through sensing work on heat, light and sound. The internet is used well to find information in geography, history and religious education.

p.28

HUMANITIES

Work in history and geography was sampled during the inspection by looking at pupils’ books and talking to staff and pupils about teaching and learning. No lessons were seen. Consequently, it is not possible to make secure judgements about provision, standards, achievement, teaching and learning and leadership and management.

p.28

HUMANITIES

In geography , Year 2 pupils have knowledge of familiar landmarks in the local environment. They study and compare locations both near and far, such as the polar regions and the life of the Inuits. Most pupils can draw an accurate plan of the classroom. In Year 6, pupils show sound knowledge of the various locations they study, such as a range of countries in Africa. They compare and contrast aspects of climate, housing and transport. The curriculum provided is satisfactory and follows the scheme of work provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The subject does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to write at length. Snape Community Primary School - 29 - May 2005 In history , Year 2 pupils begin to develop a satisfactory sense of the passage of time and know that things change over a period. Pupils are developing sound knowledge of people and events beyond their memory. In Year 6, pupils have a good knowledge of events and

p.28

HUMANITIES

aspects of life during the second world war and pupils have learned that many families endured great hardship and personal loss during the war years. They also know a lot about the Victorian era. They are developing a sound understanding of the different ways of gathering evidence and learning to distinguish between fact and opinion. For example pupils in Year 6 used school log-books to find out about times gone by.

p.29

Religious education

Provision in religious education is very good .

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Knowledge and understanding of several faiths is good. • There is a strong emphasis on learning about the local tradition of Christianity. • The resources for learning in the subject are very good.

p.29

Commentary

76 The report at the time of the last inspection was positive and there have been improvements in important areas since then, for example: - the quality of teaching and learning is very good; - the use of information and communication technology to find and then present information is much improved; - standards and achievement are higher by Year 6; - leadership and management are very good. All of this leads to the conclusion that provision is now better and a strength of the school.

p.29

Commentary

77 Standards are well above average by Year 6. Pupils know and understand the main characteristics of a range of religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. They know about the symbolism, festivals and some of the traditions of these faiths. This high standard is based on a good and comprehensive grounding in Years 1 and 2 that is built upon and improved in Years 3 to 6. In Year 2 pupils know about festivals such as harvest, the lives of well-known religious leaders such as Jesus and that the sacred text about Jesus is the Bible. They have listened to many stories from the Bible and other stories which foster good thinking about one's feelings and those of others. At a very early age pupils can recognise right from wrong and express feelings about situations brought to them through stories. They show that they have clear thinking about the moral of a story. Pupils are making very good progress in religious knowledge and through reflection on feeling

p.29

Commentary

78 The quality of teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and very good in Years 3 to 6. In the excellent lesson about the Wesley brothers observed in Years 3 to 6, the main strengths were: - very good planning that linked splendidly with history, information and communication technology and personal, social, health and citizenship education. This range of links added to the interest for the pupils and challenged them to make telling contributions from their own experiences; Snape Community Primary School - 30 - May 2005 - the development of very good examples about how leaders can be charismatic and persuasive, but the really clever point was linking this to their work in history and the second world war and drawing comparisons between the good message of John Wesley and the evil message of Hitler. In general, lessons are well planned and the topic is supported by teaching and resources which stimulate and interest the pupils. They become eager learners and

p.29

Commentary

the nature of the lesson really makes the pupils think.

p.30

Commentary

79 The coordinator is rightly pleased with the progress that has been made in this subject. The school correctly pays a great deal of attention to the local religious heritage which has deep roots in the Methodist tradition of Christianity. As a result, visits locally and visitors are welcomed to support religious education. The school's own resources are very good, particularly those for pupils' use, such as artefacts. The quality of religious education is monitored well, mainly through lesson observations and records of pupils' progress and attainment are satisfactory. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social; and cultural development.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

In art and design, music and physical education no lessons were observed during the inspection. One lesson was observed in design and technology. Although work on walls was analysed and discussions were held with pupils and coordinators there is no attempt to make secure judgements about provision, standards, achievement, teaching, learning and leadership and management.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

In art and design, t he curriculum shows that the subject is fully planned and taught with a good range of work that covers sculpture.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

In design and technology, no teaching was seen in the Years 1 to 2, but in the lesson seen, in Years 3 to 6, the teaching was good. The pupils had previously designed and started to make a model of a fairground carousel. In the lesson observed a key feature was using information and communication technology to observe a range of carousels to help the pupils finish their model. The pupils in Year 6 use tools such as a glue gun independently and they have good health and safety habits such as wearing goggles. The pupils are clear about the type of mechanism they will use to make their model move. In their previous work the pupils have undertaken some extensive work on bread and evaluated a range of products. The curriculum was due for review but this has been postponed as the subject leader is new to the school.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

In music , the singing in assemblies is of a satisfactory standard. The school has a display of a wide range of musical instruments and music is played in assemblies.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

In physical education , t he curriculum is fully planned and taught.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

There is good provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education and its impact is reflected in the pupils' very good attitudes within the school. This curriculum appropriately includes attention to drugs misuse and to sex and relationships education but it does not address the pupils' Snape Community Primary School - 31 - May 2005 need to learn about road safety in the context of a busy city environment. An understanding of citizenship is developed well through the procedures of the school council. Assemblies closely reflect the school's aims and are of a very good standard. Their themes closely link with the personal and social education provision, very effectively extending that being taught in the classrooms. Requirements for collective worship are fully met. Snape Community Primary School - 32 - May 2005

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 2 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 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 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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