St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Pebmarsh

St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School

Dates of inspection: 13 th -15 th June 2005

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St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School

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

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St John the Baptist C of E VA 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. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 64

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Pebmarsh Halstead Essex Postcode: CO9 2NH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01787 269300 Fax number: 01787 269074

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Janet Penfold

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 30 th November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

St John’s C of E VA Primary School is situated in a rural part of Essex and takes its pupils from several villages. The socio-economic circumstances of the area are better than average. There are 64 pupils on roll, which is much smaller than most other primary schools. Most pupils stay in the school throughout their primary education. Pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes, with children in the reception class taught in the same class as pupils in Years 1 and 2. Children enter school from a variety of pre-school providers in the term that they turn five and attainment on entry is average, overall. All pupils speak English and there are very few eligible for free school meals. There are average numbers of pupils with special educational needs, but none with Statements of Special Educational Need.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The long-term headteacher, who was in post at the time of the last inspection, retired and a new headteacher took over for two years and then resigned (2002-2004). The school has been run by a part-time acting headteacher on a term-by-term basis during this academic year. A substantive headteacher with no teaching commitments takes up her post in September. There is no deputy headteacher. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21678 Sue Walker Lead inspector Foundation Stage Special educational needs English Science Geography History Personal, social and health education and citizenship 11437 Tony Anderson Lay inspector 16493 Neville Sherman Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Music Physical education Design and technology

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Inspections Limited 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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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 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). St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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 26

St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School is a satisfactory school. The good leadership of the acting headteacher has focused the school on further improvement. Standards and achievement are satisfactory in most subjects due to broadly satisfactory teaching. Leadership and management are satisfactory, overall. Value for money is satisfactory.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The effective acting headteacher has brought about change for the better. • Standards in Year 6 in mathematics, in Year 2 in writing and science and in Years 1-6 in art and design are above average. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are too low. • Provision for the reception class children needs improvement. • The school has a good ethos and pupils’ attendance is very good, but provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is unsatisfactory. • There are a very good number of educational visits. • The role of the senior teacher is underdeveloped. • The school has good links with parents, other schools and the community and takes good care of its pupils. • Teachers’ lesson planning takes insufficient account of the information that the school has about its pupils’ ability.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory , overall. The school has made a reasonable improvement to the curriculum, including recognising the needs of the more able pupils. It has taken good recent steps to improve the quality of the school development plan. Staff are more involved with this plan. It has made a reasonable recent improvement to the accommodation and toys for the reception children. Information for parents meets statutory requirements. The attainment of the oldest pupils for the last two years has been affected by the sickness or absence of staff in the top junior class. Developments in ICT have not kept pace with the national picture and provision for ICT is now unsatisfactory.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is satisfactory . The standards by the end of the reception class for the current year are below average because a large number of children have had less than a term in school, but standards vary from year to year. Inspection findings are that standards from Year 1-6 are above average in art and design and below average in ICT. Standards in Year 2 are above average in writing and science and average in all other subjects. Standards in Year 6 are above average in mathematics and average in all other subjects.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Year 6 results all schools Similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English A A D C Mathematics A B C B Science A B A* A* Key: A*- in the top five per cent nationally; A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 7 well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Care should be taken in analysing the test results because the small numbers of pupils in each year group can mean that standards fluctuate from year to year. In the 2004 national tests for pupils aged eleven, standards were below average in English, average in mathematics and in the top 5 per cent nationally in science. In the tests for pupils aged seven, standards were well below average in reading, well above average in writing and above average in mathematics when compared with all schools nationally.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Provision for pupils’ personal qualities, including their attitudes and behaviour, is good . Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, overall. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is satisfactory . Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and are good in Years 5 and 6 where the two teachers work effectively together. Assessment is satisfactory. The curriculum is satisfactory with very good provision to enrich the pupils’ learning through visits and visitors. The procedures for child protection, welfare, health and safety and support and guidance are satisfactory. Procedures for seeking and acting on pupils' views are good. Links with parents, the local community and other schools are good .

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory . The leadership of the acting headteacher is good and an effective partnership has been established with the incoming headteacher so that continuing improvement can be rapid. Governance is satisfactory and governors meet all statutory requirements. The co-ordinators’ roles are satisfactory given the number of responsibilities they have. The senior teacher does not yet make an effective contribution to the management of the school.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is well regarded by parents and pupils. Most parents are supportive of the school and what it offers their children. Pupils appreciate staff’s care and concern and the breadth of educational visits.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • raise standards in ICT; • continue to improve the provision in the reception class; • improve the role of the senior teacher, so that more is expected; • put in place a policy and a scheme of work for personal, social and health education; • continue strategies to make better use of assessment data so that there are more good lessons. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is satisfactory , overall. Standards are above average in writing and science at Year 2, in mathematics when pupils leave the school in Year 6 and in art and design from Years 1-6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is good in mathematics in Year 6, writing and science in Year 2 and art and design from Years 1-6. • Pupils do not do well enough in ICT. • Achievement in the reception class is hindered by the way that staffing and accommodation are used.

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Commentary

1. The children in the reception class enter the school with a variety of pre-school experiences at the beginning of each term, but overall standards are average. Attainment on entry to Year 1 varies. In 2004, almost all the children attained the early learning goals. This year there was a big intake at the beginning of the summer term. These children will not have had time to cover the curriculum and so overall current attainment is below the national average. The reception class children receive too little teaching from the class teacher and they are too often corralled into a small space. The teaching assistant provides a satisfactory standard of teaching and this leads to satisfactory achievement.

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Commentary

2. Care needs to be taken when looking at the level of attainment in such a small school because each pupil accounts for around 10 per cent of the total and this can have a significant impact on the overall picture. An influx of new pupils in any year group, as happened this year in Year 6, can invalidate agreed end-of-year targets.

