Earlsmead Primary School

Earlsmead County Primary School

Dates of inspection: 22 - 25 November 1999

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Earlsmead County Primary School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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Earlsmead County Primary School

Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the appropriate authority must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. Every registered parent of a registered pupil at the school should receive a free copy of the summary of the report within ten working days of receipt of the summary by the appropriate authority. A charge not exceeding the cost of supply may be made by the appropriate authority for any other copies of the report and/or its summary provided to any person who asks for one. The appropriate authority should make a copy of the report and the summary available for inspection by members of the public at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable Any enquiries about this legislation should be addressed to the OFSTED Compliance Helpline Tel. 0171 421 6567 Earlsmead County Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Broad Lane Tottenham London N15 4PW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10 - 14 October 1994 Earlsmead County Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Heather Evans, RgI Religious education Attainment and progress Section 11 Teaching Christine Haggerty, Lay Inspector N/A Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Support, guidance and pupils welfare Partnership with parents and the community Robert Bonner Mathematics Leadership and management Physical Education Efficiency Jean Morley English N/A Art Special educational needs Brian Fletcher History Curriculum and assessment Music Staffing, accommodation and learning resources Angela Fraser Information technology N/A Design and technology Under fives Gerard Slamon Science Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Geography Equal opportunities

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd 51 St Andrew's Road Chesterton Cambridge CB4 1EQ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints which are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Earlsmead County Primary School - 5

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What the school does well

• . Teaching is predominantly good throughout the school, especially in English, mathematics and science. • . Provision and support for pupils with special educational needs are very good. • . Provision for pupils learning English as an additional language is very good. • . Pupils behave very well and there are excellent relationships between pupils and adults throughout the school. • . The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development is very good and the provision for pupils’ moral development is excellent. • . The leadership of the headteacher and governing body is very good; they manage the school efficiently. • . The curriculum is good and the procedures for assessment are excellent and are instrumental in helping the staff to consistently raise standards. • . Pupils like coming to school and attendance is improving. • . The school has an excellent ethos for learning.

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What the school does well

• . There has been very good improvement since the last inspection and the capacity for further improvement is also very good.

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What the school does well

· Where the school has weaknesses I. Standards in speaking, reading and writing are below national expectations. II. Standards in information technology are too low in control technology. III.Whilst supporting the aims of the school, too few parents are actively involved in extending their children’s learning at home.

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The strengths of the school outweigh the weaknesses but it is from the weaknesses that the governing

body will develop its action plan, which will be sent to all parents and guardians of pupils at the school.

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The strengths of the school outweigh the weaknesses but it is from the weaknesses that the governing

· How the school has improved since the last inspection

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The strengths of the school outweigh the weaknesses but it is from the weaknesses that the governing

The school has successfully addressed all the key issues raised in its last inspection in 1994 and those raised by the HMI inspection in 1997 with a consequent improvement in standards. The new headteacher has established and maintains good procedures to support staff and pupils in the classroom and has enabled teachers to enjoy good quality in-service training. The role of the subject co-ordinator is well established and is being increased on an annual basis. The range, quantity and quality of resources have been greatly improved and are now good overall. The School Development Plan is a useful document that enables the planning, implementation and monitoring of all work to be effective. The curriculum is now broad and balanced and fully meets National Curriculum requirements. Procedures for the assessment of work and use of the results of that assessment in informing lesson planning and curriculum modification are excellent. All management structures are now well

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The strengths of the school outweigh the weaknesses but it is from the weaknesses that the governing

established and effectively ensure that the work of the school is clearly communicated to teachers, pupils and parents. The quality of teaching has been raised to a level where there is very little unsatisfactory teaching and where the quality of teaching is predominantly good, with 30 per cent being very good. Pupils with special educational needs and those pupils learning English as an additional language are very well provided for and make good progress alongside their classmates. The daily act of corporate worship is reverent and incorporates the strong moral and ethical codes of all the faiths represented in the school. It is a strong feature of every day and establishes a reflective and uplifting ethos, which enables pupils and staff to work together for the highest levels of attainment. This shared endeavour for excellence is at the heart of this greatly improved and still improving school. There is very good capacity for further improvement.

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Standards in subjects

This table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1999 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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similar schools

well above average A above average B English D A average C Mathematics C A below average D Science C A well below average E

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similar schools

This table shows the standards at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and science. Standards were below national expectations in English but about average in mathematics and science. It presents a picture of the school that does not fully show the tremendous effort made by pupils and teachers in raising standards from a very low level in recent years. At the time of the inspection the school is at least maintaining the raised levels but is striving to exceed the national average. Standards in English, mathematics and science were well above those in similar schools.

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similar schools

Standards at Key Stage 1 are well below those of schools nationally in English, mathematics and science but compare favourably with similar schools. At Key Stage 1 attainment in information technology is satisfactory but at Key Stage 2 the level of attainment in information technology is below average due in part to limited equipment and lack of structured opportunities in recent years. Attainment levels in religious education are in line with those expected. Attainment levels in other subjects are in line with those expected in all other subjects except in geography at Key Stage 1 where there was too little evidence to form an accurate judgement.

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similar schools

As pupils start their formal education with attainment levels below those expected nationally, the school is doing well to enable them to reach the standards which are suitable for their age by the time they leave at the age of eleven, in all subjects except English. More than half are learning in a language that is different from their home language. Children under five make good progress and this good start enables them to make good use of the opportunities for learning provided by the school.

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T hi i U d 5 5 7 7 11

English Good Good Good Mathematics Good Good Good Science Good Good Information technology Satisfactory Satisfactory Religious education Good Good Other subjects Good Good Good

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T hi i U d 5 5 7 7 11

Teaching is at least satisfactory in 96 per cent of lessons, good in 46 per cent and in 32 per cent of lessons it is very good. There was very little unsatisfactory teaching. The quality of teaching was equally good in classes at both key stages. Teaching for children under five is predominantly good. Teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is very good, as is that for children with special educational needs. Strengths in teaching include the high expectations which teachers have of the quality, standard and pace of pupils’ work. There are very few weaknesses. The effective teaching makes a strong impact on pupils’ good progress and on their increasing knowledge and understanding. The thoroughness of teachers’ planning enables them to develop pupils’ skills systematically across the school.

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T hi i U d 5 5 7 7 11

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses. Earlsmead County Primary School - 9 · Other aspects of the school

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Almost always very good throughout the school. Attendance Satisfactory overall. It is still below the national average and the levels of unauthorised absence and lateness are too high. Ethos* Excellent. The school has a strong commitment to establishing a conducive atmosphere for learning, establishing very high levels of expectation and promoting superb relationships within the school community. Leadership and management Very good. The headteacher leads a very efficient and supportive management team and a strong effective team of teachers and support staff. Curriculum Very good for children under five and pupils at both key stages. Some new schemes are still being developed and along with the excellent assessment procedures are being adapted to meet the needs of pupils of all abilities. Pupils with special educational needs Very good. The specialist support enables pupils to improve their attainment in speaking, reading, writing and mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Very good overall. The provision for pupils’ moral development is excellent. Staffing, resources and accommodation Good overall. The hardworking teaching staff makes good use of the spacious accommodation and the range of good quality learning resources. Value for money Taking into account the low level of attainment on entry, the superb relationships and good teaching which enables good progress to be established and maintained at all stages, the school gives good value for money.

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Aspect Comment

*Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards. ·

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

IV. Parents like the values the school teaches. V. They like the ways that the school informs them of what their children are learning. VI. They like being able to see their children making consistently good progress. VII.Parents and pupils from all ethnic groups are made welcome; they feel valued and supported by the school. VIII. They say that all members of staff are approachable and helpful. IX. They believe that the positive discipline policy is encouraging pupils to behave well and that this in turn is helping their progress. X. Their children like going to school. XI. Some parents would like the school to establish a

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

There were 33 parents who attended the special meeting and the vast majority of these were satisfied with the management and organisation of the school and the progress being made by their children. Only 30 questionnaires were returned and therefore additional evidence was sought during the inspection by talking to parents in the school and the playground. Parents consulted were happy with the school and with the support that they and their children were given. They expressed the view, that although from time to time some bullying did occur, the school dealt with it quickly, fairly and effectively. The inspection team supports the views of the parents that this is a greatly improved school where the needs of pupils of many ethnic groups are met effectively in a supportive and positive environment. The team agrees with parents that the good quality of teaching is enabling pupils to reach and sometimes exceed their set targets. They also agree that staff use the

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

Earlsmead County Primary School - 10 behaviour policy well and that improved behaviour inside and outside classrooms is helping all pupils to achieve an improving standard of work. The team suggests that greater involvement of parents in their children’s learning will add to the already positive outcomes. The school is very keen to seek all possible ways of involving parents more and would like to introduce some form of association between parents and the school.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

In order to build on the existing good practice and further raise the standards the governors, headteacher and staff should:-

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

-. providing more regular, open-ended speaking opportunities which allow pupils to speak at greater length and with an extended vocabulary; (Paragraph 119)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

-. increasing the involvement of parents in the development of pupils’ reading skills; (Paragraphs 78, 80, 120)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

-. using these improved skills (in speaking and reading) to achieve higher standards in writing, specifically in sentence structure and the use of more precise and extended vocabulary. (Paragraphs 17, 18, 116, 119, 120)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

• . raise standards in information technology by working to implement the scheme of work using the new equipment and the National Grid for Learning. (Paragraphs 25, 55, 57, 92)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

• . pursue all possible ways of improving attendance levels, encouraging good time keeping and reducing the high level of unauthorised absence. (Paragraphs 38, 76, 107)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

In addition to the key issues above, the following less important weaknesses should be considered by the governors for inclusion in the action plan -:

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

• . increase the opportunities for extra-curricular activities, particularly sport, for pupils of all ages. (Paragraphs 63, 199)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

1. Earlsmead is an inner city primary school in south Tottenham. It is housed in old Victorian buildings dating from 1897, which are attractive and have an impressive facade but which are difficult and expensive to maintain.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

2. The school has 354 pupils in the main school and a further 51 part-time pupils in the nursery. At the time of the inspection all the children in the nursery and reception classes were under five. Pupils in the Earlsmead County Primary School - 11 school are taught in thirteen classes and the average class size is 27. Within the school there are 197 pupils from homes where the first language is other than English; at 56 per cent this is well above the national average. This figure rises to above 60 per cent when nursery children are included. Children enter the nursery soon after their third birthday and move into one of the two reception classes in the year in which they are five. On entry to the school attainment levels are well below those expected of pupils of the same age nationally. Earlsmead County Primary School - 12 3. The main home languages are Turkish, Somali, Twi and Vietnamese but there are more than 40

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

languages represented within the school’s population. Black African and the Black Afro-Caribbean children make up a large percentage of the school, although many of these pupils speak English at home. There are slightly more boys than girls but there is a reasonable balance in all year groups.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

4. There are 87 pupils on the register of special educational needs, which is above the national average; of these four have statements. There are 223 pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals. The school population is very fluid as pupils join the school from abroad or from other parts of the country and then sometimes move on after a few weeks or months. A number of pupils belonging to the school are from travelling families and these do not always stay in the neighbourhood but attend schools in other places at different times of the year.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

5. There are 16 full time teachers in the main school, one in the nursery and three part-time teachers. Some teachers have special responsibility for supporting pupils learning English as an additional language and those with identified special educational needs. The teachers are supported by 3 trained nursery assistants and 4 part-time classroom support staff. The standard number for the school is 29.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

6. Since the last inspection in 1994 there have been many changes and the headteacher, deputy headteacher and almost all the classroom teachers have joined the school since that time. The school has grown to being a two-form entry school over the recent past and is a popular school in the locality. This has resulted in the need for two new classrooms to be added with four more planned for the coming year. The resources for learning within the school have been increased by planned spending by the staff and the governing body.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

7. The aim of the school, set out in the brochure, is to develop a welcoming and positive learning environment where all children have a right to learn and teachers to teach. The school aims to foster a policy of opportunity and mutual respect. The governing body has undertaken an on-going policy of renovation and refurbishment of the building aimed at improving the working environment.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

8. The school has set itself ambitious targets to raise standards for all pupils. The immediate targets are to improve standards in English and information technology.

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1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 29 27 56 Earlsmead County Primary School - 13 9. National Curriculum Test/Task

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 18(13) 9(14) 21(16) at NC Level 2 or Girls 22(12) 21(12) 22(11) Above Total 40(25) 30(26) 43(27) Percentage at NC School 71(53) 54(55) 77(57) Level 2 or above National 82(80) 83(81) 87(84)

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9. Teacher Assessments Reading Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 16(15) 17(15) 14(14) at NC Level 2 or Girls 21(12) 22(12) 19(12) Above Total 37(27) 39(27) 33(26) Percentage at NC School 66(57) 70(57) 59(55) Level 2 or above National 82(81) 86(85) 87(86) Earlsmead County Primary School - 14 2. Attainment at Key Stage 2

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1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 16 12 28

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 9(7) 12(7) 13(9) at NC Level 4 or Girls 10(6) 6(3) 8(3) Above Total 19(13) 18(10) 21(12) Percentage at NC School 68(48) 64(37) 75(44) Level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69(59) 78(69)

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10. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 9(7) 12(7) 13(10) at NC Level 4 or Girls 10(6) 6(3) 8(3) Above Total 19(13) 18(10) 21(13) Percentage at NC School 68(48) 64(37) 75(48) Level 4 or above National 70(65) 69(65) 75(72) ................................

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1 Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year

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Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % Through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 4.8 Reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 1.8 Absence National comparative data 0.5

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Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during Number the previous year: Fixed period 4 Permanent 0

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Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 32 Satisfactory or better 96 Earlsmead County Primary School - 15 Less than satisfactory 4 13. PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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13. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

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1. Since the last inspection, standards have improved very significantly in both key stages. At that time standards in English mathematics and science were well below national averages.

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2. Children’s attainment on entry to the nursery is well below that expected for children of their age and for some children attainment on entry is very low. This is assessed by standardised entry and base-line procedures soon after children begin attending the nursery. Almost two thirds of children learn English as an additional language. On entry children have a low level of personal and social skills and have to learn how to share, take turns or sit still even for a short time. They have very limited vocabulary and need to be encouraged to listen carefully and have to be taught to speak in sentences. Many have very limited experience of speaking freely even in their first language. Their knowledge and understanding of mathematics and number is limited and most children cannot count beyond two or three with any certainty. The school works successfully to enable all children to settle quickly to the routines and work

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Results

of the nursery and to develop their personal and social skills. By the time they are five the majority of children have made good progress, although they have not attained the Desirable Learning Objectives in the areas of learning that form the programme of work.

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3. On entry to the school, attainment is well below that expected of children of a similar age. A higher than average transient population also means that pupils sometimes leave this school before the good standards they achieve can contribute to end of key stage percentages. So, although the standards of attainment remain below national averages in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 1 and below national averages in English at Key Stage 2 and close to the national average in science and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress in this school overall. Progress is very closely linked to the quality of teaching they receive, which, in the vast majority of lessons observed, was good or better. Throughout the school, very good progress is made by pupils with special educational needs and by those for whom English is an additional language. This is because the support

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that these pupils receive is carefully targeted towards their specific needs and is started as soon as a problem is recognised. Higher attaining pupils also make very good progress.

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Results

4. Currently, standards in English at the end of Key Stage 1 are still below expected levels overall. Standards in listening are good; in speaking and reading they fall just short of national expectations. Writing is the weakest of the four elements and standards here are unsatisfactory. These judgements show an improvement over the 1999 national test results at the end of Key Stage 1 when reading standards were below expectations and writing standards were low. This discrepancy is not surprising, because the rise in the proportion of pupils achieving Level 2 and above over recent years has been dramatic. This rapid rate of improvement in standards is continuing. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ attainment is above average in reading but still below average in writing. The proportion of pupils who gained the higher level, Level 3, in the 1999 national tests was well below national averages in both reading and writing. When compared to similar schools, however, while

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Results

standards in reading remain low, those in writing are average.

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Results

5. At the end of Key Stage 2, standards are also below national averages. However, in this Key Stage too there have been dramatic improvements over the last few years: the number of pupils achieving Level 4 or above has risen steadily. In addition, when compared to similar schools, the results of the 1999 national tests show that this school’s results were well above average. More positive still is the proportion of pupils who gained the higher level, Level 5, in 1999. This percentage was above national averages when compared with all schools and very high when compared with similar schools. As with Key Stage 1, writing is the weakest element, with standards well below those nationally. Standards in Earlsmead County Primary School - 16 reading and speaking are also unsatisfactory, while in listening they are good.

