Uffington Church of England Primary School

UFFINGTON CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 28 February – 2 March 2005

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UFFINGTON CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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UFFINGTON CE 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. Uffington CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 5 – 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 87

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Broad Street Uffington Faringdon Oxfordshire Postcode: SN7 7RA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01367 820296 Fax number: 01367 820296

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Graham Banks

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11 January 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This Church of England primary school is situated in the centre of Uffington, a small rural village near the Ridgeway in South Oxfordshire. The school serves families from neighbouring villages as well as those from Uffington itself; the school roll has been steadily increasing over the last five years. The area is predominantly one of well-established owner-occupied houses with some rented accommodation; the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with the national average. The school is much smaller than most primary schools with 79 full- time pupils and eight who attend the reception class part time. The school has a recently established Partnership Unit which caters for children from two and a half to five years of age in three age-based groups and there are classes for Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, Years 5 and 6. Almost all pupils are from white British families; the percentage of pupils whose first language is not

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

English and who are at an early stage of learning to speak it is extremely low. A few children come from families within the travellers’ community.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The planned annual admission number is 15 and attainment on entry varies from year to year but is broadly average. The overall proportion of pupils who have special educational needs is close to the national average as is the proportion with a statement of special educational need. As well as a range of learning difficulties, the special educational needs in the school include social, emotional and behavioural needs. Uffington CE Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

19623 Michael Cahill Lead inspector English as an additional language Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Physical education 9334 Jenny Mynett Lay inspector 22831 Clive Lewis Team inspector Special educational needs Foundation stage English Art and design Geography History Religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school with many very good features. Leadership and management are very good and clearly focused on raising standards through improving the quality of education provided. Pupils achieve well in attaining standards that are above average and they are prepared very well for subsequent stages of education; their personal development is promoted very effectively. The school uses its resources well and provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher and other key staff provide very good leadership and management directed effectively to raising all pupils’ achievement. • Standards are above average as a result of good teaching based on good assessment systems. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and pupils develop very good attitudes towards their learning. • The curriculum is very stimulating and planned very well to make links between subjects; it is very well enriched by a wide range of visits, visitors and out of school activities. However, building delays mean that there is currently no library. • All pupils benefit from the high quality of support, care and guidance that the school provides. • Governors play a key role in shaping the future of the school and in maintaining the very good partnerships with the community, parents and other schools and colleges.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Attendance is well below the national average because of term time holidays and the erratic attendance of a few pupils.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been a good level of improvement since the last inspection in 1999; the overall good standards have been maintained and the quality of education, including the teaching and the accommodation, has been improved. There are now good schemes of work in all subjects and the work for pupils in Years 3 to 6 is now as challenging as that in other year groups.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English B B E E mathematics B B D D science B A D D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ overall achievement is good . Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. However, the achievement of a very small minority of pupils suffers because of their poor attendance. Children in the reception year are on course to meet the national learning goals and to exceed them in their personal and social development and their mathematical skills.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Because of the small number of pupils in each year group, comparisons of national test results for different years should be treated with caution. Over the five years since the last inspection, the school’s national test results for pupils in Year 2 have improved faster than the national trend . In 2004, results in reading and writing were well above average and very high (in the top five per cent of schools nationally) in mathematics; overall they were well above average. Standards in the present Year 2, at this point in the school year, are above average in reading, writing, mathematics Uffington CE Primary School - 7 and science; in information and communication technology (ICT) and history, standards are average. In religious education, pupils match the standards of the locally agreed syllabus. National test results for Year 6 pupils have been above, sometimes well above, the national average

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

for most of the period since the last inspection. In 2004 results were below average because the small year group included pupils who had significant special educational needs; the school did not meet all of the targets agreed with the local educational authority but pupils had made at least the progress expected of them in their time at the school. Inspection evidence indicates that the standards attained by the current Year 6 pupils are above average in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. Standards in history are at the expected level and they meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education.

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

are promoted very well. Attitudes and relationships are very good and most pupils behave very well; overall, behaviour is good. Attendance is well below the national average, due largely to parents taking their children on holiday during term time and also to a few pupils whose attendance is poor; punctuality is satisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a very good quality of education for all of its pupils . The quality of teaching and learning is good with a significant proportion of very good lessons and no unsatisfactory teaching. Lesson planning is very good and teachers and teaching assistants work together very well to make sure that pupils’ learning needs are met. There are good systems for keeping track of the progress of individual pupils. Most pupils become well-motivated and confident young learners. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage and throughout the school meets pupils’ needs very well and there is a very good programme of enrichment opportunities, including a good range of sporting and cultural activities. The Partnership Unit has enhanced the accommodation a lot but delays (beyond the school’s control) in the next phase of building mean that the school is currently without a library. The school provides very good support, care and guidance based on

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

very good knowledge of the pupils. The school maintains very good links with parents, the community and other schools and colleges; these enhance pupils’ learning and achievement.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff is very good and clearly focused on raising the achievement of all pupils. The school is very well managed and runs smoothly; all aspects of its performance are kept under continuous review by the governing body and the headteacher. Governance is very good and all statutory requirements are fully met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents hold the school in high regard, valuing the family atmosphere and the approachability of the headteacher and staff. Pupils are very happy and feel that the school is safe and secure; they appreciate the opportunity to contribute to school development through the school council and are enthusiastic about changes that have followed their discussions.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

To improve further, this good school should: • Continue to impress on parents the importance of their children not missing lessons; • Progress the planned improvements to facilities, including the provision of a library. Uffington CE Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good throughout the school. Standards in the current Year 6 are above average in all core subjects.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make good gains in their skills, knowledge, and understanding in their time at the school, making at least the expected amount of progress. • Standards in English, mathematics and science are above average in Years 2 and 6. • Pupils in Year 6 demonstrate standards in ICT that are above expectations for their age .

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Commentary

1. Caution is needed in interpreting the national test results in this school because of the small number of pupils in the year groups. Over the five years since the last inspection, the school’s national test results for pupils in Year 2 have improved in reading, writing and mathematics in excess of the national trend. In 2004, results in reading and writing were well above average and very high in mathematics; overall they were well above average.

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.4 (17.4) 15.8 (15.7) writing 16.6 (16.5) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 19.0 (18.5) 16.2 (16.3) There were 10 pupils in the year group, 9 boys and 1 girl. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

2. Results in Year 6 have usually been above national averages over the five-year period; in 2004 results were well below average in English and below average in science and mathematics. This caused the trend in the school’s results to fall below the national trend. The reason for the apparent fall in standards was the presence in the small year group of a significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs. There are variations from year to year in the relative performance of boys and girls. The small group sizes, however, mean that it is not possible to identify any significant differences in the achievement of any group of pupils, including that of the small proportion from minority ethnic and traveller families. The school’s records confirm this analysis.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 24.8 (28.0) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 25.9 (27.5) 27.0 (26.8) Science 28.1 (30.1) 28.6 (28.6) There were 11 pupils in the year group, 5 boys and 6 girls. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Uffington CE Primary School - 9 3. In 2004, the school had variable success in meeting the targets agreed with the local education authority, meeting them for Level 4 in English and exceeding them in Level 5 for mathematics but failing to meet them in the other two respects. Targets for the present Year 6 are challenging but achievable.

