Morningside Primary School

MORNINGSIDE 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.

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MORNINGSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Chatham Place Hackney London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Jim Wight

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspections: 7 November 1994 3 November 1997 Morningside Primary School

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Aspect responsibilities

Vaughan Johnson Registered inspector Art 1. What sort of school is it?

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Aspect responsibilities

Music 3. How well are pupils taught? 7. How well is the school led and managed? 8. What should the school do to improve further? Rosalind Hall Lay inspector 2.2 Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development 5. How well does the school care for its pupils? 6. How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Marita Hopkinson Team inspector Mathematics 2.1 The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Information Technology Under Fives Brian McKeon Team inspector Science 4. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Geography Physical Education Pauline Allison Team inspector Design and Technology Special Educational Needs

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Aspect responsibilities

Shahla Taheri-White Team inspector English English as an Additional Language Equal Opportunities Morningside Primary School Morningside Primary School The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Learning Services Advisory & Inspection Service PO Box 47 Chelmsford Essex CM2 6WN

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Morningside Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 14-17

The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Morningside is a large primary school in a four-storey Victorian building which is situated in a densely populated part of the London Borough of Hackney. At the time of the inspection there were 401 pupils on the roll of the main school and 50 half-time pupils in a 50-place nursery. The school has a very culturally diverse intake. Over half the pupils have English as an additional language, about a third of whom are at an early stage of language acquisition. The main languages spoken other than English are Yoruba, Turkish, Bengali and Vietnamese. 76 pupils (19%) are supported through the ethnic minority achievement grant. An above average number, 142 pupils (33%), are on the school’s register of special educational needs, with 15 of these at the higher stages. Only one of these has a statement of special educational needs, which is below average for a school of this size. About half of the pupils are eligible for free school meals and there are also 20 children of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

asylum seekers who are not eligible. The area which the school serves has much social deprivation, high unemployment and few families where both parents are in paid work. There is very high mobility in the school population: 61 joined and 70 (16%) left the school in the last school year at “unusual” times. Some cohorts change by up to 60% between the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Attainment on entry is well below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Morningside is an improving school. Although standards are still low overall in relation to national averages, and when compared with other schools which are similar in many respects, the low baseline on entry, high proportion of special needs, extremely high mobility of pupils throughout the school and large number of pupils with English as an additional language, make a very complex picture of attainment. There have been significant improvements in standards in recent years, particularly in the Early Years, mathematics in Key Stage 1, and in music and English throughout the school, but the 1999 test results do not fully reflect this. Standards in Key Stage 2 in mathematics are unsatisfactory. Teaching in the school is now largely satisfactory and often good with some which is very good. Some senior members of staff have very good teaching skills and even more use should be made of these in modelling good teaching, coaching and supporting

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

less confident teachers. The headteacher provides very strong and capable leadership and there is a newly restructured governing body, well led by the new Chair. Among many other things this has resulted in a full, committed and relatively stable work force dedicated to the achievement of high standards. There have been substantial improvements made to the school buildings and environment generally, and more are planned. The school gives sound value for money. Morningside Primary School

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What the school does well

• The headteacher provides very good leadership • Pupils have very positive attitudes towards school and are very enthusiastic • The school is a warm, welcoming place to learn and relationships are very good • Behaviour is good, well-managed and monitored • The youngest children in the school are given a good start • There is very good provision for pupils’ social development • There is a strong and highly committed staff team • Music provision is good • The buildings and external environment have been much improved

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What could be improved

• Standards in mathematics, particularly in Key Stage 2 • The balance of time between subjects of the curriculum • Coverage of aspects of the curriculum in science, design and technology, information and communications technology and geography. • The roles and responsibilities of senior and middle managers in the school • The use of performance data • The governing body’s role in strategic management and ensuring all statutory responsibilities are met The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Following the school’s first OFSTED inspection in November 1994 the school was placed in Special Measures in January 1995 as a result of low standards, widespread under- achievement, 70% unsatisfactory teaching, the unsatisfactory quality of provision to meet pupils’ individual needs, especially special educational needs and English as an additional language, weak leadership and management and low standards of behaviour. HMI visited the school six times during 1996 and 1997 and the Special Measures were finally lifted in November 1997.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The 1997 inspection report detailed improvement between early 1995 and late 1997 on nearly all fronts: (further progress comments in brackets) • It recognised improvement in English and mathematics but that there was further to go in raising standards, particularly by setting sharper targets and focussing on the needs of the more able. This progress has been maintained in English, supported by last year’s focus on the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy, but progress has been less in mathematics, where standards are still too low in Key Stage 2. Target setting is good. • Satisfactory progress was also made on identifying and meeting pupils’ needs; this has been sustained. • Good progress was recorded on planning, policies and schemes of work ; some of these are not yet securely in place. • There was also satisfactory progress on planning in-service training; progress on this has been maintained.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

• Good progress had been made on leadership and management. The headteacher and chair of governors work well together and provide strong leadership; there is a promising new governing body structure, but still some way to go on refining and Morningside Primary School developing the roles and responsibilities of the senior management team and subject leaders in the school. • Very good progress was recorded on behaviour; standards have been maintained . • HMI reported that there was still some way to go on systematic monitoring and evaluation of curriculum, teaching and learning. Systems are now in place and there has been progress with much development as a result, but more work is still needed, particularly by subject co-ordinators. • Reasonable progress had been made on eliminating health and safety issues and improving the environment of the school; progress has continued with much maintenance and improvement carried out very effectively by the school-keeper.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In 1997 four new Key Issues were identified: 1. Target-setting for further improvement in standards. There has been reasonable progress; targets are now set throughout the school and senior staff are working hard to continue to raise expectations and support teaching and learning strategies to meet them . 2. Ensuring full breadth of curriculum planning and delivery. Most of the planning is now generally satisfactory and some is good, but there is still some variability across the curriculum. There has been limited progress in relation to some aspects of planning for science, design and technology and information and communications technology. 3. A greater focus on learning objectives in teachers’ planning. There has been much improvement in this, in part as a result of the implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies. In some classes the learning objectives are not matched accurately enough to pupils’ needs.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

4. A more systematic approach to monitoring, evaluation and reporting to the governing body, extending the role and influence of the senior management team and subject co-ordinators. There has been reasonable progress in this, particularly the monitoring by the senior management team and both monitoring and support work by one other subject leader. There has been less emphasis so far on the evaluation and reporting of data and limited progress in developing the roles of subject co-ordinators. Morningside Primary School

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on National Curriculum test results.

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Key

Reading D D E C well above average above average A B

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Key

Writing D D E C average below average C D Mathematics E E E* E well below average E

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Key

In 1998, the National Curriculum tests for 7 year olds indicate that reading and writing were close to the national average and average when compared to similar schools. In these areas, most pupils achieved Level 2, the expected standard for a typical 7 year old. Performance at Level 3 was close to the national average. The 1999 results show children's performance in reading and writing tests were close to average when compared with similar schools. Between 1997 and 1999 performance has been close to the average when compared with similar schools. In mathematics, results of National Curriculum tests for Key Stage 1 in 1998 indicate that they were just below the national average. Results in 1999 show a slight decline and pupils' performance, in the lowest 5% nationally, was well below average when compared with similar schools. Since the last inspection variance in standards reflects the differences between year groups. The school has set targets which

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Key

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English E* E* E* E well above average above average A B

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Key

Mathematics E* E E* E average below average C D Science E* E* E* E* well below average E

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Key

In 1998, at the end of Key Stage 2, the results of National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science represented an improvement from the previous year but were Morningside Primary School well below the national average. When compared with the results of similar schools the performance in all three subjects was well below average. In 1999, test results showed a slightly lower level of performance in the three core subjects. The proportions achieving Level 5, the higher standard in English and mathematics, was well below the national average and very low in science. When compared with the performance of pupils in similar schools, the pupils' results were well below average in English and mathematics and very low (in the lowest 5%) in science. Inspection evidence indicates some improvement to English and science. However, standards remain low in mathematics. Pupils’ achievements in music are good and in art,

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Key

history, geography, religious education, design and technology, physical education and information technology they are appropriate for their age. The school has set challenging targets and is well on the way to achieving them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Children’s attitudes are very positive; they are keen and enthusiastic about coming to school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good both in classrooms and around the school; good use is made of the quiet areas and equipment provided outside.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Children exercise their responsibilities well; relationships throughout the school are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance figures are now satisfactory but many children are late.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils are very enthusiastic and relate very well to each other and to adults. They learn to work independently, they show respect for and work with others appropriately; they show good behaviour both in classrooms and around the building and undertake responsibilities well. Attendance has improved significantly and is now in line with the national average but too many pupils arrive late for school in the morning.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Good Satisfactory Satisfactory

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The overall standard of teaching in the school is sound and much of it is good. Out of every ten lessons observed, nine (90%) were satisfactory or better and, of these, three (32%) were good and one (9%) very good. About one lesson in ten (10%) was unsatisfactory. Particular strengths include very good management of pupils throughout the school and Morningside Primary School very effective teaching methods in much of the Foundation Stage (Early Years). The best teaching is very well prepared and organised and most teachers have a good range of approaches. There are good examples of direct interactive teaching, particularly in music, art and information and communications technology. Effective use is often made of plenary sessions to reinforce the progress made in learning. Where the teaching is weaker, there is some lack of pace in lessons and within activities, and insufficient focus and targeting of teachers’ time. Other lessons lack sufficient emphasis on the use of a variety

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

of methods and occasionally there is some inconsistency in the methods used.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The teaching of English is sound overall and good in the Foundation Stage, where the promotion of speaking and listening skills is particularly effective. Literacy skills are generally well taught throughout the school. The teaching of mathematics, while less secure, is satisfactory overall and generally good in Key Stage 1. Numeracy skills are taught well in the Early Years and Key Stage 1, and satisfactorily in Key Stage 2.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The school meets the needs of pupils well; most of the work is matched appropriately to pupils’ capabilities, particularly in the core subjects. Teaching for pupils with English as an additional language and for those with special educational needs is mostly satisfactory or better and most pupils make sound progress.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Children generally acquire appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding, particularly in aspects of music and art; they concentrate and apply themselves enthusiastically to tasks, often demonstrating both high levels of independence and yet the capacity to work collaboratively in pair work or group projects and compositions. In the best lessons they are well aware of the learning objectives, engage in evaluations of their own and others’ work, and know what to do in order to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced for the under fives, but is not yet sufficiently well-balanced in Key Stages 1 and 2. It is enriched by visits and visitors, particularly musicians.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school makes sound provision for pupils with special educational needs; staffing levels are high and there has recently been a major investment in a bright and welcoming specialist room with good resources.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Overall the provision is satisfactory. Pupils make good progress in the Early Years and sound progress in Key Stages 1 and 2. Regular withdrawal, especially from the same afternoon lessons, creates an imbalance in the curricular entitlement for these pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development The school’s provision for spiritual, moral and cultural development is good and provision for social development is very good. Children are given and react well to the extra responsibility they are given.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school Overall the school provides high levels of care for its pupils; new Morningside Primary School cares for its pupils arrivals are well-integrated and the behaviour policy is given a high profile. The arrangements for serving lunch are slow and lead to a loss of curriculum time for some pupils. The school makes effective links with parents, who are given good information. Parents and carers are positive in their views about the school, they feel the school is improving and that behaviour is good. Nearly half the school day is allocated to the teaching of English and mathematics. This leaves insufficient time, for example, for a full programme of science and foundation subjects to be taught. Some aspects of design and technology and information and communications technology are also given insufficient emphasis within the curriculum. While the school is following the locally Agreed Syllabus for religious

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Aspect Comment

education, parents have not yet been informed of their right to withdraw children from this and from assemblies.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very strong leadership and receives effective support from her senior managers; subject leaders are not yet given sufficient responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The new chair of governors is well-informed and provides good support and challenge for the headteacher. The new committee structure has yet to be implemented but is well planned. Statutory responsibilities for appraisal and reporting to parents through annual meetings are not currently being met. The governing body is not yet undertaking its full strategic management role.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher and senior staff have introduced a monitoring programme, but, to date, insufficient use has been made of performance data gathered.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes sound use of resources overall; the roles of some learning assistants and support teachers are not clear enough and while literacy resources have been enhanced, there is no longer a separate library.

