Sedgefield Primary School

SEDGEFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Sedgefield 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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SEDGEFIELD 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. Sedgefield Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 4-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 203

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rectory Row Sedgefield Stockton-on-Tees

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01740 620359 Fax number: 01740 622324

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Local Education Authority Name of chair of governors: Paul Elwell

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Sedgefield Primary is an average sized school in County Durham. The school caters for pupils between the ages of 4 and 11 and has 203 pupils on roll. The school serves the local community, where most of the pupils live. Almost all pupils are from a White British background but the percentage whose first language is not English is a bit higher than the national average. However, none of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals is lower than the national average. A much lower than average proportion of pupils have special educational needs but the proportion who have statements of special educational needs is higher than the national average. There are eight classes. When children start Reception, their attainment matches the national expectation. The school is involved with a number of projects such as ‘Healthy Schools’ ‘Eco Schools’ and ‘Investors in Children.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

32507 Mr C Quigley Lead inspector Foundation stage of learning, art and design, geography, history, music 9572 Mrs K Anderson Lay inspector 33225 Mrs L Greensides Team inspector Mathematics, science, information and communication technology, physical education 27777 Mr R Greenall Team inspector English, personal social health and citizenship, design and technology, religious education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

113-115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth Oldham

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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). Sedgefield 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

Sedgefield Primary is a good school that provides a good quality of education. It is well led by the headteacher and governors, who put pupils at the centre of the school’s work. Very good relationships ensure that pupils are well cared for and teaching is good. Standards in the basic skills are very high and parents are pleased with the progress their children make. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Standards in many subjects are above average and in the basic skills they are high. All pupils achieve well • Children in the foundation stage of learning make good progress and achieve well • Pupils’ personal development is very good and they are taught to make a positive contribution • The way in which the school seeks and acts upon the views of pupils is outstanding • Effective links with other schools are having a very positive impact on standards in physical education • The school knows how well it is doing but its systems for working out why, and how things could further improve are not sharp enough in all areas • Teaching is good overall but in some lessons, pupils are not sufficiently involved in their own learning and this limits their achievement in those lessons.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school was last inspected in January 1999 and since then has made good progress and high standards have been maintained. All of the key issues identified have been addressed successfully: In particular, standards in writing are now very high. The library for older pupils is now a vibrant and stimulating area that is well used and information technology is rapidly improving due to the very good subject leader. Provision in music is much improved and pupils now reach above average standards in Year 6. Child protection procedures now meet requirements and the school gives a very good level of care.

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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 English A* A A* A* mathematics A* A A* A* science A* 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

All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. When children start Reception, their attainment matches the national expectation. They make good progress, achieve well, and attain standards that are slightly above average in all areas of learning. By the time pupils are in Year 2, their attainment in English, mathematics and science is very good and achievement is good. This continues throughout Years 3 to 6. The table shows that very high standards, which put the school in the top 5% of schools nationally, have been maintained well over time. Pupils’ spelling skills are outstanding. Standards in design and technology, geography, physical education and music are above average in all classes and pupils make good progress in these subjects. Standards in history are above average in Years 5 and 6.

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

development, is very good and they learn to make a positive contribution. Pupils have very good Sedgefield Primary School - 7 attitudes to their work, they very much enjoy school and they behave very well. Attendance is outstanding.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good . The curriculum provides a good basis for pupils to enjoy school and achieve well. There are some good examples of innovative work in the curriculum, which the government is currently encouraging schools to do. The quality of teaching is good and this helps all pupils to achieve well overall. In the best lessons, teachers involve pupils in their own learning by giving clear lesson objectives, and criteria by which pupils can judge the quality of their work. These lessons see teachers giving very good feedback against the criteria. In some lessons, this does not happen and pupils do not achieve as well. The school provides a very good level of care for pupils and relationships are very good. This means that children are happy and feel safe in school, which helps them to achieve well. The school has very good links with parents and other schools. The work with other schools is having a significant positive impact on the quality of

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

provision, and standards in physical education.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good . The school knows how well it is doing and has an accurate view of its own performance. Governance is good. They are well informed and provide good direction for the school because they understand its strengths and weaknesses well. However, although the school knows how well it is doing in most areas, systems do not allow a clear evaluation of why it is doing well. This means that in some areas, there are gaps in information and this limits the way in which the school can further improve Subject leaders provide very good role models for others. In the case of leadership of information and communication technology (ICT) leadership is very good.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are pleased with the school; pupils are very pleased. The way in which the school seeks and acts upon the views of pupils is outstanding. They feel that this is their school and they have a significant say in how it develops. There are opportunities for all pupils to be involved, with members of the school council having a long-standing and effective role. A small number of parents expressed a concern that information provided by the school was limited, but evidence seen during the inspection found that a good level of information is given. A very small number of parents of pupils with special educational needs are concerned that communication about their children’s needs is limited. The inspection found that school communicates well, providing many good opportunities for parents to discuss issues. Pupils with special educational needs have very good provision overall and they achieve well.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Improve the monitoring and evaluation systems so that the reasons for success are recognised and built upon • Develop the good systems seen in some lessons for involving pupils in their own learning throughout the school. Sedgefield Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement for all pupils is good. Standards in the basic skills are high.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The standards that pupils attain in English, mathematics and science are well above the national average in both Years 2 and 6 • Standards in many other areas are above average • Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and they achieve well

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 30.8 (28.4) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 31.1 (29.8) 27.0 (26.8) science 32 (30.9) 28.6 (28.6) There were 25 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. The table above shows that in English, mathematics and science, pupils attain results in the national tests at Year 6 that are significantly higher than seen in the national picture. High results are also found in pupils’ day-to-day work in all year groups. All pupils achieve well and standards have been maintained successfully since the last inspection in these areas, and improved in other areas.

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Commentary

2. When children start in the reception class, their attainment matches the nationally expected level in all areas of learning. They make good progress during their first year of school and most children go beyond the expected level by the end of their reception year. This good achievement is apparent in all of the six areas of learning and is helped greatly by good teaching and an exciting, vibrant classroom. Children are particularly good at showing responsibility from an early age and the ‘helping hands’ within the classroom remind them of their jobs at tidy up time. In Years 1 and 2, this good rate of progress continues and all pupils continue to achieve well. By Year 2, pupils are highly skilled in the basic skills and this picture of good progress, high standards and good achievement continues throughout Years 3 to 6. Most pupils are thoughtful, responsive and articulate speakers, well versed in the forms of

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Commentary

Standard English. Pupils in Year 6 have very good reading and library skills. They choose and use books well, and many ‘read between the lines’. Pupils’ writing demonstrates technical accomplishment in all Year groups but sometimes lacks creativity or depth. This is a very similar picture with mathematics, whereby pupils have very well developed skills in the whole range of mathematical concepts. They are not so accomplished, however at applying these skills because of a lack of opportunity to do so. In science, pupils are particularly good at investigative work because of many good opportunities but the most able pupils are not always challenged. This is because they do not have sufficient opportunities to test out their own ideas.

