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102125
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Strengths
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- The governing body is very well organised, through a very effective committee structure and is very well led. p.23
- The excellent response is seen when teaching is excellent, offering pupils stimulating, highly challenging lessons where no time is wasted and teachers’ expectations are high. p.41
- The excellent teaching is characterised by very thorough and detailed planning which ensures an excellent range of activities which fully meet the needs of pupils, very fast pace and a high level of challenge. p.41
- The headteacher has an exceptional understanding of the needs of the school, provides clear direction and is outstandingly well supported by knowledgeable governors and a committed staff. p.7
- The school’s effective implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, very good procedures for monitoring teaching and planning, effective systems for analysing attainment and setting targets and commitment to continued development indicate that it is in an excellent position to secure further improvement. p.24
Concerns
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- In a very few instances teachers did not always maintain consistently firm control in lessons, allowing pupils to call out or behave inappropriately, leading progress to slow a little. p.18
- This represents a considerable improvement over the last inspection report, when this provision was reported as being ‘inadequate’ and was one of the key issues for action. p.20
- Reading is given a high priority, but many pupils, who have poor language skills, do not know what to do when they encounter an unknown word. p.30
- The policy and scheme of work are good overall although there are two weaknesses: there is no food technology at either key stage; and there is limited use of information technology within the subject. p.39
- Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 8.3 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0 Absence National comparative data 0.5 6. p.13
Next steps
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- 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. p.2
- The governors have decided that the deputy headteacher should not have a class responsibility in order to provide continuity in the case of staff absence. p.26
- They understand that it is difficult to adhere to some of these practices and that they must therefore be of great significance to those who do so. p.36
- 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. p.2
- 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. 0171421 6567 Lea Valley Primary School - 3 p.2
- As a result, most teachers do not need to devote an undue amount of time to maintaining discipline during the school day. p.21
What the report dwells on
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Parents & families47
“If behaviour continues to be unacceptable, parents are contacted.” p.21
Anatomy of the report
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- Pages
- 47
- Words of findings
- 23,727
- longer than usual (typical 1049)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 46, typical 45
- Average sentence
- 19 words
- Next steps
- 6
- typical 5
- Hedged sentences
- 8%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Lea Valley Primary School
Reporting inspector: Mrs Christine Huard
p.1
Lea Valley Primary School
Dates of inspection: 15 – 19 November 1999
p.1
Lea Valley 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.
p.1
Lea Valley 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. 0171421 6567 Lea Valley Primary School - 3
p.2
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address: Somerford Grove Tottenham London N17 0PT
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection: March 1995 Lea Valley Primary School - 4
p.3
Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
Mrs Christine Huard, RgI Art Attainment and progress English as an additional language Teaching Efficiency Mrs Jo Philbey, Lay Inspector Attendance Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare Partnership with parents and the community Accommodation Mrs Eileen Chadwick Science Curriculum and assessment Design and technology Physical education Equal opportunities Mrs Joyce Cox English Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Areas of learning for children under five Special educational needs Mr James Howard Mathematics Leadership and management Information technology Music Mrs Patricial Walker Religious education Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development History Staffing and learning resources Geography
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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
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 Lea Valley Primary School - 5
p.4
What the school does well
• . The leadership and management of the school are excellent. The headteacher has an exceptional understanding of the needs of the school, provides clear direction and is outstandingly well supported by knowledgeable governors and a committed staff. • . The quality of teaching is good, overall. It was good or better in three-quarters of the lessons observed and very good or better in about one fifth of lessons. The very best teaching was seen in the Year 6 classes. • . The good teaching enables pupils to make good progress, overall, and very good progress in Year 6, although standards are still below average in mathematics and well below the national average in English and science. • . The school’s system of self-evaluation enables it to identify areas for development especially in regard to standards of achievement. This has already resulted in significant improvements in the results of National
p.7
What the school does well
Curriculum tests in 1999. • . The pupils’ attitudes towards their work are generally very good. They want to learn and persevere with all that they do. Their behaviour is very good both in and out of the classroom. • . Relationships in the school are excellent and this has a major impact on standards. These also contribute to the excellent personal development of the pupils. • . Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is excellent. • . The school makes very good use of its financial, material and human resources in order to provide the best possible learning environment for its pupils in order to raise standards overall.
p.7
What the school does well
· Where the school has weaknesses I. Although the school has significantly improved standards in all subjects, pupils are still attaining results below national averages in English and science, although they are in line with those achieved in similar schools. II. The school’s procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance are unsatisfactory. III. There is not always a class collective act of worship on days when there is no whole-school assembly. IV. Information technology resources are not always used as effectively as they might be. V. There are not enough good quality reference books in the non-fiction library.
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What the school does well
This is a school with many strengths which greatly outnumber the weaknesses. However, the weaknesses will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to the parents or guardians of all pupils in the school.
p.7
What the school does well
· How the school has improved since the last inspection
p.7
What the school does well
The school has improved greatly since the previous inspection. It has addressed most of the weaknesses identified in the inspection of 1995, particularly those in relation to the management of the school, where significant improvements have been made. The governors are appropriately involved in the formulation of the school development plan and in policy decision making processes in the school. They visit the school regularly to monitor developments in terms of new curricular initiatives and cost effectiveness. The monitoring role of subject co-ordinators has been developed and planning and classroom practice are monitored by subject co- ordinators and the headteacher as part of an on-going staff development process. Staff training is carefully linked to school needs and priorities identified in the school development plan. Significant improvements have been made in information technology, although equipment and resources are not always used as effectively as
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What the school does well
they might be. The science curriculum has been developed and standards improved considerably in 1999, particularly in Key Stage 2, with more time being allocated to the subject and a curriculum developed which includes more investigational work. Standards in design and technology and in art have both risen greatly since the last inspection. Curriculum planning is thorough and this extends from the schemes of work through Lea Valley Primary School - 8 medium-term and short-term planning so that a continuous and developmental programme of study is followed in all subject areas. The school has considered the spiritual aspect of the curriculum and pupils now have opportunities for reflection in many areas such as art, music and literacy. However, the school has not fully addressed the issue regarding a daily collective act of worship. While whole-school acts of worship meet statutory requirements, on days when there is no whole-school gathering many classes have no formal act of
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What the school does well
worship. The school has ambitious targets for pupils to achieve higher standards in national tests and has structures in place to help them achieve this. Because of the very strong leadership, commitment of the whole- school community and ‘determination to succeed’ the school has excellent potential to enable it to continue to make further improvements.
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What the school does well
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 E C average C Mathematics D B below average D Science E C well below average E
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similar schools
These results show that although pupils attained results well below national averages in English and science they are about average when compared with the results obtained by pupils from similar schools. Results in mathematics showed a dramatic improvement in 1999 and although pupils obtained results which were below the national average they were above those obtained by pupils in similar schools. The school’s results at Key Stage 2 are adversely affected by the movement out of the area of pupils who are well established, and the movement into the school of children having English as an additional language or social need.
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similar schools
Attainment in information technology is in line with that expected because the pupils receive particularly good teaching in the last two years of their school career.
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similar schools
Attainment in religious education is in line with the standards required by the locally agreed syllabus.
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similar schools
· Teaching in · Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years
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similar schools
English Good Good Good Mathematics Good Good Good Science Good Good Information technology Good Good Religious education Good Good Other subjects Good Good Good
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similar schools
The quality of teaching overall is good. Judgements are based on the evidence of lessons observed and the quality of pupils’ past work. Virtually all the teaching observed was satisfactory or better: 75per cent of teaching was good or better with 22per cent being very good.
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similar schools
Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; Lea Valley Primary School - 9 very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses Lea Valley Primary School - 10 · Other aspects of the school
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Aspect Comment
Behaviour Very good throughout the school
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Aspect Comment
Ethos* Excellent. Pupils have positive attitudes to work, relationships are excellent. The school has a strong commitment to raising standards further and provides an effective learning environment. The whole community lives and works by the school motto of ‘determination to succeed’. Leadership and management Excellent. Very strong and charismatic leadership by the headteacher. Total commitment and support from governors and senior management; clear vision for the school’s further development. Curriculum Broad and well balanced. Good systems for planning and assessment.
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Aspect Comment
Pupils with special educational needs Very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for pupils for whom English as another language. Good support for pupils with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Excellent moral and social development, good spiritual and cultural development. Staffing, resources and accommodation Good overall, lower than average pupil-teacher ratio. Good use made of specialist teachers to support literacy and numeracy. Buildings and grounds are maintained to an excellent standard. Satisfactory level of learning resources. Value for money Very good.
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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
VI. Parents are pleased with the progress their children make and the standards they achieve. VII.The school achieves high standards of good behaviour. VIII. The teachers are highly committed to the school. Their values and attitudes have a positive effect on their children. IX. They find the headteacher very approachable and always available to discuss any problems. X. They are encouraged to play an active part in the life of the school. XI. There were no areas of concern.
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
Parents are strongly supportive of the school and inspectors’ judgements support their views. Lea Valley Primary School - 11 · KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
In the context of the school’s many strengths the governors and headteacher and staff should :
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
XII.Modify the teaching in English and science in order that: -. Pupils can more confidently tackle unknown or unfamiliar vocabulary in their reading. (Paras. 103,104) -. Bilingual pupils can convert their oral knowledge into written recording more competently. (Para.105) -. There is a more balanced coverage of the National Curriculum in science at Key Stage 1. (Paras.119- 129) -. Pupils develop their scientific knowledge and vocabulary on a more systematic basis particularly at Key Stage 1. (paras. 119-129)
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
• .Improve resources for information technology and plan how these may be used most effectively. (Paras. 130,133) • .Improve resources in the non-fiction library. (Paras. 76,110) • .Implement measures to monitor and improve attendance more strenuously. (Para. 58) • .Ensure that the requirements for a daily act of collective are met. (Para. 70) • .Ensure that the statutory requirements related to the governors’ report are met. (Para. 70)
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
1. Lea Valley Primary School is a large primary school with 476 pupils on roll between the ages of three and eleven. Numbers have increased considerably since the time of the last inspection. The school is situated in Tottenham in the Haringey district of Greater London. It serves a wide variety of housing with some owner occupied but mostly Local Authority or housing association property and comprises mainly high rise flats or small terraced properties, with little access to green spaces. There is also a proportion of temporary accommodation in the area where families remain for short periods before being housed permanently elsewhere. Pupils represent a very wide mix of backgrounds, and includes a number of refugees from Kurdistan and Somalia. Overall, the intake is low in social and economic terms. There is a reasonable balance of boys and girls in the school except in Year 5 where there are 12 more boys
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
than girls. There are about 250 pupils from ethnic minority groups and 186 pupils for whom English is not their first language. This is a very high proportion. The percentage (56 per cent) of pupils entitled to free school meals is high when compared to the national average. There are 108 pupils on the register of special educational needs (23 per cent), which is above the national average. Pupils enter the nursery at three years old, and progress to the reception class in the year in which they are five. A significant feature of the school is a high degree of mobility with a high percentage of turnover in pupils in all year groups over the past few years, with the school having no control as to when pupils arrive or when they leave. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is low; more than half the pupils have very limited oracy skills as well as underdeveloped personal and social skills.
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
2. The school has a motto, ‘determination to succeed’. The mission statement ‘To provide the highest possible quality of education in a positive, stimulating environment, in which children can develop personal confidence, co-operation within a community and achieve their full potential,’ is reflected in its aims where high expectations of behaviour, self-esteem and academic expectations are focused upon as well as co-operation between the home and the school. There is an emphasis on building the school as ‘a centre for excellence’.
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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about
3. Implementation of the Numeracy Strategy, and raising attainment in mathematics and literacy, particularly writing, have been identified by the school as key curricular areas for development this year. Lea Valley Primary School - 12 A number of other priorities have also been identified - assessment, implementation of a homework policy, improving the provision for information technology and target setting for pupils. Minor areas for attention are appraisal, early years development, revising the humanities scheme of work, developing information technology in the curriculum, improving attainment in reading and science, religious education and maintenance and improvement of premises.
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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 32 27 59
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Results
Number of pupils Boys 23 22 23 at NC Level 2 or Girls 25 25 27 above Total 48 47 50 Percentage at NC School 79 (55) 75 (57) 84 (54) Level 2 or above National 85 (80) 86 (80) 90 (85)
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Results
4. Teacher Assessments Reading Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 20 20 19 at NC Level 2 or Girls 25 25 25 above Total 45 45 44 Percentage at NC School 76 (54) 76 (57) 75 (56) Level 2 or above National (80) (84) 91 (85) .........................................
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Results
1 Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Lea Valley Primary School - 13 1. Attainment at Key Stage 2
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2
Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 30 27 57
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Results
Number of pupils Boys 18 20 19 at NC Level 4 or Girls 14 21 15 above Total 32 41 34 Percentage at NC School 56 (43) 73 (13) 60 (30) Level 4 or above National 73 (65) 72 (59) 83 (69)
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Results
5. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 16 20 17 at NC Level 4 or Girls 15 21 19 above Total 31 41 35 Percentage at NC School 51 (43) 65 (23) 60 (33) Level 4 or above National (63) (64) (69) .........................................
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Results
Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year
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Results
Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 8.3 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0 Absence National comparative data 0.5 6.
