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Other · Ofsted report

Tankersley St Peter's CofE (Aided) Primary School

Inspected — · published 16 Jun 2005 · URN 106637

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  • Inspectorssingle source

    Foundation Stage

  • URN verified

    106637

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  • What needs to improve2007w+12

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Full report text

TANKERSLEY ST PETER’S C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 18 th – 20 th April 2005

p.1

TANKERSLEY ST PETER’S C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Tankersley St Peter’s C of E 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.

p.1

TANKERSLEY ST PETER’S C of E 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. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 175

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Westwood New Road Tankersley Barnsley South Yorkshire Postcode: S75 3DA

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01226 742357 Fax number: 01226 740438

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Rev. K Hale

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st February 1999

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

St Peter’s is a smaller than average voluntary aided Church of England primary school with an attached nursery, situated in the mainly rural village of Tankersley, South Yorkshire. Most of the pupils live in Tankersley or in the nearby village of Pilley. The area surrounding the school has a mix of older council built properties and larger, recently constructed, private houses. Mainly as a result of the new housing, the number of pupils on roll has increased since the last inspection by two- thirds and further rises are expected in the future. Across the school as a whole, girls outnumber boys by a ratio of three to two. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. Thirteen pupils and two nursery children have special educational needs, mainly for learning and/or behavioural difficulties. This is below average for a school of this size. However, four pupils and one nursery child have a statement of special educational needs, which is above

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

average. A small number of pupils are in public care. With few exceptions pupils are from families of white British heritage and there are no pupils who are at early stage in learning English. Broadly speaking, children’s attainment when they first enter the school is typical of the age group. Since April 2004 the school has had a change of both headteacher and deputy headteacher. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 4

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

11807 Keith Bardon Lead inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Special educational needs 8922 Brenda McIntosh Lay inspector 30823 Brenda Clarke Team inspector Foundation Stage Mathematics Art and design Music 2759 Derek Sleightholme Team inspector English Geography History Physical education

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

3 Harrowby Road West Park Leeds LS16 5HN

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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). Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 5

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos)

p.5

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

p.5

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 32

Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 6

p.6

OVERALL EVALUATION

St Peter’s is a satisfactory school that is showing signs of improvement as the changes made by the new headteacher and deputy headteacher start to take effect. Standards meet the expected levels and pupils’ progress is satisfactory, if a little uneven. The school has a positive ethos, parents are supportive of its work and pupils enjoy their lessons. Teaching, learning, leadership and management are sound overall and the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.6

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Pupils achieve well in information and communication technology and standards are above average. • Year 6 pupils attain well in the national mathematics and science tests in most years. • Teaching is frequently very good in Year 2 and good in the reception class and in Year 6 but there are inconsistencies and weaknesses in the quality of teaching in other classes. • In general, boys do not achieve as well as girls. • The school promotes good standards of behaviour and positive attitudes to learning although the provision made for pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship requires improvement • While children’s achievement in the nursery is satisfactory, it is not of the same good standard of that in the reception class • Links with other schools are very constructive and make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning.

p.6

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

Since it was last inspected in 1999 the school has made satisfactory progress overall. However, development has been somewhat uneven and it is only recently that the pace of improvement has picked up after a period of, at best, steady growth. Information and communication technology (ICT) is the most improved subject with much better learning now taking place. National tests results in Year 6 have been good in mathematics and science and initiatives the school has put in place are beginning to raise standards in English. The school has a better relationship with parents and the new senior management team is providing more focused leadership. Overall, the issues from the last inspection have been addressed satisfactorily although links between the nursery and the reception class are not yet strong enough.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. In general, girls achieve more than boys, both in lessons and in the national tests. Children’s achievement is good in the reception class and satisfactory in the nursery. Most children attain the targets for their age and by the end of reception standards are average. The achievement of pupils in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory overall, with pupils’ progress accelerating in Year 2 because the teaching is better. Standards by the end of Year 2 are broadly average.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2002-2004 English C A D C mathematics C A* A A science A A A A Key: A* – in the top 5 per cent; A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 7 As the number of pupils who take the national tests each year is small, pupils’ performance is best judged over a three-year period. In the last three years the results attained by Year 6 pupils have been broadly average overall in English and well above average in mathematics and science. The attainment of different groups of pupils varies markedly year on year. Standards in Year 6 are currently average overall. They are average in English and mathematics and above average in

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

science. Pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory overall but as with the younger age group, pupils’ progress accelerates towards the end of the key stage because this is where the teaching is at its most effective. Throughout the school pupils’ achievement in ICT is good and standards by Year 2 and Year 6 are above national expectations.

p.7

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

are satisfactory. Pupils of all ages show good attitudes to learning and behave well. Although pupils’ personal development is promoted satisfactorily the school does not have a cohesive programme for the teaching and learning of key social and citizenship skills, such as how to take on responsibilities and when it is appropriate to make your own decisions. Attendance and punctuality are good.

p.7

The school provides its pupils with a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching and learning

are satisfactory overall but vary in quality across the school. The teaching is at its most effective in the reception class and in Years 2 and 6 where lively lessons promote good progress. The high quality teaching in Year 2 provides a model of good practice for other teachers. When the teaching is less effective and occasionally unsatisfactory, lessons lack pace and challenge and pupils learn less. The school provides a satisfactory curriculum in which there is appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The successful cross-linking of different subjects gives the curriculum cohesion and teachers make good use of ICT to aid pupils’ learning in a wide range of subjects. The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship is under-developed. The provision made for pupils care and welfare is satisfactory. The school has forged a constructive partnership with parents and the local community and has very strong links with other schools.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The headteacher has a clear vision for the future of the school and, working closely with the deputy headteacher, is moving the school forwards. The quality of management is satisfactory and the school is calm and orderly. However, the procedures used to evaluate the work of the school do not yet provide the detailed information senior staff need when making key decisions. Governance is satisfactory and statutory requirements are met. Governors work enthusiastically on behalf of the pupils but they are too reliant on the headteacher’s reports for their views of how well the school is performing.

p.7

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents hold positive views of the school and of the education it provides for their children. They welcome the efforts that staff and governors have made to keep them better informed and to improve the links between school and home. Pupils are happy to attend school and enjoy learning new things. They find staff helpful and easy to approach if they have a problem.

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do now are: • Increase the quality of education by ensuring that all pupils benefit from consistently high quality teaching and learning. • Raise boys’ achievement to a level that is at least comparable with that of the girls. • Provide a more effective programme for pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship. • Develop better links between the nursery and the reception class and improve the progression of children’s learning in the Foundation Stage. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 8

p.7

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall and standards at the end of reception, Year 2 and Year 6 are average. The highest rates of achievement are in the reception class and in Years 2 and 6 because of the better quality of teaching.

p.8

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Year 6 pupils perform well in the national mathematics and science tests. • Older pupils make good progress in science and in Year 6 attain standards that are above average. • Pupils of all ages achieve well in ICT and standards exceed national expectations. • Teaching is very good in Year 2 and as a result pupils’ progress accelerates. • In general, boys do not achieve as well as girls • Children make good progress in the reception class but slower progress in the nursery.

p.8

Commentary

1. Many children start school with a range of basic skills that is generally typical of the age group. Children’s achievements are good in the reception class and satisfactory in the nursery. This is a reflection of the quality of teaching children receive, which is stronger and more focused in reception. Links between these two classes are under-developed and this leads to uneven progress as children move through the Foundation Stage. By the end of their time in the Foundation Stage, most children are likely to have attained the early learning goals (the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception) in most of the areas of learning and to be attaining standards that are broadly average as they enter Year 1. Throughout the Foundation Stage children achieve well in their personal and social development and standards in this area of learning are above average. In more recent times there has been an increase in

p.8

Commentary

mathematical ability of the children entering the nursery and a significant minority of the children in the reception class are now exceeding the early learning goals in their mathematical development.