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Results

1. Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening. Listening skills are good throughout the school. In the nursery and the reception classes, children are taught to listen to their teachers and to their classmates, so that, by the time pupils enter Key Stage 1, they are able to listen attentively. This is a skill that serves pupils well throughout the school in other subjects and as they get older pupils are able to listen and to concentrate for longer periods of time. This makes a positive contribution to their learning. Pupils are given very regular opportunities to speak in the classroom. However, despite these opportunities, standards in speaking remain low. This is because the breadth of pupils’ vocabulary is limited and many pupils have great difficulty in finding the right words to explain an idea, or to describe something they know or understand. When this happens, the pupil’s frustration is clear to see. Taking

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Results

account of the fact that over half of the pupils in school come from homes where English is not the first language, these weaknesses are not surprising. However, there remains the need to devise more opportunities for pupils to express their ideas and views at greater length and in more open-ended contexts.

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Results

1. In mathematics the results of the 1999 national standardised assessments, at the end of Key Stage 1, indicate that the percentage of Year 2 pupils reaching level 2 or above was below the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching level 3 or above was below average. Overall, pupils’ attainment when compared to all schools was below average. In comparison with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, pupils’ performance was above average. Inspection evidence supports this view that the majority are attaining below the national standard, with a small number of pupils attaining at the higher level. There has been a significant rise in standards since the last inspection. This includes an improvement from 1998 to 1999 with an increase of 12 per cent of pupils achieving at Level 2 or above.

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Results

2. The results of the 1999 national standardised assessments, at the end of Key Stage 2, indicate that the percentage of Year 6 pupils reaching level 4 or above was below the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching level 5 or above was average. Overall, pupils’ attainment when compared to all schools was average. In comparison with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, pupils’ performance was well above average. Inspection evidence supports this view that the majority are attaining at the national standard, with a number of pupils attaining at the higher level. There has been a significant rise in standards since the last inspection. This includes an improvement from 1998 to 1999 with an increase of 27 per cent of pupils achieving at Level 4 or above and a rise of 10 per cent of pupils achieving at the higher level, Level 5.

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Results

3. The majority of pupils in Year 2 use and apply mathematics in problem solving situations and are developing an appropriate mathematical vocabulary. They are developing confident mental calculation skills. They add and subtract numbers up to and beyond ten, count in twos, fives and tens and are beginning to understand place value to 100. Higher attaining pupils know their number bonds to 20 and place value using hundreds, tens and units. The majority of pupils know the difference between odd and even numbers and recognise patterns in a series of numbers. They have a sound knowledge of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes, they use the correct language and they can recognise them by their properties. Pupils’ progress in mathematics is good. Much of the work does not rely as heavily on language as does work in English and all concepts and processes are well taught enabling pupils to attain ever increasing levels of competence. The early success encourages pupils to strive for higher

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Results

levels and this is now being seen in classes at Key Stage 2, especially in the test results at the end of the key stage. The improvements at Key Stage 1 are less dramatic as the process always has to begin again each year. However, in relation to attainment on entry and compared with the work at the time of the last inspection progress is at least good. It is from this now secure base that the work in Key Stage 2 is being built.

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Results

4. In science, tests and inspection evidence indicate a significant improvement at Key Stage 1 and a dramatic improvement at Key Stage 2. Standards of attainment are still below average at the end of Key Stage 1 but are now average at the end of Key Stage 2. Teacher assessments in 1999 show that 60 per cent of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 attained Level 2 and 22 per cent reached Level 3. Over the four years 1996 to 1999, attainment in science at the end of Key Stage 2 has risen from 10 per cent of pupils Earlsmead County Primary School - 17 achieving the expected standard and above to 75 per cent reaching Level 4 and above and 43 per cent attaining Level 5. The school is now carefully monitoring its results so as to identify weaknesses in provision and has introduced a comprehensive and very structured approach to planning the science curriculum since the last inspection. These initiatives, together with improved teaching and the

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introduction of booster classes, have led to the marked improvement in standards. The progress made by pupils in science is never less than good and in relation to their level on entry is frequently very good.

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5. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils understand that materials can be twisted, bent, squashed or stretched and that some materials are permanently changed. They describe similarities and differences between materials, such as glass and metal, and investigate the effects of heat on a variety of materials. By the end of Key Stage 2, written work and observation of lessons show that pupils have a breadth of understanding of all aspects of the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. Within the area of experimental and investigative science, they predict what will happen and understand the concept of a fair test.

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6. Standards in information technology are improved since the last inspection, where they were judged to be poor, but still have some room for improvement. They are just satisfactory at the end of Key Stage 1 but, as pupils have very limited knowledge and experience of work involving control technology, standards are still below average at the end of Key Stage 2. Progress has been made across the school and is satisfactory at the end of Key Stage 1. The rate of progress at Key Stage 2 has been delayed by the lack of skill and expertise of some teachers in the recent past and the limitations of the available resources.

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7. Attainment in religious education at both key stages is greatly improved, from a time when statutory requirements were not being met to satisfactory standards in all areas of the fully compliant curriculum. The improved levels of knowledge and understanding reflect good overall progress at both key stages.

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8. In the core subjects there is significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls at the end of Key Stage 1 but this is not the case by the end of Key Stage 2. The school works hard to rectify the early difference through the careful process of setting individual targets following a meticulous analysis of pupils’ prior attainment. There is no evidence of long-term variation in attainment based on social or ethnic background.

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9. In all curriculum subjects pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in relation to their potential to do so. This is because pupils’ progress is monitored closely and concerns are promptly and effectively identified and addressed by specifically targeted teaching and curriculum planning.

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10. In all other subjects at both key stages attainments have improved since the last inspection and progress is judged to be at least satisfactory. Pupils throughout the school readily use their skills in literacy and numeracy appropriately in other subjects. This was seen to good effect in religious education at both key stages and in science at Key Stage 1. Literacy skills are used for recording results in science and for writing accounts of life in times past. Numeracy skills are used to calculate results in science when findings are recorded using both bar charts and line graphs in classes across Key Stage 2.

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11. The school has agreed ambitious targets for the continued improvement of standards in English, mathematics and science. When compared with the findings of the previous inspection, attainments are improving and in all classes the rate of progress is predominantly good. Since the last inspection and the introduction of the Literacy Hour and the Numeracy Strategy teachers’ planning is very structured and objectives are clear in almost all lessons. This is helping to raise standards. Where teaching and planning are good the rate of progress is increasing. Progress is best when the vision of the teachers and the presented challenge enthuses pupils to strive for the highest standard.

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12. By the time they leave the school at 11, pupils who have been in the school for some time are very well prepared for the next phase of education. Those pupils who have been in the school for only a few months or sometimes even a few weeks are well supported and the school does its best to prepare them Earlsmead County Primary School - 18 for the changes and challenges of secondary school.

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31. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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1. In the nursery and reception classes the personal and social development of children under five is good. Children learn to work and play together co-operatively and become involved in the life of the school. They share equipment sensibly and take great care of their classrooms. Children listen carefully to their teachers and their friends, share ideas and begin to understand and value the views and opinions of others. Children begin to develop more complex language structures and use these skills to build a personal way of learning about school and the world in which they live.

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2. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good, their behaviour is very good and their relationships with each other and other adults in the school are excellent. Pupils’ personal development is good. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection and contributes positively to the standards and quality of life in the school.

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Results

3. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, have good attitudes towards learning. They are enthusiastic and concentrate for appropriate lengths of time in all aspects of work as they move through the school. In lessons at both key stages pupils are keen to ask and answer questions, although in a few lessons teachers use closed questions which limit the opportunity for pupils to extend their oracy skills. However, there are many examples of good practice; for example, during the Literacy Hour pupils are allowed sufficient time to answer open questions and are encouraged to extend their ideas and vocabulary. Generally, pupils concentrate well and listen intently. However, in a very few lessons where there is a lack of pace or the task is not challenging, the attention of pupils wanders. The majority of pupils were seen to work co-

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operatively in pairs and in small groups.

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4. The behaviour of pupils in both the classroom and the playground is very good. Any instances of bullying or poor behaviour are dealt with promptly; pupils recognise their unacceptable actions and, where appropriate, apologise for them. They are courteous to adults in the school and are able to be trusted to take care of property, as in the playground when Key Stage 2 pupils use sports equipment at lunchtime. No bullying was seen during the inspection, although four fixed term exclusions were necessary in 1998 and during the present term a child has been excluded for fixed periods within the guidance of the agreed behaviour policy and with the full co-operation of his parent.

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5. For all but a very small number of pupils, relationships in the school are excellent. Pupils are kind to each other and help one another in class work. They share equipment and rarely snatch things or quarrel. Pupils like their teachers and other members of staff. For instance, the dinner supervisors often talk with groups of pupils and, in the classroom, helpers and assistants are well respected. There is no discrimination between races and pupils mix together harmoniously. Boys and girls interact positively and collaborate well with each other. This working together has a positive effect on all pupils’ social development. Pupils’ capacity for personal study is being developed through class-based activities that involve pupils in researching information. For example, Year 5 pupils were using the CD-ROM as part of history research. Pupils are learning to organise their time, choose resources and work independently.

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This has a positive effect on pupils’ progress. There is some inconstancy in the use of the library and in pupils’ research skills. The pattern of setting homework is that it is set each weekend and there are good examples of homework being undertaken. Where pupils are supported in their work at home there is a positive impact on standards, attainment and progress.

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6. Pupils support local events such tree planting and each year they take harvest gifts to the elderly. They work hard with the staff of the school to raise funds for local and national charities. Within the school older pupils regularly help those younger than themselves and carry out routine tasks efficiently and unobtrusively. Their contribution to the life of the school community is given readily with a refreshing willingness. Earlsmead County Primary School - 19 37. Attendance

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1. Attendance is satisfactory and there has been an improvement since the last inspection when there were fewer pupils. The school has worked very hard to bring about the current improvements and the trend over the past years has been upwards. The attendance figure is now well above the 90 per cent threshold. This has a positive effect on pupils’ standards and progress. The above average unauthorised absence figure is due mainly to a degree of parent-condoned absences or parents who choose not to provide the school with reasons for absence. There is no evidence of truancy. A number of weeks of schooling are lost through some families taking holidays in term time. This has a negative effect on the attainment and progress of those pupils who are not at school and also has a serious impact on the school’s attendance figures. Too many pupils arrive late each day.

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2. Registration is taken quickly and efficiently and lessons generally begin on time. 39. 39.

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1. The quality of teaching is good overall and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ good progress in many subjects but especially in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. This is a major factor in the improving standards in subjects across the curriculum. Overall, 96 per cent of lessons observed were at least satisfactory; 46 per cent of lessons were good and 32 per cent of lessons were very good. Only three lessons out of the 81 seen were unsatisfactory. In literacy and numeracy, teaching is of good quality in the nursery and at both key stages. Since the time of the previous inspection, the quality of teaching has been greatly improved in all subjects in the nursery, in classes for children under five and at both key stages.

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2. The quality of teaching in the nursery is never less than good. In the reception class, for children under five, teaching is predominantly good. The planning for work linked to the Desirable Learning Outcomes leading towards the National Curriculum is well matched to individual needs. In these classes, teachers know the children well and relationships are very good. Teaching in all the areas of learning is never less than satisfactory and is good in lessons involving literacy, numeracy and knowledge and understanding of the world. The modified literacy strategy is well established and teachers take every opportunity to extend children’s learning by good use of questioning and well-planned activities. Numeracy and mathematics are effectively promoted by suitable matching activities as well as singing and counting rhymes. Management and organisation are generally good, although some children have to

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learn how to behave and teachers need to be firm. Planning and assessment are very well linked to the Desirable Learning Outcomes. Teachers frequently use planning to organise activities that enable them to check on the attainment and progress of groups and individuals. Results enable teachers to select activities matched to children’s needs and abilities. The provision for and the organisation of opportunities to promote children’s personal and social development are at least satisfactory and are most often good. Teachers collaborate well together to ensure that children in both reception classes have equal learning opportunities. Teachers in the nursery and the reception classes and trained support staff miss no opportunity to develop children’s skills of listening and to encourage speaking. This is an important influence in developing skills in literacy, particularly for those children for whom English is

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an additional language. Teachers have developed a range of songs and activities to develop numeracy Earlsmead County Primary School - 20 and an understanding of mathematical language for the youngest children in the school.

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3. Throughout the school, the best teaching, both for the under-fives and at both key stages, incorporates strong subject knowledge, thorough planning, clear well-informed introductions and challenging work. Particular strengths were seen in many teachers’ individual special interest subjects, such as one lesson in science in Year 5, where teaching was excellent. Very good teaching was seen at both key stages in English, mathematics, science, religious education, and history. In these lessons, as a result of the very good teaching, progress is almost always at least good and regularly very good.

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4. Teaching observed in subjects such as art, history, geography, music, physical education and design and technology was never less than satisfactory and, where teachers have special expertise, such as in science at Key Stage 2, it is often very good. In these lessons pupils make rapid progress. Progress in the great majority of lessons is at least satisfactory and in more than three quarters of lessons it is good or very good. Systematic work in books indicates that most gains are maintained over time. Teachers share their expertise with one another willingly to good effect. Teachers have implemented the Literacy Hour and the Numeracy Strategy well. The time allocated to literacy and numeracy each day exceeds national requirements.

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5. At Key Stages 1 and 2 teaching is predominantly good, especially in literacy and numeracy; 24 lessons were observed where teaching was very good and one excellent lesson was seen in science during the inspection. In the three lessons where teaching was unsatisfactory the pace of the lesson was slow and in two lessons pupils lost interest through being too long sitting on the carpet before embarking on practical or academic activities. In the other lesson the work set did not challenge pupils’ thinking sufficiently and lacklustre work of a lower standard was offered and accepted. The quality of teaching in all subjects across the curriculum is at least satisfactory. In English, mathematics and science it is predominantly good, although in some lessons the introduction is rather long and pupils spend too long sitting on the carpet before getting on with independent work. The quality of teaching across the

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curriculum is a significant reason for the good progress and the marked improvement in the standards attained by the great majority of pupils in classes throughout the school.

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6. In the great majority of lessons teachers have realistically high expectations of the quantity and quality of work that pupils should achieve. Where pupils fail to reach this expected standard most teachers require the work to be repeated in the pupils’ own time unless there has been a rare mis-match. Many classes contain a wide spread of attainment levels and a number of different first languages but teachers plan effectively to provide all pupils with the challenge to learn and do well. They make clear what they expect pupils to do and learn in lessons. For example, in one geography lesson it was clearly understood that pupils would learn where a wide range of products in a market were from and where those manufacturing countries were located on a world map. Pupils were encouraged to relate to these countries where many had families. The teacher had planned her work very carefully to enable many

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pupils to explain something to the class about their own country of origin.

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7. Teachers across the school value pupils’ responses and are sympathetic to their efforts to explain ideas and feelings. Work such as that observed in music, where language presented no barrier, enables pupils to develop not only specific skills but a tremendous feeling of self-worth and a joy in learning. In many classes teachers phrase questions carefully in order to challenge pupils’ thinking while still setting small structured challenges leading to a successful outcome. Occasionally a teacher explains the meaning of a word to move the lesson on when pupils really need to explore their own ideas further in order to extend their language.

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8. The relationships between pupils and teachers, in the vast majority of lessons, are excellent. They form the basis of the relaxed but at the same time firm and secure control that enables learning to take place. There is regularly good-humoured interaction but at no time is poor behaviour tolerated. On the rare occasion when a child displays challenging behaviour teachers use the agreed behaviour policy quickly and fairly and the pupil is enabled to recover his or her composure and is welcomed back into the lesson without rancour. Teachers usually manage lessons at a brisk and lively pace whilst still allowing pupils time to think and learn. In one lesson the pace was too fast and the teacher organised a time out for Earlsmead County Primary School - 21 pupils to reflect before returning to the planned work.

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9. As pupils gain in knowledge and experience teachers expect them to take responsibility for their learning and offer increased opportunity for independent initiatives. This is particularly true in some classes towards the end of Key Stage 2. In Year 5 classes pupils are encouraged to think for themselves and to organise their own work within a flexible time frame. For those pupils who are capable of higher attainment this system works well and enables the teacher to devote extra time to those who are less confident or who need additional time to complete a task.

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10. The school has responded successfully to the key issues from the last inspection to examine teaching strategies to ensure that they are appropriate for classes which contain high numbers of bilingual pupils and pupils with special educational needs. There is specific support provided for these pupils. Teachers and support staff work very effectively to support these pupils, enabling them to play a full part in lessons.

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11. All pupils have full and equal access to the curriculum and to all extra-curricular activities. Teachers plan their work effectively, enabling pupils to work at an appropriate level. The school monitors pupils’ achievements by gender, attainment, ethnicity and background to enable fairness of treatment. The teachers at both key stages use the marking policy in a consistent and supportive way, encouraging pupils by their structured and helpful comments. This forms a valuable part of the day-to-day assessment of work that is used to inform planning for future lessons in all subjects. Teachers frequently mark work alongside pupils explaining how they might improve and where they have made mistakes. The pattern of setting homework is clearly explained to parents and is understood by the pupils. This includes taking home reading books as well as work to learn spellings and multiplication tables. Pupils sometimes have

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to find things out at home to prepare for coming work and they also work to reinforce work learned in school with extra practice at home.

