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 M Acklam Headteacher Broadway Junior School Springwell Road Sunderland Tyne and Wear SR4 8NW

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technology (D&T)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 12 April 2011 to look at work in D&T.

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technology (D&T)

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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technology (D&T)

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

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technology (D&T)

The overall effectiveness of D&T is good.

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Achievement in D&T

 Pupils make good progress in D&T from Years 3 to 6, many from below average starting points. Attainment is in line and sometimes above the average expected by the time they leave school. The development of creative skills is a feature of D&T and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ good achievement. The number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above average. They make similar progress to other groups of pupils. Their capability to design and make is well developed through projects such as producing models of characters for an animation film in Year 3 and moving toys in Year 5. The school knows that there is capacity to raise achievement further by making the development of practical skills faster through more frequent use of D&T tools and equipment. Pupils take pride in generating new ideas which they see as one of the key subject activities.

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Quality of teaching of D&T

 Staff work well together as a team to deliver D&T. Subject knowledge is good and well-timed questions challenge pupils to think creatively and develop original thoughts in their design work. D&T capability is progressively developed across the year groups as a result of good planning and organisation. Assessment procedures focus well on the evaluation of D&T capability using National Curriculum levels to judge individual performance. A new tracking system has recently been introduced which is monitoring progress in D&T more effectively.

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Quality of the curriculum in D&T

The quality of the curriculum in D&T is good.

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Quality of the curriculum in D&T

 D&T activities are well matched to pupils’ needs and interests. Design understanding is enriched by work with visitors, for example designing and making willow sculptures with creative partnerships staff in Year 6. Learning about technical terms associated with making products is less firmly embedded across the year groups. Links with other subjects, such as art and science, are strong and limited resources are used well to promote designing and making. The promotion of creativity to develop design thinking is a strong feature of the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in D&T

The effectiveness of leadership and management in D&T is good.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in D&T

 The clear vision for the future of D&T is shared and understood by staff. Subject self-evaluation is accurate and D&T is valued by the school. Strengths and areas for development are well known and effective action is taken to drive the subject forward. For example, pupils’ progress is more closely monitored this year to ensure that achievement and attainment continue to improve. Classroom leadership and management of D&T are strong because staff understand the purpose of the subject and learning is structured well to develop D&T capability.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 consistently embedding technical language across all year groups  improving the rate of progress in learning how to use D&T tools and equipment.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

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