p.8

Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.4 (16.6) 15.8 (15.7)

p.8

Commentary

There were 19 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.8

Commentary

2. As the number of pupils who take the national tests each year is relatively small, any analysis of pupils’ performance is best carried out on results covering a three-year period (2002 -2004) rather than a single year. On this basis, the performance of Year 2 pupils in the national tests is a little above average in the reading and broadly average in the writing and mathematics. These results are also broadly average when compared with those attained by pupils in schools similar to St Peter’s. Test results are an accurate reflection of the standards pupils attain in their lessons, which are broadly average in reading and writing and in all aspects of mathematics. This represents a satisfactory level of achievement for pupils in Years 1 and 2 although there are signs that pupils’ progress is beginning to accelerate in Year 2 in response Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 9 to the very effective teaching pupils are receiving. Over the five-year period up to and

p.8

Commentary

including 2004, the trend in test results of Year 2 pupils was similar to the national trend.

p.9

Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 25.9 (28.8) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 28.8 (30.2) 27.0 (26.8) Science 30.4 (31.2) 28.6 (28.6) There were 17 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

p.9

Commentary

3. As with the younger age group, the number of Year 6 pupils taking the national tests each year is small. Therefore the same principles of evaluating performance over the last three years apply. On this basis, Year 6 pupils attain results that are well above both the national average and the average of similar schools in mathematics and science. This reflects the thorough way in which pupils are prepared for these tests. In English, results are broadly average against both of these measures. Overall, the trend in the school’s results has been above the national trend, although there have been marked year-on-year fluctuations due to variations in the attainment of different cohorts of pupils. In general, the school met the targets it set for pupils’ performance in the English tests in 2004 and exceeded the mathematics targets. Similar targets have been set for this year but may prove unreliable because a

p.9

Commentary

number of pupils have left and others have joined the school since they were agreed.

p.9

Commentary

4. Overall, pupils in Years 3 to 6 are achieving satisfactorily, with the highest rate of achievement occurring in the oldest class. This is a similar judgement to the one made at the time of the last inspection in 1999. In English and mathematics, pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory overall and in Year 6 standards across all aspects of these two subjects are broadly average. In science, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards in Year 6 are above average because of the effective way in which the subject is taught in the oldest class. These evaluations of standards in mathematics and science are a little below the test results because they take into account pupils’ attainment in all aspects of the subjects and allow for a group of Year 6 pupils which is generally lower attaining than in some of the previous years.

p.9

Commentary

5. In the last three years, the girls in Year 2 have consistently out performed the boys in all three of the national tests and by a wider margin than in many other schools. Although the pattern in Year 6 is not as quite as clear cut, girls have also performed better than boys, particularly in the national English tests. A similar gender pattern is also present in the quality of boys’ work and in their contributions in class, particularly that of average and lower attaining pupils. The school has identified this problem of boy’s under-achievement and is beginning to address it but at present the differences in attainment between the sexes remain.

p.9

Commentary

6. Standards in ICT are above those expected in both Year 2 and Year 6 because a high proportion of pupils attain or exceed the targets for their age. This constitutes good achievement throughout the school which is a significant improvement since the last inspection. Pupils develop good basic skills and a solid understanding of how to use ICT to help them learn in different subjects. It is not possible from the small number of lessons seen in art and design, geography, history, design and technology, music and physical education to make secure judgements of how well pupils achieve in these subjects.

p.9

Commentary

7. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in line with other pupils. Appropriate targets are set for their learning and they receive the support they need to participate fully in lessons. The school makes adequate provision for learning of pupils who are particularly high attaining, often by setting them with work that has flexibility and can be extended by the pupils themselves. As a result these pupils achieve satisfactorily. However, Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 10 on occasions, lessons fails to challenge these highest attainers and do not make them think hard enough.

p.9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos)

Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to school are good. Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory overall. Attendance and punctuality are good.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the majority of lessons, pupils’ good attitudes help them to learn effectively but at times boys are too passive and do not retain sufficient interest. • Pupils usually behave well and develop a good awareness of right and wrong. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities and develop key social and citizenship skills. • Although pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory, progress is hindered by a lack of awareness of the cultural diversity of British society.

p.10

Commentary

8. The majority of pupils agree they like coming to school. Foundation Stage staff nurture children’s personal and social development well, enabling them to form trusting relationships and learn to co-operate, share and take turns. In lessons pupils are generally well motivated and attentive and become involved quickly in their tasks. Pupils want to do well and they are motivated by the teachers’ enthusiasm. Pupils with special educational needs have equally positive attitudes to learning and take a full and active part in lessons and experiences that the school offers. Sometimes lessons are insufficiently stimulating or challenging to maintain pupils’ concentration or to spark them into putting forward their own ideas. Even where the teaching is good there are occasions when the average attaining boys are passive, allowing the eager girls to answer all the questions.

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Commentary

9. Pupils’ behaviour is good in the majority of lessons, helping to create a positive atmosphere for learning. Most pupils gain a good understanding of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and are managed well through the teachers’ praise and encouragement. Bullying is not perceived to be a problem by most pupils or parents and they generally feel that if any form of harassment does occur, it is taken seriously and dealt with effectively by staff. However, some older pupils confirm that bullying does occur and while they feel it is dealt with satisfactorily they were less positive about this than other aspects of the school. The school is reviewing its policy and procedures for dealing with incidents of bullying in light of concerns raised by some parents through a school-based questionnaire. No pupils were excluded during the last school year.

p.10

Commentary

10. Provision for pupils’ social development is satisfactory overall. Pupils spoken with during the inspection described how, since her appointment, the headteacher has provided more opportunities for social interaction, particularly at playtimes and lunchtimes. Relationships are good throughout the school and this helps to create a good learning environment. Pupils get on well together and collaborate well in play and work. They are polite and welcoming to visitors. As pupils move through the school, there are very limited opportunities for them to take on specific roles or more responsibility for the running of the school and contributing to its development. As a result their citizenship skills and understanding of living in a community are under-developed.

p.10

Commentary

11. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of their own cultural traditions and the diversity of other cultures. This is enhanced well by work in geography and history but less so in other subjects such as art and music. Pupils have limited experience of other world faiths. They Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 11 have too few experiences of mixing or communicating with people from other cultures or indeed visiting places of interest that would help them to learn about living in a multi-cultural society.

p.10

Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year 2003/04 (95.3%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.7 School data 0.1 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.11

Commentary

12. Attendance levels are consistently good for year to year and above the national average. Parents are quick to inform the school when their child is absent and any unexplained absences are followed up rigorously. As a result unauthorised absences are rare. Pupils arrive punctually and lessons get off to a prompt start.

p.11

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides its pupils with a satisfactory quality of education. Sound teaching is combined with an adequate curriculum, satisfactory care and welfare and constructive links between home and school and with the community.

p.11

Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory overall. It is very good in Year 2 and good in Year 6 and the reception class, and pupils’ learning and progress accelerate.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very effective teaching and learning in Year 2 sets a high standard for other teachers to aspire to. • The teaching in the reception class and in Year 6 is frequently good and enables pupils to learn well but there are inconsistencies and some weaknesses in teaching across the school as a whole. • Staff have productive relationships with all pupils although on occasions teachers fail to draw boys into lessons well enough. • Most lessons are planned carefully and progress smoothly but there are times when the steady pace and mundane content fail to spark sufficient pupil interest. • Teachers make good use of ICT and link different subjects well. • Pupils’ work is marked and assessed regularly, but inconsistencies adversely affect the reliability of some of the information collected and, in general, pupils are not made sufficiently aware of how to improve.

p.11

Commentary

13. There has been satisfactory improvement in the teaching and learning since the last inspection with an increase in the proportion of lessons that are very well taught. This is particularly evident in Year 2 where the innovative teaching is consistently of a high quality. Here, the frequent use of lively strategies, such as role-play, receives a very enthusiastic response from pupils, resulting in very effective learning. At the beginning of lessons pupils sit on the edge of their seat in anticipation of what is coming and throw themselves readily into whatever tasks they have been set. The skills of the Year 2 teacher are recognised by other teachers and beginning to be used by them as a yardstick for their own practice. Good teaching and learning occur regularly in the class for the oldest pupils (Years 5/6). A strength Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 12 of the teaching in this class is the thorough and constructive manner in which pupils are

p.11

Commentary

prepared for the national mathematics and science tests which gives them confidence and enables them to consistently perform well.

