Havannah First School

Broadway East First School

Dates of inspection: 10/05/1999 - 14/05/1999

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Broadway East First School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 under OFSTED contract number: 0705429

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Broadway East First School

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

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Broadway East First School

Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 and the Education Act 1993, 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. Broadway East First School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address : Broadway East Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 5JQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority : The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors : Ronald Eunson [where appropriate]

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection : 13 November 1995 Broadway East First School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

JOHN GULSON, Registered Inspector History Geography Special educational needs Attainment and progress Teaching Leadership and management KITTY ANDERSON , Lay Inspector Equal opportunities Attendance Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare Partnership with parents and the community MARGARET CHALMERS Under fives Science Music Physical Education The curriculum and assessment Efficiency

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

MOIRA PALLENT English Art Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

ALAN EGDELL Design & Technology Information Technology Mathematics Religious Education Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

South Tyneside LEA Inspection Team Education Dept Town Hall And Civic Offices Westoe Road South Shields Tyne And Wear NE33 2RL 0191-4271717

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Broadway East First School - 5

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MAIN FINDINGS 1 - 8

What the school does well 2 Where the school has weaknesses 3 How the school has improved since the last inspection 4 Standards in subjects 5 Quality of teaching 6 Other aspects of the school 7 The parents' views of the school 8

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INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the school 10 Key indicators 11

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school 12

Attainment and progress 13 - 34 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 35 - 41 Attendance 42

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Quality of education provided 43

Teaching 44 - 54 The curriculum and assessment 55 - 62 Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 63 - 67 Support, guidance and pupils' welfare 68 - 70 Partnership with parents and the community 71 - 75

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The management and efficiency of the school 76

Leadership and management 77 - 85 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 86 - 92 The efficiency of the school 93 - 97

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 98 -107

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

English, mathematics and science 108 -136

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Data and indicators 178 Broadway East First School - 6 Broadway East First School - 7

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2What the school does well

Teaching is very good throughout the school. Strengths include very good subject knowledge, high expectations and challenge for all abilities of pupil, thorough planning, well-organised classrooms, very good use of targets for individual pupils and outstanding relationships.

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2What the school does well

• . Pupils’ response to teaching is very good. Their capacity to work on their own is a particular strength.

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2What the school does well

• . The attainment of pupils is well above average in English, mathematics and science and is good throughout the rest of the curriculum. Pupils respond positively to the challenge set by school. Their attainment is very good in relation to similar schools.

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2What the school does well

• . Pupils make very good progress in English, mathematics and science. They make good progress in all other subjects. Pupils who are under five and pupils with special needs make very good progress.

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2What the school does well

• . The leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The head teacher provides clear direction and vision for the school’s development. The school is very well supported by the governing body. There is very good planning and very good monitoring of plans. The school has clear aims and values which are evident in all its work.

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2What the school does well

• . The quality of the relationships and the sense of community amongst all the adults and children in the school are very good. The staff are dedicated to their work. They have high expectations of pupils and they provide good role models to them.

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2What the school does well

• . The school has excellent support from its parents especially in their effectiveness as support in the classroom and in organising resources for learning.

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3 Where the school has weaknesses

There are no key weaknesses for the school to address but, in the context of its many strengths, the following points for improvement should be considered as the basis for an action plan:

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3 Where the school has weaknesses

I. The effective monitoring of attainment and progress does not involve all curriculum co-ordinators in developing teaching and learning strategies.

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3 Where the school has weaknesses

II. The high standards in literacy and numeracy are not matched in some other subjects and this creates a slight imbalance in the curriculum.

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3 Where the school has weaknesses

III. Current procedures for curriculum planning have some unnecessary features which take up too much of the teachers’ time.

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3 Where the school has weaknesses

Broadway East First School is a very good school with many strengths and some outstanding features. The points for improvement are intended to assist the governors in drawing up an action plan that will enable the school to build on the inspection findings. Broadway East First School - 8

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

All the key issues from the last inspection have been addressed by the full implementation of the action plan.

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

The school had well above average attainment in national tests at the time of the last inspection. It has succeeded in maintaining these high standards in all year groups. The attainment observed in the school in English, mathematics and science is higher than that reported in the 1995 inspection.

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

The quality of teaching in the school has improved. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed in this inspection and over four out of five lessons were good or better.

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

There has been a major improvement in the education of the youngest children, which is now as strong as the rest of the school.

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

The school has set targets for improvement in addition to those in the action plan from the last inspection. Improvements have taken place in the procedures for planning teaching and learning. The school’s documentation has been extensively revised and is now very effective. The development planning process has been improved and now has more involvement of the staff and clearer priorities and focus. The role of co-ordinators has been extended and they now have much more influence on teaching.

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

Levels of collaboration between staff have improved.

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

The school has been very successful in the way in which it has managed the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy. This is an example of the school’s capacity to maintain improvement.

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4 How the school has improved since the last inspection

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds in 1998 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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Key

well above average A above average B average C below average D well below average E Reading A B Writing A A Mathematics A A

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Key

Standards in information and communication technology and religious education are above average. Standards for all other subjects are also good. The attainment and progress of the youngest pupils is very good.

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Key

The inspection evidence shows that standards at the end of Year 4, when pupils leave the school, are similarly high. Broadway East First School - 9 6 Quality of teaching

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 9 years

English Very good Very good Very good Mathematics Very good Very good Very good Science Very good Very good Very good Information technology Good Good Good Religious education Good Good Good Other subjects Very good Good Good

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 9 years

The quality of teaching in the school is consistently very good. Over 30% of lessons seen in the inspection were judged to be very good or excellent and every member of the teaching staff taught at least one of these high quality lessons. 54% of the remaining lessons were good, 16% were satisfactory. No lessons were judged to be less than satisfactory. The teaching is strongest in English, mathematics and science. The teaching in all other subjects is good overall.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 9 years

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

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Good. Pupils are enthusiastic and confident and they enjoy school.

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Aspect Comment

Ethos* Excellent. The school has clear aims and values that are evident in all its work. It places equal value on all its pupils and all teachers are committed to providing the best education for all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management Excellent. The head teacher provides clear direction and vision for the schools development. The senior staff give strong leadership. The school is very well supported by the governing body. Collaboration between the staff is very good. Curriculum Good. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils with special educational needs Very good. The school monitors and supports pupils well.

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Aspect Comment

Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Very good provision is made for pupils’ personal development.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, resources and accommodation Good. The level and quality of staffing is good and the school has good learning resources. The accommodation is adequate and is being improved by current building work. Value for money Very good

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Aspect Comment

Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards. Broadway East First School - 10

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happy about

Nearly all parents think that the school encourages them to play an active part in the school. The school is easy to approach with questions and problems and it handles complaints well. Parents are kept well informed about what the school is teaching. They are kept well informed about the progress their children are making. They think that the school enables their children to achieve a good standard of work. The school encourages pupils to take part in activities beyond their daily lessons. The school helps pupils to develop positive values and attitudes. The children like coming to school A very small number of parents were disappointed by their children’s standards of work. A few parents would like their children to be given more homework

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happy about

The results of the questionnaire and the comments made at the parents meeting were consistent with the findings of the inspection. The great majority of parents (well above 80% in the questionnaire) agreed or agreed strongly with the above statements.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

There are no key issues for the school to address but, in the context of its many strengths, the following points for improvement should be considered as the basis for an action plan:

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

The curriculum management in the school should be enhanced by extending the monitoring and evaluation activities to involve curriculum co-ordinators more in developing teaching and learning strategies.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

The school ensure that the high standards of literacy and numeracy are accompanied by similar standards in the whole curriculum by giving careful attention to the breadth and balance of the curriculum as part of its implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies and the revised National Curriculum.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

The school should improve its curriculum planning by reviewing its procedures to remove repetitions and to reduce the amount of teacher-time used.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

See paragraphs 49 and 107 Broadway East First School - 11

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10 Characteristics of the school

Broadway East First School is located in a residential area of Gosforth in the northern part of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is an average sized school of its type with an age range of 4 to 9. Most pupils then transfer to the adjacent Year 5 to Year 9 middle school. At the time of the inspection 22 pupils in reception were under five and were taught in one of the two reception classes.

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10 Characteristics of the school

The area is slightly above average in its levels of social and economic advantage. A large number of pupils come to school with well-developed social and language skills. Nearly all pupils have attended nursery schools. The proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is 5.6% compared to a national average of 18.3% but the school believes that this indicator underestimates the disadvantage in the area because some parents do not claim the benefit. 26 pupils have special educational needs and one of them has a statement. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is high compared to national averages. In the last year there were no exclusions and unauthorised absence was very low.

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10 Characteristics of the school

At present there are 209 pupils in the school. There are two reception classes, one for the younger and one for the older children who become five in this school year. The rest of the school has a mixture of single year and mixed year classes. Each of the classes is taught by a class teacher. In one of the classes there is a job share arrangement for two teachers.

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10 Characteristics of the school

The school sets out general aims that are consistent with national statements of purpose. They are in the following areas:

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10 Characteristics of the school

Developing the full potential of pupils Providing a secure, caring, accepting community which promotes self awareness Promoting self confidence, discipline, enquiry and enjoyment Promoting high standards of work and behaviour Providing equal opportunities and knowledge of and respect for other cultures Providing a broad and balanced curriculum which meets the requirements of the National Curriculum

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10 Characteristics of the school

The school’s current priorities for development are:

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10 Characteristics of the school

Literacy Numeracy Information and communication technology Analysing pupil performance Improving the accommodation. Broadway East First School - 12

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Attainment at Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 18 26 44

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 15 15 16 at NC Level 2 or Girls 24 24 24 above Total 39 39 40 Percentage at NC School 89 89 91 Level 2 or above National 80 81 84

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Results

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 15 15 16 at NC Level 2 or Girls 24 24 24 above Total 39 39 40 Percentage at NC School 89 89 91 Level 2 or above National 81 85 86

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Attendance

Percentage of half days (sessions) % missed through absence for the Authorised School 4.1 latest complete reporting year Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.1 Absence National comparative data 0.5

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Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during the previous year: Number

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Quality of teaching

Percentage of teaching observed which is : % Very good or better 30 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0 Broadway East First School -13

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Attainment

13 Assessments made shortly after entry to the reception classes show that attainment is above average. By the age of five almost all pupils reach the Desirable Learning Outcomes and attainment in all areas of learning, including personal and social development is very high. Standards for 4 to 5 year-olds have improved since the last inspection when they were in line with national expectations.

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Attainment

14 In the 1998 tests at the end of Key Stage 1 the number of pupils reaching the national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics is above average. 89% of pupils achieved the expectation in reading and writing and 91% in maths. These levels of attainment were almost the same as those indicated by teacher assessments. 91% attained the expectations in the teacher assessments in science. These figures represent continuing high standards since the wide variations in the number of special needs pupils in the year groups can cause the percentages to vary considerably from year to year. The numbers of pupils who attained the higher levels of attainment (that is level 3) at the end of Key Stage 1 are well above average in reading, writing, mathematics and science.