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Aspect Comment

The school has increased staffing levels significantly to meet the challenges it faces. There is now a stronger staff team with potential for greater delegation to subject leaders. There is a good programme of induction. The senior management team works hard and effectively. Its members are capable of providing some of the best teaching in the school and more use should be made of this in modelling and coaching other colleagues.

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Aspect Comment

The accommodation is clean and well-organised, much of it has been redecorated and provision enhanced with specialist areas. Learning resources are generally sound, good in music, religious education and information and communications technology, but unsatisfactory in design and technology.

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Aspect Comment

The governing body has a new Chair and a sensible new structure is in place. Roles and Morningside Primary School responsibilities have been defined. Some statutory responsibilities have not been met recently and must be prioritised. There is insufficient analysis, evaluation and reporting of relevant baseline and performance data for the governing body to carry out its monitoring and strategic management functions effectively.

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Aspect Comment

The school is beginning to apply the principles of best value and overall gives sound value for money. Morningside Primary School

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good behaviour • The positive values and attitudes taught • The approachability of the headteacher and staff • The information the school provides (no suggestions made in the survey or meeting)

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team supports these views

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The overall picture of attainment is complex. The school admits pupils in the nursery who are at the very early stages of learning. Throughout the school there is a high degree of mobility and although this affects some cohorts more than others, most age groups contain pupils who are relatively new to the school. Many of these are at the early stages of learning English. Attainment on entry overall is well below average. Standards within the school are improving. This represents an improvement since the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Reception children are assessed using the LEA's baseline assessment scheme. Recent results show improvements to the infant baseline, which indicate good progress is made in the nursery. Progress in the Early Years is now good overall and by the time they reach statutory school age, many children have achieved the expected levels of mathematical and linguistic development. High priority is given to the development of speaking and listening skills particularly in the nursery and this contributes significantly to pupils' progress. By the start of Key Stage 1, most children are achieving in line with the Desirable Learning Outcomes.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. In 1998 the National Curriculum tests for 7 year olds indicated that reading and writing were close to the national average and average when compared to similar schools. In these areas, most pupils achieved Level 2, the expected standard for a typical 7 year old. Performance at Level 3 was close to the national average. The 1999 results show children's performance in reading and writing tests were close to average when compared with similar schools. Between 1997 and 1999 performance has been close to the average when compared with similar schools. In mathematics, results of National Curriculum tests for Key Stage 1 in 1998 indicate that they were just below the national average. Results in 1999 show a slight decline and pupils' performance was well below average when compared with similar schools. In 1999 teacher assessment in science, the proportion of pupils achieving the national standards was well below average.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Inspection evidence shows that standards overall in Key Stage 1 are in line with national expectations although attainment in experimental and investigative science is below expectation. Pupils make good progress in reading and writing and are on course to Morningside Primary School achieve levels in line with national averages. Reading standards are satisfactory by the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils are able to predict and recall significant aspects of text. They talk confidently about their favourite stories but their comprehension skills are not yet fully developed. The analysis of test data, lesson observations and a scrutiny of children's work indicate that standards in mathematics are average in the Early Years and Key Stage 1. Standards in music and aspects of art are good and in all other subjects are satisfactory overall but there are some specific weaknesses in science.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. In 1998, at the end of Key Stage 2, the results of National Curriculum tests in English, mathematics and science represented an improvement from the previous year but were well below the national average. In 1999 test results showed a lower level of performance in the three core subjects. The proportion achieving Level 5, the higher standard in English and mathematics, was well below the national average and very low in science. When compared with the performance of pupils in similar schools, the pupils' results were well below average in English and mathematics and very low in science.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Over recent years standards in Key Stage 2 have shown a gradual improvement. The 1999 results, which were anticipated by the school, showed a 10 per cent improvement on targets agreed with the LEA. Inspection evidence indicates that overall standards are now satisfactory with the exception of mathematics in Key Stage 2. Progress is good and many pupils are on target to achieve in line with national averages. Targets are suitably challenging in Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. By the end of Year 6, many pupils read competently from a range of fiction and non- fiction and talk knowledgeably about their favourite authors. Good overall progress is made. Less able readers and those with English as an additional language read more hesitantly and less accurately. Standards in writing are satisfactory and pupils make good progress. By the end of Key Stage 2, more able pupils write in a range of styles for different purposes.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Attainment in mathematics is below average in Key Stage 2. In Year 6, many children are familiar with the four rules and the associated language. They know how to use brackets in calculations. Overall in Key Stage 2, many pupils still lack the mental strategies required for quick recall and are insecure in their knowledge of basic number bonds and multiplication tables. Children develop their knowledge of fractions and, by Year 6, can use these to calculate in number and measurement. They know how to record calculations in money using appropriate signs and can calculate differences in time. They have learned about mean, median and mode but work on graphs and their interpretation is not well represented. While learning in lessons is generally sound, some lack of subject knowledge and use of day-to-day assessment results in significant gaps in pupil knowledge. The school has been implementing the Numeracy Strategy for some time.

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The school’s results and achievements

Together with target setting, this is beginning to have a positive effect on standards and the school anticipates targets will be met. Pupils are provided with a balanced programme of work which has a strong emphasis on numeracy. 9. In science, inspection evidence shows that, in both key stages, pupils’ oral responses to questions are of a higher standard than their written responses. Overall standards are close to reaching the national average by the end of Key Stage 2, but attainment in the experimental and investigative component of the subject is below average. By the age of 11, pupils have a sound knowledge of scientific concepts and they can answer factual questions with a reasonable degree of confidence. In their work about growth, nutrition and reproduction in plants, Year 6 pupils are able to describe accurately the conditions necessary for plant growth and they can identify organs such as petal and

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The school’s results and achievements

stigma. Many of these pupils use scientific vocabulary well and demonstrate a good Morningside Primary School understanding of such terms as ‘photosynthesis’ and ‘nutrient’. Their skills in forming hypotheses, establishing a testing strategy and organising and interpreting results are underdeveloped.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. In information and communications technology, attainment is generally in line with national expectations. In Year 2 pupils are confident and many are able to use the keyboard and are competent with mouse control. Many can load, open and close programs. In Key Stage 2 many pupils are able to operate the range of programs available to them successfully. The use of word processing is widespread and children in Year 4 are making a start on working with databases. In Year 6 children were observed using 'word art' to enhance their writing and presentation of poetry.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. In religious education, overall standards are in line with the expectations of the Local Education Authority’s Agreed Syllabus on which the school bases its scheme of work. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils know the main festivals and beliefs associated with different faith groups. Many pupils are able to reflect on the beliefs of others and relate them to their own experiences. Pupils’ achievements in music and aspects of art are good while in history, geography, design and technology and physical education, they are appropriate for their age.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Over the period 1996-99 standards have been higher for girls at the end of Key Stage 1 in reading and writing and slightly higher in mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2 standards for girls have been higher in all core subjects. The school management is well aware of this and has begun to address the issue of boys’ relative underachievement through the process of monitoring by gender and ethnicity and target setting. These efforts should be continued by enhancing the awareness of parents and the skills of teachers to raise standards achieved by all boys, and particularly underachieving black-Caribbean and Turkish groups.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. No significant differences in performance were noted during the period of the inspection. All pupils contribute to discussions and participate actively in classroom activities. Early learners of English as an additional language (EAL) are appropriately encouraged to participate when they feel confident and able to do so.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. Pupils’ knowledge and skills in other languages are valued, as evidenced by wall displays and, for example, the facility of a Turkish language class offered on the school site. However within the classroom few instances of drawing teaching points from pupils' other languages in the lessons were seen. 15. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress. Some groups of pupils receiving additional teaching make more rapid progress in meeting targets set for Literacy. Individual education plans (IEPs) are in place and class teachers use an overview sheet to enable them to incorporate targets into planning. The targets on most IEPs relate to literacy but the school is not yet using its assessment data to set targets which address the full range of pupils' special educational needs. Monitoring of IEPs has begun and the special educational needs register indicates movement both up and down the stages.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. From the nursery upwards, pupils arrive at school ready for work. They are proud of their school and take pride in their own achievements. They show interest in all their lessons and are keen to participate in assemblies. Many are involved in school productions and enjoy the experience. Generally, they show good standards of behaviour in lessons, Morningside Primary School only moving off task if the activity is not challenging, if they are not yet used to school routines such as in the case of the new arrivals to nursery or reception, or in the rare instances where behaviour management is less secure. They generally move around the huge building in an orderly manner and arrive quietly to assemblies, sitting attentively throughout. At playtime they make good use of the quiet areas and the equipment provided and show good and often very good behaviour. They are courteous to adults, hold open doors, and help each other with chairs or coats. They look after school property such

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

as the playground equipment well, and are careful and thorough as they tidy up.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Relationships throughout the school are very good. This is true for all groups including those with special educational needs, English as an additional language, and refugees. This has a positive effect on the progress made by these pupils. Staff are respectful to pupils and calm in their dealings with them. They provide very good role models. Children show respect to adults and to each other, they work well together in pairs, as when using the computer, or in groups, for example, in science. All pupils work well together across gender and ethnic groups. These relationships are a strong feature of the school. 18. Although no incidents of bullying were seen during the inspection, the school has canvassed pupils for their views in a recent questionnaire and has taken a pro-active approach in this area. All pupils know who to go to if they have a problem and such situations are dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils are tolerant of each other,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

regardless of background and gender, and understand and respect differences in feelings, values and beliefs. They are welcoming to new arrivals in all year groups and, as a result, such pupils settle quickly into the school. 19. Pupils are keen to take on the many opportunities offered to develop responsibility and undertake these well. School prefects are particularly serious about their role. All pupils are willing to help and use their initiative well in both their work and throughout the school day.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Since the last inspection there has been a significant improvement in attendance. The absence figure has been halved and attendance and unauthorised absence are now in line with the national average. A large number of pupils, however, arrive late in the morning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The overall standard of teaching in the school is sound and much of it is good. Out of every ten lessons observed, nine were satisfactory or better and, of these, three were good and one very good. About one lesson in ten was unsatisfactory. These figures show a marked improvement since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching is good overall in the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception) and methods used are generally very effective in enabling children to learn, for example, leading to the effective promotion of speaking and listening skills. Teachers plan together and work well as a team. The nursery teacher and nursery nurse work closely together to plan for children's learning. Expectations are appropriately high and pupils' behaviour is usually very well managed. Time is used efficiently and effectively particularly at the beginning of the day. In the relatively few instances where the teaching was weaker, the organisation was inappropriate so pupils had less access to worthwhile learning experiences.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. In both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 there is also very good management of pupils Morningside Primary School in most lessons. Consistent and positive messages are given about behaviour and this helps the vast majority of pupils to sustain their interest and concentration on learning. The best teaching is also very well prepared and organised, and most teachers use a good range of teaching approaches in most subjects. There are good examples of direct interactive teaching in all the core subjects and also particularly in music, art and information and communications technology (ICT). Some of the music teaching was particularly effective as a result of good specialist subject knowledge, excellent routines, high expectations of behaviour and performance and good use of additional teaching and support staff in active roles in the sessions. The school is making good use of this expertise in coaching other staff. Good use is also made, in a number of subjects, of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