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Results
Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during Number the previous year: Fixed period 2 Permanent 0
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Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 22 Satisfactory or better 99 Less than satisfactory 1 Lea Valley Primary School - 14 8. PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
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Results
8. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL
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Results
1. Pupils’ progress before reaching the age of five, in the development of all the areas of learning for pupils of this age, is good, although when they enter the reception classes levels of achievement are still well below those expected and still very low in language and literacy. By the time pupils attain the age of five standards are still well below those expected, mainly because of the slow development of essential language and literacy skills.
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Results
2. Results of National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science are affected by the significant number of refugee or asylum seeker families in the school, also the number of families who for a variety of reasons are housed in short-term accommodation before being permanently housed elsewhere. As a direct result the school suffers a high turnover of pupils in all year groups, already 10per cent in this current year, with no control over when pupils arrive or leave.
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Results
3. At the end of Key Stage 1, results in the National Curriculum tests for 1999 in English were well below the national average and below the national average in mathematics. When compared to similar schools results in reading and writing are average and above average in mathematics. In English, results were marginally higher for reading than for writing. Teacher assessments were higher than test results in both reading and writing. There was a sharp decline from results in 1995 and over the last three years the results have fluctuated considerably, but the trend has been one of gradual improvement. There was marked improvement in reading, writing and mathematics in 1999. The performance of boys and girls has been similar in reading, although boys’ performance in writing and mathematics has been slightly lower than that of the girls. No significant difference in the performance of boys and girls was observed
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Results
4. At the end of Key Stage 2 results in the national tests in 1999 were well below average in English and science and below average in mathematics. When compared to similar schools results were average in English and science and above average in mathematics. A well below average number of pupils attained the higher Level 5 in English and science and a below average number achieve Level 5 in mathematics. The results show a marked improvement over the previous year, particularly in mathematics and science, where the improvement was above that achieved nationally. Results in the English tests also show an improvement but more in line with the national trend. The overall trend is upwards, although results in 1998 showed a severe decline because of a large influx into the year group of non-English speaking pupils during the end of Year 5 and the start of Year 6. The school’s results at Key Stage 2 are
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Results
also adversely affected by the movement out of the area of pupils who are well established, and the movement into school of children having English as an additional language or social needs.
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Results
5. From an examination of pupils’ work, standards achieved at the end of Year 6 last year were generally below the national expectation in English and science. In mathematics standards were judged to be average. However, although the standard of work of the pupils currently in Year 6 is below what is expected for pupils of their age in English and science, it does not reflect the well below average test results obtained. Pupils show a sound general knowledge and understanding of work being covered for example, when discussing the work of Laurie Lee, using extracts from Cider with Rosie to illustrate points being made. Orally they show good recall. However, the many pupils for whom English is not their first language experience considerable problems when recording spoken into written English.
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Results
6. In English pupils make good progress particularly in reading and writing. The overall standards are adversely affected by high levels of pupil movement in and out of the school and the high number of pupils for whom English is not their first language. In the lessons observed during the inspection pupils usually made good progress, particularly when teaching was stimulating and effective. Lea Valley Primary School - 15 7. In English pupils are most successful in speaking and listening. They are quite confident orally despite having limited vocabulary and language skills. They learn well through discussion activities in English and other subjects, such as science and history. They often show a greater and wider vocabulary orally than in writing. Some higher attaining pupils in Key Stage 1 enjoy reading and show confidence. However, most pupils are hesitant and lack confidence when reading aloud and have few strategies for
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Results
tackling new or unknown vocabulary. Pupils in Year 2 often make very good progress when engaged in shared reading sessions with pupils from Year 6. In Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress. Their skills are increasing, although some older readers are unable to skim and scan texts for information. Pupils’ lack of confidence in reading independently hinders their progress in English and other subjects. Standards are lowest in writing. Very little work of an above average standard was seen during the inspection. The school has worked hard to address the key issue from the previous inspection and standards have improved in the range of written work the pupils produce and in handwriting.
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Results
8. In mathematics, pupils currently in Year 2 are attaining below average standards. However, the standard of work of the pupils currently in Year 6 is in line with what is expected for pupils of their age. Relatively few pupils attain high standards and the work of lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs is well below average. In the lessons seen during the inspection, pupils in both key stages made good progress overall. However, older pupils in Year 6 often made very good progress because the quality of teaching ensured that tasks were always matched well to pupils’ abilities. The evidence of their previously completed work shows that all pupils have made good progress over time. Pupils practise mental mathematics regularly and this helps their progress, particularly with number and in applying those skills.
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Results
9. In science, results of teacher assessment at the end of Key Stage 1 in 1999 were well below average when compared to all schools nationally and below average compared to similar schools. However an above average number of pupils attained Level 3 when compared to results nationally and a well above average number when compared to similar schools. The evidence available during the inspection suggests that these results were generally accurate, although generous with regard to the number of pupils attaining the higher Level 3. Pupils make sound progress through Key Stage 1 and generally achieve standards well below national expectations. Overall, pupils’ progress in Key Stage 2 is good, although attainment is still below that expected. This is particularly aided by some good teaching at the upper end of the key stage which enables pupils to experiment and investigate scientifically and record their work in a variety of ways.
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Results
10. Although pupils have made satisfactory progress in information technology at Key Stage 1, attainment is still below that which is expected because they have had too few opportunities to use computers over the whole range of the required curriculum. Attainment by the end of Year 6 is broadly in line with that expected because pupils make particularly good progress in developing their skills and understanding in Years 5 and 6 by using a range of equipment including digital cameras and scanners. Pupils are making satisfactory progress in religious education in both key stages and attaining standards in line with those required by the agreed syllabus.
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Results
11. In the other areas of the curriculum, pupils make very good progress in art, good progress in design and technology in both key stages and music at Key Stage 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress in history. There was insufficient evidence available during the inspection to make overall judgements about progress made in geography, music at Key Stage 1 and physical education, although pupils make very good progress with their swimming.
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Results
12. Pupils with special educational needs attain standards which are in line with their prior attainment. In all classes, work is well matched to their needs and they receive good quality support. When pupils are withdrawn from lessons to work in small groups, work is also well matched to their needs. This was not considered to be the case in the last inspection and the co-ordinator has worked hard to remedy this by specifically identifying pupils’ learning difficulties. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. Pupils with special needs who have statements are usually well supported and make good progress. Pupils for whom English is an additional Lea Valley Primary School - 16 language make good progress because of carefully targeted and focused support. This support occurs not only during the literacy hour but is also available for other subject areas such as history.
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Results
20. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development
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Results
13. Children under the age of five in the nursery and in the reception classes have very good attitudes to their work and their behaviour is very good. Despite their very limited communication skills, they are learning to work, play and co-operate with other children very well because interesting activities are provided for them by the dedicated and hard working early years staff. They sustain concentration for increasingly longer periods of time and can sit very quietly when appropriate. They are learning to select and use resources independently.
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Results
14. Pupils in both key stages have very good attitudes to work and the people around them. They show an extremely positive approach to lessons and enjoy being in school. They appreciate the efforts of the staff in providing a very caring environment in which they feel valued. Pupils listen very carefully to instructions, are interested in their work and show a determination to do well. Although the majority of pupils come from homes where English is not the first language and almost a third of the pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs, they answer questions confidently and join in discussions eagerly, offering their own ideas and listening very carefully to those of others. For instance, pupils in Year 6 shared ideas extremely well when discussing Islamic celebrations. They listened with fascination to two pupils’ accounts of their Islamic faith and were transfixed when the Qu’ran was
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Results
produced from its special bag. Pupils can work independently and are proud of their achievements. They demonstrate a “reverence for learning.”
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Results
15. All pupils persevere and complete tasks and all pupils take care and pride with handwriting and presentation when completing work. Pupils with special educational needs have very good attitudes to their learning, as do bilingual pupils. They concentrate well, work hard and respond positively, particularly when working with the support staff.
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Results
16. Pupils’ behaviour is very good. They accept and understand the need for rules and are always courteous, polite and helpful. For instance, Year 6 pupils were very keen to explain aspects of school life to inspectors and clearly stated the need for sanctions and rewards. All pupils enjoy working hard for rewards such as smiley faces, stickers and certificates and recognise the detention room as a fair deterrent. A significant factor in this very good behaviour is the school’s behaviour policy, which is consistently applied by all the school staff. Pupils know that they will always be treated fairly. Pupils behave very sensibly in assemblies and at lunchtimes. The Year 6 pupils are extremely good role models for younger pupils, as they exhibit excellent self-discipline. Parents at the parents’ meeting felt that standards of behaviour are high and that pupils are very polite. Although there were two exclusions last
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Results
year there had been no exclusions in the previous ten years.
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Results
17. Relationships are excellent, showing high levels of respect between adults and pupils. Attitudes adopted towards pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are helpful and supportive. The school has a very happy and caring atmosphere. There is evidence of mutual trust, respect and empathy. The staff provide excellent role models for relationships as they work together very well in a calm, purposeful and well ordered community. There is a high degree of friendship and harmony between pupils from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The school welcomes its ethnic diversity and celebrates it in many ways. These harmonious relationships underpin the work of the school and have a significant impact on the attitudes and behaviour of all the pupils, which in turn positively affects progress made in lessons.
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Results
18. The personal development of the pupils is excellent. They show high levels of respect for the views and feelings of others. Pupils take responsibility for their own actions and are keen to fulfil the routine duties in their classrooms. In addition, Year 6 pupils take their responsibilities as monitors very seriously and are a tremendous help to the staff in ensuring that the school routines run smoothly. In Lea Valley Primary School - 17 addition they assist the younger pupils with their reading during shared reading time. The Year 6 pupils maturely and sensitively listen to younger pupils read and then question them about the text, which raises attainment and accelerates progress. All pupils recognise and increasingly understand the diversity of beliefs, attitudes and social and cultural traditions within their own school.
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Results
19. Attendance rate at the school for 1997/8 was 91.7% and satisfactory, although below the national average of 93.8%. The previous inspection reported attendance levels as high, being over 90%. Attendance figures have improved during the past year. The school ensures that lessons begin on time in the morning and afternoon and registration takes place promptly at the beginning of each session. Parents are reminded in newsletters of the importance of punctuality and the headteacher often supervises the arrival of pupils into school. As a result most pupils arrive at school on time. This good practice contributes positively to pupils’ attainment and progress. 27.
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20. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school with some very good teaching at the end of Key Stage 2. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection when teaching was judged to be sound but with wide variations, particularly in Key Stage 2. Notable improvements have been made in teachers’ subject knowledge and the provision of tasks that are appropriately matched to pupils’ needs and abilities, particularly in relation to bilingual pupils. In the lessons seen 99 per cent of teaching was judged to be at least satisfactory. In almost three-quarters of the lessons teaching was good or very good and two excellent lessons were observed. Examination of pupils’ previous work confirmed the judgements made.
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21. In English and mathematics the quality of teaching is good in both key stages. The teaching of science, information technology and history is sound at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Teaching of art is very good throughout the school and represents a significant improvement from the last inspection. In design and technology, physical education and music the quality of teaching observed was good. Teaching of religious education was satisfactory. No lessons were observed in geography as it was not being taught at the time of the inspection.
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22. Teachers generally have a secure subject knowledge of the subjects they teach and some individual teachers have particular strengths in specific subjects; for example, music, design and technology and art. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding have improved in information technology and some teachers, particularly those in Years 5 and 6, show great confidence and a good understanding for integrating computer based activities into a lesson. However, inappropriate equipment sometimes makes teaching skills to a whole class impractical. Teachers are particularly secure in the teaching of literacy and show a good understanding of the Numeracy Strategy, which is being very effectively implemented.
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23. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and involvement are high throughout the school. High expectations of the standard of work are evident in all classes. Teachers motivate the pupils successfully to work extremely hard and achieve their best. In literacy, for example, teachers often take care to select tasks and texts which have a relevance and are of interest to the pupils. Teachers' planning is generally good and tasks are appropriately set to match pupils’ needs. Where practice is especially good, planning builds effectively on earlier work and promotes progress for all pupils. Teachers generally identify clear and specific learning outcomes for each lesson, which are made clear to the pupils. This enables the lesson to maintain a clear focus and allows teachers to measure the progress made more easily. This was particularly evident in many literacy sessions. Lea Valley Primary School - 18
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24. The methods and organisation used by teachers are good in most classes. Strengths include clear explanations and carefully structured discussions that incorporate good questioning for example, when discussing different styles of poetry in Year 5. Pupils are encouraged to show independence when necessary but also to collaborate when appropriate; this is particularly successful in information technology, design and technology and practical science lessons. An appropriate balance of whole-class and group activities is maintained throughout the school and teachers make effective use of both introductory and plenary sessions in lessons.
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25. Behaviour is managed very well and, in the overwhelming majority of lessons in both key stages, a calm, orderly atmosphere is established which enables all pupils to concentrate well. Relationships with pupils are excellent throughout the school and this has a significant impact on the quality of teaching. Teachers have clear, well-established ground rules; they value pupils’ contributions, and give positive praise when appropriate. In a very few instances teachers did not always maintain consistently firm control in lessons, allowing pupils to call out or behave inappropriately, leading progress to slow a little.
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26. Practical resources for learning are prepared well and used effectively to support teaching throughout the school. Meticulous preparation in some particularly successful lessons in art and design and technology in Years 3 and 4 contributed to the smooth running of the activities. Lessons move at a brisk pace and much is achieved in the available time. Whole-class mental arithmetic sessions in mathematics lessons, for example, move at a brisk pace and pupils respond positively to the challenge of ‘keeping up’, for example when using multiplication tables to help solve problems. Time in each element of the literacy hour is used effectively and introductions and plenaries are well timed.