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Commentary

3. In many other subjects, standards are above average in all year groups. In design and technology, Year 2 pupils develop their plans and designs in well-ordered steps, making effective use of their good skill in measuring and writing. Year 6 pupils have made slippers to a good standard, sturdily constructed and attractively finished. In music, pupils in both Years 2 and 6 have good ability to appraise music well, using words such as ‘texture’, ‘tempo’ and Sedgefield Primary School - 9 ‘rhythm’ accurately. The music subject leader helps teachers to achieve these high standards by acting as a good role model for others. In geography, Year 2 pupils have good map skills. They also have a good awareness of the features of Sedgefield and know about changes taking place nearby. Year 6 pupils have a good grasp of how physical processes in a place can affect the lifestyles of people living there. In physical education, above average standards are evident

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Commentary

in all year groups because of pupils’ good ability to evaluate their own and others’ work. In years 5 and 6, standards in history are above average due to the high quality of teaching. For example, Year 5 pupils have a very good understanding of life for evacuee children during World War 2 because of the good use of visits and of artefacts.

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Commentary

4. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of very clear individual education plans, which carefully match work to their needs. Well-briefed teaching assistants who fully understand the nature of pupils’ specific needs very effectively support them. As a result, pupils with special educational needs often achieve standards that match national expectations.

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Commentary

5. Pupils achieve well throughout the school because of a very strong commitment to the all round development of pupils, which is evident in the good quality of teaching, the effective curriculum and good leadership.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good overall; their attendance and punctuality are excellent . Very strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural education supports pupils’ very good personal development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• The school council makes a very significant contribution to school life. • Pupils’ social development is outstanding. • Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour in lessons and around the school contribute powerfully to their inter-personal skills and achievements as learners. • The school’s very good provision for personal development helps pupils to become very mature, self-aware, confident and independent. • Parents ensure that all pupils attend school every day and arrive on time.

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Commentary

6. The well-established school council gives all pupils a voice in school affairs. By a process of election, it represents all age groups from Year 2. Elected representatives stay in office so that they grow in experience and develop leadership skills. A system of class councils means that all representatives have clear and well-debated issues to represent. The school takes full account of the views expressed by the council, and the councillors take credit for such innovations as the computer club and the new playground markings. The council is also a key focus for developments in citizenship education. For example, the council organised and ran one of its meetings in the Borough council’s chamber. A video recording of this meeting was shown to the school. Such events, together with the election process and the system of representation, educate all pupils very well in the workings of democracy.

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Commentary

7. The system of application and interview that leads to the appointment of older pupils as ‘Buddies’ offers further practical experience of the way the world works. The ‘Buddies’ take their influential roles very seriously and make a significant contribution to the very strong ethos of the school. The school trusts pupils to take on large responsibilities and expects them to achieve well, as invariably they do. For example, pupils in Year 6 take full responsibility for the day-to-day running of the computerised loan service for the junior library. Pupils are also encouraged to run fund-raising efforts for various causes, and to participate in a wide range of Sedgefield Primary School - 10 community events in Sedgefield. As a result of all this, pupils’ social development is outstanding, and a powerful factor in the school’s strong ‘achievement culture’. The Investors in Children Award in 2003 recognises this high level pupil involvement in the affairs of the

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Commentary

8. Such involvement of pupils fosters pride in their school and promotes very positive attitudes. These are reinforced in various ways, for example by the richness of the curriculum and the quality of care, or in the eager vigilance of the infant litter squad who swoop on every item of discarded paper to maintain a perfectly clean school. Similarly positive values and active policies promote the very good behaviour that inspectors witnessed in almost all situations. The school sets this standard of behaviour in Reception, and all staff maintain it by consistent application of the policy and by the example they set of courtesy, respect, understanding, teamwork, and taking turns. They ensure that pupils with special educational needs are sensitively supported and able to play a full part in lessons and general school life. Nevertheless, the school excluded pupils for brief periods three times last year. These were a

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Commentary

carefully considered response to sudden eruptions of violent and abusive behaviour on the part of two boys. There has been no repeat of this in the current year, and there had been no previous exclusions over many years. The school is developing its use of the behaviour support services well due to the head teacher’s commitment to ongoing improvement. As part of this process, the school is refining its anti-bullying procedures appropriately.

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Ethnic background 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 203 3 0

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Ethnic background pupils Exclusions in the last school year

9. Pupils’ excellent attendance and punctuality significantly support learning and achievement. The school monitors attendance carefully, but hardly every needs to invoke its procedures to improve attendance or to use the services of the Educational Welfare Officer. This is because the parents are always scrupulous in ensuring that their children come to school every day and on time. Pupils’ typical eagerness to attend also helps to maintain the exemplary record.

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Attendance in the last complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 2.8 School data 0.0 National data 5.2 National data 0.4

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Attendance in the last complete reporting year (%)

10. Taken overall, provision for pupils’ personal development is very good, and better than when the school was last inspected. As noted earlier, provision for moral development is very good; for social development it is outstanding. Pupils’ spiritual development is good. The school sensitively promotes pupils’ self-awareness and respect, including awareness of their own learning and progress. It also fosters increasing understanding and respect for the different feelings, values and beliefs of others. Through assembly themes, religious education and some aspects of provision in arts and humanities subjects, it also cultivates an understanding of different faiths, cultures and ways of life. Pupils’ active involvement in their community develops a keen appreciation of their own culture. Various visitors, including some parents, sharpen their interest in other cultures, but, whilst they know many particular ways in which

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Attendance in the last complete reporting year (%)

faiths and cultures differ, they have little awareness of how this diversity affects life in Britain today.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

Sedgefield Primary School - 11 The quality of education provided by the school is good . Teaching and learning, the curriculum, partnerships and the care given to pupils are all good , resulting in high standards.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching, learning and assessment are all good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships between staff and pupils are very good and this encourages pupils to try their very best • All staff expect very high standards of behaviour and this means that lessons run smoothly and pupils achieve a lot • Teaching assistants are used very well to support pupils who have special educational needs • Homework is used very well to support learning • Pupils are not always involved in their own learning and do not receive enough guidance as to how to improve their work

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 20 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; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Commentary

11. In every lesson, the way in which adults interact with pupils is impressive. This reflects a great deal of mutual respect and results in pupils feeling confident and willing to have a go. Teachers and support assistants are patient and listen closely to what pupils are telling them and this leads to good responses from pupils. A good example of this was in an excellent physical education lesson in Year1. The teacher made full use of responses from pupils and turned them into very clear teaching points that were very clearly explained. In a very good English lesson in Year 5, the way in which the teacher skilfully engaged pupils through discussion made the lesson enjoyable and all pupils were engrossed.

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Commentary

12. All staff have very high expectations for the way in which pupils behave and pupils live up to these expectations very well. In the best lessons, the organisation of teaching promotes good behaviour because teachers include a good deal of collaborative learning, where pupils work in groups to discuss and share ideas. This leads to pupils gaining a good understanding of how they can use their knowledge and skills. Because of imaginative teaching methods in the best lessons, pupils are very productive and are challenged to achieve as much as they can in the time given. For example, in a very good Reception lesson, the children behaved very well because of the class teacher’s very good organisation and presentation and every child was busy. As children iced biscuits and added sweets to count, there was a real buzz of activity within the classroom. Because every activity was carefully planned, everyone enjoyed the

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Commentary

lesson and achieved a lot. One unsatisfactory lesson was observed during the inspection and this was due to poor time management from the beginning of the lesson.

