Upton Snodsbury CofE Primary School

UPTON SNODSBURY CE FIRST SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 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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UPTON SNODSBURY CE FIRST 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. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First school School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4-9 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 68

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: School Lane Upton Snodsbury Worcester Worcestershire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01905 381288 Fax number: 01905 381288

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Carole Wiles

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 - 21 May 2003

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The previous inspection found that the school had serious weaknesses in standards in Years 3 and 4 and in leadership and management. Since then, the school has been through a turbulent period. There has been a change in leadership and a change in teachers, with almost all taking up their appointments in 2004. Since the previous inspection, the school has been visited twice by Ofsted as part of its school improvement monitoring.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is smaller than most; 68 pupils on roll are organised into three classes, two of them containing pupils from more than one year group. There are nearly twice as many boys as girls. The socio-economic indicators for the immediate locality are better than typically found. No pupil is eligible for a free school meal. Nearly all pupils are from White British families; a small number are from British Asian and East European families. The proportion with special educational needs, 14 per cent, is below average. The significant needs include dyslexia; moderate learning; emotional and behavioural difficulties. Currently, one pupil has a statement of special educational needs. Attainment on entry was above average at the time of the previous inspection but has fallen and is now average overall. Inward mobility is high, almost double the national average.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school does not have a hall and uses the nearby village hall for physical education. The school has achieved Activemark; Healthy Schools; Schools Achievement Award; Leading Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 4 Aspect Award; and the FA Charter Mark. All this has been achieved in the past two years, before or soon after the appointment of the present headteacher. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 21552 Mr P B McAlpine Lead inspector English Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Physical education Special educational needs 19320 Mrs B Attaway Lay inspector 14732 Mrs E Korn Team inspector Foundation stage Science Religious education History Geography Music

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

PBM, Brookbridge and Bedford Ltd 13A Market Place Uttoxeter Staffordshire ST14 8HY

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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). Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 6

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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 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This satisfactory school is improving rapidly. It has a number of good and very good features as well as a few aspects for improvement. It no longer has the serious weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. The achievement of pupils is consistent with national expectations in the main. Progress has quickened considerably during the present school year. Standards by Year 4 are above average in English and average in mathematics and science. The behaviour of pupils is very good. Teaching is satisfactory overall with good features and aspects for improvement. The newly appointed leadership team are getting established. The leadership of the headteacher is good. The capacity within the leadership team for further improving the school is very good. Value for money is satisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • standards in reading in Year 2 and in Year 4 are above average and rising; • standards in writing have improved very quickly over the course of the present school year in Years 2, 3 and 4 and are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 4; • the progress of pupils in Year 1 has been too slow in writing and mathematics and some of them are underachieving; • the teaching in Years 3 and 4 is good overall and in Year 2 it is often high quality; • the attitudes of the pupils towards the school and to learning are very good; • the curriculum in the Foundation Stage, although improved since the previous inspection, does not yet have the effectiveness it should; • the provision for pupils with special educational needs is underdeveloped and not meeting all learning needs; • although assessment is satisfactory overall, the use of assessment to provide next steps in learning and to involve pupils in knowing what they should do to improve is

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the previous inspection has been satisfactory. The previous inspection found serious weaknesses in standards in Year 4 and in leadership and management. These serious weaknesses have been remedied. Leadership and management have improved significantly. Standards in Year 4 have risen considerably. They are now satisfactory. The curriculum in Years 3 and 4 has improved; it is satisfactory with good features. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage has also improved but not enough and further work is needed. Aspects of assessment remain underdeveloped and this is a current school priority.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 Reading B E A A Writing C B A A mathematics B A A A 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

The standards currently achieved are satisfactory and improving in Years 2 and 4, the oldest year groups in each key stage. The school has been through a turbulent period that has resulted in progress being too slow in some years and pupils still have residual gaps in Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 8 their knowledge. During the present school year progress has been good for almost all pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 and they have largely caught up ground lost earlier. The achievement of average and more able pupils in these year groups is satisfactory in English, mathematics and science; their current attainment is consistent with that predicted by their attainment on entry to school. The less able pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4, and those with special educational needs, are not always making enough progress and could do better, reflecting insufficient use of assessment to diagnose and remedy faltering progress.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Progress in the Reception year and in Year 1 is mixed and has been too slow for pupils of all abilities, though with some signs of better progress latterly. Standards in the Reception year are broadly average overall; while achievement in personal, social and emotional development is generally good, there is underachievement in early literacy and numeracy. Throughout the school there are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls. Standards in science and in information and communication technology are above average in Year 2, and well above average in religious education, reflecting recent very good improvements, and average in all three subjects in Years 3 and 4. Standards in art and design are above average throughout the school. Standards are satisfactory in design and technology and in the other subjects where sufficient evidence is available to make a judgement.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils’ personal development is very good including their moral and social development. Spiritual and cultural developments are good. Attendance is well above average.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The overall quality of education is satisfactory. Teaching is satisfactory with very good features in Year 2 and good features in Year 4. Recent rapid development means that assessment is satisfactory overall but with aspects needing continued development, particularly its use to guide next steps in learning and to involve pupils in knowing what they must do to improve. The curriculum in Years 2, 3 and 4 is largely effective, broad and interesting. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage and in Year 1 meets statutory requirements but is not as effective as it should be and is underdeveloped. Throughout the school, curricular enrichment, including extra-curricular provision, is very good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is not as effective as it should be. Even so, pupils generally are well cared for and satisfactorily supported and guided. Links with parents and the community are very good. Links with other schools are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Leadership is newly established and becoming effective. The leadership of the headteacher is good. Since his appointment at the start of the present school year he has galvanised the school community and is giving good direction to its work. The work of the governing body, many of whom are newly appointed, is satisfactory and improving under the enthusiastic leadership of the chair. Strategic planning to develop the school is good. The systems for monitoring performance are being assembled but are not yet as developed as they need to be. Current financial management is good though the school has a deficit budget accrued during the period of turbulence that will take four years to remedy. Taking account of improvement and current performance, value for money is satisfactory.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is very popular with parents and pupils alike. Parents at the meeting and through the questionnaire expressed very positive views about the school. A few raised concerns about homework. Inspectors find that the arrangements are broadly typical of Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 9 most similar schools. The policy has been reviewed since the parents’ meeting; it is now satisfactory.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • increase the effectiveness of the provision in the Foundation Stage and in Year 1; • increase the effectiveness of the provision for pupils with special educational needs; • develop the assessment arrangements so that they guide learning effectively and help pupils know what they must do next to improve. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 10

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards achieved are satisfactory overall. Achievement in reading, writing, mathematics and science is satisfactory in Years 2, 3 and 4 but is not as good as it should be in Year 1. Progress in the Foundation Stage is good in personal, social and emotional development but is too slow in communication, language and literacy, in mathematical development, and in knowledge and understanding; it is satisfactory in creative development and in physical development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in reading and writing are above average in Year 4. • Standards in Year 2 are above average in reading, science, and in information and communication technology, and well above average in religious education. • Progress has been rapid during the present school year in all subjects in Years 2, 3 and 4. • Progress in the Reception year and in Year 1 has been too slow.