effective plenary sessions to assess and reinforce the progress made in learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Where the teaching is weaker, there is some lack of pace to lessons and within activities, and insufficient focus and targeting of teachers’ time. This means that the progress of some children is not as fast as it could be. Homework is sometimes insufficiently used to extend the work done in the classroom. Other weaker lessons lack sufficient emphasis on the use of a variety of methods that would help more pupils to learn the knowledge, understand the concept or develop the skill. Occasionally there was also some inconsistency in the methods used, leading to confusion in some cases, and a loss of opportunities for reinforcement of existing methods in others.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Literacy skills are generally well taught throughout the school. The teaching of English is sound overall and is good or better in over a quarter of the lessons seen. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection report. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject. They generally adopt an appropriate range of teaching styles with a balance between whole class and teacher-directed group work. The most effective teaching is associated with high expectations, good relationships with pupils, effective and positive behaviour management strategies and a range of challenging and interesting activities. Teachers conduct lessons at a good pace. They value the work of all pupils and are generous with praise. In the weaker lessons seen in Key Stage 1, there was an over-reliance on worksheets which at times lack appropriate interest and challenge for some pupils and some failure to consolidate new learning, for example, through good use

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of plenary sessions. Where the English teaching was weaker in Key Stage 2, it was as a result of the teacher’s limited use of strategies to manage pupils’ behaviour, instructions for independent group work which were not clear, and activities that did not support lesson objectives sufficiently.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Numeracy skills are taught well in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 and satisfactorily in Key Stage 2. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory overall. It is generally good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. This represents an improvement since the previous inspection report and reflects the impact of the Numeracy Strategy. Teachers work hard and are committed to the improvement of standards. There are examples of good quality teaching where all pupils are challenged appropriately by the teacher's questions, expectations are high and time well used. Learning objectives shared with children are reviewed in plenary sessions and clear strategies are taught which enable the children to compute more efficiently. Children are encouraged to explain their strategies and are given good feedback in many instances. The language of mathematics is given appropriate emphasis. The pace of work is generally sound and in some cases it is good.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Most children learn and achieve well through well matched work and challenges to their thinking. In the few weaker lessons, some more able pupils are insufficiently challenged and the less able cannot complete tasks set. Some teacher time is less well targeted and the work of classroom assistants insufficiently guided. In these lessons teachers’ knowledge and assessment of children's working strategies were weak and so pupils did not always receive the support necessary to help them succeed. Morningside Primary School 27. The teaching of science is sound overall and includes some good and very good teaching. Teachers plan their lessons well, identifying clear learning objectives although these are not often shared with pupils. Classroom organisation usually supports learning and activities are generally well prepared and matched to pupils’ abilities. There are, however, too few open-ended tasks to challenge more able pupils and to develop their

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

investigative skills. Teachers’ questioning is generally effective in assessing pupils’ understanding and depth of knowledge and an appropriate emphasis is placed upon the acquisition of a scientific vocabulary. However, some teachers lack subject knowledge, which reduces their confidence, and in some lessons teachers are ineffective in addressing excessive noise levels and this reduces the children’s ability to concentrate. Expectations about standards of handwriting and presentation are too low. Day-to-day assessments in science are too informal and the information gained from them does not influence planning and teaching sufficiently.

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Overall, the school meets the needs of pupils well and this is a major improvement since the last inspection. While there is still more to be done on providing greater challenge for more able pupils, particularly in science and mathematics in Key Stage 2, most of the work is now matched more appropriately to pupils’ capabilities. Children generally acquire appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding, and this is particularly good in aspects of music and art; they concentrate and apply themselves enthusiastically to tasks, often demonstrating both high levels of independence and also the capacity to work collaboratively in pair work or group projects. In the best lessons they are well aware of the learning objectives, although this is not always so in science, in particular. They engage in evaluations of their own and others’ work, and usually know what to do in order to improve their performance.

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is mostly satisfactory or better. Teachers know their pupils well and some make good use of oral sessions to involve all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Some good teaching was seen in parallel Literacy groups and with a group of children receiving support for their emotional needs. In these cases the children respond well, concentrate hard and display good approaches to learning; consequently the progress of such pupils is good. The use of support staff to work with pupils in class is not sufficiently well developed. Support staff are not yet fully involved in planning and recording the work of pupils with special educational needs. Teachers plan appropriate activities for pupils with special educational needs within the Literacy Hour and the daily maths lesson. Within other subjects, specific planning for this group of pupils and for the wider group of less able pupils is not well developed, and

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

sometimes there is insufficient differentiation.

p.21

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. The teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is sound overall and some is good. The pupils themselves are enthusiastic, co-operative and keen to learn. They are confident learners and participate in their lessons actively, responding to teachers’ questions and offering ideas as relevant.

p.21

PUPILS?

31. Curriculum provision for children under five is satisfactory. They receive a broad and balanced curriculum, which covers the appropriate areas of learning for young children.

p.21

PUPILS?

32. The curriculum in Key Stages 1 and 2 is broadly based and includes all of the Morningside Primary School subjects of the National Curriculum. Religious education largely complies with the requirements of the Local Agreed Syllabus for religious education except with regard to informing parents of their rights to withdraw their children from lessons and from assemblies. The school provides enrichment through the use of musicians, artists, choreographers and through a variety of dramatic activities and educational visits. There are, currently, no extra-curricular activities although the school has plans to introduce some in the near future.

p.21

PUPILS?

33. The curriculum is weighted towards literacy and numeracy with almost half of each day allocated to these areas. Although this is helping to improve standards in aspects of reading, writing and number work, the status of other subjects is not yet sufficiently clear to ensure that, over time, pupils will have an appropriately balanced curriculum. The time spent on science, for example, is insufficient in both key stages and this is having an adverse effect on coverage and standards in the subject. Similarly, some aspects of information and communications technology are not taught. The curriculum does not meet statutory requirements in these subjects. The previous inspection also identified as an issue, curriculum balance in the school’s provision. The measures taken so far by the school have not been effective in securing an adequate time allocation for each subject. The school does not have a rigorous system for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the

p.22

PUPILS?

taught curriculum and the extent of coverage in each subject. The structure of the school day is such that there is an inefficient use of time, particularly at the start and end of the day. This is adversely affecting curriculum provision. Weekly teaching time exceeds the recommended hours in Key Stage 1 by thirty minutes. In Key Stage 2, the school is in line with the recommended hours.

p.22

PUPILS?

34. Schemes of work are in place for all subjects except ICT and these are helping to ensure the progression of skills, knowledge and understanding. There are appropriate long-term curriculum plans and teachers make adequate use of these, together with their schemes of work, to prepare their termly plans for which there is a consistent approach. The quality of short-term planning is satisfactory. Generally, learning intentions are clearly stated but assessments made during lessons are not being used effectively to inform future planning. Overall, curriculum planning has improved since the last inspection.

p.22

PUPILS?

35. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory in both key stages. They follow the same programmes of work as other pupils but activities are planned to meet their individual needs. There is a comprehensive assessment and recording policy that includes in its aims a statement of intent to ensure equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. Inspection evidence shows that although most pupils are given equal access to, and equal opportunity to benefit from, the full curriculum, some children are withdrawn from the same subject over a number of weeks to receive support either for their special educational needs or for their language needs. This compromises the pupils’ curriculum entitlement.

p.22

PUPILS?

36. The school’s strategy for teaching literacy reflects the recommended approach in the National Literacy Framework. The daily, structured literacy hour is having a positive effect on standards in classrooms. The Numeracy Strategy has not yet had the same impact, particularly in Key Stage 2, where standards remain low, but it is beginning to affect standards positively.

p.22

PUPILS?

37. Through its ethos and through its response to the individual needs of pupils, the school is preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. A policy for sex education has been approved by the governing body and an initiative on drugs awareness has been planned. The school makes sound use of the local community as an educational resource but involvement in such things as sporting or cultural events is Morningside Primary School limited. Pupils in Year 6 visit the local secondary school on a fairly regular basis for science lessons. Links with other partner institutions are not as well established. 38. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development is good and provision for social development is very good.

p.22

PUPILS?

39. Assemblies make an important contribution to development in all of these areas and the collective act of worship is given appropriate status within them and meets legal requirements. Through a planned assembly programme and the religious education curriculum pupils are given good opportunities to develop their spiritual awareness. A variety of festivals such as Hanukkah and Diwali are highlighted. At other times in the day they also experience awe and wonder; for example, as the teacher demonstrated how font and size of text could be changed on the computer the group of pupils involved showed their amazement and fascination. 40. The consistent implementation of the behaviour policy throughout the day gives pupils a good moral framework within which to operate. School rules are displayed throughout the building and rewards and sanctions are given fairly. Pupils show understanding of right and wrong and a growing awareness of the consequences of their

p.23

PUPILS?

own actions. Staff and older pupils, such as prefects, provide good role models to others.

p.23

PUPILS?

41. At all levels pupils have good opportunities to take on a range of responsibilities such as tidying the classroom, distributing books and looking after equipment. Older pupils can be chosen to be a prefect and help with dinner or secretarial duties; such tasks are taken seriously. Younger pupils are encouraged to look after each other. They walk around the school, to assembly or to the playground with a partner. Group work is specifically planned by teachers, such as paired work in information and communications technology or collaborative activities in art. Pupils have opportunities to work in bigger groups during Music Week and in the regular programme of musical productions.

p.23

PUPILS?

42. The school takes its pupils from a wide variety of backgrounds; over thirty different home languages are spoken. The school does much to celebrate this diversity in displays such as those on ‘Where In The World Do I Come From?’ and Black History. Within lessons pupils are encouraged to talk about their own culture, for example, a Muslim child demonstrated Arabic handwriting for the rest of the class. In order to build up pupils’ self- esteem and encourage cultural awareness the school has arranged termly music weeks; this term’s theme is Jazz, previous work has included Rhythm and Drumming. It has also put on productions such as “Joseph” and “West Side Story”, which are enjoyed by all. Pupils from all backgrounds participate in the school’s steel band. Pupils have worked with an artist in residence on the Hidden Art of Hackney, which included a visit to St John of Hackney as an art focus, and have visited museums such as the Bethnal Green Toy

p.23

PUPILS?

