Delves Junior School

Delves Junior School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Delves Junior 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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Delves Junior 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. Delves Junior School-3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of control: Local education authority

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bell Lane Walsall West Midlands WS9 4PU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Cllr C R Beilby

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 March 1996 Delves Junior School-4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Keith Edwards, Registered Inspector Mathematics Attainment and progress

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Partnership with parents and the community

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Paul Edwards, Team Inspector Information technology Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Pauline Goodsell, Team Inspector Science Special educational needs

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Religious education Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

John Williams, Team Inspector English Curriculum and assessment

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Sandfield Educational Consultants 16 Wychwood Drive Trowell Park Nottingham NG9 3RB

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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 Delves Junior School-5 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Delves Junior School-6

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What the school does well

 The quality of teaching is good and it enables pupils to make good progress.  Pupils attain standards in science which are above average.  The ethos of the school is very good and it promotes high standards of personal and academic achievement.  The leadership provided by the headteacher and his senior management team creates an effective learning environment and facilitates the smooth running of the school.  The quality of the relationships in the school is very good.  The school’s procedures for promoting high standards of discipline and the moral development of the pupils are very effective.  The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities.  The efficiency of financial control and school administration are very good.

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What the school does well

· Where the school has weaknesses  The provision to identify and support those pupils with special educational requires further development.  The school does not make the most effective use of its assessment information to plan work for the pupils.  The school does not plan effectively across the curriculum for the spiritual development of its pupils.  Many pupils do not develop a fluent handwriting style.

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weaknesses identified in the inspection will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to

all parents or guardians of pupils at Delves Junior School.

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weaknesses identified in the inspection will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to

· How the school has improved since the last inspection

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weaknesses identified in the inspection will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to

Since the last inspection, the school has successfully raised standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science. A greater percentage of the teaching is now satisfactory or better. The school has also been successful in meeting most of the key issues raised in the last inspection report. For example, the provision in information technology has been satisfactorily addressed, and all pupils are taught skills systematically and effectively in the newly established computer suite.

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weaknesses identified in the inspection will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to

The school has continued to provide a broad and balanced curriculum whilst successfully raising standards in the core subjects. The literacy hour has been successfully introduced and the numeracy strategy is being implemented. Delves Junior has complied with the recommendations of the latest audit reports and continues to provide good value for money. Only in respect of the spiritual dimension does there remain considerable work to be done. The school has made little tangible progress on this key issue since the last inspection and this aspect of school life remains an area of weakness. The school has created a very stimulating outdoor recreation area. Furthermore, the school has improved its management structure and has made good progress since the last inspection. It is well placed to continue to improve. Delves Junior School-8 ·

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Standards in subjects

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

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similar schools

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

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similar schools

Standards of attainment in the core subjects of English and mathematics are close to the national average and are above average in comparison to similar schools. Standards of attainment in science are above the national average and well above the standard achieved by pupils in similar schools. Standards of attainment in information technology have improved and pupils make good progress overall.

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similar schools

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

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similar schools

The overall quality of teaching is good. In all of the lessons observed the teaching was satisfactory or better and in 19 per cent of the lessons it was very good or excellent. In 55 per cent of the lessons observed the teaching was good or better. This indicates that the school has managed to improve on the high standards in teaching which were noted in the last inspection. This is a strength of the school.

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similar schools

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

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour The pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory and make an appropriate contribution to pupils’ attainment and progress. Ethos* There is a very positive, caring ethos which promotes high standards of academic attainment and personal development. Overall it is very good. Leadership and management The school benefits from very good leadership from the headteacher, a dedicated and enthusiastic staff and a supportive governing body. Curriculum The curriculum is well balanced and broadly based, providing well for its pupils intellectually, and preparing them thoroughly for the next stage of education. It fulfils its statutory obligations with regard to the National Curriculum and religious education. Special educational needs The provision for those pupils with special educational needs is an area of weakness and requires further development. Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ moral development.

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Aspect Comment

The provision for social development is good and there is satisfactory provision for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Staffing, resources and accommodation Overall, satisfactory staffing, accommodation and learning resources support pupils’ education. The exceptions to this positive picture are in aspects of accommodation which affect the quality of music teaching; the hall and some teaching areas are too small for the number of pupils. Value for money The school provides good value for money.