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27. Teachers’ day-to-day assessments are a particular strength. Plenary sessions are well used to evaluate progress against the learning objectives of the lesson. Plenary discussions occur mainly at the end, but also where appropriate, at different times during lessons in order for teachers to make specific teaching points. This occurred very effectively during a Year 5 lesson on writing book reviews where the teacher was able to establish what the pupils had understood in paired discussions and how this could develop when pupils progressed to recording their views. In some lessons teachers could give accurate feedback while probing pupils’ understanding in discussions; this was particularly evident in design and technology and art lessons. The marking of pupils’ work is effective, providing pupils with notes as to what they have done well and how they can improve. Lessons are evaluated and subsequent lessons
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28. There is detailed and well-planned programme of homework for all classes. Teachers in both key stages make regular and effective use of homework to consolidate or extend work in many subjects. The school also runs a homework club where work can be completed and pupils respond positively to this.
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29. Teachers are very aware of pupils’ individual needs in their classes and they work very well with the special educational needs co-ordinator and the support staff to ensure that pupils’ work is well matched to the targets set in individual education plans. The special needs support assistants working with pupils who have statements are experienced, supportive and encouraging, which helps pupils gain confidence in their own abilities and accelerates their progress. Pupils for whom English is not their first language receive good, well-directed support both in class and, where appropriate, individually. Teachers plan successfully and organise lessons to ensure that pupils have equal access to all activities.
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30. Since the last inspection the school has made good progress in addressing the key issue concerned with improving the framework for curricular planning, including the need to improve shorter-term planning across the school. Lea Valley Primary School - 19 31. The curriculum for children under five is good and allows them to make good progress. For others, the school offers a broad curriculum covering all National Curriculum and foundation subjects. It meets the requirements for teaching the agreed syllabus in religious education. The curriculum enables pupils to make good progress and strengthens their very good personal development. There is a very strong emphasis on the core subjects of English and mathematics, with additional time being allocated for English activities to support other elements of the subject such as extended writing. This is appropriate, and standards are rising in reading, writing and numeracy. The school has welcomed the introduction of
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the literacy and numeracy hours and has planned very well for their implementation. Time spent on developing literacy and numeracy is well used and the strategies are successfully implemented through the school.
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32. The time allocated for science at Key Stage 2 is high and the curriculum is of good quality and well planned. However, in Key Stage 1 too little time is devoted to developing pupils’ investigative skills, leading to uneven progress being made. Time allocations to information technology are below average for each pupil, owing to the limited number of computers available for pupils to use at any one time. Time devoted to religious education is satisfactory.
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33. Since the last inspection, the school has devised high quality schemes of work that are successfully used for all other planning. Medium-term and short-term planning are good, overall, and enable teachers to plan well for the range of pupils’ attainment. However, there are some inconsistencies in planning for higher attaining pupils to achieve higher levels in science at Key Stage 2. This causes their progress to slow in a few lessons in Key Stage 2.
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34. The school makes very effective use of curriculum time when teaching topics which cross subject barriers. Time is particularly well used, when, for example, science, art and mathematics are applied to design and technology. This is exemplified in Year 2 when pupils design and make homes for different climates, in Year 4 when pupils design and make bridges and in Year 6 when pupils undertake textile work which links art with design and technology. Projects are relevant to pupils as they enable pupils to learn by solving problems, through practical work and through opportunities for them to develop their subject vocabulary through working in groups.
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35. Curricular planning is good. Year group teams plan together on a half-termly and weekly basis. This ensures consistency between different classes in the same year group. Planning is effectively monitored by the subject co-ordinators, to ensure progression and consistency of approach. The literacy hour is fully established and supports good language development in all subjects across the school. The school is rightly ensuring that additional time is provided for additional English activities. The implementation of the Numeracy Strategy has been very successful. The setting of pupils in ability groups for the teaching of both English and mathematics has a significant effect on the rate of progress made and on standards of attainment in these subjects.
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36. The school has a very good policy for personal, social and health education and makes appropriate provision which includes sex and drugs education. All adults in the school support children's personal development through consideration and respect for each other. The school council, which inspectors discussed with pupils as it is temporarily in abeyance, also supports pupils’ personal development and is valued highly by them.
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37. The school places much emphasis on swimming provision. Pupils attend swimming classes within the normal curriculum in Years 4, 5 and 6. There is also specialist provision for cricket coaching in Year 6 within the normal curriculum. The school makes very good use of specialists in science and design and technology. Year 6 pupils undertake a design and technology project at the local secondary school in the term before they transfer to secondary school. This project not only extends their experience further but prepares pupils very well for their transfer to secondary school. The school enters a problem solving challenge organised by the Business Partnership for Schools to encourage the application of scientific knowledge to real problems. Lea Valley Primary School - 20 38. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The provision for pupils with educational needs is very good. At the time of the last inspection provision was considered to be good. Since then the whole
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school, spearheaded by the co-ordinator, has worked very hard to further improve the provision for the large number of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils with special educational needs receive a broad and well-balanced curriculum. Individual education plans are written well and contain specific targets for pupils to achieve and learning is built on step by step. Work for bilingual pupils is appropriate and is well matched to pupils’ needs during specialist time and in class lessons.
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39. Extra-curricular provision includes choir, recorders, football and a homework club. The composing club has participated in the ‘Voices of Promise’ competition and reached the final stages. The Heartstone Club includes cultural and racial issues in its brief. Many pupils participate in these activities and the quality of provision for them is good.
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40. The school has good procedures for assessing pupils’ work and uses them well to plan future activities. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The baseline assessments of the under fives are done carefully and provide helpful pictures of children's attainments. They are used very well by teachers in making informed choices of tasks, and to make a smooth introduction to Key Stage 1. Termly assessments are made in each year group, which give an on-going picture of pupils’ progress. The school effectively uses the Qualification, Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s systems for end- of-year assessments in English and mathematics in Years 3, 4 and 5 for measuring standards achieved by pupils and judging the progress they are making.
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41. The school uses the results of its assessments very well, especially when deciding the composition of ability sets when planning literacy and numeracy provision in Years 2 and 6. The school makes very good use of assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading, writing, spelling and science for planning pupils’ work in Year 3 in order to ensure that pupils make good progress. The school sets targets for each pupil and pupils’ progress towards these is regularly monitored. The school’s arrangements for assessing science are satisfactory at present and new assessment systems are currently being produced. Since the last inspection the school has made good progress in improving its assessment systems for literacy and numeracy and the necessity to give these subjects high priority. Assessment in the foundation subjects is more informal but is effective. Staff keep their own individual records of pupils’
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49. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
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42. Provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is very good overall. The provision for pupils moral and social development is excellent whilst that for their spiritual and cultural development is good.
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43. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. This represents a considerable improvement over the last inspection report, when this provision was reported as being ‘inadequate’ and was one of the key issues for action. Assemblies, whether for the whole school or for key stages, make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Teachers use imaginative devices to enable pupils to appreciate the special nature of the themes being presented; for example, ‘bubbles’ are used to represent the fragile and ephemeral nature of promises and time is given for pupils to reflect in silence on what they have heard and seen. The quality of class assemblies is very variable and pupils do not have the same opportunities to increase their spiritual awareness on these occasions. In lessons pupils are often given specific opportunities to reflect on the special nature of what they are learning; for
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example, in a lesson on Muslim prayer pupils were asked to reflect in silence on places which induce in them a feeling of particular calm and peace. Pupils frequently experience a sense of inspiration and the excitement of new discovery in lessons. For example, pupils showed amazement at the power of information technology to hugely enlarge font sizes at the touch of a button and in an art lesson they were inspired by a Picasso painting to comment sensitively and enthusiastically. The residential trip to an area of magnificent natural beauty in Wales inspired many pupils in Year 6 to write very convincingly and movingly of their sense of awe at an environment very different from the one in which Lea Valley Primary School - 21 they live.
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44. Provision for the moral development of pupils is excellent. There is a comprehensive behaviour policy which specifies the behaviour which is expected in a variety of situations and this is complemented by an equal opportunities policy which places emphasis on pupils taking responsibility for the well-being of others. There is a very effective emphasis on reward for good behaviour; and pupils who experience behaviour difficulties are able to measure their own improvement as they earn recognition for it. There is also a high profile system of sanctions, especially the lunchtime detention which demonstrates, to all that unacceptable behaviour is not tolerated. Pupils devise their own additional rules for individual classrooms and are encouraged to reflect on how their behaviour could effect others. All adults working in the school present excellent role models of fairness, tolerance, kindness and good humour, and pupils,
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especially the older ones, provide very good role models for one another.
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45. Provision for the social development of pupils is also excellent. There are extensive opportunities for pupils to work together in small and larger groups and to depend on one another to play their parts in a team effort. Older pupils are given considerable responsibility for the welfare and behaviour of younger pupils by acting as ‘helpers’ and by acting as reading mentors in the shared reading scheme. Pupils are expected to take these quite considerable responsibilities seriously and they respond to them very well. There is a school council, which was temporarily in abeyance during the period of the inspection. However, it is clear that this has made a considerable impact on pupils, who speak of it favourably and have a clear idea of how it functions. Additionally, pupils raise commendable sums for charities such as hearing dogs for the deaf, and in this way develop an understanding of the differing needs of other
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groups in society. The residential trip in Year 6 offers pupils the opportunity to live at close quarters with a wide range of people in a situation which is very new for most of them.
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46. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to develop their knowledge and appreciation of their own and other cultures. A range of visits out of school takes place for example, to museums and to the ‘Science and technology in the community project’. Pupils from the school have taken part in the ‘Voices of Promise’ choir competition, and reached the final stages of this. As a result they have been selected to perform in a theatre concert. Visitors to the school have included a book illustrator and a theatre group. Pupils have the opportunity to study musical instruments from around the world and to experience a wide range of art which extends beyond what is renowned in western European culture and includes, for example, batik and African masks. Pupils celebrate the festivals of a range of religious faiths. However, no visits are made to local places of worship and representatives of different religious
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54. 54. Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare
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47. The school’s provision for the support, guidance and welfare of its pupils is good, overall, with some very good features. This good provision has been maintained since the last inspection. The school provides a secure and calm environment that has a warm and friendly atmosphere and pupils are happy to come to school. Relationships between pupils and staff are very good and pupils turn readily and with confidence to their teachers, classroom assistants and lunchtime supervisors for help and guidance when needed.
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48. Procedures for monitoring progress and personal development are very good. Suitable assessments are made of attainments in all subjects. Good quality records are kept of pupils’ reading both at home and in school. Emphasis is given to supporting pupils’ personal development and class teachers know their pupils very well. Good use is made of circle time to raise the self-esteem and confidence of pupils. Homework is regularly set and completed in all classes.
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49. The procedures for promoting discipline and good behaviour are very good and have improved since the last inspection. Class rules are displayed in most classrooms. Pupils take pride in receiving ‘smiley faces’ for good work or behaviour and the opportunity to receive a certificate at the Friday Sharing Lea Valley Primary School - 22 Assembly. Class teachers have also devised additional rewards to encourage pupils. Most pupils understand that good behaviour is expected at all times. As a result, most teachers do not need to devote an undue amount of time to maintaining discipline during the school day. Pupils who misbehave during lunchtime accept that they will be sent into the detention room. If behaviour continues to be unacceptable, parents are contacted. There was no evidence of any bullying taking place during the inspection. The school’s policy, agreed by pupils and parents, is unequivocal and agrees that should any
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bullying occur the headteacher is informed and the problem is dealt with immediately.
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50. Registration of pupils is conducted efficiently. The school has sound formal procedures to monitor pupils’ absence and ensure that unauthorised absence is kept to a minimum. However, these procedures are not being implemented which is unsatisfactory. The school does not have a computerised registration system.
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51. The school’s procedures for ensuring the well-being, health and safety of pupils are very good. There are clear policies to support health and safety in school and great care is taken to ensure the medical well-being of the pupils. There are two qualified welfare assistants who are available to deal with sick or distressed pupils throughout the school day. The headteacher is always on duty at lunchtime to maintain good behaviour and ensure that pupils are well cared for. The headteacher is the designated person responsible for child protection and has been fully trained. Child protection procedures are well understood by all staff. The headteacher endeavours to ensure that social services are committed when a concern presents itself. This particular area within the school is strength. The site manager is vigilant in ensuring that the school is a safe place and consequently there are no safety issues.
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52. Pupils with special educational needs receive good quality support from the classroom support assistants, and the special educational needs co-ordinator. Teachers and support staff are vigilant when monitoring the academic progress of pupils with special educational needs. There are very good links with other agencies, such as the behavioural support team and the learning support team, and the school ensures that pupils’ needs are assessed regularly by the educational psychologist. The speech and language service is unable to support schools in the area, which impairs the progress of pupils with speech and language difficulties. The co-ordinator is vigilant in ensuring that pupils receive all additional specialist support they require for example, occupational therapy. Bilingual pupils also receive good quality support and the school ensures that they receive relevant and consistent help.