Museum and the British Museum. In this way pupils’ understanding of a range of cultures is enriched.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Staff at the school have created a caring, secure environment where all pupils, even the newest arrivals, are known individually by staff. The procedures for child protection, first aid and health and safety are good and pupils are supervised well at all times. New arrivals are integrated well into the school at nursery and other levels. Attendance is monitored well and as a result figures have improved significantly since the last inspection. Punctuality is a concern with many pupils arriving late and the school should increase measures to address this.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The behaviour policy is given a high profile. Rules are displayed prominently in Morningside Primary School classrooms and referred to regularly. Staff implement the policy consistently. Pupils are made aware of sanctions and appreciate the rewards such as stickers and certificates received. As a result the school has a good, quiet, working atmosphere and functions in an orderly way. The school has placed bullying on the school development plan and has done much in this area. Pupils’ opinions have been canvassed and a working party has been set up to rewrite the policy. Systems to counter bullying are efficient and understood well by pupils.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The arrangements for serving dinner are complicated and time consuming. Meals are often not served promptly or efficiently, so children consequently eat late and some start lessons late. During the inspection some older pupils were not served lunch until 1.30 and had to rush their meal in order to start their afternoon lessons. The school is actively looking for ways to address this issue.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school makes appropriate links with outside agencies to support pupils who have special educational needs.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The enhanced sound system in place in one classroom is very effective and increases the opportunities for accessing the curriculum for a range of pupils, including those with special educational needs. The school has plans to extend the purchase and installation of these and this would be particularly beneficial given the acoustic difficulties of the building. Social inclusion is a strength and the school is responsive to the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. A group of children currently receives support to meet their emotional needs. This is a positive response to their needs, which should be linked more clearly to the targets in individual education plans. Teachers know their pupils well. Only one child in the school has a statement of special educational need; this has only just been issued and the school has not yet liaised with the LEA to ensure that the provision outlined is implemented.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The assessment co-ordinator is both SENCO and a member of the senior management team and is well placed to monitor and improve the use of assessment both generally and for pupils who have special educational needs. She is aware of the need to monitor the targets and success of individual education plans more closely. There is still some lack of clarity in the placing of pupils for whom English is an additional language on the SEN register and greater discussion is needed between SEN and ethnic minority achievement grant funded staff. 49. There is no nursery baseline but the Local Education Authority (LEA) infant baseline assessment takes place seven weeks after a pupil enters the school. The main assessment of pupils, which includes English, mathematics and science, takes place in each of the termly assessment weeks. Clear guidance is given on record keeping and the co-ordinator receives record books and planning sheets at the beginning of each term for

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Pupils' profiles now contain much better information and are clearly used in most cases to plan for the next step for pupils. However, teachers do not record the date a child entered the school on their assessment documentation. This means they miss opportunities to demonstrate the progress made by pupils in a school with a high level of pupil mobility. Pupils have the opportunity to have a conference with their class teacher twice a year and records of conferences are kept. The academic and personal targets set from these meetings are discussed with parents on two open evenings. The arrangements for assessment are satisfactory and continuing to improve.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Teachers have received input from the LEA and are continuing to develop work on improving their skills in attributing National Curriculum levels to work samples. They have Morningside Primary School attended in service training on the use of baseline assessment and moderation meetings and understand the value and importance of these measures.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents and carers are positive in their views about the school. They feel the school is improving and that behaviour is good. They state that the school promotes positive attitudes and values and are appreciative of the approachability of the headteacher and other staff. They feel that the school is working closely with parents to support children’s learning.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The school makes good links with parents. Parents are given good information about the school and the curriculum taught through, for example, termly newsletters for each year group. There are progress meetings with parents twice a year, where targets for children are set and discussed, and these are well attended. 54. The school promotes the involvement of parents and pupils in both general assessment and that for pupils with special educational needs. This is not always successful because of the difficulties in involving parents in a school with a high level of mobility and a large number of parents for whom English is an additional language. 55. The school has recently sent a questionnaire to parents to canvass their views and has acted upon the results by putting up a parents’ notice-board, producing a staff photo board, introducing coffee mornings and weekly surgeries. The school is setting up a PTA.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. Parents are supportive of homework and reading has improved as a result of support in this area. Few parents help in school but many more help with trips or specific projects such as costume making. Parental support for the school is shown in the increased attendance figures although the measure of their support would be improved if they were to ensure their children arrived in time for the start of the school day.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The headteacher provides very strong leadership, ably supported by her chair of governors. She has provided very clear direction with a strong focus on raising standards. She has successfully led the school out of a period of very low morale and established the groundwork for continued growth and development with a strong team to carry this through. The school’s mission statement and aims are clear and reflected well in the daily life of the school but should be reviewed regularly in the light of achievements and new developments.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The senior management team works hard and effectively to support the headteacher. Good routines have been established to support staff and undertake the smooth running of a relatively large and complex school. Its members are capable of providing some of the best teaching in the school and more use should be made of this in modelling and coaching other colleagues. Subject leaders also provide sound and in some cases good and very good leadership of their subjects, but insufficient use is made of some of them who are now ready to take on more responsibility for aspects of the wider management of the school.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The new chair of governors is well informed and provides good support and challenge for the headteacher. A sensible new committee structure has been planned and is in the process of being introduced. Roles and responsibilities have been defined, regular meetings of key committees take place and most functions are being carried out effectively. Morningside Primary School Recording and reporting procedures are not yet sufficiently rigorous, but new terms of reference have been agreed and are beginning to be implemented. Statutory responsibilities for appraisal and reporting to parents through regular annual meetings are not currently being met. Many governors have been instrumental in helping to support the headteacher in shaping developments in the school, and the new chair in particular is well aware of both the work that has been done, the strengths identified and the areas still in need of further development.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The headteacher and senior staff have introduced a monitoring programme and are carrying it out thoroughly, and in some cases effectively, in helping staff to improve aspects of their teaching, for example. So far, however, insufficient use has been made of much of the performance data gathered. There is too little analysis, evaluation and reporting of relevant baseline data for the management team to be able to make the best use of the standards data gathered. Subject leaders are not yet sufficiently involved in this process. However, appropriately challenging targets have been set for the forthcoming years, and much effort has been put into achieving these, for example through implementing fully the national strategies for both literacy and numeracy. The chair of governors is actively and regularly engaged in reviewing and discussing performance data but the governing body as a whole is not yet provided with regular accessible information to enable it to undertake its

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

full strategic management role. This is in hand.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school has identified a very clear and generally appropriate set of priorities for 1999 to 2002 and is well on target for many of them. These priorities already identify many of the issues picked up in this report. Development planning involves senior staff and some key governors but so far has been insufficiently based on a broad review of relevant data, as discussed above. Subject leaders and governors have not yet been fully involved in this process but plans are well in hand for their full involvement in the next round. The whole school community has a clear and shared commitment to maintaining the progress achieved and striving to continue to raise standards for all pupils in the school. The school has moved forward a long way and is well placed to continue to improve.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school has adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff, both teaching and non-teaching, to enable the curriculum to be taught effectively. Staff are generally well deployed to enable support teaching and some specialist teaching to take place, with good effect. There is a good programme for induction of staff, particularly for those newly qualified and these teachers feel well supported by their mentors and the rest of the staff team. Staff development is linked to the priorities in the school development plan and the demands of Investors in People, for which the school is now ready to make its submission.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school makes sound use of resources overall and the headteacher has been effective in acquiring and targeting funds to support key priority areas. She is currently awaiting repayment of a significant sum by the local education authority. The school is beginning to apply the principles of best value and overall gives sound value for money.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The role and management of classroom assistants are not fully understood and managed by class teachers and the use of this group is not as effective as it could be in supporting the needs of pupils with special educational needs (SEN). Most funding for SEN is spent on staffing and there has been a major investment in establishing a specific room for work with pupils with special educational needs. This provides a bright and welcoming environment in which groups can work. The SEN co-ordinator has worked hard since her appointment to raise the profile of SEN within the school and to improve the resources available.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school is conscious of the need to draw up its own policy statement for equal Morningside Primary School opportunities. This will reflect the context and reality of the life of school which is already firmly based on the principles of equal opportunities for all pupils and teachers.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Since the last inspection, the widespread underachievement of pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) has been effectively addressed. Pupils' behaviour is now very well managed and behaviour in most classrooms is good. Curriculum content is better monitored by management and relates more closely to the multicultural context of the school. Afternoon withdrawal of pupils creates problems for their curriculum entitlement, but overall, good progress has been made and specific grants are well spent.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The accommodation is clean and well organised. There are spacious classroom and specialist areas for ICT, music, SEN and English as an additional language. The school keeper has made a significant contribution to the programme of refurbishment and has decorated most of the rooms. The outside areas have also benefited with new seating and quiet areas. These developments, which have taken place since the last inspection, have significantly improved the learning environment, and more are planned.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. Learning resources are satisfactory in all areas apart from design and technology. They are good in music, religious education and ICT. The literacy resources are good but the lack of a library and the lack of more challenging books and a wider genre of texts in both key stages are weaknesses in the overall provision. Science and geography resources are rather inaccessible.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.27

1. Raise standards in mathematics, in particular in Key Stage 2, by

improving teachers’ subject knowledge through additional in-service training using more carefully targeted assessment in day-to-day teaching ensuring a better match of work to the needs and abilities of pupils placing greater emphasis on the teaching of mental strategies and consistency of methods maintaining the focus on target-setting and tracking progress more carefully. (paragraphs: 8, 24, 26, 58, 60, 105, 109, 111)

p.27

2. Ensure the curriculum is well-balanced by

reviewing the use of time during the school day improving the balance of time between subjects reconsidering arrangements for the withdrawal of children checking that statutory curriculum requirements are fully met (paragraphs: 33, 35, 45, 58, 60, 119)

p.27

geography by

continuing the review of time given to these subjects ensuring effective curriculum leadership including improved monitoring of pupils’ progress focusing even more on approaches which help pupils’ learning (paragraphs: 9, 27, 33, 60, 117, 119, 131, 138, 149)

p.27

4. Strengthen the management structure of the school by

reconsidering roles and responsibilities within the senior management team and middle Morningside Primary School management to make the best use of the most able teachers and subject leaders providing additional in-service training for subject leaders and raising expectations of their roles in management and leading school improvement ensuring better collection, analysis and evaluation of data from all sources. (paragraphs: 33, 58, 60, 61, 77, 112, 119, 125, 139, 149)

p.27

4. Strengthen the management structure of the school by

5. Improve the governing body’s strategic management of the school by ensuring that statutory responsibilities for appraisal and annual reporting are met improving the collection, analysis and evaluation of performance data and reporting procedures ensuring all key staff are more fully and effectively involved in school self evaluation procedures.

p.28

(paragraphs: 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 119, 125)

Other less significant issues for development

p.28

(paragraphs: 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 119, 125)

Strengthen procedures to improve the punctuality of pupils (paragraphs: 20, 43, 45, 56) Improve standards of presentation by continuing to expect consistently higher standards of handwriting and completion of work (paragraphs: 27, 98, 99, 109, 117, 137, 144, 166)

p.28

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

Context and overview 69. The school has been in receipt of devolved funding since April 1999. An Action Plan for the use of this budget has been submitted to the Local Education Authority but no response has been received to date. The grant has enabled the school to deploy 2.6 full time equivalent teachers to support the learning needs of ethnic minority pupils with English as an additional language. There is likely to be an underspend in this area of expenditure. The headteacher is aware of this possibility and plans to increase the number of specialist support staff to meet pupils’ needs more fully.