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Commentary

13. Pupils are taught well in lessons because teachers use a range of support strategies to ensure that they achieve, and to keep them motivated and on task. Where appropriate, teaching assistants support pupils very well in class, ensuring they can be fully involved and can participate purposefully in all activities. All staff have a good awareness of pupils’ needs and they have well developed relationships with pupils, which helps them to know when the most appropriate support should be given. For example, in a Year 3 geography lesson, the Sedgefield Primary School - 12 support assistants gave good support to pupils by asking them supplementary questions and by helping them to organise their time during group work.

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Commentary

14. Teachers use homework very well to develop pupils’ learning outside of the school day. There is a good level of work for younger children in the form of reading and as they get older, pupils have an increasing amount of good quality homework. Teachers are good at giving feedback and work is often marked alongside pupils.

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Commentary

15. Although the quality of teaching overall is good, there are inconsistencies across the school leading to a significant proportion of just satisfactory lessons. In the best lessons, pupils are involved in their own learning because teachers give clear verbal and written feedback as to how they can improve their work. For example, in a good art and design lesson in Year 5, the teacher gave very good feedback on pupils observation skills and as a result, they improved the accuracy and effectiveness of their drawing skills to an impressive degree. This does not happen in all lessons. This is because some lesson plans do not focus on what the main objective is and teachers do not always break down what they are looking for from each ability level within the class. This leads to vague and sometimes unhelpful feedback. In some lessons, effective use is made of learning targets, which help pupils to understand how to

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Commentary

improve their work over a number of weeks or months. In these lessons, pupils have an accurate picture of their strengths, and how they need to improve. Again, this practice is inconsistent.

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The curriculum

The school bases it’s teaching on a good , broad and improving curriculum that meets all requirements and is enriched by a good range of additional learning opportunities. Good accommodation and resources are used well to support learning for all pupils.

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The curriculum

• The curriculum reflects the school’s strong commitment to meeting the diverse needs of its pupils, and ensuring that all benefit equally well from the wide range of opportunities it provides. • Provision for pupils who have special educational needs is very good. • Very good provisions for personal, social, health and citizenship education include a full programme of lessons, and pervade assemblies and the entire life of the school. • Good arrangements ensure that pupils move smoothly to each next stage of their education. • Good accommodation and resources, including the improved library and improving provision for ICT, are used well to support learning.

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Commentary

16. The school works hard to ensure that different groups have equal access to all the learning opportunities it provides, and that they do as well as they can. The school’s ethos, values and practices strongly reinforce this inclusion, so that pupils with diverse needs, talents and attainments work and learn successfully together. National strategies and guidance materials have been adapted to serve this purpose, and to maintain good achievement in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Planning in these subjects reflects a keen awareness of the need to challenge the more able pupils, of whom there is a high proportion in most classes. This is balanced by good planning and support for lower attaining pupils, including those who have special needs. Booster groups, taught by highly qualified staff, are a notable feature of this support.

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Commentary

17. Planning in other subjects is less consistent in quality. Links between subjects are not fully exploited, and pupils’ role as learners is not always active enough to extend their learning and creative skills. In recognition of this, the school is making moves towards a more unified, Sedgefield Primary School - 13 creative and challenging curriculum. Significant improvements in music, physical education and information and communication technology exemplify this, whilst a very good Year 2 project, based on a theatre visit to see ‘Swan Lake’, shows what can be achieved by the imaginative planning of exciting creative work across several subjects.

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Commentary

18. The Healthy School and Eco School awards point to strong developments related to very good work in personal, social, health and citizenship education. Provision in this area is at the heart of the school’s mission and reflects its determination to strengthen its community. A full programme of lessons links with other subjects to include education in sex and relationships and drugs awareness. It also links very well to activities related to the school’s enduring commitment to conservation and the wider community.

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Commentary

19. Much curricular provision is outward looking and reflects the school’s aim to develop enquiring minds, independent skills, and a mature and informed outlook on the world and their place in it. This can be seen in the good systems that enable pupils to move smoothly from year to year and stage to stage. Developing links with Sedgefield Community College are improving pupils’ transition to Year 7.

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Commentary

20. This vision is also reflected in the good provision for extra-curricular activities and out-of- school learning. A rich programme of day and residential visits, and of visitors to the school, develops social skills and independence well , and enriches learning in different subjects. With occasional help from professional coaches, staff and parents run after-school clubs in conservation, art, golf, netball, football, recorders and cycling proficiency. Strong links with the local community lead to active participation in local events, such as the Medieval Fair, the Gymnastics Festival, the Swimming Gala, the Durham Youth Games, and a number of activities related to conservation.

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Commentary

21. The school invests well in its staffing provision and resources, and works hard to maintain and make best use of its accommodation. Teachers are well-qualified and have a good balance of experience. Support staff make a significant contribution to pupils’ achievement. Staff work well as a team and make good use of each other’s specific talents. Learning resources are good overall. Two areas that were judged unsatisfactory by the previous inspection are now strong. Impressive improvements in the location, accommodation, book resources and use of the junior library are extending reading development in many ways. A computerised loan system enables pupils in Year 6 to take full responsibility for the day-to-day running of this library. Significantly improved resources for ICT are transforming curricular opportunities in ICT itself and also in other subjects.

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Care, guidance and support

The school provides very well for the care of its pupils . Staff give very good personal support, advice and guidance to their pupils. Monitoring of academic progress is good and the involvement of pupils in the work of the school is excellent .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has worked hard to improve procedures in child protection since the last inspection and as a result, procedures are now very good • Relationships between staff and pupils are very good and the school gives particularly good attention to the all round development of pupils. In this school, every child matters. • The way in which the school seeks and acts upon the views of pupils is outstanding.

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Commentary

22. The school makes every effort to ensure that pupils work in a safe environment. Since the last inspection, the school, governing body and local authority have worked together to Sedgefield Primary School - 14 address successfully concerns highlighted about Child Protection. Thorough procedures, to identify pupils who may be in need of protection, are now in place and outside agencies are contacted as required. A very good policy is in place and all staff have received thorough training both in child protection and first aid. Regular equipment checks and building monitoring identify possible risks, which are dealt with immediately. Children have very good levels of supervision at all times. The Local Authority has recently awarded the Clean School Award to the school. This recognises the work of all involved in maintaining very high standards of caretaking. As a result, the school is very clean and pupils are very safe.

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Commentary

23. Relationships between staff and pupils are very good. A strong feature of all lessons is mutual respect between staff and pupils and the way in which teachers devote time to personal development. As a result, teachers know their pupils well and are sensitive to their varying needs and situations. Pupils know whom to turn to for help and there is always an adult in whom they can confide. This good support and guidance has a positive impact upon pupils’ learning. Arrangements are generally good in tracking pupils’ academic development but pupils do not always have enough information about how to improve their work. Pupils with special educational needs are given very good support and they achieve well. The youngest children in school have a very good start. Induction is very carefully and sensitively planned and so children generally settle quickly into school life. ‘Nursery Liaison Meetings’ give

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Commentary

children the opportunity to visit the school before they start full time education as well as enabling staff and parents to meet together. Staggered entry for new starters is adapted to meet the needs of individual children.