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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 17.4 (14.4) 15.8 (15.7) writing 16.5 (15.9) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 17.9 (17.4) 16.2 (16.3) There were 15 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. The bulk of the pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 are doing as well as predicted by their attainment on entry. Their progress in earlier years was very uneven and the present satisfactory picture arises because of quick progress this year. School records show that many pupils did not make enough progress last year or the year before and were underachieving. Current teaching is reversing that situation and pupils are catching up rapidly. In Years 2, 3 and 4, pupils of average ability are learning quickly in all subjects including the core subjects. 1 Current teaching in reading and writing in Years 2, 3 and 4 is stretching the more able pupils thoroughly and they are racing ahead. This is partly the case in mathematics but occasionally the work is not as challenging as it might be and so the progress of the more able pupils in this subject is satisfactory rather than good. Pupils who are academically gifted are not identified systematically

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Commentary

by the school. Their achievement since entry has been mixed. They are currently well challenged, progressing quickly, and catching up. The progress of the few pupils who are less able and those with special educational needs is mixed and generally too slow. This reflects the provision for these pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, which is not based sufficiently on thorough diagnoses of learning needs linked to well-defined additional support.

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Commentary

1 The core subjects are English, mathematics and science. All other subjects are referred to in the report as non-core subjects. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 11 2. Standards in reading and writing in Year 4 are above average. A larger than average proportion of pupils attain or exceed the nationally expected level for their age, including nearly half in reading and a third in writing who are a year or more ahead of expectations. This is a dramatic reversal of the below average standards found at the previous inspection. Standards in Year 2 are above average in reading and average in writing. Teaching in writing is very competent and motivating. Good, effective practice in Years 2 and 4 has seen the pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding much more quickly in the past year than is typically found. Current standards in mathematics in Years 2, 3 and 4 are average. Standards in science are

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Commentary

above average in Year 2 and average in Years 3 and 4. In both mathematics and science, this is satisfactory improvement compared to the below average standards found at the previous inspection.

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Commentary

3. National tests at this school only apply to Year 2. Caution is needed when interpreting them because cohorts are small. Results have improved over the past five-years faster than the national trend, with most improvement occurring from 2003 onwards. The 2004 results were especially high and better than found in similar schools though reflecting the performance of a cohort that was particularly able on entry.

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Commentary

4. Standards on entry to the Reception year vary annually. They are generally average overall and this is lower than found at the previous inspection. Most children experience some form of pre-school education and most of them have sufficient potential on entry to attain or exceed expected standards in national tests later when aged seven or eleven. The proportion with potential to later exceed national expectations is, in some years, lower than is generally found in other schools. Current standards in the Reception 2 year are above average in personal, social and emotional development, and average in creative development and in physical development. Standards in the Reception year are below average in communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; and in knowledge and understanding of the world. The attainment of these children on entry was average and they have not made equal progress in all areas of learning, reflecting shortcomings in the provision.

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Commentary

Progress in early literacy and numeracy has been particularly slow, especially in the first half of the school year. More recent work shows promise and there are signs of belated improvement.

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Commentary

5. Achievement in information and communication technology is satisfactory overall and is good in Year 2. Pupils are making good progress in this subject and becoming confident users of this technology. Standards in religious education are very good in Year 2 and satisfactory in Year 4. There has been satisfactory improvement in the provision for design and technology, and standards are now average. Limited evidence in art and design shows that standards are generally above average and the pupils achieve well. Other subjects were not a focus of the inspection. The small amount of evidence gathered shows average standards throughout.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities are very good. Older pupils have a very good attitude to school. This is reflected in their very good attendance and punctuality. The children in the Foundation Stage have good attitudes. Behaviour throughout the school is very good. The pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development is good overall.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

2 The Foundation Stage at this school is in the Reception year. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 12

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils have a very good understanding of what is right and wrong and of the responsibilities of living in a community. • The family atmosphere within the school promotes high levels of attendance, punctuality and behaviour. • All pupils have opportunities for extra-curricular activities and this enriches their learning. • The school is very successful in developing pupils’ confidence and self-esteem as they mature. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 13

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Commentary

6. Pupils are enthusiastic about school because they are treated with respect. The older pupils’ excitement during science experiments and in art and design, especially collages, printing and using computers for drawing, adds to their enjoyment. They appreciate the additional dimension external visits add to their learning, such as to the Black Country Museum.

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Commentary

7. The standard of behaviour is very good, not only because the school sets high expectations to which pupils respond very well, but also because all staff are good role models. Pupils say bullying is rare and any instances dealt with promptly and effectively. External visitors, such as St John’s Ambulance, contribute to community expectations.

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Commentary

8. The take up of extra-curricular activities is high. For example, almost half the school attend the chess club. In addition to enriching their learning, these activities also promote social skills and friendships across the years. The school is very good at developing pupils’ confidence and pupils readily include visitors, proudly sharing and discussing their learning and everyday school life. Many pupils make a daily contribution to the life of the school through a range of individual responsibilities.

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Commentary

9. The friendly atmosphere in this small school has developed in the pupils a very good understanding of the responsibilities of living in a community. The assembly themes and the personal, social and health education provision play a major role in this process, whilst simultaneously developing the pupils’ spiritual awareness and their understanding of right from wrong. The pupils undertake their responsibilities purposefully and thoughtfully, such as selecting and playing the music for assembly. The very good enrichment activities that relate to art, music and theatre have developed in the pupils a good understanding of their own culture. For example, the pupils have studied in some depth the painting of St George and the Dragon by Ucello. Visitors such as those from India extend the pupils knowledge of other cultures well.

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Commentary

10. Parents are very responsive to the school’s attendance and punctuality expectations. The school talks individually to parents requesting holidays in term time and this makes an important contribution to the very good attendance. There have been no exclusions.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.6 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is satisfactory. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. The partnership with parents, other schools and the community is very good overall.