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Attainment

15 This high level of attainment has been maintained over the last three years. Reading and writing at the end of KS1 were well above average in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Mathematics results were very high in those three years. There are no significant variations in attainment between boys and girls.

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Attainment

16 The school has set appropriate targets for 1999 and 2000. It intends to improve the numbers of pupils who attain the higher grades of level 2 in English and there are appropriate targets for the attainment of level 3.

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Attainment

17 When the school’s results are compared with schools with similar levels of social and economic advantage the pupils’ attainment is well above expectations.

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Attainment

18 Inspection evidence confirms this picture of very high levels of attainment in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 1. Attainment by pupils by the end of Year 4 is well above average in English, mathematics and science. Attainment has improved since the 1995 inspection when it was “in line with national expectations and often higher in relation (to ability)”.

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Attainment

19 At the end of Key Stage one and by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 4, their attainment in speaking and listening is well above the national average. Pupils communicate clearly and confidently. They listen with considerable concentration and respond appropriately.

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Attainment

20 Attainment in reading is well above average. By the age of 7 pupils can read a wide range of texts both fiction and non-fiction easily and accurately. By the end of Year 4 they read with expression and clarity. They read with enjoyment and they can express preferences about their reading. Pupils have an understanding of how the plot is developed in stories. They understand the use of figurative language, rhyme and verse. They are able to complete detailed book reviews.

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Attainment

21 Attainment in writing is well above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of year 4. By the age of 7 pupils write with confidence and accuracy in a variety of forms and their writing is well organised, imaginative and clear. By the end of Year 4 they can make points persuasively and select a style of writing appropriate for its intended audience.

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Attainment

22 In mathematics by the end of Key Stage 1 pupils can add and subtract numbers with accuracy and have a variety of different mental strategies to handle numbers up to, and sometimes beyond 100. They can use standard units of measurement, use simple fractions well and can name the properties of a range of 2-d and 3-d shapes and draw them accurately. By the time they leave the school pupils have a good understanding of number. They show high levels of mental and problem solving strategies and have a good mathematical vocabulary. They are very good at handling data in graphs and charts Broadway East First School -14 23 Attainment is science is well above expectations in all year groups. They have an extensive knowledge of science topics. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have above average knowledge of living things and they can describe the conditions necessary for them to live. All pupils make clear observations and simple predictions. Some

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Attainment

pupils in Key Stage 2 set up an experiment to test the effects of pollutants on plants and explained the need for a fair test. They use appropriate scientific language and record their results in a range of ways

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Attainment

24 Attainment in the skills and applications in information and communication technology (ICT) is above average. In the strands of communication and data handling attainment is above average and in control technology achievement is sound. Pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of religious education (RE) and, by the time the pupils leave school, they show a good empathy towards the needs of others.

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Progress

25 Pupils make very good progress in English, mathematics and science throughout the school and they make good progress in all other subjects. They apply what they learn well. They know what they should be learning and pupils of all abilities, including those with special needs, make very good progress overall.

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Progress

26 Pupils’ progress has improved since the last inspection when it was very good in Key Stage 2 but good overall and, occasionally, poor.

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Progress

27 By the age of five pupils have made very good progress towards achieving the Desirable Learning Outcomes and they make a smooth and effective transition to the National Curriculum.

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Progress

28 In both Key Stages pupils make very good progress in English, mathematics and science and good progress in all other subjects. Progress in the development of literacy is very good. Work is carefully planned at different levels throughout the school and is very well matched to pupil attainment. Individual targets based on half termly assessments challenge all pupils, and are successful in raising pupil attainment.

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Progress

29 The number of pupils with special educational needs is below the national average but there are significant numbers and more than might be expected in a school with such high level of attainment on entry. Pupils with special needs and more able pupils have challenging individual programmes of work with realistic targets. Attainment is closely monitored by the class and specialist teacher and this ensures that pupils make very good progress throughout the school.

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Progress

30 Pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) form a significant minority in the school. By the time they leave the school most pupils are competent in English but in the earlier years about half of the EAL pupils have learning difficulties because of their lack of English. The school has no specialist support for these pupils but they receive a good level of attention and their parents are involved and are usually very supportive. The pupils make good progress.

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Progress

31 Good progress is made in the development of speaking and listening across all subjects. The Literacy Strategy has been introduced effectively and through the guided reading sessions every day pupils quickly learn to use a range of strategies to assist them in their reading. As pupils move through the school they learn spelling strategies and develop a detailed vocabulary. Pupils become increasingly aware of grammatical structures and of how sentences are constructed and punctuated and they write for a wide range of purposes.

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Progress

32 Progress in mathematics at both Key Stages is very good. Five year olds are beginning to understand mathematical patterns and how to order numbers to 10 correctly on a number line, while in year 2 children can count in 2s, and 10s with accuracy. Very good progress is made in relation to shape and space and measures. In every class, children rapidly improve their mental computational skills and their ability to use a correct range of mathematical vocabulary.

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Progress

33 Pupils at both Key Stages make very good progress in science. They apply the skills, knowledge and experiences they have gained to their everyday work. In Key Stage 1 pupils observe events closely and record their results by drawing pictures. They use their skills effectively in increasingly complex investigations. By Year 4 they Broadway East First School -15 are setting up experiments to examine the effects of different substances on living things and are able to offer ideas about the outcome.

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Progress

34 In both Key Stages all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in all other subjects . In religious education pupils make good progress in adding to their factual knowledge, but also in their understanding of their place in the society in which they live. Pupils make good progress in the development of ICT skills throughout the school. In design technology making techniques become more sophisticated. As the design element of the subject increases pupils’ drawings become more detailed and their evaluative comments become an integral part of the design process. Pupils make good progress in history and geography. Opportunities are given across both Key Stages for pupils to encounter different approaches and techniques in art and this enables pupils to make good progress. Pupils make good progress in music and physical education (PE).

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

35 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good and have a positive effect on their standard of work and the progress they make. Pupils are enthusiastic and confident and enjoy school. Pupil behaviour is almost always very good both in lessons and at other times during the school day and as a result a great deal of work is covered and pupils can concentrate for long periods.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

36 Pupils settle well at the beginning of lessons, they listen carefully and are able to follow instructions correctly. They can work for extended periods without the attention of the teacher. This well-established working routine encourages and fosters co-operation between pupils in most classes. In I.C.T. pupils work well in pairs, conversations between pupils is about the task and is very purposeful. Pupils show a pride in their work and are keen to please.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

37 There is a well-organised reward system in place that is well understood by the pupils and provides good encouragement for their work and behaviour. In classrooms the strategies to reward good behaviour, build self- esteem and encourage pupils to attain highest possible standards are very effective. In the small minority of cases where pupil behaviour is not so good, effective strategies are in place to deal with it and, if necessary, additional classroom support is available.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

38 Relationships are very good. All members of the school community work well together and extend a polite and friendly welcome to visitors. Children respect one another and their teachers and show genuine concern for the welfare of all those attached to the school. Pupils can collaborate effectively in their work. They listen to and support each other and they are good at sharing ideas and materials.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

39 The personal development of pupils is very good. Even the youngest children are confident in school routines. They can speak out when they need to in small and large group situations and they relate well to adults. They take responsibility and show initiative. Many good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their personal skills. Reception children take turns to become ‘star of the week’ and year two children compete for the daily ‘King and Queen of the Carpet’ award. They show a good level of concern for broader issues, for example in their understanding of different societies in their work in geography.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

40 There have been no exclusions from the school in the current year. No incidents of bullying, fighting or disagreements were observed during the inspection. The school has addressed a key issue from the last inspection to prepare and implement anti-bullying and sex education policies. Pupils’ personal development has remained at the very high level reported in the last inspection whilst the behaviour of the youngest pupils has improved .

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

41 The school is a lively, happy community.

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Attendance

Broadway East First School -16 42 Attendance is excellent and the current level of 95.8% is an improvement since the last report. Parents comply with the school' s request to notify them of reasons for absence. Most registers are completed consistently according to school's policy using symbols to record reasons for absence. Punctuality is good and lessons start on time.

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Teaching

44 The quality of teaching in the school is very good. It has improved since the last inspection, which found a significant amount of unsatisfactory teaching in one part of the school. The standard of teaching is now consistently high throughout the school. Over 30% of lessons seen in the inspection were judged to be very good or excellent and every member of the teaching staff taught at least one of these high quality lessons. 54% of the remaining lessons were good, 16% were satisfactory. No lessons were judged to be less than satisfactory. The teaching is strongest in English, mathematics and science. The teaching in all other subjects is always good and sometimes very good.

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Teaching

45 The quality of teaching for under fives is nearly always very good. Both teachers and support staff have very good subject knowledge and a clear understanding of how young children learn. This is very well reflected in the classrooms where the range of activities and experiences ensure that all pupils make very good progress towards achieving the Desirable Learning Outcomes by the time they are five. The classrooms are very well organised so that pupils quickly develop independent learning skills and learn to take responsibility for resources. The support staff for the under fives are very well deployed and make a very good contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. They are involved in all aspects of the curriculum and play an important role in assessment and planning.

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Teaching

46 In both Key Stages teachers have very good subject knowledge and a very good knowledge of how children learn. The teachers have a particularly good understanding of both the national numeracy and literacy strategies and this has a very good effect on the pace and variety of their teaching. The literacy hour routines are firmly in place.

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Teaching

47 The teachers have very high expectations of all pupils, including those with special needs and those with high levels of ability. They make clear to the pupils what they have to do and when and set individual targets for learning which provide motivation and challenge. They promote critical thinking in pupils by giving them open ended tasks and questions and allowing them time to devise their own answers. They encourage pupils to take responsibility for their learning by finding learning materials themselves and by choosing extension activities when they have completed a task. They provide a good environment for ICT activities where pupils are particularly independent and well motivated.

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Teaching

48 Good provision is made for pupils with special needs. Teachers’ planning gives very good attention to matching the work set to the needs and abilities of pupils. Teachers write detailed individual education plans (IEPs) for special needs pupils and the school has succeeded in developing precise targets and timescales for pupils’ achievement. IEPs are well used to plan lessons and assist pupils to make good progress. They include precise information on pupils’ strengths as well as weaknesses, and this gives a more positive approach to the planning and presentation of appropriate activities. All teachers work closely with the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who has a good knowledge of subject and procedures. A good administrative and recording system backs up the documentation kept by teachers. The procedures are firmly based on appropriate models provided by local education authority (LEA). Suitable training has taken place for teachers including work to improve the use of

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Teaching

diagnostic and target setting guidance provided by LEA. Appropriate resources to support teaching are organised by the SENCO.

