Setting

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

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Mrs L Demontoux Headteacher Gaddesden Row JMI School Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP2 6HG Dear Mrs Demontoux

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education (PE)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 21 October 2010 to look at work in PE.

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education (PE)

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.

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education (PE)

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

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education (PE)

The overall effectiveness of PE is good.

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Achievement in PE

 Children leave the Early Years Foundation Stage with a good range of physical skills; the level of their physical development is usually above that expected for their age. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is above average for a majority of the pupils with some individuals becoming elite performers. Pupils perform particularly well in games, athletics and swimming with all pupils able to swim 25 metres before they leave in Year 6. Pupils have limited opportunities to develop their gymnastics skills.  Pupils’ personal development is enhanced significantly by their involvement in PE and sport. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. In lessons, they warm up vigorously and discuss the impact this has on their bodies. Pupils continue to be active at break times and in after-school clubs, and Year 6 pupils take responsibility for leading ‘huff and puff’ activities. They enjoy their PE

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Achievement in PE

lessons, showing very positive attitudes and excellent behaviour.

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Quality of teaching in PE

 Pupils have benefited from specialist teaching, which enables them to make good progress. The teaching observed during the inspection was good overall and in one lesson it was outstanding. Teachers plan thoroughly. They explain clearly what they wish pupils to achieve and support their explanations well with helpful demonstrations. All four strands of the PE programme of study are included in lessons with a strong emphasis on pupils evaluating their own and others’ performances. Support provided by teaching assistants for individual pupils is very effective.  Assessment is good. Teachers ask good questions to test pupils’ understanding. They observe pupils’ responses and provide feedback on how they might improve their work. The majority of reports for parents on pupils’ achievements are very informative. A more comprehensive approach to assessing pupils’ attainment and progress has been introduced this year. There is potential for developing teachers’ use of

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Quality of teaching in PE

information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning and assessment.

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Quality of the curriculum in PE

The quality of the PE curriculum is good.

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Quality of the curriculum in PE

 Pupils take part in at least two hours of timetabled physical activities each week; a high proportion of them also engage in an additional hour of extra-curricular sports activities. Provision in games, athletics and swimming is particularly strong but because of restrictions on space, older pupils are unable to do gymnastics. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 make a residential visit to an adventure centre where they participate in an excellent range of outdoor activities.  In the past four years, the school’s involvement in the local sports partnership has significantly improved pupils’ engagement in sports activities. Pupils currently have a few opportunities to take part in inter- school competitions and tournaments but pupils interviewed said they would like more. When appropriate, teachers successfully link learning in PE to work in other subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in PE

The effectiveness of leadership and management in PE is good.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in PE

 Successful subject leadership has helped to improve provision well in the last four years. Attendance at professional development courses provided by the school sports partnership has strengthened leadership, management and teaching skills. Leaders know the strengths in provision and those aspects that require improvement, but the current development plan is insufficiently clear about how improvements will be measured.  The subject leader regularly monitors and evaluates the quality of provision through lesson observations, scrutiny of teachers’ planning and checks on assessments. Reports on the quality of provision are written for senior leaders and the governing body. A comprehensive record of Year 6 pupils’ attainment in PE is passed to their secondary schools. Pupils’ achievements in physical activities are celebrated in assemblies and receive a high profile in photographic displays around the school.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 exploring the possibility of including more opportunities for pupils to develop their gymnastics skills  looking for ways to increase pupils’ involvement in inter-school sports competitions.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

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

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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.

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