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60. Partnership with parents and the community
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53. Partnership between the school and parents is good. The school recognises that home-school liaison is most important and great efforts have been made to maintain the good links found during the last inspection. Parents hold the school in high regard. They report that relationships between the school and parents are good and value the provision made for them by the school.
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54. The quality of information provided for parents is good. The building of good relationships with parents commences before children enter school. All parents are invited to meet the headteacher for private discussions and a tour of the school. The school presents itself in a comprehensive prospectus that is clear for all to understand. The annual governors’ report to parents is also informative. Parents are most appreciative of the regular newsletters that keep them in touch with information of school events and activities. At the beginning of each school year parents receive detailed fact sheets advising them about what their children will be learning in the classroom, homework details, and how parents can help at home. The school tries hard to ensure that non-English speaking parents are made aware of the contents of all news and class letters. The school held two curriculum meetings for parents to raise awareness of
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the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Both meetings were well supported. Parents are invited to discuss their children’s progress with class teachers at formal consultation evenings held each term. Parents are grateful for the clarity of their children’s annual reports which are timed to coincide with the summer consultation evening. For those pupils with special educational needs parents receive early notification of their children’s needs and are kept fully informed from stage two of the Code of Practice. Regular meetings are held, to ensure that parents are aware of all aspects of their children’s needs, and are Lea Valley Primary School - 23 encouraged to be fully involved in their learning.
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55. Parents’ involvement in school is good and they are made to feel most welcome. Parents are now being asked to enter into a home-school agreement. The school appreciates the parents, and a regular volunteer who give their time willingly to help in school, assisting with reading, swimming, art work and outside visits. There is a successful home-school reading scheme in which all parents are actively encouraged to participate. The school welcomes many parents who support class assemblies. The school has a high proportion of Turkish pupils and a number of their parents recently held an successful informal coffee morning in the designated ‘parents’ room’ which helped to familiarise them with the school and its environs. The recently formed Parent School Association has a small number of dedicated and enthusiastic parents. Their meetings are open to any parents who wish to attend. The association has
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organised social evenings, cake stalls and a Christmas disco. Parents have been consulted as to how they would like the funds raised from these events to be used: as a result, the school will purchase new books. Parents also run extra-curricular activities such as the football club, which is enjoyed by both boys and girls.
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56. The curriculum is enriched by the school’s satisfactory links with the community. Good use is made of the local environment to support the curriculum, including visits to the local town, library and museum. The school has been involved in work with Junior Citizens, Haringey Sports and the Metropolitan Police. The school choir is, at present, involved in the ‘Voices of Promise’ song composing competition. Fund raising events are organised regularly for a variety of charities including Age Concern and Dr. Barnado’s. The school’s links with local business is limited.
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64. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL
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65. The leadership and management of the school are excellent. This represents a very significant improvement since the time of the last inspection. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and contributes great energy to any initiatives that the school undertakes. He works very closely with the acting deputy headteacher. They work together most effectively, and set the tone for the school’s positive learning atmosphere and sense of community . Together, they give clear educational direction and place great emphasis on setting high standards and providing an environment where all pupils make good progress. With the support of governors and a strong staff team, they have successfully developed and improved the quality of education that the school provides. Effective leadership and management are evident in the successful implementation of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy, the
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monitoring of teaching and pupils’ attainment to ensure high quality, and in the thorough analysis of the school’s performance in order to set targets for the future.
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57. The governing body is very well organised, through a very effective committee structure and is very well led. The chair of governors is committed to the school, has clear knowledge of the role and responsibilities of the governing body and has a good understanding of all areas of school life. He is well supported by members of the governing body, who have an outstanding commitment to the school. They take an active role in all aspects of school life and its development. They also remain sensitive to the concerns of the parents and the wider community. Governors, visits to the school have a clear focus and they demonstrate their clear understanding of their strategic role in monitoring. The governing body is suitably concentrated on the important issues of standards, pupils’ progress and ensuring value for money.
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58. Co-ordinators make very effective contributions to the development of their subjects. This marks a further significant improvement since the time of the last inspection. They review policy and resources, provide guidance to other staff and monitor teachers’ planning. All co-ordinators have produced action plans for their subjects, outlining the planned development of the subject. This commitment to continued improvement is a major factor in the good progress that is achieved in most subjects. The staff Lea Valley Primary School - 24 work very well together, sharing ideas and supporting one another. There is very good management and administration of the provision for pupils with special educational needs. The special educational needs co-ordinator is very experienced, caring, and hard working, and understands pupils’ individual needs very well. He competently and sensitively organises the classroom support staff and liaises with the
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teachers. The co-ordinator monitors the teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs and reports termly to the governing body.
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59. The school has clear aims and values, which are consistently reflected in the school’s policies and practice. There is an excellent ethos, pursuing high standards across a broad and interesting curriculum and encouraging enjoyment in learning. This positive ethos is also reflected in the excellent relationships and a strong commitment to providing equal opportunity for all pupils to make progress. The enthusiasm and hard work of the teaching and support staff create an interesting and stimulating environment for the pupils.
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60. The school makes excellent plans for its future development. The action plans prepared by the subject co-ordinators are discussed and appraised to produce a school development plan. This clearly identifies appropriate priorities, costs them, includes a realistic timescale and sets out criteria by which the success of the individual initiatives will be judged. The school is prepared to try new initiatives to raise standards. ‘Setting’, whereby classes are taught in groups based on their attainment, has been introduced for some lessons in English and mathematics in Years 2 and 6. This has already had a positive impact on attainment and progress. In a further attempt to improve the end of key stage test results the school introduced a ‘homework club’ which provided extra teaching on four nights a week.
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61. The school complies with all statutory requirements apart from some omissions from the governors’ annual report to parents and in providing a daily act of collective worship. On days when there is no whole-school assembly, class assemblies do not always take place. The governing body’s annual report to parents does not publish information about the funding allocated to special educational needs, nor does it inform parents how they may make complaints.
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62. The school’s leadership and management have systematically addressed most of the key issues raised in the last inspection report in order to secure improvement. The headteacher, senior management team and governors have worked hard to raise standards, and has developed good systems to ensure full implementation of the National Curriculum and to develop the strategic roles of the subject co-ordinators and governors. Strategies have been devised to build on the school’s existing strengths and to assist teachers’ professional development. The school’s effective implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, very good procedures for monitoring teaching and planning, effective systems for analysing attainment and setting targets and commitment to continued development indicate that it is in an excellent position to secure further improvement. Lea Valley Primary School - 25 71. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources
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63. There is very good provision of teaching staff with the appropriate qualifications, knowledge and experience to meet the demands of the National Curriculum and the needs of children under five. This represents considerable improvement since the last inspection, when the number of teachers was judged to be merely adequate. All staff are qualified in the primary phase of education and there is a good match of initial qualification to specific subject responsibility. Several members of staff do not have specific class teaching responsibilities and they are very effective in providing a range of specialist support and in giving pupils continuity of teaching when staff are absent. There is a good number of classroom assistants, welfare assistants and nursery nurses, all of whom are appropriately qualified. The special needs co-ordinator, with a team of support staff, works hard to raise the attainment of pupils with
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special educational needs. There are two well-qualified full-time teachers to support pupils for whom English is an additional language.
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64. Procedures for the appraisal of teachers are good. Arrangements for the professional development of staff are also good, with a wide range of external courses and well prepared in-school training sessions which are linked to teachers’ personal needs and the aims of the school development plan. Clear records are kept of all professional development, which is carried out during school in-service training days, as are records of courses attended by teachers. There is a satisfactory scheme for the induction of newly qualified teachers, who attend appropriate courses run by the Local Authority, but they are allowed no additional time outside their classrooms in order to observe the professional practices of their colleagues. This situation remains largely unchanged since the last inspection, although there has been good improvement in linking professional development to the identified needs of the school.
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65. The previous inspection found that the school provided very good accommodation for the effective delivery of the curriculum and this is still the case. Both the detached nursery unit and main school building are airy, bright and attractive and create a pleasant and stimulating learning environment for all pupils. The school has a designated music room and an attractive and spacious room, which provides a withdrawal area for groups of pupils with special educational needs. There are many accessible cupboards for resources. The corridors are used extensively to provide library facilities and additional study areas for activities such as reading and art work. The school has two areas that are appropriately used as medical rooms. There is an adequate administration suite and parents’ and caretaker’s room. The school has a large hall used for physical education and assemblies and where pupils have their
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lunches. Outside, the playgrounds are safe and clean and enhanced with playground equipment, playground markings, fenced area for football and a quiet area with seats and tables. There is a secure play area for the under fives in the nursery, where they can use wheeled toys and large play apparatus. The school has no playing field on site.
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66. The brightness of this school, combined with good quality displays, gives the school an atmosphere of warmth, friendliness and security. The site manager works extremely hard to ensure that the buildings are clean and safe. He has constructed a fountain memorial within the inner courtyard of the school in memory of the deputy head teacher. This gives pupils and staff a sense of peace and tranquillity.
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67. The level of resources is at least satisfactory for all subjects except for information technology and religious education. The school has too few computers, some of which are either out of date or unsuitable. There are no religious artefacts. For design and technology, mathematics, music, physical education and science, resources are good. Although resources for English are generally satisfactory, there are not enough non-fiction books in the library. Many are rather worn and their condition does little to encourage their use by pupils. There are no outdoor wheeled toys or climbing equipment for the use of pupils in the reception classes. There has been improvement since the last inspection in the level of resources for mathematics, physical education, history, geography and art. For English, the resource provision was reported as being good in the last report, whereas currently it is described as satisfactory.
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In the last inspection report some of the library books were described as in “ less than satisfactory condition” and this remains the current position. Resources for pupils with special educational needs are good. Lea Valley Primary School - 26 76. The efficiency of the school
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68. The school has maintained the good standards of efficiency that were outlined in the previous inspection report. There are clear and secure links between the educational priorities reflected in the school’s aims and development plan and the subsequent financial decision making. All decisions on spending are taken with a view to the educational outcomes in terms of the quality of teaching and learning and the standards achieved by the pupils. Spending on the resources and training to support recent government initiatives on literacy and numeracy, for example, have been carefully allocated and governors have observed through a system of termly visits how they have been deployed in classrooms. Spending on maintenance and building improvements is of high priority, in order to maintain the high quality of the learning environment for these pupils.
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69. The funds targeted specifically at pupils with special educational needs are used well and monitored very efficiently by the governing body. There are good quality resources, curricular provision is very good and pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their academic work. The school’s deployment of its resources for special educational needs and the success of its policy have been reported in the governors’ annual report to parents but contain too little detail of how funding is allocated. Grants for staff training are well allocated to support curricular initiatives and individual staff development. The system for allocating resources to curriculum subjects is effective and due consideration is given to ensuring best value for money in the purchasing of resources, which is managed and monitored very effectively by the subject co-ordinators.
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70. Teaching staff are very well deployed. The governors have decided that the deputy headteacher should not have a class responsibility in order to provide continuity in the case of staff absence. This is an effective decision and seen to work in practical terms during the week of the inspection, enabling the school to maintain continuity not only in the matter of the school curriculum but also in maintaining its high standards of behaviour and relationships. Specialist staff sometimes have dual responsibilities. For example, the teacher employed to teach music throughout the school, is also used effectively to teach literacy and numeracy on days when these subjects are taught in sets. This has a direct impact on standards by providing good quality teaching for pupils in smaller classes with pupils of similar ability. The special needs co-ordinator is especially well used in providing a mixture of withdrawal and in-class
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support to ensure that pupils make good progress. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported by two full-time teachers who provide a mixture of in-class support and individual support where appropriate.
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71. The accommodation is very well used and the school is already planning ahead for the best possible use of the classroom which will be released from use when the current Year 4 have progressed through the school. Although learning resources are limited in some areas, such as information technology, they are generally very well used to support teaching in all areas of the curriculum.
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72. Systems for the financial control and day-to-day administration are very good. The administrative officers work closely with the headteacher to ensure the smooth and efficient management of the school’s finances and everyday routines. The most recent audit of the school’s financial systems was generally positive and highlighted few areas of concern, all of which have been rectified.
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73. The school’s income and expenditure are broadly average when compared with similar schools, taking into account: the context of the school and the pupils’ level of attainment on entry; the overall high quality of teaching and curriculum provision; pupils’ positive attitudes, very good behaviour, and excellent relationships and personal development; and the good progress made by the pupils, the school provides very good value for money. Lea Valley Primary School - 27 82. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS
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82. AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE
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74. At the time of the inspection there were fifty children under the age of five attending part time in the nursery. There were sixty children under the age of five, attending full-time in the two reception classes. The quality of provision for all these children is good. Children enter the nursery with levels of development and maturity which are very low when compared with children of a similar age. The majority of the children have poor language skills and English as an additional language. Although they make good progress in the nursery, attainment on entry to the reception classes is still low when compared to most four-year-olds. Children make good progress in the reception classes. However, by the age of five, only a few children attain all the nationally identified targets or “desirable outcomes of learning” on entry to compulsory schooling.
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75. The personal and social development of children under the age of five is good. Although children in both the nursery and the reception classes have very limited communication skills, they are learning to concentrate and persevere with an activity to finish it. The children respond positively to adults. In the nursery, children play alongside one another whilst in the reception classes; they play co-operatively together when, for example, sharing equipment in the “role-play party corner”. They are learning to take turns and share the resources fairly. The children are very keen to explore new learning for example, when making triangle collage pictures in the nursery.