p.28

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

70. Some 20 per cent of pupils are supported by the ethnic minority achievement grant (EMAG) at any given time. Throughout the school this support is provided by withdrawing individual pupils from the mainstream curriculum for the teaching of English. During the morning, withdrawal support is in the form of a parallel literacy hour. In the afternoon, identified pupils are withdrawn from the curriculum for the teaching of language skills for a minimum period of 6 weeks. No support is currently provided during the numeracy hour for pupils with English as an additional language.

p.28

OUTCOMES

71. The progress of pupils in acquiring English is satisfactory. Pupils learn to use phonics and picture clues to decode words, refer to dictionaries for word meaning, learn grammar and write in English through specialist teaching within their withdrawal groups. However their exposure to English and access to the mainstream curriculum is limited through the strategy of withdrawal in the afternoons. The school has become aware of this and plans to review both the extent of withdrawal and its effectiveness through more rigorous monitoring of pupil progress and new value added measures. Morningside Primary School 72. Pupils with English as an additional language are enthusiastic, co-operative and keen to learn. They are confident learners and participate in their lessons actively, responding to teachers’ questions and offering ideas. Those at the early stages of English language development are prepared to be involved in discussions about a story line or

p.28

OUTCOMES

word meaning in the safety of their small groups.

p.29

OUTCOMES

73. The school has recognised that black-Caribbean and Turkish boys are underachieving as compared to others. Plans are in hand to analyse pupils’ performance and identify the reasons for this.

p.29

Quality of Provision

74. Pupils’ relationships with their support teachers are very good. This provides a strong basis for the small group and individual support that is provided. Pupils are assessed on the level of their English language acquisition soon after arrival. Such assessments are used to monitor progress in their language skills continually. Support teachers utilise this information effectively in planning the parallel literacy hour as well as their teaching strategies. However information about pupils’ levels of English language is not shared with class teachers and does not enter their monitoring scheme. The school should encourage closer working links between support and class teachers so that the needs of these pupils are also more closely met within the mainstream curriculum.

p.29

Quality of Provision

75. The quality and range of curricular opportunities for pupils involved in the withdrawal groups is limited and therefore unsatisfactory. The morning withdrawal groups receive a parallel literacy hour structure and this goes some way towards providing a fuller literacy programme for the pupils. However, withdrawal from the afternoon curriculum results in a number of pupils being excluded from some curriculum areas including science, art, physical education, humanities and music for up to a term. The school has become aware of this issue and is already reconsidering the structure of ethnic minority achievement (EMA) provision with a view to its integration within the mainstream curriculum.

p.29

Quality of Provision

76. The school has no specific links with the parents of pupils learning English as an additional language. However this is being addressed through the 1999-2000 EMA action plan. Such links will enhance the quality of the EMA provision by providing fuller assessment opportunities, involving parents in homework, reading and other curricular activities as well as behaviour management.

p.29

Efficiency and effectiveness of management

77. The EMA co-ordinator’s new job description will enable her to take a professional lead and co-ordinate the provision more effectively across the school. Regular weekly meetings within the support team have been used to share information on pupils’ progress, provide in-house, in-service training opportunities and for planning. Currently there are no opportunities for monitoring and observation of teachers’ practice. This has also led to a lack of involvement in the induction of new support teachers.

p.29

Efficiency and effectiveness of management

78. Progress since the last OFSTED report has been good. The needs of minority ethnic pupils are met in a more structured and systematic way. Progress in this area should remain a priority until the curricular provision becomes more inclusive. Morningside Primary School

p.29

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 116 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.30

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactor y Unsatisfact ory Poor Very Poor

p.30

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 9 32 49 10 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y7 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 401 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 209 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y7 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 142

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 274

p.30

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 70 Morningside Primary School

p.30

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 6.5% School data 0.8% National comparative data 5.4% National comparative data 0.5% Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Morningside Primary School

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 31 28 59

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 23 18 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 20 19

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 75 (80) 64 (70) 69 (82) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 19 16 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 16 15

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 66 (75) 54 (68) 47 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 26 27 53

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 3 6 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 10 8

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 32 (44) 30 (31) 25 (33) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (58) 78 (69)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 4 4 7 Morningside Primary School Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 13 16

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 36 (40) 32 (29) 43 (31) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Morningside Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

No of pupils Fixed period Perman ent Black – Caribbean heritage 66 Black – Caribbean heritage Black – African heritage 93 Black – African heritage Black – other 8 Black – other Indian 16 Indian Pakistani 2 Pakistani Bangladeshi 25 Bangladeshi

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Chinese 5 Chinese White 153 White Any other minority ethnic group 8 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 21.6 Financial year 1998-99

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Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher Average class size 29 £ Total income 953,971 Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 922,513 Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 2186

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Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 152 Balance brought forward from previous year 62,898 Morningside Primary School Balance carried forward to next year 94,356

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nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Number of pupils per qualified teacher

p.35

nursery

Total number of education support staff Total aggregate hours worked per week 32.5

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nursery

FTE means full-time equivalent. Morningside Primary School

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongl y agree Tend to agree Tend to disagre e Strongl y disagre e Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 36% 55% 9%

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 58% 33% 8%

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33% 42% 25%

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33% 42% 17% 8%

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 50% 33% 8% 8%

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50% 42% 8%

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 33% 50% 8% 8%

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 25% 58% 8% 8%

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 33% 67%

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33% 25% 25% 17%

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The good behaviour • The positive values and attitudes taught • The approachability of the headteacher and (no suggestions made in the survey or meetings) Morningside Primary School staff • The information the school provides

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79. Children are admitted to the nursery part time at the age of three and a half. After two/three terms they move to the reception class which admits pupils termly. There is evidence of mobility within the Early Years and during the week of the inspection two new pupils joined the reception class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. On entry to nursery, children are made to feel very welcome and, with support and encouragement, settle into their new surroundings and routines. They enjoy coming to school. With sensitive direction they learn to recognise their names and answer the register. They behave well and respond to adults.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81. They have opportunities to choose activities and quickly learn to co-operate and share. Staff provide a range of interesting and stimulating activities. They provide good role models, demonstrating patience and consistency in their management.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

82. Reception children are assessed using the Local Education Authority's (LEA) baseline assessment. Recent results indicate an improvement in line with LEA averages which reflects the progress made in the nursery. By the end of reception, many children are likely to achieve the desirable learning outcomes. Overall progress is good.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

83. The quality of teaching is good overall and methods used are generally very effective in enabling children to learn. Teachers plan together and work well as a team. The nursery teacher and nursery nurse work closely together to plan for children's learning. Expectations are appropriately high and pupils' behaviour is usually very well managed. Teacher time is used efficiently and effectively, particularly at the beginning of the day. Support staff make satisfactory contributions in this setting but their role could now be enhanced. In the relatively few instances where the teaching was weaker, the organisation was inappropriate. Pupils with special educational needs make progress in line with their abilities. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

84. Planning is guided by the Desirable Learning Outcomes and is satisfactory overall. The literacy and numeracy strategies are having significant impact on teaching and learning in the reception classes and planning for these aspects has improved. More detail and clearer learning objectives in other aspects would lead to even greater gains for pupils. The use of assessment is satisfactory. One example of good day to day assessment by a teacher was observed where a task was modified for two children experiencing difficulty. This enabled them to make good progress during the lesson.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85. High priority is given to the development of speaking and listening skills and children make good overall progress. A range of opportunities is provided to encourage the development of early reading and writing skills. Many children are beginning to write their Morningside Primary School names and engage in early writing activities. Their phonological skills are less well developed and teachers in the reception class are using the literacy strategy to support their work in this area. Role play is used in both the nursery and reception to successfully promote expressive language.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

86. Children make good progress in mathematics through a variety of practical and recorded activities that focus on developing their mathematical concepts and language. In the nursery, children are introduced to the basic shapes and many of the older nursery children show the capacity to remember the names of simple shapes. Older children in reception recognise numbers to 10 and beyond and can count accurately to 10. They are beginning to understand 'one more' and can use language such as “more or less than”. The analysis of baseline assessment has identified language development in mathematics as a necessary focus. This need was clearly observed during the week of the inspection.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

87. Overall, sound progress is made in children's knowledge and understanding of the world. Throughout the Early Years pupils cover a range of topics that build on their existing understanding and incorporate the foundations of work in science, technology, history and geography. Currently the children are not using computers to extend their knowledge, skills and understanding. This is a weakness which the school has immediate plans to remedy. Children use tape recorders to listen to familiar stories. Older children find out about the human body and some can name the main parts and know about the five senses. They make comparisons between child and adult and can identify significant differences.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

88. Children are encouraged to develop their fine motor and manipulative skills through a range of activities. Hand-eye co-ordination is developed through the use of scissors, puzzles and shape matching. The hall is used for physical development and the use of large apparatus. Children use their bodies well in these activities and can stretch, balance and turn as part of their warming up. They control balls well, both with their hands and feet, and are beginning to work well in small groups.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

89. Resources are satisfactory. The accommodation is attractive and well used. Nursery children enjoy a range of wheeled toys and outdoor apparatus which they use extensively to develop their early skills. Construction apparatus is used with increasing independence and children show good co-operative skills when working together.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

90. Pupils experience a range of creative activities including painting, collage, printing and modelling through which they explore colour and tone and gain increasing control over the materials they use. In the nursery, children make their own dough which they use later for modelling. Adults use questions to encourage careful observation. Progress is satisfactory. In both the nursery and reception, children experiment with musical instruments. They learn simple songs and appropriate actions to accompany them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

91. Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good and they are keen to attend. Most join enthusiastically in all activities. Children new to the school and the nursery are given a warm, reassuring welcome and settle quickly. This was clearly evidenced during the inspection week. Children persevere at their chosen activities and clear away resources when they have finished.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

92. Improvement since the last inspection has continued and the Early Years is very well placed to make further improvements.