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Teaching

49 The planning of all lessons is consistently very good and helps to ensure continuity and progression in the development of skills and knowledge in all subjects. Planning is detailed and thorough and identifies what it is the Broadway East First School -17 pupils will learn. Planning in both Key Stages is very thorough and shows a very good understanding of the National Curriculum. The collaboration between teachers in planning and the good co-ordination work by subject leaders are major factors in the success of the teaching in the school. The planning draws effectively on information gained from monitoring pupils learning. The staff are now extremely confident with planning but they acknowledge that some of it is repetitive and unnecessary. The school should now review what it does in order to see if some of the levels of planning could be rationalised to make the process more efficient and less expensive in teacher time.

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Teaching

50 The teaching methods and the organisation of classrooms are very good. The lessons are extremely well organised so that pupils are very clear about what they have to learn and the teachers are very clear about how their intentions relate to the requirements of the curriculum. The organisation of the Literacy Hour is extremely effective in all classes and is an example of the consistency of approach which helps to ensure continuity of work as pupils move up the school. The teachers use a good range of styles of teaching. They are very skilful in their questioning and explanation. They make especially good use of classroom support staff and parents to help with learning activities or to work with pupils who have particular needs.

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Teaching

51 The tasks set for pupils are very well suited to their needs and abilities. For the under fives assessment data is used very effectively to plan what needs to be done to move the pupils on in their learning. The good knowledge that the staff have of individual pupils and their strong teamwork means that informal, day to day assessment is regularly discussed and acted upon. On a few occasions each week the pupils in both classes are grouped according to ability and the teachers work with them on literacy and numeracy skills. This ensures that the needs of all pupils are catered for and that there is an appropriate degree of challenge, particularly for higher attaining pupils, in the tasks set. In both Key Stages great care is taken to provide different levels of work and this ensures an appropriate level of challenge and interesting activities for all pupils. In both Key Stages assessments are

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Teaching

done regularly across a range of subjects and very good feedback is given to pupils which helps them to know what they need to do to improve. The setting of individual targets for pupils and the regular reference to them in marking and discussion are outstandingly good features of the teaching. The results of the assessments are well used to guide the planning for individual pupils and for the whole class.

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Teaching

52 A range of tasks in reading, spelling and numeracy are given to pupils to do at home and Year 4 pupils have appropriate and regular written tasks, often involving research skills. These tasks make a good contribution to pupils’ progress.

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Teaching

53 The classroom management of teachers is very good. They make effective use of learning resources. All the adults are supportive and caring. The relationships between teachers and pupils and between pupils are excellent and provide a supportive and encouraging environment for learning. There is a small minority of pupils whose behaviour can be disruptive and they are dealt with very sensitively and effectively by teachers, often with the very good help of a classroom assistant or support teacher.

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Teaching

54 Since the last inspection a homework policy has been implemented. All pupils take home reading books and a range of other work, including literacy and numeracy tasks and activities relating to ongoing classroom work are taken home. The help given by parents at home makes an effective contribution to the work their children do in school.

p.17

The curriculum and assessment

55 The curriculum for the under fives is broad and balanced and makes very good provision for pupils across all the areas of the Desirable Learning Outcomes. This shows significant improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum places very good emphasis on personal and social development as well as on physical and intellectual development. Pupils make an extremely smooth transition to the National Curriculum because of the very strong foundation provided which enables them to make very good progress. All abilities and needs are very well catered for.

p.17

The curriculum and assessment

56 Similarly, pupils at Key Stages 1 and 2 are offered a broad and balanced curriculum, which covers all subjects of the National Curriculum and RE. Their physical, intellectual and personal development are very well Broadway East First School -18 catered for. All pupils make very good progress and the Year 4 pupils are very well prepared for the move to middle school. There is significant emphasis on literacy and numeracy which is reflected in the very good progress made by all pupils . There is some evidence that this emphasis is making it difficult to maintain a balance across the curriculum and that there is insufficient time to give to some of the non-core subjects. The school is well aware of this problem and is endeavouring to address it. Detailed policy documents have been produced for all subjects. The statutory requirements for sex education are met.

p.17

The curriculum and assessment

57 Concerns were expressed in the last inspection about meeting the curriculum needs of pupils of all abilities. Since then the school has developed a very good assessment and planning process which ensures that suitable targets are set for all pupils so that they move forward in their learning at an appropriate rate. The appointment of additional support staff has had a very positive impact on the quality of curriculum delivery for all pupils.

p.18

The curriculum and assessment

58 Pupils with special needs and those for whom English is an additional language are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum which takes into account their particular needs.

p.18

The curriculum and assessment

59 Long and medium term plans, together with schemes of work, are very effective in supporting the delivery of the curriculum and ensure continuity and progression. The guidance offered to teachers by curriculum co- ordinators and documentation is of a very high standard and is reflected in the consistency of practice throughout the school. A topic based approach for the delivery of the foundation subjects is adopted but all areas of the curriculum are being well covered. Co-ordinators monitor teachers’ plans and samples of pupils’ work in order to evaluate the coverage of all subjects. Regular staff discussions on the findings ensure that there is consistency, coverage, continuity and progression between classes and Key Stages.

p.18

The curriculum and assessment

60 Extra curricular provision in the school is very good. It includes clubs for gymnastics, football stamp collecting, music and dance and art. All pupils, including the very youngest have the opportunity to join the clubs and they are very well attended. Educational visits extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the past and present world and make a positive contribution to the curriculum.

p.18

The curriculum and assessment

61 Assessment procedures in the school are very good. Each curriculum policy document has clear guidance on assessment and an effective marking policy is used consistently throughout the school. Ongoing formative assessment which sets clear learning targets is carried out on a day to day basis in the classrooms through the good questioning techniques of teachers and support staff and by their good quality marking. Learning is monitored very effectively by teachers working with individuals and groups. Half-termly assessment tasks enable teachers to make judgements about the progress of pupils and to identify ways of moving them forward in their learning. These formal assessments are kept in individual pupil profiles and some contain comments from older children on how well they think they are doing and how they can improve. All staff have worked hard to produce a moderated portfolio of levelled pieces of English work and there are plans to develop this work to other areas of the curriculum. In addition,

p.18

The curriculum and assessment

a wide range of tests, including the non statutory SATs, Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) and the Suffolk Reading Test, are used effectively to measure performance and as diagnostic tools to ensure that appropriate tasks and challenges are set. The school fully complies with the requirements to administer statutory tests and assessments at the end of the Key Stages.

p.18

The curriculum and assessment

62 The progress of all pupils with special needs is monitored regularly. Formal reviews take place each term, which is more than LEA guidance suggests. Assessment and recording for SEN pupils is appropriate and satisfies requirements. Considerable improvement has been made in the school’s assessment, recording and reporting procedures since the last inspection.

p.18

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

63 As in last inspection report provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and is a strength of the school. The school successfully fulfils the potential of all pupils and to helps them to develop self-confidence, self-discipline and a lively and enquiring mind.

p.18

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

64 The pupils’ spiritual development is very good. The daily acts of worship offer appropriate opportunities for prayer, singing and silent reflection. Pupils are encouraged to celebrate and reflect on both happy and sad Broadway East First School -19 occasions for example in an assembly when pupils talked about a happy experience for the school community and compared it with the time when they mourned the death of one of the staff. Pupils are provided with insights into different values in by studying a range of faiths and beliefs in RE. They express their feelings in work which allows them to appreciate music and art. The “Star of the Week” activity in the reception year encourages pupils in turn to bring objects that are special to them into school and to talk to the class about them.

p.18

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

65 Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. The excellent relationships within the school community are one of the school’s main strengths. They are encouraged to express themselves in lessons and to take part in events such as the Christmas productions, Harvest Festival and class assemblies. Extra-curricular activities such as football, dance, stamp club, gymnastics and recorder clubs give pupils experience of a varied range of hobbies. Pupils are encouraged to think of others and show respect for their feelings and property. They develop social responsibility by finding out about disadvantaged people. The school nominates one charity each year to benefit from the Harvest Collection and it also takes part in national events such as Comic Relief and The Shoe Box Appeal. They are taught to be aware of and to respect the natural and built environment. The very good organisation of individual and group work in lessons promotes the development of personal and social responsibility.

p.19

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

66 Pupils’ moral development is very good. The behaviour policy is effectively put into practise and pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong. All adults in the school provide good role models. Behaviour around the school is very good and pupils carry out their responsibilities with pride and care. The few incidents of disruptive behaviour are handled effectively and with sensitivity. Good behaviour and work and achievements are praised and celebrated in class, in the house system and in assemblies.

p.19

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

67 Provision for cultural development is very good. Pupils learn about other faiths and compare their festivals with those of Christians. They have access to an excellent range of art, music and literature that helps them to learn about the lives and cultures of people of other societies. A wide range of out of school visits is made to help pupils understand more about their local culture. These include the Hancock Museum, Blyth Power Station, the City of Newcastle, Beamish Museum, Ovingham, Gosforth, the Science Discovery Museum, Washington Wetlands and the local library. Visitors from different cultural backgrounds are welcome in school to talk about their work. An example of this was seen during the week of the inspection when a representative from the Salvation Army talked to pupils about the Army's work with the homeless. These experiences encourage pupils to develop a greater understanding of the wider community.

p.19

Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

68 The school provides very effective support and guidance for its pupils. The shortcomings, which were highlighted in the last report, have been rectified; health education and sex education policies are now in place. The school's welcoming atmosphere creates a caring environment for children. The staff provide good role models and the ethos helps pupils to work hard and make good progress. The teaching staff expect a high level of commitment to work and a very good standard of behaviour from their pupils. All the parents who were consulted in the inspection believe the school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on their children.

p.19

Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

69 All staff know their pupils well and provide good support to those who require it. The personal development of pupils is well provided for in assemblies, in the curriculum and in the caring approach of all the staff. Procedures for monitoring and promoting personal development and attendance are effective. The monitoring of pupils' academic progress is well established. Assessment is very good and is used to set targets and support pupils’ learning.

p.19

Support, guidance and pupils' welfare

70 The school is a safe and healthy environment. The school site and buildings have appropriate security procedures. The yard and grassed area are not fenced, however pupils know the rules about their designated areas of play and they are very good at adhering to them. Pupils are well supervised. Movement around school is very orderly. The classrooms and corridors are tidy and clean although lack of space requires corridors to be used for hanging coats and for storage. Staff responsible for safety are constantly vigilant to any safety hazards. The standard of caretaking and cleaning are high. Fire drills are held termly and logged and systems are in place for handling accidents. The head teacher is the designated person for child protection and appropriate procedures are in place. Broadway East First School -20