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76. The children’s personal and social development is very well promoted by the staff who are kind and caring and infinitely patient. They work together very well, ensuring a consistency of approach. The children are constantly encouraged to become socially independent by fastening their own coats and by collecting and putting away their own equipment. The staff expect the children to put their own aprons on and encourage all the children to manage their own personal hygiene. The good teaching ensures that the children under five work are learning to play and co-operate with other children very well.
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85. Language and literacy 77. Provision for language and literacy is good. In relation to their attainment on entry, most children make good progress in acquiring speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Nevertheless, by the age of five only a small minority of children meet the expected standards for language and literacy. Staff in the nursery and in the reception classes take every opportunity to encourage children to communicate. Children are expected to listen to stories and to predict what will happen next. The higher attaining children in the reception classes are all secure in knowing that words and pictures convey meaning in stories and can confidently and carefully handle books. The very few higher attaining children can already recognise and write initial letters in response to the letter sounds. All children are learning to recognise their own names and a few children can produce a recognisable version of their own names,
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although not with the appropriate use of upper and lower case letters.
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78. The quality of teaching is good in language and literacy in both the nursery and in the reception classes. Teachers makes good use of literacy sessions to raise the children’s attainment and progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing because they have a good understanding of how young children learn and an enthusiasm which is successfully conveyed to the children. There are high expectations for the children and teachers work hard to ensure that they are all kept busy and little time is wasted. Good use is made of resources such as big books to encourage and interest the children. The teachers use good intonation and clear diction when reading aloud, which provides a very good role model for their own reading. In both the nursery and reception classes a very good range of practical activities is provided to follow up class discussions. However, the teaching of the name of the letter and not the sound in both the
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nursery and the reception classes is confusing for many children. Lea Valley Primary School - 28 87. 87. Mathematics 79. Provision for mathematical development is good. Children make good progress in comparison to their attainment on entry to the school. Few children are attaining the level expected for their age because most children lack a wide vocabulary and do not know the right word to describe a process. In the nursery, children are learning to discriminate between and name different colours. The children enjoy bringing objects for the ‘colour table’. They are learning to count to five. Children in the reception classes find using mathematical language difficult for example, when discussing size in relation to Russian dolls. The higher attaining children can count objects to at least ten and they can match objects. Children in the nursery and the reception classes are taught number rhymes and songs but few children
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in the nursery have sufficient language skills to participate.
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80. Teaching is good. Planning is detailed and has improved considerably in the nursery since the last inspection. Nursery and reception teachers ensure that children have many opportunities to practise their developing mathematical skills in an exciting range of activities. The assessment of children’s mathematical skills is good. Teachers have an enthusiasm and vitality which ensure that learning is exciting and stimulating for all children, and this raises attainment and accelerates progress.
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89. Knowledge and understanding of the world 81. Provision to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good. A few higher attaining children are attaining at a level expected for their age. In relation to their prior attainment, all children make good progress. Children in the nursery are encouraged to be curious about the world around them through a good range of imaginatively planned activities. For instance, the children enjoy growing plants, both indoors and outdoors. Some children in the reception classes can answer questions about their homes and families. When learning about their senses, children are starting to use their developing literacy skills to talk about their observations and to record pictorially what they have discovered. The children show a keen interest in the computer and can use the mouse control with skill and confidence when using such programs as 'Kids’ Pics'. Children have also enjoyed using a bradawl
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82. Teaching is good. The early years staff skilfully provide a range of opportunities for the children to explore the world around them and skilfully encourage them to talk, draw and paint or model what they discover, using a range of materials.
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91. Physical development 83. The provision for physical development is satisfactory . By the age of five a minority of children attain in line with the expected standards in their general physical development. They are developing sound physical control, mobility, and awareness of space, particularly in the nursery. However, children in the reception classes do not have access to a secure outdoor play area with wheeled vehicles. The children do, however, have regular physical education lessons in the hall. During an outdoor physical education session in the nursery, the children demonstrated that they have a good awareness of space and other children and can successfully control their body movements when driving the bikes around. The children are learning to have good control of writing and painting implements. They use construction materials confidently. They use scissors carefully and confidently for example, when cutting out pictures
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84. The teaching is good. In outdoor play activities in the nursery, the staff participate enthusiastically and ensure that all children join in and benefit from the session. For instance, all children are encouraged to take turns to throw beanbags into a container to develop their co-ordination skills. Lea Valley Primary School - 29 93. Creative development 85. Children receive good opportunities to promote their creative development and by the time they are five many achieve the expected standards for children in this age group. They can use dry and wet powder paint and other media to represent in two and three dimensions what they see and their paintings are of a good standard. Children in the reception classes have painted impressive self-portraits and have used fluorescent paint effectively to depict fireworks. The children in the nursery enjoy exploring clay when, for example, making divas for Divali.
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86. The quality of teaching is good. In art, music, and in their imaginative play, the children show an increasing ability to use their imagination and to listen and observe carefully. A strength of the teaching in the nursery is the way in which staff value children’s work and display it immediately, thereby raising self-esteem and confidence.
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87. The nursery team keep detailed records of children’s achievements. Assessment in the nursery has improved considerably since the last inspection and the school is considering ways to combine this with records of the reception children’s achievements. There is an enthusiastic and hard working early years’ co-ordinator, but, as yet, no early years’ policy or scheme of work to guide the work in the reception classes. Reception staff complete the local education authority baseline assessment, which provides a useful guide to children’s attainment on entry to the school. The quality of resources for children under five is satisfactory, apart from there being no large outdoor play equipment in the reception classes, and they are used well.
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88. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests, at the end of Key Stage 1, indicate that standards in reading are well below the national average for all schools but in line with the average for similar schools. In writing, pupils’ performance is well below the national average and in line with that of similar schools. These figures represent a significant improvement in the number of pupils achieving the expected level in reading when compared with previous years’ results. In addition there has been an improvement in the number of pupils attaining above the national average in writing. Girls performed slightly better than boys in the reading tests but both boys and girls achieved well below the average in the writing tests. The 1999 test results show a considerable improvement in reading and writing tests when compared with the previous year, particularly for the higher attaining pupils. The
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attainment of the majority of the current Year 2 is well below the national average but in line with it for the higher attaining pupils.
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89. At the end of Key Stage 2, test results in 1999 indicate that standards are well below the national average, but in line when compared with schools of a similar kind. During the years 1996-8, pupils’ performance has consistently been well below the national average. The 1999 tests show an improvement over the previous year, with over half of the pupils attaining the national average. The attainment of the majority of pupils in the current Year 6 is well below the national average but in line with it for the higher attaining pupils.
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90. The previous inspection judged standards to be in line with national expectations at the end of both key stages, and stated that pupils were performing appropriately for their abilities, but that writing standards were variable at Key Stage 2.
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91. Inspection findings are consistent with the outcomes of recent national assessments at the ages of seven and eleven but recognise that there is a significant number of refugee and asylum seeker families in the school. As a direct result the school suffers a relatively high turnover of pupils with no control as to when pupils leave or when they arrive. The range of ethnic backgrounds and languages Lea Valley Primary School - 30 spoken by the pupils has increased considerably since the last inspection. Over half of the pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds and 186 pupils learn English as an additional language. In addition, 114 pupils are identified as having special educational needs. Children enter the nursery and the reception classes with very poor language skills in comparison with children of a similar age.
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92. Attainment in speaking and listening by the end of Key Stage 1 is well below the national average. Pupils make good progress. All pupils listen very carefully to what the teacher is saying and the higher attaining pupils reply to questions with relevant comment and detail. Other pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, have difficulty in expressing themselves. A good example of pupils using their speaking and listening skills well occurred in a Year 1 class when pupils discussed the shared text “A Quiet Night In”. Pupils listened enthusiastically to the story and some could relate confidently their own bedtime routines.
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93. Attainment in speaking and listening by the end of Year 6 is in line with national expectations. Pupils make good progress because they are frequently encouraged to debate and discuss their work in all subjects. Although many pupils have difficulty in selecting the correct vocabulary to use, they persevere and receive positive support and encouragement from teachers and other pupils. Talk is often a preliminary to writing and put to good use in discussing extracts from books; for example, pupils in the Year 6 classes discuss ”Cider With Rosie” by Laurie Lee and support their views with good, specific references to vocabulary used in the text. By the time that they are eleven, the higher attaining pupils are very confident in their contributions to class discussions and in one to one situations with adults; for example, they confidently and coherently discussed school life with inspectors.
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94. Pupils’ attainment in reading is below the national average at the end of both key stages. Pupils make good progress. Higher attaining pupils in Key Stage 1 read with confidence, fluency and understanding, as evidenced by the test results. Pupils are developing confidence when discussing plot and character in texts. However, the majority of pupils have insufficient ways to tackle new words. For instance, many pupils are aware of the names of letters but cannot connect them with the sounds, so are unable to attempt new words. Some pupils rely on adult support when reading and are hesitant and lack confidence. Most pupils attempt to join in with class reading during the literacy hour. Pupils in Year 2 classes make very good progress in developing their reading skills when they engage in shared reading with pupils from Year 6. The Year 6 pupils sensitively and maturely listen to the younger pupils reading and then ask relevant questions about the text to accelerate comprehension.
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95. All pupils, particularly the higher attaining ones, make good progress in Key Stage 2. The school has worked hard since the last inspection to improve pupils’ reading skills, and texts used in the literacy hour effectively cover all aspects of fiction. However, some pupils in Key Stage 2 are not confident readers, as they are unable to skim and scan texts for information. Their ability to infer and deduce information from texts is underdeveloped. In addition, pupils’ research skills are impeded by the fact that there are too few non-fiction texts in the library. Reading is given a high priority, but many pupils, who have poor language skills, do not know what to do when they encounter an unknown word. Reading records are kept in every class and clearly detail pupils’ strengths and weaknesses: this is a considerable improvement since the last inspection.
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96. Pupils’ attainment in writing is well below the national averages in both key stages. Pupils make good progress. The last inspection report indicated that standards in handwriting were variable and that pupils did not produce a wide range of writing. The school has addressed both these comments very successfully. Pupils in both key stages produce a wide range of work, which includes fiction, poetry, information and instruction writing. All pupils have very neat handwriting and the pride taken in presenting work is one of the school’s many strengths. The low standards in the test results are because many pupils who have English as an additional language experience considerable problems when recording spoken into written English. Pupils are consistently encouraged to redraft their work. Pupils in both Key Stages learn their weekly spellings conscientiously. They are gaining confidence in using spellings in their writing and are encouraged to use word banks and dictionaries. The higher
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attaining pupils maintain good progress through their ability to check spellings in dictionaries and Lea Valley Primary School - 31 thesauruses.
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97. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to use their developing literacy skills in other subjects. For instance, in Year 2 skilful use is made of a non-fiction text “Who Am I” to reinforce pupils’ science work about parts of the body. The animal’s body parts are cleverly linked with the human body.
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98. Specific work is planned for pupils with special educational needs during the literacy hour and they usually receive good support from the special needs team and make good progress. Pupils are also withdrawn for concentrated help and this is contributing to the good progress that they are making. Pupils for whom English as an additional language make good progress because they receive well- focused support within the whole-class lesson at an appropriate level to match their needs.
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99. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good in the majority of classes. All pupils work hard during English lessons and in the literacy hour, where pupils spend most of the time actively engaged in reading, writing or discussion. When they are given the opportunity, pupils undertake tasks independently while the teacher is engaged in group reading with other pupils.
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100. The quality of teaching is good, overall, and very good in some lessons in Key Stage 2. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers show confidence and good knowledge and understanding of the subject. They inspire the pupils with an interest and love of literature for example, in the way they read stories. They make very good use of question and answer sessions to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills. There is a lively pace and high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. They set good examples to the pupils with their very clear diction and neat, well-formed handwriting. In the Year 6 literacy lessons, the quality of teaching is very good, as the teachers challenge, motivate and inspire the pupils when examining the work of Laurie Lee and Roald Dahl, which raises attainment and accelerates progress.
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101. The school has very effectively introduced the National Literacy Strategy and the literacy hour is well established in all classes. Assessment and record keeping are good, with pupils’ work being assessed very regularly as a guide to future work. The subject is well managed by a keen and enthusiastic co- ordinator who has a good insight into the measures needed to raise standards, but does not have the opportunity to look at teaching and learning in all classes to ensure that pupils make progress. Resources are adequate, apart from the shortage of non-fiction books in the library, and are used well,. 110.
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102. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests and assessments showed that by the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ performance is below the national average. At the end of Key Stage 2 standards were higher; the number of pupils reaching the expected level for their age group is average, although fewer than average reach higher standards. However, the results at both key stages are above average when compared with similar schools. These results represent a very significant improvement on the results of previous years. This dramatic improvement can be attributed partly to the introduction of ‘setting’, by which pupils are taught in ability groups, allowing teaching to be more specifically targeted on pupils’ individual needs. A further factor in the improved test scores was the introduction of a regular ‘homework club’ where pupils received additional teaching. The previous inspection report judged
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standards to be broadly in line with national expectations. Analysis of the results over the three-year period 1996 to 1998 shows standards to have been very low in comparison with the national average. The evidence of inspection confirms that, by the time they leave the school, the majority of pupils will attain the standard expected for their age. However, few pupils are on course to achieve higher standards.