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ENGLISH

Morningside Primary School 93. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests for Key Stage 1, pupils' attainment in reading and writing was well below national standards and broadly in line with similar schools. In Key Stage 2 the 1999 standards were well below standards nationally and in comparison with similar schools. Despite improvement in standards since 1995, attainment in English was still well below average in 1999. However, inspection evidence suggests that standards continue to improve, with a majority of lessons now showing standards in English that are average or a little better. Most pupils at the end of each key stage are on target to achieve levels in line with the national average by the end of the year. Many pupils are making good progress in English. To improve standards further, the school has set year group targets that are suitably challenging. Now a greater consistency is required in setting

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ENGLISH

appropriate individual targets for all pupils. The school is well on its way to monitoring pupils’ progress by gender and ethnic group. This, when fully established, will enable a better focus on providing more specific support towards raising standards. 94. Standards in listening and speaking are good throughout the school. Pupils are confident speakers. They engage willingly in whole class discussions, respond well to teachers' questions and offer ideas. A strength of many lessons is the level of pupils' active involvement in the whole class and plenary sessions. They are able to explain their work and identify the main points of a text, picking out relevant details. In Year 2, pupils participate confidently in plenary sessions and are able to describe their tasks well. Pupils in Year 5 were able to retell the story of 'Iden's Golden Apple' from the viewpoint of different characters and offer alternatives to the story line. Pupils in Year 6 were able to

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ENGLISH

analyse and explain clearly the structure of a Haiku poem. Pupils with English as an additional language are confident to speak as their command of English improves. Most pupils listen attentively to teachers’ instructions, the views of others, poetry and stories. They enjoy class assemblies, which are a feature of the week. Regular drama lessons, however, are not sufficiently represented in the English timetable. 95. Pupils make increasing use of Standard English as they progress through the school. They acquire good understanding of the structure of English through language skills lessons as well as the National Literacy Framework. They learn specialist vocabulary in all subjects. All pupils make good progress in speaking and listening, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. 96. Reading standards are average by the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils are encouraged

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ENGLISH

to use phonic cues and other decoding strategies to read unfamiliar words and to refer to dictionaries for better comprehension. They talk confidently about their favourite stories and are able to predict and recall significant aspects of the text. They enjoy reading aloud and talking about stories and poems. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils read well a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry books and show their preferences. They are able to identify a limited range of authors, mainly Roald Dahl, as their favourite and speak about preferred types of books. Poetry is enjoyed by many. In one class a shared reading of a favourite poem turned into a spontaneous, clear and lively recitation with expression for the whole class and the poem was enjoyed by all. 97. More able pupils read accurately, fluently and with some expression although not always with full comprehension. Less able pupils and those with English as an additional

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ENGLISH

language read more hesitantly and less accurately. On these occasions pupils are able to decode words and read them carefully. Those for whom English is an additional language, attain satisfactorily and many progress well. All pupils learn skills of scanning and skimming which enhance their reading and their work across the curriculum. Classes visit the local library as a regular feature of the curriculum and pupils are encouraged to take books home throughout the school. There is an excellent and upgraded collection of resources for use during the literacy hour. The facility of a school library is not available to the pupils and their library research skills are underdeveloped. However, classroom libraries are well used. Progress in reading is good overall. Girls make better progress than boys. The co-ordinator and school management team recognise the need to address boys' Morningside Primary School

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ENGLISH

underachievement in English through a range of professional development opportunities for teachers, including continuing to challenge their targets for individual pupils. 98. Standards in writing are satisfactory and many pupils make good progress. By the end of Key Stage 2 more able pupils write in a range of styles for different purposes both in English and in other subjects of the curriculum. For example, in Year 6 some inspirational narrative was written during a practice SAT test session. There is a strong focus on writing in the narrative genre which restricts the range of writing skills for most pupils. The school has recently identified a weakness in their range of writing styles and has now introduced an extended writing lesson as part of the literacy hour. The audience for pupils’ writing is often limited and does not extend beyond the classroom. Pupils of all ages develop the skill of planning and drafting to improve content and effect. They understand the purpose

p.40

ENGLISH

of this process and are able to articulate it clearly. In the lessons observed, homework was not used sufficiently to prepare for the next stage of writing or to extend the work of the classroom. Some unfinished work was evident in pupils' books. 99. In both key stages there is a strong emphasis on consolidating skills in spelling and punctuation. Regular practice of handwriting is an established routine which pupils enjoy. This enhances their handwriting skills and makes them increasingly adept. Pupils' handwriting is legibly formed but work is often not well presented. 100. The quality of teaching is often satisfactory and is good or better in over a quarter of the lessons seen. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject. They generally adopt an appropriate range of teaching styles with a balance between whole class and teacher- directed group work. The most effective teaching is associated with high expectation, good

p.40

ENGLISH

relationship with pupils, effective and positive behaviour management strategies and a range of challenging and interesting activities. Teachers conduct lessons at a good pace. They value the work of all pupils and are generous with praise. In the weaker lessons seen in Key Stage 1, ineffective teaching showed an over-reliance on worksheets which at times lack appropriate interest and challenge for some pupils and a failure to consolidate new learning, for example through good use of plenary sessions. Where the teaching was weaker in Key Stage 2, it was as a result of teachers’ limited use of strategies to manage pupils’ behaviour, instructions for independent group work which were not clear and activities that did not support lesson objectives sufficiently. 101. The quality of learning is good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. In classrooms where routines are established and tasks are clearly set out, pupils are able to

p.40

ENGLISH

work independently and concentrate well, collaborate with each other and actively participate in group work. They understand what they are doing and are able to explain the learning objectives for their tasks. In a Year 4 class, pupils learned about use of key words in accessing reference materials, posed sensible questions and listened well. Pupils in a Year 3 class worked with concentration and exhibited pride in their work, willingly discussing how to improve it. Pupils gain an increasing understanding of the rules of punctuation as they progress through the school. They understand parts of speech and use them accurately in their writing. In Year 1 pupils read the Gingerbread Man loudly and competently using the speech marks to bring expression to their voice at relevant points. 102. The introduction of a slightly adapted version of the National Literacy Framework and the literacy hour has had a positive impact on raising pupils' standards. Teachers

p.40

ENGLISH

encourage pupils to examine texts in detail and learn the relevant details of how they are constructed. The study of the rules of spelling, punctuation and parts of grammar has helped all pupils. Pupils with English as an additional language are withdrawn to a parallel session where the text and content are selected to relate more closely to their needs. Teachers plan their lessons well within the school’s agreed framework and prepare tasks adapted to meet the needs of pupils of a range of levels of attainment. In the best teaching, these tasks are well suited to the needs of the groups and provide appropriate levels of challenge to raise achievement. On other occasions there is a lack of challenge shown in some of the tasks. For most pupils the literacy hour is having a positive effect, improving standards by providing consistency and continuity in classroom routines, Morningside Primary School

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ENGLISH

curriculum content and the pupils’ language skills. However the subject leader and members of the senior management team should keep under review the effectiveness of withdrawal for pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs. 103. Boys and girls show increasingly good behaviour as they progress through the school. In Key Stage 2, more specifically, all pupils show good attitudes that have a positive effect on their learning. In lessons all pupils behave very well. In the main they concentrate well on the shared text and plenary sessions and behave responsibly. They listen to teachers’ instructions attentively and work well together in group activities. 104. Standards have improved since the OFSTED inspection of 1994. There is a marked level of progress in pupils' language skills in listening and speaking, reading and writing. The quality of teaching has improved to the extent that in English throughout the

p.41

ENGLISH

school nearly all teaching is now satisfactory or better. Teacher expectations have been, and are being raised through a well-managed process of target setting for individual pupils and year groups. Planning as an aspect of teaching has been addressed and significant progress has been made in the course of implementing the National Literacy Strategy. The HMI report of 1997 identified the absence of clear targets and the progress of competent pupils as aspects in need of further development. These issues have been addressed by the school management team and remain a high priority. However, the needs of more able pupils are still not being fully met.

p.41

MATHEMATICS

105. Overall attainment in mathematics is below average. Results of National Curriculum tests for Key Stage 1 in 1998, indicate that they were below the national average. At Key Stage 2, they were very low. Results in 1999 show a decline in Key Stage 1 and they remained very low in Key Stage 2. They were very low overall when compared with results in other schools with similar characteristics. The school has been implementing the Numeracy Strategy for some time. Together with target setting, this is beginning to have a positive effect on standards and the school anticipates targets being met. Pupils are provided with a balanced programme of work that has a strong emphasis on numeracy.

p.41

MATHEMATICS

106. In the lessons observed and in pupils' work, standards in numeracy vary and are below average in Key Stage 2. Standards in Key Stage 1 are average. Many pupils at Key Stage 1 are capable and are developing confidence with mental and written calculations. In Year 2 many pupils know number bonds, doubles and near doubles. They know the language of addition and subtraction and the more able recognise the inverse operation of these. In Year 1, children could talk about the strategies they used, for example, “start adding with the highest number”. In Key Stage 2 older pupils show ability and confidence.

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MATHEMATICS

107. The standard of work in most other aspects of mathematics is broadly in line with national expectations. Many pupils in Key Stage 1 can make simple measurements of length and time. They can identify a number of two and three dimensional shapes. Tally charts are used to produce information for graphs.

p.41

MATHEMATICS

108. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. It is generally good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. This represents an improvement since the previous inspection and reflects the impact of the National Numeracy Strategy. Teachers work hard and are committed to the improvement of standards. Planning is undertaken for a three- part lesson and this structure is applied consistently across the school. There are examples of good quality teaching where all pupils are challenged appropriately by the teacher's questions, expectations are high and time well used. Learning objectives shared with children are reviewed in plenary sessions and clear strategies are taught that enable Morningside Primary School the children to compute more efficiently. Children are encouraged to explain their strategies and are given good feedback in many instances. The language of mathematics is given appropriate emphasis. The use of games in some classes provides stimulus and

p.41

MATHEMATICS

encourages children to listen carefully and to work co-operatively. The pace of work is generally sound and sometimes good. Children learn and achieve well where the work is well matched and their thinking challenged.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

109. In some weaker lessons, where work is inappropriately matched to capability, more able pupils are insufficiently challenged and the less able could not complete the tasks set. Teacher time is less well targeted and the work of classroom assistants insufficiently guided. Teachers’ knowledge and assessment of children's working strategies is weak in Key Stage 2 and pupils do not always receive the support necessary to help them succeed. 110. Relationships in class are good and pupils have very positive attitudes to their work in mathematics. They are keen to discuss their work and contribute well in plenary sessions. Many show real persistence when working on difficult tasks. They use a range of equipment to assist their learning. Behaviour is well managed throughout the school. Pupils’ mathematical skills are not yet fully developed in other subjects.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

111. Marking is broadly in line with school policy but lacks the level of feedback needed for individual development of mathematical concepts and the meeting of targets. For children with special educational needs, few have targets set in mathematics. Many pupils are unable to identify clearly the steps they need to take in order to improve. The use of homework is insufficiently targeted and clearly communicated to parents.

p.42

MATHEMATICS

112. The subject is led by the co-ordinator who is also the Key Stage 1 co-ordinator. Time has been allocated for him to observe, monitor and support lessons. This is beginning to have an impact on the quality of teaching. Resources are generally adequate. A new published scheme is being added to current resources and the co-ordinator is working with staff to evaluate the assessment links. ICT links are underdeveloped and little use is currently made of computers to reinforce and extend pupils' mathematical experience. The school building and grounds provide good opportunities for investigations though their use is not widespread. Mathematics features as a major aspect of the school development plan. The mathematics action plan is not sufficiently well structured to provide clear strategic direction for the subject.

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SCIENCE

113. Results in the 1999 National Curriculum tests showed that attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 was very low in comparison with the national average and also very low compared with similar schools. In Key Stage 1, teacher assessment showed that the proportion of pupils achieving the national standard was well below average. Trend information prior to 1999 reveals that, although standards remained below the national average, improvements have been made.

p.42

SCIENCE

114. Inspection evidence shows that in both key stages, pupils’ oral responses to questions are of a higher standard than their written responses. Overall, standards reach the national expectation in Key Stage 1 and in Key Stage 2; however, attainment in the experimental and investigative component of the subject is below expectation. Pupils’ progress in science is satisfactory overall though they gain more in terms of scientific knowledge than they do in the development of independent investigative skills. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and they make sound progress.

p.42

SCIENCE

115. Pupils in Key Stage 1 can carry out simple investigations such as in Year 1 where Morningside Primary School they use their senses to determine the contents of a variety of containers. Through such work pupils are beginning to understand the procedures for carrying out investigations. They are able to raise questions, offer ideas and draw simple conclusions. They are also beginning to observe carefully and to find ways to record their work. In Year 2, pupils have a good knowledge of safety issues with regard to electricity. They show an understanding of such terms as ‘current’, ‘sub-station’ and ‘pylon’.