p.12

Commentary

14. The teaching in the nursery is satisfactory and in the reception class it is good. Teachers in both classes plan a range of activities across the different areas of learning which children find enjoyable. However, in general, the teaching in the nursery does not have the same sharp focus as that in the reception class. Consequently children learn more in the reception class because the work in more interesting and the level of challenge is higher.

p.12

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 32 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

1 (3%) 6 (19%) 11 (34%) 13 (41%) 1 (3%) 0 0

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

15. The good relationships teachers and teaching assistants forge with pupils produce a positive and pleasant working atmosphere. Pupils with special educational needs receive sensitive support for their learning and are given every opportunity to participate fully in lessons. Their achievements are openly celebrated which does much for their confidence and self-esteem. In the majority of lessons, class discipline is maintained with the minimum of effort, because pupils are interested in what they are doing and have respect for the authority of the adults who are teaching or supporting them. However, on a few occasions, noise levels rise unchecked, adversely affecting pupils’ concentration. In a significant minority of lessons teachers fail to pay sufficient attention to the involvement of boys, particularly those whose attainment is average or a little below. They are allowed to sit passively while discussions take

p.12

Commentary

place and are not sufficiently targeted with questions that make them think hard and share their ideas. This contributes to the differences in achievement between girls and boys that are a characteristic of the school.

p.12

Commentary

16. Most lessons are planned thoroughly and resourced well so that new learning builds logically and systematically on the knowledge, understanding and skills pupils have gained in previous lessons. Teachers give considerable thought to how the different subjects interlink and often plan activities that successfully cross the subject boundaries. This provides a meaningful context and gives good balance to pupils’ learning. The use of ICT is particularly well planned, with pupils encouraged to use computers and other technology regularly whenever it can assist their learning. Satisfactory rather than good lessons tend to lack the pace and vigour needed to retain pupils’ interest fully and to guarantee their complete concentration. The content of the work pupils are given to do in these lessons is often very ordinary and does not encourage their active involvement. A small amount of teaching is unsatisfactory because

p.12

Commentary

lessons are badly organised and do not provide work that meets the needs of pupils’ of differing attainment. In these lessons insufficient learning takes place

p.12

Commentary

17. Although there has been satisfactory improvement in the quality of assessment since the last inspection, much of this has been very recent. In some subjects, inconsistencies in judgement remain, adversely affecting the reliability of the information and making the tracking of pupils’ progress and the setting of sharp attainment targets more difficult than they should be. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have made a solid start to improving matters and useful information is building up. Subject co-ordinators are compiling illustrative portfolios of pupils’ work, and periodic assessment in key areas, such as the quality of pupils’ writing across the school, is taking place. Pupils’ work is marked conscientiously by teachers and makes clear to pupils what they have done well and where they have been less successful. However, the setting and reviewing of individual pupil targets are very much in their infancy and, in general,

p.12

Commentary

Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 13 pupils are not yet clear enough about what exactly they need to concentrate on to make the next steps in their learning.

p.13

The curriculum

The school provides a satisfactory curriculum for pupils of all levels of ability. There is a satisfactory enrichment programme. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory.

p.13

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Different subjects are linked together well but at times boys find the curriculum less interesting than girls. • Although provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship is satisfactory overall it is better in some classes than in others. • Pupils use and improve their ICT skills well in lessons in other subjects. • Good arrangements help Year 6 pupils prepare well for the next stage of education. • While the provision made for children’s learning in the nursery is satisfactory, it is not as good as in the reception class. • Although the accommodation is satisfactory overall there are some inadequacies.

p.13

Commentary

18. The curriculum is planned appropriately and meets statutory requirements. Sufficient time is allocated to each subject with daily provision for literacy and numeracy. Teachers often plan the curriculum so that the different subjects interlink. For example, in the younger classes, the story of the Three Little Pigs that pupils have been studying in literacy lessons forms the basis of science lessons on materials and design and technology lessons on structures. This gives the curriculum cohesion and makes it relevant to the pupils. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage of learning is satisfactory overall, but livelier and more interesting in the reception class than in the nursery. This is due to the consistently good teaching and learning reception children receive in a well-planned, stimulating environment.

p.13

Commentary

19. The curriculum for lower attaining pupils is supplemented with appropriate intervention programmes which are delivered satisfactorily in small group settings by teaching assistants. Although in the majority of lessons the work that pupils are given engages them, at times average and lower attaining boys find the curriculum less interesting because they cannot see the relevance of what they have been given to do. This contributes to a level of underachievement because teachers have not always paid sufficient attention to what stimulates the boys to learn. Pupils with special educational needs are provided with a satisfactory curriculum which reflects their learning needs.

p.13

Commentary

20. A satisfactory range of lunchtime and after-school clubs extends the curricular provision and promotes pupils’ interests in music, sport and computers. Although there are no formal inter- school sports links, the school enters an annual carnival that includes a football tournament. Pupils’ learning experiences in the arts are enhanced during regular visits to exhibitions and the theatre.

p.13

Commentary

21. Whereas the use of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum is satisfactory, the use of ICT in the teaching of other subjects is good. Pupils are encouraged to use computers whenever they can aid their learning. The word processing of reports, projects and information to enhance presentation and the use of data-handling programs to interrogate information are common. Pupils access the Internet to obtain research information for individual project work in the humanities and older pupils use an art package to generate graphics.

p.13

Commentary

22. Personal, social, health and citizenship education is provided satisfactorily. Pupils have discussed local issues with members of the parish council and they have produced designs for Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 14 the village public playground. The school nurse delivers an appropriate sex education programme and drugs education is provided in partnership with the local police force. Some, but not yet all, classes have a weekly personal, social and health education lesson called circle time in which they can discuss important matters and share their views. However, there is no coherent whole-school programme for pupils in personal, social and health education and citizenship and no formal monitoring of their personal development. Overall, pupils are not provided with sufficient opportunities to develop as citizens and to learn about living in a community.

p.13

Commentary

23. Pupils in Year 6 benefit from good links established with a local high school. These are helping to prepare them for transfer into secondary education. Currently the high school is providing regular specialist teaching of German which provides Year 6 pupils with an early introduction to modern foreign languages. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 regularly attend the high school to use the ICT facilities. This arrangement makes a significant contribution to the standards pupils attain in this subject. To enhance the curriculum and aid the introduction of the workforce reform, the headteacher has agreed to formally engage specialist high school staff to teach music and physical education lessons on a regular basis.

p.14

Commentary

24. The accommodation meets most of the needs of the school satisfactorily. Classroom facilities are sound, ICT being accessed through class workstations and laptop computers. There are, however, two noticeable weaknesses: • there is no school library and pupils are unable to learn how to use such important facilities; • the outside area of the nursery has limited facilities and this adversely affects children’s learning, particularly their physical development.

p.14

Commentary

25. All teachers have appropriate primary phase experience. Teacher to pupil ratios are satisfactory. The match between the number of special educational needs staff employed at the school and the number of pupils on roll is good, helping to ensure that these pupils have full access to the curriculum.

p.14

Care, guidance and support

Arrangements for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety are satisfactory overall. The school provides pupils with satisfactory support, advice and guidance. The involvement of pupils in the work of the school and its development is also satisfactory.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• On a day-to-day level, staff work hard to ensure that pupils are happy, safe and settled in school, but governors’ involvement in the formal monitoring of health and safety is minimal. • Trusting relationships are established throughout the school community. • Pupils’ involvement in assessing their own learning is insufficient. • Although pupils are encouraged to express their opinions about the school informally they have only limited opportunities to contribute to school procedures and decision making.

p.14

Commentary

26. On a practical day-to-day level the staff and caretaker are vigilant in checking the building to ensure a safe secure working environment for the children and promptly deal with any hazards found. However, governors have minimal involvement in the formal monitoring of health and safety around school and had little knowledge of the policy and how often it is reviewed. The school has adopted model local authority policies for some welfare procedures but these do not always reflect current practice or procedures in school. Good attention is given to risk assessments when taking the pupils out of school on educational visits. Daily routines are well planned and pupils are carefully supervised when at work or at play. At lunchtimes clear Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 15 systems are well established and this ensures a continuity of pupils’ welfare and safety. Procedures for child protection are satisfactory but they have not been reviewed or reinforced