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Commentary

3. Currently, Year 2 standards are average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing, science and art and design. Standards are below average in ICT. In all other subjects standards are as expected nationally. In Year 6 standards are average in all subjects, except in mathematics and art and design where they are above average and in ICT where they are below average.

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Commentary

4. Ten pupils took the 2004 national tests for pupils aged seven so the table showing their average point scores is omitted. Standards were well below average in reading, well above average in writing and above average in mathematics when compared with all schools nationally. When compared with schools in a similar socio-economic group, standards were the same as the national picture in reading and writing, but were average in mathematics. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 9 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 26.5 (28.8) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 27.5 (27.6) 27.0 (26.8) Science 31.6 (29.4) 28.6 (28.6) There were 13 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5. In the 2004 national tests for pupils aged eleven, the results were below average in English, average in mathematics and in the top 5 per cent nationally for science. When compared with schools whose pupils attained similarly at age seven, standards were average in English, above average in mathematics and in the top 5 per cent nationally in science.

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Commentary

6. National data suggests that, over time, boys in Year 2 attain higher standards than girls do in reading and writing, but at Year 6 girls do much better than boys in English, mathematics and science. The inspection team observed no difference in boys’ and girls’ learning in each small cohort.

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Commentary

7. The acting headteacher correctly feels that achievement is satisfactory. There have been hiccups in Years 5 and 6 pupils’ progress due to staff ill health both in 2004 and in 2005. Current school priorities are to improve the achievement of lower attaining boys in Year 2 in reading and to raise the number of pupils gaining Level 5 in reading.

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Commentary

8. Achievement is good in art and design because of good teaching and good links with the local community. Year 2 pupils’ good achievement in science is due to a practical curriculum. The Year 2 teacher gives pupils many opportunities to boost their writing skills. Lessons in Years 5 and 6 are well planned and progress at a good pace and this leads to good achievement in mathematics. Unsatisfactory achievement in ICT is due to teachers who do not capitalise on the opportunities to use laptops as a normal part of many lessons.

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Commentary

9. Provision for pupils who are gifted and talented is satisfactory; staff have received training and this is a school priority. The school has a register of gifted and talented and the local education authority makes relevant provision on Saturdays for such pupils to take part in activities with similar pupils. The very good number of visits allows the gifted pupils’ learning to accelerate and the raft of sporting activities allows talented pupils to succeed.

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Commentary

10. Achievement is satisfactory for pupils with special educational needs and in line with the requirements of their individual educational plans. Adults in Years 3 to 6 are well aware of such pupils’ needs and give them support. The governors have funded an additional teaching assistant for pupils with special educational needs in the Years 1 and 2 class to ensure that their progress accelerates.

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Commentary

11. Improvement overall is satisfactory since the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have good attitudes to their learning and play a full and active part in what the school provides for them. Behaviour is good . Provision for pupils’ personal development is good overall St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 10 and there are strengths in their social and moral development. Attendance rates are very high and levels of punctuality levels are equally very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• Most pupils work hard in lessons and are curious about their learning. • Behaviour is good and most pupils understand well how their behaviour impacts on others. • There is effective provision for pupils’ moral and social development. • There are missed opportunities to promote pupils’ understanding of the multi-cultural aspect of society. • Attendance and punctuality levels for pupils at the school are very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

12. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were good at the time of the last inspection and they are currently equally good. Pupils like their school, work hard, listen carefully to both their teachers as well as to each other and strive hard to produce work that best reflects their ability. Where teachers make lessons interesting, pupils are stimulated and curious about the tasks they are set. However, in some lessons, particularly in the Years 3 and 4 class when the pace slows, pupils’ attention spans can wane and their interest levels dip as a result. Most pupils are able to work independently of the teacher and they respond well to the expectations teachers have of them in this respect.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

13. Behaviour in and around the school is good. The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons and understand that inappropriate behaviour impacts negatively on the well being of others. Pupils treat one another with respect and respond well to the responsibilities teachers provide them with as they get older and move through the school. The school has clear expectations about how pupils should behave and is clear and consistent in its approach to dealing with any potential issues relating to bullying. Pupils are confident in knowing that any form of harassment is dealt with quickly and effectively. There have been no recent exclusions.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

14. There is good provision overall for the pupils’ personal development. There are strengths in their social and moral development. The very good provision made for pupils to participate in competitive sports helps to promote a strong sense of team work and a clear understanding that working effectively with others is crucial to achieving success. Pupils are taught both formally and informally about the difference between right and wrong and the pupils develop a strong moral code and an understanding of the rights of others as a result.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

15. Provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. Art and design makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual development, but in the main there is no whole school approach to the promotion of pupils’ spiritual awareness and it tends to take place by chance rather than through clear planning. Pupils have a good understanding of their local and national culture and this is promoted well through history and through the extensive range of educational visits the school provides. However, their understanding of the multi-cultural nature of British society is weak, reflecting the lack of prominence this has in pupils’ day-to- day learning experiences. The previous headteacher did set up some useful links, but these have disappeared with her departure.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

16. The attendance of pupils at the school is very good and is well above the national average. The vast majority of parents are supportive of the school in helping to ensure that their children attend regularly and promptly. The school is proactive in monitoring and promoting the attendance and punctuality of all pupils at the school.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 11 Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 3.7 School data: 0.0 National data: 5.1 National data: 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory . Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Assessment is satisfactory, but its use is unsatisfactory . The curriculum is satisfactory with very good provision for visits and visitors. Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are good , as are the opportunities pupils are given to put their views forward. Support, advice and guidance for pupils are satisfactory. The school has good links with parents, the community and other schools and colleges.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory , overall, and are good in Years 5 and 6. Assessment is satisfactory , but the use of assessment is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Learning is consistently good for pupils in the Years 5 and 6 class. • The teaching assistants are used well to support achievement in Years 3 to 6. • There are insufficient good lessons in Years 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 classes. • The use of assessment is unsatisfactory. • There are good strategies in Years 1 and 2 to help pupils recognise their own achievements.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 17 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 0 1 7 8 1 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

17. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Good teaching was consistently seen in Years 5 and 6, which is a good improvement since the last inspection when this area of the school was a weakness. In this class there are fast paced lessons from teachers with high expectations and learning covers a lot of ground.