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SCIENCE

116. By the age of 11, pupils have a sound knowledge of scientific concepts and they can answer factual questions with a reasonable degree of confidence. In their work about growth, nutrition and reproduction in plants, Year 6 pupils are able to describe accurately the conditions necessary for plant growth and they can identify organs, such as petal and stigma. Many of these pupils use scientific vocabulary well and demonstrate a good understanding of such terms as ‘photosynthesis’ and ‘nutrient’. In Year 4, pupils can link cause and effect in explaining why a bulb fails to light because of a break in an electrical circuit. They can distinguish between insulators and conductors, predicting with a good degree of accuracy the effects of such materials in an electrical circuit. Pupils handle resources confidently when engaged in simple enquiry tasks though they have too few opportunities to select resources, devise their own scientific tests or pursue their own lines

p.43

SCIENCE

of enquiry. Their skills in forming hypotheses, establishing a testing strategy and organising and interpreting results are underdeveloped.

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SCIENCE

117. Throughout the school, the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and there are some good and very good lessons. Teachers plan their lessons well, identifying clear learning objectives although these are not often shared with pupils. Classroom organisation usually supports learning and activities are generally well prepared and matched to pupils’ abilities. There are, however, too few open-ended tasks to challenge more able pupils and to develop their investigative skills. Teachers’ questioning is generally effective in assessing pupils’ understanding and depth of knowledge and an appropriate emphasis is placed upon the acquisition of scientific vocabulary. Some teachers lack confidence in science and their subject knowledge is insufficient. In some lessons teachers are ineffective in addressing excessive noise levels and this reduces the children’s ability to concentrate. Expectations about standards of handwriting and

p.43

SCIENCE

presentation are too low. Most work is dated and marked though not always in accordance with the stated policy. Day-to-day assessments are very informal and the information gained from them does not always influence planning and teaching.

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SCIENCE

118. Pupils’ attitudes to science are positive. They are usually interested in their work and they willingly discuss ideas and answer questions. Although they generally co-operate and behave well, pupils are not confident in making decisions or in using their initiative to tackle problems.

p.43

SCIENCE

119. The statutory requirements for the subject are being met apart from an insufficient emphasis on experimental and investigative science. Evidence from displays around the school and from pupils’ books, indicates that a range of work is covered. However, some aspects of work are not covered in sufficient depth and there is also an insufficient emphasis on the broader scientific issues such as, for example, the cultural implications of some scientific advances. The amount of time spent on science is inadequate and this inhibits complete coverage of the subject. The current scheme of work, which is ineffective in guiding the work of teachers, is soon to be revised in the light of the forthcoming National Curriculum changes. Reference will also be made to published science materials. Monitoring arrangements are unsatisfactory. Although the co-ordinator sees termly plans, there is no system for checking the effectiveness of these plans in raising pupils’

p.43

SCIENCE

achievements. Morningside Primary School 120. The school has sufficient science resources although they are not deployed efficiently. There is a basic supply of equipment in each class but most resources are kept in a locked cupboard. Pupils are not aware of the range available so they are unable to make informed choices about the appropriateness of a piece of equipment for a specific task.

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SCIENCE

121. There have been some improvements in science provision since the last inspection, particularly in terms of structure, planning and in the quality of teaching. The current school development plan outlines details of how further improvements will be made.

p.44

ART

122. Standards in art throughout the school are at least in line with national expectations. There is good work taking place in all key stages and the profile of art in the curriculum is now high. Displays around the school are varied and many are of a high quality. Work in art and with practising artists enhances the quality of provision for the pupils, and a good range of artwork helps to provide a richer learning environment in most rooms and open spaces.

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ART

123. There has been a significant improvement in standards since the last inspection when they were found to be unsatisfactory in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. They are now satisfactory throughout and some in Key Stage 2 are good. Children are developing skills and techniques using a variety of media from the nursery onwards. They are acquiring knowledge well from their studies of work by a good range of artists. Older pupils were responding well to a range of artists’ treatment of sea scenes, for example, and produced some very good drawings and paintings as a result; other good products were on display linked to works by Turner, Constable and William Morris. A tasteful display of fabric patterns stimulated pupils to make their own repeated designs, many of them intricate, some using conventional materials and some using the computer, in Year 4. In Year 5, group compositions based around the current fable they were reading in Literacy, were

p.44

ART

enriched by studying the work of Franz Marc. Children were very well engaged in this activity and were co-operating extremely well in planning, developing their ideas, reviewing and modifying their compositions.

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ART

124. The quality of teaching is sound overall and ranges from good and very good teaching to a small amount that is unsatisfactory. Several teachers are well qualified to teach the subject and the programme is supported very effectively by the specialist subject co-ordinator, visiting artists, and an artist-in-residence programme. This leads to more interesting and varied experiences, skill development and pleasing products and display. Teaching and learning objectives are clearly identified. Skills are taught systematically according to a sound policy and time is given for the pupils to develop their techniques and make choices of media. The pace of lessons is generally brisk and pupils are challenged appropriately by the activities. They enjoy their work and concentrate well, displaying very positive attitudes to the subject and high standards of behaviour in the main. Where there was some lack of preparation and less confident behaviour management in the lower part

p.44

ART

of Key Stage 1, the children became restless and the overall quality of the experience was reduced. However this was very much an exception.

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ART

125. The subject is increasingly well-led. Resources have been improved and organised for better access. Good links are being made with music and the subjects’ mutual capacity for supporting and developing the spiritual, social and cultural aspects of the curriculum are being explored. There is still too little fabric and three-dimensional work although work with Morningside Primary School one visiting artist has led, for example, to some high quality copper relief work being displayed and this demonstrates how the subject is moving forward. There is insufficient use made of sketchbooks and the value placed on observational drawing generally should be raised. The new co-ordinator has had little time yet to monitor the quality of teaching and should do so soon in order to help identify staff needs and the many strengths available to help to raise standards further.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. Standards of attainment overall are in line with national expectations throughout the school. The progress of pupils across all key stages is satisfactory within the limited range of experiences for which evidence was available. There is evidence in Key Stage 1 that attainment is rising. The lack of a co-ordinator has inhibited the development of the subject and hence higher standards.

p.45

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. There is a scheme of work which is being followed with some success in Key Stage 1 and teachers' planning is clear. End of year expectations are clearly described.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

128. The small sample of lessons observed showed teaching that was good or very good. The teaching in Key Stage 1, which focused on design, enabled pupils to plan and execute their designs from initial stage to printing from a block. Features of good teaching include good organisation of classroom and materials, brisk pace, praise of pupils, the setting of clear expectations and discussion about the properties of materials being used. Pupils are given clear explanations about why a task must be carried out in a particular way and appropriate vocabulary is used. These good features enable pupils to develop and modify their designs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. In one Key Stage 2 lesson, good features of teaching were the clear planning in line with the programme of study for designing skills, clear instructions and good links with the current history topic. Other examples of work seen included the plans and evaluation of clocks in Key Stage 1, models of Roman chariots using a Jinks frame construction and Roman pottery. These all demonstrate a satisfactory standard of work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

130. Pupils' attitudes towards the subject are good. Behaviour is generally good and pupils enjoy the lessons and are well motivated. A good example was seen of collaborative working in a Year 2 class when the teacher asked more able pupils who had completed their work to assist pupils who were finding it hard to complete the task. Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and teachers, are good. In Key Stage 1 teachers display pupils' work promptly and this provides increased motivation.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

131. Resources to support the curriculum are unsatisfactory overall. In the nursery there is a satisfactory range of materials, including cogs, wheels, construction kits and pieces of machinery. There are insufficient tools for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils and those the school has are badly organised and not easily accessible to either staff or pupils. There are sufficient construction kits, facilities for food technology and materials for basic designing and making. The headteacher is aware of the need to invest in resources which will enable pupils to carry out work with electrical equipment and using control technology.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. Standards of attainment are in line with national expectations by the end of both key stages. Pupils of all abilities, throughout the school, make satisfactory progress overall. Morningside Primary School 133. During the inspection it was only possible to observe three lessons in geography as much of the work is planned to be covered outside the inspection period. Judgements are based on these observations, on discussions with pupils and staff and on a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ documentation.

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GEOGRAPHY

134. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have a sound understanding of the main features of their locality. They can use appropriate geographical terms such as ‘park’, ‘hill’ and ‘factory’. They can also recognise those features that characterise the area such as ‘busy streets’ and ‘many shops’. From books and photographs, pupils are beginning to recognise contrasts in individual features of different localities. Pupils are also beginning to undertake simple tasks using diagrams and plans. An example of this was seen in Year 2 where pupils were drawing room plans of ‘a giant’s house’.

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GEOGRAPHY

135. In Key Stage 2, pupils make satisfactory use of secondary sources of evidence such as photographs, books and maps. Year 5, for example, were using maps to compare two rivers. Pupils successfully identified features such as a mountain and a tributary. Year 6 pupils have good ideas about how their environment can be improved and they are also aware of the threats to it, which occur through pollution. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of their wider geographical location in terms of region, country and continent. They can draw out similarities and differences between places. Many pupils also have a sound general knowledge of places, rivers, mountains and other geographical features of the world.

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GEOGRAPHY

136. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and it is clear that they are interested in the world around them. They generally collaborate well and they are keen to discuss ideas when prompted.

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GEOGRAPHY

137. Teaching is effectively planned and from the evidence in pupils’ work there are satisfactory links between classroom practice and the scheme of work. Evidence from wall displays, pupils’ work and curriculum plans, shows that each aspect of the subject is given appropriate emphasis. In the three lessons observed, the quality of teaching, overall, was satisfactory. Teachers’ expectations about standards of written work and presentation, however, are too low.

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GEOGRAPHY

138. The programmes of study, set out in the National Curriculum, are covered but overall there is insufficient emphasis in both key stages on the development of geographical enquiry skills. In Key Stage 2, for example, there are too few opportunities for pupils to raise their own geographical questions or to work independently on a piece of research.

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GEOGRAPHY

139. The management of geography is sound. There is no subject policy but the scheme of work is a useful framework for teachers. Although teachers’ plans are scrutinised by the co-ordinator there is no systematic monitoring of standards in the subject. There is at present no clear educational direction for the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

140. Resources in the form of maps, atlases, artefacts, globes, compasses and books are adequate. The deployment of resources, however, is unsatisfactory with many essential items located in a locked storeroom. There are also a number of outdated resources, which should be discarded. Sound use is made of the local area and educational visits to enhance pupils’ learning. 141. Since the last inspection, standards and the quality of teaching have improved. Resources have been increased. Morningside Primary School

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HISTORY

142. Standards of attainment in history are in line with national expectations in both key stages. In Key Stage 2 there is too heavy a reliance on work sheets and insufficient emphasis on good presentation of work by pupils. There is a detailed scheme of work and clear medium term plans for the subject. Pupils acquire a range of information about the programmes of study and work has recently been covered on Ancient Greeks, Romans, Tudors and Victorians. A good range of work is seen in Year 4 where pupils have experienced thorough coverage of the programme of study on Romans. The work of less able pupils is often incomplete but the work of other groups shows some good results, for example, the pupil-made books telling the story of Romulus and Remus. Other examples of work which make greater demands on pupils to interpret source material and express opinions in a more imaginative format are seen in the Year 6 work on Victorians, particularly

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HISTORY

the work on child labour and the presentation of a curriculum vitae for Queen Victoria.

