INSPECTION REPORT

CHOLLERTON C E FIRST SCHOOL

Barrasford, Hexham, Northumberland

LEA area: Northumberland

Unique reference number: 122272

Headteacher: Mrs S Wildsmith

Reporting inspector: Mr D Hardman 17794

Dates of inspection: 15th – 16th January 2001

Inspection number: 191187

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 © Crown copyright 2001

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.

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. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: First School

School category: Voluntary Controlled

Age range of pupils: 4 to 9

Gender of pupils: Mixed

School address: Station Road Barrasford Hexham Northumberland

Postcode: NE48 4AA Telephone number: 01434 681572

Fax number:

Appropriate authority: The governing body

Name of chair of governors: Mr J Bullock

Date of previous inspection: 13/01/1997

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 17794 Mr D Hardman Registered inspector 12511 Mrs L Buller Lay inspector

The inspection contractor was:

Quality in Focus

Thresher House Lea Hall Park Demage Lane Lea by Backford Chester CH1 6LP

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division The Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 4 REPORT CONTENTS

Page

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 15

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 16

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 5 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Chollerton First School is a very small school situated in the small, rural community of Barrasford, in Northumberland. The school serves a wide area and many pupils are transported to school either by car or bus. There is a broad social mixture in the school. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is about the national average. There are 26 boys and 20 girls currently on roll. There are no pupils who have English as an additional language and none from ethnic minorities. Approximately 6.5 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average. Twenty three per cent of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs, this is above the national average and 4.3 per cent have statements of special educational need, which is above the national average. The majority of the pupils with special educational needs have language and communication difficulties.

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school. Excellent leadership and management by the headteacher, very well supported by staff and governors, provide clear direction for future developments. Teaching is never less than very good and often excellent. This leads to very good learning and, in the current Year 4, pupils’ attainment is well above the level expected for their age in English, mathematics and science. Pupils are responsible and relationships in school are excellent. Although expenditure is above the national average the school still gives very good value for money.

What the school does well

· The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and the quality of teamwork by staff and governors are excellent. · Teaching is excellent and leads to very good learning and high standards in English, mathematics and science. · Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are excellent. Relationships and opportunities for personal development are excellent. The caring, family atmosphere created in the school makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ learning. · The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

What could be improved

· Standards in information and communication technology are not high enough, because pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to learn and practise new skills. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 6 HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection. In other areas good progress has been made and the headteacher, staff and governors have done as much as they could, within the confines of the budget, to tackle the key issues identified for development in the last inspection report in 1997. The curriculum for children in the reception class is well planned and gives them a chance to do a wide range of work. The classroom assistant and the extra help for children with special educational needs make sure that all children have a good start to their schooling. The planned programme to teach pupils to appreciate and understand music has improved considerably following training for all staff. This has been greatly enhanced by the pupils’ participation in whole school musical performances both in school and at the local high school. The outdoor play area for pupils has been improved with markings on the yard, the use of small apparatus at play times and the development of a Jubilee Garden. Pupils maintain this garden and they are very keen to explain their involvement in the project. However, the school recognizes that there is still insufficient large apparatus to extend further the opportunities for younger children to develop their physical skills.

STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by seven year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with similar Performance in: all schools Key schools

1998 1999 2000 2000 Very high A* Reading A* A A* A* well above average A above average B average C Writing A* A A* A* below average D well below average E Mathematics A* A A* A*

The table shows that in the 2000 National Curriculum tests for seven year olds, the school’s results were very high in reading, writing and mathematics. They were in the highest five per cent when compared with national figures and similar schools. The trend of pupils’ attainment over time is above the improving national trend. However, the very small number of pupils in each year group makes comparisons with national figures statistically unreliable. The outcome of the inspection confirms that pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science. The school is maintaining high standards and setting realistic targets to improve further. This is shown in the fact that in July 2000, the school attained the prestigious Basic Skills Quality Mark awarded for high standards in the teaching of reading, writing, spelling and numeracy in all classes. Standards in information and communication technology are typical for nine year olds. The school is aware that pupils’ attainment and progress in information and communication technology could be further improved by the provision of more appropriate programs and in the more consistent use of computers to support work in other subjects, for example, mathematics and science.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 7 PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Pupils have excellent attitudes to the school and their work. They enjoy coming to school and their enthusiasm for school life improves their learning. Behaviour, in and out of Pupils show high levels of self-discipline, they know what is classrooms expected of them and their behaviour is excellent. Pupils are very polite and courteous towards one another and adults. Personal development Pupils’ personal development and relationships are excellent. and relationships They respond very well to the school’s encouragement to take responsibility for their actions. Attendance Attendance is very good and above the national average. Pupils arrive at school promptly, settle into class quickly and lessons start on time. There have been no exclusions from the school in the last year.