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Commentary

18. Improving the consistency of teaching has been a priority of the acting headteacher. She correctly assesses teaching and learning as being satisfactory. The acting headteacher has worked hard in the last few months to improve teachers’ subject knowledge and understanding through training and to raise teachers’ expectations through involvement with the local education authority staff and visits to other schools. There is a good teaching and learning policy to support future improvement. Improving teaching in English and mathematics has been a particular focus and has resulted in satisfactory lessons being seen. More monitoring of teaching and planning has been carried out to ensure that pupils have equal opportunities to learn. The school is on an St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 12 upward curve, but some weaknesses still remain, for instance the cross-curricular use of ICT.

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Commentary

19. In Years 3 and 4, the pace of lessons is sometimes too slow to allow pupils to take the best advantage of well planned tasks such as making sandwiches in design and technology or in mathematics lessons. Occasionally, the correct technical vocabulary is not used in order that pupils can explain their thinking or write their accounts clearly enough to show what they understand.

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Commentary

20. In Years 1 and 2 teaching is satisfactory rather than good because work is not always well matched to all the pupils’ abilities. The subject matter is sometimes too difficult for Year 1 pupils or the lower ability Year 2, although more able Year 1 and 2 pupils clearly enjoy the challenge and their writing shows this. This is because the Year 1 and 2 teacher sometimes takes too little notice of national strategies and recommended schemes of work.

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Commentary

21. The teaching provided by the teaching assistant for children in the reception age group is satisfactory. She takes good practical care of the children and adheres carefully to the planning. Children’s learning, however, is constrained by their being too confined within the classroom or being sent outside so that their day lacks sufficient structure.

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Commentary

22. Assessment procedures are satisfactory in English, mathematics and science. There are computerised systems in place so that staff are beginning to access the data that shows the progress that pupils make as they move through the school. Target setting has been satisfactorily developed for groups and individuals in English and mathematics. A good school strategy has been to place such targets at the top of literacy and numeracy plans so that teachers see the clear links between assessment and future learning.

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Commentary

23. At the last inspection it was pointed out that the use of assessment information to plan future learning was a weakness and this remains the case. It is now a school priority and training has taken place so that staff are better informed.

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Commentary

24. All children think that they learn a lot, but pupils in Years 1 and 2 get immediate feedback from the way that they climb to the top of lighthouses and castles.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory overall. Curriculum enrichment is very good . Accommodation and learning are resources are satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are some weaknesses in the curriculum that is planned for children in the Foundation Stage. • Teachers do not plan sufficiently to realise the potential in different subjects to broaden pupils’ use of ICT. • The curriculum is enhanced very well by the broad range of learning opportunities provided for pupils beyond the school day. • The creative curriculum is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

25. The overall quality of the curriculum is satisfactory, which was the same judgement made at the time of the previous inspection. Overall, it meets statutory requirements St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 13 and is satisfactorily planned. It also meets the requirements for teaching religious education and sex education. The school has in place schemes of work for most areas of the curriculum and the information from these is sufficiently drawn upon in planning work to meet the needs of the pupils in each of the mixed-aged classes. Recent measures taken by the school to enhance the range of opportunities for gifted and talented pupils are impacting well on the achievement of the pupils concerned.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

26. There are, however, a number of shortcomings in the overall curriculum. The acting headteacher has ensured that there is now a clear map of when subjects and topics will be taught throughout the school year for each class. This has brought to light the sometimes inappropriate topics being taught in Years 1 and 2. As at the time of the last inspection the learning for the children in the Foundation Stage, for example, is not planned in a way that takes into account their needs and abilities. The pace of their learning suffers as a result. In Years 1 to 6, while sufficient use is made of different subjects to promote the pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, insufficient attention is paid by teachers to incorporating more use of computers and other ICT equipment to support pupils’ learning. Under the guidance of the acting headteacher, pupils now have access to a regular programme of work to develop their personal, social and

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Main strengths and weaknesses

health education. However, there is no scheme of work to support pupils’ learning in this area.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

27. A notable feature of the curriculum is the range and extent of enrichment activities that are planned for the pupils, which allow them to achieve well and to enjoy their learning. Teachers carefully plan and successfully integrate a full programme of visits and visitors to the school and dovetail in well with the general themes and topics that the pupils explore. Good use is made of the expertise of members of the local community in this respect, especially in art and design and in music.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

28. There has been good improvement in the full programme of extra-curricular activities that is planned for pupils. These include a raft of sporting activities in which many pupils participate and, for a small school, the pupils are provided with good scope to take part in competitive sports. The school is quick to capitalise on the opportunities provided by the local education authority to participate in the arts and older pupils regularly represent the school in drama productions organised locally. In addition, a good number of pupils avail themselves of the good opportunities provided to learn a musical instrument and regular opportunities are provided for pupils to perform to a range of audiences.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

29. There is satisfactory provision for pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans are in place for all pupils and they are regularly reviewed to ensure that pupils are making the expected progress towards the targets they have been set. Equally careful attention is paid to catering for those pupils whom the school has identified as gifted or talented.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

30. Overall, preparation for the next stage of the pupils’ education is satisfactory. There are a variety of events taking place between the main feeder school and Year 5 pupils have recently undertaken a joint science project with the high school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

31. The range and quality of accommodation are satisfactory overall. There are weaknesses in that for the children in the Foundation Stage due to the lack of space in the classroom to meet their needs. Classrooms are of a reasonable size and the attractive grounds are used well and complement the school’s accommodation. Plans are in place to extend part of the school to improve the classroom provision for pupils St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 14 in the upper part of Key Stage 2 and to improve the range and quality of the administration facilities. Once in place, they should greatly improve the school’s facilities in terms of accommodation.

