Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Mr Kavanagh Headteacher Broom Cottages Primary School Broom Road Ferryhill County Durham DL17 8AN

p.1

social, and health education (PSHE)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 6 October 2010 to look at work in PSHE.

p.1

social, and health education (PSHE)

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

p.1

social, and health education (PSHE)

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with staff and pupils; scrutiny of relevant documentation; analysis of pupils’ work; and observation of five lessons.

p.1

social, and health education (PSHE)

The overall effectiveness of PSHE is good.

p.1

Achievement in PSHE

 From low starting points in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children make good progress in personal, social and emotional development. By Year 6, pupils have developed good personal and social skills. They are polite and friendly, able to work well in groups and are keen to take on a range of responsibilities around school.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and say that they feel safe in school. They have learnt about different sorts of bullying and have practised resisting peer-group pressure. They know where to go for help.  Pupils know the message about eating five fruit and vegetables each day but are not always clear about why we should eat a healthy diet. They do understand the reasons why exercise is important and participate well in the wide range of physical activities provided.  Pupils understand the basic facts about the dangers of smoking, alcohol and substance misuse.  Year 6 pupils have a sound knowledge of the changes that occur in

p.1

Achievement in PSHE

puberty.  Pupils are well prepared for the move up to secondary school and the next stage of their education.

p.2

Quality of teaching of PSHE

The quality of teaching of PSHE is good.

p.2

Quality of teaching of PSHE

 Good relationships are established in lessons and teachers know the pupils and their backgrounds very well. Teachers are encouraging and manage behaviour well so that all pupils enjoy learning. Teachers deal confidently with sensitive issues and act as good role-models.  Lessons provide a good variety of activities and high-quality resources are used well. Information and communication technology is used imaginatively to help make lessons interesting.  Effective questioning skills are often used well to help pupils’ extend and deepen their thinking and speaking and listening skills. Occasionally, the pace of learning was too slow and pupils were kept sitting for too long.  There is little formal assessment for PSHE.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum in PSHE

The quality of the curriculum in PSHE is satisfactory.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum in PSHE

 The curriculum is based on social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) materials and is therefore skills based. This means that in the schemes of work factual knowledge and understanding receive less attention and are not fully assessed.  The Healthy Schools award has had a positive impact by increasing the number of health-related activities across the school.  The curriculum gives pupils ample opportunities to practise their PSHE learning by being members of the active school council, buddies, monitors and mediators, and growing and selling their own vegetables. Pupils are proud of their responsibilities and carry them out well.  Good use is made of external agencies and extra-curricular activities to support the teaching of PSHE education. For example, the course on drugs awareness run by the local Drugs Action Team and the school nurse for sex and relationships education.  Pupils with specific needs are identified and given extra help in small

p.2

Quality of the curriculum in PSHE

groups to improve their communication and social skills.  The school has worked hard to build non-threatening links with parents to enable them to work with the school to foster their children’s well-being.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management in PSHE

The leadership and management of PSHE are good.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management in PSHE

 PSHE is regarded as a massive priority by senior leaders and this is demonstrated by the deputy headteacher’s appointment as subject coordinator.  The regular lesson observations provide an accurate picture of provision and a development plan is in place with appropriate targets for improvement.  No one has the PSHE certificate and in recent years there has been a lack of specific training for PSHE.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 writing schemes of work with clear learning objectives for knowledge and understanding  assessing PSHE using the end of key stage statements.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop PSHE in the school.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be published on the Ofsted website. It may be used to inform decisions about any future inspection. Except in the case of academies, a copy of this letter is also being sent to your local authority.

p.3