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Teaching and learning

Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 14 Teaching is satisfactory with good features and aspects for improvement. Assessment is broadly satisfactory but with elements that are underdeveloped.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching in Years 2, 3 and 4 engages to pupils’ interests and makes learning come alive. • The teaching in Year 2 highly motivates pupils so that they give of their best. • The pace of learning in Year 1 and in the Reception year is too slow. • The teachers’ assessment of pupils’ attainment is generally accurate but is not being used to guide what pupils learn next.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 13 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

11. Teaching is satisfactory with good features in Years 3 and 4, very good features in Year 2, and aspects for improvement in Year 1 and in the Foundation Stage. Although satisfactory overall, the range and quality is not yet as good as the national picture. However, caution is needed when interpreting the data in the table above because the number of lessons seen was small. The pace of learning in lessons in Years 2, 3 and 4 is generally quick and almost all pupils make good gains in knowledge, skills and understanding. The many part-lessons seen, not included in the table, together with the pupils’ work in these year groups, shows that they have regularly had learning that has been of good quality during the present school year and that this has led to their good progress.

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Commentary

12. The pace of learning in Year 2 is exceptionally quick, reflecting highly competent teaching. In most lessons in this year group, teaching is made very interesting and actively engages the pupils intellectually. They are almost always very enthusiastic about their work and apply themselves conscientiously until the task is complete. Teaching in Years 3 and 4 is effectively meeting most learning needs using methods that engage the interest of pupils and make learning fun. For example, effective use was made of drama to help pupils extend characterisation and plot when developing the stories they were writing. Resources such as individual white boards, interactive whiteboards, and the school’s environmental areas are well used.

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Commentary

13. The pace of learning in Year 1 and in the Reception year is variable and sometimes too slow. One lesson in Year 1 was unsatisfactory. In these year groups, the purpose of lessons and of activities is not always clear or sufficiently challenging and this is leading to insufficient knowledge, understanding and skills being gained in the time allocated.

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Commentary

14. A very small number of pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 are not having their learning needs adequately met and their learning in some lessons is unsatisfactory. This reflects weaknesses in assessment. Assessment procedures have been improved this year but the use of assessment to guide learning and help pupils know how well they are doing and what to learn next is underdeveloped. The headteacher has introduced a Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 15 system for checking the progress pupils make in reading, writing and mathematics. The basic design of this system is good but the data is sparse and incomplete for the oldest age groups, reflecting past inconsistencies. The knowledge that teachers have of the standards expected in each year group has been moderated by the headteacher, with clear evidence of improved accuracy of teacher assessments; this is good practice. Assessment has not been used rigorously enough to diagnose

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Commentary

particular learning difficulties among pupils with special educational needs or to measure their progress and this is unsatisfactory.

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The curriculum

Overall, the curriculum is satisfactory and has been adequately organised in the main to meet the needs of teaching in mixed-age classes. The school provides a very good level of activities that enrich the overall programme. There are weaknesses in the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is not as good as it should be.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been some very good innovative curriculum enrichment for art and design and the standards are above average throughout the school. • The accommodation for the children in the Foundation Stage is good and this represents very good improvement since the previous inspection. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is ill defined in practice and insufficiently based on diagnosis and measurement of progress.

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Commentary

15. Overall, there has been satisfactory improvement in the curriculum since the previous inspection for pupils in Years 1 to 4. The teaching time for pupils in Years 3 and 4 has been extended and the curriculum now has an appropriate breadth and balance. There has been good improvement in the provision and use of information and communication technology and standards in Year 2 are now above the average. Standards in religious education have risen and they are now well above the average in Year 2 and satisfactory in Year 4. There has been considerable work during the year to improve the medium term planning and to establish links between the subjects. Progress has been satisfactory though the work is not yet completed. Parents are very happy with the range of activities provided for their children.

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Commentary

16. The curriculum is appropriately planned to link with that in the middle school and the pupils in Year 4 are prepared well for this transition. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are effectively implemented and standards in English are good by Year 4. The school’s priority to develop the pupils’ writing has improved standards in this aspect of the curriculum and this skill is developed in many subjects of the curriculum, particularly in Years 2 to 4. Numeracy skills, such as measuring, are used well in science.

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Commentary

17. The provision of assemblies is good and the themes promote the school’s ethos very well. Many assemblies have a strong Christian message and this has had a significant impact upon the improved standards in religious education. There is good provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education and its impact is reflected in the pupils' very good attitudes. As at the time of the previous inspection, the governors Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 16 have opted against teaching sex education but health education is incorporated into the science curriculum and into the personal, social, health education provision.

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Commentary

18. Although there has been considerable development of the curriculum for the pupils in the Foundation Stage, it remains too narrow. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are not effectively developed and this has an impact on the learning of the middle and lower ability pupils in particular. All of the six areas of learning of the nationally agreed Foundation Stage curriculum are taught. However, the provision is not matching the long-term goals for early learning to the children’s varying abilities. It is inappropriately influenced by the National Curriculum for Year 1 pupils, who are taught with the Reception year children, rather than reflecting the agreed curriculum for the Foundation Stage. Frequently the subsidiary activities that the children can choose lack a clearly defined learning objective and therefore their work lacks purpose and direction.

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Commentary

19. The school provides satisfactory equality of opportunity. At times, the needs of the pupils are clearly identified, for example by pupils being taught in older or younger classes to meet their specific needs. Training has been provided so that teachers plan lessons that suit the pupils’ varying learning styles. However, assessment is not used to match the work closely to the needs of all the pupils in the school and there is some mismatch of the work to the abilities of the pupils, particularly in the younger classes of the school.

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Commentary

20. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is insufficient for all of their needs. Senior management is aware of this and acting to bring about improvement; there are a few signs of early success. The pupils’ learning difficulties are not always clearly diagnosed through systematic, rigorous assessment; the school is acting to improve assessment procedures. Individual education plans vary in quality and lack precision. In these plans, the objectives for individual pupils with special educational needs are often too broad. They are not always linked clearly to the resources, the personnel who provide extra support, or to a timescale for their use. Because of these inconsistencies and shortcomings the school is unable to measure clearly enough the progress that these pupils are making, or to determine efficiently when further support is needed. The headteacher has very recently taken on temporarily the responsibilities

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Commentary

of the special educational needs coordinator and has instigated an action plan for change. The strategies implemented for the one pupil with a statement of special educational needs are effective. There is no formalised procedure for identifying gifted and talented pupils but, in practice, their needs are currently being met.

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Commentary

21. Despite its small size and rural location, the school has maintained its very good range of clubs and out of hours learning with an appropriate mix of sport, the arts, and other activities such as chess. Ministers from the local church, parents and visitors support the school well. There is a very good range of curriculum enrichment opportunities to support the arts and the pupils’ cultural development, and all the pupils in Year 4 attend a residential experience where they participate in many outdoor and adventurous activities.