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Commentary

24. Pupils play an outstanding role in shaping the school community. Their willingness to take on responsibility is impressive and the range of opportunities to do so is very wide. The School Council considers thoroughly ideas put forward by pupils. If the idea is approved, they then implement it. Pupils act with confidence as officers chairing the meeting and undertaking the secretarial work. Systems for collecting suggestions and feeding back to the class are well established. Class Councils help to gain the views of all pupils. Playground Buddies volunteer for the job and undergo interviews before being appointed which helps them to take the job seriously. They also receive training in Anti-bullying strategies. The work that they do in the playground helps to make playtimes happy and sociable events for all pupils. Each forum meets regularly and operates on democratic lines. In addition, children are willing to

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Commentary

help with many tasks in school such as setting up the hall for assembly and operating the CD player. Because of their excellent work, pupils all contribute to making this school a pleasant place in which to learn and play. They are also learning extremely valuable lessons about the mechanisms and value of democracy in a community.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has good links with parents, and very good links with the local community and other schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are pleased with the quality of education the school provides and the school involves parents well. • Good quality information keeps parents well informed • Parents make a very good contribution to the school • The school has a very positive image within the community • Links with other schools have been very effective in raising standards in physical education

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Commentary

Sedgefield Primary School - 15 25. The vast majority of parents hold the school in high regard. As most deliver and collect their children to and from school there are many good opportunities for them to voice concerns, express views and exchange information. The school tries hard to seek parents’ views and to involve them in school development. In response to a parental comment, the head teacher has invited parents to sit on the Anti-bullying and Travel Plan working groups. The school has employed various strategies in order to encourage parents to attend the Annual Parents Meeting. Recently information evenings have been organized in conjunction with the meeting so that parents can learn more about an aspect of the school. Last year the topic covered the support and management of more able children. In spite of these good initiatives, a minority of parents still feel that their views and suggestions are not sought.

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Commentary

26. Through the prospectus, Annual Governor’s Report, frequent newsletters and pupil reports, parents receive good information both about what is going on in school, and about their own child’s progress. Parents are given regular information about the topics each class will be studying and guidance about ways they can help their children with both reading and their homework. As a result, they are encouraged to become actively involved in their child’s learning. Open evenings offer parents a good opportunity to discuss their own child’s work. Although inspectors found that a good range of information is supplied, a minority of parents are not satisfied.

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Commentary

27. Parents make a very positive contribution to the school. The Parent Teacher and Friends Association is extremely imaginative and active in organising fundraising and social events. For example the Association serves refreshments in a gazebo during sports day and runs raffles and discos. The proceeds are used to benefit pupils. Recently they contributed to half the cost of a digital photocopier. A small, reliable core of parents provides very valuable support in school whilst more are very willing to help with outside visits. Parents run the spelling support and recorder group, and a parent has recently visited to talk about dental care.

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Commentary

28. The school has a high profile in the local community. It is available for use by a number of clubs such as rainbows, guides and brownies. Very good use is made of the community to promote learning. A very wide range of visitors in and visits out are used to enhance the curriculum. Pupils also take part in village events such as the Medieval Fayre and Northumbria in Bloom competition. These experiences increase pupils’ knowledge of the wider community well.

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Commentary

29. Because links with other schools are very well established, there are good opportunities for head teachers from local schools to meet together on a regular basis. This gives them the chance to exchange views and share ideas. Recent work with the Community College has resulted in very good provision for physical education. Very good transition arrangements are in place with the college. Every effort is made to ensure that transfer to the next school goes as smoothly as possible.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The head teacher and staff provide a caring, supportive ethos, which is fully committed to the needs of all pupils • The governing body has a good grasp of what is going on in school, so they can make informed and effective decisions • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very well led and managed • The leadership of the headteacher promotes a culture where the emerging leadership qualities of others are both valued and nurtured Sedgefield Primary School - 16 • The school’s monitoring procedures do not focus enough on areas of priority, leading to inconsistency of approach and practice • Priorities for development are not based securely on the findings of monitoring and evaluation

p.15

Commentary

30. The headteacher is effective in promoting a school ethos which ensures a very caring approach to the welfare and development of all pupils and staff, and where the views of all pupils are valued and their needs understood. Procedures to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the full life of the school are well thought out and are prominent in all school policies. As result, pupils of all abilities progress well. They enter fully into the life of the school, and show a caring and responsible attitude to others.

p.16

Commentary

31. The school’s caring approach is particularly well seen in practice through the head teacher’s very good leadership of the provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs, this ensures that these pupils make good and sometimes very good progress. All documentation is well maintained, and there are good relationships with outside agencies to ensure that all pupils receive all necessary and available support. Pupils’ needs are identified early and there are good systems for ensuring that a range of very effective strategies is implemented to help pupils to progress. For example, pupils with physical or motor difficulties are supported well through a fun and exciting programme designed to improve their agility and flexibility. Other pupils are well supported in class, with a good range of intervention programmes that support their learning across all subjects.

p.16

Commentary

32. There is a good sense of teamwork throughout most areas of school, and an open ethos, which encourages colleagues to support each other. The deputy head is a very good role model for other teachers. All staff are encouraged to identify areas for further improvement in individual subjects. The very good leadership by the ICT subject leader was quickly recognised and nurtured by the head teacher. Very good support and encouragement have secured very good improvements in the overall quality of provision. Subject leaders act as good role models for others, giving advice and guidance on their subjects.

p.16

Commentary

33. The school’s main action plan gives a satisfactory view of how the school will improve over the coming year but it misses some important elements because monitoring and evaluation is not firmly embedded. For example, very high standards in maths mask some of the real issues for development in this subject, such as a lack in applying maths across other subjects of the curriculum, and this has not been identified because of the lack of a rigorous and effective monitoring schedule.

p.16

Commentary

34. The school has satisfactory systems to assess its own performance, which are based around the staff appraisal process. These procedures are regular, and focus on general improvement issues, but are not yet sufficiently rigorous to address less effective areas or inconsistencies in provision. For example, recent policies, which are designed to improve pupils’ learning are not sufficiently monitored. This leads to an incomplete understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching. Subject leaders do not know if pupils are achieving well because they do not focus their work on finding out about the standards pupils attain.

p.16

Commentary

35. Governance of the school is good and the governing body effectively fulfils is statutory duties. The governors know the school well, and are aware of the priorities for development. They support the head teacher well, and through governors’ meetings ensure that there is both support and challenge of reports and suggested innovations. Governors have a good grasp of the school’s performance through good communication and this ensures that they keep abreast of developments and make informed decisions. They have a good approach to financial developments and spending, and this helps the school to achieve its educational priorities. The table below shows that the amount of money spent per pupil is slightly lower than average and yet standards put the school in the top 5% of schools nationally. This represents good value for money. Sedgefield Primary School - 17

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Total income 502797 Total expenditure 506503 Expenditure per pupil 2400 Balances (£) Balance from previous year 6567 Balance carried forward to the next 538 Sedgefield Primary School - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

36. A major strength of the Foundation Stage is the very good partnership between the class teacher and her assistant. They work together effectively and both have a great deal of expertise. This leads to consistently good teaching and tracking of children’s development. The classroom is attractive, well ordered and stimulates children’s interest very well. The staff know their children well and this means that they plan activities that are just right. This leads to good achievement where children progress from a starting point of average attainment to slightly above average attainment by the time they leave Reception. Children with special educational needs are included well and achieve well. In all lessons, very good relationships make children feel well supported and the standards reported at the last inspection have improved. The class teacher is a good leader: The outdoor learning area has been rightly