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

4. Attainment on entry is broadly average and very variable because of group size. Children benefit from the good provision in the Foundation Stage and most of the present Reception class are on course to meet the national goals for early learning; some should exceed them in the areas of personal and social development and mathematical development. Overall, this represents good achievement.

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

5. Pupils with a wide variety of special educational needs achieve well. Due to a mixture of in- class support and, where appropriate, small group withdrawal activities, pupils with special educational needs make good progress in terms of the targets in their individual education plans. Because of sensitive lesson planning and the provision of extra opportunities in partnership with other providers, more able pupils also achieve well.

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

6. In the present Year 2, the attainment of pupils is above average in reading and writing, mathematics and science. In ICT and history, pupils’ attainment in Year 2 is average. In religious education, pupils meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Ov erall, taking into account the 2004 national test results and assessments, achievement throughout Years 1 and 2 is good for pupils of all abilities and for all groups, including those from the Traveller community, although erratic attendance sometimes reduces achievement.

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

7. Standards in the present Year 6 are above average in English, mathematics, science and ICT. Standards in religious education match the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Most pupils, of whatever ability and from all groups, achieve well during their time in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural and personal development is very well promoted and reflected in the good behaviour, and the very good attitudes that pupils develop as they move up the school. Pupils’ personal development is very good. Overall attendance levels are well below the national average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good attitudes and good behaviour of most pupils enable them to make good progress because they are highly motivated and eager to learn. • The provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is very good and contributes very effectively to pupils’ personal development, confidence and self-esteem. • Attendance levels are lower than in most schools.

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Commentary

8. The behaviour of the great majority of pupils is at least good and pupils develop very good attitudes towards their learning as they progress through the school. Both pupils and parents express very positive views about their school. Parents are very pleased that their children are happy and enjoy school. They value the warm relationships between staff and pupils, and the way pupils are encouraged to work hard and achieve their best. Pupils are very enthusiastic. They like the fact that it is ‘ a small school where you can get to know everybody… and make lots of friends’ . They think the teachers are ’kind and helpful… they don’t get cross if you don’t understand’, and ‘they make learning fun.’ Most pupils, particularly the older ones, have very positive and responsible attitudes to their work and activities in school. They are enthusiastic and well-motivated learners and this helps them to progress

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Commentary

well in their tasks and achieve good results. 9. The Reception children in the new Foundation Stage Unit are developing confidence and showing positive attitudes to school. They enjoy their activities, concentrate well on their work Uffington CE Primary School - 10 and learning, interact well together and are happy to share their toys and equipment. Many of these children are on track to exceed the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional education by the end of the year.

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Commentary

10. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and the majority of pupils behave well both in lessons and around the school. The older pupils are very mature, showing high levels of self- esteem and working hard to present their best work. Whilst the behaviour of the older pupils is very good, there are a small number of pupils in Years 1 to 4 with very challenging behaviour. They can be deliberately disruptive and this can sometimes affect things for the rest of the class. Whilst the majority behave well, the disruptive behaviour of the minority occasionally influences others who react in a silly and immature way. Teachers have received guidance from the behaviour support specialists in how to handle some of the worst behaviour but do not always have sufficient in-class help to meet the needs of these pupils. Relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils themselves are very good. Pupils

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Commentary

generally work and play well together and harmony is a strong feature of the school. There are good systems in place to deal with any incidents of harassment, bullying or oppressive behaviour. Whilst there are incidents, pupils are generally confident that they will be dealt with.

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Commentary

11. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development continues to be very good and has a positive impact on their personal development. Spiritual development is very good and well embedded into the curriculum. This is evident in pupils’ presentation and work, both in their books and on wall displays. Pupils gain a good understanding of their own and other religions through religious education lessons. The opportunity to develop pupils’ self- knowledge and spiritual awareness and consider important issues and values is consistently well promoted each week during assemblies, in the personal, social and health education lessons and during class discussion time. Pupils listen well, pause and reflect about different issues and show great respect for the values and beliefs of others.

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Commentary

12. Moral development is very good. Pupils understand the golden rules, and the link to ‘golden time’ on a Friday. They have helped to devise their class rules, know right from wrong and are generally aware of how their actions affect others. The weekly celebration assembly encourage pupils to recognise and celebrate the achievements of others both in and outside school. Fund raising activities for both local and international charities help pupils to gain an awareness of others less fortunate than themselves. The good behaviour of most pupils in and around the school is a result of their developing self-discipline and is reflected in the fact that only one pupil has been excluded from the school recently for totally unacceptable behaviour.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 51 1 0 Mixed – White and Asian 2 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 17 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

13. Social development is very well fostered and results in productive relationships being forged throughout the school. This promotes an effective working environment and has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. The older pupils know they need to be good role models. They act as buddies to new pupils and are very caring of the younger ones, looking out for them in the playground. Pupils accept responsibility readily, acting as monitors in their Uffington CE Primary School - 11 classrooms or undertaking the role of ‘helping hands’ enthusiastically at break and lunch times. The school council provides pupils with increased responsibility and engenders a good awareness of how they can meet the needs of other pupils in the school.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

14. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. There is a rich provision offered within the curriculum through music, art and dance, with involvement in various festivals and competitions, and through visits and visitors. The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils to explore and learn about their own cultural heritage and the diversity of other cultures, such as the art, music, dance and historical focus on Benin for Years 5 and 6. Links are well established with other schools in Germany and Spain through the British Council’s Comenius scheme. This promotes an awareness of cultural differences in countries through various projects and exchange visitors. With no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds in the school currently, the school is aware that it could do more to promote a greater awareness of the diversity within multi-ethnic Britain.

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Attendance

Attendance levels have declined since the last inspection. Whilst the attendance levels of most pupils are good, the overall attendance figure is well below the national average. This is mainly due to a small number of pupils who have irregular attendance, including the traveller pupils, and the large number of parents who are taking their children on holidays in term time. The school encourages parents not to take holidays in term time and points out the difficulties in catching up missed work and how this will affect their children’s education. Punctuality is satisfactory with most parents bringing their children to school on time in the mornings. There are satisfactory systems in place to monitor attendance and follow up absences and lateness.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.6 School data 0.1 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a very good quality of education for all its pupils. Teaching and learning are good. Curriculum provision is very good overall and there are very good opportunities for enrichment. The school provides very good support, advice and guidance for pupils and maintains very good relationships with their parents. There are very good links with the community and with other schools and colleges.