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Commentary

22. The accommodation is satisfactory for the pupils in the Years 1 to 4 and good for those in the Foundation Stage. Recent changes have made good use of the space available, for example to provide a library and to provide easy access to the outdoors for the younger children. Having the computer suite in one of the classrooms creates some access difficulties for pupils and the school intends to invest in laptop computers. The outdoor facilities are good and there are plans to improve them and to Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 17 use them further. The lack of a school hall for physical education has been satisfactorily overcome by using the village hall.

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Care, guidance and support

There is a good level of care for pupils throughout the school. Support, advice, guidance based on monitoring is satisfactory. Pupil involvement in how the school develops is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Induction 3 for pupils in the Reception year is very good. • Good pastoral care is supported by good relationships with adults. • Assessment of pupils’ personal and academic development through monitoring needs to be more rigorous. • Since the disbanding of the school council, there have been no formal routes for listening to pupils’ suggestions.

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Commentary

23. The school is well maintained and the pupils work and play in a healthy and safe environment. Participation in the healthy schools initiative has improved the quality of food eaten at break times, making a good contribution to pupils’ understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

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Commentary

24. Relationships with adults are good. Individuals are known and well cared for and children turn readily to teachers and their assistants for support and help. The ending of the school council since the last inspection has not enabled pupils recently to play a full role in how the school develops. Currently pupils raise ideas and suggestions in class or assembly. The council is to be reinstated and a questionnaire has already sought pupils’ views on areas for discussion.

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Commentary

25. Pupils’ individual skills, such as dance, drama and music, are displayed at a variety of functions throughout the year; this raises their self-esteem. The inclusion of pupils at the parents’ consultation evenings, a recent innovation, enables them to play a full role in the home-school partnership. Rewards for success were said to be ‘ too freely given in the past ’; pupils now describe them as ‘ very rare ’. A balance needs to be established so that pupils feel proud and can celebrate publicly their successes in any aspect of school life.

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Commentary

26. Parents spoke highly of the induction procedures for pupils in the Reception year. The craft book given to children prior to starting school was especially praised as effective in promoting confidence through pupils showing their successes and being able to say, ‘I’ve done this’. Induction for pupils in older years is good.

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Commentary

27. There has been some improvement since the last inspection in the use of assessment to guide pupils academically but more needs to be done. Pupils appreciate the changes in marking of their work, saying it helps them to know how they can improve. Plans have been formulated to develop marking and curricular planning through individual learning. At present, guidance to help pupils identify next steps in learning is

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Commentary

3 Induction refers to the arrangements for pupils new to the school, helping them to settle into school routines and to make friends. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 18 underdeveloped and it is insufficient to guide all their learning needs. The school receives data from the middle school on former pupils’ test results, but does not use this data to inform planning for pupils still in its care.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The very good links with parents and the community are a major strength of the school. The partnership with other schools is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is very good at ensuring parents are fully included in their children’s education. • Links with other schools and pre-school groups are good, enabling smooth transitions. • Links with the community are wide ranging and support many facets of school life.

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Commentary

28. Parents have a high regard for the school and are very appreciative of the many ways it involves them in their children’s education. They value the daily opportunities to talk to members of staff, allowing any concerns to be addressed at an early stage. The advance sharing of curriculum information in all subjects, combined with curriculum evenings, enable them to give effective help at home. Parents have received a summary sheet of the recently reviewed homework policy; this is further supported by the use of homework books. They receive very good quality weekly newsletters, keeping them well informed of school life. Pupils’ end of year reports are very good and the school has responded to the lack of precision raised at the last inspection. They are now concise and include targets; areas for improvement are well defined. A supporting letter details any assessments and explains National Curriculum levels.

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Commentary

The very supportive parents and friends association raise funds that make an important contribution to the school’s resources, for example the outdoor environmental area and guided reading material.

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Commentary

29. Visitors to school represent many areas of the community and make an important contribution to pupils’ learning and social development. Talks about recycling, the countryside and wildlife raises environmental appreciation; disability awareness emphasises that the needs of others may be different to their own needs. External trips enable pupils to see the community in action, such as the Swan Theatre and Bristol Science Museum. Links with the local church are very well established; the local vicar is regularly in school in his role as a governor as well as in his pastoral role. Pupils’ frequent visits to the parish church strengthen these links.

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Commentary

30. Curriculum links with the middle school through agreed syllabuses are being effectively developed. Joint trips with other local first schools help further friendships to be forged prior to transition to the middle school. The school, as one of the cluster of local first schools, has received a leading aspect award for effective transfer arrangements. Links with pre-school groups are to be strengthened by the reinstatement of two-way visits.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 19 Leadership and management are satisfactory. The leadership of the headteacher is good. He is satisfactorily supported by the other key members of staff. They have not been in post very long and are just getting established. The work of the governing body is satisfactory with good features.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership of the headteacher has raised morale and given clear direction and impetus to the work of the school. • Governors are effectively helping to shape the direction of the school. • Strategic planning for the development of the school is good. • School systems for self-evaluation are underdeveloped.

p.19

Commentary

31. The headteacher has given confidence to the school community, who are now united and taking the school forward swiftly, away from the difficulties of the past. He has a clear vision of what constitutes good practice in teaching and in management. In particularly, he knows what needs to be done for the pupils to be high performing. The school has a strong sense of common purpose and morale is improving. The headteacher and others with leadership responsibility provide good role models for other staff and for pupils. Others with leadership responsibility are mostly very new to the school. They bring with them good knowledge and expertise and are quickly becoming established but need more time for their efforts to show full impact.

p.19

Commentary

32. The membership of the governing body has changed since the previous inspection. The working of the governing body has been revised and is satisfactory. Governors are fully involved in shaping the vision and direction of the school. They both challenge and support senior management appropriately. All relevant statutory requirements are met, including the inclusive policies in relation to race, disability and gender. Governors have established systems to monitor the school and they understand its main strengths and weaknesses well.

p.19

Commentary

33. Strategic planning appropriately reflects the school’s ambitions and goals. Within a short space of time the headteacher has fully involved members of staff and the governors in identifying the main strengths and weaknesses of the school and in acting to bring about improvement. Strategic development is focused on remedying the main weaknesses and is relevant to raising standards. First deeds were to raise achievement in reading and writing throughout the school but especially in Years 3 and 4. A clear set of actions to develop the curriculum and effective teaching methods was initiated, with the result that within less that a year the achievement of the pupils in English has increased dramatically.