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Commentary

with staff since the headteacher was appointed.

p.15

Commentary

27. Pupils quickly develop good and trusting relationships with staff and are confident to ask for help if they need it. They find their teachers kind and helpful and feel they are looked after very well. The good-natured approach of staff is instrumental in ensuring that pupils feel safe and happy and wanting to learn. The school is working towards a healthy school award which is helping to raise awareness of keeping safe and healthy and aiding the development of the curriculum for personal, social and health education and citizenship.

p.15

Commentary

28. Information about pupils’ academic achievements is used satisfactorily to guide future learning. Although teachers have good personal knowledge of their pupils, which helps them to monitor the progress of pupils in lessons, systems to track pupils’ progress over time are a recent introduction and they do not yet provide all the information staff need. Pupils are not sufficiently involved in setting targets for their next steps of learning or assessing their own work, and have a limited understanding of what they must do to improve, in order to speed up their progress. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in class so they take a full and active part in lessons. The targets on their individual education plans are sufficiently detailed and provide staff and pupils with specific areas to focus upon.

p.15

Commentary

29. Staff are keen to involve pupils in decision making but do not yet provide a regular forum, such as a school council, to canvass their views about its provision. Pupils have very limited opportunities for taking on responsibilities and contributing to the daily running of the school through peer mentoring or buddy systems. Nevertheless, they have contributed their ideas to the design of a local playground and influenced the school’s decision when appointing the deputy headteacher.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s partnership with parents and the community is good. Links with other schools are very good and contribute effectively to pupils’ learning.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are supportive of the school and their children’s learning. • The school has responded to parents’ views and improved its communication with them. • While the annual reports to parents are satisfactory they do not identify clearly enough how well pupils are attaining for their age. • The school continues to build on its very effective links with other schools to enhance pupils’ learning opportunities and broaden its outlook. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to gain first-hand experiences of other cultures.

p.15

Commentary

30. Parents make a good contribution to pupils’ learning and to the life of the school. They ensure their children attend school regularly and punctually and are supportive of the school’s aims and values. A number of parents and volunteers help regularly in class, listening to pupils read and assisting with small group activities. The parent and teachers’ group is very successful in fostering close co-operation between home, school, the church and the community by organising social and fund-raising events. Funds raised are used wisely to assist the pupils’ learning. Parents find the web addresses given to them very useful in helping to support their children’s research work at home.

p.15

Commentary

31. Since the last inspection communications with parents have improved. Parents at the pre- inspection meeting felt this had occurred since the headteacher was appointed. They value Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 16 the weekly newsletters which include information about topics and what the children will be learning in class and useful suggestions on how they can support their children’s learning at home. They appreciate being given more notice about dates for events which enables them to plan their time in advance. Parents’ views have been sought about the school’s provision through a questionnaire and an action plan drawn up to deal with their concerns. This is helping to improve the partnership between home and school. Some issues raised in relation to communications have been addressed and their concerns over bullying are being dealt with through a whole-school review of procedures and the development of the curriculum for

p.15

Commentary

personal, social and health education and citizenship.

p.16

Commentary

32. There is a regular sharing of information about the pupils’ progress. The annual reports give a satisfactory summary of how well the pupils are doing but do not include targets for future learning or inform parents how well their children are performing in relation to their age. Parents find that the school and staff are approachable and accessible at anytime for formal or informal discussions. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs are kept well informed about their children’s progress. There are frequent meetings with parents to discuss achievements, any problems and guidance on the next steps in learning.

p.16

Commentary

33. The school makes good use of local resources in terms of working with people and visiting places to bring learning alive for the pupils. There is a close working relationship with church members and the parish council. Pupils speak with older members of the community, for example to find out about mining in the area and about local traditions. There is a good and varied programme of visitors to the school and pupils visit many interesting places to enrich their curriculum. However, there are too few opportunities through visits or the involvement of visitors for pupils to learn through first-hand experiences about different cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

p.16

Commentary

34. The school works closely with a range of schools, sharing curricular issues and staff expertise, which helps improve the quality of teaching and contributes to pupils’ learning. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 access the ICT facilities at the local secondary school and staff from the school provide expertise in other subjects such as modern foreign languages and music, which enriches the curriculum. The transition arrangements to the secondary school are very good and help provide continuity in pupils’ learning.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The leadership provided by the headteacher and senior managers is sound. Governance is satisfactory and statutory requirements are met. The effectiveness of the management is also satisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and deputy headteacher have developed a good professional partnership and work well together to provide cohesive leadership. • The school’s systems for monitoring teaching and learning are not yet rigorous enough to ensure consistency in quality throughout the school. • The headteacher inspires and motivates staff to develop their leadership skills. • Self-evaluation systems are satisfactory but some are at an early stage of development. • Leaders provide good role models through their teaching. • Governors are supportive of the school but not yet sufficiently involved in its development. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 17

p.16

Commentary

35. Over the last two years the school has experienced frequent changes in its leadership and disruption arising from difficulties in appointing a new headteacher. This has hindered the progress of development and it is only recently that the pace of improvement has picked up. On taking up their appointments, the headteacher and deputy headteacher found that many things that were commonplace in many other primary schools had still to be introduced and established in the school. Some of these related to self-evaluation, target setting, assessment and the curriculum for personal, social and health education and citizenship. The headteacher has a clear vision of what needs to improve and is making good use of the help available from the local authority and other schools to help it get there. Since her appointment last year, the deputy headteacher has very ably supported the headteacher and has made a very positive

p.17

Commentary

impact on the school. The school is showing clear signs of improvement as the changes they have made start to take effect.

p.17

Commentary

36. The role and effectiveness of the senior management team are still developing but are already providing a more focused leadership. Its members are working well as a team and contributing to the running of the school and its development. Involvement in the national Primary Leadership Programme is helping them to improve their confidence and leadership qualities. Through the high quality of their teaching and the effective, and at times innovative way, in which they promote pupils’ learning, senior leaders provide good role models to other staff. This is a key factor if the school is to successfully address the inconsistencies in teaching and learning that currently exist.

p.17

Commentary

37. New management systems have been put into place to enable the school to evaluate the progress of pupils, analyse data and highlight areas for improvement. These are beginning to provide a better quality of information than the school has had in the past but require further refinement to improve their effectiveness. In the past the school has not been able to identify specific weaknesses such as inconsistencies in provision and why some boys underachieve in some areas. Many of the subject co-ordinators are new to their roles but have made a positive start to moving subjects forwards. The leadership and management of ICT have been the responsibility of one teacher for some time and are good. The co-ordinator has led subject development well since the last inspection and has had a significant impact on raising standards and improving the provision. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Appropriate procedures for identifying pupils’ needs,

p.17

Commentary

planning for their learning and reviewing their progress are followed and all parties with a vested interest in the pupils’ education are involved. Many of the schools’ systems for monitoring teaching and learning are relatively new but they are developing well as staff become more confident in their roles.

p.17

Commentary

38. Many of the governors have been associated with the school for a very long time. They are supportive of the school and keen to see it move forward but are heavily reliant on the headteacher for their view of how well the school is performing. They have a sound understanding of the school’s strengths and its areas for development. Currently, governors are insufficiently involved in the various stages of development planning. Arrangements have been made to link governors to specific classes but as yet their role and the purpose of these links have yet to be formally established. To some extent the work of the governing body has been hampered recently by the changes in leadership. They have had to put much of their time and effort into ensuring that the school appointed the headteacher and deputy headteacher it needed. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 18 Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.17