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103. Pupils receive a well-balanced mathematics curriculum that provides coverage of all the required strands of the National Curriculum. An appropriate emphasis is placed on the development of numeracy, and teachers seek opportunities for pupils to utilise and consolidate their numeracy skills in other subjects, Lea Valley Primary School - 32 for example, in work on map co-ordinates in geography, and in accurate measuring and recording in science lessons.
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Personal and social
104. Pupils enter the school with poor mathematical abilities. Having limited language skills further handicaps a sizeable minority. At Key Stage 1 pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. They learn to recognise numbers and to place them in the correct order. Most pupils can read and write numbers correctly and can count both forwards and backwards. They can recognise repeating patterns and are beginning to understand place value. By the end of the key stage a minority of pupils has a sound basic understanding of number and a good recall of addition and subtraction facts, but many still lack confidence. Pupils can name common two and three-dimensional shapes, and approximately half can describe their properties using correct mathematical terminology. Pupils can present data accurately in the form of a block graph or a pie chart for example, to show the results of a survey of the weather. Teachers plan work that is well matched to the range of ability within
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their class, thus ensuring that knowledge builds on what pupils already know and understand.
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105. Progress overall at Key Stage 2 is good. In Year 6 it is often very good, and sometimes excellent. By the time they leave the school, pupils of average ability are confident with number. The good rate of progress at both key stages is attributable to the consistency of the teaching, which is never less than sound, and to the planning of the curriculum, which ensures that knowledge is developed systematically. The school has successfully introduced the National Numeracy Strategy and this is increasing pupils’ skills and confidence in tackling problems. Pupils have a good mathematical vocabulary, which they use well to describe what they are doing. They have a good understanding of place value and most older pupils know their multiplication tables. They learn to make sensible estimates and to check the reasonableness of their answer. They understand area and volume, and most can calculate them
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accurately. Higher attaining pupils can convert fractions to decimals, and understand the principle of ratio. Pupils can create and interpret data in a variety of graphs, often to support their learning in other subjects, and can apply their knowledge well, for example, to calculate percentage reductions.
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106. Overall, standards in numeracy are improving, and are satisfactory by the end of Key Stage 2, because pupils are encouraged to think mathematically. Teachers encourage pupils to know number facts ‘by heart’, and older pupils of high ability are able to work fluently in their heads and to employ a range of appropriate strategies to solve problems. Their skills are developed and reinforced in other subjects; for example, in calculating scale when drawing maps in geography.
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107. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Their progress is monitored well, and they attain standards in line with their abilities. They are supported in class and teachers take care to prepare work that is suited to their needs.
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108. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They enjoy the subject and work with enthusiasm. The majority sustains concentration appropriate for their age, and older pupils demonstrate very high levels of perseverance and concentration. Pupils form excellent relationships and work well co-operatively and collaboratively. They treat equipment with care and share resources sensibly. The standard of presentation is good and most pupils take pride in the appearance of their work.
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109. The quality of teaching is good. In a third of lessons observed it was very good. This represents a significant improvement since the time of the last inspection when teaching was judged to be variable. Teachers plan work carefully and pitch their teaching appropriately for the range of prior attainment in their class. It is a feature of teachers’ planning that they cater well for all pupils, including not only those with special educational needs but also the most able. Very good use is made of classroom assistants to support lower attaining pupils. Teachers know the pupils in their classes well and prepare thoroughly a range of suitable activities to allow all pupils to make good progress. The quality of teaching has a direct bearing on the good rate of progress that is achieved. Teachers have a sound knowledge and understanding of both the subject and the requirements of the National Curriculum.
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They explain clearly, question pupils effectively, set a brisk pace and encourage efficient thinking. They are skilful in introducing and reinforcing mathematical vocabulary so that pupils are able to use it with accuracy and understanding. Teachers’ expectations are realistic, and sufficiently challenging to Lea Valley Primary School - 33 motivate and enthuse the pupils. The National Numeracy Strategy is providing a clear structure for the systematic development of knowledge and understanding and teachers implement it well. All lessons contain some good direct teaching, and teachers strike an appropriate balance between mental and written mathematics. Lessons have a clear purpose and objective. Teachers mark work carefully, offer constructive advice to pupils on how to improve their work and regularly return in the next lesson to a point that needs further clarification. Teachers make efficient use of resources, such as measuring
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equipment and number lines, and teach pupils to use them correctly and appropriately.
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110. The 1999 end of Key Stage 1 teacher assessments showed standards in science to be well below the national average at Level 2 and above the national average at Level 3. When compared with similar schools, the results were below average at Level 2 and well above average at Level 3. These results were better than those attained by pupils in 1998, when the proportion of pupils attaining Level 2 was very low and the proportion attaining Level 3 was well below average when compared with all schools.
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111. The 1999 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 showed standards in science to be well below the national average when compared with all schools. The proportion of pupils attaining the expectation, Level 4, and the higher Level 5, were both well below national averages. When compared with similar schools, results were average. These results are an improvement on the very low standards attained in 1998 and are similar to the standards attained in 1997. The findings of the inspection show no significant difference between the performance of girls and boys.
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112. An examination of pupils’ past work shows that by the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainment is well below average and by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is below average. In Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment match the results of 1999, Key Stage 1 teacher assessments in respect of those reaching Level 2. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is higher than indicated by the 1999 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils’ investigative skills are in line with national averages but their science knowledge is below average. The improvements in Key Stage 2 are the result of the successful implementation of the new scheme of work. Since the last inspection the school has made satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 in addressing the key issue related to improving investigative science within the context of science knowledge, and good progress at Key Stage 2.
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113. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ experimental skills are below average. Pupils observe and make comparisons satisfactorily. They respond to suggestions of how to find things out and use mathematics well for recording results for example, when testing how toy cars move on different slopes. A few attain higher standards. They predict and are aware what constitutes a fair test. However, pupils attain well below average standards in explaining observations. Pupils do not suggest ideas adequately or turn their own ideas into investigations. They have a satisfactory understanding of life processes, including how medicines should be correctly used. However, their understanding of living things is limited, as they do not group living things according to similarities and differences and explain their groupings. Pupils know the difference between plastics, metals and wood and how objects are made from different
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materials. Pupils’ ability to sort materials according to their properties and describe properties is well below average. Pupils’ understanding of physical processes is below average, overall, though with strengths in their understanding of forces.
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114. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainment is below average. However pupils’ investigative skills are in line with expectations. Pupils’ ability to turn ideas into investigations, to plan and conduct their tests independently and to select their own equipment is good. Their ability to make fair tests and use a range of mathematics for collecting, recording and interpreting evidence meets expectations. Their ability to predict is satisfactory but their ability to draw conclusions on the basis of scientific knowledge is below average owing to below average skills in explaining and using scientific vocabulary. Pupils’ understanding of life processes is satisfactory. They name parts of the body accurately and have satisfactory understanding of the circulatory system. They know the purpose of different parts of plants. Their understanding of the variety of living things, habitats and how to use keys to classify animals and
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Lea Valley Primary School - 34 plants found in their local environment is below average. Their skills in explaining food chains are below average. Pupils can use the terms ‘evaporation’ and ‘condensation’ with understanding but their ability to explain the difference between solids, liquids and gases is below average. Pupils’ understanding of physical processes is satisfactory. However, pupils’ ability to explain scientific results using their knowledge is below average. For example, after testing how paper helicopters fall to the ground, over one third could not use scientific language associated with air resistance with adequate fluency.
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115. Pupils’ progress is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 1. Occasionally, in both Years 1 and 2, pupils’ progress is good. When progress is good pupils use enquiry skills and learn through their own practical work. They make good progress in using scientific language, as when Year 2 pupils test how toy cars move on different surfaces. Although pupils make satisfactory progress in developing enquiry skills by the end of Year 2, their skills develop unevenly through the key stage. Pupils do not systematically learn to ask the question “what happens if?” and to try out their own ideas by making their own tests. Progress in knowledge is satisfactory overall but again develops unevenly, as pupils do not have consistent opportunities to develop knowledge and scientific vocabulary through practical experiences in all aspects of the attainment targets.
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116. Pupils’ progress is good overall in Key Stage 2, owing to the good progress they make in Years 3 and 6. In these years, pupils make good progress in developing investigative skills and knowledge through good opportunities to develop these together. In Year 3, pupils learn to apply their scientific knowledge of forces well when building structures in design and technology. In Year 6, pupils learn to apply their knowledge of forces effectively when they use levers and cams for designing and making moving toys. In Years 4 and 5 pupils’ progress is satisfactory but there are fewer opportunities for pupils to develop their scientific language. In both key stages there are too few opportunities for higher attaining pupils to learn at higher levels and this limits their progress. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as a second language make progress similar to the rest of their class and learn best when
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there are planned opportunities for them to learn through speaking as well as listening.
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117. Pupils make satisfactory progress in applying their numeracy to science in Key Stage 1 and good progress in Key Stage 2. Pupils make satisfactory progress in developing reading and writing through science. However, occasionally, in both key stages, too many worksheets are used, which limits the range of pupils’ recording.
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118. Pupils’ attitudes are good. Their behaviour is very good, they listen very attentively and, by Year 6, they can work very responsibly when carrying out their own investigations. Pupils take care with their work and, by Year 6, they show much attention to accuracy and detail. Pupils work well in small teams, make joint decisions and their relationships are excellent. However, in all years some pupils are not confident when using scientific language and explaining processes.
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119. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good, overall, in Key Stage 2. In both key stages teachers manage pupils well and relationships are very good. Teachers’ subject knowledge is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Teachers’ expectations are high for the majority of pupils although they are not consistently high enough for higher attainers. Teaching methods are more successful in Key Stage 2, as teachers often encourage pupils to learn through their own practical work, and in Years 3 and 6 teachers successfully engage pupils in some problem solving. Teachers in Key Stage 2 provide successful instruction, question pupils well and make science relevant to pupils’ daily lives. However, in Key Stage 1, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to learn through their senses and to learn through doing, talking and solving problems. Teachers use time well in Key Stage 2,
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but in Key Stage 1 teachers sometimes spend too much of the lesson time on developing writing or making posters than on developing pupils’ thinking.
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120. The enthusiastic co-ordinator, in post for one year, is successfully raising standards, although there is still much to be done to ensure that pupils make even progress. The new scheme of work has been adapted from the Qualifications and Assessment Authority’s guidelines and is an improvement on the previous long-term planning. However, the steps in enquiry skills are not yet as systematic as in science Lea Valley Primary School - 35 knowledge. The scheme does not show teachers how they can easily plan for the range of attainment, as National Curriculum levels are not shown. This affects the quality of medium-term and shorter-term planning. The co-ordinator successfully supports teachers in their planning but time allocated to each attainment target is not yet balanced. Lesson plans do not always show planned opportunities for pupils to learn and use science vocabulary. Assessment procedures are satisfactory overall.
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
121. Standards of attainment are below national expectations by the end of Key Stage 1. By the end of Key Stage 2 standards are higher and are broadly in line with national expectations. Pupils enter the school with poorly developed skills. Many are further handicapped by having limited language skills. While some good work is produced at both key stages and a minority of pupils achieve high standards, this good practice is not sufficiently widespread or consistent to ensure satisfactory standards throughout the school as a whole. The fact that pupils reach expected standards by the time they leave the school is attributable to the very good progress that they make in their last two years, particularly in Year 6. The school has understandably made the successful implementation of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy priorities, and has not yet fully come to terms with the demands of information
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
technology’s new status as a core subject. The school has recognised the need to develop the subject further and is currently exploring how this can best be done, given the constraints of available space and finance.
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122. At Key Stage 1 most pupils show confidence in performing basic operations, such as using the keyboard and the mouse. However, only a minority are sufficiently competent in accessing and selecting from menus and have a repertoire of techniques that permits them to use the computer independently, and to solve problems when they encounter them.
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
123. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils know how to improve the appearance of their work by selecting appropriate fonts, and use reference materials stored on CD ROMS to further their studies in other subjects. They use equipment such as scanners and digital cameras, and learn to incorporate the results into their work. By the time they leave the school pupils can enter information onto spreadsheets and databases and produce a graph, combine text and graphics and have a thorough understanding of the importance of technology in the modern world and how it affects their lives. They are able to combine a range of effects, such as sounds, text and a movie clip, to create a multimedia presentation.
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
124. Progress, while satisfactory overall, is inconsistent. During specific information technology lessons pupils usually make good progress but pupils have too few regular, planned opportunities to consolidate and further develop their skills. However, pupils make consistently good progress towards the top of the school, thus allowing them to reach satisfactory standards in all areas of their work, apart from that concerned with monitoring external events for which the school lacks the appropriate resources. Word processing skills are well developed. Progress is most marked when pupils have regular access to a computer out of school. However, only a minority of pupils has this advantage, and others have insufficient regular access to the computer. Some teachers are alert to the possibilities afforded by the use of information technology and plan to ensure that pupils make regular use of the computer. Even so,
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
in classes where there is only one computer these opportunities are inevitably limited for individual pupils. When teachers are less alert to the possibilities of utilising the computer these opportunities are further limited.