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12. Most teachers are confident in their knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach. This is especially true of teachers’ understanding of the National Literacy and the National Numeracy Strategies, enabling them to develop pupils’ skills well in these areas of the curriculum. Individual teachers share particular skills and interests in other subjects with colleagues in an open and generous way, often when taking additional responsibility for leading a subject as the co-ordinator. Pupils are taught history and geography as part of a humanities programme which links with work undertaken in art, music and religious education at appropriate times each term. The teaching of physical education is satisfactory overall but where teachers have a particular interest as in one Year 4 lesson, it is then good. In all of these subjects the support given by teachers one to another ensures that work undertaken

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promotes skills and continuity and that pupils’ progress is at least satisfactory and is most frequently good.

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13. The teaching staff are well organised and makes sensible use of an extensive range of good quality resources. The skilled support staff and adult helpers from the community are almost always used effectively and efficiently to assist in lessons. The effective deployment of the bilingual teachers and language assistants in lessons, especially in literacy and numeracy lessons, gives a real boost to the learning of those pupils for whom English is an additional language. This extra help enables the class teacher to devote additional time to other pupils in the class so ensuring that their capacity for learning is fully developed.

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14. Pupils with special educational needs are taught very well. In the classrooms, teachers set work that takes account of their needs, while still offering the challenge that will allow them to progress well. Where appropriate, they are also supported very effectively in small teaching groups outside the classroom. 53.

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53. The curriculum and assessment Earlsmead County Primary School - 22 1. The school has dealt very successfully with all the issues raised in the last inspection report. Whole- school planning is now a strength of the school and continuity in learning and the development of skills across the phases is firmly established. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and pupils learning English as an additional language is very good. The curriculum is constantly monitored and evaluated at all levels to ensure consistency of delivery.

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2. The school now provides a broad and balanced curriculum, which includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, although information technology is not covered in sufficient depth. Sex Education is taught in accordance with the governors’ statement to parents and is part of the health education programme, which follows local education authority guidelines. The school also provides ‘drop-in’ sessions with the school nurse for pupils who may wish to discuss personal concerns. The curriculum includes drugs awareness as a part of the health education programme. Classes in junior citizenship are arranged in liaison with the local police.

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3. The curriculum for nursery children is firmly based on the six areas of learning recommended by the Department for Education and Employment and the nationally determined Desirable Learning Outcomes . Planning is very good and provides children with rich opportunities to develop their skills and extend their experience through a wide range of stimulating activities. Teachers give high priority to promoting children’s personal and social development and their knowledge and understanding of English as an additional language, thereby ensuring equal access to the curriculum. The early years team in the nursery provides very good continuity through to the reception classes and from there into the National Curriculum soon after each child’s fifth birthday.

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4. The basic skills of numeracy and literacy are appropriately emphasised throughout the curriculum and the linking of subjects through themes and topics helps the pupils to make better sense of their learning. Literacy and Numeracy Hours are fully in place and are having a positive effect on learning. Work in the humanities is well balanced and pupils study history and geography at appropriate times each term. The school is beginning to plan for the creation of a computer suite in order to improve skills in information technology. This is needed, particularly, to extend opportunities for pupils in the older classes. The arts programme of the school is satisfactory. Performance in music and dance is developing well and there are good displays of pupils’ artwork throughout the school. Pupils are encouraged to use their creative talents for their own enjoyment and that of others.

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5. The school has made good progress in planning for the all-round development of its pupils, who care for those younger than themselves and who are sensitive to pupils with special educational needs. The school’s multi-cultural outlook is greatly in evidence and pupils live together in an atmosphere of tolerance, understanding and respect. Older pupils are entrusted with responsibilities at lunchtime, for example, and acquit themselves very well, behaving in a mature and confident way. There is a shared moral code, which binds the school together in a unity of purpose. Some opportunities are provided for older pupils to use research skills and to learn independently of the teacher. Where this occurs (in music, for example) older pupils show how capable they have become in planning and assessing their own work. The school has good links with the secondary school to which many of the pupils transfer at age

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11. Overall, pupils are well prepared academically and socially for the next stage in their education. This is a very significant improvement since the last inspection.

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6. There is a very good equal opportunities policy in place. The school provides very effectively for pupils of all ages, gender, ethnic diversity and differing religious beliefs. The curriculum provides equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. The school fully reflects equality of opportunity in its aims and objectives, curriculum and organisation, including the grouping of pupils. Those with special educational needs are identified early, particularly in reading, and appropriate provision is made for improving their learning skills so that they can keep up with their peers and retain self-esteem and confidence.

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7. Planning for teaching and learning is very good throughout the school and provides very well for continuity and progression through most subjects of the curriculum. This is a significant improvement Earlsmead County Primary School - 23 since the last inspection. The school now has a clear curriculum statement and a curriculum map, which provide the essential basis for good curriculum development. Almost all subjects have well- defined schemes of work and the co-ordination of long, medium and short-term plans is very good. Joint year planning ensures that all areas of the subject are properly covered and at the appropriate time. Planning is extensively monitored by the senior management team. A greater monitoring role for subject co-ordinators is envisaged. The headteacher is presently reviewing the level of planning to ensure that demands made upon the staff are manageable and reasonable.

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8. The present arrangement of classes is appropriate to the needs of the pupils and, generally, work set is matched to individual need. Higher attainers are sufficiently challenged by the content of most lessons. Topic work across the curriculum produces good learning, particularly when the essential learning skills are clearly identified on the lesson plans. Teachers meet regularly to discuss and plan each stage of the work that ensures equal access to the curriculum for all pupils.

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9. The school meets the requirements of the Code of Practice with regard to pupils with special educational needs (S.E.N.). All pupils on the school’s S.E.N. register have Individual Education Plans that clearly identify the steps in learning necessary for them to make progress. A strength of the school’s provision is that pupils’ difficulties are identified at an early stage, particularly in reading. High quality additional help is quickly provided so that pupils experience as little difficulty as possible - and for as short a time as possible - in all lessons, most of which rely very heavily on their ability to read. The school has very good strategies for measuring the progress which pupils make. It then effectively uses the information that this generates, for example, to continue to offer additional support, to make some changes to the support, to seek further advice or to terminate the additional help because it has done its job.

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10. Satisfactory provision is made for extra-curricular activities. The school has two recorder groups which give regular performances in assembly and at school concerts. Year 6 take part annually in a residential educational visit which includes the adventure elements of canoeing and abseiling. A French club is taken by a visiting teacher. The school takes part in the local carnival and in the Easter parade. The school arranges a wide range of educational visits to support and enhance learning. The provision for extra-curricular sport is limited. Pupils play football in the autumn and spring terms with some cricket in the summer term. They also enjoy taking part in the local inter-schools’ swimming gala each year.

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11. Assessment for the under fives is excellent. Each child has an entry profile - or baseline assessment - when he or she joins the school. This ensures that the work which children do builds upon what they already know. All children are assessed throughout the year so that the quality of learning and progress can be evaluated. Good quality assessments are passed from the nursery to the reception class.

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12. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and the use of assessment to inform curriculum planning across the school are excellent. Both are models of good practice. Since the last inspection a very effective consistent approach to assessment throughout the school has been developed for which the headteacher shares responsibility with the assessment co-ordinator and the key stage co-ordinators. Procedures are constantly monitored to ensure that they are manageable and that they provide information that can be used to help improve standards of attainment. Each child and class has an attainment level established by testing as well as evaluation, levelling and moderation of work. From the information gathered personal attainable targets are set for each child and these are shared with parents. In addition there are ‘challenge targets’ set to which pupils and teachers work. In many cases the

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attainable targets are exceeded and the challenge targets are met. These results then trigger changes in the day-to-day work set and in the next stage of target setting in order to extend every pupil’s learning and attainment to their furthest possible limit.

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13. In Key Stages 1 and 2, very good use is made of the SATs results. They are extensively analysed and trends are noted. Strengths and weaknesses are identified and teaching plans are modified accordingly. Teachers’ weekly plans identify learning intentions and activities, which are evaluated at the end of each week. Individual work profiles are kept for each pupil and include annotated work samples. At the end of each year there are teacher conferences at which detailed information is passed on about every pupil. A transfer sheet is completed which gives levels of attainment in core subjects and indicates the new Earlsmead County Primary School - 24 achievable and also additional challenging targets for the future. Pupils with special educational needs work systematically towards the objectives set for them in their Individual Education Plans. Progress is carefully monitored and recorded.

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14. There is a clear marking policy, which is closely followed. Teachers mark work regularly and to a consistent standard. The best marking is evaluative and shows pupils what they must do to improve. Teachers know their pupils well and frequently mark the work with the pupil present and explain and supervise the next steps.

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67. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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1. This is a happy, well ordered school, which offers its pupils a welcoming, secure and caring environment. The school is very successful in meeting its aim to provide equality of access in an environment that is calm and secure. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall and makes a strong contribution to the very positive ethos of the school. There has been a very significant improvement in this area of the school’s provision since the time of the last inspection.

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2. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. The calm, peaceful atmosphere that has been created in the school very effectively supports pupils’ spiritual development. It is carefully and successfully nurtured in assemblies, in religious education lessons and in the opportunities for reflection and prayer, which form part of the daily acts of collective worship and which fully meet statutory requirements. In many areas of the curriculum, such as science, music, English poetry, history, drama and art, there are opportunities for pupils to reflect on their personal experiences and value the beliefs and experiences of others. The large aquarium, centrally placed in the school hall, adds to the sense of peace and calm that exists. The quality of singing and instrumental performances in assemblies effectively adds to the spiritual atmosphere of the school.

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3. Provision for pupils’ moral development is excellent. The very strong ethos of the school, which stresses respect for self and others, provides an effective focus for pupils’ moral development. Values are fostered through the very caring and supportive relationships which exist in classrooms between staff and pupils and by the very good example set by all who work in the school. This area of pupils’ development is underpinned by the school’s aims and pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong. They are frequently reminded of shared values and principles in the day-to-day life of the school and through the school’s very effective, positive behaviour policy and classroom codes of conduct. Rules and policies are consistently applied throughout the school day and all pupils are treated fairly. The importance of honesty and justice are communicated through the evident concern which the school

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community has for them. Pupils are given ‘time-out’ sessions to reflect on the consequences of their actions and of their importance within the school community. There are many opportunities to discuss and to reflect upon issues such as the effects of drugs abuse and environmental issues. Pupils are very appropriately praised and rewarded for their good behaviour. One assembly is set aside each week to recognise pupils’ achievements and to continue to raise their self-esteem. The annual Year 6 Achievement Awards Evening is another very good example of the school’s commitment to pupils’ moral and personal development.

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4. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. The school actively encourages the development of good social skills and a sense of citizenship. The ethos of the school effectively promotes good social interaction and equality of opportunity. Pupils are constantly reminded of the importance of everyone to the success and happiness of the school community. Older pupils in the school are given opportunities to respond to the needs of their peers in a thoughtful and empathetic way. Year 6 pupils, for example, are thoughtful and caring in the performance of their duties as stairway monitors and in helping infant pupils in the dining hall and playground. There is a strong personal and social education policy that positively enhances pupils’ social development, for example, through discussions on friendship, caring and helping each other. Assemblies are very well used to promote a feeling of community. Many

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suitable opportunities are given to all pupils to appreciate, and to contribute to, the community in which Earlsmead County Primary School - 25 they live. Local studies, providing harvest food parcels for the elderly and tree planting are some good examples of this. The sound provision for extra-curricular activities, including sport, provides pupils with some opportunities to socialise in areas of common interest. Pupils are also offered opportunities to contribute to the wider community through donating to charities such as Children in Need. The school staff set a very good example by taking part in sponsored walks for charity. Year 6 pupils are provided with an annual residential visit, which further enhances their social development and sense of achievement. These activities, together with opportunities to perform in musical and dramatic performances and in the annual Carnival, are good examples of the school’s provision. The very strong

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working ethic and partnership between members of staff effectively promote constructive social and working relationships among pupils. Parents endorse the good attitudes and values promoted by the school.

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5. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate and develop their knowledge of British culture and traditions, for example, through visits to places of historical and cultural interest such as the Geffrye Museum, the British Museum and the British Library. There are many very well planned opportunities for pupils to understand and to appreciate the diversity and richness of other cultures and faiths through their religious education programme. Music, dances and art and the celebration of different festivals such as Diwali, Eid, Remembrance Day, Christmas, Easter and Guru Nanak’s birthday, make a very strong contribution to pupils’ cultural development. The school makes very effective use of visiting performers to support work in the arts such as a troupe of Israeli dancers. Parents from different faiths and cultures talk about special foods, demonstrate dances and songs and tell stories from their different backgrounds. For

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example, parents, staff and visitors have spoken to reception children about their experiences as children in Sierra Leone, Poland, Ghana and Ireland. The school very effectively celebrates the different cultures within the school and at the same time gives pupils’ insight into other cultures for example, through the visit of a Greek Orthodox priest at Easter. A high commitment to pupils’ cultural development is evident from displays of art from a range of cultures and stimulating artefacts and resources around the school.

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72. Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

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1. Overall the school’s provision for pupils’ support, welfare and guidance is good and makes a significant contribution to their learning. Parents speak highly of the levels of pastoral support available to their children, especially those with special educational needs and feel that they are well informed about their children’s progress and personal development. The caring and nurturing ethos of the school makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. There are effective arrangements for the induction of new children to the nursery. Procedures are in place to ensure a smooth transfer from the nursery to the reception classes and to the junior school. There are very effective arrangements for the transfer of pupils from the school to secondary education.

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2. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress and personal development in the school and in the nursery are very good. This is a strength of the school and represents an improvement since the last inspection. Academic progress is monitored by pupils’ portfolios of work which include examples of pupils’ work which have been marked and show the National Curriculum level achieved. Marking particularly in English is informative, evaluative and moves pupils on. Class teachers make very good use of question and answer sessions to assess pupils’ understanding. Academic progress is also monitored on a day-to-day basis by support staff making informal notes that are then used to provide academic and pastoral support. Monitoring of pupils’ personal development is also very good. Staff know pupils well and use their knowledge to provide support on a daily basis. Personal development is also monitored through the information gained from parents during parent-teacher consultations. Staff

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monitor pupils’ personal development using the accepted policy of rights, rewards and sanctions. The progress of pupils with special needs is monitored through the progress they make towards the targets in the individual education plans and from information from meetings with parents. The school has access to and makes very good use of outside agencies to support pupils.

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3. The school’s policy and procedures for promoting discipline and managing behaviour are very good. Earlsmead County Primary School - 26 The school promotes self-discipline and this is re-inforced by the very positive behaviour and discipline policy. The policy is built on an expectation of good behaviour. This is effective and pupils respond well to the high expectation of staff. Pupils understand the rewards and sanctions policy. They take great pride when they are awarded stamps and stickers for good work or behaviour. Parents are informed of good behaviour as well as poor behaviour. Sanctions include the very effective use of behaviour books which pupils take home for parents to monitor. Pupils’ good work and efforts are recognised at assemblies and they take great pride when they are awarded certificates and when their name is entered in the ‘Book of Excellence’. The policy includes effective detailed strategies for identifying and dealing

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with bullying issues. Every member of staff is consistent in the use of the policy.

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4. Procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are satisfactory. The Education Welfare Officer works with the school to monitor absence and there are some examples of improvements in pupils’ attendance. Where there is a history of parent-condoned absence there has been court action to bring about improvements in attendance. The school now contacts parents on the first day of absence, if they have no reason for a child’s non-attendance. This is beginning to address the high level of unauthorised absence figure. The school has introduced a more rigorous system to monitor, encourage and improve the punctuality of pupils and enable registers to be completed accurately and efficiently.

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5. Procedures for child protection and health and safety are satisfactory. Minor points about the monitoring of the safety of small electrical appliances pointed out to the staff during the inspection were dealt with immediately. The entire staff has received in-house training about awareness of child protection issues. The post of named person is shared between the headteacher and the deputy head, one of whom attends case conferences. The school follows the local authority guidelines and meet legal requirements. There are regular risk assessments of the school buildings and grounds. The school has introduced new systems to record all incidents and to monitor when medication is dispensed. The school constantly reviews the health and safety policy to ensure that any changes are complied with and to check that procedures meet statutory requirements. The overall impact of the care and attention that the

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school gives to the welfare and support of its pupils is positive and makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ progress and attainment.

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77. Partnership with parents and the community

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6. Overall partnership with parents and links with the community are good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The information provided for parents is excellent. This is a considerable improvement since the last report. Much of the information is provided in home languages. For those parents who find reading difficult there are audio tapes available in all the community languages. The school works very hard in an attempt to involve all parents in their children’s education but many parents do not yet play a full part. Links with the community have improved greatly since the last inspection and are now good. Very few parents were involved with the school at the time of the last inspection in 1994. Every parent who talked about the school during this recent inspection spoke very highly of the work of the teachers and the way they felt involved in their children’s education. This was equally true of parents who spoke only limited English themselves and whose understanding of the

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education system in England was limited.