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

71 The partnership with parents and the community is outstanding. The head teacher and staff work hard to encourage parents to be involved in the life of the school. They maintain a steady stream of useful information between home and school. The parents hold the school in high regard and many are extremely active both in school and in the parent and teacher association. Good quality information is provided in the brochure and reports. Almost all parents feel that the school gives them a clear understanding of what is taught. Information about the curriculum is sent to the parents every half term and regular meetings are held to discuss subjects. Meetings for parents to discuss pupils’ progress are held twice a year and are well attended. Annual reports to parents on individual pupil's performance are well presented, informative and readable and comply with statutory requirements. Parents feel that

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

these reports are helpful. Parents are kept informed of day to day events within school by means of helpful letters and the Headteacher's friendly newsletters.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

72 Parents’ contributions within school have an extremely positive impact on pupils’ learning. Many parents offer help and more are willing to assist with out of school visits. Parent helpers are very well briefed by staff and detailed guidelines for helpers have been drawn up. A group of parents have conducted a full audit of the main library and are now working through classroom libraries. Two parent governors are present almost every day in school and have taken on a variety of responsibilities. Pupils take reading books and spellings home regularly and Year 4 pupils are expected to complete written tasks at home. Comments made by both staff and parents in a “link book” are constructive and provide good opportunities for transfer of information between home and school. Most parents are content with the provision for special needs and give good support to the school. However, a small number of parents think that more should be done for their children. Parents are actively involved in the reviews of

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

SEN pupils’ progress and are regularly consulted.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

73 The PTA is extremely active in organising a variety of events and provides considerable funds that are used well to benefit the pupils. At present the PTA is contributing funds for the current building project. In previous years fund-raising events have enabled the school to purchase equipment and books for the Literacy Strategy, all of which serve to enhance the curriculum.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

74 A very good range of information on how their children are progressing is available to parents in the form of annual reports and by informal and formal discussions with teachers. Very good collaboration between teachers means that a wide range of information is passed on from class to class and across Key Stages. Support for pupils transferring into and out of the school is very well established and generally results in a smooth transfer. Liaison with middle and high Schools in the Gosforth Pyramid is a particular strength. Regular meetings are held between staff and a recent “Building Bridges” initiative ensures very good transfer of information between all schools. The Year 5 teacher from the middle school is a governor of the school and the nominated link teacher. She has devised a very structured programme of visits and meetings to ensure that transfer is a positive experience.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

75 Links with the community are good. Older people from the community are invited to a school entertainment each term and use the school to hold their meetings. The school makes good use of visitors and helpers and this brings pupils into contact with a wide range of people. Businesses have supported the current building project. Good use is made of vouchers and offers to obtain books and equipment, for example the local supermarket. The school supports a chosen charity each year and a representative from this charity visits the school to talk about the work it does. Extensive use is made of the community for out of school visits to support topic work and promote cultural development. For example Blyth Power Station was visited by Years 3 and 4 when they were studying electricity. All of these experiences serve to increase pupils’ awareness of the wider community and broaden their knowledge and understanding.

p.20

Leadership and management

77 The head teacher has been in post for five years. Only four other teachers were at the school at the time of the Broadway East First School -21 last inspection. The leadership and management of the school have improved and are now outstanding. The head teacher provides clear direction and vision for the school’s development. The senior staff give strong leadership.

p.20

Leadership and management

78 The school is very well supported by the governing body. The members are very well informed about the work of the school. They hold two termly meetings in order to deal effectively with a large amount of business. They receive good quality reports from the head teacher, staff and from individual governors. Many governors are regular visitors to the school and some are very active in support roles. They have planned visits to investigate aspects of the school. They write reports after their visits and have recently monitored and evaluated the reading schemes and accommodation. The governing body has a good knowledge of standards in the school. They keep themselves well informed by monitoring reports and by their own observations.

p.21

Leadership and management

79 The school has clear aims and values which are evident in all its work. It places equal value on all its pupils and all teachers are committed to providing the best education for all pupils. It is concerned to ensure high academic standards through good quality teaching and learning and to develop good attitudes in all its pupils.

p.21

Leadership and management

80 The school has clearly identified specific areas for improvement and has taken appropriate and effective action to bring about change. On her appointment the head teacher initiated plans to deal with weaknesses which she saw in: the planning of teaching and learning; school documentation; the process of development planning; the role of co- ordinators and levels of collaboration between staff. The previous Ofsted inspection identified the need for improvement in: the education of reception pupils; the improvement of teaching in Key Stage 1; new policies for health education and the need for more diagnostic testing for pupils with special needs. Effective leadership at all levels has led to considerable improvements in all of these areas. None of them present any cause for concern and many of them are now among the school’s significant strengths. The school now has a very effective and comprehensive maintenance and development plan. Curriculum co-ordinators, including the special needs co-

p.21

Leadership and management

ordinator, provide very good leadership and support for teachers. A major improvement is the education of youngest children, which is now as strong as the rest of the school.

p.21

Leadership and management

81 The school has a distinctive and positive ethos. A key strength of the school is the quality of the relationships and the sense of community amongst all the adults and children in it. The staff are dedicated to their work. They have high expectations of pupils and they provide good role models to them. All members of the school community are valued and affirmed.

p.21

Leadership and management

82 The monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum is good. The role of co-ordinators has been extended and they now have much more influence on teaching. They are very successful in monitoring standards of attainment and progress by examining and commenting on pupils’ work and teachers planning. They make detailed half-termly reports to the head teacher and there is regular staff discussion of the findings. The head teacher and deputy head have observed a number of lessons over the last year. The staff appreciate the regular feedback of constructive criticism which helps to develop and improve their practice. So far there has been little opportunity for curriculum co-ordinators to monitor and support the development of teaching and learning strategies in other teachers’ classes.

p.21

Leadership and management

83 Levels of collaboration among staff have improved and are now very good. The leadership of the school expects consistency in key aspects of the work of teachers but is also keen to encourage the diversity of individual approaches to teaching. The teachers respond well to this and are keen to share expertise and to ask advice. Weekly meetings of staff in each Key Stage ensure effective curriculum planning. Each teacher has professional development interviews with the head teacher in which the results of monitoring can be discussed and plans made.

p.21

Leadership and management

84 The school’s documentation has been extensively revised and is now very effective. All statutory requirements are met. The development planning process has been improved and now has more involvement of the staff and clearer priorities and focus. There is very good planning and very good monitoring of development plans.

p.21

Leadership and management

85 The school has been very successful in the way in which it has managed the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy. This is an example of the school’s capacity to maintain improvement.

p.21

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

Broadway East First School -22 86 There are sufficient staff with the appropriate experience and expertise to meet the needs of the curriculum. The provision of support staff is satisfactory and they give very good support to all areas of the school curriculum. In particular their help with the early years and the introduction of the Literacy Hour has a positive effect on teaching and pupils’ progress. The administrative officer and the student in the office provide good and efficient support in the day to day running of the school. The newly qualified teacher has benefited from good support systems in the school and from the experience of a well-chosen mentor.

p.22

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

87 Class teachers are sufficiently experienced to meet most of the needs of pupils with special educational needs, and the small amount of extra support available from the LEA is used well.

p.22

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

88 The school development plan and the termly meetings between all staff and the Headteacher are used well to provide a good basis for the staff development programme. Effective arrangements are in place for teacher appraisal and follow the LEA guidelines. The training schedule of the school has focussed on the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and similarly training for the National Numeracy Strategy is just about to begin. Non teaching staff have also benefited from a range of training events.

p.22

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

89 The accommodation is adequate for the number of pupils on role, and will soon benefit from the completion of the new administration wing that will allow some of the resources currently stored in the hall and corridor to be moved to a more appropriate place. This will present an improvement from the previous report. The school is well decorated and provides an attractive environment. The pupils respect the classrooms and other areas and there is no graffiti or litter. Teachers use considerable imagination in the deployment of space within the classroom and the displays are good and stimulate pupils’ interest and imagination. Pupils’ work is valued and is well displayed in classes and corridors, for example the beautifully displayed work about 'Wishes', the examples of pupils’ writing about their school and pupils own interpretations of works by Turner and Van Gogh. The caretaker and cleaning

p.22

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

staff work hard and maintain high standards of cleanliness.

p.22

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

90 The school has worked hard to overcome the lack of a library. They have created a small reference section at the side of the hall. During the week of inspection this was not in commission due to the extensive building works and the auditing of resources, however the standards of pupils’ retrieval skills have not been unduly effected. At times the useful size of the hall is reduced by the storage of furniture and resources around its sides. This restricts the space available for activities in the hall and was seen as a problem at the time of the last inspection. The current building extension will allow an improvement in this.

p.22

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

91 The outside environment is very pleasant. The large shared grounds are an attractive resource, though the small playground has been reduced even further by the additional buildings. Since the last inspection a suitable area has been set aside for the under fives and has been provided with appropriate learning resources.

p.22

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

92 There are sufficient resources to support all curriculum areas and the needs of all pupils. There is a wide range of resources and they are well chosen and of good quality. At the moment some of these resources are placed in well-kept and labelled topic boxes in the hall and corridor. The completion of the resource room will enable them to be stored in a more appropriate place, while also freeing up valuable space elsewhere. There is a good supply of texts and the hard work of a group of parents is well reflected in the library area. Resources for ICT are adequate, though the school is aware of the need to update some old hardware.

p.22

The efficiency of the school

93 The school is very efficiently run. The school development plan effectively reflects the aims of the school by identifying priorities for improvement. It is a strategic plan, which looks beyond the current year. Priorities are carefully costed and clear criteria are established that enable the head teacher and the governors to monitor the effectiveness of their decisions. The Governing Body and staff of the school fully involved in making decisions about future developments have a clear understanding of their roles. They have a very strong commitment to the school and its continued success. Communication between the head teacher and staff and the Governing Body is very good and all financial planning is based on relevant and up to date information. The current major building programme has been thoroughly discussed and very carefully planned. Despite the extensive disruption and financial commitment

p.22

The efficiency of the school

Broadway East First School -23 the decision to go ahead was taken in the full knowledge that it would result in a significant improvement in the quality of teaching and provision for pupils in the school.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

94 The teaching and support staff are deployed well and their impact on pupils’ progress is very good. Co- ordinators have very clearly defined roles and they respond very well to the high expectations of them. They very effectively monitor planning and pupils’ work but their role in classroom monitoring is still to be developed. In an effort to address some of the weaknesses in the provision for the under 5s highlighted in the last inspection, the Governors ensured that pupils are well supported in the classroom. The appointment of highly skilled support staff has played a significant role in reaching and maintaining the high levels of improvement. Pupils with special educational needs, as well as the very youngest pupils benefit from this support. Staff have adequate time to consult the SENCO and resources are deployed effectively to give maximum support to SEN pupils. The limited support available from LEA is well used: a teacher works with small numbers of pupils for three hours per week but she is

p.23

The efficiency of the school

regularly consulted by other teachers and offers very valuable advice. The temporary employment of an additional part time teacher to one class is effective. The SENCO, who is one of the job share teachers, uses her time in school effectively to allow effective communication with support staff.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