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 529869 Balance from previous year 17784 Total expenditure 493388 Balance carried forward to the next year 54265 Expenditure per pupil 3036

p.18

Commentary

39. Financial planning is sound. The school’s budget is managed satisfactorily to support its priorities for improvement and is regularly monitored to ensure that spending levels are within agreed targets. Much of the surplus carry-forward has been put into a building fund in case the school has to make a contribution to the cost of the planned extension. In addition, money has been put aside to purchase two more interactive whiteboards which will help to further improve pupils’ learning in ICT. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. Children’s achievement is satisfactory overall, but they make faster progress in the reception class than in the nursery because the provision is more effective. This is due to the consistently good teaching and learning reception children receive in a well-planned, stimulating environment. Nursery children are happy and busy, but the activities provided do not have the same clarity of purpose and this limits the progress they make. At the time of the last inspection provision was more effective in the nursery than in reception. Broadly speaking children start nursery and leave reception with average levels of attainment and by the end of the reception year most are on course to achieve the nationally prescribed early learning goals for children of this age. Children with special educational needs receive effective support and make satisfactory progress in line with their peers.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has a developing understanding of strengths and weaknesses in provision and has written an appropriate action plan to move the Foundation Stage forward. However, the nursery and reception classes are some distance apart, and there are weaknesses in liaison between the nursery and reception class teachers. They are beginning to work as a cohesive team but planning to ensure continuity of provision remains an area for improvement. Useful systems of recording and checking children’s progress have recently been introduced. This means that teachers are in a position to use the data to evaluate whether children are making sufficient progress. Each day parents help their children to self-register. This open door policy makes for a smooth start and develops positive links between home and school.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The co-ordinator has energetically developed very good provision for outdoor play in the recently- built reception class. However, the outdoor play area in nursery is impoverished, and opportunities for learning outdoors in all areas of learning are restricted. The school has plans to build a new Foundation Stage unit and has started to address differences in overall provision.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

It was not possible to collect sufficient evidence to make secure judgements regarding children’s creative development . Children regularly have good opportunities to explore materials and to express their ideas creatively; for example nursery children roll marbles in paint to make interesting patterns and have daily access to paint mixing. Children regularly take part in dressing up and some adapt their voices to fit their roles. In both nursery and reception, children sing with reasonable tunefulness and much energy!

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and helps children make quick progress. • Children are strongly encouraged to become independent learners although some activities do not promote this as well as others. • Teachers make their expectations clear so that children learn to behave well in school and develop good attitudes to learning.

p.19

Commentary

40. Children achieve well in this area of learning. Most are on course to achieve the early learning goals in this area, and a good number are likely to exceed them. By the time they leave reception, most children concentrate well for good periods of time, are enthusiastic learners and, when required, work without overt adult supervision. Because teachers ensure that Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 20 resources are readily accessible, children are learning independence through the choices they make, for example which activity to choose in nursery, or selecting the paints, water and paper they require when painting in reception. However, some activities in the nursery do not give children sufficient insight into the sorts of choices they should be making. Staff manage children well and relationships are good. They have high expectations that children will behave appropriately so that children form a good notion of right and wrong. Children are

p.19

Commentary

taught to respect the views of others and to play fairly. In classrooms, teachers and support staff are good role models for children. They form cohesive teams and show high levels of care, supporting the children well.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are taught effectively the importance of good listening skills and the techniques for doing this. • In the reception class, well-planned activities ensure that children learn basic skills in an interesting way. • Opportunities to practise early literacy skills are missed in nursery.

p.20

Commentary

41. As a result of good teaching and learning in the reception class, most children are on course to reach the nationally expected level by the end of the reception year. The daily teaching of letters and the sounds they make is very effective, so most reception children can name and sound the letters of the alphabet. This is giving them confidence as writers because they use this knowledge effectively to write simple words and sentences. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in the nursery. Nursery children listen to stories and learn the sounds that letters make, but have limited opportunities to practise early writing skills in the activities they undertake, for example making lists in the home corner or regularly recognising and writing their names. There is an absence of labels and print around the room, reducing the scope of learning. Overall, children’s achievement in this area of learning is satisfactory.

p.20

Commentary

42. The co-ordinator has recently introduced a structured programme that enables children in both classes to regularly practise good sitting, speaking and listening skills. This is proving successful so that children listen carefully and learning is effective. Children enjoy listening to stories and reciting rhymes. The reception class teacher gives good opportunities for learning new vocabulary, for example introducing words such as ‘predator’ and ‘chrysalis’ in work on mini-beasts. Children develop confidence as speakers, but occasionally higher attainers dominate the class discussions. In nursery, opportunities to extend speaking skills are missed because the teacher’s planning does not always identify clearly the vocabulary that children should hear or use.

p.20

Commentary

43. Children are developing a love of books through the sharing of stories in nursery and regular use of big books in reception. Most children also take home a weekly library book. Children make good progress in reception because they are taught to use their knowledge of letter sounds to build up new words and to look for picture clues. Most children regularly take home key words and reading books, enabling parents to support their children’s learning. However, opportunities are missed to develop home/school dialogue through the use of reading diaries.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for mathematical development is satisfactory . Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children learn to count effectively in everyday situations although opportunities are missed in nursery to reinforce children’s learning. • The teaching of early numeracy skills is good in reception.

p.21

Commentary

44. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in the nursery. Nursery children learn to count carefully in many situations, for example the cockleshells and silver bells in a nursery rhyme or spots in a counting book. Opportunities are sometimes missed to reinforce learning, for example numerals attached to wheeled vehicles or numbers of children allowed in an activity.

p.21

Commentary

45. Children enter nursery with good counting skills and mainly as a result of the good teaching they receive in the reception class most will attain, and a significant number exceed, the early learning goals. In reception, well-planned lessons with stimulating activities promote children’s thinking about number. They develop skills systematically because the teacher plans work that carefully builds on earlier learning. Learning is fun. For example, children sing ‘Adding One More’ songs, play hopscotch and practise counting skills on the computer. The teacher uses her good knowledge of children’s attainment to match tasks closely to their needs. The level of challenge is good, leading to sustained progress. The teaching assistant is used effectively to support small groups. By the end of reception, most children count forwards to 20 and higher attaining children begin to make simple calculations.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A wealth of practical activities in the reception class makes learning exciting. • In the reception class, well-planned topics enable children to make links in their learning • In the nursery, planning sometimes lacks details of the skills and knowledge to be learned.

p.21

Commentary

46. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, but more effective in reception than in nursery. Because of the stimulating, well-planned activities, children in the reception class make good progress and achieve well. Most will reach the nationally expected level by the end of the reception year. In the nursery there are some opportunities to develop this area of learning but planning lacks detail about the skills and language to be developed. This sometimes results in a lack of structure and missed opportunities to reinforce learning. For example, in the nursery class ‘garden centre’ there are insufficient opportunities to name and categorise the flowers. There is a lack of labels or books to reinforce the learning, and opportunities for matching and counting are missed. Because learning intentions are not clear, other nursery staff lack guidance.

p.21

Commentary

47. Reception children learn to observe closely the life-cycles of mini beasts and show awe and wonder as a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis. They conduct simple experiments when growing runner beans, building firm foundations for later work in science. Learning is exciting and there are very good opportunities for extending children’s vocabulary. Because the areas of learning are linked, children reinforce their knowledge and understanding. For example, they learn skills of observation when painting and drawing and sculpting mini-beasts, and write more fully about caterpillars. Reception children use class computers competently and confidently as they follow on-screen instructions. Role-play is used appropriately to extend children’s understanding of the work place and staff support children well at these times, Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 22 increasing the scope of play. The multi-cultural aspects of the curriculum are not overtly

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children’s manipulative skills develop well through a good range of activities. • Provision for outdoor play provides insufficient structure for nursery children.

p.22

Commentary

48. Children’s achievement and the quality of teaching and learning are satisfactory. Children enter nursery with average manipulative skills. They make satisfactory progress so that most are on course to meet the expected goals by the end of the reception year. The nursery teacher plans a sound range of worthwhile activities that interest children and develop skills of hand-eye co-ordination; for example children add tiny facial features to peg dolls. There are few opportunities to climb outdoors and there is limited provision for balancing. Children confidently steer and propel wheeled vehicles, but there are no defined roadways or obstacles to refine their skills. Nursery children make steady progress but are limited by the shortcomings of the provision. In the weekly physical education lesson, reception children demonstrated appropriate skills; for example, they ran, and jumped with good control, showing

p.22

Commentary

good awareness of space. They demonstrated reasonable aim when throwing beanbags into hoops. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 23

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Although pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall, in Year 2 and Year 6 it is good. • Pupils in Years 2 and 6 benefit from high quality teaching, some of which is extremely inventive. • Although there are models of good teaching these are not yet fully utilised to ensure a consistency of teaching in all classes. • The attainment of boys is generally lower than that of girls. • Subject leadership provides clear direction and vision.