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

identified as being inadequate but good plans have been devised to address this. The governors and parents’ group have been involved and are currently fundraising.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A very good system for settling children in to school helps them to feel confident and happy and as a result, they begin to achieve well from their first days in school. • Responsibility is developed well in every aspect of learning.

p.18

Commentary

37. Children settle in to school quickly because of a very good system of visits. This means that children become familiar with the teachers and classroom before they start school. When they do start, every care is taken to make them feel welcome. The playground buddies from other classes further up the school, take care of Reception children and show them around. In the classroom, children start on different days to allow them to get to know their new environment and so that the teachers can find out about their needs. Teaching as a result of this is good and this helps children to achieve well. When they start school, their attainment matches the national expectation and they progress well, leaving Reception with attainment slightly above the national picture. In all activities, children share well and work alongside each other showing due consideration. For example, in discussion time, they each take turns

p.18

Commentary

to answer. Children dress independently for physical education lessons and have a good level of personal care.

p.18

Commentary

38. The class teacher and assistant develop responsibility well. For example, in each area of the classroom ‘helping hand’ notices give reminders to children of their responsibilities to keep the classroom tidy. Children are also well aware of their responsibilities in keeping healthy. When they are ready to bake or prepare food, they know to wash their hands.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

Sedgefield Primary School - 19 • A vibrant and exciting role play area is well used to promote children’s speaking and listening skills • Children’s handwriting skills are well developed • A love of reading is not promoted sufficiently

p.19

Commentary

39. The classroom is dominated by a vibrant, exciting and well-used jungle role-play area. Children dress up as animals and enact situations. They discuss plans, share ideas and collaborate well, sharing and taking turns. Most children initiate discussions and they all listen to each other well. This develops children’s speaking and listening skills effectively and reflects the good teaching and modelling of conversation by the class teacher and her assistant. This is a major factor in the good achievement of children in this area.

p.19

Commentary

40. The good writing area is set up so that children can practise their handwriting and develop their ideas for writing. In one lesson, three children enjoyed writing lists and invitations and all could write their names accurately. All children have well developed pencil grip and confidently form letters and trace lines. Most children’s writing contains recognisable letters and when reading it back, they know what they have written and why.

p.19

Commentary

41. During the inspection, not many children chose the book corner to spend their time. Although there is a sound range of books, they are not always promoted effectively. In contrast to some of the other more inviting areas of the classroom, the reading area is rather subdued and unappealing. Home reading is adequate but does not develop well-established reading behaviour and this means that children are not encouraged to develop a love of books and of reading. However, children enjoy storytelling without books and this helps them to understand the format of stories and develops their imagination well.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The class teacher’s very good subject knowledge and this helps children to achieve well • Imaginative teaching activities grab children’s interest well

p.19

Commentary

42. The class teacher has a very good understanding of how children develop their mathematical thinking and as a result, resources and opportunities for learning are well developed. The classroom is full of good resources such as the computer game ‘beat the clock’ to develop number and calculation skills. The water area has a good range of containers to develop children’s understanding of capacity and the sand tray, with its buried treasure is well used with adult support to develop positional language such as on, beside, under and through. Children can recognise and recite numerals to 20 and they have a good understanding of mathematical vocabulary such as more than, less than and altogether.

p.19

Commentary

43. Teaching is good and children achieve well. The class teacher has some imaginative activities that are practical, fun and help children to understand mathematical concepts well. In one lesson, for example, children learnt to calculate ‘how many altogether’ by combining two groups. They did this by icing biscuits and adding sweets. Throughout the activity, the class teacher and the assistant promoted language very well.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Sedgefield Primary School - 20 No lessons were observed where direct teaching of this area of learning took place. However, observations of children at work and planning show provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good investigation area helps children to understand colour and light • Visitors to the school help children to develop a good cultural awareness and a good sense of time.

p.20

Commentary

44. The investigation area has a collection of objects that encourage children’s observation and enquiry skills well. They use language such as shiny, dull and reflection as they explore materials using magnifying glasses. Children are full of questions about objects and materials and they talk to each other about what they see. They achieve well because the area stimulates a desire to find out more. One child experimented with a torch, making shadows with his hand and observing the changes in size of shadow as he moved his hand back and forth.

p.20

Commentary

45. The jungle role-play area is well used in this area of learning. A set of African drums is available to play and the class have developed a good awareness of other cultures through storytelling and visitors to the school. Some children’s grandparents have visited to talk about the past. This has helped children to develop a good range of vocabulary about the passing of time.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and provides a good range of opportunities for children to develop skills • The inadequate outdoor learning environment limits children’s climbing skills

p.20

Commentary

46. Children experiment with different types of movement such as walking, running and striding. They show good understanding that exercise helps to keep us healthy because of the class teacher’s good questioning. Children show good control in stepping into small spaces, avoiding obstacles by moving their body position as necessary. The teacher promotes this well by providing a good range of activities in hall PE times. In lessons, children are productive and achieve well due to their very good attitudes coupled with the teacher’s insistence on high standards of behaviour. Children follow a set of actions in a sequence but do not always have opportunities to develop their own sequences. In fine work, children handle small objects well and can cut accurately.

p.20

Commentary

47. The outdoor area lacks any purposeful opportunities for children to develop climbing skills. Any activity in this area is limited to indoor work in structured lessons. This means that children do not experiment and develop confidence at height. However, satisfactory opportunities to use wheeled toys are found by the extremely resourceful class teacher.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Sedgefield Primary School - 21 No lessons were observed where direct teaching of this area of learning took place. Only limited observation of children at work was available during the inspection but on this limited evidence, provision in creative development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Descriptive language is developed well in creative activities • The good use of the computer helps children to experiment

p.21

Commentary

48. Creative work is used well to develop descriptive language. For example, a wall display of children’s collage work has labels such as ‘sharp’ ‘tickly’ and ‘rough’. Other examples of children’s work show that they have good opportunities to experiment with colour and shapes. This helps them to achieve well as they gain a growing understanding of how to represent their ideas.

p.21

Commentary

49. The computer is used well to promote experimentation with patterns – children design their own wallpaper and use the various tools to change their designs, adding colour, erasing and changing the size of the brush with ease. Sedgefield Primary School - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and attain high standards for their age, because this is what they and most of their teachers expect • Standards in spelling are outstanding • Teaching is good overall, especially in Years 5 and 6, but lessons often restrict pupils’ active involvement in their learning • The good use of the imaginatively improved junior library supports reading development well • The planning of improvements is not informed well enough by rigorous evaluation of work in classrooms • Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent, and sometimes unhelpful

p.22

Commentary

50. Attainment is well above average in both Year 2 and Year 6 in all aspects of English. Pupils achieve well in relation both to their past successes and to the demands placed on them by the school. Boys and girls attain equally well. Groups of differing attainments, including pupils who find literacy difficult, achieve well in relation to their capabilities. Standards in Year 2 are similar to those found by the previous inspection, but in Year 6, they are higher. This represents good improvement. Test results since that inspection have been consistently high or very high at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. In 2004, almost two thirds of the pupils in Year 6 attained the higher than expected level. The picture is clear and impressive, although some features could be better.