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7. The information supplied to parents about what is happening in the school is excellent. Parents report that they are very pleased with the information that the school provides and the standards of education that their children receive. The school prospectus, the governors’ annual report, the behaviour booklet, some Statements of Special Educational Needs and some pupils’ annual reports are available in pupils’ home languages. Interpreters are available at all parents’ consultations on the evenings set aside each term. Similarly interpreters are available, as required, to help parents and teachers discuss the best ways to support those pupils with special educational needs. Parents are fully involved in helping their children to work towards agreed targets. The school is currently involved in providing workshops for parents to make and use educational games at home. The school provides a crèche to enable parents to

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attend the annual general meeting of the governing body and the mathematics curriculum evening. Pupils’ annual reports are hand written and very informative. They show what pupils know, understand Earlsmead County Primary School - 27 and can do in the core and foundation subjects. Pupils’ targets are given to parents at the end of the summer term and are then discussed in the spring term. There are opportunities for parents to have termly consultation evenings and class-teachers meet with all parents from the reception class to explain the results of the baseline assessments. The governors’ annual report to parents and the prospectus are informative and well presented. They are currently being reviewed to ensure they carry all the required information in the new guidelines.

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8. Parental involvement in their children’s learning is generally satisfactory. The school works very hard at trying to involve parents in their children’s education but many parents do not always take advantage of the opportunities offered. For example, there is little involvement by many parents in hearing their children read daily and there were few entries by parents in the home school diaries; this has a negative effect on pupils’ standards and progress. The school is pleased that some parents would like to organise a fund raising group. The staff are happy to discuss ways to re-launch a parent-teacher association. Parents are sometimes involved in their children’s learning through homework but the support is inconsistent as too many do not fully understand the work involved. In some instances teachers write to parents when homework is not completed. Parents regularly help on school visits but few parents are

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able to help children and teachers in the classroom on a regular basis. Those who do help are gaining valuable expertise, are very welcome and help pupils to make good progress. Parents support all the social events that involve their children; for example, they made Easter bonnets and decorated Easter eggs to take part in an Easter Parade. Some parents help to promote the multi-cultural curriculum by giving demonstrations of traditional cooking, dancing and story-telling. Pupils and parents in national costume presented an assembly at the end of Ramadan to celebrate Eid. This involvement by parents delights pupils and has a beneficial effect on their progress and attainment.

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9. Links with the community are good. The school nurse, the road safety officer and fireman regularly support the personal, social and health education programme. Outreach staff regularly provide parents with a forum to discuss how they might become more involved in their children’s learning. A small but dedicated group of senior citizens help regularly in the classroom by hearing children read and also support the history curriculum. The North East London College provides a tutor for parents with English as an additional language, a facility which is well supported. Links with local business are still underdeveloped but have improved since the last report. Local businesses provide prizes for fund- raising and a local printer has provided good quality paper and card for pupils to use. Pupils visited a local supermarket to see how information technology is used to support stock control. Pupils enjoy a

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wide range of trips, which include visits to various museums and places of worship for different faiths and cultures. Teachers and pupils make good use of the local area to extend learning within the curriculum. Pupils in Year 6 enjoy a residential visit, which supports their learning and their personal development. A range of visitors, including a theatre group, supports and enhances the curriculum.

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81. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

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1. Overall, the leadership and management of the school are very good. Since the last inspection there have been many staff changes including the appointment of a new headteacher and the development of a senior management team. The new school leadership has responded very effectively to the issues raised in the last inspection report and the subsequent HMI report. The key issues have all been tackled and, as a result, there have been very positive developments in all the areas identified. The headteacher has a clear vision and provides strong, positive leadership and, with the effective support of the governing body, gives a very clear direction for the continued development and improvement of the school. The quality of education owes much to her leadership and the effective support of a hard working and committed team of staff and governors. Together they have succeeded in creating a learning

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environment where relationships are excellent and all pupils feel secure and valued. This excellent ethos positively reflects the school’s commitment to achieve the highest educational standards and equality of opportunity for all pupils. Earlsmead County Primary School - 28 2. The headteacher maintains a good balance between the strategic planning, administrative and monitoring elements of her role. In all of these she is well informed. She is committed to staff development and raising of standards. The well-developed and comprehensive programme provides a clear structure for the monitoring of standards and new initiatives and enables staff to oversee developments in their management areas. The results of this monitoring are fed back to the headteacher and are discussed at senior management team meetings and fed into the School Development Plan. The work of teachers in the classroom is monitored sensitively and this provides relevant feedback in order

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that staff might improve their performance. The headteacher has professional development interviews with all staff, as a result of which targets are set. Pupils’ work is sampled and the headteacher monitors standards across age groups and is mindful of the need to check for balance between ethnic groups and genders. There is a very well structured and agreed teaching and learning policy known to all staff and they are clear about what is required. The headteacher and members of the senior management team undertake rigorous monitoring of teaching, planning and standards. The headteacher monitors teachers’ planning files, providing written feedback, and works alongside colleagues in the classroom on a formal and informal basis.

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3. The headteacher is very well supported by an enthusiastic and committed deputy headteacher who has a clearly defined management role and takes the lead in many aspects of school life, including sharing the monitoring role and acting as the special needs co-ordinator. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and three core subject co-ordinators, two of whom are also key stage co-ordinators, form the senior management team. They work very effectively together in their roles. The headteacher is very keen to delegate management roles and currently has plans to extend the management structure further to include a middle management tier. All subject co-ordinators have appropriate job descriptions and work hard in their roles. Every co-ordinator is a budget holder and each of them has produced an action plan that forms the focus for work and the development of their designated curriculum area. Core subjects

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are regularly monitored in classrooms by the subject co-ordinators. Some of the co-ordinators of non- core subjects are new in post and as yet there have been only limited opportunities for them to monitor standards or to work alongside colleagues in the classroom.

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4. The management of procedures for meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs is very good. In its provision for pupils with special educational needs the school has responded to the national Code of Practice and a policy is in place which refers to a staged referral system. The co-ordinator for special educational needs is enthusiastic and leads this area very well. He has developed a successful system since his recent appointment. The management of procedures for meeting the needs of pupils who have English as an additional language is very good. The school has developed an effective system in which specialist teachers and support staff work closely with all the pupils concerned.

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5. The contribution of the governing body to the effective running of the school is very good. Governors take their responsibilities seriously and are committed to raising standards in the school. They attend relevant courses and keep themselves well informed. Both the past and the newly appointed chair of governors work very closely with the headteacher to provide clear educational direction for the work of the school. The school’s aims are clearly expressed and have been collaboratively developed and agreed. These form the basis of a shared sense of purpose that is evident throughout the school. All governors’ committees have appropriate terms of reference; they meet regularly and report back to the full governing body, as appropriate. There are governors for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs, all of whom are very supportive of the work in the school. The governing body fulfils all of its

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6. The School Development Plan is a useful working document and is based on a thorough audit of the school’s present position. The involvement of both staff and governors means that the educational priorities identified are highly relevant. Targets are set for each year and efficient procedures are in place for monitoring and evaluating the extent to which these priorities are achieved. It provides a secure framework upon which the school can plan effectively and judge value for money. The current plan is in its final year of three and does not, in itself, provide guidance for the long-term development of the school. The leadership of the school has a clear view of the school’s priorities for further development. These include: raising standards of achievement, developing the management structure further, seeking better value for money, further developing the school’s positive ethos and improving the

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Earlsmead County Primary School - 29 learning environment.

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7. The school’s aims are clearly expressed and have been collaboratively developed and agreed. They have been developed within the past four years but have not been reviewed recently. Nevertheless they are highly relevant and form the basis of a shared sense of purpose that is evident throughout the school. Policies, such as the behaviour policy, the professional development policy and the teaching and learning policy, have all been developed through detailed consultations with staff and governors.

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8. The ethos of the school is excellent. Pupils’ attitudes towards their work are very good and relationships are excellent. That the school is committed to raising achievement is exemplified by the targets for individuals and groups of pupils in each year group for the improvement in standards in English, mathematics and science. These targets are shared with parents. Governors are kept fully informed of these analyses and targets. There are excellent assessment procedures in place for measuring attainment and monitoring progress and excellent use is made of assessments to inform curriculum planning. Through the use of these assessment procedures groups of pupils in Years 2 and 6 are identified to receive extra help prior to National Curriculum tests, to increase their likelihood of achieving Level 2 and Level 4. Standardised tests are used in classes at Years 3 to 5 and the results of these tests are

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analysed in a similar way. Lower attaining pupils in Year 2 are provided with a numeracy recovery programme by the learning support staff and the special needs co-ordinator. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 are set for mathematics so that each group can be challenged at an appropriate level. Teachers perform half-termly tests to assess progress towards learning objectives. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language are provided with very effective additional support in order to raise their attainment. The leadership and management promote equal access for all pupils to the full range of opportunities for achievement provided by the school.

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9. Statutory requirements are almost all being met, although the prospectus does not include a statement about the right of parents to withdraw their children from religious education and acts of collective worship. The school has now written to parents and remedied this omission.

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90. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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1. Since the last inspection there have been very significant changes in personnel and many improvements in the matching of staff to the demands of the curriculum, in the quality and range of the staff development programme and in the standard of accommodation and learning resources. These have been achieved through the strong leadership of the headteacher and the governors and by the commitment of all staff to improve the learning opportunities for pupils. The entire staff have high morale and a strong sense of purpose and direction which is far more positive than that in evidence at the time of the previous inspection.

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2. There are now sufficient teachers suitably qualified by training and experience for the age group they teach from the nursery to the end of Key Stage 2. There is also a good balance of youth and experience. Teachers provide a good range of expertise across the curriculum and newly-appointed subject co- ordinators are well matched to their individual subject areas. The quality of the specialist staff for supporting pupils learning English as an additional language and for those pupils with special educational needs is very good. There is an overall lack of expertise in the teaching of information technology, which is recognised as an area in which improvements are to be made. The role of the subject co-ordinator is well defined and some time is made available for subject co-ordinators to monitor curriculum development and teaching in their subject. The school offers relevant role models to pupils in

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the distribution of staff, roles and responsibilities.

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3. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by classroom assistants, who liaise with the class teacher in ensuring that the targets set for these pupils are achieved. All adults who work at the school, including the site-manager and the school meals supervisory staff, collaborate closely together and their prime concern is the academic and social development of the pupils. Staff teamwork is Earlsmead County Primary School - 30 apparent in the school every day and it creates a secure environment in which pupils are able to learn.

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4. The arrangements for the professional development of teachers are very good. The programme of training is wide-ranging and reflects both the needs of the teacher and the school. In-service training is monitored and, where appropriate, information is fed back to all staff. There is a rolling programme of appraisal, which is considered to be valuable and effective by all members of staff. Teachers are provided with personal targets to enable them to develop their strengths and remedy weaknesses. In addition, the headteacher has a professional development interview with all colleagues annually. In- service training days are used effectively and focus on agreed aspects of the school’s curriculum and organisation and have the effect of strengthening teamwork. The National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies have been well implemented and are already making a significant positive impact on pupils’ attainment. Newly qualified teachers are looked after well. An experienced teacher acts as mentor,

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ensuring that support is available when it is most needed. Teachers new to the school are also well supported, with help being given by the deputy headteacher and the relevant key stage co-ordinator. The school programme includes specialist provision, by experts in their field, for the whole staff, in order to address specifically targeted areas of need. This is supplemented by additional in-service opportunities provided by the local education authority. New teachers work towards their own targets and, together with colleagues, review their progress on a regular basis. All of the in-service training and staff development programme is aimed at helping teachers towards their declared aim of helping to raise standards for all pupils across the curriculum in the nursery and at both key stages.

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5. Learning resources are good overall. Following the last inspection the local education authority initially provided additional resources, which the school has used very well. The purchase of new resources is now carefully planned and monitored, thus ensuring that the needs of the pupils and teachers are met. Subject co-ordinators manage their own budgets and use them prudently to support teaching and learning. Resources in music are satisfactory; percussion instruments, for example, are kept on a trolley that is transported from room to room. The available resources are used well both by class-teachers and the specialist music teacher. The new library is well appointed and the stock of relevant good quality books is growing. However, it is not yet sufficiently well used as a teaching and learning resource by independent learners. Books and other resources are well monitored and reflect the school’s

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commitment to equality of opportunity for all of its pupils.

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6. Accommodation is satisfactory overall and classrooms for most of Key Stage 2 are of a good standard. The accommodation for the reception classes and Key Stage 1, including the mobile classrooms in the playground, is cramped and sometimes limits experiential learning. There is very little space for imaginative play in the reception class. Since the last inspection the governors and headteacher have worked very hard to improve the quality of the accommodation. There is a rolling programme of redecoration from which all classrooms have benefited in recent years. Carpets have been laid in corridors and classrooms. Plants and fabrics add to the pleasant atmosphere for learning. One room, newly prepared for classroom use, has been double-glazed to reduce traffic noise. The outstanding difficulty is the roof over the hall, which still leaks, although many attempts have been made to repair it.

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7. Work on a new classroom block in the present infant playground is to start in January. When complete this will have a significant impact on improvement of the learning environment. The existing accommodation is bright and clean, well-lit and comfortably warm. Traffic noise continues to be a problem but teachers and pupils do not allow it to interfere with learning. There are stimulating and fresh displays of pupils’ work in the corridors and in all classrooms. The nursery is a paradise for young children! The staff are all vigilant and on some wet days part of the grassed play area is kept out of use. Overall, the effective management of the school’s accommodation and learning resources has a positive effect on the bright, clean learning environment and the standards attained by the pupils.

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1. The previous report identified a number of areas that required development. All of these have been tackled successfully by the school. Earlsmead County Primary School - 31 2. The financial planning is very good and effectively supports educational developments. The school budgets systematically for new and well-focused expenditure on clearly agreed and understood priorities, for example, raising of standards, particularly in core subjects. Spending levels are efficiently monitored by the headteacher. The headteacher and governing body have a clear view of the school’s longer term spending priorities. The governing body fulfils its strategic responsibility for deciding school priorities and planning the provision and use of resources. Development planning is linked to costs and the headteacher evaluates the cost-effectiveness of school developments. The school considers different strategies to fund the identified areas effectively, how to target the money they spend and what money to

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hold back in contingency. Money over the past two years has been clearly targeted with great consideration given to how much to hold back in reserve. The present surplus includes an amount identified for improving facilities for information technology and making provision for the planned new classrooms and, allowing for these major projects, is within recommended limits and is maintained with clearly identified purposes. The school is coming to the end of the current School Development Plan and, although there is well organised long-term strategic planning, as yet there is no formal medium- term plan in place. The headteacher with the deputy headteacher and the finance committee of the governing body work together when setting the budget; this is then ratified by the full governing body. The governing body keeps parents fully informed of its financial position and its intentions for the surplus funds. These were approved at the last annual meeting for parents.

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3. The school makes efficient use of funding for different purposes. The funding for support staff or pupils who speak English as a second language is provided by the grant for ethnic minorities achievement (EMAG) and the school has made good use of this grant in the provision of the skilled learning support staff. They are used effectively to support identified priorities in the school. The school spends heavily on pupils with special educational needs. However, it offers very high quality additional support to these pupils using strategies which are clearly cost-effective. All other specific grants allocated to the school are spent in accordance with the purpose intended.

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4. The use of teaching and support staff is very good. The staff are well qualified, operating effectively as a team and are committed to the pupils in the school. The classroom assistants are very well deployed and make a valuable contribution to the attainment and progress of the pupils. There are sufficient learning support assistants to provide good support for pupils with special educational needs and with English as an additional language and they are effectively deployed. Funds for pupils with special educational needs are spent appropriately in providing time for the special needs co-ordinator and the learning support teacher to work directly with these pupils. The accommodation is used effectively, is treated well by pupils and is very well cared for by the site manager and his staff. Although the library is timetabled to be used, this was not in evidence during the inspection. The accommodation is enhanced

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by displays of a high standard. The management of educational resources is good. They are well organised and there are suitable plans for their enhancement and renewal. Good use is made of the available resources to assist teaching and learning. Good provision has been made for literacy and numeracy with the purchasing of sufficient support materials. Teachers ensure that pupils treat school property with respect and that wastage is kept to a minimum. When possible, used resources are re- cycled.

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5. Day-to-day financial control and administration are very good. The school’s finances are efficiently managed through a computer-based system, which provides detailed and up-to-date financial information. The administration officer has a clearly defined role that she carries out efficiently. Administrative systems are unobtrusive and support efficient day-to-day organisation. The school administrator keeps the finances in good order. Clear and effective procedures are in place for authorising expenditure and obtaining value for money. There are very good management systems in place for ensuring that incoming monies are handled efficiently. Finances are kept in good order and the recommendations of the latest audit have been acted upon.

