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 A Pearson Executive Headteacher Lynncroft Primary School Lynncroft Eastwood Nottingham NG16 3FZ

p.1

communication technology (ICT)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 26 January 2011 to look at work in ICT.

p.1

communication technology (ICT)

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

communication technology (ICT)

The evidence used to inform the judgements included: interviews with staff and pupils; scrutiny of relevant documentation; analysis of pupils’ work; observation of two lessons; observation of short parts of three lessons and a tour of the school with pupils.

p.1

communication technology (ICT)

The overall effectiveness of ICT is satisfactory.

p.1

Achievement in ICT

 Pupils enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with capabilities that are slightly below national expectations. They make satisfactory progress throughout the school and by the end of Year 6 leave with standards that are average.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well in lessons and make similar progress to that of their peers.  Pupils’ behaviour when using ICT is outstanding. They respect equipment.  There is a palpable sense of interest, enthusiasm and enjoyment in lessons. Pupils are very eager to support and cooperate with each other.  Pupils have a good understanding of what they need to do to keep themselves safe when using new technologies in school and at home.

p.1

Quality of teaching in ICT

 Regular training and advice have been given to staff. As a result, teaching has improved and is now good overall; at times it is outstanding. However, this improvement has not yet had time to impact on achievement through the school and on raising standards by the time pupils leave Year 6.  Teachers and teaching assistants use questions well to support assessment in lessons and to give immediate feedback.  Teachers share the learning objectives and success criteria of a lesson so that pupils can self-assess their achievement and progress.  However, pupils are not always set individual targets to help them understand what they need to do to improve further.  Newly developed assessment procedures are supporting teachers well in their planning.  The relationships between staff and pupils are excellent.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum in ICT

The quality of the curriculum in ICT is satisfactory.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum in ICT

 The ICT action plan includes changing from the present scheme to a more creative curriculum using the local authority’s scheme and guidance.  A good emphasis is placed on presenting information, communication and data handling and a satisfactory emphasis on control.  However, the use of data-logging and monitoring is not planned systematically. The school relies on the annual Year 5 and Year 6 residential visit as a means of supporting data-logging. The ICT action plan identifies this as area for development and resourcing.  Satisfactory links are made between ICT, literacy, numeracy and the foundation subjects.  The daily breakfast club and weekly Golden Time periods provide pupils, especially those with limited access to ICT at home, with the opportunity to develop their skills, to carry out research or to complete homework.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT

Leadership and management in ICT are satisfactory.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT

 An exceptionally high number of staff changes have taken place in the previous year, especially at senior leadership level and in the leadership of ICT.  In the time that the subject leader has been in post there have been severe budgetary constraints, resulting in a limited opportunity to develop ICT, especially with regard to updating and increasing resources.  Governors and leaders recognise that the subject has been under- resourced, and have allocated finances to update resources.  The subject leader has a clear vision for developing ICT, which is shared and understood by all staff.  The subject leader monitors teachers’ planning and pupils’ work but has not had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in classes. This is being resolved as part of the development plan for ICT.  The virtual learning environment (VLE), to support pupils’ learning at home as well as at school, has yet to be developed. This is also noted as

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management in ICT

an area for development in the ICT action plan.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 raising the achievement of pupils by:  involving more of them in target-setting, so that they know clearly what they need to do to improve and to move up a level  increasing the resources for ICT, and particularly for data- logging and monitoring  developing the role of the subject leader, especially in the monitoring of teaching and learning  developing the VLE to enable teachers, pupils and parents to access work and information from home, to support work in school

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

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