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Teaching and learning

The overall quality of teaching and learning is good , with a significant proportion of very good practice. Assessment procedures are good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Lessons are very carefully planned so that the needs of pupils in mixed-age classes, including those with special educational needs, are met and as result their achievement is good. • Teachers have high expectations of the standard of pupils’ work and behaviour and this promotes good learning habits. • Very good teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants contributes to good behaviour and the involvement of all pupils in lessons. Uffington CE Primary School - 12 • Very well planned links across the different subjects help Year 5 and 6 pupils in particular to make more sense of their learning. • There are good procedures for keeping track of pupils’ progress, especially in English and mathematics.

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Commentary

15. During the inspection the vast majority of lessons were of at least good quality and none were unsatisfactory. There was a well above average proportion of lessons that were very good in the class for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The overall quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection. The quality of teaching of English, including the skills of literacy, and of mathematics, including numeracy, is good. The consistently good quality of teaching means that pupils make good progress from their different starting points, and they develop very good attitudes to learning and good work habits.

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Commentary

16. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good overall, and is frequently very good for individuals and small groups. Class teachers ensure in their lesson plans that appropriate provision is made for pupils with particular learning needs. Learning support assistants work very well with class teachers and provide good and frequently very good support for pupils, monitoring and recording pupils’ progress and providing an appropriate blend of help and challenge.

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Commentary

17. The school has recently moved to a two year group per class organisation and teachers have put a lot of work into devising a planning structure that meets the needs of pupils in this context. The benefits were very obvious in a very good science lesson with the Year 3/4 class where for parts of the lesson the teacher and the teaching assistant worked with the two-year groups separately; pupils from both year groups achieved very well.

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Commentary

18. The very good team work between teachers and teaching assistants is an important feature of many lessons. Teaching assistants often make an essential contribution to ensuring that all pupils, especially those who have learning or behaviour difficulties, take a full part in lessons. The adults who work in the school all share high expectations of the standard of pupils’ work and of their behaviour. Because pupils know what is expected of them and what they are supposed to do, lessons generally take place in a pleasant and purposeful working atmosphere and pupils do their best. They are helped in this because teachers’ planning is designed to help pupils to build on what has been learned most recently; good assessment records help in this respect. In a Year 1/2 mathematics lesson, for example, the teacher set tasks at a good range of levels of difficulty to meet differing learning needs identified from the

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Commentary

19. Teaching and learning are often very good In the Year 5/6 class lessons, partly because the teacher is very good at helping pupils to see links between what they are learning in different subjects. For example, pupils learned to use a sorting program in ICT by using information about the properties of shapes that were being explored in mathematics lessons. Other good uses of ICT to help learning in other subjects included the use of a video camera to record and then view and analyse dance sequences that pupils in Years 5 and 6 were choreographing; this enhanced the quality of their learning greatly and developed their skills of self-assessment. Internet-based research is used well to help pupils develop their independent learning skills.

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Commentary

20. The school places a strong emphasis on helping pupils to feel good about themselves and to work well with each other and on their own. The foundations for this are very well laid in the Partnership Unit, where the quality of teaching is good. The teacher is very conscientious, well-organised, plans activities well and has developed a good rapport with the pupils so that they want to do their best for her. Assessment data are used well to plan work at the correct level for all children and to ensure children are fully challenged and reach their potential. At the time of inspection, no child had been identified as requiring additional support for special educational needs. By the time that they leave the school, most pupils are confident about Uffington CE Primary School - 13 their ability to learn and take pride in the presentation of their work and have developed good skills at working with others on group class projects.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 25 lessons

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

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The curriculum

The school provides a very good and broad range of curricular opportunities with very good opportunities for enrichment. The quality of accommodation is satisfactory overall and the range of learning resources in most areas of the curriculum is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good provision for pupils with special educational needs supports their progress well. • There is very good provision for equality of opportunity and inclusion for all pupils. • The very good support for learning outside the school day enriches pupils’ learning.

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Commentary

21. The curriculum is broad, balanced and coherent with a good level of continuity and progression and a very good range of opportunities for enrichment. In the Foundation Stage, children enjoy a broad range of exciting and interesting free-choice and adult-directed activities. The teacher has a good knowledge of the learning needs of young children and devises a good range of activities which encourage children to share, co-operate and develop their independence. As a result, children make good progress because activities are challenging and exciting. Good attention is given to developing reading, writing and number skills.

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Commentary

22. The curriculum meets all statutory requirements, including provision for religious education and collective worship and provides very effective personal, social and health education, including, for older pupils, sex and drugs awareness education. There is a very good level of equality of opportunity for all pupils and the school is very “inclusive” in all its policies and practices. There are consistent whole-school approaches to teaching and applying literacy and mathematics across the curriculum and there is ample evidence of the school’s willingness to adopt new strategies and to seek and accept guidance on reformulating the curriculum in order to make improvements – for example, the Spanish lessons, the Reading and Writing Weeks, the Forest School project in the Foundation Stage and the bi-annual contributions to the local arts festival.

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Commentary

23. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good overall. Pupils are supported well, both within and outside classrooms, by a well-trained and dedicated team of learning support assistants. The school works very hard to give all its pupils equal access to the full curriculum and is particularly successful in including pupils arriving from other schools with a history of significant behaviour problems. The special educational needs co-ordinator is very well- informed about the progress of pupils on the special needs register.

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Commentary

24. Class teachers, in consultation with the co-ordinator and teaching assistants, write the individual educational plans for pupils with special needs. Systems for regular review and consultation with parents are good. One clear indication of the success of the provision is that pupils are taken off the register, showing that they have made enough progress to continue without additional help. The positive atmosphere of the school promotes the very effective inclusion of pupils with special educational needs into every aspect of the school’s life. Uffington CE Primary School - 14 25. The school provides pupils with a very good range of interesting and relevant and well- attended extra-curricular activities. Sporting and cultural visits linked to the curriculum are organised to extend pupils’ experiences and a good range of visitors works in the school during the year. At the time of inspections, there were two hand-bell groups and one recorder

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Commentary

group held before school, a French club at lunchtime and after school netball and football activities.

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Commentary

26. There is a good match of teachers to the curriculum and there is a strong team of well- qualified and hard-working support staff who make a significant contribution to school life. The school accommodation is satisfactory overall – the new Early Years Unit accommodation is very good. However, at the time of the inspection, the school was awaiting completion of Phase 2 of the construction project which would make important and essential changes to staff accommodation and re-instate the school library. Resources for the majority of curriculum areas are good, though more computer programs are needed for some subjects, for example mathematics.