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Care, guidance and support

The procedures for child protection, welfare and health and safety are satisfactory overall, as are the procedures for supporting and guiding pupils through monitoring. The procedures for seeking and acting on pupils' views are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and support staff know their pupils well and provide welfare and pastoral support. • Good systems are in place to seek and act on pupils' views of the school. • The school is aware of a few minor health and safety issues and is taking proactive measures to review and amend procedures.

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Commentary

32. Child protection systems and procedures are effective and the reporting person is known to all the staff in the school, but the current number of appropriately trained staff on the site is unsatisfactory. The school teaching and support staff, who know their pupils well, provide a high degree of welfare and pastoral support to individual pupils. Accordingly, every pupil has access to several adults in whom they have trust and confidence. Pupils’ academic performance and personal development are monitored both formally and informally by the school and the advice and support resulting from this monitoring are of a satisfactory standard overall.

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Commentary

33. The school operates a good first aid system for minor accidents and regular fire drills are undertaken and recorded. In addition, the school is proactive in undertaking risk assessments for external trips out of school. The previous two reports have mentioned the lack of a medical room, but the improvements to staff and office accommodation will allow more practical arrangements to be made for pupils who are ill.

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Commentary

34. The induction arrangements for children entering the reception class are satisfactory. Good liaison takes place between all staff and the special educational needs co- ordinator who works for one day a week. This ensures that she can make best use of her time to support and review pupils’ individual education plans.

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Commentary

35. Personal, social and health education lessons are occasionally used as an aid to the promotion of pupils' awareness of their surroundings and to enhance moral and social development. However, this area is at present underdeveloped. The school acknowledges pupils' achievement through the praise given to them in the classroom and, more formally, in regular sharing and presentation assemblies. The school council helps to underpin the positive ethos of the school by providing all pupils with the opportunity to 'have a say' about how the school is run and managed, for instance in zoning the playground. Overall, improvement is satisfactory.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Parents' views of the school are good, as are the school’s links with parents. The school's links with the local community and other schools are good. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 15

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The vast majority of parents and children like the school. • The majority of parents feel that their children are making good progress. • A minority of parents have some concerns about the information contained in the annual reports to parents and in school/home communication systems. • The school utilises the community and other schools well to support the curriculum.

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Commentary

36. A significant majority of parents who returned the questionnaire, or who attended the parents’ meeting before the inspection, are supportive of the school and of its aims and objectives. Parents feel that their children like school and that they are making good progress. However, some parents have expressed concerns over the lack of detailed information in their child's annual reports to parents and in the way that the school involves them in its work.

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Commentary

37. The information provided by the school through the prospectus, the annual governors’ report to parents and via regular newsletters is of a good standard. However, parents do not receive advance information about the topics which their children are studying. Annual academic reports to parents are of a good standard. The school is improving the report format for summer 2005. The recently introduced 'Journeying Together' booklet has been designed specifically for new parents to the school and will be used to assist in the ‘settling in’ process of their children. This should address the concerns of the few parents who feel that their child did not have a positive experience with induction. The acting headteacher and her staff are always available to assist parents with any problems or concerns. There is a clear determination to continue to improve school/home relationships in advance of the planned change in leadership later this

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Commentary

38. Several parents are regular visitors to the school and they provide welcome classroom support and occasional assistance with external visits and extra-curricular activities. All parents have been invited to enter into a home/school agreement, which is designed to promote improved communication between the school, parents and children. There is an effective and hard working parents and teachers association, which is very supportive of the school. Parental attendance at school concerts, celebrations and sports days is very good.

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Commentary

39. The school makes good use of the local environment to enhance pupils’ curricular access. The school has good links with the immediate community and regular field trips are made to study the local and wider environment. The school also has good and developing links with other local primary and secondary schools and, in particular, with Hedingham Secondary School to which most children will eventually transfer. There is a variety of events taking place between the two schools and Year 5 pupils have recently undertaken a joint science project.

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Commentary

40. The school’s links with parents, together with their good links with the community and other schools, provide a growing contribution to pupils’ learning and personal development and they are a developing strength of this school. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 16 41. The school has maintained its good links with parents and the community and made good improvement in dealing with the omissions in statutory information for parents since the last inspection.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

There is satisfactory leadership and management of the school. The acting headteacher has provided the school with clear and effective leadership. The role of the senior teacher is underdeveloped . Governance of the school is satisfactory .

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• The acting headteacher provides the school with clear leadership and has quickly built up an astute understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. • The role of the senior teacher is weak. • Ways to monitor teaching and learning as well as provision generally in the school are underdeveloped.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

42. Since the beginning of the current academic year, the school has been led by an acting headteacher who works in a part-time capacity on three days a week. She leads the school well. She has a good understanding of where the school is particularly successful, for instance in having a good ethos and a creative curriculum. She has introduced a raft of measures designed to improve areas of weakness and to strengthen provision. Assessment procedures have been built up, for example, as have ways in which the school reviews and evaluates the quality of what it provides. The acting headteacher has further highlighted shortcomings in the curriculum, in teaching and in how the needs of children in the Foundation Stage should be addressed. These are now starting to be tackled. The local education authority is working with the school to ensure that the pace of improvement continues.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

43. While, overall, the management of teaching and the curriculum are satisfactory, there are too few systems to ensure that teaching and learning as a whole are regularly monitored to ensure a consistently high standard and to evaluate the impact of teaching on achievement. It is only recently that the school has started formally to monitor pupils’ achievements. Pupils’ performance in the ‘core’ subjects of English, mathematics and science is now being tracked and analysed sufficiently and this action is starting to have a positive impact on standards. This practice is less well developed in other subject areas. Too little work has been undertaken to improve provision in ICT and the school has not kept pace with developments seen nationally in this area.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