95 The limited space available is extremely well organised and efficiently used. Learning resources are well organised and used effectively to assist high quality teaching and ensure that pupils make good progress.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

96 The head teacher and the administrative assistant have a very good knowledge of current levels of spending. Financial control is very good. A new IT system has recently been installed and will improve many routine processes. The LEA’s financial support package provides effective support in the form of regular visits and telephone help lines. Recommendations for minor improvements as a result of a recent internal audit have all been acted upon. The day to day running of the school is smooth, calm and very efficient and all routines are carried out consistently.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

97 Taking into account: pupils’ background and early learning on entry to school; the very good attainment and progress they make; their very good attitudes to learning and their good behaviour; personal development and attendance; the good quality of education provided by the school; the high opinion of the school held by the parents; together with the school’s excellent financial management, the school provides very good value for money. Broadway East First School -24

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

98 The last inspection identified the provision for under fives as a key issue for action. It was addressed in the school’s subsequent action and since then there has been a considerable improvement. The quality of education for under fives now offered by the school is very good.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

99 Assessments made shortly after entry to the reception classes show that attainment is above average. Attainment in all areas of learning, including personal and social development is very high for children of this age. By the age of five they have made very good progress and most achieve the Desirable Learning Outcomes and make a smooth and effective transition to the National Curriculum.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

100 All pupils make very good progress in the development of their personal and social skills. They have very positive attitudes and are keen and enthusiastic about coming to school. They feel secure and confident in their teachers’ care. During the inspection the school had to respond to the fire alarm at a time when it was raining very heavily. The children listened carefully to their teachers and moved quickly and quietly out of the building. They returned to class very wet and changed into PE clothes without any fuss. The rest of the day continued with the minimum of disruption. Pupils relate well to adults and to each other and work confidently with a range of people including parents and other classroom helpers. They are already developing the skills of working independently as they settle to work quickly, try hard to complete tasks and are happy to share equipment and space. They can select

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

and use resources independently and tidy up after themselves. They care well for each other. They take turns and can explain that the teacher is fair and will see that everyone will get a turn. Responsibility for classroom tasks such as taking the register to the office is taken very seriously and they carry out these tasks with pride. Behaviour is good and they respond well to the teacher. When it is their turn to be the ‘Star of the Week,’ pupils respond to the challenge of addressing the whole class for five minutes each day and they do so with self-confidence and composure. Provision for and the development of pupils’ personal and social development is very good.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

101 Most pupils make very good progress in language and literacy and by the age of five most pupils’ attainment is well above average. They recognise several initial sounds and understand and use terms such as ‘initial phoneme’. Some pupils find words within their names, for example, “ill” and “will” in William. They are developing effective strategies for spelling and one group of children was able to learn to spell 5 words by using the ‘look, cover, spell, write, check’ method. Some are able to explain the use of capital letters. They recognise words in familiar stories and make good use of contextual and phonic clues to help them. Their writing skills are developing very well. Many pupils write very clearly with well-formed letters. Other children write accurately over or under the teachers’ writing. One group wrote an interesting food diary for the Very Hungry Caterpillar and examples of a wide range of

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

writing are attractively displayed in the classrooms and in the corridors. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading. They listen very well when the teacher uses the big book and some children identified other books the author had written. They speak confidently and fluently. They join in enthusiastically with familiar parts of the story and pass lively opinions about how the caterpillar will feel in the morning and how greedy he is. When asked to read they are happy to share their books and many read fluently and with expression. Pupils carry out simple comprehension exercises accurately and can explain their answers well. They all take reading books home. Resources are excellent and very well used.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

102 Most pupils make very good progress in the mathematical area of learning and by the age of five the attainment of most pupils is well above expectations. They recognise and name numbers to 10 and some can go to 20 using the number line. They can add and subtract up to 10. They have good knowledge of a range of number rhymes and songs that they repeat with enjoyment. They like to sing the repetition pattern in the Very Hungry Caterpillar. They use mathematical language accurately. They understand add and subtract and the concepts of Broadway East First School -25 before and after. They enjoy helping the teacher to change the calendar and the days of the week are well known. Many are beginning to understand the concept of yesterday and tomorrow. In the role play Garden Centre pupils could tell the price of things, they made simple purchases and they handled money confidently. Although resources

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

are satisfactory the quality of learning could be improved by the provision of some large resources such as an abacus, number fans and other apparatus to support the development of numeracy skills.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

· Knowledge and Understanding of the World

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

103 Most pupils make very good progress and by the age of five attainment is well above expectations for the majority of them. They are very enthusiastic about the mini-beasts project and use their good observation skills to accurately record their findings in drawings, models, the spoken word and writing. They understand the life cycle of the butterfly and know that most living things need light, food and water to survive. Pupils enjoy the garden in the outdoor area, which has a senses area which the pupils use well to explore sensory and tactile experiences. They receive good support from parents and other helpers when using computers. They are competent in handling the mouse and can use appropriate vocabulary. They can make the Roamer move backwards and forwards and estimate how many lengths it will take to reach a given point. Some pupils effectively programmed 90-degree turns and used

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

2 or 3 commands to create a sequence. Pupils are not able to use the computer on a daily basis and this limits their progress. The displays in the classroom and in the corridor indicate a wide range of well developed practical skills. They are able to describe how they made things: for example the models of mini-beasts and the large leaf collage that hides the spider. When some pupils worked with wire and cellophane to make butterflies they handled the equipment very well and were extremely pleased with the results. Pupils know their way around their part of the school. Some pupils drew a map of how to get to the mini-beast museum shop in their classroom, identifying features that would be passed on the way. They explained how it would help others.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

· Knowledge and Understanding of the World

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

103 Most pupils make very good progress and by the age of five attainment is well above expectations for the majority of them. They are very confident and move safely around the classroom, the yard and their own outdoor play area. This was demonstrated extremely well during the fire drills. In PE lessons they understand the rules of the hall and the need for care. They develop good spatial awareness and work well in a space of their own. They run, hop, skip and jump and stop and start on a given signal and show good control and agility. They build simple 4 part sequences including travel, balance, jump, and turn and they can demonstrate their skills to the rest of the group and explain how they can improve further. They are beginning to use technical language and talk about ‘pencil rolls’ and ‘balance’. They handle small equipment such as paintbrushes, scissors, glue spreaders and pencils with great

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

confidence and skill and show good control.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

105 Pupils make very good progress and by the time they are five attainment for most of them is well above expectations. They use colour and texture effectively in a range of ways and their work is imaginatively displayed in the classroom. Pupils develop a good understanding of colour mixing and how it can be used. They talked knowledgeably about tie-dye T-shirts they had made and were very proud of the butterflies and other insects they had painted. They use their imaginations very well when they work in the Garden Centre and sell some plants for the garden or when they dress as mini-beasts and describe the ‘den’ that they are building in the sand. They listen to and enjoy music and clap and tap in time. They join in a wide range of songs and rhymes and handle and use percussion instruments correctly and confidently.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

106 The quality of teaching for under fives is very good in all areas of learning. Both teachers and support staff have very good subject knowledge and a clear understanding of how young children learn. The class teacher is very well supported by a nursery nurse and an auxiliary assistant who also work with the other Reception class. The range of activities and experiences in the classroom ensure that all pupils make very good progress towards achieving the Desirable Learning Outcomes by the time they are five. The classrooms are very well organised so that pupils quickly develop independent learning skills and learn to take responsibility for resources. The support staff for the under fives are very well deployed and make a very good contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. They are involved in all aspects of the curriculum and play an important role in assessment and planning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

Broadway East First School -26 107 Planning is detailed and thorough and identifies what it is the pupils will learn. It focussed directly on the Desirable Learning Outcomes and provides for a smooth transition to work on the National Curriculum when the majority of pupils are 5. The planning is very effective but it takes a lot of time and the staff are aware that it needs to be made more manageable. Assessment is used very effectively to plan what needs to be done to move the pupils on in their learning. The good knowledge that the staff have of individual pupils and their strong teamwork means that informal, day to day assessment is well done and is regularly discussed and acted upon. On a few occasions each week the pupils in both classes are grouped according to ability and the teachers work with them on literacy and numeracy skills. This ensures that the needs of all pupils are catered for and that there is an appropriate degree of

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

challenge, particularly for higher attaining pupils, in the tasks set. Relationships are very good and all the adults provide very good support and care for the pupils.

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English

108 The results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 1, show that standards of attainment in reading and writing are well above the national average. When the average national curriculum tests are compared with average results for schools in similar contexts, the school performs above average in reading and well above in writing. Comparisons with Key Stage 1 test results for the past three years show that standards have been maintained in both reading and writing. Although there is not a statutory national assessment at the time of pupil transfer in Year Four, the school does carry out a number of assessments. It is not possible however, to arrive at a secure judgement for Year Four based solely on assessment data, as there is not a close enough correlation between the tests being used.

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English

109 The inspection evidence shows that attainment is well above average in all the component of English at the end of Key Stage 1 and at the end of year 4. These levels of attainment are an improvement on those reported on in the last inspection.

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English

110 At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is well above national expectations. Pupils communicate clearly and confidently. They listen with considerable concentration and respond appropriately. By the time the children leave the school, attainment in speaking and listening is still well above national expectations. Pupils speak confidently on a broadening range of subjects. They develop their ideas thoughtfully and they have an extensive vocabulary.

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English

111 By the end of Key Stage one attainment in reading is well above expectations. Pupils read a wide range of texts both fiction and non-fiction easily and accurately. They use existing word level skills to work out, predict and check meanings of unfamiliar words and to make sense of what they read. They respond well to both fiction and non- fiction and have a good understanding of the main points. By the end of Year 4 attainment in reading is well above national expectations and pupils can read with expression and clarity. They read for enjoyment and can express preferences about their reading. Pupils understand how settings can influence events in stories and they know about figurative language in poetry and prose. They can identify and read aloud different patterns of rhyme and verse in poetry. They have a wide reading repertoire and they complete detailed book reviews.

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English

112 At the end of Key Stage one, pupils’ attainment in writing is well above national expectations. Pupils’ writing is well organised, imaginative and clear. They write with confidence, use capital letters and full stops accurately and can correctly spell the majority of high frequency words. Their stories contain interesting settings, narrative, characters and dialogue. They can write in a variety of non-fiction forms. By the end of year four, attainment in writing is well above national expectations. Pupils can write longer stories, using chapters and linking sentences coherently in paragraphs. They can make points persuasively and carefully select a style of writing appropriate for its intended audience. Appropriate punctuation, including direct speech marks, is used with accuracy.