p.22

Commentary

51. In speaking and listening, pupils achieve well and standards are high. Most pupils are thoughtful, responsive and articulate speakers, well versed in the forms of Standard English. Whether discussing texts in small groups or with the whole class, they express their thoughts lucidly, listen with interest, and work together skilfully, to raise each other’s understandings. When teachers engage and challenge these skills, the quality of learning rises strongly, as happened in a very good lesson in Year 5, when pupils told, discussed, created and performed their different versions of well-known fables. However, some teachers deny such active roles, and pupils then lose opportunities to extend their ideas and reason things out for themselves.

p.22

Commentary

52. Pupils also achieve well in reading and reach high standards in Years 2 and 6. In the infant classes, teachers, support staff and parents work well together to ensure that pupils develop secure basic skills. They move on at a good rate towards a habit of reading frequently and with rising enjoyment and success. Pupils in Year 6 have very good library skills for their age. They choose and use books well, whether for pleasure or to support their learning in different subjects. Many ‘read between the lines’ to inform their response to an unfamiliar text, but are less adept at picking out the specific features of the text that prompt their inferences.

p.22

Commentary

53. In writing, too, standards are high. Achievement is good overall, but it dips in Years 3 and 4. Because most teachers promote and expect high standards in handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar, pupils learn to set exacting standards for themselves in the accuracy and presentation of their work. Attainment in spelling is high. Good systems involve the strong support of parents, so that the writing of many older pupils is exceptionally free from spelling errors. Sedgefield Primary School - 23 54. Pupils in Year 6 match language choices precisely to their purpose as they write in different styles. The most able achieve strong impact by their shrewd variations of vocabulary and grammar. However, most writing is brief and often depends on a given model. Pupils have too few opportunities to write at length, creatively, making their own judgements about what they should write about and how.

p.22

Commentary

55. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. In the lessons seen, quality ranged from unsatisfactory to very good and was satisfactory overall. However, pupils’ work tells a better story of how teaching promotes good progress over time for different pupils, though this too is more uneven in Years 3 and 4. A high level of expectation; good use of resources, and strong working relationships are common qualities that promote productive learning of key skills. The more effective lessons drew pupils into more active roles, involved their thinking skills, and worked with their ideas to strengthen learning and lift it to a higher level. Lack of this element limits learning in some lessons. It also links with weaknesses in marking and targets, as if some teachers do not readily see pupils as learners who can make good use of guidance about how well they are doing and how they can improve. Nevertheless, many older pupils are fully

p.23

Commentary

involved in setting their own targets and using them to guide and measure their progress. One lesson was unsatisfactory because serious mismanagement of time and structure denied all pupils their chief learning opportunities.

p.23

Commentary

56. The leadership and management of English are good. The joint leaders work well together to harmonise practices across the school. They maintain a good focus on improvement and use opportunities for staff development well. However, their evaluation of work in classrooms is not rigorous enough to identify the most important areas for improvement.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. Overall, English and the rest of the curriculum support each other satisfactorily. Work in subjects such as history, geography and religious education shows that pupils have some good opportunities to use their strong skills in literacy and spoken English to enhance their learning. These opportunities sometimes stretch pupils’ reading skills, by requiring them to use the library or the Internet independently to search, gather, organise and present information. Writing tasks, on the other hand, are not always matched to pupils’ actual capacity as writers, and ICT is still underused as a tool for creating and manipulating texts.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards across the school are well above the national expectation and all pupils achieve well. • The quality of teaching is good. This helps pupils to gain a good range of mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding. • Pupils sometimes have difficulty in applying their understanding to new problems or situations • The marking of pupils’ work does not give pupils sufficient advice as to how to improve • Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to use mathematics across the rest of the curriculum

p.23

Commentary

58. Standards in the Years 2 and 6 national tests are well above the national average and pupils achieve well. When children leave Reception, their attainment is slightly above the expected level and they make rapid progress during Years 1 and 2, reaching standards well above the national expectation both in the national tests and in their day to day work. This firm Sedgefield Primary School - 24 foundation is very well maintained throughout Years 3 to 6 and all pupils continue to achieve well. Throughout the school, pupils have very good calculation skills because they are taught a wide range of strategies. Most pupils are quick and confident in carrying out mental calculations and can clearly explain how they arrived at their answers. They use mathematical vocabulary very well. For example, pupils use words such as ‘partitioning’, ‘digit’ and ‘parentheses’, and this precise mathematical vocabulary is a good feature of mathematic

p.23

Commentary

59. Teachers are secure and confident in their knowledge of maths, which enables them to teach both clearly and accurately. Pupils have good range of mathematical skills, which is not restricted to number work. For example, Year 6 pupils can quickly calculate angles in a given shape through their knowledge of the properties of both 2D and 3D shapes. They understand the importance of using different types of average, such as mean, mode and median, and are skilled in finding answers to such complex questions. Year 2 pupils can work out the value of missing numbers up to 100, can add and subtract efficiently in their heads, and know how to recognise odd and even numbers. They are enthusiastic and engrossed within maths lessons, and this helps them to achieve well. However, teachers do not always challenge all pupils because questioning is not sufficiently focused on extending pupils’ thinking. Teachers make

p.24

Commentary

good use of homework to reinforce and extend learning. Homework is used well as an extension to learning within the classroom, and so further helps pupils to achieve well.

p.24

Commentary

60. Although pupils have a very high standard of mathematical knowledge and understanding, they are not always able to apply their basic mathematical skills to a range of mathematical situations because they are not given enough opportunities to try out their own ideas to see what works and what does not. For example, Year 6 pupils make good links between decimals, percentages and fractions, but have difficulty in using this knowledge to apply to an every day situation when asked to find three tenths or 40% of a given number.

p.24

Commentary

61. Although pupils’ work is always fully marked and up to date, marking focuses on whether or not the answers and calculations are correct, and does not give pupils advice to help them to improve. For example, where pupils achieve right answers throughout, they are not then extended through challenging comments. Similarly, in lessons, pupils are not always given clear verbal feedback to help them improve and to help them to be fully involved in their own learning.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

62. Despite the current very high standards, improvement since the last inspection remains satisfactory, as the use of mathematics across the curriculum was an issue in the last inspection and has not yet been addressed by the subject leader. Teachers frequently miss opportunities to use mathematics across other subjects of the curriculum and do not use the very good skills of the pupils to allow maths to support learning in, for example, science, design and technology and information and communication technology.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Science are very high • Teaching is good and allows many good opportunities for pupils to work together • Investigation is a well developed in the majority of classes but not all teachers give pupils enough opportunities to devise their own investigations. Sedgefield Primary School - 25

p.24

Commentary

63. Standards in all year groups are very high and all pupils achieve well. This is a similar picture as reported at the last inspection. In teacher assessment at Year 2 and the national tests at Year 6, attainment is very high , and over half of the pupils achieve higher than expected levels, which is much better than most schools. Pupils in Year 2 are beginning to ask pertinent questions and to develop their understanding through a good range of investigations and research. In Year 6, pupils use their wide overall knowledge to help them to investigate.