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Care, guidance and support

Systems to ensure pupils’ health, safety and welfare continue to be very good. Pupils receive very good support, advice and guidance during their time at school, and feel it is a safe and happy school. Good systems are in place to seek pupils’ views and they value the fact that they are consulted.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a safe, caring and encouraging environment where pupils can grow into happy confident individuals. • Good monitoring, advice and guidance support pupils’ academic and personal development well. • The very inclusive nature of the school provides effectively for all pupils, including the traveller pupils, those with special educational needs and the more able, gifted and talented. • The consultation process with pupils ensures they are given a voice and are involved in decision-making processes in the school.

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Commentary

27. The provision for pupils’ health, welfare and protection is very good. Parents are particularly pleased that their children are so well cared for during their time at school and value the help they receive to prepare them for the transition to secondary school. Uffington is a very caring school with very good systems to ensure the well-rounded development of pupils. Reward systems are valued and help motivate pupils to try hard and do well, and they are enthusiastic about the new ‘golden time’ opportunity on a Friday. Midday supervisors are well trained to care for their charges at lunchtime and the teaching assistants provide sensitive support in the classroom. Arrangements for child protection and procedures relating to health, safety and security are well thought through. Risk assessments are undertaken regularly and the governors take their responsibility for health and safety issues conscientiously.

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Commentary

28. Procedures to monitor and support pupils’ personal and academic development and progress are very good with clear tracking systems in place. Class teachers know their classes very well and parents and pupils are involved in target setting in both academic subjects and personal development. Targets are negotiated and reviewed at the twice-yearly consultation evenings with parents. Pupils are well aware of their targets and this helps them know how well they are doing. The school has good systems in place offering support and guidance for those pupils with special educational needs and these involve the various outside agencies as necessary. The school has established good links with the parents of these pupils and involves them in discussions about their child’s progress. Parents are very complimentary about the school. They feel it is very inclusive and treats all pupils fairly. Uffington CE Primary School - 15

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Commentary

29. The recent establishment of the Foundation Stage Unit is helping to ensure that the induction process into the school is very effective. With the combined Reception class and playgroup, children have early contact with staff, the school and its various systems. The transition to secondary schools is also very well managed through regular visits and good contact with secondary school staff.

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Commentary

30. Pupils are very happy and feel it is a safe and secure school. They speak confidently about the care and help received and say that incidents of bullying are generally dealt with well. Most but not all pupils indicated on their pre-inspection questionnaires that they feel that there is an adult they could go to if they have a problem. Inspection evidence indicates that relationships between adults and pupils are very good but that in this small school some pupils feel that adults may be too busy to deal with them. Opportunities to consult with pupils and to take their views into consideration are being effectively developed through ‘circle time’ and the school council. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the money they have raised to purchase new playground equipment and the various changes that have arisen following their discussions. They feel they are being given opportunities that encourage them to be more

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Commentary

responsible and involve them in the decision-making processes of the school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership with parents is very good and most parents have very positive views about the school. Links with the local community, the church and other schools are very good.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has developed a very strong, supportive parent body and actively consults with them. • Parents generally hold the school in high regard. • The very good links with the church and local community help enrich the curriculum and provide widening opportunities for pupils’ learning. • Very strong links have been forged with partner primary and secondary schools. • Parents offer valuable assistance to the school through the parent teacher association.

p.15

Commentary

31. The school has developed a close liaison with parents. It keeps them fully informed about their child’s progress and provides many opportunities for parents to become involved in their children’s education both at home and in school. Most parents express a high level of satisfaction about the work of the school. They value the small school and its family atmosphere; they say that their children are happy and they find the headteacher and staff highly approachable. Parents like the good teaching and the fact that the high expectations of staff encourage their children to become mature and independent. The only concerns expressed during the parents’ meeting and in the pre-inspection questionnaires were to do with the behaviour of the small minority of pupils and incidents of bullying. Although parents have concerns, they feel that the school deals with any incidents of bullying appropriately.

p.15

Commentary

Evidence from the inspection indicates that the school does deal effectively with any incidents of misbehaviour or bullying.

p.15

Commentary

32. Information for parents is good with regular newsletters and the website to keep parents updated on different school activities and events. Consultation evenings and the ‘open door’ policy ensure the school is accessible as possible. Curriculum information is circulated each term so that parents can see what is going on with suggestions on how they can help their children at home. Parents are consulted about new initiatives and were kept fully updated and involved during the building of the Foundation Stage Unit. The annual reports to parents whilst good are under review. They clearly state what pupils have covered and indicate what they know, can do and understand and how well pupils are achieving, as well as identifying targets for improvement. Uffington CE Primary School - 16 33. Links with the local community are very good. The school is central to village life with many local people involved in school activities and attending functions run by the school. Strong

p.15

Commentary

links with the local church are fostered through church services and regular visits to the school by the vicar and other church representatives. The curriculum is enhanced through regular visits and visitors and the school takes full advantage of the local environment. Pupils sing for the senior citizens at their Christmas party, visit the nearby museum and take part in local festivals including the annual White Horse Show. Visitors including theatre companies, a Buddhist monk, Nigerian artist, authors and a local farmer contribute to topic areas and help enrich the curriculum.

p.16

Commentary

34. A small number of parents and grandparents volunteer their help on a regular basis by listening to pupils read, helping with groups for science, sewing or pottery and assisting on visits. Others help by undertaking various tasks around school, such as gardening or running the cycling proficiency scheme. The parent teachers association is run by an enthusiastic group of parents who organise a number of social and fundraising activities each year, which raise significant funds for the school. This money has been used effectively, most recently to help establish the Foundation Stage Unit.

p.16

Commentary

35. Very strong links have been developed with other schools through the Wantage partnership, on both an academic and management basis. There are meetings with headteachers and other staff, sharing of expertise and resources, joint staff development activities and a range of sporting and music activities with neighbouring primary schools. Links with King Alfred’s secondary school is very well developed with opportunities for visits for science projects, music, plays and sporting events, and summer events for the more able, gifted and talented pupils. The very good liaison with Year 7 teachers and support for the more vulnerable pupils helps facilitate pupils move to the next stage of their education.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The leadership of the headteacher and other key staff is very good, as is governance. Management is very effective.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher promotes a shared vision very effectively and has an enthusiastic commitment to the development of the school. • The governing body provides very good leadership and support and helps to maintain the school’s valued position in the community. • The school runs very smoothly and evaluates its own performance rigorously.

p.16

Commentary

36. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school that is sharply focused on raising pupils’ achievements by improving the quality of the provision, for example by the recent move to an organisation in Years 1 to 6 that is based on two year groups only per class. She has built a strong team of staff with a good range of skills and experience and all know that their contributions are highly valued. The very strong shared commitment to providing high quality opportunities and experiences for all pupils is exemplified by the very good range and standard of extra-curricular activities and links with other schools.