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English

113 Pupils make very good progress in all aspects of English from year 1 to year 4. Pupils with special needs make very good progress in relation to well-constructed individual education plans. Good progress is made in speaking and listening, which are well developed in all subjects. Younger children are given opportunities during their circle time whilst older pupils may sharpen their skills in preparation for the class assembly. Broadway East First School -27 114 In reading, very good progress is made. Shared and guided reading sessions take place every day within the literacy hour and pupils are given many opportunities outside of the literacy hour to practice their skills. By the end of Year 4, pupils read with intonation and expression, reflecting a clear understanding of the text. The literacy hour has enhanced the repertoire of materials that are successfully shared and explored with the pupils.

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English

115 Very good progress is made in writing. Younger pupils quickly build up their phonemic ability and high attaining pupils can discriminate and write complex sounds. As pupils move through the school they are taught effective spelling strategies and develop an extensive vocabulary. Pupils become increasingly aware of how sentences are constructed and punctuated and they learn to write for a wide range of purposes.

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English

116 Pupils’ attitudes to their work are consistently very good. Most pupils are enthusiastic and concentrate very well. Pupils are positive in their responses and enjoy their work. The routines of the literacy hour, which have been consistently established across the school, are structured so that pupils know what is expected. The sessions work very well and pupils can sustain long periods of independent working. Children take a pride in their work and are keen to talk about the displays they have contributed to both in the classrooms and around the school. Pupils are able to work collaboratively and form constructive relationships and the majority of pupils are well behaved. Occasionally, when a few children fail to behave appropriately, teachers have effective strategies to settle them down. Children are encouraged to develop a love of reading and the school has actively promoted the National Year

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English

of Reading through hosting book fairs and storytelling events.

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English

117 The teaching of English is very good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and all have literacy hour routines firmly in place. Classrooms are well organised and planning and preparation is always excellent. The National Literacy Strategy is making a good contribution to standards in the school. Lessons are well planned and make accurate use of the Strategy framework. Teachers identify specific learning objectives, which are carefully translated into interesting activities. Teaching is set at a challenging pace and teachers have high expectations of their pupils. Excellent teaching is exemplified by good classroom management and highly interactive teaching which engages all pupils. . Work is well differentiated throughout the school and very well matched to pupil attainment. Individual targets based on half termly assessments are set to challenge all pupils, and are successful in raising pupil

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English

attainment. Pupils with special educational needs have appropriate individual education plans and progress towards these targets is closely monitored by the class and specialist teacher.

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English

118 The curriculum for English is very good. As well as the literacy hour additional time is designated for handwriting, library, silent reading and storytime. The school has slightly adapted the National Literacy Strategy to take account of the school’s target to improve writing and has extended one session a week to enable sustained writing to be carried out. The Strategy is having a positive impact on teaching and learning .The time allocation for literacy is very high and is being used effectively to raise standards even further through the setting of individual targets. Assessment is carried out half-termly and is effectively used to set targets for pupils’ further work.

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English

119 The leadership and management of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator has a good strategic overview of the subject. A well-informed action plan sets appropriate targets and has a built in monitoring system. Children’s books are monitored each term by the co-ordinator and appropriate feedback is given to staff. Planning is also monitored by the co-ordinator and support and advice given as needed.

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English

120 The school is well resourced with good quality texts and classrooms have a wide variety of aids to assist in the smooth delivery of the literacy hour. Staff should be complimented on the high quality home made big books they have produced. The school library area has a good selection of books nicely displayed but its situation prevents the children being able to fully use their highly developed information retrieval skills.

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Mathematics

121 National tests at the end of Key Stage 1, 1998 indicated that the numbers of pupils reaching national expectations was above the national average. In comparison to similar schools the number of pupils’ achieving well above the expected level was well above average. Over the three years to 1998 attainment is consistently very high. Broadway East First School -28 The inspection evidence confirms that attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is well above average and a significant proportion of pupils achieve very high levels. By the end of Year 4 attainment is well above average. The results of National Curriculum tests and inspection evidence show that there is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls. These levels of attainment indicate a significant improvement in mathematics since the last inspection.

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Mathematics

122 Children in the reception classes are confident in number work. They are able to name, order and count with accuracy. They have a good understanding of the concept of estimation and can use it well when they programme a simple floor robot to move from one place to another. They have a good understanding of spatial concepts such as above, behind, beside both in mathematics lessons and in other subjects

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Mathematics

123 By the end of Key Stage 1 children have a secure knowledge and understanding of numbers. They add and subtract numbers with accuracy and can use a variety of different mental strategies to handle numbers up to, and sometimes beyond 100. Pupils in Year 2 use standard units of measurement of weight to accurately measure and compare different objects. They use a range of simple fractions well and can name the properties of a range of 2-d and 3-d shapes and draw them accurately. They have a good understanding of money and the more able children in Year 1 can name and use a range of coins effectively.

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Mathematics

124 By the time they leave the school pupils have a good understanding of number. All pupils recognise and use numbers to tens of thousands. They have a good range of mental strategies and use a good range of mathematical vocabulary well, for example when they played a simple guessing game and described hidden 3-D objects using the correct terms. Pupils explain their strategies for solving problems clearly and accurately. Children in Year 4 are able to use data to construct graphs and are beginning to see that the units of demarcation are an important aspect of this process. Computers are often used well to support the children’s learning. They create tally simple charts and construct their own graphs using sophisticated programmes.

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Mathematics

125 Progress throughout the school is very good. Pupils with special needs also make rapid progress in relation to their prior achievement. Five year olds are beginning to understand mathematical patterns and can order numbers to 10 correctly on a number line, while in Year 2 children can count in 2s, and 10s with accuracy. Good progress is made in relation to shape and space and measures. Younger children can recognise and name basic polygons and 3-D shapes, while older children investigate the relationships between these shapes and discover the relationship between faces, edges and vertices. In every class, children make good progress in their mental computational skills and their ability to use a correct range of mathematical vocabulary. The use of the basic structure of the National Numeracy Strategy ensures all work is built upon previous experiences.

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Mathematics

126 Pupils’ response is consistently very good throughout the school. The majority of pupils in all classes enjoy mathematics and many show real enthusiasm for the subject. Year 4 pupils begin lessons with a recap of their knowledge and set themselves simple targets to achieve. In the plenary session they recount to others what they have learned. Children show a very good ability to work with each other. Co-operation and collaboration among the pupils are a significant characteristic of most maths lessons. A very small minority of children have attitudes which are less than positive but they are very quickly given tasks that settle them down to work.

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Mathematics

127 The quality of teaching throughout the school is very good and sometimes outstanding. It is never less than satisfactory. The scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers planning shows that all areas of the mathematics curriculum are being given sufficient attention. Teachers planning is good and clearly outlines what pupils have to learn and provides a range of tasks at differing levels which enable all children to be fully engaged by the work. There is however some repetition in medium term planning which the school is aware of. Teachers place great emphasis on developing mental mathematics and make sure they recap important teaching points at the end of lessons. They have a good knowledge of the subject and provide a broad range of mathematical activities for all pupils. Relationships are very good and teachers ensure that the pace of lessons is kept brisk. Oral feedback to children is both encouraging and challenges children’s thinking. Marking is done conscientiously and is often exemplary. In a mixed

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Mathematics

Year 1/2 class where, as well as raising the pupils’ self esteem, the teachers’ comments also pointed out how work could be improved.

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Mathematics

128 Assessment procedures are very good. Teachers use day to day assessments to set appropriate work for all children. For example, in the data handling work in the mixed Year 3/4 class, the content of pupil worksheets was Broadway East First School -29 changed to allow children who were finding difficulty with the concept to learn more easily by building upon previous attainments. Data from a range of tests gives senior managers a good view of mathematics attainment across the school and is being well used to help set targets for the school.

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Mathematics

129 The co-ordinator has a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and has clear plans for its development. The school has made good progress towards the start of the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) in September and this is already showing signs of providing improved challenges for all children. The policy document has recently been reviewed and updated and provides good support for the teaching of the subject throughout the school, though it is acknowledged that the NNS will necessitate another review. The school has a good supply of resources both held in classrooms and in a central store and these are well used to support all areas of the curriculum. ICT is well used to support the mathematics curriculum. Excellent use is made of a data-handling programme to enable pupils to produce high quality graphs. Year 2 children reinforced their knowledge of numbers and basic computational skills through a series of number games.

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Science

130 Because of the way the curriculum in the school is organised a relatively small number of science lessons were observed during the inspection. However, teachers planning and assessment, discussion with pupils and examination of their work, and displays around the school, indicate that all aspects of the science curriculum are being taught to all pupils.

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Science

131 Pupils’ attainment in science at the end of Key Stage 1 has improved since the last inspection when attainment was in line with the national average. The 1998 teacher assessments for science indicated that by the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment was well above the national average when 91% of pupils achieved level 2 or above. The number of pupils achieving level 3 scores was well above that of similar schools. Inspection evidence confirms these judgements. When Y4 pupils transfer to middle school their attainment is well above expectations and they are on line to attain well above the national average by the end of Key Stage 2.

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Science

132 By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have a very good knowledge of living things and they can describe the conditions necessary for them to live. Pupils were able to outline the various layers of the rainforest and explain why particular animals and birds lived there. They accurately used such terms as predator and prey and understood their meaning. Pupils have a good understanding of different food groups and know that diet affects our health and they accurately recorded the information in Food Books they made. All pupils make careful observations and simple predictions. Some pupils in Key Stage 2 set up an experiment to test the effects of pollutants on plants and explained the need for a fair test. The experiment is on going and they know that they must use accurate observational skills to chart its progress. They use appropriate scientific language and record their results in a range of ways including

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Science

graphs, charts and writing. Pupils’ books and displays in the classrooms and around the school show that they have a good knowledge of electrical circuits and completed assessment sheets show they understand how they work. Work on the earth and beyond was recorded in displays and show that pupils understood how shadows change as the earth moves around the sun.