p.25

Commentary

64. Teaching and learning are good. Pupils have good opportunities to learn from each other as they discuss their work and learning with others, in groups or in pairs. Throughout the school, there is an effective emphasis on the use of scientific terms and language, and so pupils talk about their ideas confidently. However, in some classes, there is an overuse of worksheets. This limits pupils’ thinking skills.

p.25

Commentary

65. Lessons seen during the inspection and an analysis of pupils’ work shows a practical approach to science, and this keeps pupils interested, enthusiastic and eager to find out more. Investigation is developed well, and this helps pupils to develop their enquiry skills. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to design their own investigations and this leads to only satisfactory achievement in this area. This sometimes means that more able pupils to not have the opportunity to make more advanced observations or to explore their own ideas sufficiently, being limited by the boundaries of the task which they are performing. As a result, conclusions and predictions are not always backed up with reasoned arguments. Mathematics is not always used to support work in science, with a notable exception being seen in Year 4, where a good range of graphs and measurements are used.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improvement since the last inspection is very good, because the leader of the subject has had a significant impact in driving forward improvements and standards • The subject leader has recently arranged computers more effectively and this is helping pupils to achieve well • There is a varying quality of the use of ICT across the curriculum

p.25

Commentary

66. There has been very good improvement in provision for ICT since the last inspection. Standards now match national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 6 and all pupils achieve well. Pupils achieve well because teaching is now good overall, and very good in Year 6. The improvement in teaching is mainly due to the vision of the very good subject leader, who has identified and addressed many weaknesses in provision. For example, all staff have benefited from model lessons and support with teaching, and a good training and development programme is in place, built specifically around identified needs. Year 2 pupils can use the mouse successfully, and can open and save their own work. They are enthusiastic about ICT and work well individually or in pairs. Year 6 pupils use word processing and graphics in combination to produce a good range of work, and can import pictures from clip art, photographs and the internet. They are able to create graphs from

p.25

Commentary

Sedgefield Primary School - 26 spreadsheets, and can interpret their results well. They make very good use of photographs and the digital video recorder to enhance their work across the curriculum.

p.26

Commentary

67. The very good improvement in ICT is due to the very good self-evaluation procedures implemented by the subject leader. This enabled the most important areas for improvement to be focused on. The subject leader has reorganised all ICT hardware, giving much more opportunity for pupils to develop their skills on the computer. The subject leader is very good at supporting other staff and is an extremely good role model for others. The subject leader models very good use of ICT across the curriculum. For example, on a snowy day, Year 6 pupils created snow shapes and sculptures, whilst other pupils made videos of their work and took digital photographs. They compared their work using the Internet, to the work of the artist Goldsworthy Over the next few days, the sculptures were further photographed to see the effect of melting and the weather.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

68. ICT is used satisfactorily across the curriculum. Computers are used well, for example in maths and art, and word processing is used appropriately in many other subjects. Year 6, pupils create slide show presentations to present their work on Aztecs in history very well. However, teachers’ planning does not always identify opportunities for pupils to use their ICT skills.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average, especially in map skills, and all pupils achieve well • Geographical vocabulary is not always fully developed

p.26

Commentary

69. Pupils in all year groups attain standards that are higher than the national expectation because of the good teaching they receive. This is particularly so in their map skills. Year 2 pupils, for example, have a very good understanding of two figure grid references and use this to locate and describe features on a map. The majority also understand the keys and symbols used on an Ordnance Survey map. In a good Year 2 lesson, a group of pupils were engrossed in their work, locating features in Sedgefield village using a map. Year 6 pupils have a good awareness of how physical processes can affect the lives of people. For example, their work on the recent Tsunami disaster in Asia employed good map skills, description of lifestyle and the devastating effects on the lives of people.

p.26

Commentary

70. Although standards are generally above average, the use of geographical vocabulary is not. Pupils do not have a wide range of geographical words to describe places, and this limits achievement in this area to a satisfactory level. Year 3 pupils, for example, know about climate, temperature and landscape, but there is little evidence of these words being used to describe places throughout Years 3 to 6.

p.26

History

Provision in History is good. Sedgefield Primary School - 27

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Years 5 and 6 are above average due to teachers’ good subject knowledge. • Pupils’ literacy skills are developed well in all Year groups

p.27

Commentary

71. In Years 1 to 4, standards of work match the national expectation and pupils achieve appropriately. However, in Years 5 and 6, standards are above average and pupils achieve well. This is because teaching in Year 5 is especially good, and gives pupils a good level of historical understanding. Overall, achievement is good. Pupils in Year 5 have a good understanding of what life was like for children during the Second World War. They have well developed enquiry skills, using the Internet, books, videos and pamphlets to find out information. They also have a good understanding that not all sources of information are accurate. Their work on propaganda gives a clear indication that they know that some sources of evidence must be questioned. Visits and visitors to school enrich the learning experience well and this helps pupils to become accomplished historians.

p.27

Commentary

72. Pupils’ literacy skills are promoted well in all year groups. For example, Year 5 pupils write summaries of the main events in the life of Ann Frank, the presentation of which is immaculate. They have also developed play scripts about evacuation and they use labelled diagrams to demonstrate their understanding of wartime issues. Year 2 pupils use their literacy skills well to describe life in the times of Florence Nightingale. One pupil wrote ‘There were rats everywhere and the windows were smashed. The hospital beds were filthy.’

p.27

Religious education

Provision for religious education is satisfactory

p.27

Religious education

73. No lessons were seen in religious education due to the school’s timetable during the inspection. Therefore, judgements have been made by talking to pupils and by looking at their work.

p.27

Religious education

74. As most learning in this subject is conducted through talk, recorded evidence is limited. What there is indicates that work and progress clearly match the Durham Agreed Syllabus, and meet its expectations for different ages. The previous inspection found the same standards. Achievement is satisfactory.

p.27

Religious education

75. The work of pupils in Year 2 reflects their growing awareness that festivals such as Hanukkah and Christmas embody ideas and practices that are both similar and different. They are learning about Jesus and churches in terms of people and places that are special. Pupils in Year 6 talk eagerly and convincingly about the different ways in which they have studied the faiths of Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. They show sound knowledge of the Bible’s different testaments and books, and can link this to the special books, stories and buildings of other faiths. They understand links between Judaism and Christianity and know something of the different ceremonies that mark out the journey of life in these faiths. Their fluent and ranging talk reflects the way in which work in RE links with other subjects, and develops understandings that embrace spiritual, moral, social and cultural

p.27

Religious education

aspects of development. It also reflects the enriched interest generated by visitors and by visits to church and synagogue.

p.27

Religious education

76. Resources, assessment procedures and leadership are satisfactory at a time when further development awaits the forthcoming revised version of the Agreed Syllabus. Sedgefield Primary School - 28

p.27

Art and design

77. Insufficient teaching was observed to make an overall judgement on art and design. However, in one good lesson in Year 5, the subject leader demonstrated good subject knowledge, which helped pupils to achieve well. In this lesson, the teacher used very good use of ongoing feedback to pupils, which helped them to improve their observation skills well.

p.28

Art and design

78. Standards in Years 2 and 6 match the national expectation and pupils achieve appropriately. Year 2 pupils experiment with different media to communicate their ideas and study the work of famous artists such as Van Gogh and Mondrian. Pupils’ painting is accurate but there is too much emphasis on copying the work of famous artists rather than applying their techniques and styles.