44. The school has rightly identified the need for leadership roles to be spread as widely and fairly as possible among the staff and the school is currently reviewing the delegation of responsibilities in the light of staff changes and the new headteacher who is to take up her post in September. Although there are some identified weaknesses in the monitoring carried out by co-ordinators, when the number of their responsibilities is taken into account, overall they are satisfactory. The senior teacher’s role with regard to monitoring teaching and learning regularly and effectively is under-developed, as it was at the time of the last inspection. Similarly, the leadership of the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

45. The school’s governors are responding well to the areas of weakness highlighted for them by the acting headteacher. The employment of an external clerk for their meetings has ensured that statutory requirements are met. Much of their work is St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 17 undertaken at committee level and this, together with the visits that they make to the school, gives them a clear understanding of what the school provides for pupils. However, the curriculum committee meets irregularly and the governing body’s overview of the curriculum is somewhat weaker than in other areas. Both staff and governors manage educational inclusion satisfactorily. For example, pupils with special learning needs and the higher attainers are given good opportunities that enable them to work towards their potential. There is good liaison between the special educational needs governor and the special educational needs co-ordinator and this is

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

beneficial to pupils. The governing body is the driving force for improving the accommodation.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

46. The recently drafted school improvement plan clearly communicates the main priorities identified for the current year and beyond. It focuses on improving teaching and learning and rightly acknowledges the need to ensure that planned initiatives are monitored to gauge their impact on pupils’ achievement. The plan now presents a clear overview of where the school is heading, who is to oversee developments and what the financial implications are to be. This is a good improvement since the last inspection.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

47. The school is currently carrying a higher than average contingency figure within its budget. This is to offset the costs of enabling the new headteacher to have a non- teaching commitment in order to help get a clear understanding of school provision. The governors have funded a smooth handover so the pace of change does not falter. The management of the budget is good and arrangements have been put into place to enable the national workforce reforms for teachers to commence in September 2005. Arrangements for performance management are secure and targets for improvement are closely linked to pupils making progress.

p.17

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2004 to March 2005

p.17

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 315, 940 Balance from previous year 18, 306 Total expenditure 300, 572 Balance carried forward to the next 33, 675 Expenditure per pupil 4, 486 St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The classroom teacher plays too little part in teaching the children. • There are weaknesses in the way that the classroom accommodation is used. • Children spend too much time outside to accelerate their learning. • Leadership and management of this important key stage are unsatisfactory. • The teaching assistant takes good care of the children.

p.18

Commentary

48. There are seven children in the reception class. They are taught in the same classroom as pupils in Years 1 and 2. Children enter the school on a termly basis as they become five years old. Induction procedures are broadly satisfactory as there are very small numbers of children involved each term. Children visit for one afternoon a week and parents are given a useful pre-school booklet to complete with their child. The classroom is staffed by a teacher who spends most of her time with Year 1 and 2 pupils and by a teaching assistant who teaches the reception children for the majority of the time.

p.18

Commentary

49. On entry to the reception class, the children’s attainment is broadly average although their previous experiences differ. When they enter Year 1, standards differ from year to year. In 2004, almost all children achieved the Early Learning Goals, but this year because there was a big summer intake of children only about half the class will achieve at this level. This is because there is insufficient time to cover the curriculum in one term.

p.18

Commentary

50. Although overall provision remains unsatisfactory, there has been some improvement since the last inspection. There is now an outside play area and the amount of large play equipment available to children is beginning to improve. The classroom space, however, is not used well enough to promote young children’s learning; they are too often corralled into a small section or sent outside.

p.18

Commentary

51. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection and is now based appropriately on the national recommendations. The quality of the weekly planning has varied too often over the year to give consistent and traceable skill development. Assessment is carefully carried out and plans are annotated, but activities do not always take account of these findings.

p.18

Commentary

52. The leadership of this area is unsatisfactory, because the teacher has insufficient understanding of how to create an effective curriculum for this age group within a mixed-age class. However, the incoming headteacher has good experience of this age group and has started to identify the areas which need to be addressed.

p.18

Commentary

53. In the area of personal, social and emotional development , children are constrained by the size of the space in which they spend much of their day. The St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 19 teaching assistant works hard to instil good manners, but the younger children get frustrated and distracted. The older children have a good appreciation that there is more than one way to go about a task and are willing to help with routine chores such as ‘tidying up’. They have been satisfactorily taught basic skills such as washing hands and putting on aprons. Overall, achievement is satisfactory.

p.18

Commentary

54. In the area of communication, language and literacy , teaching and learning are satisfactory. The more able children who have attended school since the autumn term have a secure understanding and knowledge of how to read and build up words such as c-a-t or d-o-g and most children can identify beginning or initial sounds in words. A few older and more able children can read simple repetitive texts with confidence. Overall, achievement is satisfactory.

p.19

Commentary

55. In the area of mathematical development , teaching and learning are satisfactory. Children construct satisfactory block graphs. Most have been satisfactorily taught the names of two-dimensional shapes such as squares or rectangles and are able to apply these correctly when cutting their sandwiches into sections. The oldest children can count to twenty and many recognise numbers to ten, but they miss the usual opportunities found in many mixed-age classes to increase their learning by taking part in the introductory section of the numeracy hour. Overall, achievement is satisfactory.

p.19

Commentary

56. In the area of knowledge and understanding of the world , teaching is satisfactory. Most children are competent in using the mouse to ‘click and drag’ objects across the screen, but they are reliant on the laptops being brought into the classroom. They have satisfactory practical experiences of making sandwiches, planting bulbs and making a fruit salad and this helps them to learn. Overall, achievement is satisfactory.

p.19

Commentary

57. In the area of physical development , teaching is satisfactory. Children had fun using foam to create shapes and letters and to improve their dexterity. Overall, achievement is satisfactory.