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Science

133 Pupils in both Key Stages make very good progress. Their knowledge is built up progressively as they move through the school and they effectively apply the skills, knowledge and experiences they have gained to their everyday work. Class lessons on well chosen topics add to their knowledge and they show a good understanding of what they have learned in question and answer sessions. In Key Stage 1 pupils observe events closely and record their results by drawing pictures. In the reception class they recognise the leaf, petal, stem and root of a plant. They transfer the knowledge that plants need water, heat and light to grow to help their understanding of human needs. By the end of the Key Stage they are able to explain how diet affects the health of humans. Some pupils also use knowledge about food and diets to help them to look after their pets. By Year 4 pupils can set up experiments to

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Science

examine the effects of different substances on living things and are able to offer ideas about the outcome. Assessed work in their individual profiles confirms that progress is very good. . Pupils with special educational needs are well catered for and they make good progress. Broadway East First School -30 134 Pupils’ attitudes to learning during science lessons is usually very good. They enjoy the practical and investigative activities and they work well together. They nearly all work without direct teacher support and they are happy to share resources. At Key Stage 1 they can select and use the resources they need and at both Key Stages they take a pride in the recording of their work. There are some occasions when bad behaviour disrupts learning but the majority of pupils behave very well and are not easily distracted

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Science

135 The quality of teaching in science is good overall with some very good features. Teachers’ planning is very effective and relates specifically to the National Curriculum. The plans indicate precisely what it is the pupils will learn and detailed assessment, which includes individual targets for pupils, ensures that challenging tasks are set. All teachers have good subject knowledge and are well supported by a detailed policy document and scheme of work. Expectations are high and instructions to pupils about what is expected of them are always clear and the pace of lessons is brisk. The use of open-ended questions is a consistent feature of teaching in the school, which makes pupils form their own ideas. Classroom support is always well deployed, particularly during practical activities, and makes a significant contribution to the quality of teaching.

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Science

136 The science curriculum is well co-ordinated and there is a good balance of all the key elements of the subject. Learning resources are satisfactory in quantity and are well used.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

· Information and communication technology (ICT)

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

137 By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainment in the skills and applications required in information technology is above average. Attainment in communication and data handling is above average while in control technology achievement is satisfactory. Some very good attainment is achieved where high quality graphics programmes are used to prepare pictures with detail. In addition word processing skills are used effectively to support literacy. In the reception classes ICT skills are well developed for very young children. By the time the children leave school at the end of Year 4 their overall attainment is above average.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

138 By the age of seven children use effectively the common features of a keyboard. They can control a mouse to select from on-screen instructions, icons or menus and drag objects to other parts of the screen. They use a variety of programmes to support other subjects. Some Year 1 pupils use the keyboard to control an on-screen picture by giving simple forward, backwards or sideways commands. Pupils know about control technology in the home and school and can use machines effectively. Reception children give clear and accurate instructions to a simple floor robot to enable it to follow simple routines.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

139 By the time the pupils’ leave school they have extended their skills. They are able to use the keyboard with speed and accuracy to create interesting stories and pieces of text, for example when Year 4 wrote some questions they would like to ask famous people of the past. Older children interrogated a CD-ROM to find out pieces of information and create interesting graphics such as drawings of a range of vehicles and cartoons of people wearing huge hats as part of an ongoing class topic. The range of opportunities for children to develop their ability to use control technology is limited though they are able to successfully move an on-screen icon using simple Logo instructions.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

140 Pupils make good progress in the development of skills throughout the school. Word processing and graphic skills are built upon in a systematic way to enable work to be edited, refined and improved. Similarly graphics programmes with more sophisticated icons are used well. Children move from controlling simple floor robots in a series of forward and backward movements to using the facility to create angle and move the same robots round a more challenging course.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

141 Pupils have very positive attitudes towards the subject and look forward to their time on the computer. They work together well in pairs and co-operate well. They are mutually supportive and behave responsibly towards Broadway East First School -31 the equipment. Many pupils can work on their own for considerable periods of time and produce very high quality work. High quality displays of ICT work in the classrooms encourage self-esteem and personal development. Some pupils use ICT to support their own learning in other areas of the curriculum such as when Year 4 pupils interrogate a CD-ROM on scientific issues being covered in the science lessons.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

142 Little direct ICT teaching was seen during the inspection though examination of planning documents, wall displays and talking with children shows that staff are developing in confidence and use ICT well to help delivery of the curriculum. While all classes have access to a computer, some of the hardware is old and of limited value. The reception classes have to share a PC and this means access to high quality programmes is not always possible for some children. Similarly the range of equipment used for the control aspects of the curriculum is limited and this prevents the more able pupils reaching higher standards. The school has recently purchased a commercial scheme for ICT and the co-ordinator has worked hard to raise the profile of the subject within the school. She has produced good guidelines and a clear and efficient development plan. She carefully monitors medium term planning and the work

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

done by children. Lack of non-contact time, however, means she has little opportunity to directly oversee teaching and learning in other classes.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

143 By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious education is above expectations. Pupils are articulate and knowledgeable about the topics being covered and they present work neatly and accurately. By the end of Year 4 they show good levels of knowledge and a developing empathy for the needs of others in the community that is based on broadly Christian principles.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

144 By the age of seven pupils are able to remember and discuss a number of the stories contained in the Old and New Testament such as The Great Flood, Joseph’s Coat Of Many Colours and Blind Bartemaeus’ Daughter. They are also able to talk about the Parables of Jesus and can explain how they contain a message for us today. They understand that all major world faiths have special books such as The Bible for Christians and The Torah for Jews.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

145 By the end of Year 4 these early skills have been extended and pupils show a good empathy towards the needs of others. They study topics such as ‘The Community’ and understand how this influences the way we treat and deal with people we meet. The study of major world faiths is covered in topics such as ‘Festivals of Light’ which enable pupils to develop their understanding of the multi-faith nature of the society in which they live. After a visit by a member of the Salvation Army, pupils were more aware of how they can help others and this was further developed in Year 4 when the children studied the life and work of Dr. Barnardo and saw how this is still relevant today. Attainment in religious education has developed appropriately since the last inspection.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

146 Pupils make very good progress in the development of skills throughout the school. The guidance of the Agreed Syllabus and the schools’ policy document ensures that pupils not only learn factual knowledge, but also develop an understanding of their place in the society in which they live. Spiritual and moral principles are developed in a range of good quality acts of worship. One assembly, taken by the head teacher, allowed children to celebrate the life of a much-loved member of the community, remembering all the good things she had brought as well as the sorrow at her death. There are also examples of very good class assemblies, though this quality is not consistent across all classes.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

147 Pupils have very positive attitudes towards the subject. They are able to make connections between the factual side of the subject and the deep messages that are sometimes conveyed. Through the multi-faith work such as when Hindu children bring in artefacts connected with religious festivals they are beginning to see their place set within a multi-cultural society.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

148 The teaching of religious education is good. Work is well planned in line with the LEAs agreed syllabus. Lessons have clear targets that allow children to increase their knowledge effectively. Lessons are organised effectively and teachers use penetrating and interesting questions to help whole class sessions to develop at a good pace. Teachers’ relationships with the pupils are very good and this leads to interesting discussions where relevant comments are valued and praised. The head teacher and other teachers are good role models in the development of children’s spiritual and moral development. They show a good understanding of the needs of the subject and also have good subject knowledge. Broadway East First School -32 149 The head teacher is the co-ordinator for the subject and takes an active part in this role. In collaboration with all staff produced a good scheme of work has been produced that is well founded on the LEAs Agreed Syllabus.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

The needs of all the children, faiths and culture in the school have all been taken into consideration when planning the work to be covered. A sound range of resources exist for the delivery of the subject, though the range of multi faith artefacts is rather limited.

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Design and technology

150 There were very few opportunities to observe lessons during the inspection. Judgements are based on the scrutiny of pupils’ completed work, subject documentation and discussions with pupils and the co-ordinator.

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Design and technology

151 All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school, particularly in the making element of the subject. Pupils learn to work with a variety of materials and they can make sensible choices on the joining and decoration of the finished artefacts. Simple cutting and joining techniques are developed and with practise skills become more sophisticated in the completion of finer and more detailed models. The designing and evaluating aspects of the subject are less well developed. In the main pupils make simple or annotated drawings of artefacts and report back on their effectiveness both orally and in written form. The use of drawings, as the design element of the subject, becomes more detailed as pupils move through the school. The introduction of annotated drawings and pupils’ own evaluative comments become a more integral part of the original design. This picture is broadly in line with the inspection findings in the school’s last report.

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Design and technology

152 Pupils in the reception class make a variety of mini beast models using paper mache and then add a range of finishing touches including paint to very good effect. They have learned a good range of skills including cutting, folding and joining and they select the materials to be used with care and thought. They develop their understanding of the technological process when they use a range of construction equipment to make models.

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Design and technology

153 Throughout Key Stage 1 pupils continue to have the opportunity to work on DT projects within the topics being covered. In geography, for example, a range of 3-D maps of a variety of areas gives real opportunity to select materials and use them to construct an exciting finished artefact. In Key Stage 2 children use their DT skills to support all the other subjects of the curriculum and in particular history and science. Children in Year 3 design and make simple pop up cards while those in Year 4 make a variety of artefacts to support their project on Ancient Egypt, including a range of jewellery and models of pyramids. Children show they are able to use a range of language skills, including speaking to evaluate their finished models.

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Design and technology

154 Pupils’ response in the one lesson seen was good and while there is limited insufficient evidence to draw secure general judgements, pupils show good levels of co-operation and collaboration and treat equipment with respect and care. They take a pride in the display of their finished work and are able to talk at some length about their model making.

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Design and technology

155 There is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on teaching. In the lesson seen it was good. Teachers’ planning is thorough and detailed and the pupils’ work shows good progression. However, the teaching tends to be within a rather narrow range and the majority of projects focus on design and make in paper and card with simple written or oral responses. No evidence of work with resistant materials was noted although work with textiles or clay was included in art.

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Design and technology

156 The co-ordinator of the subject provides good support to teachers. The limited amount of time currently allocated to the subject restricts the range of work that is done. The current documentation needs to be updated to ensure that the subject is delivered effectively. Resources for the subject are adequate in most areas but those for working with resistant materials are not as good. While classrooms are large enough to ensure the subject can be delivered; lack of space around the school makes the storing of larger projects a problem.

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Design and technology

· History and geography Broadway East First School -33 157 It was not possible to see a full range of lessons in history and geography during the inspection. The detailed planning of the work over the year and work in pupils’ books and displays made it possible to make judgements about the subjects.

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Design and technology

158 The standards in Key Stage 2 at the time of the last inspection have been maintained whilst standards in Key Stage 1 have improved. Throughout the school pupils make good progress in both subjects. In Key Stage 1 they study an appropriate range of topics some of which have a historical aspect to them, for example in their topics on homes and toys they learn about how things have changed over time. They also find out about specific topics from the past such as the work of Florence Nightingale and the Great Fire of London. In the reception class pupils know about geographical aspects of different environments and are able to say what the quality of environment is, for example in their visit to Plessey Woods. They have well above average knowledge of map symbols and conventions in Year 1 and they use them effectively. They have developed inventive and accurate map making skills.

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Design and technology

159 They continue to make good progress in Key Stage 2. Some of the work is very good, for example pupils in Years 3 and 4 have a very good factual knowledge about Ancient Egypt. They understand the concept of change when they compare their own lives with those of people in the past and they can explain the variations in the lives of the rich and the poor in the past. Pupils develop good reference skills and their written work is of good quality. They develop a geographical understanding of industry for example in their visit to Blyth Power Station.