p.16

Commentary

37. Development planning is very good and all members of staff are involved in its implementation. The governing body, with the headteacher, keeps all aspects of the school’s performance under regular review. There are good systems for keeping track of pupils’ progress and for setting improvement targets, especially in English and mathematics. All members of the small teaching staff readily accept leadership responsibilities and subject co- ordinators provide good support for colleagues although there have been few opportunities for observing work in other classes. The school runs on team work and the secretary, caretaker, cleaners and lunchtime staff, as well as the teaching assistants, all make vital contributions to the smooth running and effectiveness of the school. Uffington CE Primary School - 17 38. There is a very strong commitment to equal opportunity and to inclusion and pupils who have

p.16

Commentary

special educational needs are well catered for. Provision for them is managed well, with individual progress being carefully monitored. Pupils who have particular gifts or talents benefit from the very good opportunities in sport and the arts and those that result from links with other schools.

p.17

Commentary

39. The governance of the school is very good and the governing body supports the school extremely effectively, for example, by taking a leading role in the creation of the Partnership Unit. Governors are very proud of their school and its emphasis on the needs of individuals. They value its position at the heart of the village community, which contributed very generously to the Partnership project. The governing body takes care to ensure that all statutory requirements, including those relating to disability and racial legislation are fully met.

p.17

Commentary

40. The management of the school budget, by the headteacher, secretary and the finance committee of the governing body, is very good. Best value principles are rigorously applied and in the case of the recent building project saved the school a lot of money. The allocation of financial resources over the long and short term supports the school’s improvement priorities very well.

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 266 326 Balance from previous year 35 509 Total expenditure 272 404 Balance carried forward to the next 29 431 Expenditure per pupil 3 459

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

41. The relatively high balances are due to the fact that money had been set aside to cover some of the costs related to a building project being delayed for reasons beyond the school’s control. Uffington CE Primary School - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. The Foundation Stage 1 class is part of the new Early Years Partnership Unit, a joint venture by the school and the local pre-school. The unit caters for children from two and a half to five, in three age-based groups and recently moved into new, purpose-built accommodation.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. The Foundation Stage co-ordinator manages the unit and has worked very hard since its inception to plan work for all the children attending the unit. The quality of the planning and assessment is very good. She teaches the Foundation Stage 1 children and, although there is a great deal of interaction, the other staff working in the unit are designated to the younger pre-school children and there is no additional support for the Reception children.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The design and arrangement of the accommodation are very good in many ways; it is a very attractive environment, is well-resourced and has, for instance, a very good range of secure outdoor resources. However, there is a need to improve the layout of the unit with the aim of providing ‘quiet’ areas to allow, for example, a group of Foundation Stage 1 pupils to be taught without the present inevitable interruptions from the younger children.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

45. The induction of children to school is well-managed and involves parents fully. As a result of the warm, family atmosphere created in the class, the children settle into routines happily and quickly and enjoy a broad range of exciting and interesting free-choice and adult-directed activities.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

46. The co-ordinator provides good leadership, managing change and improvements skilfully through very good procedures for planning, monitoring and assessment. The secure outdoor area, adjacent to and directly accessible from the classroom, is a clear improvement on the situation at the time of the last inspection.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Well established routines based on good relationships and clear expectations promote security and confidence.

p.18

Commentary

47. As a result of the good relationships and clear expectations and routines, children achieve well and by the end of the Foundation Stage 1 year, overall attainment in personal, social and emotional skills is likely to be above that typically found. Most children part from their parent/carer willingly and confidently run into the classroom, pairing up with friends and playing sensibly. Children work and play together well, helping each other, taking turns and taking pride in their work. During ‘snack time’, children chat confidently with peers and with adults and interact with others well, most of them demonstrating an understanding that there needs to be an agreed set of values and codes of behaviour for groups of people to work together harmoniously. Most participate keenly in activities and work as part of a group, sharing fairly. The quality of teaching in this area of learning is good; the teacher has

p.18

Commentary

developed good relationships with the children and works consistently to ensure good relationships between children. As a result, most behave well, sitting quietly during the teacher’s expositions and trying their best for their teacher. Uffington CE Primary School - 19

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision for communication, language and literacy development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good opportunities for speaking and listening, and the well-structured teaching of early reading and writing skills, are promoting good learning and achievement.

p.19

Commentary

48. Most children are likely to achieve the early learning goals expected for their age by the end of the Reception year and a small number are likely to attain above expectations. In the lessons observed, the teacher provided good opportunities for speaking and listening and the majority of the children speak confidently and clearly, using a range of vocabulary appropriate for their age. Children learn to enjoy books, picking out their favourite characters, pictures and rhymes and enjoy listening to stories and all have a ‘book bag’ in which they take their reading books home. The overall quality of teaching is good and children achieve well.

p.19

Commentary

49. During a reading of an information book on “Butterflies” by the teacher, children were attentive, knew the difference between a ‘story book’ and an ‘information book’ and when the teacher said: “One day the caterpillar will grow too big for its skin”, a child responded with “It’ll be too tight”. Children begin to recognise some basic words and read and write their names. Most are able to hear and say initial and final sounds in simple words, saying and making actions for the first, middle and final phonemes in a word such as ‘pen’ and ’cat’ and most are able to write ‘d-o-g’ . The promotion of early writing skills is good and children are encouraged to ‘write’ in a variety of contexts.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher provides a good range of practical mathematical activities.

p.19

Commentary

50. Children are on track to achieve the goals expected for their age by the end of the Reception year and a significant number are likely to exceed expectations; achievement is good. Most children in a mathematical activity led by the teacher and supported very well by a volunteer parent were using the language of ‘balance’ and ‘weighing’ appropriately, using mathematical language such as ‘more’ or ‘less’, ‘heavier’ and lighter’ when ‘weighing’ a range of articles on scales.

p.19

Commentary

51. In a whole class counting activity, pupils were able to count from 40 to 80, most keeping up, one child observing “They are all two-digit numbers”, followed by another child who commented excitedly: “100 has THREE!”. In a registration activity, one child counts confidently to 19 when asked, “How many children are in this morning?” When asked what the date is if it was the 27 th yesterday, another responds immediately with “28 th ”. Teaching in this area of learning is good; the teacher introduces and uses appropriate mathematical terminology and provides and changes activities and groupings frequently to interest and motivate the children. Uffington CE Primary School - 20

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good opportunities and encouragement are provided for the children to find things out for themselves.