p.19

Commentary

34. The school did not have adequate systems in place at the time of the previous inspection to measure its performance across a full range of activity. These are now being put in place but, overall, the systems remain underdeveloped compared to the average school nationally. This is fully recognised by the headteacher who has initiated the process of collecting performance data from assessments, test results, lesson observations, analysis of pupils’ work, and surveys of views across the school community to establish relevant benchmarks so that progress over time can be measured and evaluated. Systems to manage the performance of all members of staff including teaching assistants and other employees have been introduced and they are Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 20 beginning to show impact. A strong and appropriate emphasis is placed on the continued professional development of all members of staff and this aspect of

p.19

Commentary

35. The recruitment of new members of staff has been good. Induction procedures to help new members of staff become familiar with school policies have been effective. The deployment of teachers is satisfactory. The deployment of teaching assistants is leading to some year groups not having any support and this is affecting the provision for pupils with special educational needs in some but not all classes. There is no formal policy for staff induction, but needs are met individually.

p.20

Commentary

36. Financial management has learnt from recent experiences. It is good in the main and helping the school to achieve its educational priorities. Best value principles are central to the school’s management and use of resources. The headteacher inherited a deficit budget accrued during the recent turbulent period. Together with the local authority, the headteacher and governors have agreed a four-year plan to reduce this deficit while at the same time ensuring the smooth running and strategic development of the school. The school is satisfactorily resourced in the main apart from the number of teaching assistants, which is smaller than typically found in schools of this size, reflecting the budget constraints.

p.20

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2004 to March 2005

p.20

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 204,452 Balance from previous year -18,500 Total expenditure 197,351 Balance carried forward to the next -11,399 Expenditure per pupil (63 pupils) 3,136 Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

37. Although the overall provision for the Foundation Stage is satisfactory there are some significant weaknesses. The Reception pupils, who comprise the Foundation Stage at this school, are taught with Year 1 and the weaknesses in the provision arise because the curriculum for these pupils is inappropriately influenced by the curriculum for Year 1 pupils. There have been many improvements since the previous inspection but these have not kept pace with the rate of change nationally and there remain some shortcomings. The accommodation for the Reception year is now good and this represents a major improvement. Recent building work has provided easy access to the good quality outdoor area which is equipped as an outdoor classroom. It includes role-play facilities, climbing equipment and a well-stocked garden area. There have been good improvements to the induction process which is now very good and its

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

impact is reflected in the children’s very good attitudes. Resources have been selected carefully and they are of a high quality.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

38. There has been considerable development of the curriculum to ensure that there is an appropriate balance between child selected and adult led activities. However, the range of opportunities from these activities is not exploited sufficiently. Many lack a clear learning focus and sufficient challenge because assessment information is insufficiently used. The curriculum for these pupils is too narrow and insufficiently reflects the nationally agreed Foundation Stage curriculum. This has resulted in inconsistencies in the development of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy and, as a consequence, the achievement of the lower ability children in particular has been restricted.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. Teaching in each of the areas of learning is satisfactory overall but has aspects for improvement. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen in the Foundation Stage but the planning and the clarity of the learning intentions are, at times, unsatisfactory.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. The children enter the Reception year with standards that are broadly average and overall they achieve satisfactorily. Standards in personal, social and emotional development are above the average and standards in spoken language are good. The majority of the children are attaining the early learning gaols which are the standards expected for their age and the higher ability children are exceeding these. However, the lower ability children are not achieving the goals related to the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The provision is good and the children achieve well. The children enter with around average standards. The substantial majority of them are on course to attain or exceed the national goals for early learning by the end of the Reception year with more than are typically found likely to exceed them; standards overall are above average in this area of learning. Teaching in this area is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The relationships between the children are very good. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 22

p.21

Commentary

41. The children benefit from a very good induction system and from teaching that enables them to achieve good standards in this area of learning. The children are all confident within their classroom to select activities and to talk to adults. Those with delayed emotional maturity are managed well by the adults. In the main, the children are very interested in their learning, concentrating well on their activities and frequently remaining engrossed for a considerable length of time. Teaching provides many opportunities for them to play and work together which they do amicably and collaboratively and, when they have a specific goal, they work purposefully showing considerable respect for the needs of others. The children have a good understanding of right and wrong. This is particularly apparent in the mature manner in which the children with special educational needs are considered and respected by the class.

p.22

Commentary

There are good relationships between the adults and the children and the class teacher’s expectations of good behaviour are well known. The children have good self- control and generally try hard to conform.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is broadly satisfactory overall but with aspects for improvement in the provision for early reading and writing. Most of the children are on course to attain or exceed the early learning goals for speaking and listening by the end of the Reception year but a significant minority will struggle to do so in reading and writing. Because a significant minority are struggling in literacy, achievement overall is unsatisfactory in this area of learning.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The spoken language skills of the majority of the children are good. • Basic reading and writing skills are not developed with sufficient consistency. • The lower ability children are unlikely to attain all the early learning goals for writing and reading.

p.22

Commentary

42. The children develop speaking and listening skills satisfactorily and all but those with special educational needs are attaining the early learning goals for this aspect. The teaching is satisfactory in its development of speech and vocabulary. In a full class situation, such as at the start of the lessons, the children listen attentively. There are many good opportunities for them to develop their spoken language skills, such as negotiating as they share equipment, particularly when they work at the self-selected activities. Adults model language satisfactorily and they provide opportunities for the children to use spoken language to sequence their thoughts and actions. When they enter into conversations with adults, the children respond clearly, audibly and mainly in full and frequently complex sentences.

p.22

Commentary

43. Reading and writing skills are underdeveloped and children are underachieving in this aspect. All of the children have reading books but only those with high ability are securely established upon the school's reading scheme. Some good direct teaching of phonics was seen, with the children selecting letter sounds to make simple three letter words and, at this time, around a quarter of the children were extended well by being Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 23 asked to write these words, which they were able to do. The children’s books contain spasmodic handwriting practice and work related to learning letter sounds. The lower ability children are not sure of all their letter sounds and this affects their reading and their writing skills. They can all write their own name legibly.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory. Although a majority of the children are on course to attain or exceed the national goals for early learning by the end of the Reception year, a significant minority are not and only a few are likely to exceed them. The less able children are not doing as well as children of similar ability in other schools and could do better and, overall, achievement in this area of learning is unsatisfactory. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 24

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Higher attaining children have competent counting skills. • There is insufficient recording of children’s mathematical work.