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6. In relation to the context of the school, the standards and quality of education it provides, the very positive attitudes of the pupils towards learning, their very good behaviour and the effectiveness with which the resources of staffing, accommodation and learning resources are used, the school provides good value for money. Earlsmead County Primary School - 32 103. PART B:

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1. At the time of the previous inspection the nursery provision was judged to be no more than satisfactory. It was seen that children were happy with routines established to promote their social and moral development. Staff were not always seen to be alert to the needs of the children under the age of five and were not sufficiently aware of how young children learn. Since then the quality of teaching and the provision for learning in the nursery has been greatly improved. The quality of teaching, in the nursery and in both reception classes, is predominantly good and was very good in 75 per cent of lessons seen. The curriculum and provision for children under five in the nursery and in the reception classes is very good and has been improved in all of the areas of learning.

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2. Children enter the nursery class after their third birthday. Attainment on entry to the nursery is well below that expected for children of their age and for some children attainment on entry is very low. Almost two thirds of children learn English as an additional language. On entry children have a low level of personal and social skills and have to learn how to share, take turns or sit still even for a short time. They have very limited vocabulary and need to be encouraged to listen carefully and have to be taught to speak in sentences. Many have very limited experience of speaking even in their first language. Their knowledge and understanding of mathematics and number is limited and many children cannot count beyond two or three with any certainty. The school works successfully to enable all children to settle quickly to the routines and work of the nursery and to develop their personal and social skills. A

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sufficient amount of time is allocated to the development of children’s skills in language and literacy and in developing awareness of number and learning a range of mathematical and technological understanding. Children transfer to the reception classes in the year of their fifth birthday and are accommodated in one of two classes. Assessments on admission to reception show that knowledge, skills and understanding are well below the national expectation for children under five. They are supported very well to benefit from all aspects of school life and make good progress. At the start of the term in which the inspection took place no children in either reception class had celebrated their fifth birthday.

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3. By the age of five, the great majority of children have made good progress but not all have reached the expected standards in the six areas of learning, including language and literacy and numeracy. This judgement is made according to the criteria established by national guidance. Children who have special educational needs are identified quickly and they are fully integrated into the class and in most cases make good progress at the same rate as the rest of the class. Earlsmead County Primary School - 33 106. 4. The provision for the personal and social development of children and the teaching in this area is very good in the both the nursery and the reception classes. Children are settled into the nursery and reception classes thoughtfully and successfully. By the age of five, although the Desirable Learning Outcome is not attained, the majority of children are making good progress towards meeting set targets

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in their personal and social development. They settle quickly into the routines of the class. On arrival they confidently remove outdoor clothing and usually leave parents without concern. During the day they have good opportunities to choose activities and most carry out tasks without constant supervision from adults. In the nursery, many of them do not talk but relate well to each other and share resources. They are secure with adults and the more confident talk with them in supervised activities. Many of the children are learning English as an additional language and they talk in whichever language they feel most secure. They are taught the difference between right and wrong. Relationships are very good and staff are effective in creating a warm, caring and stimulating learning environment in which children develop good attitudes, learning to become self-confident. This promotes their good progress. The

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children show growing independence and increasing initiative when presented with choices. As children’s confidence increases they learn to follow instructions. For instance, when given a task they settle quickly and respond to instructions without question. They listen well and are beginning to understand set routines. They delight in sharing their work with any available adult. Children are very well behaved and are forming good relationships with each other and with adults. They are appropriately learning to share equipment and to take turns. The development of some pupils is impaired by the low attendance of a few families. Although most attend regularly, children from some travelling families have erratic attendance. In the reception classes, children are beginning to concentrate well for sustained periods of time. Occasionally, structured activities are too much for them to manage and teachers are skilled in changing plans to meet the needs of individual children. Children in the reception

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classes attend assembly, enjoying the importance of the event and showing pride when presented with awards. Earlsmead County Primary School - 34 108. Many children enter the nursery speaking little English, although a number understand enough to find ways of communicating with each other. They make good progress in developing language and literacy skills because teachers give them high priority and structured lessons are good. The way that the nursery staff promote the development of skills in language and literacy and the overall quality of teaching in this area of learning is good. By the age of five, most children do not reach the required standard in language and literacy. Children pay very good attention to adults. They are encouraged to reply confidently but some find this very difficult and are hesitant to speak. However, they make good progress from entry and are developing their skills well. Children listen attentively to stories, songs and

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nursery rhymes. Many children lack confidence when sharing their experiences, particularly in the nursery, for example, when the children give one-word answers or nod when asked questions. However, the adults use skilful questioning to encourage them to express their ideas and increase their vocabulary. Children handle books carefully, know that print carries meaning and are able to identify the title, author and illustrators from the book cover. Most children tell the story by following the pictures. In nursery they are learning to recognise their names and enjoy attractive books with the teacher. Provision for such activities is very good in the reading area. Each child chooses a new book with the nursery nurse to take home, making very good progress in talking about the book. Children in reception classes enjoy the sound and shapes of new letters, making very good progress when practising their formation.

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They listen attentively to stories, reading along with the text in big books and shouting familiar words with glee. All children make very good gains in the ability to describe pictures in the big book and talk about how the child in the story felt. Children make good progress in writing. Children in the nursery have a writing book, writing over letters and shapes. Whilst a number made minimal marks on paper when entering reception, their books show rapid progress in writing by following prepared sentences. Teaching in this area is good. Teachers extend children’s thinking through using very clear speech and plenty of repetition to involve them. By the age of five, about two thirds recognise simple words and are beginning to develop basic reading strategies. Most write their own name and copy letters in recognisable script. In the reception class the Literacy Hour is having a significant impact on children’s

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progress. 108. 5. In mathematics the opportunities for learning and the teaching are very good in both the nursery and the reception classes. Where the practical activities rely less on an understanding of English, a significant minority of children make very good progress and come close to reaching the expected standard by the time they are five. However, many who also make good progress are still below the expected level by this age. In the nursery, they recognise some colours and match shapes. They count with support and help to produce bar charts. They are learning to write numbers one to five. In reception classes, they try to meet the teachers’ high expectations by counting to five and then to ten, beginning to appreciate one before and after. Most children count, order and write numbers to ten and some beyond and are able to compare, sort and match every day objects. Children order and sequence

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pictures correctly, order objects according to size and continue repeating patterns. They appropriately use mathematical language such as ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘biggest’ and ‘smallest’, and are familiar with number rhymes, such as ‘Five Cheeky Monkeys’, that reinforce their understanding of the language and increase their knowledge and understanding. Higher attaining children draw successfully over shapes. In practical activities they make good progress in identifying taller and shorter children in the group, because the nursery nurse shows them a very good picture book that conveys visual symbols for short and long lengths. Teachers assess individual children as they work, enabling them to make good progress. A group of children sequence the segments of “The Hungry Caterpillar” as a result of intensive support from the teacher. Children are beginning to use information technology successfully to support their learning in mathematics.

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6. Teaching to promote children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is at least good and at best very good. Children make good progress and the majority come close to reaching the required standard by the time they are five. Children make good progress in investigation activities. In the nursery, they place their names in houses that show they have travelled from home to school. Each day they talk about yesterday, today and tomorrow and through very effective teaching gain some sense of the passage of time. They play in the “dark world”, shining lights and watching moving images with the nursery nurse. A significant number of nursery children have very little earlier experience of group activities but they become engaged in meaningful experiences through mixing ingredients for baking. In so doing they learn new vocabulary. Children are given effective opportunities to look at the changes that happen, for

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example, to the colour of leaves in autumn. They recognise that time passes by looking at a simple time- Earlsmead County Primary School - 35 line. Effective opportunities are provided for the children to assemble and disassemble simple models using a variety of construction kits to try out ideas. They enjoy baking and successfully use play-dough to make boats to develop hand control. Their computer skills are satisfactory: they are developing eye and hand co-ordination through controlling the mouse when following programs. In the reception classes, teachers encourage children to identify objects through the sensation of touch and to taste a number of foods, listening to their ideas very well and encouraging them to describe their feelings about tastes. 110. 7. By the age of five, the children’s creative development is well fostered through an appropriate range of activities. Many drawing and painting opportunities are provided. The children produce pictures using

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a wide range of techniques, such as printing, marbling, painting and collage, and are developing independence when practising these skills. In nursery and reception, vibrant wall displays show children’s experiences with paint, collage and coloured papers. They have contributed to imaginative displays of bonfire night and fish swimming in the sea. In music the richness of experience in singing and their very good response support reception children in reaching expected outcomes by the age of five. In the nursery, some children are reluctant to paint but through very good encouragement they make hand-prints. In the reception classes, children respond well to sound signals for language and number activities. They do not easily engage in role-play but are encouraged to imagine different situations. In reception, a lack of space makes it more difficult for pupils to explore imaginatively but they appreciate the home corner and take care to keep it in good condition. They write imaginative

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letters in the writing area. They appropriately develop their listening skills, for example, by identifying percussion instruments by the sounds they make, and are beginning to use the correct name for them. They are becoming aware of the difference between loud and quiet and fast and slow. By the age of five the majority of pupils are close to attaining the desirable outcomes in their creative development The role play areas in the nursery and the home corner in the reception provide stimulating opportunities for the children to play co-operatively. In addition, they develop their imagination by enabling them to re- enact familiar stories and make up their own. The quality of teaching to support this work is based on a thorough knowledge and understanding of how young children learn and is at least good and is often very good.

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8. Teachers make good provision for the children’s physical development and children make good progress. Teachers are good role models, showing them how to perform actions with nursery rhymes and letter sounds. Children in the nursery find physical control difficult but they improve skills over time. They play in the garden, developing gross motor skills by climbing and balancing. The majority of children come close to the expected standards by the time they are five in the control and manipulation of small objects such as pencils, construction apparatus, modelling tools, scissors and paint brushes, which they handle safely and appropriately. They have many opportunities to cut, stick and join objects together, for example, when making space ships, butterflies and cutting out pictures to stick on a background picture. In physical education lessons the children make at least good progress in

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throwing and catching skills, balancing and jumping. Children in the nursery develop control and co- ordination and awareness of space through the use of large apparatus and equipment. In literacy, they control letter shapes with improving dexterity; they play imaginatively using outdoor equipment. Children in the reception classes have good opportunities through careful liaison between the staff to use the nursery and school facilities in order to develop their gross motor skills and imaginative exploration. In lessons in the hall, children from the nursery and the reception classes make good progress when rolling and jumping, creating simple sequences of related movements. The children dress and undress themselves and learn the importance of warming up and begin to understand the meaning of finding their own space.

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9. The quality of teaching in the nursery and the reception classes is good in all of the six areas of learning, with some very good aspects. Very good teaching is characterised by good subject expertise, which is seen in the confidence when demonstrating and answering the children’s questions. Teachers have secure understanding of how young children learn and provide a rich learning environment in which the children can develop. Effective planning that is clear and detailed takes into consideration the national guidance for children under five. The pace of the lessons is brisk and clear challenges are set. Activities are very well organised, showing very good preparation to stimulate and motivate the children to try harder. Other positive features include very good control and very good relationships that are established Earlsmead County Primary School - 36 between adults and children. The teaching of language and literacy and numeracy is well organised to

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meet the varying needs of different groups of children.

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10. In the nursery very clear records are kept to check the children’s participation in the activities and assess what they need to do next. Very good use and deployment is made of the nursery nurses. Early years staff work well together and collaborate with planning and assessment of children’s needs. Assessment procedures in the reception class follow the pattern of those in the nursery until the start of National Curriculum Level 1; they then follow the procedures used throughout the school.

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1. The previous inspection report stated that standards in English were well below national averages. Since then, they have improved very significantly in both key stages.

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2. Currently, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are much closer to national averages, although still below them overall. Standards in listening are good, in speaking and reading they fall just short of national expectations while in writing, the weakest of the four elements, they are below average. These findings show an improvement over the 1999 National Curriculum test results at the end of Key Stage 1 when reading standards were below expectations and writing standards very much below. However, this discrepancy is not surprising, because the dramatic rise in the proportion of pupils achieving Level 2 and above - from 16 per cent in 1997 to 75 per cent in 1999 in reading and from 20 per cent to 56 per cent in writing over the same two years – is still continuing. When compared with similar schools, pupils’ attainment is above average in reading but still below average in writing. The proportion of pupils who

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gained the higher level, Level 3, in the 1999 national tests, was very much below national averages in both reading and writing. When compared to similar schools, however, while standards in reading remain low, those in writing are average.

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3. At the end of Key Stage 2, standards are also still below national averages. However, in this key stage too there have been dramatic improvements over the last few years: the number of pupils achieving Level 4 or above has risen steadily from 13 per cent in 1996 to 68 per cent in 1999. In addition, when compared to similar schools, the results of the 1999 national tests show that this school’s results were well above average. More positive still is the proportion of pupils who gained the higher level, Level 5, in 1999. This percentage was above national averages when compared with all schools and very high when compared with similar schools. Currently, the work of Year 6 pupils indicates that standards are below those attained by last year’s cohort. However, the Year 6 ‘booster classes’, which have run in the school for several years and which have proved successful in raising standards of attainment, are starting

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again in January. As with Key Stage 1, writing is the weakest of the elements that comprise English, with standards well below those nationally. Standards in reading and speaking are also below average, while in listening they are good.

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4. On entry to the school, attainment is well below that expected of children of a similar age. A higher than average transient population also means that pupils sometimes leave this school before the good standards they achieve can contribute to end of key stage percentages. So, although the standards of attainment remain below national averages at the end of both key stages, pupils make good progress in this school overall. It is very closely linked to the quality of teaching they receive, which, in the vast majority of lessons observed was good or better. Throughout the school, very good progress is made by pupils with special educational needs and by those for whom English is an additional language. This is because the support that these pupils receive is carefully targeted towards their specific needs and is started as soon as a problem is recognised. Higher attaining pupils also make very good progress.

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Earlsmead County Primary School - 37 5. Pupils make good progress in speaking and listening. Listening skills are good throughout the school. In the nursery and the reception classes, children are taught to listen to their teachers and to their classmates, so that, by the time pupils enter Key Stage 1, they are able to listen attentively. This is a skill that serves pupils well throughout the school and as they get older they are able to listen and to concentrate for longer periods of time. This makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Pupils are given very regular opportunities to speak in the classroom. For example, they read their work out to the rest of the class and speak in front of larger audiences too - in assemblies, for example. Despite these opportunities, however, standards in speaking remain low. This is because of two significant weaknesses in particular. Firstly, the breadth of pupils’ vocabulary is limited. A Year 6 pupil, for example, who had

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competently read the words ‘sadly’, ‘cheerful’, ‘hunting’, ‘puzzled’ and ‘content’, knew the meaning of none. The second is the difficulty that many pupils have in finding the right words to explain an idea, or something they know or understand. When this happens, the pupil’s frustration is clear to see. Taking account of the fact that over half of the pupils in school come from homes where English is not the first language, these weaknesses are not surprising. However, there does remain the potential to devise more opportunities for pupils to express their ideas and views at greater length and in a more open-ended context, rather than to read from their own writing or from a prepared script.

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6. Standards in reading have risen rapidly over the last few years and, in nearly all year-groups, continue to rise. Although attainment remains low, the progress which pupils make is good overall and often very good. Despite the improvement, a significant number of Year 2 pupils are falling short of national standards. In Year 6, the most able half of the class are reading at Level 4; none are currently approaching Level 5. While a few more are close to achieving Level 4, a significant minority are working below that level. The school has worked extremely hard to raise standards to their current levels and its strategies have proved, and still are proving, successful. Pupils experiencing difficulties with the early stages of reading are identified before the problem becomes too great and they are given additional, high quality support. This system has recently been improved so the full impact is not yet discernible in

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the standards which pupils attain. In most classrooms, it is difficult to see what more could be done during the school day to raise the standards of reading further. However, the partnership between home and school does not operate as well as it should if pupils are to develop quickly into competent readers. All pupils have the opportunity to take a book home as often as they wish. While some parents support the school by hearing their child read regularly, this is the exception rather than the rule. As a direct result, the potential that exists for pupils to achieve higher standards in reading is not fulfilled. The below average standards that still pertain have a significant and direct impact on the quality of writing of which pupils are capable.