p.23

Commentary

49. The number of pupils who take the national tests is small and this causes marked year-on- year fluctuations in results. However, when the school’s results for the last three years are analysed a pattern of average attainment emerges. Year 2 pupils attain average standards in the reading and writing tests and Year 6 pupils attain average standards in the English tests.

p.23

Commentary

50. Test results accurately reflect pupils’ attainment in lessons. Standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are broadly average in all aspects of English and meet national expectations for the age of the pupils. This represents satisfactory achievement in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 6. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. Girls are more successful at reaching higher standards than boys. The school has not fully ascertained why this is, but inspection evidence indicates that average attaining boys in particular do not always find the work particularly interesting or as challenging as do the girls. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress because they receive appropriate support from teaching assistants. However, pupils of all abilities achieve well in Year 2 and Year 6 because the teachers in these classes provide lively and engaging lessons that interest pupils and

p.23

Commentary

match work carefully to the prior attainment of the pupils.

p.23

Commentary

51. In Year 2, many pupils show good listening skills because they are interested in the input from their teacher. Most speak clearly and express a point of view coherently. Pupils enjoy opportunities to hold class discussions and to respond to questions from their teacher. By Year 6 most pupils can confidently engage in conversation with an adult and each other, drawing on their experiences of school and their learning in several subjects. Most use vocabulary appropriately; for example, pupils referred correctly to the ICT techniques they had used to research information for topics.

p.23

Commentary

52. Reading standards are broadly average in Year 2 and Year 6. Most pupils read clearly. Some use expression well when faced with spoken phrases such as, “Oh what I am I going to do?” Year 2 pupils can name their favourite character in a story and suggest what might happen next in the story line. By Year 6 most pupils read confidently and fluently although a minority hesitate over words and phrases that others know well. More able pupils confidently attempt technical terms in non-fiction books. Pupils know the purpose of an index and more able pupils know the function of a glossary.

p.23

Commentary

53. Writing standards, including handwriting and presentation skills, are broadly average. The school has identified improving writing skills as a priority and, although it is early days, the actions taken, mostly under the direction of the co-ordinator, are starting to improve the quality of pupils’ work. Pupils complete a substantial quantity of writing covering a range of purposes Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 24 and styles. For example, in Year 2 pupils have written instructions on how to operate a chocolate machine and how to make toffee, and the directions for a Troll to cross a river to the other side. In Year 6 most pupils have learned to apply a framework for story writing. As a result pupils' independent writing incorporates an introduction, description of the main characters, a build-up of events, a story climax and a conclusion. While the content of many of the stories pupils write is lively and interesting, some are very simple in their storyline and do

p.23

Commentary

not flow well. Most pupils at this age are using joined up writing, incorporating paragraphs and adding punctuation satisfactorily but lower attaining pupils tend to make mistakes with basic grammar.

p.24

Commentary

54. Across the school as a whole and in the majority of classes the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in terms of the standards and achievement it promotes. The most effective teaching occurs in Year 2 and Year 6, where at times it is excellent. In these classes, teachers confidently deliver the national programme for literacy in a purposeful way that interests all pupils. A Year 2 lesson captivated pupils’ attention from the start. The teacher had spent considerable time preparing the lesson and included pre-recorded sequences of an imaginary policeman requesting information about the wolf from the story The Three Little Pigs . The teacher confidently took on the role of the wolf and relayed events in the story from this perspective. The lesson included excellent opportunities for pupils to express their point of view, to speak in the role of ‘little pig’ or ‘wolf’ and to write the main events as a story, this

p.24

Commentary

activity being prepared with different levels of challenge to match pupils’ different abilities. In a productive and well-constructed lesson for Year 5/6 pupils, the teacher successfully challenged pupils to use a range of literacy skills while constructing well-balanced arguments. The quality of the task and the pace generated by the teacher kept pupils working hard and stimulated high levels of interest. Although these teachers provide good role models for others to follow, their good consistent teaching approaches are not yet reflected in other infant and junior classes. The teaching is satisfactory but less effective in other classes because the content of the work does not stimulate the same level of interest and pupils are not challenged to think for themselves as often.

p.24

Commentary

55. Overall, there has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection and the pace of development is accelerating. The recently appointed subject co-ordinator provides good subject leadership and is already having a positive impact on provision in English. The co- ordinator has observed all other teachers delivering literacy lessons and provided constructive feedback and guidance on how their teaching can be further improved. Although more needs to be done to ensure consistency, the training staff have received in the skills of assessing pupils’ writing has improved the reliability of the judgements they make. The co-ordinator has provided further support by compiling a portfolio of pupils’ writing illustrating the standard typically expected in each year group. A realistic improvement plan has been formulated to promote further developments, particularly how boys’ interest in English can be encouraged

p.24

Commentary

and the gap in achievement between boys and girls reduced.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

56. Pupils have satisfactory opportunities to use and extend their literacy in other subjects. Pupils regularly use speaking and listening in subjects such as geography and history when they report the findings of the research they have been conducting to the rest of the class. However, there are times when teachers do not draw average attaining boys into discussions well enough and this inhibits their achievement. Reading forms an integral part of many lessons, with pupils following written instructions, obtaining information and scrutinising questions. In the better lessons teachers encourage pupils to read what they have written to others, providing valuable extension of both of these key skills. Pupils use their writing skills to record their observations and results in science and to write evaluations of what they have made in design and technology. Project booklets that form much of the homework for older

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

pupils provide an ideal opportunity to write at length. ICT is used well in literacy with pupils moving naturally to the computer when they want to draft a piece of work or present it in an interesting and lively way. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 25

p.24

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Year 6 pupils regularly perform well in the national tests. • The quality of teaching in Years 2 and 6 is very effective but lessons in other classes do not always provide enough challenge for higher attaining pupils. • Pupils learn the importance of using effective mental strategies but in general, boys achieve less well than girls. • Insufficient monitoring of provision has led to inconsistencies in teaching and learning.

p.25

Commentary

57. Year 6 pupils are prepared thoroughly for the national tests and often attain results that are well above average. The school is predicting a fall in results in 2005 because in the current Year 6 fewer pupils are of higher attainment and a significant proportion have special educational needs. Year-on-year fluctuations are quite common because the number of pupils who take the tests is small. In 2004, the results of Year 2 pupils were below average but predictions indicate average performance this year. This is due in part to a more able year group but is also an indication that the high quality teaching that pupils in Year 2 are now receiving is beginning to raise their achievement. Inspection judgements are in line with the school’s predictions. Overall there has been a satisfactory level of improvement in mathematics since the last inspection

p.25

Commentary

58. Standards in Year 2 and Year 6 are currently average. Most Year 2 pupils add and subtract with the expected accuracy for their age and know the sequence of numbers to 100. Higher attainers have grasped the basics of fractions and symmetry and are solving simple mathematical problems. A small proportion of Year 2 pupils of lower attainment are still working with low numbers, although their progress is clearly evident. By Year 6 the majority of pupils calculate accurately both on paper and in their heads, although lower attaining pupils often find mental work difficult. Most pupils work accurately with percentages and decimals and have a solid understanding of concepts such as equivalence. The main difference between higher and average attaining Year 6 pupils is the speed at which they calculate and the amount of information they are able to retain mentally. Across the school as a whole pupils’ achievement is satisfactory with greatest progress made in Years 2 and 6 where the

p.25

Commentary

59. Girls regularly outperform boys in national tests, particularly in Year 2, and across the school as a whole there is a tendency for girls to achieve better than boys in mathematics. The school has recognised this difference but has yet to gain a clear understanding of the root cause. However, in two out of five lessons observed during the inspection, boys of average ability were not challenged to answer questions in whole-class sessions. Most teachers accepted answers from those who raised their hands, often the girls, rather than targeting a cross-section of pupils. Subsequently a notable number of the boys were allowed to sit passively and did not have their thinking examined or stretched.

p.25

Commentary

60. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, but vary in quality from very good to unsatisfactory. This produces inconsistencies of provision and uneven progress as pupils move through the school. Much of the difference can be attributed to the variable quality of the activities provided and the pace at which learning progresses, which is significantly slower in the less effective lessons. The good attention teachers pay to developing pupils’ mental strategies in many lessons is a key strength of the teaching and learning. Most teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and promote good attitudes to mathematics. Lessons begin Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 26 with clear learning objectives so pupils know the purpose of their learning. Teachers plan lessons thoughtfully so that pupils’ skills develop progressively and they learn new concepts in a consistent way. The work is frequently adjusted to meet the needs of lower attaining pupils,

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Commentary

but in the satisfactory rather than better lessons it is often much the same for other pupils in the class, resulting in too little challenge for pupils of higher attainment. Pupils often have only a limited understanding of how they may improve their work. This is because teachers regularly mark pupils’ work, but rarely include comments or clear targets for the next step in learning. In the unsatisfactory lesson, time was wasted in settling the pupils. Not all listened carefully as the teacher talked, affecting the concentration of others. The slow pace of the lesson, with little opportunity for pupils to practise skills, resulted in pupils making insufficient progress.

