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 K Perry Headteacher St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School Heywood Road Prestwich Manchester M25 2BW

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languages (ML)

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of the staff and pupils, during my visit on 16 June 2011 to look at work in ML.

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languages (ML)

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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languages (ML)

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

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Achievement in ML

 Pupils achieve well in Spanish across Key Stage 2 and enjoy their lessons immensely. They can give reasons why it is useful to learn a language, particularly for foreign travel. Pupils have confidence in their teacher and find lessons fun. They feel that they make good progress, saying, ‘It’s amazing how much we learn in Spanish lessons’. Pupils willingly take part in a range of activities and their pronunciation is good. They enjoy singing and playing games in the language and feel that this makes their lessons interesting and helps them to learn.  Pupils quickly learn new language, they are able to recall previously acquired vocabulary and use it in new situations. Skills in grammar are applied well in unfamiliar contexts.  Pupils can read and write words and short sentences. They can speak spontaneously, for example one Year 3 pupil was able to tell me ‘I like playing football but I do not like playing tennis’ in Spanish, with very good

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Achievement in ML

pronunciation. However, opportunities are sometimes missed for older pupils to read, write and listen to extended texts.  Pupils are aware that they can use dictionaries, reference books and the internet to help them to learn Spanish and they are keen to do so.

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Quality of teaching in ML

 Teachers communicate high expectations, enthusiasm and passion for learning languages to pupils. Carefully planned, imaginative and stimulating activities help to engage all pupils. Activities are well designed so that all pupils can make progress at their own pace, with opportunities to work independently, in pairs and in groups.  Information and communication technology is used highly effectively to support pupils’ learning. A wealth of resources, including games, stories and information about Spanish-speaking countries is available for pupils’ use. Pupils in Year 1 enjoy attending the lunchtime Spanish club because the activities provided are fun.  Support from foreign language assistants is highly effective. This allows pupils to hear native speakers and thus provides an excellent model for the pupils’ own pronunciation. Support from learning assistants and classroom teachers is also used well, enabling pupils of whatever ability to

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Quality of teaching in ML

participate in and enjoy language lessons.  Assessment and marking are carried out for all four skills. However, procedures for formal assessment of speaking and listening skills are at the early stages of development.

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Quality of the curriculum in ML

 The curriculum is broad and well informed by current initiatives in modern language teaching. The curriculum is imaginative and links well with other subjects. For example, Year 6 pupils were learning about the planets in Spanish, as part of a cross-curricular project.  The learning environment supports language development through classroom displays and signs around the school in many languages.  Special events showcase languages. For example, the biennial ‘Spanish Day’ is very popular with pupils, providing them with the opportunity to take part in a wide range of fun activities, such as eating Spanish food, dancing and dressing up in traditional costumes.  Foreign language assistants promote intercultural understanding by talking to pupils about their families, traditions and festivals. They have also facilitated a link with a school in Spain. Pupils send letters and emails to the school and enjoy reading the replies they have received from Spanish

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Effectiveness of leadership and management in ML

 Leadership at all levels shows a commitment to and enthusiasm for language learning. There is a shared vision for the development of the curriculum in this respect and many examples of outstanding practice.  Languages have a high profile in the school and considerable resources have been directed at the development of this area of the curriculum, as shown by the provision of foreign language assistants.  Self-evaluation, both at school and departmental level is highly accurate. The school regularly reviews and evaluates its provision and has a clear programme to further develop this area of the curriculum.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 implementing strategies to encourage all pupils to use the target language as the natural means of communication for real purposes, both within lessons and around the school  giving pupils more opportunities to read, write and listen to extended texts as they move up through the school.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

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