p.19

Commentary

58. In the area of creative development , children’s achievement is limited by the accommodation. They do not get sufficient daily access to materials to paint, model or construct. In a task related to the book they are currently studying, about half the children produced a satisfactory representation of the lighthouse keeper and his lighthouse using appropriate colours. One girl who was constrained by the task used her previous experiences to make a symmetrical pattern. Teaching of the basic skills of mixing paint is satisfactory, as is achievement. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Lessons are well planned in Years 5 and 6. • Achievement is good in writing at Years 1 and 2. • ICT is not used sufficiently to refine and redraft writing. • The acting headteacher has brought about improvement in attainment.

p.20

Commentary

59. Inspection findings are that standards at the end of Year 2 are in line with the national average in reading and above average in writing. Standards at the end of Year 6 are average because a significant number of pupils joined the school during this academic year. Speaking and listening skills are at least average throughout the school. Achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory.

p.20

Commentary

60. In the 2004 national tests, standards were well below average in reading at Year 2 and above average in writing. At age eleven, standards were below average in English. There are very small numbers of pupils in each year group and results can vary significantly from year to year. A school priority has been to raise standards in reading, especially for lower ability pupils in Year 2, and to raise the number of pupils gaining Level 5 in reading. The acting headteacher has ensured that staff plan and teach guided reading sessions this year and there is evidence that standards are improving as a result. Guided reading records are now clearly kept, but in some classes there could be better indications of the next steps for development.

p.20

Commentary

61. Teaching and learning are satisfactory, overall. Planning is satisfactory and clearly linked to pupils’ targets. Teaching is good in Years 5 and 6. Here lessons are fast paced so that no time is wasted. Both the teacher and the classroom assistant provide good advice to support and extend pupils’ learning in this class. Elsewhere the use of teaching assistants is satisfactory. Basic skills are satisfactorily taught throughout the school and lower ability pupils make good use of mini-whiteboards, for instance, to trial their poems in a writing lesson.

p.20

Commentary

62. More able pupils in Year 2 enjoy writing at length and they rise to the challenge of putting their thoughts on paper. The good home-made thesauruses help them to enlarge their vocabulary. They receive good feedback on their learning because they can see their names moving up a picture of a lighthouse as they acquire various skills. Marking is satisfactory. It has improved since January and staff now occasionally refer to targets and give pointers for improvement to pupils.

p.20

Commentary

63. Teachers do not plan to use ICT sufficiently to support pupils’ learning. Class computers are not switched on and the laptops remain unused. This is a wasted opportunity to use a valuable resource in order to present work in interesting ways.

p.20

Commentary

64. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Lessons have been monitored and improvement pursued through whole school initiatives. The library is satisfactory given St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 21 that the school has few options to site it elsewhere. Pupils have easy access to the good quality books. Enrichment opportunities are good. For instance, all pupils took part in a day’s drama work based on Hamlet. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. There has been improvement in the quality of the resources, in writing at Year 6 and in teaching for the oldest pupils.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

65. Provision for this aspect is satisfactory. Pupils are given many opportunities to write in other subjects, either directly or by acting as a scribe for others’ thoughts and points of view. School initiatives such as ‘talk partners’ have improved pupils’ opportunities for speaking, instead of merely listening.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in Years 5 and 6. • In Years 5 and 6, teachers make good use of opening sessions to stimulate pupils’ learning of mathematics. • Pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not always present their work with sufficient care. • Pupils develop good mental skills and enjoy their learning in the subject. • The marking of pupils’ work is not always effective. • Too little use is made of ICT to broaden pupils’ learning.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

66. The results of the Year 6 2004 National Curriculum tests were below the national average although, when compared with how well the same pupils achieved in Year 2, the tests indicated that performance was above average. Inspection findings show standards in Year 6 are above average and pupils achieve well, particularly in Years 5 and 6. The 2004 results for pupils in Year 2 indicated that pupils reached standards that were above average when compared with all schools and average when compared with similar schools. Inspection findings indicate that Year 2 pupils reach standards that are average. Because there are so few pupils in each year group, the results can vary quite significantly. Achievement of all pupils overall, including that of those with special educational needs, is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

67. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a secure understanding of number and use this knowledge in applying their learning in solving a range of everyday mathematical problems. The pupils demonstrate confidence in manipulating numbers, both mentally and on paper, and are secure in their knowledge of number bonds and of concepts such as fractions. As they move through Years 3 to 6, pupils gain greater confidence in using numbers and become increasingly accurate in choosing the most appropriate strategy to solve a problem. Pupils are given sufficient opportunities to apply their knowledge and understanding in everyday contexts. Pupils understand how to present numerical data in the form of tables and charts, but given their strong interest in ICT teachers do not exploit this to the full by providing the pupils with more challenging and interesting work involving the use of a range of mathematical software.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 22 68. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall and it is often good in the upper part of the school. In Years 1 and 2, teachers do not always expect enough in terms of how pupils present their work. This can be untidy and makes it difficult to follow the line of pupils’ thinking. The opening parts of lessons are used well to flex the pupils’ mental agilities and these sessions are usually followed with clear and crisp explanations by teachers of the learning pupils are to undertake. Just occasionally, and in particular in Years 3 and 4, the pace of lessons slackens and pupils’ interest in what they are learning can wane as a result. Assessment is beginning to be used well to establish what pupils know and what they need to do to improve. However, the marking of pupils’ work does not always give them enough guidance to help them improve their efforts and marking does not sufficiently support the use of assessment

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

information. In addition, greater use could be made of ICT in day-to-day lessons to take the pupils further on in their learning. In the main, for example, pupils are provided with too few opportunities to use data handling software to understand and make inferences from mathematical data.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

69. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The overall pace of change in the subject since the previous inspection has been satisfactory and change has been more rapid under the leadership of the acting headteacher. She is also the interim co- ordinator and has given a clear lead in initiating change. Teaching and learning have been monitored and there is now a stronger commitment to ensuring that improvements are followed through.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