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Commentary

61. During the inspection, the teaching and learning seen in Years 2 and 6 were very good. Rigorous teaching, with no time wasted, resulted in high levels of pupil application and concentration throughout the lessons. The effective teaching of all the skills required to complete the work enabled pupils to work confidently, completing challenging work quickly. Learning in these lessons is enjoyable because the challenging tasks excite and motivate pupils. Well-directed classroom assistants give valuable additional support, enabling teachers to focus on the needs of individuals and small groups. Pupils with special educational needs benefit considerably from the additional support they receive. This enables them to maintain a satisfactory rate of progress, similar to that of other pupils.

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Commentary

62. Subject leadership and management are satisfactory. Through her teaching, the co-ordinator provides a good role model for other teachers. Working with a specialist mathematics teacher the co-ordinator has put an appropriate action plan in place. Initiatives include developing the expertise of teachers in classes other than Years 2 and 6, and developing consistent systems for tracking pupils’ attainment and progress. Procedures for monitoring provision and evaluating its impact require improvement. The school has yet to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of pupils’ answers to questions in national tests and to identify the reasons for boys’ underachievement.

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Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Satisfactory use is made of mathematics in other subjects. In science, for example, pupils use their numeracy skills productively when carrying out observations and investigations. They measure accurately, and for a range of purposes, and interpret the data using appropriate handling techniques. Links between mathematics and ICT are mostly good. Particularly effective use is made of computer-generated graphs to illustrate and make sense of numerical information; for example, in Year 3 history work, pupils generated a range of graphs about the Eyam plague showing clearly the pattern of mortality over time.

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SCIENCE

The provision for science is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils leave the school with secure scientific knowledge and a good range of enquiry skills. • Year 6 pupils attain very good results in the national tests. • Effective teaching in the oldest class enables pupils to make rapid progress. • The development of pupils’ enquiry skills is uneven across the school and teachers’ assessment of this aspect of science is under-developed • The co-ordinator provides a good role model of effective practice but has yet to acquire a secure picture of the quality of teaching and learning across the school as a whole. • Pupils work hard but show only limited independence in their thinking. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 27

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Commentary

64. There has been satisfactory improvement in the subject since the last inspection and many of the strengths identified at that time have been retained. Year 6 pupils perform well in the national tests and often attain results that are well above both the national average and those of similar schools. This is a reflection of the thorough way in which pupils are prepared for the tests by the class teacher and the conscientious way in which they carry out their revision both at school and at home.

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Commentary

65. Pupils attain standards at the end of Year 6 that are above average. This is a slightly lower evaluation than test results would indicate because it takes full account of pupils’ ability in all aspects of the subject rather than the more limited range covered by the test. While pupils’ achievement in Years 3 to 6 is good overall, pupils make the most significant progress at the end of this key stage. This is because in the oldest class, which is mainly composed of Year 6 pupils, lessons are challenging, very well planned and frequently require pupils to carry out investigations using the whole of the scientific process. Pupils have to make their decisions about how to conduct an investigation, what measurements to take and how to record and interpret the data. As a result, most Year 6 pupils have a good range of enquiry skills and the confidence to tackle investigations for themselves. However, very few pupils know how to

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Commentary

apply their existing knowledge when drawing conclusions and as a result do not always link new concepts to existing ones quite as securely as they might. As they move through the school pupils learn an extensive range of scientific facts and by the end of Year 6 their knowledge of the key ideas of science is strong. In Years 1 and 2, achievement is satisfactory and pupils are given a sufficient range of interesting activities that stimulate their curiosity and make them think. By Year 2 most pupils have the knowledge, understanding and skills expected for their age and standards are average.

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Commentary

66. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and in the oldest class (Year 5/6) it is good and at times very good. However, across the school as a whole the teaching and learning of enquiry skills lack cohesion and structure. Consequently, in many of their lessons teachers promote pupils’ knowledge and understanding effectively but fail to develop their enquiry skills to the same extent. Pupils of all ages have good attitudes to science. They enjoy finding out new things and sharing their discoveries with others. On occasions pupils will ask questions of their own, such as whether a brick will melt in the same way as chocolate. However, this is a rare event and older pupils in particular are inclined to be hard-working but passive learners who have not fully grasped the importance of, at times, taking the initiative for themselves. Pupils with special educational needs enjoy the practical nature of science and

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Commentary

make satisfactory progress in their learning.

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Commentary

67. Subject leadership and management are satisfactory. While the areas identified for improvement in the subject action plan are appropriate, systems for monitoring and evaluation are still developing and the co-ordinator does not yet have all the information she needs to intervene strategically to support colleagues and improve standards. Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ scientific knowledge is satisfactory but they are given insufficient guidance on how to assess enquiry skills and what to look for in order to evaluate the progress pupils are making in this aspect of the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The provision for information and communication technology is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• There has been a marked improvement in all aspects of the subject since the last inspection. • Teachers use ICT well to enhance pupils’ learning in a wide range of subjects. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 28 • The school has forged productive links with the local secondary school which significantly enhance pupils’ learning. • Effective leadership and management give the subject clear direction but the information provided by monitoring and assessment is too broad for future needs. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to ICT and use it frequently and confidently in their work.

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Commentary

68. Pupils of all ages achieve well. Standards are above average in both Year 2 and Year 6 and with very few exceptions pupils attain or exceed the expected level for their age. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are taught well and learn many of the basic skills they need as the foundation to future work. During their introductions to control technology, Year 2 pupils program a floor or on-screen robot to follow a prescribed path, making it turn and move fixed distances. By Year 6 pupils have extended their understanding well and are writing quite complex programs such as those needed to control and sequence model traffic lights. Computers and other technology are an integral part of learning and pupils view them as such. They use them with skill and confidence, applying what they know well and helping each other if and when the need arises. Pupil with special educational needs show the same positive attitudes as other pupils and

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Commentary

maintain a good rate of progress in their learning.

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Commentary

69. Since the school was last inspected in 1999 there has been good improvement in ICT and what at that time was a weak subject is now one of the school’s strengths. Standards have risen progressively as teachers’ confidence and competence have grown and the well-planned development of resources has given pupils access to the equipment they need. Productive links have been forged with the ICT department of the local secondary school. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 have the opportunity of lessons at the secondary school – Year 6 throughout the year and other ages for approximately half of the year. During these lessons pupils learn new skills which they can then use back at school or at home. There is constructive interaction between the two schools with pupils regularly taking work they have started in class to the secondary school to complete or extend in the ICT suite. This provides very good continuity

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Commentary

and pupils view the learning that takes place in both schools in the same positive light. This combination of class-based and secondary school-based lessons provides pupils with a good quality of teaching and learning.