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Design and technology

160 History and geography are planned as part of topic work that includes several subjects. The allocation of time to this work is under pressure from the need to develop the literacy and numeracy strategies and, as a result, some topics contain only a small amount of geography or history. For example in Year 2 Pupils develop a good awareness of places alongside their science work on habitats. They know about the features of Polar Regions but their enquiry work is limited and they do not have sufficient opportunities to compare places and to ask questions about why they are like they are. In some terms one of the subjects may not be included in the topic work at all and this restricts the progress pupils can make.

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Design and technology

161 Pupils have very positive attitudes to history and geography. They listen well in lessons and are able to work effectively individually and in groups, especially when using reference materials. They are willing to share their ideas with each other. Pupils are very keen and interested in geography. In Y1 they use vocabulary about places and landforms with confidence. All pupils are keen to share their knowledge of places they have studied or visited. They work very well in tasks that involve finding out about historical topics. Their capacity for independent work and their confidence in finding and using reference material enables them to make rapid progress.

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Design and technology

162 History is well taught throughout the school and there is particularly good teaching in Years 3 and 4. The subject is well planned and this ensures good classroom organisation and a variety of teaching styles. There is a strong emphasis on investigative work and research skills, which provide challenges for pupils of all abilities. The use of discussion is often very good and stimulates enquiry, for example when the whole class is given the task of making a list of the things they already know and what they want to know. The teaching of geography is good. Resources are used very well to develop progress in geography. In Year 1 the story of Red Riding Hood was used to illustrate a journey and to develop pupils’ geographical vocabulary and their understanding of direction, location and simple co-ordinates. The teachers have high expectations of pupils and this is shown in the range and quality of the

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Design and technology

learning materials which they are asked to use. They often give very good written instructions to guide pupils in individual or group work. Their planning clearly identifies what pupils have to learn and ensures that they make progress in all of the key elements of the subjects.

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Design and technology

163 History and geography are co-ordinated well. Good outlines of ideas are provided for each unit and a clear and helpful analysis of the essentials of the subject reflects the necessary elements required by the National Curriculum. The school is developing a plan to review the curriculum in both subjects in order to maintain breadth and balance. The co-ordinator has a good overview of the subjects because of the good work done in the monitoring of pupils’ work and teachers planning.

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Design and technology

· Art Broadway East First School -34 164 There were limited opportunities to see the direct teaching of art during the inspection. However judgements are based on observation of displays, the scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers plans and discussions with pupils. An extra curricular art club was also observed. The good standards in art at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

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Design and technology

165 Pupils make good progress in art throughout the school. Across both Key Stages pupils learn and practice different approaches and techniques and their work contributes to the high quality and attractive displays around the school. In Key Stage one, pupils competently mix and investigate different shades of colour. They produced a good quality interactive display, successfully linked to the literacy curriculum which asked observers to guess who the subject was. Pupils collected and used a wide range of materials to create a 3D display for a mini-beast museum. The Egyptian work on display in one class has very good examples of pupils using modelling techniques to produce imitation jewellery.

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Design and technology

166 Pupils show a good level of interest in art. They willingly take the many opportunities offered to them to develop an understanding and appreciation of the artistic styles of famous artists. They confidently apply these to their own work. One class used watercolours imaginatively to create their version of ‘Boats in Collioure’ after studying the work of Andre Derain. Another group of pupils carefully applied the mosaic collage technique in response to the same study. Pupils often work well on their own in art but they can also work successfully in small and large groups. They willingly share materials and ideas as in the construction of a collage of Dr.Xargle.

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Design and technology

167 The teaching of art is good. Teachers plan appropriate work from the excellent guidelines produced by the co-ordinator. The planning is closely monitored by the co-ordinator and ensures the progressive development of skills and knowledge. Artwork is usually well linked to the class topic and often combines the skills of design technology. Pupils work is assessed regularly and half termly entries are made into individual pupils’ sketchpads. The subject is well resourced and managed effectively with a high level of support given by co-ordinator.

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Music

168 During the inspection only one music lesson was seen in Year 3 and 4, Key Stage 2 hymn practice was observed and the Key Stage 1 music and dance club was seen. In addition there was scrutiny of documentation, examination of pupils’ work in books and in displays and discussions with pupils and teachers.

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Music

169 Pupils’ attainment and progress are good in both Key Stages and is above that expected for their age and has improved since the last inspection. They make good progress in the development of both musical skills and knowledge. Key Stage 1 pupils sing a good range of songs using appropriate actions and use percussion instruments to accompany their singing by keeping time. In assembly they sing hymns and songs clearly and in tune. Pupils compose simple rhythm patterns and record their compositions accurately using shapes and symbols. They recognise and can name some members of the orchestra and can say know how many instruments are being played. By the end of Year 4 they confidently sing songs in two parts and rounds and they respond accurately to musical direction. Some pupils used percussion instruments creatively to respond to music about water and the sea and showed that they could express themselves and create a mood and feeling. They listened intently to a range of music about the

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Music

sea and some recognised Debussy’s La Mer.

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Music

170 Pupils have positive attitudes to music. They enjoy the activities and perform confidently. They concentrate effectively to maintain accurate playing and performing and they listen attentively to a range of music including the classical composers and more modern pieces including “Summer Holiday”. Behaviour during music lessons is good. They enjoy the practical activities and they work hard to improve the quality of their performance.

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Music

171 The quality of teaching is good. Teachers’ planning accurately follows the co-ordinators guidance and ensures that all aspects of the National Curriculum are followed. Objectives for the lessons are clearly identified and pupils are clear about what is expected of them. The pace of lessons is good and pupils respond positively. Two teachers worked together on a hymn practice and made good use of the words of ‘Blowing in the Wind’ to explore feelings. Their lively teaching created enthusiasm in the pupils.

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Music

172 The co-ordinator has a very good knowledge of music. She provides offers good support and guidance to colleagues. A wide range of resources has been built up, including percussion instruments and recorded music. The Broadway East First School -35 performance skills of all pupils are well developed and there are many opportunities for pupils to demonstrate them. Each term a ‘Tea and Cake’ session is held when classes entertain friends and families to a medley of songs. The choir meets on a regular basis and often performs at the City Hall in the LEA music event. The Song and Dance club caters for the younger pupils. Some pupils pay for violin lessons and there is a flourishing recorder group.

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Physical education

173 Standards in PE are good and sometimes very good. All pupils make good progress. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have good skills and co-ordination. In Year 1 they perform two and three point balances well on large apparatus and end with a correct landing. They carefully combine movements into sequences that they later practice and refine. They handle bats, balls and other small apparatus with increasing control and in Year 3 show good controlled throwing and catching skills. By Y4 they have reached good standards in ball skills and apply them well in football and netball games. Key stage 2 pupils achieve good standards in swimming. All pupils in Years 3 and 4 can swim and many are practising for their ASA water skills badge. In Key Stage 1 they learn to control their bodies through imaginative movements in response to music and through gymnastics and apparatus work. These skills are

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Physical education

refined in Key Stage 2 when pupils compose and perform longer sequences of movements and create simple narratives in response to music. In Year 4 they used movement to imitate the water cycle and once they had refined their performance satisfactorily they performed it for another class.

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Physical education

174 All pupils are suitably dressed for PE and are aware of the rules of the hall and the reasons for them. They listen well and respond quickly to instructions. Most times they work and move quietly round the hall. They understand about warm-up and cool-down activities. They can organise themselves into groups efficiently and most pupils are happy to take turns. They are keen to improve their skills by working with others. They support each other well and are interested in each other’s achievements.

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Physical education

175 The quality of teaching is good. All lessons are well planned and teachers’ understanding of the subject is reflected in the clear learning outcomes that they identify. They set a good example by being appropriately dressed and by their enthusiasm. They make good use of questions and demonstrations to extend pupils’ learning and they keep the pace of lessons brisk.

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Physical education

176 PE is well co-ordinated and resources. The curriculum is well balanced and includes all elements of the subject. All pupils take part in all aspects of PE. Boys and girls take part in the extra-curricular activities of football and gymnastics.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Five inspectors spent a total of 12 inspector days in school gathering first hand evidence.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

64 lessons or part lessons were observed, the time spent including observation of the lessons, sampling and scrutinising pupils’ work, talking formally to the pupils, staff and others and hearing pupils read was approximately 41 hours.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Informal observations of pupils were made at play times, lunchtimes and around the school.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

The work of pupils from each year group, representing the full range of attainment was scrutinised. Teacher’s records were seen with regard to pupils’ prior attainments and teachers’ planning.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

The assemblies were attended, as well as some registration and class times. Broadway East First School -36 Discussions were held involving members of the governing body, teaching and non-teaching staff, parent helpers and community representatives. The headteacher and members of the senior management were interviewed both before the inspection and several times during the inspection. All curriculum co-ordinators were formally interviewed. A range of informal meetings also took place.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

All documentation including the last inspection report of November 1995, policies, the school development summary and the governors’ annual report to parents, provided by the school in advance and information presented at the time of the inspection, was read and analysed.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

The registered inspector held a meeting for parents before the inspection, 19 parents were in attendance.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

209 questionnaires were issued to parents: 39 were returned (18.7 per cent). This data is recorded in the inspection report.

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177 SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Team members reviewed the internal accommodation and the external site.

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Pupil data

Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school's register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y4 209.0 1 17 9 Nursery Unit/School 0.00 0 0 0

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Qualified teachers (YR – Y4)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 9.20 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.7

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Education support staff (YR – Y4)

Total number of education support staff 3 Total aggregate hours worked each week 67.0

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Financial data

1998/1999 Broadway East First School -38 £ Total Income 312802 Total Expenditure 326507 Expenditure per pupil 1518.64 Balance brought forward from previous year 42911 Balance carried forward to next year 29206 Broadway East First School -39

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 209 Number of questionnaires returned: 39

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Responses (percentage of answers in each category) :

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 59.0 35.9 2.6 0.0 0.0 I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 69.2 28.2 0.0 2.6 0.0 The school handles complaints from parents well 25.6 43.6 15.4 5.1 0.0 The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 28.2 69.2 2.6 0.0 0.0 The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)'s progress 38.5 53.8 5.1 2.6 0.0 The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 51.3 43.6 0.0 5.1 0.0 The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 25.6 48.7 20.5 0.0 2.6 I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 30.8 48.7 10.3 10.3 0.0 The school's values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 61.5 38.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 The school achieves high standards of good

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PARENTAL SURVEY

behaviour 48.7 48.7 0.0 2.6 0.0 My child(ren) like(s) school 74.4 20.5 5.1 0.0 0.0

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PARENTAL SURVEY

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

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