70. Opportunities for the pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills and knowledge in other areas of the curriculum are satisfactory. Subjects such as science are used well, for example, for pupils to develop their skills and understanding of measurement. Pupils handle data as appropriate in geography lessons and practise their measuring, weighting and estimating skills in design and technology.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Well planned lessons lead to good learning. • The school makes good use of a field centre for ‘hands on’ experiences. • There is good use of the school grounds. • Effective use is made of digital cameras to record what pupils do. • There are good cross-curricular links to other subjects.

p.22

Commentary

71. Inspection findings are that at the end of Year 2 standards are above the national average and in Year 6 standards are average. Achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is good.

p.22

Commentary

72. Standards were high at both Year 2 and Year 6 in the 2004 national tests. However, with small groups results of individual pupils can have a significant impact on the overall picture. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 23 73. Teaching is good. Teachers use the correct technical vocabulary and expect pupils to use these words in their written and spoken explanations. Questioning is challenging and makes pupils think hard to come up with a plausible answer. Pupils use tables well to explain their findings and Year 6 pupils used keys to give details of their food chain, which was a good link with their geography skills. Beginning to plan experiments starts in Year 2 and by Year 6 pupils are confident about what makes a ‘fair test’. Learning is well based on practical experiences. The school has used its budget well to ‘buy in’ six visits to Daws Hill Field Centre where Year 2 pupils investigated habitats and living things. The school grounds are also used well, as

p.22

Commentary

when Year 6 pupils explored and mapped the pond. Pupils used their visit to Sherwood Forest effectively to recall what they knew about the structure of the food chain. Learning for pupils of all abilities is well supported either by help from extra adults or from the guidance sheets given to them.

p.23

Commentary

74. Leadership and management are good. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection. Through planning and observation of pupils’ learning the provision for pupils’ practical experiences has been improved. The quality of teaching is better, the scheme of work has a greater scientific content and a greater number of higher attaining pupils have been challenged so that they gain the higher levels.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers make too little use of ICT in their day-to-day teaching. • Too little use is made of the potential in other subjects to develop pupils’ skills in ICT. • Too little educational development has taken place since the previous inspection. • Recent measures, that have included the leasing of wireless laptop computers, are slowly improving provision.

p.23

Commentary

75. Standards are below national expectations at the end of both key stages. This marks a decline since the previous inspection when standards were judged to be reaching the national average. The school has struggled to keep pace with developments seen nationally in the subject and pupils’ achievement, including that of those with special educational needs, is unsatisfactory. The school has, however, implemented measures to improve provision, including the leasing of a number of laptop computers for use in day-to-day lessons with the aim being to improve pupils’ achievement. However, these are not used as often as they could be.

p.23

Commentary

76. Although pupils do have some access to a range of ICT equipment and software, the use of this by teachers is patchy and limits what pupils are able to achieve. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their understanding of using programmable devices and have a good understanding of how various everyday objects such as washing machines and microwaves need to be programmed in order to work. However, from Year 1 to Year 6, pupils have too few opportunities to use word-processing to draft, edit and refine their work. In addition, too few opportunities are given to pupils to use the Internet and hence refine their skills of using this medium as a means of locating, retrieving, downloading and using the information gathered as part of their studies. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 24 Pupils do undertake work in relation to data bases, but this work is often at too low a level. Teachers are making greater use of digital cameras to support their teaching in

p.23

Commentary

a few subjects, but this is in the form of placing images on worksheets for the pupils to complete. Pupils have too few opportunities to use such equipment for themselves in pursuit of their own lines of enquiry.

p.24

Commentary

77. Teaching is unsatisfactory, although the small amount of teaching seen during the inspection, which centred on pupils using and extending their knowledge of programmable devices, was satisfactory. One of the main weaknesses is that teachers make too little use of computers in day-to-day lessons. Too few lesson plans highlight how pupils are to use software to support their learning. Pupils’ achievement is limited as a result. While some staff development in the use of and planning for ICT has taken place since the previous inspection, in the main teachers are not confident in using different equipment to support their teaching and they miss many opportunities for dovetailing the use of computers into everyday lessons. Revised assessment procedures have been recently introduced, but teachers are currently not confident in using the information gathered to plan the subsequent steps in pupils’ learning.

p.24

Commentary

78. The quality of leadership and management and the impact of this over time is unsatisfactory, overall. Although the school is starting to address the weaknesses in provision, too little educational development has taken place since the previous inspection and progress in the subject has been very uneven. Measures to monitor teaching and the impact on pupils’ learning are very new and the co-ordinator does not use her management time effectively to build up an accurate picture of how well pupils are achieving or the impact that teaching is having on pupils’ learning.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

79. The use of other subjects to support pupils’ learning in ICT is unsatisfactory and is a school priority for development. Pupils use the Internet far too infrequently and this limits the scope for them to develop their understanding of how this is a rich source of information to support their studies. While pupils do use spreadsheets to develop their understanding of how computers can interpret and present data in the form of tables, pupils do not a get chance to develop their word-processing skills in English or to use a word-processor to write up the results of their work in science, history or geography.

p.24

HUMANITIES

80. History was not a focus for this inspection and no lessons were seen. It was not possible therefore to come to an overall judgement about teaching and provision. From looking at pupils’ previous work and discussion with the co-ordinator, attainment appears to be in line with national expectations and achievement is at least satisfactory. The curriculum meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs well because so much learning is based on first hand experience. The strengths are the good use of the local community, the very good educational visits to various areas of the country and good cross-curricular links to subjects such as geography and art and design. These strengths have been maintained since the last inspection and make a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Timelines are used well to develop pupils’ sense of chronology and Year 6 pupils have a good knowledge of

p.24

HUMANITIES

possible sources of evidence. Pupils use their literacy skills well to write diaries and accounts of what they have learned. The weaknesses are that some of the topics in Years 1 and 2 are inappropriate for the age group, such as ‘Children at War’. ICT could be used more productively to present pupils’ work across the school. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 25

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Educational visits give pupils first hand experiences of what they are learning. • There are good links to other subjects. • ICT is used variably to support pupils’ learning. • Topics help pupils develop a sense of being a good citizen.

