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 J Slater Headteacher Lanesfield Primary School Newman Avenue Lanesfield Wolverhampton WV4 6BZ

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Ofsted 2011–12 good practice survey: primary mathematics

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff and pupils, during my visit on 9 June 2011 to look at your work in mathematics, with a particular focus on arithmetic.

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Ofsted 2011–12 good practice survey: primary mathematics

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting as well as wider dissemination of good practice. 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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Ofsted 2011–12 good practice survey: primary mathematics

Evidence was collected through: interviews with staff and pupils; scrutiny of relevant documents; analysis of pupils’ work; and observation of two lessons.

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Features of good practice

 Pupils have a good facility with arithmetic and discuss their methods with enthusiasm. They work well together in pairs and groups to solve problems and show high levels of concentration.  Teachers base many of their mathematics lessons on meaningful contexts which sometimes relate to the class’s current topic work. This motivates the pupils as they can see a purpose to their learning. Teachers generally plan the final lesson of the week to use and apply the techniques that have been developed during the week.  The whole-school policy for calculation is effective in enabling teachers to place their planning in the light of pupils’ long-term mathematical development. Teachers gain further valuable insights through being able on several occasions during the year to teach a class of a different age to their own class.  Teachers organise their classes and plan lessons with a good understanding of the abilities and needs of each pupil in their class. Pupils

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Features of good practice

of very differing ability make good progress as a result.  Teachers develop the vocabulary specific to mathematics well. Key words are displayed in the classrooms, and the words relevant to the current lesson receive particular emphasis. Pupils are encouraged to use and explain these words to each other. As a result, pupils are articulate in explaining their methods.  Teaching assistants are effective in supporting groups of pupils. This includes teaching, for a defined period, small mixed-age groups of pupils who have been identified as having a common need, such as developing facility with the ‘empty number line’.  Pupils’ own views of their progress are gleaned during the plenary at the end of the lesson. This enables the teacher to gain a clear idea of the progress that they have made and also enables the pupils to explain what further practice they feel would be valuable. This reflects well the whole-

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Features of good practice

school drive to use pupils’ views to shape the planning of future work.

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Features of good practice

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop mathematics at Lanesfield Primary School.

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Features of good practice

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. A copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority.

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