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7. Despite recent and dramatic improvements, standards in writing remain below average in both key stages. However, as with all other areas of English, pupils make good progress overall. In some year- groups, pupils make very good progress, in line with the very high quality teaching they receive. As a result of consistently good teaching throughout the school, the higher attaining pupils in Year 5 are producing writing of commendable quality. One pupil, for example, started a piece of work with ‘Deep in the dusty saffron sand lay a small tomb, forgotten by the people of ancient Egypt’. This indicates that pupils are being taught and encouraged to produce writing of high quality. Currently, however, the majority are not approaching these standards. Although attainment in writing is low throughout the school, there are three stronger elements in the work which pupils produce. Firstly, they are competent

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at spelling. Secondly, their work is generally punctuated well. In Key Stage 1, for example, many pupils are quick to develop a sense of what a sentence is and they place capital letters and full stops accurately in simple sentences. By the time they are in Year 5, many use all basic punctuation conventions correctly, including the speech marks to introduce and to conclude direct speech. Finally, with the exception of the oldest pupils in school, presentation is good. Clearly, there are weaknesses too. Firstly, the vocabulary of a large number of pupils is limited. This is not surprising given the fact that English is a second language for so many but the underdeveloped reading skills and limited opportunities for pupils to talk at length other than by reading are two factors which also have a negative impact. Not unnaturally this leads, too frequently, to short, simple sentences in writing, even at the end of Key Stage

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2. Additionally, pupils do not use figurative language well and the use of imaginative or adventurous vocabulary is not within the repertoire of a large number of pupils. Earlsmead County Primary School - 38 8. Pupils’ response to English is good. They enjoy whole class lessons and are enthusiastic when discussing texts. They are eager to answer straightforward questions and are good at taking their turn and listening while others speak. In a very few instances, pupils become a little restless but this is on the odd occasion when work is uninteresting or too difficult. Pupils move to activities quickly and settle to their tasks without fuss. Most work at a good pace, particularly when the task is suitably challenging, but within their capabilities. They take a pride in the presentation of their work with the result that it is never less than satisfactory and usually good. Pupils are learning to access books and dictionaries and manage their

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9. The quality of teaching is good overall. Of the sixteen lessons observed, the quality of teaching was very good in seven, good in seven, satisfactory in one and unsatisfactory in the one remaining lesson. Where the quality of teaching is good, teachers plan well and explain to pupils what it is that they will be learning during the lesson. Most teachers are skilled at questioning and there is a brisk pace and a sense of urgency to achieve. Teachers are generally lively when telling stories and provide clear explanations for new work. Pupils are managed well. Relationships are very good and staff have high expectations of concentration and behaviour. This makes a positive contribution to pupils’ moral and social development. In the very best lessons, activities are challenging and well matched to pupils’ needs, groups are managed effectively and support staff used to advantage. Classroom resources are all used to

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good effect. Where teaching is satisfactory, the pace slows and the content of the lesson is less inspiring so that, while the planned activities are appropriate for the age and ability of the pupils, the work produced is of lacklustre quality. Where teaching is unsatisfactory it is because the teacher is unclear about what pupils are to learn and the lesson lacks pace and direction. The result is an aimless lesson in which pupils make negligible progress.

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10. The subject has been given high priority by the school since the previous inspection report and the co- ordinator has been effective in providing a clear direction for staff and appropriate training. This includes demonstration lessons. She looks at the quality of pupils’ work on an annual basis and is involved in moderating pupils’ work twice annually. The school has an excellent assessment co- ordinator who moderates standards in English very closely. The senior management team, of which both English and assessment co-ordinators are members, have used - and continue to use - available data to make wise decisions which lead to raised attainment. Literacy makes a positive contribution to the school’s curriculum and literacy skills are developed well through other subjects in the curriculum, particularly history. Information technology is used appropriately in English. Teaching is supported by

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a good range of books and resources. These include texts from a range of different cultures. The library is appropriately stocked but is underused as a resource. 124.

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1. The results of the 1999 national standardised assessments, at the end of Key Stage 1, indicate that the percentage of Year 2 pupils reaching Level 2 or above (77 per cent) was below the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching Level 3 or above (14 per cent) was below average. Overall pupils’ attainment when compared to all schools was below average. In comparison with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds pupils’ performance was above average. Inspection evidence supports the view that the majority are attaining at the national standard, with a number of pupils attaining at the higher level. There has been a significant rise in standards since the last inspection. This includes an improvement from 1998 to 1999 with an increase of 12 per cent of pupils achieving at Level 2 or above.

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2. The results of the 1999 national standardised assessments, at the end of Key Stage 2, indicate that the percentage of Year 6 pupils reaching level 4 or above (64 per cent) was below the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching level 5 or above (25 per cent) was above the national average. Overall, pupils’ attainment when compared to all schools was average. In comparison with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds pupils’ performance was well above average. Inspection evidence supports this view, that the majority are attaining at the national standard, with a number of pupils attaining at the higher level. There has been a significant rise in standards since the last inspection. This includes an improvement from 1998 to 1999 with an increase of 27 per cent of pupils achieving at Level 4 or Earlsmead County Primary School - 39 above and a rise of 10 per cent of pupils achieving at the higher level, Level 5.

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3. The majority of pupils in Year 2 use and apply mathematics in problem solving situations and are developing an appropriate mathematical vocabulary. They are developing confident mental calculation skills. They add and subtract numbers up to and beyond ten, count in twos, fives and tens and are beginning to understand place value to 100. Higher attaining pupils know their number bonds to 20 and place value using hundreds, tens and units. The majority of pupils know the difference between even and odd numbers, and recognise patterns in a series of numbers. They have a sound knowledge of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes, they use the correct language and they can recognise them by their properties.

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4. The majority of pupils in Year 6 are developing their own strategies for problem solving and recording their findings both in working within mathematics and in applying mathematics to practical contexts. Pupils search for patterns and present their findings in a clear and organised way. They have a sound knowledge of mathematical terms, such as ‘mean’ and ‘range’, and can calculate these given a sample of data. The majority of pupils display an understanding of place value in numbers over a 1000. They apply the four rules of number to hundreds, tens and units accurately and use number facts up to 10 x 10. Their knowledge and understanding of fractions, decimals and percentages is generally sound. They collect data on a frequency chart and display it in the form of pie charts and block graphs. Most pupils understand and use simple vocabulary associated with probability.

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5. Pupils’ progress in lessons and over time is good. Pupils in Year 1 made good progress in understanding the different value of coins and ways of combining low value coins to make larger amounts. Pupils in Year 2 made good progress in learning to add ten to different single digit numbers and very good progress in developing their understanding of place value using hundreds, tens and units. In Year 3, pupils made good progress in being able to add two or more two-digit numbers together. In Years 4 and 5 pupils made good progress in developing their problem solving skills. This was further developed in Year 6 where pupils used doubling and other strategies when solving problems using hundreds, tens and units. Throughout both key stages, the majority of pupils make positive gains in understanding and using correct mathematical language and the value of numbers. Pupils with special educational needs and higher attainers are well supported, in and out of the classroom, and they make

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good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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6. Pupils’ attitudes towards this subject are good. The majority of pupils show good application when at work and in class discussions they listen attentively and respond to questions with enthusiasm. They co- operate well on joint tasks and work comfortably on their own when required to do so. They take a pride in their work, presenting it carefully and neatly. Pupils have positive, supportive relationships with each other and their teachers and display a high standard of behaviour. They take responsibility for clearing up after themselves and those with monitorial duties take their responsibilities seriously. Very occasionally the behaviour of pupils deteriorates when the pace of the lesson is too slow and when they are expected spend too much time on the carpet.

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7. Overall, the quality of teaching is good, although it ranges from one unsatisfactory lesson to very good. The most effective teaching is characterised by detailed planning, good subject knowledge, clear exposition, an appropriate focus on the development of technical language and a positive, encouraging approach to the pupils and their learning. In these lessons there is good use of questioning to challenge and deepen the pupils’ understanding, the teacher sets high expectations of the pupils, in regard to their concentration and effort, and there is very good pace. The plenary session is used effectively to assess pupils’ learning and reinforce lesson objectives. In the one lesson that was unsatisfactory the pace of the lesson was too slow and pupils spent too much time on the carpet. Marking is undertaken regularly. In all classes it is supportive; at its best it is a thorough assessment of the pupils’ work and progress and

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provides a clear view of the quality of their work and directions for improvement. Homework in this subject is provided appropriately to support work in the classroom.

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8. There is a clear policy and a sound scheme of work. The school is currently in the process of evaluating their scheme of work against the requirements of the National Numeracy Strategy and making the Earlsmead County Primary School - 40 necessary adjustments to the curriculum. It has responded well in developing provision for the development of numeracy skills. The format of teachers’ weekly planning sheets provides them with a clear structure and provides for mental mathematics and plenary sessions. During the inspection, great emphasis was placed on the mental session with a good range of activities being provided to develop mental arithmetic and promote mathematical thinking. There is good provision throughout the school for pupils to apply their mathematical skills, knowledge and understanding to other areas of the curriculum, such as science, history, geography and music. In a Year 1 science lesson, pupils were

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measuring and estimating using their hands and feet and comparing their results with other groups. In a Year 2 history lesson, pupils were placing objects on a timeline developing a sense of the passing of time. In Year 3, pupils counted the number of drops of water and performed timed experiments during a study on waterproofing. Pupils in Year 4 learn how to use grid references as part of their work on geography. In Year 5, pupils use timelines as part of their study of ancient Egyptians and use thermometers in their science work. Pupils in Year 6 use tree diagrams when sorting animals into different categories. Computers are used to support this area of the curriculum but this part of the school’s work is generally under-developed. 132. 9. The school is committed to raising achievement that is exemplified by its targets that have been set for individuals and cohorts of pupils in each year group for the improvement in standards. This is

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exemplified in much of its work. There are excellent assessment procedures in place for measuring attainment and tracking progress. Excellent use is made of these assessments to inform curriculum planning. Assessments are also made continually by teachers through questioning and through comments being made when marking pupils’ books. Formal assessments are carried out at the end of the key stage. The voluntary National Curriculum tests for Years 3 to 5 are used and the results of all of these are analysed fully; they are used to track the progress of individuals and cohorts and to inform planning. Groups of pupils in Years 2 and 6 are identified to receive extra help prior to National Curriculum tests, to increase their likelihood of achieving Level 2 and Level 4. Lower attaining pupils in Year 2 are given additional support with their mathematics work by the special needs co-ordinator on a numeracy recovery programme. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an

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additional language are provided with very effective additional support. In order to provide a more challenging curriculum, pupils in Years 5 and 6 are set for mathematics. Teachers perform half-termly tests to assess progress towards learning objectives. Daily lessons are evaluated and alterations are made to planning when necessary. Weekly plans are evaluated and commented upon by class teachers. Teachers keep their own records of pupils’ achievements and progress. Formal and informal assessment records are stored in the classrooms and passed on to the next teacher.

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10. This subject is very well led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator. She has had a great influence in its development over recent years. She has worked very hard to develop this subject and prepare staff for the introduction of the Numeracy Strategy. She has been successful in developing assessment and monitoring procedures, which are of excellent quality, to monitor standards and set targets for improvement. She has supported colleagues by organising in-service training, through staff and key stage meetings and on an informal day-to day basis.

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11. The range and quality of resources for teaching this subject are generally good. In lesson time their distribution and storage allows pupils to be independent, choosing the equipment they require.

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1. In the national tests and assessment results in 1999 at Key Stage 1, teacher assessments show that 60 per cent of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 attained Level 2 and 22 per cent reached Level 3. Over the four years 1996 to 1999, attainment in science at the end of Key Stage 2 has risen from 10 per cent of pupils achieving the expected standard and above, to 75 per cent reaching Level 4 and above. There were 43 per cent of pupils attaining Level 5 which is well above the national average. The results of the tests in science are well above those in similar schools.

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2. At the time of the last inspection standards of attainment were reported to be satisfactory at the end of Earlsmead County Primary School - 41 Key Stage 1 and unsatisfactory at the end of Key Stage 2. Inspection evidence indicates a significant improvement in Key Stage 1, where the majority of pupils are at an early stage of learning and speaking English, and a dramatic improvement in Key Stage 2. Standards of attainment are still below average at the end of Key Stage 1 but are now average at the end of Key Stage 2. The school is now carefully monitoring its results so as to identify weaknesses in provision and has introduced a more structured approach to planning the science curriculum since the last inspection. These initiatives, together with improved teaching and the introduction of booster classes, have led to the marked improvement in standards.

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3. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils understand that materials can be twisted, bent, squashed or stretched and that some materials are permanently changed. They describe similarities and differences between materials, such as glass and metal, and investigate the effects of heat on a variety of materials. Pupils are able to record their findings using simple tables, drawings and charts. Scrutiny of previously completed work and teachers’ planning shows that pupils have a simple understanding of classification and describe the basis for grouping animals in terms such as the number of legs or the way in which they travel. They describe the changes that take place as human beings and animals grow and recognise that different living things are found in different places. The majority of pupils have a sound understanding of the functions of some of the organs of the human body, such as the eye and the ear, and compare the

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effects of similar phenomena, such as the colour of lights, or the pitch of sounds. Higher attaining pupils compare the movement of different objects in terms of speed and direction.

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4. By the end of Key Stage 2, written work and observation of lessons show that pupils have a breadth of understanding of all aspects of the programmes of study of the National Curriculum. Within the area of experimental and investigative science, they predict what will happen and understand the concept of a fair test. For example, when Year 5 pupils investigate the insulation properties of different materials, they recognise the need for fair testing and how to vary one factor whilst keeping others the same. Within the area of life processes and living things, pupils identify organs, such as petal, stamen and stigma of different plants observed. They identify major organs of the human body and identify the positions of these organs. Higher attaining pupils recognise that there is a great variety of living things and understand the importance of classification. In their study of materials and their properties, pupils

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describe differences between the properties of different materials and explain how these differences are used to classify substances such as solids, liquids and gases. They use scientific terms, such as evaporation and condensation, to describe changes. Higher attaining pupils have a good understanding of saturation. Pupils use their knowledge about reversible and irreversible changes to make predictions about whether other changes are reversible or not. Higher attaining pupils identify a range of contexts in which changes, such as evaporation or condensation, take place. Within the area of physical processes, pupils correctly describe and explain physical phenomena, such as how a particular device in an electrical circuit may be switched on or off. Pupils of all abilities show a clear understanding of simple electrical circuits. Higher attaining pupils begin to apply ideas about physical processes to

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suggest a variety of ways to make changes, such as altering the current in a circuit. The majority of pupils at the end of the key stage use the idea that light travels to explain phenomena such as the formation of shadows. Higher attaining pupils use models to explain effects that are caused by the movement of the earth, such as the length of a day or year.

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5. Pupils enter the school with well below average attainment and make good progress as they pass through the school. Teachers and support assistants are aware of those pupils with special educational needs and the work planned for them enables them to make very good progress. Consistent teaching ensures the development of skills in considering evidence, drawing conclusions and explaining results in terms of science as they pass through the school. However, higher attaining pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 require further opportunities to demonstrate their ability to conduct the whole process of planning and carrying out an experiment. The difficulties which many pupils experience in English, particularly in Key Stage 1, provide a barrier to their progress in some aspects of science. Teachers and support assistants provide very helpful guidance and clear structures for these pupils to follow, whilst more able

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pupils are encouraged to develop their own independent writing and recording skills.

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6. Pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes to work have a positive impact on the progress they are making in both key stages. They show interest and enthusiasm when the work is of a practical nature. Written Earlsmead County Primary School - 42 work is generally well presented and pupils respond well to high expectations in this area. Very good all-round relationships are evident in lessons. Pupils work well together, taking turns and sharing apparatus. In discussions, most pupils take part willingly and enthusiastically. When working together, they value each other’s contributions and every pupil is made to feel important within the group. They are confident in sharing predictions and answering questions.

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7. The quality of teaching varies from satisfactory to excellent but overall it is good in both key stages. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and provide pupils with a good foundation in science. In the best lessons, teachers have a good ability to ask pertinent questions or give clear explanations, which help pupils to develop scientific understanding. Lessons are always well planned with clear learning intentions and these are appropriately shared with pupils so that they are aware of what they are to learn. Interesting tasks are well chosen with a good balance of information given and opportunities for pupils to find things out for themselves. A very good example of this was seen in a Year 2 lesson where pupils were being challenged to discover that pushes and pulls are examples of forces. Other excellent and very good examples of high quality teaching were observed in Year 5 lessons, where pupils

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were considering reversible and irreversible changes. Teachers used very probing questions to challenge pupils’ understanding and very effectively built on what pupils already knew. In these lessons, teaching and learning is very well supported by the calm, positive learning environment which teachers have established. Throughout the school, pupils are well managed. In the majority of lessons, teachers provide good introductory discussions, recapitulating what pupils have learnt in the previous lessons, and conclude lessons well by reinforcing what has been learnt during the lesson. The pace of most lessons is good and teachers set time targets for pupils to manage their work. Resources are always well prepared and this also helps to ensure well structured lessons.

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8. The recently appointed co-ordinator provides effective leadership. Planning is good, covers National Curriculum requirements and helps to ensure continuity in pupils’ learning as they pass through the school. Assessment procedures are very good and the findings of assessment are well used in planning work for different groups of pupils. The teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is undertaken conscientiously. It depends on the practice of individual teachers and requires careful monitoring. Resources are good, are well managed and are used very efficiently. The subject makes a strong contribution to pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills as well as to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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1. Overall attainment is close to national expectations by the end of Key Stage 1 but is below expectations at Key Stage 2. At both key stages standards have improved since the last inspection. Every member of staff is working hard to develop pupils’ skills but many teachers have only limited previous background knowledge. In Key Stage 1 pupils are now making satisfactory progress but in Key Stage 2 insufficient use of computers year by year has resulted in unsatisfactory progress over time. A shortage of resources results in pupils not reaching expected standards in control technology. Resources are improving in Key Stage 1 in control technology and teachers in Key Stage 2 are using facilities provided by local retail stores in order to improve knowledge and understanding of this curriculum area.