p.24

Commentary

44. The higher and middle ability children can sequence and write numbers to ten and beyond confidently, with few numerals written the wrong way around. For example, in one lesson, they satisfactorily practised counting forwards and backwards, sometimes using a counting rhyme. The lower ability children struggle with numbers to five. The teaching is broadly satisfactory but there is weakness in the development of number skills, particularly in the clarity of explanations, the match of work to the lower ability children’s needs, and the challenge and progression in lessons. By contrast, measuring skills are taught well with clear demonstrations by both the teacher and the teaching assistant that support the lower ability children well. All the children are provided with opportunity to build with large bricks, to construct with boxes and make pictures, for example with circles of tissue paper, and in these ways they are

p.24

Commentary

developing a basic knowledge of shape, space and measurement.

p.24

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory overall. Although a majority of the children are on course to attain or exceed the national goals for early learning by the end of the Reception year, a significant minority are not and only a few are likely to exceed them. Achievement is unsatisfactory overall. There are particular shortcomings in the development of observation and investigational skills. Teaching is broadly satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The skills of observation are insufficiently well developed.

p.24

Commentary

45. The teaching, though satisfactory in the main, gives insufficient priority to developing observation skills, using senses, and raising awareness of similarities, differences, and patterns. In one lesson studying plants, for example, the children hardly used the very good range of plants available to observe, examine, or talk about particular features or acquire the relevant vocabulary. When examined, the planning for this lesson lacked clarity in respect of the particular knowledge, skills or understanding to be developed from the activity.

p.24

Commentary

46. Children are satisfactorily encouraged to reflect upon their own lives and the features of the environment and readily discuss parenting roles within their families and roles in the caring professions such as nurses. They independently select their tools and choose particular joining techniques when constructing models and they use large and small bricks for building, such as the castle from the story of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ amending their work as they proceed. The teaching provides them with many opportunities to model using plasticine and to explore basic materials such as sand, water and soil. Children can manipulate a computer to follow a simple program Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 25 satisfactorily and the provision to develop early information and communication technology skills is satisfactory.

p.24

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

47. This area of learning was not a focus for the inspection and there is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about provision. Although some of the children have good finer finger control and they use tools such as a pencil or a computer mouse at an appropriate level for their age, a significant proportion of the children have below average manipulative skills. Assessment is insufficiently used in the teaching. For example, developing dexterity and coordination was not addressed adequately when the children were engaged in a modelling activity. The children exhibit satisfactory standards in their ability to run, pedal large toys and to balance and in these areas they are all on course to meet the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. In the small quantity of outdoor activity observed there was insufficient direct teaching to improve the children's skills.

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

48. This area of learning was not a focus of the inspection. Even so, the small amount of evidence available shows that the provision is satisfactory. The teaching provides the children with many appropriate opportunities for developing their imaginations; for example, many are linked to the stories they are told, such as ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. The children are able to express and communicate their ideas through role-play and through modelling; for example, when creating plasticine models of the giant and of Jack, and through building imaginative castles with large bricks. The teaching encourages children to express and to explain their ideas as they finish their work. Outdoors and in the classroom there are facilities to enact roles in an imaginative manner, such as the role of the nurse following a discussion on this subject. The children’s ability to use their imagination in these situations is just

p.25

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

sufficient to meet the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. Children are given the opportunity to explore colour shape and texture through collages and paint and in these areas they are on course to meet the goals for early learning.

p.25

ENGLISH

Provision in English is satisfactory with good features. Achievement is satisfactory. Standards in reading are above average in Year 2 and in Year 4. Standards in writing are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 4. Teaching is satisfactory overall with good features in Years 2, 3 and 4. Leadership is effective. Improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory and gaining momentum.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in writing are rising quickly. • Effective subject leadership has resulted in rapid improvement during the present school year.

p.25

Commentary

Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 26 49. The bulk of the pupils are doing as well as those of similar ability in other schools. All pupils in Years 3 and 4 have made good progress during the current year in reading and in writing, reflecting effective teaching. Assessment records show that their progress in past years has been variable and, too often, it was not as good as it should have been. During the current year, the work in lessons and in books shows that pupils are quickly making up lost ground. More than 90 per cent in reading and about 80 per cent in writing are on course to attain or exceed the nationally expected level for their age. In reading, nearly half of them are on course to exceed expectations; it writing about one third are likely to do so. These proportions are better than typically found and are consistent with the potential of the pupils when they entered the school or when they joined at a later stage.

p.26

Commentary

50. Nearly all pupils in Year 2 are making good progress and have done so since the start of the present school year, reflecting effective teaching. More than 90 per cent of them are on course to attain or exceed the nationally expected level in both reading and writing. In reading, about half are likely to exceed national expectations while in writing about one fifth are likely to do so. In Year 1, the progress of pupils in reading is broadly satisfactory but progress in writing is too slow and these pupils, especially those who are average or less able, are underachieving. The senior management is aware of this issue and they are acting to bring about improvement; the very recent work in Year 1 shows signs of more effective learning than the work at the start of the school year.

p.26

Commentary

51. Almost all pupils in Year 4 are able to read a range of straightforward narrative and information texts independently and accurately. They understand and relate to most texts that they read and tackle unfamiliar words with confidence, using appropriate methods to predict pronunciation and meaning. Nearly half of them are sufficiently advanced to be independent readers who use appropriate expression and pace and have begun to develop tastes for particular types of story or have favourite authors. In Year 2, most pupils are well launched into reading but need to return to familiar texts. They are beginning to read silently, gaining confidence in tackling material that is more difficult. The more able in Year 2 are well on the way to independent reading.

p.26

Commentary

52. The work of almost all pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 shows that there has been rapid development in their ability to produce sustained writing. Most of the pupils in Year 4 use extended sentences, sometimes complex with commas separating clauses, with wide vocabulary and good use of adjectives and adverbs. They use punctuation accurately in the main. Spelling and handwriting are satisfactory. The most able use speech marks and paragraphs. In Year 2, the writing is mostly well organised for their age. Stories, for example, have clear openings, development and endings, with characters and events. Good use is made of adjectives and there have been marked improvements in grammar, punctuation and spelling over the course of the year. In Year 1, the majority of pupils are several months behind schedule, particularly in the development of basic skills.

