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 C A Royle Headteacher Heyes Lane Junior school Crofton Avenue Altrincham Cheshire WA15 6BZ

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social, health education (PSHE)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during our visit on 18 November 2010 to look at work in PSHE.

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social, 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.

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social, health education (PSHE)

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with pupils and staff; scrutiny of relevant documentation; analysis of students’ work; and observation of 10 lessons and an assembly.

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social, health education (PSHE)

The overall effectiveness of PSHE is outstanding.

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Achievement in PSHE

 Pupils have an excellent understanding of healthy eating. They understand what is meant by a balanced diet and the importance of healthy snacks. However, many do not put this into practice in the packed lunches they bring to school.  Pupils are well aware of the importance of exercise for mental and physical health. They participate enthusiastically in the range of physical activities provided by the school.  Pupils feel safe and well-supported and know how to keep themselves safe in and outside school. They understand why bullying is wrong and how to prevent it and know about the different types, including cyber-bullying.  Pupils have a very good and age-appropriate understanding of sex and relationships education and the misuse of substances, including alcohol and tobacco. They can discuss these issues in a mature and sensitive manner.  The many opportunities for fund raising and special events help pupils

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Achievement in PSHE

understand the basic concepts of economics and business. However, their understanding of personal finance and managing their pocket money is more limited.  Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. They are friendly and articulate and confident when presenting their own views. They are supportive of each other and are able to reflect on their own learning. Vulnerable pupils are given valuable extra help and support so that their progress matches that of other pupils.

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Quality of teaching of PSHE

The quality of teaching of PSHE is good.

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Quality of teaching of PSHE

 Lessons are well planned and prepared with clear learning objectives shared with pupils.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they build excellent relationships with the pupils and manage their classrooms well. As a result, behaviour in lessons is outstanding.  The high levels of care, guidance and support for individual pupils contribute significantly to their achievement.  In a few lessons, pupils are kept listening for too long and the tasks set are not sufficiently active or experiential.  Effective assessment, which uses the end of key stage statements is in place for PSHE and is used well to plan future provision.

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Quality of the curriculum in PSHE

The quality of the curriculum in PSHE is outstanding.

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Quality of the curriculum in PSHE

 The PSHE curriculum is broad and embedded across the curriculum through discrete lessons, assemblies, cross-curricular themes and themed days and weeks. Links with other subjects, such as science, are excellent, and thorough schemes of work are in place.  The outstanding enrichment activities provide many opportunities for high quality PSHE and wider personal development. Pupils make a good contribution to the community and take on a number of responsibilities. For example, the work of the school and eco-council is a vibrant part of pupil voice in the school.  Excellent use is made of external agencies and visits, such as the visit by the Road Safety Officer, to enhance the PSHE curriculum, add expertise and make learning more interesting and relevant.  The curriculum meets the needs of pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable through targeted support, such as emotional literacy and anger management groups.

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Quality of the curriculum in PSHE

 The Healthy Schools Award has had a positive impact by increasing the number of health-related activities across the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in PSHE

The leadership and management of PSHE are outstanding.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in PSHE

 The senior leadership team and the subject coordinator have been successful in placing PSHE at the heart of the curriculum. It is included in the school development plan and has high status.  The school has an extremely accurate picture of the standard of its work in PSHE. This picture has been formed by lesson observation and the nature of the outcomes in terms of pupils’ outstanding development.  Strong links with parents and outside agencies support work in PSHE.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 ensuring that all teaching actively engages pupils in their learning.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop PSHE 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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