Pupils’ excellent attitudes result from the school’s positive ethos and their response to the caring, family atmosphere in the school. This is a particular strength of the school. Pupils have excellent relationships with each other and with staff. They are considerate of others when they move around the building, use the dining hall and play at break times. They respond very well to the trust and respect they are shown.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

Lessons seen overall Excellent Excellent Excellent Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

Nine lessons or part lessons were seen. Teaching was very good in 33 per cent of lessons and excellent in 67 per cent of lessons. Teaching was excellent for children in the reception class, now called the Foundation Stage. Staff develop children’s language and number skills in a wide range of activities and by encouraging them to talk about what they are doing. Teaching was excellent in both the infant and junior classes. The quality of teaching throughout the school makes a significant contribution to the way pupils acquire new knowledge, develop their ideas, learn new techniques and how to use them to improve their learning. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is excellent in both key stages. Excellent teaching that provides challenging activities supports pupils with special educational needs very well. Teachers make very good use of support staff and other adults to work with pupils. Although the teaching of information and communication technology skills is very good, the lack of sufficient programs and occasional missed opportunities to use the computers to support other subjects means that pupils’ attainment is not as high as it could be.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 8 OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Aspect Comment The quality and range of Good. The school provides a relevant curriculum that meets the the curriculum needs of all pupils. Many opportunities are provided to stimulate pupils’ curiosity, interest and understanding. A wide range of activities, both in and out of school, enhances the quality of pupils’ learning. Provision for pupils with There are very good procedures and provision for pupils with special educational special educational needs. Teachers know the pupils very well needs and provide challenging activities that make a positive contribution to their attainment and learning. Provision for pupils’ There is very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and personal, including cultural development. Pupils’ personal development is promoted spiritual, moral, social strongly through lessons and assemblies. and cultural development How well the school Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare cares for its pupils are very good. There are very good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and goes beyond this to include several features that enrich it considerably. For example, the school has managed to give art a high profile and work on display in classrooms and public areas is excellent. There is considerable effort put in to extra curricular activities, visits and visitors that give pupils a wide experience and help them learn. The school has formed an excellent partnership with parents, which makes a very good contribution to pupils’ learning both at home and in school.

HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Aspect Comment Leadership and The headteacher provides excellent leadership and gives a clear management by the educational direction for the school. The quality of teamwork by headteacher and other all staff is excellent and fosters a very positive ethos in which all key staff pupils are valued and their efforts well-supported. How well the governors Very good. The governing body is committed to helping the fulfil their responsibilities school move forward. Governors make an effective contribution to the running of the school and are committed to maintaining and raising standards further. The school’s evaluation Excellent. The school knows its strengths and areas for of its performance development. The monitoring and evaluation programme is having a very positive impact on the quality of teaching and all staff work very hard to improve their own work and the educational opportunities provided for pupils. The strategic use of The school has sufficient staff and they are well-deployed. resources Support staff play an important role in the life of the school and make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. The accommodation is very well-maintained. With the exception of information and communication technology, resources to support pupils’ learning are good and used effectively. The school’s finances and administration procedures are very good.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 9 The excellent leadership and management provided by the headteacher, staff and governors are major factors in the quality of teamwork and positive ethos in the school. All staff regularly watch their colleagues teach and how pupils are learning; as a result, they are well placed to improve and prioritise initiatives for raising standards. For example, all staff have undergone training to improve their skills in information and communication technology and the latest grant for the subject is being used to improve provision in the school. Governors and the headteacher keep a close eye on spending to ensure that they get the best possible value for money and that pupils have good quality resources to help them learn.