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2. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils follow instructions on the computer, using colour coded keys. With good support from a parent, they type their name and age. They use painting programs with confidence and can save and print their work with help. Scrutiny of work shows pupils have worked with a program to match regular shapes by colour and by counting the number of edges. Pupils use the keyboard well and move the cursor using directional keys to identify selected parts of the screen. Pupils use programs to support their development in reading with good match between the task and pupils’ abilities. Teachers’ assessment indicates a developing range of skills, including good mouse control by average and above average pupils. Earlsmead County Primary School - 43 3. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils easily open programs, restoring files they have saved. They talk readily about procedures, using correct terminology. In reporting a science experiment, a group of

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pupils show good facility with the mouse and use the tool bar competently to change the font, colour and size of text. They import illustrations into text to improve the display, adding visual meaning to their scientific findings. They easily print and present their work, meeting the teacher’s deadlines for its completion .

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4. Progress is satisfactory in Key stage 1. Year 1 pupils have used a drawing program to present a range of shapes, a number showing good mouse control. They are learning to use different fonts, with a suitable range on display. In Key Stage 2, progress has been unsatisfactory over time, with insufficient opportunities to use control and data handling, particularly in the support of other curriculum areas, such as science and geography. Progress is satisfactory in lessons and this is beginning to enable pupils to make more appropriate gains over time. Year 3 edit writing that has been produced in an earlier lesson. They access “Kid Pix” independently to create patterns in a rectangle, using different sizes. In turn groups use a programmable robot machine, giving accurate instructions and estimating length to move the distance required. They program a series of instructions to enable the robot to travel around

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the class to another child. Year 4 make lists for breakfast, creating a border around the finished recipes. They make satisfactory progress in using spreadsheets, understanding the principle of the program for analysing information from both classes. Pupils in Year 5 demonstrate good progress in using the computer for research in history, writing about Egyptian customs and using historical illustrations. Individuals in classes across the key stage use time well in revising mathematical principles, when other work is finished. Although they do not currently have resources to gain first hand experience in control, a number of pupils have produced detailed drawings to illustrate the complex system of stock control, using bar coding in a retail store.

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5. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, have positive attitudes to their work and are well motivated to improve their skills. They listen attentively to instructions and enjoy their work, appreciating the range of programs. They work hard to finish tasks in the given time and are proud of their work when they succeed. The youngest are very keen to learn and listen to adults well. In all classes pupils work well together and are eager to share their personal expertise with others even at the earliest stages. Older pupils are more than willing to try new programs and test their abilities to reason and use skills from one program in another. Pupils are gaining independence and their personal development is good.

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6. Teaching was good in two of the lessons observed but is satisfactory overall. Teachers are very committed to improving standards, improving them from poor since the last inspection. All teachers seen have satisfactory subject knowledge, with realistic expectations for pupils’ progress. A strength of the teaching in Key Stage 1 is the emphasis on independent learning, with preparation of good computer stations to assist pupils. The approach is continued in Key Stage 2, with some very well presented computer stations to foster positive attitudes to independent learning. Teachers are good role models, using technical vocabulary well. Both long and short-term planning is at least satisfactory and improving. Teachers are beginning to increase the range of subject contexts for learning in order to apply skills but this is not sufficiently broad at present, particularly in the use of data handling. In

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classes where parents provide voluntary support, pupils make rapid progress. All staff members work hard to monitor the progress made during the lesson. Whilst there is currently no consistent system for assessing skills, most classes have appropriate records of pupils’ allocation and use of computers and teachers are beginning to use procedures linked to the Quality and Curriculum Assurance scheme of work. Teachers manage the behaviour of pupils very well. They are all making much more efficient use of existing resources than at the last inspection.

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7. Resources are greatly improved since the last inspection but are still no more than satisfactory. The school is waiting for its turn to gain access to the National Grid for Learning. Pupils have been introduced to the power of the computer in commercial applications during visits by pupils in Year 5 to a local supermarket. The co-ordinator is new to the school and therefore is new in post. He is very knowledgeable and is working to create a new scheme of work linked to the Quality and Curriculum Assurance scheme. As the school prepares to implement the new scheme of work, in preparation for the Earlsmead County Primary School - 44 new computers and software ordered for the National Grid for Learning, the co-ordinator, with the headteacher, has planned a programme of in-service training to take place during the coming term. Time and funds have been allocated to address this identified shortfall in the school’s provision for the

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subject. Funds to develop this aspect of the work of the school are held in what appears at first sight to be a generous budget surplus.

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151. By the end of each key stage, pupils’ attainment in religious education is in line with the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus. Work to raise the status of this subject to that of a core subject has been thoroughly undertaken with great success. There has been considerable improvement since the time of the previous inspections.

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1. At Key Stage 1, pupils explore issues of care and responsibility very well. They understand that their actions affect the feelings of others and that everyone has a need to respect beliefs other than their own. They learn about the faiths of Islam and Christianity and about other world faiths, including Judaism, and their traditions. They know a considerable number of stories from Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions, which they enjoy re-telling. Pupils learn about the main features of mosques, temples, synagogues and churches and their significance for worship.

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2. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a sound understanding of the beliefs and practices of Christianity and other religious traditions and can compare these with the rules of life in Islam, Buddhism and Judaism. Pupils talk more fully about their feelings and share experiences. Moral and social issues are explored very fully and pupils consider the effect of their actions and behaviour on others. Pupils are knowledgeable about the rites of passage into adulthood in the Christian and Jewish faiths. Pupils are familiar with the life and work of famous religious figures of the past, including Jesus, Guru Nanak and the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Pupils in Years 5 and 6 begin to express their feelings and use existing knowledge to make well structured reasoned arguments. Skilful teaching encourages them to question texts and resources and to develop their own philosophies.

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3. Pupils of all abilities make consistently good progress in this subject at both key stages. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection. Pupils with special educational needs or those with English as an additional language make progress at a rate that matches their classmates They demonstrate a growing awareness of the spiritual dimension of life and sensitivity to the needs of others. They reflect on spiritual emotions through literature and art. Where teaching is good, pupils make significant gains through well-organised lessons. Moral and social values are embodied in lessons, enhancing pupils’ understanding of the school’s code of behaviour.

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4. Attitudes to learning are positive and the great majority of pupils enjoy their work. They behave well and are beginning to speak more confidently in class discussions, expressing ideas and opinions. This is often undertaken as part of circle time when everyone contributes to the group, confident that they are supported by friends. Some pupils find difficulty in expressing their ideas fully as they lack confidence and do not always know the precise vocabulary but are still willing to try, knowing that they will be helped. Pupils are developing a mature understanding of the needs and feelings of others and listen carefully when classmates take time to describe special events in their lives.

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5. The quality of teaching is good overall. Planning is thorough, with objectives clearly defined. Most teachers are skilled in leading discussions and use challenging questions to extend pupils' thinking. Teachers who are less confident know that colleagues are always ready to offer help in this as in every other subject. Teachers are generally very knowledgeable and are eager to extend their personal knowledge and understanding of a range of beliefs; they plan their lessons well with great sensitivity. They share their own expertise and encourage pupils to reflect on the meanings of well-loved stories. Tasks are well matched to the development and prior attainment of pupils of all abilities, including those new to the school and the language of English and those with special educational needs. Earlsmead County Primary School - 45 6. Procedures for assessment are new. They are simple but effective and include an element of self-

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assessment for pupils at Key Stage 2. Completed work at both key stages is beginning to be used to assess the levels of attainment and reflect the range and scope of work covered. The assessment and evaluation work undertaken is matched to the school’s documentation and to the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. This balance is working well as teachers’ skills and understanding increase.

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7. The policy document and the scheme of work are drawn from the local authority's Agreed Syllabus and work suggested by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and together they provide effectively for the needs of both teachers and pupils. The curricular provision supports progression and continuity in the teaching of skills, knowledge and understanding. Issues raised during discussion time are often linked to social and moral topics and make a significant contribution to religious thinking. Links with literacy are well established. There is a reasonable balance of oral work and consolidation of learning through written work. Pupils sometimes need more time to express themselves more fully orally rather than writing first and then reading out their written work.

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8. With the full support of the knowledgeable subject co-ordinator teachers have collaborated together to develop sections of the planned work to meet their own needs and those of the pupils. There is an increasing level of shared subject knowledge and individual teachers regularly offer guidance and practical support for colleagues. Displays throughout the school create a focus for discussion and reinforce learning. There is a good range of resources, including books and artefacts, which are attractive and command attention. The celebration of a world encompassing many diverse beliefs is managed very well. The school welcomes visitors from local churches and other religious traditions, including those parents who are able to extend learning by sharing their personal knowledge with pupils. 159.

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1. Due to timetabling arrangements, only two art lessons were observed during the period of inspection. Evidence has been drawn from the scrutiny of displays and discussions with teachers, as well as from the two lesson observations. All these indicate that the progress which pupils make is satisfactory overall.

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2. In Key Stage 1, pupils study the work of famous artists and try to copy their painting technique: a group of pupils, for example, paint the Houses of Parliament shrouded in a swirling mist. Others look at the designs of William Morris as well as those on fabric and wrapping paper, before using leaves and printing blocks to produce repeating patterns of their own. Year 2 pupils try their hand at mixing paint to provide a colour that matches their own flesh when they each produce a self-portrait. Large, self- portraits – one of every pupil in the school - make an attractive hall display, entitled ‘Faces of the Millennium’.

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3. Books are used as a stimulus to art-work, ‘The Tortoise’s Dream’, for example, in Year 3. Art is also used to enhance work in other areas of the curriculum. In the same year-group, for example, pupils produce pencil sketches of their school as part of their history topic on the Victorians and Year 5 pupils use gold and silver paint and glitter to illustrate well the richness of ancient Egyptian jewellery. Other pupils in Year 5 produce good quality portraits of King Henry VIII or one of his wives. Year 4 have completed a short topic on Maoris and included some pencil sketches of Maori art and have also looked at - and replicated - some cubism work, having looked at paintings from Picasso in this style.

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4. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Through the study of the work of a range of artists, the subject contributes well to pupils’ cultural development.

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5. Pupils enjoy work in art but do not always concentrate well enough on developing their skills. Some Earlsmead County Primary School - 46 pupils take the opportunity to have a chat with their friends and the painting or shading in which they are engaged becomes a mechanical activity.

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6. The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory. Teachers introduce lessons well and show pupils new techniques – or how to develop those with which they are already familiar. The one weakness in the two lessons observed was the failure to continue to help pupils develop and refine these techniques and skills while they work. Rather, this section of the lesson was used for general supervision and encouragement.

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7. While the curriculum is adequate, there is a tendency, particularly in Key Stage 2, to use art too much in order to illustrate and enhance work in other subjects. There is under-emphasis both on the study of art for its own sake and on the development of specific skills. Although most pupils do have the opportunity to use media other than paint, these are not fully represented over the school as a whole. The scheme of work is satisfactory but the two co-ordinators are aware that it needs further development in order to be a document which supports all staff well in helping them to raise standards in art throughout the school. Assessment folders are kept both in classes and in pupils’ personal files. These are used to monitor the continuity and progression of skills across the curriculum and through the school.

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1. Design and technology has improved since the last inspection. It was possible to observe only one lesson during the inspection and further evidence was gathered by scrutiny of pupils’ work in design folders, products of work on display and discussion with teachers and pupils. The scrutiny and discussions support the judgements made. Pupils reach similar standards to those expected nationally and, in particular, standards in design are most frequently good and have improved significantly.

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2. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and continue to make good progress during Key Stage 2. Year 1 makes a good start in developing ideas for creating patterns for garments through the use of tie- dye. They produce designs they think the process will have created. Year 2 pupils have evaluated the problems associated with building axles and wheels onto cars. Higher attaining pupils have produced good design drawings, annotating design faults and suggesting simple improvements. The majority have produced a suitable range of designs for meeting criteria set by the teacher for making suitable toys. Annotations show pupils have discussed the position of wheels and axles correctly.

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3. In Key Stage 2 Year 4 have developed good practical skills in making shadow puppets, having watched the lighting effects from a puppet from Thailand. Progress is enhanced by good multicultural and literacy links because the teacher has explained the use of intricate puppets to tell traditional stories in other cultures. Design drawings show good three stage plans. Year 5 have made a sarcophagus for an Egyptian mummy and have used saws and glue guns to make attractive cases for Egyptian jewellery as part of their history topic on Egyptian life and customs. They are improving the skills of measuring and using tools during Key Stage 2.

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4. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, enjoy design and technology. They generate good ideas, with support, making plenty of suggestions for alternative ways of doing things, as evident in the scrutiny of design drawings. They gain a good sense of purpose from tasks given. Pupils work well together and relationships are excellent as pupils and teachers discuss the work in hand and make realistic suggestions for how work might be improved. Partially completed work in other classrooms indicates that pupils of all ages benefit from purposeful activity to develop practical skills using tools and materials carefully and safely.

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5. Insufficient evidence from direct teaching was seen to judge the quality of teaching overall. However, the evidence that progress is good in both design and making indicates that it is not less than satisfactory. Teachers have attended in-service training and have gained good subject knowledge of the balance between designing and making, resulting in an improved emphasis on the design process. Good discussion techniques have helped pupils think about the purpose for which structures are made. Earlsmead County Primary School - 47 Teachers have appropriate expectations for pupils working independently, generating effective collaborative work in some classes. Improved planning is beginning to ensure pupils make better progress over time. Good links with history motivate pupils and those with science encourage pupils to apply their knowledge of light and shadows, thereby improving their understanding of scientific

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principles. Teachers assess pupils’ progress informally against a set of agreed criteria and work to ensure a structured development of skills over time. Teachers are creative, generating productive ideas. Time and resources are used well to give pupils sufficient inspiration for their own work. Completed work is assessed by teachers and pupils together and records are kept which enable decisions about new work to be made.

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6. The subject is well co-ordinated and there is a sensible comprehensive scheme of work that offers effective support for all teachers to ensure that planning is purposeful and systematic. There is a practical and manageable method of assessing attainment and progress and ensuring that skills develop in a continuous way. The resources are good in quality and quantity. They are well maintained and readily accessible to all classes.

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1. Owing to timetabling constraints, only one lesson was observed during the inspection. Additional evidence has been gathered from discussions with pupils and teachers as well as from the scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ plans. All this evidence indicates that pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress as they move through the school. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ literacy skills. It also makes a strong contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as they consider and discuss the consequences of human activities on the environment.

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2. At Key Stage 1, in Year 1, pupils are taught to use specific vocabulary such as ‘locality’ and begin to think carefully about the area or ‘locality’ they live in. Year 2 pupils are learning about buildings and other features that make a locality special. They compare their local area to a seaside town and consider what it would be like to live there. Simple mapping skills are developing well at Key Stage 1. Pupils draw a map of their route around the school and identify their local streets and landmarks on maps of the local area. Good use is made of visits to develop pupils’ geographical understanding. For example, Year 2 pupils visit Shoeburyness so as to have first hand experience of a seaside locality.

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3. At Key Stage 2, in Year 3, pupils describe how people can both improve and damage the environment. They have a good understanding of the effects of pollution on the environment and search for clues to discover changes in the environment over time. In the lesson observed in Year 4, pupils reviewed the range of products sold in the local market and made good use of maps to identify the countries of origin of these products. They quickly found Nigeria, Italy, Taiwan, France and China. All pupils in the lesson made good progress in applying their knowledge of mapping. Evidence from the scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ plans show that in Year 5 pupils continue to develop mapping skills when studying Egypt and comparing Cairo to London. They show a good awareness that different places may have both similar and different characteristics and continue to develop skills and sources of evidence to

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respond to a range of geographical questions. By the end of Year 6, pupils recognise and describe human processes and understand how these processes can change features of places. They go on to consider how these changes affect the lives and activities of people living there. Pupils communicate their findings using appropriate vocabulary, such as erosion, crop rotation and cloud formation.

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4. Pupils of all abilities, both boys and girls, enjoy the subject and have good attitudes to their work. In the lesson observed, pupils’ behaved well and worked co-operatively in groups. They appreciate each other’s contributions. The superbly strong relationships that exist give pupils the confidence to contribute their own ideas to class and group discussions. Those pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language contribute fully. Earlsmead County Primary School - 48 5. Teaching in the lesson observed was good. Teachers’ plans and the range of work covered indicate that teachers have good knowledge of the subject and that teaching is good in both key stages. Lesson planning is linked to the scheme of work and tasks are well matched to pupils’ abilities. Teachers make good use of fieldwork in geography; for example, visits to a wildlife conservation area and the

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Edmonton Incinerator. The procedures for assessment are practical and simple, involving collection and moderation of work. Assessment is built into the planning process and is carefully linked to the scheme of work. Planning and teaching are much better than at the time of the last inspection.