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Commentary

70. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has led the subject purposefully for a number of years and has been instrumental in bringing about a marked improvement in standards and the quality of teaching and learning. Sound strategies, some involving outside advice, are used to monitor provision. These provide a secure overview of pupils’ achievements and of the quality of the teaching they are receiving. However, along with the school’s assessment procedures, these evaluation strategies have yet to be fine tuned to provide an exact picture of how the provision is influencing pupils’ learning and which areas of the curriculum need most attention. This is needed to ensure that the good pace of subject development continues. The portfolio of key information that the co-ordinator is currently constructing, which includes assessed samples of pupils’ work, provides a productive compilation of management information.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

71. One of the most positive features of the teaching and learning in ICT is the natural and constructive way both teachers and pupils use computers and other technology in their work in all subjects. Teachers set a good example by using ICT regularly in lessons and by frequently directing pupils towards the computers when they feel it will help their work. The Internet is used productively for research in many subjects and the data-handling programs are often employed to aid the sorting and presentation of numerical information in subjects such as science, history and geography. Pupils enhance the models they produce in design and technology with labels and pictures obtained from the computer. Many older pupils make Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 29 extensive use of ICT when compiling the individual topic booklets they produce each term. These often contain colourful, well-presented text and graphics of a high standard.

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HUMANITIES

Only two lessons were observed in history and one in geography . Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to support overall judgements about provision, achievement or the quality of teaching and learning in either subject. Teachers’ planning was examined, samples of work analysed and discussions held with pupils. Religious education was not a feature of this inspection.

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HUMANITIES

72. Pupils’ work and teacher’s planning show that pupils benefit from a satisfactory curriculum in both geography and history , the strength of which is the constructive way in which these subjects are linked with others. In the three lessons seen the teaching and learning were predominantly satisfactory with one very effectively taught history lesson in Year 2.

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HUMANITIES

73. By Year 2 pupils can follow a time-line of famous events and they have studied historical figures such as Florence Nightingale. They use their understanding of maps to plot locations of events in history such as the Crimean War. Pupils have written about the Fire of London, noting how it spread through the city. In a lively lesson in Year 2, based on the work of Samuel Pepys, pupils showed good understanding of how the great fire affected everyday life as they wrote their own diaries of the events that took place. The use of role-play by the teacher did much to stimulate pupils’ interest and to involve them actively in learning.

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HUMANITIES

74. By Year 6 pupils have followed the journeys of explorers such as Sir Francis Drake and studied the key events during the reign of Elizabeth 1. Pupils at this age have started to probe and understand more mature themes. They found out what it was like to be persecuted as they linked events together to build up a picture of a historical period. In a junior lesson, pupils in Years 4 and 5 discussed a forthcoming visit to the Derbyshire village of Eyam. They used a detailed village base map to first plot the location of the car park where they would arrive. Most could then follow a route through the village, noting the main historical and geographical sites they would visit. Some pupils could accurately plot alternative routes between two chosen locations, giving precise directions to be used.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Only a small number of lessons were seen in design and technology (two), music (one) and in physical education (two). No lessons were seen in art and design . It is, therefore, not possible to make detailed judgements about the provision in these subjects. Further information was gained from discussions with staff and pupils, examination of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. Assemblies provided additional evidence in music.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. Pupils in all year groups have sound opportunities to work with a satisfactory range of art and design materials. Older pupils have a few pieces of work in their sketchbooks, but they do not use the books regularly to build up a range of skills prior to completing a piece of work, for example to plan the design and practise new techniques, or experiment with a range of mark making or media. Pupils’ artistic skills are used well to support work in other subjects. For example, Year 2 pupils examined the work of Henri Rousseau, prior to adding illustrations to their writing in literacy. Skills taught in ICT are extended effectively as when Year 1 pupils used a Paint program to make detailed drawings of houses. Discussions with Year 6 pupils indicate a developing technical vocabulary, enabling them to use terms such as ‘vanishing point’ and ‘horizon’ when describing recent artwork on perspective. Teachers give value to

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

pupils’ work by displaying it attractively around the school. There are limited opportunities to enhance provision through visiting artists or visits to interesting places such as art galleries.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. Pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and the subject co-ordinator’s records show that design and technology features regularly in the curriculum for all age groups. Pupils experience all elements of the design and make process and learn the importance of choosing materials Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 30 carefully, drawing designs clearly, planning work systematically and evaluating products thoroughly. Different techniques, such as how to provide movement in working models, are taught progressively as pupils move through the school. Paper fastener joints in Year 2 progress to balloon pneumatic systems in Years 3/4 and on to cam mechanisms in Years 5/6. Both of the lessons seen were taught well. The work was set in meaningful contexts and pupils were given every opportunity to use their own ideas and individuality. New techniques were introduced clearly so that pupils could make full use of them in their own constructions.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Pupils took a pride in their work and produced attractive models and games of a good quality. In one lesson the teacher encouraged pupils to use the computer to improve the quality of their work, something they did with confidence and skill.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. In the one music lesson observed the teaching was satisfactory. Year 4 pupils identified the differing sequences within a Jewish song which was later to be used to develop movement in dance, giving purpose to pupils’ learning. Good opportunities to practise the various elements developed pupils’ confidence enabling them to sing with enjoyment. Opportunities were missed to analyse and compare sounds and to develop subject specific vocabulary such as timbre and tempo . The standard of singing observed during the inspection was satisfactory. In assemblies pupils modulated their voices reasonably well and most sang with appropriate tunefulness. A newly introduced plan of work, together with an effective programme of staff training, has effectively developed teachers’ expertise in the three youngest classes. The co- ordinator acknowledges that not all teachers feel confident about teaching music and plans to

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

introduce the scheme into the rest of the school. Pupils in Year 4 employ computers, using picture symbols to compose simple tunes. However, Year 6 pupils have limited understanding of composition, musical notation or subject vocabulary. There are satisfactory opportunities for pupils to enhance their skills in extra-curricular recorder classes and choir. A small number of pupils learn to play musical instruments at school with visiting specialist musicians. Resources are satisfactory for younger children but insufficient to support the curriculum for pupils in Years 3 to 6. There is currently a display of multi-cultural instruments that have been loaned to the school, but the school has few such instruments of its own to regularly support and enhance pupils’ learning.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. Lesson in observations physical education covered one infant and one junior class. Infant age pupils practised games and gymnastics skills and junior pupils learned a Jewish traditional dance. The quality of pupils’ co-ordination and movement observed in these lessons was broadly in line with what is expected for the pupils’ age. A discussion with Year 6 pupils confirmed that most of them can swim at least 25 metres, the national expected standard for eleven year olds. Some pupils reported that they have also received awards for their skills in life-saving techniques. Most Year 1 pupils were able to find a space and to perform a range of warm-up movements adequately. One more able pupil remarked, “We have to get our muscles ready!” During the main task, pupils practised games skills. Most could throw and catch a large ball satisfactorily, some with more confidence and accuracy because they knew to ‘keep their eye on the ball’. Junior pupils enjoyed a lesson where they

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

learned steps from a traditional Jewish dance. They followed the teacher’s lead very well and by the end of the session most pupils could perform a sequence of traditional dance movements in time to the authentic music that was being played.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Issues such as sex education and relationships and drugs awareness are covered well. • The school does not have a cohesive programme for the teaching and learning of key social and citizenship skills. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 31

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Commentary

79. In a very good lesson, Year 2 pupils learned about why accidents happen and how to call the emergency services. Learning was brought alive through role-play and use of resources. Well- planned lessons ensure pupils develop an understanding of sex education, healthy eating and the dangers of drugs, alcohol and smoking. In a good Year 5/6 lesson, pupils formed their own views on the dangers of smoking. They participated readily in discussion and developed an appreciation of the difference between fact and opinion.

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Commentary

80. Citizenship is not yet given a high profile and there are very few opportunities for pupils to play an important part in helping the school to run smoothly and improve. The school does not give pupils enough responsibilities to help them build their confidence and social awareness. Pupils express their own views informally but there is no school council to help develop their understanding of democratic decision making. The school is reviewing its anti-bullying policy in light of concerns raised by parents through a questionnaire.

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Commentary

81. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are aware that this element of the curriculum is an area for development. They are reviewing the provision systematically and extending their knowledge through training. Currently teaching and learning in this aspect are satisfactory overall but variable in quality. A new scheme of work has been introduced and is being implemented across the school to ensure a greater consistency in teaching and learning. The school is working towards a healthy school award which is helping to raise the awareness of keeping safe and healthy. Tankersley St Peter’s C of E Primary School - 32

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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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 3 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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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 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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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 4 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

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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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