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved · Their children like school. · A very small minority would prefer more · Their children are making good progress. information about how well their children · Behaviour in the school is good. are getting on. · Teaching is good. · They feel they can go to the school with any questions or problems. · The school expects children to work hard. · The school works closely with parents. · The school helps children to become more mature and responsible. · The school is well led and managed.

Parents consider that they have an excellent partnership with the school and express satisfaction with virtually all areas of its life and work. Inspection findings confirm the positive views expressed by parents about the school. Parents are kept very well informed about school events and how their children are getting on because of regular, informative newsletters, an ‘open door’ policy and discussion evenings, where teachers, parents and pupils discuss achievements and set targets for improvement. These all make a significant contribution to the partnership with parents.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 10 PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and the quality of teamwork by staff and governors are excellent.

1 The headteacher, staff and governors give a clear educational direction for the school. All staff have a dynamic approach and their enthusiasm fosters a very positive ethos in the school, where all staff and pupils are valued and their efforts are very well supported. This approach and enthusiasm have contributed to the high percentage of excellent teaching in the school, the success of the school’s policy for promoting good behaviour and the effectiveness of arrangements for pupils with special educational needs. The school’s leadership has responded very effectively to the last inspection and virtually all issues identified for improvement have been successfully addressed.

2 Closer checks by the headteacher have led to better teaching since the previous inspection. Through the quality of their teamwork the staff have devised clear and rigorous procedures for monitoring planning, observing each other at work and analysing the results of standardised tests. This has worked well and pupils’ standards are high by the time they leave the school. There is high quality artwork displayed in the entrance lobby, school hall and classrooms. Examples of pupils’ work from every class in the school are included in the hall and the quality has a significant impact on the ethos of the school and pupils’ self esteem.

3 The school development plan is very detailed and effective and clearly identifies the priorities and targets to be tackled and guides the work of the school. It provides a baseline against which future development can be measured and is helping the school to improve. Educational and financial planning are clearly cross-referenced. Priorities include the improvement of resources for information and communication technology and continued monitoring of the curriculum in order to maintain high standards. The school knows its strengths and areas for development and has a good grasp on how to improve, for example, by the information and communication technology course followed by all staff to improve their knowledge and skills when using modern computers. The school has clear targets for improvements. For example, the school has identified the need to purchase more resources to improve pupils’ attainment and progress in information and communication technology.

4 The governors are very well informed and are not afraid to challenge decisions about spending and the curriculum. They ensure that the school competes for best value. Regular meetings enable them to support the headteacher and meet their statutory responsibilities. There are link governors in place for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs who visit the school regularly and effectively ensure that they know and understand how well pupils are learning. The chair of the governors works very closely with the headteacher and they meet regularly to discuss the school and its work. As a result, the governors have a clear picture of the work of the school and are particularly pleased with the attainment and learning of all pupils.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 11 Teaching is excellent, which leads to very good learning and high standards in English, mathematics and science.

5 The quality of teaching throughout the school has improved significantly since the last inspection. The quality of teaching for children in the reception class is excellent. Staff develop children’s language and number skills in a wide range of activities and by encouraging them to talk about what they are doing. Children respond well by repeating new words, improving their vocabulary and talking with increased confidence as they get older. There is a good balance of whole-class sessions, when children read books or learn about mathematics, and practical activities when children practise what they have learned. For example, in a mathematics lesson the teacher used the assessments of children’s previous work to set challenging targets for each ability group. This results in very good learning and progress for all children as they practise adding numbers together, writing numbers accurately from 1 to 10 and, for the more able children, using a number square to 100.

6 The excellent quality of teaching throughout the school makes a significant contribution to pupils’ attainment and progress. For example, in a Year 1/2 science lesson, pupils responded very well to the challenging task of explaining similarities and differences between themselves as human beings and animals. The headteacher and staff are implementing the school’s policy for monitoring and improving teaching and it is being used effectively to raise the quality of all teachers’ performance. The teaching of basic skills, such as reading, writing and mathematics, is excellent throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported. The quality of the teamwork by teachers, support staff and volunteers has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning and the high standards they achieve in English, mathematics and science. All this shows clearly that the school is taking a serious approach to the maintenance and improvement of teaching. For example, in July 2000 the school attained the prestigious Basic Skills Quality Mark awarded for high standards in teaching of reading, writing, spelling and numeracy throughout the school.