p.20

Commentary

52. In an outdoor “Forest School” activity led by a trained teaching assistant and supported by the teacher, children were pond-dipping in the school grounds and were finding out more about, and identifying some features of, the living things they observed. In the classroom, a good range of ‘free-choice’ activities are provided which enable children to find things out for themselves. They develop an understanding of the passage of time, chatting about the seasons, months, and days of the week with the teacher in each morning’s registration activity, answering such questions as: “If yesterday was Sunday, today is…?” During ‘free choice’ activities, children work at the class computers, playing games, clicking on and dragging icons using the ‘mouse’ confidently. Overall, teaching is good and children achieve well. Most are on course to achieve the identified goals in this area of learning.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

53. No overall judgement was possible on provision for physical development. However, the new, well-resourced outdoor area is an attractive, secure area, readily available from the classroom and it is being used effectively as an ‘outdoor’ classroom. In the one short physical activity observed, children were hopping into hoops, “being frogs - hopping from lily-pad to lily-pad” and demonstrated broadly average physical skills. Most of the children were able, independently, to put on their ‘wellies’ and outdoor coats.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

54. No overall judgement was possible on provision for creative development. In the one activity observed, children were exploring sounds and learning how sounds can be changed. They were responding well to sounds with body movement, tapping out simple repeated rhythms and making some up and were making loud/soft and high/low sounds on percussion instruments, showing good control.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good quality of teaching enables the pupils to make good progress. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the good support that they receive. • There is a good range and quality of resources. • The school is currently without a library due to a stalled building project and this is restricting pupils’ independent use of books. Uffington CE Primary School - 21

p.20

Commentary

55. Children enter the school with a wide range of attainment that varies widely from year to year but is broadly average in terms of literacy skills. They make good progress in the infant department, and by the end of Year 2 their overall attainment in reading and writing is above national expectations. This progress continues in the junior department and by the end of Year 6, overall attainment in reading and writing is above national expectations. Due to the small cohorts of pupils and significant variations in the number of pupils with special educational needs in each year group, overall attainment by the end of Year 6 varies significantly from year to year. In recent years, with the exception of the 2003/4 cohort which contained a high proportion of pupils with significant special educational needs, standards have generally been above national expectations.

p.21

Commentary

56. Teaching in English ranges from good to very good and is good overall throughout the school. Teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge, they have good classroom and behaviour management skills, allowing lessons to progress at a good pace; they use day-to-day assessment well to match tasks to pupils’ abilities and learning needs. This was demonstrated very effectively in a very good Year 5/6 lesson where the teacher’s very good classroom management skills, her lively, enthusiastic teaching style and good use of humour resulted in pupils making very good progress with their task – investigating the style and voices of traditional story language and identifying typical story themes. This lesson was a very good follow-up to a talk from a visitor who read a traditional African story to the class. Pupils demonstrated a good awareness of the features of good storytelling, including the importance of using different volumes, the need for clarity of diction, the use of facial

p.21

Commentary

expressions and of eye contact with the audience. Pupils with special educational needs were very well included in this lesson and well supported by teaching assistants. Teachers throughout the school make good provision for the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills, giving pupils frequent, but carefully time-limited, opportunities to discuss their ideas and report back to the class.

p.21

Commentary

57. The subject co-ordinator provides good leadership. She has organised a number of in-service training sessions for teachers and teaching assistants and has overseen a whole school focus on speaking and listening designed to further improve writing standards - a focus on ‘Talk for Writing’. These initiatives are leading to an overall improvement in the quality of pupils’ writing. There are good systems for assessing pupils’ progress and the data obtained are used well to group pupils for further support where necessary. The co-ordinator organises two weeks during the year when the whole school focuses on a literacy project. One is on reading followed by one focusing on writing. These link to the previous week’s work and feature a good range of visitors and visits; these make a significant contribution to the curriculum and to pupils’ achievement. At the time of inspection, temporarily the school was without a

p.21

Commentary

designated library but, otherwise, resources for the subject are good in quality and quantity.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

58. The school makes very good provision for the use of pupils’ literacy skills in other subjects – teachers plan opportunities for speaking and listening into all lessons. Pupils make good use of their literacy skills in subjects such as science, history and design and technology and there is good use of ICT in the English curriculum. Uffington CE Primary School - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good subject leadership has been the key to improvements in provision, notably in pupils’ mental arithmetic skills. • Standards in Years 2 and 6 are above average. • Good systems keep track of pupils’ progress and help teachers to plan for the differing learning needs in their classes. • The use of ICT resources is relatively underdeveloped.

p.22

Commentary

59. National test results in 2004 for the ten Year 2 pupils were well above average in comparison with other schools with all pupils attaining the national expectation of Level 2 and 60 per cent attaining the higher Level 3. In Year 6, results were below average when compared with all schools nationally and when compared with other schools whose pupils had recorded similar results in their Year 2 tests; eleven pupils, including some who had specific learning difficulties, took the tests. The number with learning difficulties within the group distorted the overall results. Teaching is good and pupils build well on their earlier learning; in most cases, pupils’ achievement during the time that they are at the school is good . The school has good assessment systems for keeping track of the progress of individual pupils and this supports their achievement well. Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan well to meet the

p.22

Commentary

needs of pupils in mixed-age and mixed-ability classes; pupils have positive attitudes towards mathematics and achieve well, especially in mental number work.

p.22

Commentary

60. Examination of the work of pupils in Year 2 indicates above average overall attainment and achievement. Pupils make particularly good progress in number work, with good applications in time, money and weight. For example, good use of practical work effectively supported learning about three-dimensional shapes. During the inspection, a good mix of whole class and individual work promoted good achievement in using number bonds to 10 and carrying out simple money-based subtractions. Pupils clearly enjoyed the mental challenge and showed above average accuracy and speed. Pupils of all abilities build well on their Foundation Stage learning; achievement is good throughout Years 1 and 2.

p.22

Commentary

61. Good support by the teaching assistant enabled pupils in the Year 3/4 class who have special educational needs to be fully focused on improving their knowledge of multiples of five and 10 and they made good progress. Year 4 pupils usefully explored patterns in the nine times table but for more able pupils the work was not challenging enough; overall teaching, learning and achievement were satisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

62. Higher attaining pupils in the Year 5/6 class were very effectively challenged by being required to visualise what a rhombicuboctahedron looks like from its net; practical work was set at different levels of difficulty to match pupils’ earlier learning and there was a good level of skilled adult support. Pupils of all abilities achieved well both practically and in their correct use and understanding of the vocabulary of three-dimensional shapes. This worked was linked very effectively with work in ICT on using a branching program to sort two-dimensional shapes according to various criteria. Overall, standards in Year 6 are above average and pupils achieve well throughout Years 3 to 6.