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
125. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They enjoy their time on the computer and work enthusiastically, taking pleasure and pride in what they produce. They work well together, readily taking turns and sharing ideas. Older pupils, in particular, show very good levels of concentration and perseverance when trying to solve problems. Lea Valley Primary School - 36 126. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Although some good direct teaching takes place, there is considerable variation in different classes between satisfactory and very good. The level of planning and the methods and organisation adopted do not always ensure that each pupil receives a full and balanced curriculum. In some classes there is not enough regular teaching of skills and too few opportunities are provided for pupils to practise these skills. Teachers have sufficient knowledge to be able to guide pupils and most make good use of information technology to support learning in other subjects. Year 4 pupils
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
presented their history work on ‘The Invasion of Britain’ by producing a newspaper style report and Year 6 pupils located times in various parts of the world on the Internet and used the information to solve mathematical problems. On occasions teachers’ methods and strategies are inappropriate. In one lesson designed to teach specific word processing skills the whole class was attempting to view a computer monitor that was clearly too small for the purpose. Year 6 pupils benefit from teaching of a consistently high standard. This, coupled with the pupils’ excellent attitudes to their work, results in the extremely fast rate of progress that these pupils make.
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SUBJECTS OR COURSES
1. The subject is managed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator and good progress has been made since the last inspection. The school is making good efforts to ensure that a scheme of work is implemented, that is relevant to the needs of all pupils.
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Religious Education
1. It was not possible to observe any religious education lessons in Key Stage 1 during the course of the inspection and only four lessons were observed in Key Stage 2. There is little written work produced and so judgements on attainment and progress have been based on observation of work on display around the school and discussion with older pupils, as well as on the lesson observations made. The previous inspection report was unable to make a judgement on attainment and progress in Key Stage 2 because of lack of evidence, while attainment at Key stage1 was reported to be at the level nationally expected.
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Religious Education
2. Attainment at the end of Key Stage1 is in line with the expectations of the local agreed syllabus. Pupils show appreciation of their environment and many are able to identify aspects of the natural world which they find inspirational, such as trees and people. They understand that their actions can effect the lives of others in either a positive way through, for example, kindness or helping, or in a negative way by saying or doing unkind things. They know some of the main symbols connected with major world religions such as Judaism and Hinduism and are beginning to understand the importance of such festivals as Divali to the people who celebrate it. Most pupils have knowledge of some aspects of the life and teaching of Christ, for example, the miracles and parables.
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Religious Education
3. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is in line with the expectations of the agreed syllabus, although the limited amount of written work means that pupils do not always record their knowledge and understanding in a logical and organised form. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism and some of the major features of the beliefs and practices associated with each. They know about the festivals celebrated by these religious groups, can refer to them by their correct name- for example, Eid or Divali - and in discussion show understanding and insight into why celebration is an important part of religious belief. Pupils know the names of a variety of places of worship and that these are special places which deserve particular respect. In the case of Islam in particular, pupils understand in appropriate detail the practices which are important to religious groups,
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Religious Education
such as the ritual of washing before prayer.
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Religious Education
4. In discussion pupils show a great deal of respect for the beliefs of others and understand that religious faith has a profound effect on the lifestyle and attitudes of large numbers of people around the world; for example, they understand the dietary and dress laws which are important in Judaism. They understand that it is difficult to adhere to some of these practices and that they must therefore be of great significance to those who do so. Pupils have a basic understanding of the concept of prayer and that it is Lea Valley Primary School - 37 a practice common to the religions they study. They understand that it is “talking to God” and that prayers should not be said for selfish or trivial reasons. They show good understanding of the idea that all major faiths have important festivals and that it is important to all people to be able to celebrate and give thanks.
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Religious Education
5. During both key stages progress is satisfactory. Pupils gradually develop an appropriate vocabulary specific to the subject, which enables them to discuss their work with increasing confidence, although a very limited basic vocabulary means that many pupils continue to find discussion at anything beyond a basic level very difficult. Most pupils gradually increase their knowledge and understanding of the nature of religious belief and the practices related to it. The lack of opportunities for written work means that pupils do not build up an efficiently recorded body of knowledge to which they can later refer for information or interest. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their understanding of their own attitude to religious belief and of the profound effect of religious belief and practice on the lives of others. Although many pupils find that their limited vocabulary hinders their ability to express their
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Religious Education
ideas clearly, pupils in Key Stage 2 make good progress in the ability to discuss and thus clarify their ideas.
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Religious Education
6. Pupils’ attitudes to their work and their behaviour in religious education lessons in Key Stage 2 is good. They show great interest and curiosity and do their best to participate by giving answers and expressing opinions. They show great respect for the beliefs of others, especially when there are members of the faith they are studying in the class, although one example was seen of a silly reaction to hearing a recording of prayers read in Arabic. Pupils are particularly interested to see and experience religious artefacts and respond well when these are demonstrated by fellow class members. Their good levels of attention and the interest they take in class activities have a positive effect on attainment and progress.
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Religious Education
7. All teaching seen was at least satisfactory and one lesson was very good. Planning is, in general, satisfactory and lessons have clear objectives. Pupils are generally given in general an appropriate range of learning activities, although they are not given enough opportunities to write about what they have learned or to record this in other ways. Good use is made of discussion and artefacts to make the work accessible across the range of attainment, although this sometimes does not offer sufficient challenge to higher attaining pupils. The assessment of pupils’ attainment takes place informally during lessons and no structured record is kept of it. Teachers do evaluate lessons in terms of pupils’ response and progress and modify their plans in the light of this if necessary.
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Religious Education
8. There is currently no co-ordinator for religious education, although there has been one until fairly recently. New long-term and medium-term plans based on the agreed syllabus are being trialled and once this process is complete the plans are to be incorporated into a scheme of work which meets the requirements of the agreed syllabus. The time allocation for religious allocation is very low and amounts to less than half that recommended by the agreed syllabus. This low allocation means that it is very difficult for teachers to devote sufficient time to pupils’ recording of their knowledge and understanding. The low allocation of time was commented on in the last inspection report and this situation has not improved. There are not enough resources for the delivery of the curriculum, in particular, there are no religious artefacts. Teachers are heavily reliant on their pupils to bring in a range of artefacts and this
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Religious Education
means that the range available is limited.
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Religious Education
9. Only three art lessons were observed during the inspection. However, conversations held with staff and pupils, together with the displays of art work around the school, show that pupils make very good progress in the subject and have experience in using a wide range of media and experimenting with a number of techniques.
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Religious Education
10. Pupils at Key Stage 1 are developing an awareness of colour and tone in their drawings and paintings. Younger pupils have used pastels to make observational drawings of apples, oranges, pears and Lea Valley Primary School - 38 mangoes. They have discovered the technique of printing using natural objects; they used star fruit, avocado, lemons, apples and pears to create a variety of borders. Older pupils have created their own fireworks pictures. They use fluorescent paint to produce more realistic effects. As part of their seaside topic they used tracing paper and wax crayons to create effective rock pools, using a technique of paper batik. After studying old and new postcards they designed and made their own. They are gaining experience in using a wide range of media and use pastels to illustrate their own ideas of ‘Our wonderful world’ combining their childish simplicity with a spiritual element in reproducing their own ideas.
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Religious Education
They have created a simple collage of a park at sunset using a silhouette technique and using crayons to create an effective background.
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Religious Education
11. Pupils in Key Stage 2 benefit from the specialist knowledge of a retired teacher who teaches them in small groups. They make good progress in learning a range of more unusual techniques and skills, such as how to use a diffuser responsibly and safely. They successfully create a range of pictures usually closely linked with the topics they are studying in class. Thus, Year 3 pupils have created fearsome life- sized African masks which combine a sense of originality with the traditional. Pupils in Year 4 have created wax resist pictures of mosques against a skyline. They have studied a collage of the human form by Matisse and tried to create their own, using similar techniques to represent movement. Pupils have studied the work of Kandinsky and created collage and three-dimensional pictures in a similar style. Older pupils have studied Victorian artefacts at the Geoffrye museum and drawn them with fine
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Religious Education
12. It is evident from the work seen that pupils have worked very hard and gained great enjoyment from creating their own art works. They have paid meticulous care to detail and shown great sensitivity when creating their work. Even the youngest pupils show a delicacy of touch and feeling when creating their rock pools or picture postcards. The expertise they have gained in their art work has carried over with benefit into other areas of the curriculum so that in history, for example, illustrations for their work shows the same finesse and sureness of touch as in art work generally.
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Religious Education
13. Only three lessons were observed during the inspection but it was evident from the work seen around the school that teachers provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities to experiment, using a variety of media to increase their creativity. Planning is thorough and the school has a wide range of appropriate resources. In the lessons seen the teacher thoroughly discussed the subject of their pictures with the pupils. The teachers asked pertinent questions, such as, ‘What do notice about the size of the limbs of the model?’ to help them plan their pictures. A discussion on how pupils could show figures more realistically in their pictures was illuminating and demonstrated the confidence the children have in putting forward their own ideas. It is evident that the teaching allows for pupils’ skills to develop progressively, and inspires pupils to work with enthusiasm and confidence at challenging tasks. The
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Religious Education
school has a good range of resources which are used very well.
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Religious Education
14. Pupils make good progress in developing their designing and making skills in both key stages and, by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is above that which is normally achieved by pupils of this age. Since the last inspection, the school has made good progress in addressing the key issue concerned with improving the consistency of provision in design and technology. Pupils’ design skills were weak in Key Stage 1 and pupils designed and made with a narrow range of materials in both key stages. The school has extended the range of materials which pupils use for designing and making and these now include textiles and construction materials, although there is no food technology at either key stage. A strong feature, at both key stages, is pupils’ ability to apply their art skills well when designing and making. In Key Stage 1 pupils apply science and mathematics satisfactorily, and in Key Stage 2, they
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Religious Education
apply science and mathematics very well to their designing and making.
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Religious Education
15. In Key Stage 1 pupils make good progress in acquiring designing and making skills and applying their knowledge and understanding. By Year 2, when designing and making a home for people in a wet, cold or hot place, pupils suggested many creative ideas, representing their ideas through drawing or making Lea Valley Primary School - 39 practice models well. They clearly understand their purpose and can select ideas to fit their purpose. Pupils’ ability to select, cut, shape and join a range of materials, including card, easily cut wood and textiles, is good. Pupils’ ability to evaluate their work against their purpose is satisfactory. From the beginning of the key stage, pupils apply their knowledge of existing products well, for example, when Year 1 pupils designed and made pop-up cards, they used their knowledge of existing pop-up cards well when designing and making their own.
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Religious Education
16. In Key Stage 2 pupils’ good progress continues and there is some very good progress at the beginning of the key stage, when pupils design and make Greek temples and bridges. In these projects the quality of pupils’ designing, craft skills and their ability to apply scientific and art knowledge and skills are very strong features. Throughout Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress in developing their product knowledge and applying this to designing and making. By Year 6 pupils think very carefully about their design purpose and set their own design criteria well. They successfully use the designing and making process, very well evaluating their work against their design criteria throughout the process. Pupils’ ability to communicate their ideas by drawing is satisfactory and their ability to cut, shape and join wood strip, plastic sheet, card, paper and textiles is good. Pupils’ knowledge of structures and mechanisms,
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Religious Education
including wheels and axles, levers and cams, develops well through the key stage and they apply their knowledge successfully when designing and making. Pupils achieve a good quality of finish through good application of their art skills.
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Religious Education
17. Pupils make very good progress in developing their technical vocabulary and explaining scientific processes. For example when Year 3 pupils investigated the best shapes for their columns for their Greek temples they could explain the forces acting on their structures well.
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Religious Education
18. Pupils’ attitudes are very good. They are eager to learn and can work with minimum supervision when required to do so. They successfully listen, apply or improve a craft skill or solve problems according to their teacher’s or their own purpose. Pupils work well in small teams, or individually, and do so with good attention to safety.
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Religious Education
19. The quality of teaching is good and there are several members of staff who have a strong influence on the quality of work in the school. In addition, design and technology specialist teachers from the local secondary school provide high quality teaching for Year 6 pupils when they undertake a design and technology project at the local secondary school in the summer term before transfering to the secondary school. Throughout the school teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Much of the work is successfully linked to other subjects. Teachers manage pupils well and lesson planning is good. In one very good lesson observed in Year 3, the teacher provided pupils with a very high quality practical task with construction kits before pupils designed and made with construction materials. In this lesson higher attainers’ needs were very well planned for, and met, and pupils with English as an
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Religious Education
additional language made very good progress as a result of high quality language experiences while working in small teams.
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Religious Education
20. The co-ordination of design and technology is very good and this has successfully raised standards since the last inspection. The policy and scheme of work are good overall although there are two weaknesses: there is no food technology at either key stage; and there is limited use of information technology within the subject. Assessment is informal but effective. Resources are good. 156.
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Religious Education
21. No lessons were observed during the time of the inspection and only a limited amount of work was available for examination, so it is not possible to make an overall judgement on progress at either key stage.
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Religious Education
22. From the limited evidence available, pupils in Key Stage 1 develop an appropriate awareness of their local environment and some factors affecting it, such as high density housing, litter and graffiti. They Lea Valley Primary School - 40 understand that housing takes different forms and many know the type of housing in which they live. Pupils have a steadily increasing knowledge of weather and climate and the way in which they affect the clothing, housing and lifestyle which people adopt. The older pupils in the key stage are able to design different types of housing to meet the demands of different climates. Pupils across the attainment range acquire the basic skills of map work by understanding that maps are a “from above” representation and that features look different from this perspective. They are able to draw simple diagrams of their classroom, using appropriate labelling to identify the main features. Some pupils move on to the use of
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Religious Education
two- figure grid references in order to identify positions on a map. The last inspection report judged achievement to be “always appropriate” and the evidence available confirms this is still so.