7 The teaching of English is excellent. Teachers’ planning is clearly linked to the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy. When teaching is excellent challenging tasks are set, for example, in a Year 3/4 lesson, pupils gave many examples of how to change the feeling created in a sentence by the use of suitable words. For example, one pupil changed the phrase I skip happily along the lane to grumpily, stamped along the dreary lane. This excellent use of language to convey the mood of sentences improved pupils’ ability to write interesting and imaginative stories. Pupils’ relationships with teachers and other adults in the classroom ensure that they achieve well. In many lessons pupils’ very positive attitudes, high levels of concentration, eagerness to do well, very good behaviour and an ability to share ideas make a very positive contribution to their learning. For example, in a Year 2 shared reading session with a volunteer parent, pupils showed their maturity and ability to identify with the characters in the book and showed their appreciation of the humour when an unpleasant man called Mr Hardman left two dolphins to fend for themselves.

8 The teaching of mathematics is excellent. Teachers effectively use the National Numeracy Strategy and plan lessons that are challenging and interesting. For example, in a Year 1/2 mathematics lesson, pupils were introduced to doubling numbers and strategies to use to make the task as easy as possible. The teacher used a number of different examples and challenged pupils to find the rule that applied to all answers. It did not take long before pupils came up with the correct answer that all doubles end in an even number. Pupils experimented with different numbers in their written work and accurately recorded their answers on their work sheets. Teachers use assessments of pupils’ previous work to set challenging targets in lessons. For example, in a Year 3/4 lesson the teacher ensured that all pupils knew the specific objectives to be learned. This was to multiply large numbers by 11. Pupils understood the method to be used and one confidently showed an example to the

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 12 whole class of 22 x 11 by breaking down the multiplication into two parts by writing 22 x 10 = 220, 22x1 = 22 add them together and the answer is 242. Teachers’ expectations are very high and they expect the best of all pupils. Pupils respond well to the challenge in lessons. In all year groups, pupils are encouraged to be independent as they work in mathematics and they clearly understand that they have to get on with their tasks as the teacher works with other groups.

Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are excellent. Relationships and opportunities for personal development are excellent. The caring, family atmosphere created in the school makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ learning.

9 The behaviour of pupils is excellent. There is a simple but effective policy for promoting good behaviour and personal development. Staff, parents and pupils understand the policy and it is implemented in a consistent way throughout the school. As a result, everyone has the same approach and pupils know exactly what to expect. This is its strength and makes an important contribution to the caring, family atmosphere in the school. Pupils of all ages know the difference between right and wrong behaviour and are polite and trustworthy. They clearly enjoy coming to school and their enthusiasm for all aspects of school life has a very positive impact and increases the rate of their learning. From the time they enter the school, pupils have very good attitudes towards school and their work. They are interested in all aspects of the curriculum and respond positively to the many opportunities that the school provides. These attitudes make a positive contribution to all pupils’ learning and the progress they make during their time in school. Pupils enjoy their lessons and show a keenness to learn. For example, in a Year 3/4 science lesson, pupils listened attentively to the teacher’s review of their experiments with magnets and they responded very well in their own explanations of which magnets were stronger in the tests they completed using paper clips.

10 Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are excellent. All staff know their pupils very well and they are treated in a very mature manner. Pupils collaborate very well when working on group tasks and respect and listen to one another’s views. This mature attitude has a very positive impact on the quality of relationships throughout the school. Young children in the reception class were observed in an English lesson working with storybooks to show the different ways in which they start. They developed their language work very well with one small group working co-operatively to act out the story of Goldilocks, another group writing their own first sentence for a story and others taking turns using the computer, with the teacher’s help, to type in their own sentences. Throughout the school pupil’s work well on individual tasks, concentrate and do their best. For example, in a Year 3/4 English lesson, pupils concentrated very well, improved their use of language and created interesting sentences using the words they learned from their spelling homework, such as the baby in the manger was covered in lovely gold and silver blankets. In the playground pupils relate well to each other and play amicably in small and large groups.