p.26

Commentary

53. In most lessons, a good range of methods is used to make the learning active and enjoyable. In a good lesson in Year 4, exciting use was made of drama to help pupils work out how to extend the action in the story they were creating, and to understand better the characters’ motives, feelings and ideas. The curriculum appropriately reflects national requirements and national guidance and, under the knowledgeable leadership of the headteacher, good practice is being effectively developed and shared among the teachers. Since assuming responsibility, the headteacher, who is the subject leader, has carried out a thorough audit of the subject, including teachers’ Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 27 knowledge and skills, diagnosed underlying causes in areas needing improvement, and he has acted promptly to bring about change. The pupils’ work shows good signs of improvement and standards are recovering quickly from the low levels found at the

p.26

Language and literacy across the curriculum

54. Good use is made of other subjects to develop literacy skills. Opportunities to write at length are found in history, geography and religious education. This is a recent innovation and one that is proving successful.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory. Achievement is satisfactory for most pupils but those who are less able could do better. Standards are average in Year 2 and in Year 4. Teaching is satisfactory but with aspects for improvement. Subject leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Improvement since the previous inspection has been satisfactory.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 are making generally good progress during the present school year. • Progress in Year 2 is particularly good. • Progress in Year 1 is too slow. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 28

p.27

Commentary

55. Most of the pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 are making satisfactory progress compared to their attainment on entry. Records show that their progress has been uneven in past years and that generally good progress during the present school year has enabled many of them to catch up with expectations. This is particularly the case for pupils of average ability who are, by and large, doing as well as can reasonably be expected. This is mainly true for the bulk of the more able pupils though a few of them could do better. Lower ability pupils and those with special educational needs, who are not many in number, have not done as well as they could and they have fallen further behind. Current provision is not meeting all of their learning needs, reflecting underdeveloped use of assessment and lessons that do not provide enough work at various levels from pupils of different ability. Progress in Year 1 is too slow and these

p.28

Commentary

pupils are underperforming. This reflects insufficient challenge and progression in learning to meet the varying needs. The headteacher and the newly appointed subject leader are aware of all these issues and have initiated action to bring about improvement.

p.28

Commentary

56. Currently about 90 per cent of the pupils in Year 4 are attaining or exceeding the expected national level for their age and this is better than the average school nationally. About a fifth of the pupils are exceeding national expectations. As this is not as many as is found typically in other schools, the overall standards are average. The pupils in Year 4 are developing a satisfactory knowledge of four- and five-digit numbers and their computational skills when adding and subtracting are generally good. Most of them are developing appropriate knowledge of multiplication and division, including their 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables. However, not enough work has been done with decimals, for example, to extend their knowledge and understanding to the next level.

p.28

Commentary

57. In Year 2, about 90 per cent of the pupils are on course to attain or exceed national expectations and this is satisfactory given the presence in this cohort of pupils with significant learning difficulties. Pupils’ work shows that progress during the present school year has been greater than expected nationally. A good third of the cohort are likely to exceed expectations. This is similar to the average nationally but better than predicted by attainment on entry. Pupils in Year 2 are extending their knowledge of addition facts to 20 and this is ahead of expectations. They use these number facts competently when solving problems. They are developing their ability to explain how they solve problems and arrive at answers, which teacher records show was underdeveloped on entry to the year group. The more able pupils are confidently handling larger numbers. One academically gifted pupil is being taught with Year 3

p.28

Commentary

58. The teaching is satisfactory overall though with aspects for improvement. The satisfactory teaching is enabling most pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 to make worthwhile gains in lessons, reflecting good efforts to make learning active and lively. One lesson in Year 1 was unsatisfactory because the amount of learning was too little given the time spent on the tasks. The subject leadership is very competent though recently established. Management to date is satisfactory with good capacity to improve the subject further.

p.28

Mathematics across the curriculum

Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 29 59. The use of mathematics across the curriculum is underdeveloped but improving. Some use is made in science and in information and communication technology but opportunities to develop skills systematically in other subjects are not being made. This is an area for improvement.

p.29

SCIENCE

The provision in science is satisfactory. Achievement is satisfactory. Standards are above average in Year 2 and average in Year 4. The teaching is satisfactory in Year 1 and is good in Years 2, 3 and 4.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good emphasis upon the development of the pupils' scientific enquiry skills in Years 2, 3 and 4. • The teaching in Year 2 is a major strength, leading to particularly quick progress.

p.29

Commentary

60. The standards in science vary considerably from year to year because of variations in ability in the pupil intake. The standards of the current Year 4 are average but those of the current Year 3 are high, as they were at the end of Year 2. Standards in the current Year 2 are above average overall; some of the pupils' diagrams and drawings of insects, from their study of habitats, are detailed, reflecting good standards in observation skills.

p.29

Commentary

61. There has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection. There is now consistent provision of good teaching for the pupils in the Years 2, 3 and 4 and standards in the pupils' knowledge of life processes and living things are improved throughout the school. The use of assessment to modify the tasks to the pupils' abilities remains an area for improvement.

p.29

Commentary

62. The pupils in Year 1 make a satisfactory start to their learning. They are developing an enjoyment of science through growing seeds and planting bedding plants and in the process they take care and learn to respect the natural world. These pupils have a secure knowledge of the parts of a flowering plant and the function of the root and they understand that plants need water and sun to flourish. The environment in which these pupils are taught is rich with a diverse selection of plants but insufficient use is made of this opportunity to extend their understanding of habitats and specifically to develop the pupils' scientific enquiry skills, such as close observation.

p.29

Commentary

63. This deficit in the development of scientific enquiry skills is rectified in Year 2, where the pupils suggest their own ways of investigating that include using reference books as well as the school's environmental area. Throughout Year 2 there has been a good emphasis upon the development of scientific enquiry skills, for example when the pupils investigated materials and their properties or forces. In their books, the Year 2 pupils show a particularly good standard in their ability to obtain and to present evidence and a secure understanding of how to evaluate and draw conclusions. The good development of the pupils' skills of scientific enquiry is continued into Years 3 and 4. In both year groups, all of the pupils demonstrate an understanding of how a test can be made fair and they record their observations in a variety of ways. The higher ability pupils understand that a prediction is based upon knowledge and

p.29

Commentary

understanding. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 30 64. The co-ordinator has been in post less than one year and she demonstrates satisfactory leadership. She has observed the teaching across the school in order to obtain an understanding of standards and she intends to implement a good assessment system that has recently been trialled in Year 2. The long-term curriculum is fully mapped out across the school. The medium term planning is not yet fully complete and some of the work in Year 2 is from part of the National Curriculum designed for older pupils. The curriculum links well with the skills taught in numeracy, particularly in relation to measuring. The co-ordinator recognises the strengths and shortcomings in the provision and intends as part of her action plan to increase the use of the school's grounds and natural resources.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good. Standards are above average in Year 2 and average and rising in Year 4. Teaching is good. Leadership is satisfactory. Improvement since the previous inspection has been satisfactory.

p.30

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good progress is being made throughout the school. • Particularly good progress is being made in Year 2.