p.25

Commentary

81. Standards at Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with the national expectations. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily.

p.25

Commentary

82. The curriculum is good and helps to promote pupils’ moral and cultural development well. It is soundly based on the educational visits that pupils make to a varied range of places from the Yorkshire Moors to the Isle of Wight, to observing how a river flows. Cross-curricular links are exploited well. The Year 6 pupils enjoy using their map reading skills to sort out grid references for the places they visited on their most recent trip, making good use of their learning in mathematics. Digital photographs were well used as the basis of a Year 3 and 4 lesson and they stimulated discussion of how people could affect a skate board park positively or negatively. However, there is limited evidence of word-processing being used to record pupils’ work. Pupils have carried out a ‘playground waste analysis’ and put forward their views on how to make things better. This topic made good use of their English skills. Teaching and learning

p.25

Commentary

are satisfactory overall and are good in Years 5 and 6. Teaching assistants support learning satisfactorily.

p.25

Commentary

83. Leadership and management are satisfactory in view of the fact that the co-ordinator is a part-time teacher. There is a good focus on enabling staff to use the local community. The school has maintained its strengths since the last inspection.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

84. Few lessons were seen in design and technology, music or physical education. Evidence was collected through discussions with teachers and pupils, analysis of pupils’ work and extra- curricular activities. No judgements can be made about provision or teaching in these subjects.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

85. Standards in design and technology are in line with national expectations by the time pupils leave the school and, overall, achievement is satisfactory. As they move through the school, pupils develop a satisfactory understanding of the importance of producing preliminary drawings and sketches as a precursor to producing their models and artefacts. In addition, they are given good opportunities to develop their understanding of food technology and to evaluate their work once it is completed.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

86. In music , a part-time teacher visits the school on one afternoon per week and takes each of the classes for a specific lesson. This provides the bulk of the music teaching undertaken in the school. This provision is complemented further by some pupils learning to play musical instruments provided by the local education authority peripatetic service and by the singing opportunities provided in assemblies. Discussions with the pupils indicate that they enjoy the St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 26 experiences they are provided with to learn music and they have a satisfactory understanding of different categories and styles of music.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. In physical education , pupils have good opportunities to participate in a wide range of sporting activities that include swimming. When taking part in games lessons, pupils play in a fair and equitable way and understand well the importance of playing and working effectively as part of a team. For a small school, the pupils have very good opportunities to participate in both extra-curricular activities of a sporting nature and in taking part in competitive sports. Such activities contribute well to the pupils’ personal development. There are effective links in place with the main feeder school and with the local cluster of schools which are focused on improvement in teaching and learning and assessment.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

• The subject enjoys high status in the school and the pupils achieve well as a result. • Basic skills are taught well and pupils get a good grounding in their understanding of how art and design can be created using a range of materials. • The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ personal development. • Pupils do not make the fullest use possible of sketchbooks in their understanding of the art and design process. • At present, the school makes limited use of new technologies to support pupils’ learning.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. By the end of both key stages, pupils reach standards that are higher than national expectations. The school has maintained the high standards found at the time of the previous inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. This good level of achievement is fostered through good teaching and in the prominence the subject holds. Pupils’ art and design work features prominently and attractively on display and this high status spurs the pupils on to produce much good quality work in all they attempt.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. By the end of Year 2, pupils demonstrate good skills when drawing and understand well how paints can be mixed to make other colours. They are taught well to observe carefully and many try hard to capture the image of what they may be drawing. As they move through Years 3 to 6, pupils continue to make good progress; for instance, when drawing they have a good understanding of why concepts such as tone , line and shade are important features. Pupils learn to apply paint evenly and pupils make equally good progress in understanding that art can be generated from three-dimensional materials. Some of their finished clay work that is often glazed and varnished is of a very high quality. Pupils talk confidently about the works of other artists and express a preference as to why they might like one artist over another.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. Teaching and learning are good. In both key stages, teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding and interweave these well in planning new learning that pupils find stimulating and challenging. In one lesson seen during the inspection, for example, pupils in Year 5 and 6 had to draw and replicate one small portion of a photograph of some buildings photographed while on a recent residential trip to York. Each pupil’s work was to be put with that of all their classmates as part of a whole class collage. Pupils responded well to this quite difficult challenge and produced work of a good quality. While teaching is good, two shortcomings limit its overall quality. Firstly, teaching does not make sufficient use of sketchbooks in support of pupils’ learning. Given the pupils’ good skills, there is potential to make greater use of these to extend pupils’ understanding of the importance of preparatory

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

work. Secondly, there is under use of new technologies to support teaching. As a result, pupils St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 27 do not make the progress of which they are capable in appreciating how such technology can contribute to the art and design process.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. There is good leadership in the subject. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and ensures that art and design features prominently as part of the good provision the school makes to extending pupils’ understanding of the arts in general. However, there are too few procedures in place for her to get a good feel and understanding of how teaching and learning take effect in classes other than her own and management is satisfactory . There are good links with the local community which benefit pupils’ learning.

p.27

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

92. This area of the curriculum is unsatisfactory. The acting headteacher has made improving the provision for personal, social and health education a school priority. At present there is no whole school scheme of work or policy to support the subject, although the acting headteacher has purchased a commercial scheme of work to give staff some guidance. Not all staff have sufficient training to be able to manage effective and sensitive class discussions. However, role play was used well in Years 5 and 6 as a basis for a discussion on prejudice and pupils made good use of their speaking and listening skills to sort out their points of view and to back them up with evidence. Pupils achieved well in this lesson due to their very mature attitudes. There is a school council which gives pupils satisfactory opportunities to make their views heard. The school is waiting for the new headteacher to arrive to review the school’s

p.27

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

progress towards the ‘healthy schools’ initiative. St John the Baptist C of E VA Primary School - 28

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.28

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

p.28

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.28