11 Pupils are very keen to take responsibility and show initiative. For example, they willingly set out resources for assembly and clear away after it without supervision. Older pupils are monitors at lunchtime and during playtimes and they take their responsibilities very seriously. All pupils collect and donate generous sums of money to a variety of charities. Their personal and social development is improved by visits where they work and play co- operatively in a wide range of academic and physical activities. The school and its resources are looked after well by all pupils who regularly help teachers to clear away after lessons. The school has not only maintained but also improved pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development since the previous inspection, when it was judged to be very good. As a result, it is well placed to maintain these high standards and continue to develop this aspect of pupils’ education.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 13 The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

12 This aspect of school life has improved since the previous inspection to become a very strong feature of the school. It makes a significant contribution to the aims of the school. Pupils are given many opportunities that lead them to become sensitive and considerate young people with a firm understanding of their role in society. The school provides an ethos that generates a happy, caring and supportive environment. Because the school sees this as part of its work, there is no reason to doubt that these strong features will be maintained.

13 The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. It is promoted thoughtfully through carefully planned opportunities in the curriculum and daily assemblies. Staff conduct collective worship in a calm atmosphere and they make time for quiet prayer and reflection. Pupils thought about their own reactions to the story of Joseph and some pretended to be one of the brothers and wrote their own letters to their father when they discovered Joseph alive in Egypt. They showed a very good awareness of truth and honesty when admitting they had sold Joseph into slavery. In the prayers at the end of the assembly pupils quietly reflected on the plight of people in El Salvador who had been involved in the mud slide that had recently devastated that community. This consideration for different people around the world makes a significant contribution to their awareness of the spiritual aspects of life. Pupils are provided with opportunities to examine their own and others’ faiths and beliefs as they learn about Christianity and other world religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

14 The provision for pupils’ social and moral development is excellent. Staff are excellent role models and provide a very strong moral code. They provide clear guidelines for acceptable behaviour and take advantage of opportunities to make pupils aware of the difference between right and wrong. The very positive comment that pupils behave in a moral fashion through choice rather than through punishment or reward made in the last report is still very true and shows pupils’ commendable attitudes to others. Staff frequently promote moral values by emphasising the importance of listening to others, playing fairly and taking responsible decisions. Pupils are made aware of the plight of others not as well off as themselves, for example, they raise money regularly to help The Children’s Society. There is a very strong sense of community, which supports regular reflection on issues that affect pupils’ lives; for example, new and younger pupils are always cared for and made to feel welcome on arrival.

15 The provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good and has been maintained since the previous inspection. Through careful curricular planning, pupils are provided with many opportunities to learn about their own and other cultures in art, history, geography, music, religious education and English. For example, the quality of the art work is excellent and patterns from North American Indians, paintings in the style of Renoir, Cezzane, Picasso and Klee and writing in history comparing the life of Florence Nightingale with present day nurses show a real empathy for different times and cultures. The school promotes music, dance and song, familiar and foreign. Pupils know Christian traditions and the school ensures that pupils gain an understanding of other cultures and faiths. A wide range of visits and visitors make a significant contribution to pupils’ knowledge of their own cultural traditions.

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards in information and communication technology are not high enough, because pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to learn and practise new skills.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 14 16 Although the school has sufficient resources to cover the requirements of the National Curriculum, it is aware that the provision of extra resources, including a wider range of programs, is essential for the further development of the subject. For example, the school has few adventure programs that allow pupils to make decisions and decide their own route through the program as they explore different possibilities. The school uses some programs to improve pupils’ skills but there are insufficient data handling and mathematics programs to allow pupils to create different charts or to interpret information in different ways. However, since the last inspection, the school has been successful in improving the quality of teaching and the curriculum for information and communication technology and in raising standards to a level that is in line with and, in some aspects, above the level expected for pupils’ ages. For example, in Year 1/2, pupils use their skills to change the size, shape and colour of text they have typed into the computer. In Year 3/4, pupils created their own passports using a digital camera and wrote sequences to turn lights on and off. However, they are still not confident using all the facilities of word processing packages, such as the spell checker. The school used the national grant for improving facilities for information and communication technology well and recently acquired new computers and a few new programs. The headteacher and staff are keen to raise standards further and have a very good plan for doing so.