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Religious Education
23. In the earlier years of Key Stage 2 satisfactory progress is made in the study of the water cycle and rivers but additional work done later in the key stage does not build on this effectively. Older pupils study rainfall and temperature and produce measurements and statistical information. School planning shows that pupils in Year 4 study a village in India and pupils in Year 6 study a mountainous region, but no work was available for scrutiny as it was not part of the last year’s cycle. Planning shows that the school covers a variety of the elements that make up the programmes of study and have made a good effort to provide a balanced approach to the subject. The previous inspection report judged achievement to be “appropriate overall” but with a significant minority of pupils underachieving. In discussion, pupils recall of the study of the themes of the water cycle and climate is reasonably secure, but they are very
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Religious Education
uncertain when discussing localities in other regions or areas.
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Religious Education
24. There is a subject policy and a scheme of work has been introduced recently which is based on a nationally recognised scheme, supplemented to meet more precisely the needs of the school. This scheme includes the study of both a contrasting location abroad and one in the United Kingdom and makes clear provision for progression in the acquisition of geographical skills. Since, however, geography lessons take place only in the spring and summer terms, this scheme has not yet been put into practice. The previous inspection reported that there were insufficient resources for geography. There has been an improvement in this situation and there are now adequate sets of resources for a variety of topics and themes. A residential trip to Wales takes place on an annual basis and this includes an element of geographical study. This clearly has an impact on pupils in terms of their appreciation of environmental factors. Appropriate use of the immediate locality of the school is made during Key Stage
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Religious Education
25. Progress in history in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. Pupils understand the idea of the past that it actually occurred and is distinct from story. They understand that the past was in many ways different from the present and can identify some of the differences between old and present day everyday objects, such as houses. They are able to talk about why some aspects of life in the past would be inconvenient- for example, the lack of electricity - or unpleasant, but are less able to identify those things which remain constant through time. They have a developing understanding of chronology and can put a series of events into logical chronological order. Pupils know about significant characters from history, for example Guy Fawkes, know the events with which he was connected and some pupils are able to use dates in connection with these events. The progress of many pupils is hampered by their very limited
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Religious Education
26. Progress in Key Stage 2 is also satisfactory. Pupils develop factual knowledge about an appropriate range of historical periods and situations, both in this country and abroad, and their understanding of the chronology connected with this develops further. They are able to understand the idea of AD and BC and higher attaining pupils can calculate how long ago things happened by using a time line. Most pupils develop their ability to make comparisons between past and present and understand that these differences affected people’s lives, for example the way in which Victorian factory conditions effected the lives of the children who worked in them. All pupils increase the variety of ways in which they acquire and record their knowledge and understanding. Most pupils are able to use a range of resource material to research historical facts, (for example, the origins of the Olympic Games), and record their
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Religious Education
Lea Valley Primary School - 41 results using extended writing, empathetic writing, charts and other graphic records. Pupils make limited progress in understanding and explaining cause and effect. Although more progress is made in the acquisition of factual knowledge than historical skills, this emphasis is appropriate and satisfactory progress is made in both areas of the study of history. This represents an improvement since the previous inspection, when some underachievement was noted.
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Religious Education
27. The attitudes and behaviour of pupils are good overall and in some lessons are excellent. The excellent response is seen when teaching is excellent, offering pupils stimulating, highly challenging lessons where no time is wasted and teachers’ expectations are high. On these occasions pupils show great enthusiasm and work extremely hard, with high levels of concentration in order to meet their teachers’ expectations. Pupils are quiet and attentive, show curiosity and are eager to contribute, with the youngest pupils doing their best to wait their turn to speak and follow the conventions of discussion. Good relationships between teachers and pupils and among the pupils themselves have a positive impact on attainment and progress. This situation remains very similar to that commented on in the previous report,
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Religious Education
28. All teaching seen was at least satisfactory; one lesson was good and two were excellent. Planning in both the medium and short term is appropriate. Lessons are organised and resourced efficiently. Teachers make good use of questioning in order to assess pupils’ understanding and in order to make them think hard. The excellent teaching is characterised by very thorough and detailed planning which ensures an excellent range of activities which fully meet the needs of pupils, very fast pace and a high level of challenge. However, all assessment is informal and there is no common system for recording it. This represents an improvement since the previous report when the teaching in Key Stage 2 was judged to be variable, with much of the teaching seen to be too “instructional”, too content based and lacking in sensitivity to the needs of the pupils.
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Religious Education
29. There is a subject policy and a recently introduced scheme of work which has supplemented a nationally used scheme to meet the specific needs of the school. The previous inspection report commented on the barely sufficient resources: this situation has improved with the provision of a full set of resources for each topic studied, which is supplemented by a good range of appropriate reference books in classrooms. These books are used well by pupils and have a very positive impact on their progress in historical knowledge and research skills. A limited range of visits are made to places of historical interest in the immediate locality and, in Year 6, further afield. It is obvious from the work produced after these visits that they have a considerable effect on pupils’ historical knowledge and understanding.
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Religious Education
30. Music plays an important part in the life of the school. Pupils follow a broad curriculum that allows them to cover the full range of the National Curriculum programme of study. Pupils are given frequent opportunities to listen to a variety of good quality music, for example, prior to assemblies. However, the choice of music is rarely mentioned, and consequently, opportunities are missed to reinforce pupils’ knowledge of various composers. There is a strong emphasis on performing, especially singing. All pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2 participate in a Christmas concert and Year 6 pupils perform a musical ‘leavers’ concert. The school has a large choir that performs to a high standard. Last year the school introduced a lunchtime ‘composing’ club. Recently pupils wrote a song for the ‘Voices of Promise’ national song writing competition. As a result, the choir is scheduled to perform the song at a regional
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Religious Education
concert at the Playhouse Theatre in London. Pupils accompany some of their performances with a range of percussion instruments and most develop a good sense of rhythm and tempo. Pupils learn to be record their rhythms using musical notation. In addition, there is a weekly recorder club and pupils have the opportunity to learn a range of instruments, such as the guitar, piano/keyboard and violin.
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Religious Education
31. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress. They build effectively on what they already know and many develop a sensitivity to the range of moods that music is able to create. There is an appropriate emphasis on the Lea Valley Primary School - 42 enjoyment to be derived from music and pupils respond well to the challenge of performing in front of an audience. The range of musical experiences offered to the pupils makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.
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Religious Education
32. Pupils’ attitudes to their work in music are good. They are responsible, handle musical instruments with care and most show good levels of concentration. Behaviour in music lessons is normally good. However, on occasions some boys display silly behaviour that causes time to be wasted. Most pupils are eager to join in, enthusiastic and settle quickly to work.
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Religious Education
33. One teacher undertakes all the teaching of music in the school, although some teachers of younger pupils additionally utilise ‘number songs’ to develop pupils’ understanding of mathematics. The quality of teaching is good. The specialist teacher’s enthusiasm is infectious and pupils respond well to the practical nature of the subject. Lessons have a brisk, lively pace and are well planned. There is effective direct teaching geared to improving the quality of pupils’ performance. Lea Valley Primary School - 43 169. Physical education
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Religious Education
34. Only a limited range of physical education lessons was available to the inspection team and no outdoor work was available for lesson observations. Lessons were observed in swimming, gymnastics and dance. During the last inspection standards were judged to be meeting expectations in the limited range of activities observed. On the basis of the evidence available, the school has maintained standards and progress. However, swimming now has a much higher priority and pupils in Year 4, 5 and 6 all have swimming lessons.
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Religious Education
35. The lesson observed in Key Stage 1 was dance and pupils’ progress was good. It was good owing to pupils’ ability to respond to the mood set by the teacher and the taped music. Pupils made good progress in controlling their movement and showed very good rhythm. They empathised well with each other when mirroring each other’s elephant movements, showing many very creative ideas. In Key Stage 2 younger pupils demonstrated their skills when composing movements for imaginary Olympic games. Pupils learn to improve their performance and to link movements together, successfully changing speed and direction when responding to music. In the gymnastics lesson observed in Year 6, pupils’ progress was very good and resulted in high standards. Pupils were able to skilfully improve their own performance and transfer skilled sequences of movements to apparatus. Swimming is reported on separately at the end of this report.
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Religious Education
36. Pupils enjoy their lessons and co-operate very well with one other. Their behaviour is very good. Pupils respond very positively to enthusiastic teaching and observe safety procedures very carefully.
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Religious Education
37. The quality of teaching in the lessons observed was good. Teachers manage pupils successfully and lessons are well planned to fit in with the long-term scheme of work. The standard of after school football sessions provided by a parent is good. The curriculum also includes a five-week cricket course by a professional cricket coach in Year 6. Resources are good and the school’s grounds include tarmac areas for football, netball and basketball. However, outside facilities were not used during the inspection. Time for physical education has been reduced since extra time has been devoted to developing pupils’ literacy. The school has also targeted the need to spend a substantial amount of time on improving pupils’ swimming as a key priority. The new co-ordinator has good subject expertise and recently a new scheme of work has been introduced.
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Swimming
173. 38. Pupils in Year 4 go swimming once a week for one term. Pupils in Year 5 go swimming once a week in the summer term and once a fortnight in the autumn and spring terms. Pupils in Year 6 go swimming once a week throughout the school year. Parents are invited to contribute towards the cost of swimming for pupils in Years 4 and 5. Swimming for pupils in Year 6 is provided by the LEA. The tuition is provided either by Council instructors or by instructors at Northumberland Park Secondary School. The swimming sessions observed were at Northumberland Park, the local secondary school. Each lesson lasts 35 minutes; travelling to and from the pool on foot takes a further fifteen minutes in total.
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Swimming
39. Pupils from Year 4 develop confidence in the water and learn how to move, balance, rest and float. The great majority, when they begin swimming lessons in Year 4, are non-swimmers and have had little, if any, previous experience. They make good progress. In the lesson observed for Year 5 pupils, their attainment was below that found normally for pupils of this age. Few pupils could swim, although approximately half of the class could float for a small distance. However pupils make very good progress and in the Year 6 lesson observed nearly all pupils could swim, the majority already able to cover the required 25metres. Pupils who left the school at the end of Year 6 last year all achieved the required 25 metres and the great majority completed more difficult challenges, which included survival and water safety tests run by the Local Authority.
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Swimming
40. All pupils enjoy their swimming lessons. They listen carefully to instructors and do as they are told. Lea Valley Primary School - 44 Their behaviour on the journey to and from the pool is excellent.
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Swimming
41. The pupils are taught by qualified instructors. Pupils are managed well and safety in the water is emphasised. Instructors praise and encourage pupils frequently. The school makes good provision for swimming and invests considerable time in developing pupils’ ability to swim. Lea Valley Primary School - 45 177. PART C:
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INSPECTION EVIDENCE
42. A team of six inspectors spent a combined total of twenty four and a half days in the school. During the course of the inspection the team observed 84 lessons in whole or part, attended daily assemblies and acts of worship, observed registration periods and the ends of sessions, a time in excess of 72 hours. A sample of pupils from each year group was heard reading aloud and discussing their books. Pupils’ behaviour was observed in the playgrounds, at lunchtime while eating their meals, and around the school, and these times provided many opportunities to talk to them about their time at school. Discussions were held with members of the governing body, the headteacher and all the members of the teaching staff with responsibility for subjects and aspects of school life as well as members of the non- teaching staff. The team scrutinised minutes of the governing body and staff meetings, curriculum and
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INSPECTION EVIDENCE
other policy documents, teachers’ plans, financial statements, samples of pupils’ work from every class, pupils’ records and attendance registers. Members of the team also listened to tape recordings of musical productions and studied a range of photographic evidence relating to school events and curriculum coverage. Before the inspection 34 parents attended a meeting and the results of the parents’ questionnaire were analysed. 178.
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INDICATORS
179. 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 451 4 108 255 Nursery Unit/School 25 0 0 0
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INDICATORS
180. Qualified teachers (YR – Y6) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 22 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 24
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INDICATORS
180. Education support staff (YR – Y6) Total number of education support staff: 9 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 219 180. 180. Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 25 Lea Valley Primary School - 46 180. 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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INDICATORS
£ Total Income 773700 Total Expenditure 780900 Expenditure per pupil 1603 Balance brought forward from previous year 80400 Balance carried forward to next year 73200
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INDICATORS
Number of questionnaires sent out: 350 Number of questionnaires returned: 85
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INDICATORS
Responses (percentage of answers in each category): Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 46 47 6 0 0
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INDICATORS
I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 56 38 2 0 1
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INDICATORS
The school handles complaints from parents well 34 54 8 2 0
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INDICATORS
The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 53 42 2 2 0
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INDICATORS
The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 52 45 4 0 0
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INDICATORS
The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 49 49 1 0 0
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INDICATORS
The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 45 48 6 0 0
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INDICATORS
I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 41 46 8 5 0
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INDICATORS
The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 51 41 8 0 0
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INDICATORS
The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 53 38 8 1 0
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INDICATORS
My child(ren) like(s) school 74 24 2 0 0 Lea Valley Primary School - 47 183. Other issues raised by parents Very supportive of the school. No issues raised.
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