p.22

Commentary

63. There are other examples of ICT being used to support learning in mathematics, for example the use of spreadsheets, but, overall, the school does not currently have the software to extend use further. The co-ordinator, who provides good leadership and management, has this as a development priority alongside the continued improvement of pupils’ mathematical vocabulary. Her recent leadership in improving the mental arithmetic work planned for the Uffington CE Primary School - 23 start of each lesson has clearly borne fruit; pupils can now use a range of strategies for mental calculations and parents expressed their approval and pleasure at this improvement. Overall, there has been good improvement in the school’s provision for mathematics since the last inspection.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

64. There are some good examples of pupils using their mathematical skills, mainly data handling and graph drawing, in other subjects, for example, in science, design and technology, geography and history. Much of the work in Year 5 and 6 makes good use of mathematics in other subjects and opportunities for linking are taken well in the other classes. Overall, there is good use of mathematics across the curriculum but, nevertheless, there is scope for more planned opportunities for pupils to apply what they are learning outside their mathematics lessons.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average in Year 2 and in Year 6. • Leadership and management are very good and promote the investigative approach very well. • The quality of teaching and learning is good and helps pupils to achieve well in developing their experimental skills, scientific knowledge and understanding. • Very good school and university links enhance the curriculum and provide valuable extra challenges for pupils.

p.23

Commentary

65. In 2004, the teachers’ assessments show that all of the pupils in Year 2 attained Level 2, the nationally expected level, while a well above average proportion gained the higher Level 3. Overall, standards were well above average . In Year 6, results were below average when compared with all schools nationally, with 82 per cent of pupils gaining the nationally expected Level 4 and slightly more than half of pupils gaining the higher Level 5. Because of the small number of pupils in each year groups, comparisons with other year groups or with other schools lack validity, the proportion of pupils who have special educational needs affected the Year 6 results.

p.23

Commentary

66. Completed work by pupils in Year 2 shows that they are building up a useful base of scientific knowledge, gaining a good understanding of the scientific method and developing recording skills. They were provided with a good framework for planning an experiment on ice melting and show increasing understanding of the characteristics of a fair test. Achievement throughout Years 1 and 2 is good and overall standards are currently above national expectations.

p.23

Commentary

67. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school and the co-ordinator provides very well-informed and enthusiastic leadership and support for colleagues. Her recent focus for improvement has been the promotion of investigative and experimental work and the development of the correct use of scientific vocabulary. The evidence strongly suggests that she has been very successful in both respects. Teachers are encouraging a questioning and practical approach and providing a good structure whereby pupils take increasing responsibility for organising their own recording.

p.23

Commentary

68. Pupils in the Year 5/6 class achieved very well in a very good lesson on how sound is produced and travels and how loudness and pitch can be changed. The lesson was very well planned and presented with a high level of challenge for all pupils. There were strong links Uffington CE Primary School - 24 with other subjects, including music, mathematics and ICT where, for example, pupils had used the Internet to research the ear. A carousel of activities and experiences had been very well chosen to promote very good learning in line with the objectives of the lesson and a good level of adult support made sure that all pupils had full access to the learning. Standards in Year 6 are above average and pupils achieve well throughout Years 3 to 6.

p.23

Commentary

69. The subject provides good opportunities for improving pupils’ literacy skills as they write accounts of their work and pupils’ numeracy skills are also used and developed well. Pupils, particularly those in Years 5 and 6, benefit from the opportunity to work in the laboratories of the secondary school to which many pupils transfer at eleven. Links with a local university improves provision of challenge for the more able pupils. Overall provision has been improved since the last inspection.

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have good and regular access to computers and other ICT resources but use of these across the curriculum varies too much from class to class. • Teaching and learning are good and pupils achieve well in developing their skills but assessment systems do not effectively keep track of individual and class progress over the longer term. • Provision of computer and other electronic hardware is already good and used well; the planned introduction of interactive whiteboards in each classroom is well-designed to promote further improvement. • The subject is very well led and managed and this encourages all staff to develop their own skills and confidence in using the improving resources.

p.24

Commentary

70. In Year 2, pupils’ standards of attainment are average and in Year 6 they are above average. Pupils in the Year 5/6 class built very well on a good range of earlier learning when they used a program designed to improve their classification skills. These pupils have good keyboard and mouse skills and they navigated readily through menus and used the edit function within the program. They also showed good understanding of the advantages of using an ICT- based program in this sorting context. In this, as in other lessons, there was good assessment at the end so that the pupils knew what they had learned. However, there is no overall assessment system that tracks pupils’ skill development from year to year.

p.24

Commentary

71. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils of all abilities benefit from the extra support in lessons where skills are taught provided by teaching assistants and specialists from outside the school. All classes have regular lessons of an appropriate length and pairs of pupils have access to computers with Internet access in the suite; pupils in Years 5 and 6 confidently and competently searched for information on slavery. Good use is made of other resources, including a digital camera, data projector and two microscopes. Very good use was made of a borrowed video camera to enhance pupils’ learning in a Year 5/6 dance lesson.

p.24

Commentary

72. The leadership and management of the subject are very good ; the co-ordinator is enthusiastic and provides very good support for colleagues; she leads by example in her very good use of ICT resources across the curriculum. The school has built well on the provision reported at the last inspection and the purchase of interactive whiteboards for each classroom is rightly seen as a desirable next stage in promoting further use of ICT across the curriculum. Uffington CE Primary School - 25

p.24

Information communication technology across the curriculum

73. There is good use of ICT in literacy throughout the school, for example when pupils in the Year 3/4 class used a good range of editing skills to re-order and expand instructions. There are good examples of the planned use of ICT across the full curriculum, many in the Year 5/6 class. There are fewer examples in other classes, partly due to lack of appropriate software. Obtaining appropriate software to support more use, for example in mathematics, is rightly on the co-ordinator’s development plan.

p.25

HUMANITIES

74. No geography lessons were observed and as a result, no overall judgements can be made about the school’s provision for the subject or the quality of teaching or standards. However, a scrutiny of the work on display around the school and in pupils’ folders and books indicates that pupils throughout the school undertake an appropriately wide range of activities, based broadly on the government-recommended scheme of work for the subject. The subject co- ordinator is very new to the role and has not yet had the opportunity to monitor standards or review teaching in the subject. There is good practice in that coverage of each unit of work is recorded on assessment sheets, completed at the end of each unit, and samples of work are kept.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good quality of teaching in the Year 5/6 class. • The good range of visits and visitors.