17 The provision of new computers has been successfully implemented and has resulted in an improvement in pupils’ learning in information and communication technology. However, during the inspection computers were not always sufficiently well used, especially in the mornings, to further develop pupils’ information and communication technology skills. For example, to support work by older pupils in mathematics, by manipulating figures when learning to multiply different numbers by 11. Opportunities are sometimes missed in other subjects, for example, in a science lesson the chance for pupils to devise their own method to record and show the results of an experiment. All staff have undertaken training in the use of personal computers and the school has recognised that teachers will need further training if they are to keep up to date with fast changing technology and in particular if they are to make use of the internet and electronic mail to support pupils’ learning. However, further development is now taking place; for example, pupils use the recently purchased software to create stories using the word processing program and are becoming more confident in manipulating data to produce simple graphs showing how far they each throw a rounders ball. The school has made improvements in provision since the previous inspection and there is a clear commitment to provide the extra resources required to extend the range of pupils’ experiences. As a result, the school is well placed to make further improvements.

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

To raise standards and further develop the quality of education the governors, headteacher and staff should:

Improve pupils’ progress and raise the standards further in information and communication technology by:

· providing more varied computer programs to ensure that pupils have opportunities to cover the programmes of study of the National Curriculum in more depth;

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 15 · giving all pupils more regular opportunities to practise and improve their information and communication technology skills.

NB. The school has identified this issue in its own priorities and has a very good action plan in place to address this matter.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 16 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 9 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 7

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 67 33 0 0 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y4 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 46 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 3 FTE means full-time equivalent.

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y4 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 11

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first 2 admission Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 17 Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence % % School data 4.7 School data 0.0 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the 2000 4 8 12 latest reporting year

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics Boys Numbers of pupils at Girls NC level 2 and above Total 12 12 12

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (91) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science Boys Numbers of pupils at Girls NC level 2 and above Total 12 12 12

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

The number of boys and girls separately is less than 10 and therefore figures are not given under the relevant sections.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 18 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

No of Fixed Perman pupils period ent Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean 0 0 heritage Black – African heritage 0 Black – African 0 0 heritage Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 35 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic 0 0 groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory This table gives the number of exclusions of school age only. pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 19 Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y4 Total number of qualified 2.7 Financial year 1999/00 teachers (FTE) Number of pupils per qualified 17 teacher Average class size 15 £ Total income 127,560 Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total expenditure 127,373 Total number of education 2 Expenditure per pupil 2,768 support staff Total aggregate hours worked 26.5 Balance brought forward from 6,207 per week previous year Balance carried forward to next 6,394 year Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Total number of qualified 0 teachers (FTE) Number of pupils per qualified 0 teacher

Total number of education 0 support staff Total aggregate hours worked 0 per week

Number of pupils per FTE 0 adult FTE means full-time equivalent.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 20 Results of the survey of parents and carers

Questionnaire return rate

Number of questionnaires sent out 46

Number of questionnaires returned 42

Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly Tend Tend to Strongly Don’t agree to disagree disagree know agree

My child likes school. 86 14 0 0 0

My child is making good progress in school. 83 17 0 0 0

Behaviour in the school is good. 88 12 0 0 0

My child gets the right amount of work to do 74 26 0 0 0 at home.

The teaching is good. 88 12 0 0 0

I am kept well informed about how my child is 70 25 5 0 0 getting on.

I would feel comfortable about approaching 95 5 0 0 0 the school with questions or a problem.

The school expects my child to work hard 95 5 0 0 0 and achieve his or her best.

The school works closely with parents. 88 12 0 0 0

The school is well led and managed. 90 5 0 0 5

The school is helping my child become 95 5 0 0 0 mature and responsible.

The school provides an interesting range of 72 24 0 2 2 activities outside lessons.

Chollerton CE (Controlled) First School - 21