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6. The co-ordinator is also responsible for history and there are very effective links between these two subjects. There is a good scheme of work, which is regularly reviewed by the co-ordinator. Within the scheme there are clear priorities for future development. This structure effectively promotes geography throughout the school. Consistency in provision is ensured through effective year group planning as geography rotates with history. Since the last inspection resources have been improved and are now good; they are well managed and teachers and pupils use them efficiently.

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1. The history curriculum is taught in units across the school year so it was not possible to observe the full range of age groups during the inspection week. Therefore, judgements about progress were supplemented by scrutinising work, talking to pupils and teachers, examining plans for the year and looking at pupils’ display work in classrooms.

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2. The position of history in the curriculum is much stronger than it was at the last inspection. The quality of cross-curricular work, where the teaching of history is linked directly to the teaching of other subjects, is good. The school now fulfils National Curriculum requirements. Resources are very good and well used to promote learning. Those pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language are well served. Great care is taken to ensure that these pupils understand the set task and good support is given whilst they are completing it.

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3. Pupils at both Key Stages, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make good progress in history. A conversation with pupils from Year 6 shows a high level of interest and secure attainment. The pupils are proficient in the chronology of world history and recount the biographies of historical figures with little prompting. Time lines, evident in all classrooms, enhance progress as this helps all pupils to set events in the correct historical period. Progress is made more secure by the frequent and stimulating use of artefacts and by the spontaneous links with other subjects. For example, a class in Key Stage 1 place items such as a gas mask and a plastic dial-phone in the correct decade and calculate the difference in time between the two.

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4. At Key Stage 1, pupils talk about the changes which have occurred during their own short lives and are therefore in a strong position to study changes over a longer time period. They study family photographs and discuss the history of their countries of origin. They develop a good historical perspective. They are able to say which came first, the flat iron or the hot water bottle! Pupils place photographs of their teacher in the correct decade and discuss other events of the period. They learn about the Second World War and know about the world leaders of that time. Pupils know about the effect that war has on people’s lives and talk about the feelings of children who were evacuated from London. They begin to understand why people in the past acted differently from those of the present.

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5. At Key Stage 2, pupils begin to develop a sense of chronology and understand that the past can be divided into different and distinctive periods of time. They know about Tudor England and the life of Henry VIII. They name his six wives and describe their fate. They know about life in Victorian times and note the differences in homes, schools and transport. They are astonished by the thought of child chimney sweeps. Older pupils study ancient Egypt and make excellent life size mummies that would be at home in any museum. These pupils skilfully construct their own Egyptian museum including the jewellery of the period and brilliantly made cat-mummies. Pupils also study Black history and know Earlsmead County Primary School - 49 about historical figures such as Mary Seagrove and Martin Luther King. This helps all pupils to develop a broad historical perspective in which ultimately they will be able to locate themselves.

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6. Pupils respond well to history lessons. They respond best when actively engaged, for example, when making objects from the period. They listen well and enjoy a good narrative. Older pupils engage willingly in historical debate and make intelligent and thoughtful contributions. They work well together and are willing to share what they know. Relationships are excellent. Pupils respect different cultures and each other. Pupils celebrate the history of different cultures both intentionally and incidentally as individuals relate work in class to that of their family traditions.

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7. In the lessons observed teaching was good. Lessons are well planned and stories are expressively told. Teachers are confident in their knowledge of history. They set a good range of activities to stimulate the pupils. Teachers link the lessons together well and always check what has been learnt at the end of the lesson. This helps to secure pupils’ progress. Teachers are clear about what the pupils know, understand and can do. This information is used to plan future lessons. Teachers have a good collection of artefacts to support practical work. They use them well to engage the interest of the pupils.

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8. The scheme of work is comprehensive and clear and ensures good progress through the National Curriculum. Assessment is linked to the planning and is an integral part of all sections of work. Resources are very good and well used to support learning. The school arranges visits to places of historical interest and to the British Museum. Local residents visit the school to recount their experiences. The environment in which history is now taught is very positive and conducive to further improvements in attainment.

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1. Music is in a stronger position that at the time of the last report, when it was said to be under- represented in the school curriculum. Pupils now receive a good musical education, particularly in performance skills. Two groups of pupils learn to play the recorder to a high standard and give public performances. Several pupils are taught to play the piano and one gave a spirited performance in assembly during the inspection week. Opportunities to listen to a planned programme of music are not extensive but pupils listen intently when the opportunity is provided. There are more resources than at the last inspection and they are better organised and maintained. Percussion instruments are kept on a music trolley and sometimes have to be moved from room to room by the teacher. Lessons are grouped sensibly to limit any time loss to the minimum and often take place sequentially in the hall.

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2. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make good progress in music at both key stages. The pupils who are taught to play the piano or the recorder make very good progress and read music well. The quality of recorder playing in assembly is very good evidence of the progress made by pupils in acquiring the skills of musicianship. These pupils display good musical discipline and understand the features of ensemble playing.

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3. At Key Stage 1, pupils clap rhythmically calling out their name in time. They listen quietly, eyes closed, to the sounds in the room and then describe them. Pupils are aware that music creates a mood and, in their singing of an African folk song, they demonstrate it. They carefully select and play percussion instruments to accompany their singing, which is expressive and shows an understanding of loud and soft. Pupils count the beats in a bar, rhythmically chanting ‘What’s for dinner?’ in order to add emphasis to the crotchets and quavers!

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4. At Key Stage 2, pupils correctly identify the instruments of the orchestra. Pupils know that they can be used to create different effects. Pupils are familiar with the elements of music and, for example, recognise and talk about pitch and texture. They clap a complex rhythm and provide an answering phrase for the rhythms of others. Older pupils count the beats in the bar and are able to clap a rhythm from notation. They form a balanced group of percussion instruments and recorders under the baton of Earlsmead County Primary School - 50 a pupil to play an Egyptian melody, in which they create just the right atmosphere of charm and mystique!

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5. When given the opportunity pupils at both key stages sing well. They enjoy vigorous action songs. In more reflective songs, the Christmas Song, for example, they convey a strong sense of meaning. They sing in tune, with good expression and phrasing. They place emphases appropriately.

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6. Pupils respond well to music lessons. They anticipate them with pleasure and take a full part. They enjoy singing in assembly. At best, pupils work well together and share their knowledge in preparing for performance. They also respond well to the humour of music, particularly in the action songs. However, they have insufficient opportunities to write down what they know, and therefore do not always secure their learning.

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7. Teaching is always at least satisfactory and in four fifths of the lessons observed it is good or very good. Teaching is shared between a part-time specialist teacher and the classroom teachers. This is a good working arrangement that ensures a satisfactory balance in the range of musical activities. Teachers are confident in their musical knowledge and plan lessons well. They successfully balance creativity and control and allow some scope for older pupils to develop ideas independently. Lessons begin promptly and are activity based, which stimulates the creative impulse. Assessment is in the early stages of development. All teachers have a good working knowledge of what the pupils know, understand and can do and use this to plan the music programme. Teachers use the resources well and pupils have many opportunities to play the instruments. Relationships are good. Pupils and teachers enjoy music together.

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8. Pupils regularly demonstrate their prowess in music at Christmas concerts and summer shows. All kinds of music and dance are welcome and adequately reflect the rich, cultural diversity of the school. The last production, for example, included Turkish songs and Indian dances. Music also forms a substantial part of topic work, for example in year 5, where the music of Ancient Egypt is studied alongside its mathematics, history and geography. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall with a range of instruments available from the cultures represented in the school.

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1. Owing to timetabling arrangements during the inspection, only one lesson was observed in Key Stage 1 and four lessons in Key Stage 2 – 2. two in Year 3 and two in Year 4. There is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on pupils’ progress through both key stages.

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3. Pupils in Year 1 run, twist, leap and land safely. Most can pass a beanbag or large ball to a partner and catch either directly or after a bounce. More than a half can bounce and catch up to twenty times. Pupils in Year 3 jog and run on the spot. They pass a large ball accurately over a short distance. They display sound levels of skill as they throw and catch a large ball. They show an awareness of attack and defence as they dodge, pass and seek to mark their opponent. In Year 4, pupils hop, skip and jump at different heights showing good extension and levels of control. They roll forwards and sideways, linking moves together to form a sequence. There is sound provision for the development of swimming skills and by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, the majority swim for 25 metres and many swim further distances.

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4. Pupils’ attitudes towards this subject ranged from good to satisfactory but were satisfactory overall. In most lessons, pupils are well behaved. They display good relationships by being supportive and appreciative of each other’s performance. They work independently, in pairs and in groups, and collaborate effectively. They have positive attitudes towards this subject and work hard with sustained interest to improve their performance. Earlsmead County Primary School - 51 5. The quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to good but is satisfactory overall. In the good lessons, there is an appropriate warm up and resources are very well organised with a good range of activities being provided. There is a good level of management and control and pupils are well organised. Teachers give clear instructions and intervene at appropriate times to reinforce teaching points. In these lessons teachers give clear demonstrations and use pupils effectively to illustrate good practice. These

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lessons move at a good pace, which maintains the pupils’ interest. Examples of unsatisfactory or challenging behaviour are dealt with appropriately in line with the school’s behaviour policy. Some of the satisfactory lessons lacked pace which caused some pupils to become inattentive.

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6. There is a school policy and outline scheme of work for this subject on which teachers base their medium and short-term planning. Assessment is to be included in the scheme as it is developed but at present, whilst skills are recorded as they are taught, the assessment procedures reflect the work undertaken and not the individual attributes of pupils. The school provides additional training in football and competes against other schools in seven-a-side football competitions and swimming. The provision for after-school sporting activities is limited. The co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and keen to develop this subject further. The provision of resources is satisfactory overall. The school is set in a built up area with no access to playing fields. The playground has been marked out for games. Pupils in Year 6 attend a residential centre where they participate in a range of outdoor pursuits.

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7. The inspection of the school included a focused view of swimming which is reported below. Observations from the one lesson observed and from the arrangements for the teaching of swimming indicate that all pupils will have achieved or exceed the requirements by the end of the key stage.

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8. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their swimming lessons. In the lesson observed the pupils in the beginners group made satisfactory progress. They blew bubbles in the water, and walked forwards and backwards developing confidence in the water. They kicked their legs, with and without floats, and began using their arms to propel themselves along. They made satisfactory progress in improving swimming and water skills. More able pupils made sound progress, swimming on their backs with confidence for 10 metres and more. They developed better leg techniques as they used floats under each arm and then behind their heads. By the end of the lesson, over half of the pupils in the group were swimming 25 metres on their backs.

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9. Pupils enjoy going swimming. They have positive attitudes and respond well to the opportunities provided. They try hard with each activity showing a good level of perseverance and effort. They listen well when instructions are being given and behave sensibly in and around the swimming pool.

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1. During the inspection one lesson was observed; the quality of teaching provided by the qualified swimming instructor was good. She displayed very good subject knowledge as she gave clear instructions and demonstrations. The instructor provided the pupils with a good range of he impact of these changes is that staff members are now responsible more directly to headteacher.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

2. Most of the designated staff are bilingual teachers or language assistants and all of them have had specialist training to work with pupils learning English as an additional language. Mainstream teachers and support staff regularly use their own time to discuss pupils’ needs and progress. This time is given willingly as it enables the specialist teachers to offer more to pupils than if they were working in isolation.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

3. The bilingual classroom assistants and teachers are carrying out invaluable work throughout the school, especially with the youngest children in the nursery and reception classes. The value of these workers to the settling and establishment of routines for three and four year old children is immense. The help provided to pupils by the bilingual personnel during the Literacy Hour enables the majority to make progress with the same speed as all other pupils in the class. The observations and evaluations of pupils’ Earlsmead County Primary School - 52 needs, the preparation for new vocabulary and extended writing activities enable pupils from minority ethnic groups to be fully involved in the learning process.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

4. At the present time, the evaluation of the benefits of the work of teachers from the service in the school, as reflected in the end of key stage results, is undertaken by the school following a set of procedures developed by the staff themselves. These strategies fit well with the assessment strategies used by the school. Support staff encourage parents to develop their children’s first language to include more advanced strategies and skills to reflect deeper thought. They support pupils in their learning of key words required to access the full curriculum by teaching words that are due to be introduced to all pupils in lessons including the Literacy Hour, and specific vocabulary for mathematics, science and history for example. The newly developed monitoring files developed in Year 1 and being evaluated at the present time offer a practical, realistic and manageable way of charting individual pupils’ needs and progress.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

This work includes painstaking monitoring of pupils’ proficiency in academic language. All available data in the teachers’ shared and individual files are maintained meticulously for all pupils, not just those with a first language other than English, and show in detail the work undertaken with individuals and groups. This evaluation of the effect of raising pupils’ standards and meeting agreed targets throughout each term and especially at the end of each key stage is helping teachers and support staff to focus work exactly where it is needed. The benefits of the cost of the support staff are carefully evaluated at the end of each key stage to ensure that attainment is raised because of the success of the intervention.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

5. The school uses the information gathered by the evaluation process in a careful and systematic way in order to ensure that individually matched work for pupils is planned by class teachers with the designated staff. The arrangement is time consuming but during the inspection, as demonstrated in pupils’ work and teachers’ files, it was seen to work well. The pupils receiving support benefit greatly from the extra, carefully matched work designed to extend the range and breadth of the individuals’ vocabulary and the confidence of speaking aloud their personal ideas in front of the class. There is a good match of limited group and individual withdrawal as well as very effective support within the classroom. Since the previous inspection, the service and individual members of staff have worked to develop a process of tracking individuals and groups. This work is now of a very high order and is instrumental in helping to raise standards in subjects across the curriculum.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

6. All teachers set individual targets, which are invariably achieved. Full analysis of attainments achieved by different ethnic groups is now carried out systematically and thoroughly. Every member of staff is committed to the care and the needs of the pupils and works hard alongside class teachers, collaborating and discussing effective ways of supporting the work of the curriculum.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

7. The service within the school is managed very effectively. Through collaborative planning all work is targeted to support the curriculum planned for pupils in every class. Resources are good and match the needs of teachers, individuals and groups. There is an efficient use of time and every member of staff in the service is fully integrated into the life of the school. Pupils know them well, as do many parents. Their work is valued highly by the rest of the school personnel.

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The provision for Pupils learning English as an additional language

8. At the time of the previous inspection the work of section 11 teachers was said to be of good quality but poorly organised. It is now very well organised and of very good quality which enables all the identified pupils to have full access to the curriculum and, when they remain in the school for any length of time, to make gains at the same rate as other pupils. As some pupils who have very little English join the school at different times from other cultures, there are always a few pupils who do not attain the same standards as those who have been in the school for three or more years. However, these pupils also make good progress in relation to their prior attainment at the time of entry. Earlsmead County Primary School - 53 210. PART C:

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INSPECTION EVIDENCE

1. A team of seven inspectors spent a total of 25 inspector days in the school and during the period of the inspection: -

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• .81 lessons or parts of lessons were observed; • .discussions were held with pupils, the staff, governors, parents and friends of the school; • .a sample of 39 individual pupils, as well as further groups of pupils, were heard reading; • .various registration sessions were attended; • .acts of collective worship were attended; • .samples of work from pupils from all classes and subjects were scrutinised; • . a wide range of documentation provided by the school, including the previous inspection report, the action plan, school policies, schemes of work, teachers’ planning and evaluation and assessment files, was examined; • .attendance registers, the records kept on pupils and a sample of their past reports were scrutinised; • .the budget figures and other financial data were analysed; • . a pre-inspection meeting was attended by 33 parents and other discussions were held with other parents during the inspection;

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• . the responses in the 30 parents’ questionnaires were analysed; · the total time spent in classes, discussions with pupils, listening to reading and scrutinising work was 76 hours.

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212. Pupil data Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school’s register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y6 354 4 87 223 Nursery Unit/School 51 0 0 N/A

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213. Qualified teachers (YR – Y6) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 17.8 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 20

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213. Education support staff (YR – Y6) Total number of education support staff: 6 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 135.5 Earlsmead County Primary School - 54 213. Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 25.5

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213. Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit) Total number of education support staff: 1 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 32.5

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£ Total Income 630,662 Total Expenditure 656,511

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Expenditure per pupil 2,063 Balance brought forward from previous year 79,696 Balance carried forward to next year 53,847 Earlsmead County Primary School - 55 215. PARENTAL SURVEY

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INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 47 43 10 0 0

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I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 47 50 3 0 0

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The school handles complaints from parents well 30 47 23 0 0

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The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 40 40 20 0 0

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The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 50 47 3 0 0

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The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 37 53 10 0 0

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The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 37 43 20 0 0

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I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 37 53 10 0 0

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The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 30 60 10 0 0

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The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 43 40 17 0 0

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My child(ren) like(s) school 67 27 3 3 0

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1. A number of parents at the meeting and during the inspection stated that they would welcome a parent teacher association or some similar fund-raising or support group between parents and the school. The relatively small number of families present at the meeting did not, however, truly reflect the entire parent body, many of whom are unfamiliar with the English education system.

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