p.28

Art and design

79. Year 6 pupils paint still life, which demonstrates good colour mixing capabilities. Their textile work, including Batik printing is visually appealing and effective. Pupils’ drawing skills demonstrate good observation but chalk and pencil techniques are not as practised.

p.28

Design and technology

80. As no lessons were seen in design and technology, no judgement can be made on teaching or overall provision. Pupils’ work was observed, and discussions held with pupils in Year 6.

p.28

Design and technology

81. In the absence of finished products, overall attainment in Year 2 cannot be judged. However, pupils’ plans and designs reflect a sound basic understanding of some essential skills and patterns of work in the subject. Pupils use drawing, writing and modelling to develop and communicate individual design ideas well. They select materials according to their fitness for purpose and explore different ways of joining them. The recent work of Year 4 pupils, in designing and making purses, shows that they have developed these skills and understandings to a typical standard for their age. They develop their plans and designs in well-ordered steps, making good use of their good skill in measuring and writing. For example they set out the making procedure as a logical sequence of written instructions, and use a clear critical framework to evaluate their finished purses, which are rather rudimentary but

p.28

Design and technology

82. The standard of work in Year 6 is above average, as it was at the time of the previous inspection. Achievement is good. Pupils talk with well-informed enthusiasm about the ‘different opportunities’ that the subject offers, to work together and use tools and materials to make things that work or have a practical use. They have made slippers to a good standard, sturdily constructed and attractively finished. To achieve this, they have made effective use of the correct procedure, and appropriate materials and techniques. Strong links with subject such as science, mathematics and literacy inform and enhance their work. At times these links extend further. For example, pupils explained how they used the opportunity to talk about Muslim faith and culture when making bhajis with an Indian chef.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in appraising music are particularly high • Pupils enjoy performing and all pupils achieve well. Sedgefield Primary School - 29

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Commentary

83. Evidence in a number of lessons, both music and physical education indicate that pupils’ appraising skills are above average and they achieve well. This is because of good teaching. For example, Year 6 pupils use a good range of musical vocabulary to describe what they hear. They use terms such as dynamics, tempo, rhythm timbre and texture and have a good understanding of what they mean. For example, one pupil described the piece of music they heard as ‘a moderately quiet dynamic, with a calm tempo.’ When describing textures, pupils identify the layers of sound by naming and distinguishing instruments within a piece of music. This also displays a good knowledge of the different families of instruments. Pupils also give impressive personal responses to music, with one pupil describing a piece as ‘soothing, joyful and fun.’ This is a very good improvement since the last inspection, where music provision in

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Commentary

Years 3 to 6 was an issue. Pupils in Year 1 use their good level of vocabulary in physical education lessons. In an excellent dance lesson, pupils listened to a piece of music and, as the instruments changed, they mimicked the actions required to play them. This demonstrated a good understanding of the different families of instruments, as they recognised the difference between stringed and wind instruments without hesitation.

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Commentary

84. There are many good opportunities for pupils to perform and this is one of the features that the school is particularly proud of. The result is a real enthusiasm for music and a good degree of confidence amongst most pupils. Those who have instrument tuition make good progress and enjoy their lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

25. Standards in physical education are above the national expectation and all pupils achieve well 26. Pupils have good opportunities in physical education because of the effective partnership work with the local Sports College 27. Very good attitudes and relationships lead to good collaborative work and this helps all pupils to achieve well 28. Leadership of the partnership work is good

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Commentary

85. Pupils achieve well in physical education and standards are above national expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This represents good improvement since the previous inspection. Teaching is good overall, with some very good and excellent lessons seen during the inspection. Teachers make good use of time. Physical education has a growing time allocation within the curriculum, with all pupils having at least one hour of physical education each week, and further good plans to increase this time over the next year. In an outstanding Year 1 lesson, pupils responded very perceptively because excellent teaching stimulated them. Without prompting, they described reasons for using different levels, starting points and direction to respond to and interpret the music in dance. One pupil imagined she was too scared to enter the haunted house whilst another searched with a ‘candle’ in hand. Another

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Commentary

decides to be a ‘scary thing’. Pupils were fully involved and engrossed throughout, and achievement was excellent.

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Commentary

86. Pupils have good opportunities in physical education because of the effective partnership work with the local Sports College. This has allowed teachers to extend their competence, confidence and expertise through a planned training programme, and has extended what is available for pupils in lessons. One particularly effective innovation, used in many lessons for Sedgefield Primary School - 30 warm up, is the ‘Speed, Agility and Quality’ initiative. This helps pupils to develop pupils’ skills in a very short time. Resources are used very effectively to develop motor skills for some pupils with special needs, both within physical education lessons and at other times in the day.

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Commentary

87. Pupils are highly enthusiastic about physical education lessons, and their very good attitudes and relationships lead to good collaborative work and sharing of ideas. In dance, they listen to each other’s suggestions in groups, resulting in effective performances. In the most effective lessons, pupils are given good opportunities to watch the performances of others, and to give their own evaluations and ideas of how to improve. This was particularly effective in a Year 6 lesson, where pupils watched a video of their own work in a previous lesson, and identified ways in which they and others could improve. These ideas were then taken into the physical education session itself, and achievement was very good. Across the school, above average standards are evident as a result of pupils’ good ability to evaluate their own and others’ work.

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Commentary

88. Leadership and management of the subject are good, as the subject leader has introduced and supported the work of the partnership well. However, monitoring has not identified areas for further development, or areas within the subject which are particularly effective. There are pockets of very good practice but these are not used as examples by other teachers.

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Personal, social and health education

Provision in personal, social and health education is good

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Personal development is at the heart of the school’s work and success. • The school creates many good opportunities outside lessons for pupils to handle social responsibility and aspects of their future lives as citizens.

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Commentary

89. The school attaches great importance to this area of the curriculum and provides for it in different ways. As key aspects of this provision are constantly evident in the daily life of the school, a secure overall judgement can be made on provision, even though only one lesson was seen. An up-to-date scheme ensures that weekly lessons across the school cover the different strands of study in a balanced and coherent way. Assemblies reinforce learning on key themes well . Subjects such as science, geography and physical education, together with visitors, contribute well to pupils’ learning about safety, pollution, drugs awareness and sex and relationships. The lesson seen gave pupils in Year 1 a clear introduction to the idea of food as a source of health and energy for their bodies.

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Commentary

90. Extending, enacting and giving life to this learning in lessons are the school’s strong sense of community, its caring ethos and the good role models presented by all members of staff. The school council teaches pupils well to elect and use representatives, or how to represent their classmates’ considered views. A wide variety of well-defined roles, some large, some small, involve pupils well in contributing to the running of the school or participating in the wider community. Such roles always require pupils to take responsibility and sometimes to lead. They all reflect the typical way in which the school values, trusts and involves its pupils, and helps them to mature and to achieve well in this area. Themes such as health and conservation often link these roles, and lead to such awards as the Investor in Children award and the Eco School award. All this provision is well managed, and much of it stems from the

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Commentary

headteacher’s commitment to community and conservation. Sedgefield Primary School - 31

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 1 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 1 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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