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HISTORY

143. Progress is satisfactory in both key stages. Only a limited amount of work was seen from Key Stage 1 pupils. This was linked to the topic on food. It was only possible to observe one lesson taught during the inspection as geography was the main focus this term. The lesson observed was in Reception and teaching was unsatisfactory. The unsatisfactory features were the poor planning, the lack of vocabulary to promote an appreciation of time and the limited linkage to pupils' own experiences. Work seen indicates that most pupils undertake the same tasks and that differentiation is by outcome. There is insufficient attention paid to the presentation and marking of work.

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HISTORY

144. There are sufficient resources for history and the school has built up a good range of materials to support the programmes of study. The curriculum overview shows planned trips which link with the scheme of work, for example, visits to Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood (Toys and Games), Petrie Museum (Egyptian daily life) and the Tower of London (Tudors).

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HISTORY

145. Since the last inspection curriculum planning has improved and standards have risen.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

146. Attainment is generally in line with national expectations. In Year 2, pupils are confident and many are able to use the keyboard and are competent with mouse control. Many can load, open and close programs. In Key Stage 2, many pupils are able to operate successfully the range of programs available to them. The use of word processing is widespread and children in Year 4 are making a start on working with databases. In Year 6 children can use 'word art' to enhance their writing and presentation of poetry. Others know how to access information from CD-ROMs, developing their research and retrieval skills for use in their geography work. Most pupils are able to use their previously acquired skills and respond readily to advice.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

147. Teaching is satisfactory overall in both key stages. The direct teaching of keyboard skills is having a very positive effect in Year 2. In one lesson in Key Stage 1 where teaching was unsatisfactory, this was mainly related to behaviour management and the organisational arrangements. The pace of work and rate of progress are generally satisfactory. Children are encouraged and supported in their efforts. Teachers use information and communications technology to produce many of their labels and captions and this shows a good example to pupils. Some links with literacy and geography are Morningside Primary School being promoted but overall, insufficient account is taken, in planning, of the contribution of ICT to other subjects. There is insufficient assessment, record keeping and monitoring to inform and track individual progress. Some strands are not securely represented in teachers’ planning and this restricts the breadth of the curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

148. Children's attitudes to ICT are good and they show significant enthusiasm and interest in acquiring new skills. Most listen carefully to the teachers' instructions and relationships are good. Some take on specific responsibilities within the suite and this contributes to their overall confidence. A strength of the work observed was the working partnerships created by teachers. Most children worked co-operatively. They shared expertise and were keen to support each other. Where this was not in evidence, boundaries and expectations for the partnership had not been clearly established.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

149. Teachers are developing their expertise and are keen to extend their skills. Currently there is no scheme of work in place and limited use is made of the nationally available scheme of work. The previous co-ordinator worked closely with the headteacher to develop the suite which now has got fifteen computers, shared printers and a scanner. Most classrooms are equipped with one computer and printer. Plans for the reception and nursery classes to acquire appropriate hardware are well under way. Networking classrooms to the suite is imminent and this will contribute significantly to teachers' efficiency of access. The headteacher currently co-ordinates the subject but is planning the induction of a newly appointed teacher to the role. In a recent audit staff indicated a broad range of skills and a prioritised programme of in-service training is planned for the summer term.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

150. Although there have been major developments in hardware provision since the previous inspection, the programme of staff in-service training and the need to develop the monitoring of ICT remain important priorities.

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MUSIC

151. Music provision is a strength of the school. The pupils make good progress in their studies. Standards of singing and playing are high and pupils, parents and staff all recognise this. The subject is very well-led by a skilled and competent subject leader. The headteacher and she have used the development of music effectively to raise the self- esteem of pupils and the school as a whole, through a good teacher-coaching programme, regular musical items in assemblies, performances and productions. The profile of the subject is heightened still further by a small recorder consort, a steel band and visits from practising musicians.

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MUSIC

152. Standards in the school are sound throughout and above average in singing and many aspects of performance by the time the pupils leave the school. Throughout the school the children enjoy their music making, play instruments rhythmically and to time. They are disciplined in their approach to the subject, take turns sensibly, support each other and respond well to each other’s suggestions. Singing in assemblies, music lessons and productions is often very good in a wide range of styles. Pupils are building up their knowledge of different composers and music from different periods, for example, at the time of the inspection there were focuses on Tudor music and the more recent American influence. Many children towards the upper end of the school are becoming more confident in composition and recognise and can reproduce, then read, simple notation. Attitudes are very positive and behaviour almost always good.

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MUSIC

153. Teaching is good overall, and sometimes very good, but there is a small amount Morningside Primary School that is unsatisfactory. Most staff teaching music have a good knowledge of the subject and that of the subject leader is very good. Lessons are usually well-planned and some are exceptionally well-prepared. This helps maximise the amount of time pupils spend engaging with the activities, using the instruments and practising their skills. Routines have been well established in most cases and expectations of behaviour and performance are high. Children respond well to this, accept responsibility for their own learning and consequently achieve more highly. On one occasion a lesson started late because of the slow lunch arrangements, the pace was also rather slow and the teacher lacked confidence in the subject. Children gained little from this lesson which spent far too much precious time discussing the language of the song rather than the tune, the musical elements, the

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MUSIC

accompaniment and preparing for the performance. The school makes good use of a helpful scheme of work and is adequately resourced with music, CDs, instruments and playback equipment.

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MUSIC

154. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership for the subject. Her own subject knowledge is very good and she inspires and builds confidence in others through the teacher coaching scheme. She works alongside staff, helping to develop their confidence in planning and delivering high quality musical experiences, progressively withdrawing her leadership of lessons while maintaining her support. This is an excellent model which should now be copied and extended to areas in music where the quality is less high. Accurate targeting of this support will depend on a closer monitoring programme to identify areas of greatest need. This process is now in hand. Additional work by the co-ordinator in seeking extra funds has meant she can attract other musicians and even orchestras to help raise expectations and performance standards, as, for example in the recent funding for a choreographer and accompanist for the highly acclaimed production of West Side Story.

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MUSIC

155. There has been good progress since the last inspection. Standards are now much higher and continuing to improve; progress is clear and performances are certainly both refined and expressive. A good scheme of work is in place and well-used. Good use is made of pupils with higher levels of skill so that they feel such achievement is valued. Children listen attentively most of the time, to each other as well as to staff and the music. The focus now should be upon eradicating any remaining unsatisfactory teaching, extending work and opportunities to perform for the more gifted and talented pupils and building generally on group instrumental work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

156. Standards of attainment in physical education (PE) are in line with national expectations in both key stages. Pupils develop their skills across a wide range of activities and pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

157. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils can move in different directions and at different speeds with a good degree of agility and control. They can perform a range of basic actions on the floor showing a good awareness of space and an ability to link actions into simple sequences. Pupils make satisfactory efforts to refine and improve their performance by practising their skills. In Year 2, pupils are encouraged to reflect upon their performance and, with teacher direction, they are also beginning to evaluate the performance of others. Most pupils in Key Stage 1 have acquired basic games skills such as throwing and catching.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

158. Pupils in Key Stage 2 achieve satisfactory standards across a wide range of physical activities such as dance, swimming, games and gymnastics. In games, pupils are Morningside Primary School progressively developing their skills and apply them to team games such as hockey and netball. By Year 6 many pupils can swim confidently.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

159. Throughout the school, children respond to lessons well. They show interest and enthusiasm and they are highly motivated. They work hard to practise skills and show a good degree of commitment and perseverance. There is good co-operation shown between the children and they collaborate well in groups. Behaviour is generally good but some children in some classes do not always listen well. Children handle equipment responsibly and safely.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

160. The PE curriculum is broadly based and includes dance and an extensive swimming programme for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. There are currently no extra curricular sporting activities to enhance the curriculum although there are plans to re-establish the provision of some ‘clubs’ in the near future. The school did employ a choreographer this year to raise interest and standards in dance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

161. Teaching throughout the school is sound overall with some that is good. Teachers have positive attitudes to the subject but some lack confidence in teaching it. Lessons are well planned with clear learning objectives. The pace is generally appropriate and expectations are sufficiently demanding. Teachers are very supportive of the children, giving them encouragement and praising them for good effort.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

162. The co-ordinator leads the subject well and gives very good support to colleagues. She monitors planning and has conducted an audit of staff expertise in the subject. She has observed lessons and given feedback to colleagues.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

163. There are adequate resources to teach the subject and they are efficiently deployed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE)

164. Since the last inspection there have been improvements in standards and in teaching, particularly in Key Stage 2. There is now a very good scheme of work to guide teachers’ planning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

165. Overall, attainment in religious education (RE) is in line with national expectations. Some good use is made of the religious experiences of pupils as members of different faith groups. An example of this was seen in the Year 5 lesson where a Muslim child wrote the Arabic version of "Eid ul Fitr" on the board and the teacher was able to use this as a teaching point for the rest of the class. When talking with pupils it is clear that they make gains in knowledge and understanding over time. They are able to present views that show the ability to reflect on the beliefs of others and relate them to their own experiences. They demonstrate positive attitudes, empathy and some ability to synthesise information, for example in the Year 4 lesson on the Sikh Gurus and the Year 5 lesson on Islam. By the end of Key Stage 2 many pupils know the main festivals and beliefs associated with different faith groups they have studied.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

166. In Key Stage 1 pupils' work takes a more thematic approach such as ‘Special People and Journeys’ as well as coverage of major faith groups, for example the work seen on Islam and Judaism. Oral sessions are particularly effective in promoting knowledge and providing opportunities for pupils from different faith groups to express their views. Written work is currently less effective in promoting a range of responses although differentiated Morningside Primary School tasks are produced for the pupils working on the topic of the Bible as a Holy Book. There is insufficient quantity and quality of work in Year 6 although work in the rest of Key Stage 2 is at least satisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

167. Pupils' attitudes to learning are mostly good or very good in RE lessons: they are attentive, behave well and show interest in their work. They contribute to discussion, offer opinions, settle to tasks and show interest in the beliefs of different faith groups. These positive views are not always reinforced by good presentation of work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

168. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages with some good teaching seen. Features of good teaching include writing the learning objectives for the lesson on the board, clear planning, good pace expected and maintained. Assessment is not yet in place for this subject and marking is inconsistent.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

169. The school has developed a scheme of work which is based on the locally Agreed Syllabus and coverage is ensured. There are many displays around the school which demonstrate this and support the raised profile of RE in the school. The co-ordinator has an interest in and commitment to the subject and is aware of the need for staff to increase their knowledge base. She tries to visit one classroom each week to monitor the teaching of RE but this practice is not yet well established. Appropriate visits are arranged to places of worship such as local churches, a synagogue, a Sikh temple and a mosque.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

170. The school has identified a significant amount of funding for the subject and this has been spent effectively. The school now has a good bank of materials, including religious artefacts to enhance curriculum delivery. This is well organised but would benefit from a central list.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

171. The religious education programme contributes particularly to the spiritual, social and cultural development of pupils and helps reinforce awareness of the rich diversity of beliefs and cultures represented both within the school and beyond. The school has not informed parents of their right to withdraw pupils from RE lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE)

172. There has been good progress in planning, provision and an improvement in standards since the last inspection.

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