p.25

Commentary

75. Two lessons were observed during the inspection, one in the infants and one in the juniors. Based on these observations and a scrutiny of pupils’ work in books and on display around the school, standards and achievement in Years 2 and 6 are broadly in line with national expectations. The overall quality of teaching is good. In the lesson in which pupils in Years 5 and 6 were learning about Benin and the causes and effects of the slave trade, the teacher had very high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour and, as a result, pupils applied themselves to their work with enthusiasm. The teacher’s evident enthusiasm for the subject and very good classroom management and questioning skills led to pupils responding confidently and responsibly. As the lesson progressed, the good pace, the very good links between subjects and the use of a good range of relevant resources, including ICT, led to good progress in learning. The provision for pupils with special educational needs in the

p.25

Commentary

76. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has been in post for a short time but has monitored work and discussed work with pupils. There is a whole-school scheme of work in place for history, based broadly on government-recommended schemes of work. A useful whole-school system of end-of-topic assessments has been introduced. Resources for the subject are good and good use is made of the local area and visits to museums and historical buildings considerably enhance the quality of the curriculum. Uffington CE Primary School - 26

p.25

Religious education

Provision for religious education is satisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• No significant strengths and weaknesses were observed.

p.26

Commentary

77. Only one religious education lesson was observed, in the Infants. In addition, a group of Year 6 pupils was interviewed. This evidence, together with a scrutiny of pupils’ books, demonstrates that standards are in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education and that achievement is satisfactory. Pupils develop a sound understanding of the world’s main religions.

p.26

Commentary

78. Teaching in the one lesson seen was good – the teacher clearly valued pupils’ contributions and this led to most pupils offering their ideas confidently and making good progress. The school follows the locally agreed syllabus supported by a published scheme of work over a two-year rolling programme of activities, necessitated by the mixed-age classes. A scrutiny of work undertaken during the current school year indicates that pupils throughout the school undertake an appropriate range of work designed to develop their knowledge and understanding in the main attainment targets of the agreed syllabus. The overall quality of teaching is good.

p.26

Commentary

79. Regular whole-school assemblies make a significant and positive contribution to pupils’ understanding of the Christian religion. As the subject co-ordinator has significant additional responsibilities the time available to manage the religious education curriculum has been limited, nevertheless, co-ordination is satisfactory. Resources are satisfactory and are utilised well.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

80. Too few lessons were seen to judge overall provision, standards, achievement and teaching in these subjects. No art and design lessons were observed. However, a scrutiny of the work on display around the school and in pupils’ folders and books and in the co-ordinator’s portfolio of past work indicates that pupils throughout the school undertake an appropriate range of activities, based broadly on the government-recommended scheme of work for art and design. The subject co-ordinator is very new to the role and has not yet had the opportunity to monitor standards or review planning and teaching in the subject. Coverage of each unit of work is recorded on assessment sheets, completed at the end of each unit and this is good practice.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

81. Only one lesson took place in design and technology during the inspection. However, it is clear from teachers’ planning and from pupils’ work on display that the school has responded effectively to the criticisms made in the previous inspection report, and provision now follows national guidelines.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. Planning often makes the most of links with other subjects; for example, the Year 6 project on shelters is based on shipwreck literature and involves geography and Internet research. During the inspection, the potential of the subject for developing social and collaborative skills was clear when pupils worked very effectively as members of design teams. In their exploration of a variety of methods of joining different materials, pupils showed very good familiarity with all aspects of the design process. Uffington CE Primary School - 27 83. Only one lesson was seen in music which, nevertheless, has a high profile in the school and makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development. All teachers take their own class for music and make the most of opportunities to link with other subjects. A teaching assistant who has a wide range of musical skills makes a very valuable

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

contribution, not least by providing very good piano accompaniments and teaching pupils to play hand bells before school each morning.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

84. Standards of singing are good. Pupils sing tunefully, with good diction and phrasing, in assemblies. They learn new hymns quickly at their weekly practice because the words are taught clearly and explained where necessary and the piano accompaniment provides a very good lead. Teaching and learning in the one class lesson observed were very good. Year 6 pupils achieved very well in developing their skills of call and response, both vocally and with untuned percussion instruments . Pupils showed a high level of sensitivity and technical competence in their responses to the African songs and drum rhythms. Standards were above average in response to their teacher’s high expectations and the very good level of adult support and encouragement.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

85. It is clear from the lessons that it was possible to observe in physical education , coupled with the very good range and quality of extra-curricular opportunities and teachers’ planning, that the subject occupies an important and secure place in the school’s curriculum.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

85. The teacher’s good subject knowledge and focus on improvement led to good development of bat and ball skills for pupils in the Year 3/4 class lesson. The lesson for pupils in the Year 5/6 class was a very good mix of whole class, group and individual work and led to very good refinement of their dance sequences. There was very good use of ICT resources in video-ing the sequences, downloading them in the computer suite and encouraging pupils’ self- assessment.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

86. The school provides an extended range of clubs, including cross-country and athletics, through its partnership with other local primary schools. Staff offer opportunities in dance, netball and football and the school has recently achieved considerable success in both boys and girls swimming competitions. Most pupils achieve the national expectation of swimming 25 metres unaided by the time they leave the school. The annual residential experience offers good outdoor and adventurous opportunities. The school goes to a lot of trouble to make sure that all pupils have the opportunity to take part in sport and represent the school in competitions.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and pupils respond well. • Healthy lifestyles are promoted consistently, with very good contributions from pupils.

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Commentary

87. Pupils’ personal development is central to the school’s aims and its promotion permeates all aspects of the school’s life. Each class has a weekly timetabled session for this area of the curriculum and subject lessons and assemblies, as well as the arrangements for break times and lunchtimes, all promote personal and social development very well .

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Commentary

88. Teaching in this area of the curriculum is good, sometimes very good. The teacher of pupils in Year 1 and 2 promoted pupils’ social development well by placing them in individual situations where they were encouraged to respond to the efforts of others by saying ‘Well Uffington CE Primary School - 28 done’ or ‘Good try’. The Year 5/6 teacher used role-play very effectively to develop pupils’ understanding of what it means and feels like to be ‘in charge’. The activity also promoted speaking and listening skills very well as pupils reflected on their own experiences of taking responsibility; they demonstrated maturity and a capacity for reflection above that typical of their age group.

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Commentary

89. The school council provides a valuable opportunity for pupils to express their opinions and for the development of citizenship skills. Pupils have taken leading roles in the promotion of healthy lifestyles in terms of exercise and eating and the provision of drinking water. Most pupils in Years 5 and 6 act as ‘Helping Hands’, contributing to the smooth running of the school, for example by carrying out tasks related to lunchtime activities and by preparing for assembly.

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Commentary

90. The school, with the active involvement of the nurse, provides sex education and pupils are made aware of drugs related issues. The annual residential trip for pupils in Years 5 and 6 provides many good opportunities for promoting personal development and responsibility. Uffington CE Primary School - 29

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2

Attendance 6 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 2

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

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The leadership and management of the school 2

The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2 Uffington CE Primary School - 30 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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