p.30

Commentary

65. The pupils in Year 2 have made quick progress this year and almost all of them are already attaining the nationally expected level for their age with some time still to go before the end of the school year, and many are exceeding it. In one very good lesson, for example, they rapidly learned how to program the movements of an object on the screen, making it move forward and turn measured distances and directions. By the end of the lesson they were programming repeat instructions so that the path of the object produced distinct patterns.

p.30

Commentary

66. Almost all of the pupils in Year 4 have the knowledge, skills and understanding expected of them. They are confident and competent users of computers for their age. They enter text quickly, can edit and amend presentations appropriately, use the internet to search for information, and create basic databases. They are beginning to understand the need to ask the right questions when searching for information. Some pupils have relatively advanced skills for their age but the numbers with such skills are not greater than is typically found in other schools.

p.30

Commentary

67. Good use is made of adequate resources. The school does not have the luxury of a computer suite but has made good use of available space in classrooms and has been able to locate sufficient in one of the rooms to facilitate whole class tuition. In addition, classrooms have interactive white boards that enable enlarged display and demonstration of programs to all pupils during shared work, making possible very efficient teaching methods. Overall, the school has sufficient computers for the number of pupils and has an adequate range of computer programs and other allied resources. Leadership and management are newly established, both having very good capacity to improve the school further.

p.30

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 31 68. Good use is made of information and technology across the curriculum. Pupils in Year 4, for example, were extending their knowledge of databases and of the internet while acquiring information to extend their knowledge in science of classification systems and of life processes and living things. Literacy and numeracy skills are effectively enhanced through specific application programs and very good use is made of word processing to extend pupils’ ability to write interestingly, creatively and purposefully at length. Good use was also made in Year 1 of a program to extend scientific knowledge of classification and mathematical knowledge of sorting.

p.31

HUMANITIES

69. History and geography were not a focus for the inspection. No teaching was observed and no judgement on provision can be made. These subjects are fully planned and good use is made of information and communication technology, particularly in history. The geographical study in the Years 3 and 4 has close links to the work on Hinduism in religious education. There have been visitors who have given the pupils in these year groups a very good understanding of the culture and daily life of people in India, to link to their study of Indian village life. The pupils in Year 2 have effectively studied community life on an Island. In history, the pupils in Years 3 and 4 have considered life at the time of the Second World War. Both history and geography make a very good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 32

p.31

Religious education

The provision for religious education is satisfactory overall and by Year 4 the achievement of the pupils is satisfactory.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There has been good improvement in the provision since the previous inspection, although the differences in standards between Year 2 and Year 4 remain. • The assembly themes are Christian in their content and substantially add to the provision and to the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of this religion.

p.32

Commentary

70. It was not possible to observe any lessons in Year 2 but the work in the pupils’ books is of a very high standard and this is a good improvement from the satisfactory standards previously reported. In Year 4, standards now broadly reflect those expected by the locally agreed syllabus, whereas they were below expectations at the last inspection.

p.32

Commentary

71. From Year 1 to Year 4, the pupils are learning to reflect upon that which is important in their own lives and to appreciate that which members of various religious communities find important in their lives. In Year 2, where the workbooks indicate that the teaching is very good, there is evidence of some considerable depth of learning in relation to Christian belief and to a lesser extent of Judaism. The equivalent rigour is not evident in the Year 4 work, where there is a greater emphasis upon culture and where the pupils’ reflection, for example on their special things, is not of a greater depth than that of many Year 2 pupils. However, the assembly themes are of a good depth and they provide all the Year 4 pupils with a good background to basic Christian practice and belief, such as the origin of the Holy Communion.

p.32

Commentary

72. The curriculum remains satisfactory as it was at the time of the previous inspection but it is now greatly enhanced by visitors and by good use of artefacts. The subject leader provides a good role model in assemblies.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Art and design was not a focus of the inspection. One lesson in the combined class of Year 3 and 4 pupils was seen. This lesson was of good quality. All of the pupils were attaining or exceeding the nationally expected level for their age. They were effectively learning about printing techniques. They very willingly explored and shared ideas, investigated the various media they were using, applied themselves very constructively throughout the lesson, and produced better than average end products. Their representational and creative skills were good. Displayed work throughout the schools shows similar good standards and although the evidence is somewhat limited it is sufficient to conclude that standards are above average and achievement is good. Extra-curricular provision and curricular enrichment gives good priority to art and design. Overall, the available evidence is pointing to good provision.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

74. The evidence in design and technology is very limited. Pupils’ work was sampled and the curriculum planning examined. This limited evidence shows that the weaknesses found at the time of the previous inspection have been remedied. The Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 33 time allocated to the subject is appropriate and pupils have sufficient opportunity to engage in designing and making products. Their work shows that most of them attain broadly average standards, consistent with the standards attained by pupils of similar ability in other schools.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

75. No lessons relating to physical education were seen in full and the subject was not a focus of the inspection. The curriculum is providing sufficient time for the subject. The school does not have a hall but uses a nearby church hall, which is adequate in size but large equipment to use for indoor gymnastics is limited. All classes used this hall during the inspection. The oldest pupils have weekly opportunity to go swimming; this is good. Enrichment through sport is very good and good priority is given to this aspect. Games equipment is plentiful. The school has achieved a Sports Activemark, part of a national awards scheme, and the FA Charter Mark, reflecting the very good priority it gives to this subject.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. Music was not a focus for the inspection and no judgement upon provision can be made. The curriculum is fully planned and there is a very good range of music-based clubs to extend the taught curriculum. In Year 4, the pupils' ability to read a simple musical score and to play percussion instruments in time to a rhythm is good. This good standard was achieved by the class teacher's good subject knowledge and her high expectations. Singing by the whole school in assemblies is of a satisfactory standard. Musical troupes come into the school and the overall impact on the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is very good.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

77. This area of learning was not a focus of the inspection. The limited evidence shows that the provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship is good because of the general ethos of the school though it is not consistently planned. No lessons were seen but the school has an adequate programme of work to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding in these aspects of the curriculum. The provision is considerably enhanced through such endeavours as becoming a healthy school and obtaining the FA Charter Mark. Day-to-day provision is through circle time, religious education, assemblies, and other subjects. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to have responsibilities and to make a contribution to the school community. The substantial majority of pupils have a satisfactory awareness of themselves and others and they are acquiring the skills that are necessary to deal with life’s challenges. The

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

school council for pupils to express views about the school and influence its development has fallen into abeyance because of the recent turbulence but it is being revived. Upton Snodsbury CE First - Page 34

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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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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