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Aspect Comment

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

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

 Their children enjoy attending school.  They find the school very approachable.  They are kept well informed about their children’s progress.  They believe that the school enables their children to achieve a good standard of work.

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

The parents overwhelmingly support the work of the school and very much appreciate the welcoming atmosphere and approachability of the staff. A few parents were unhappy about the amount of homework provided (some too much, others too little). The inspection team agreed with the parents’ view that the strengths of the school far outweigh the weaknesses. Inspectors found the quality of information provided by the school to be good and agreed that the school enabled pupils to achieve good standards of work. Delves Junior School-10 · KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

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

In order to further improve standards and the quality of the education provision, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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Improve the progress of pupils with special educational needs in all curriculum areas by:

 Clearly identifying pupils with special educational needs to ensure that they have appropriate support to access the full curriculum (paragraph 23)  Monitoring effectively the pupils’ progress towards their targets (paragraphs 23,29)  Ensuring that individual education plans relate specifically to pupils’ needs (paragraphs 23,29)  Ensuring that efficient use is made of the time available for special educational needs (paragraphs 23,29)  Improve the level of training for all staff (paragraph 63)  Developing the role of the governing body in monitoring the effectiveness of the provision for special educational needs pupils (paragraph 62)

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Develop and improve the use made of the information gained from assessment to:

 Give teachers a clear indication of what they need to teach next (paragraphs 27,32)  Modify the curriculum in order to meet the needs of particular groups of pupils (paragraph 33)  Provide clear learning targets for individuals and small groups of pupils (paragraphs 27,32)

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Develop and improve the use made of the information gained from assessment to:

· Give the daily assembly a sense of occasion to act as a focus for the pupils’ spiritual development (paragraph 36). · · The other weaknesses identified in the inspection report are as follows:  The lack of a fluent handwriting style by a significant minority of pupils (paragraph 82)  Breaches in entitlement to the full curriculum through the programme of individual instrumental tuition (paragraph 30)  The accommodation imposes some limitations on the quality of the education provision (paragraph 66)

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Develop and improve the use made of the information gained from assessment to:

1. Delves Junior is a three-form entry school in the metropolitan borough of Walsall. Its pupils are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, with an even distribution between privately owned and local authority housing. Most pupils transfer from Delves Infant School at the age of seven. There are currently 344 pupils on roll. At the present time a fifth of the pupils are eligible for free school meals. An increasing proportion of the school population is drawn from minority ethnic communities and currently 22 per cent of the pupils are from New Commonwealth and Pakistan origins.

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Develop and improve the use made of the information gained from assessment to:

2. The range of ability in each class is broad. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is average. 14 per cent of the pupils in the school are included on the register for special educational needs. This is below the national average. Four pupils have a formal statement of special educational need .

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Develop and improve the use made of the information gained from assessment to:

3. The pupils are taught in 12 classes in discrete year groups. There are 14 teachers employed on either a full-time or part-time basis. The school is situated in attractive grounds which have both hard and grassy recreational areas.

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Develop and improve the use made of the information gained from assessment to:

4. The aims of the school are expressed in the prospectus for parents and are summarised in the opening statement: “To work towards giving each child equal access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is relevant to their own individual needs”. Delves Junior School-11 · 5. The immediate priorities of the school include:  Maintaining breadth and balance to provide full access for pupils to the revised curriculum in 2000, linked to a review of teacher assessment.  Developing effective communications with the newly constituted governing body.  Continuing to meet the challenge of raising standards over the wide curriculum.  Continuing to develop partnership with parents and the community  Developing more effective integration of information technology across all subjects, so providing a sound base for education in the 21 st century.

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1

Delves Junior School-12 Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 40 49 89

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 28 26 36 at NC Level 4 or Girls 40 35 40 above Total 68 61 76 Percentage at NC School 76 (71) 69 (52) 84 (73) Level 4 or above National 70 (65) 68 (59) 78 (69)

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Results

· Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 25 27 33 at NC Level 4 or Girls 37 35 39 above Total 62 62 72 Percentage at NC School 70 (83) 70 (65) 81 (82) Level 4 or above National (65) (65) (72) · Attendance

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Results

Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 6.2 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.2 Absence National comparative data 0.5 ·

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Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during Number the previous year: Fixed period 5 Permanent 0

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Exclusions

Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 19 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0

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Exclusions

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

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Exclusions

· EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL Delves Junior School-13 · Attainment and progress

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Exclusions

6. Whilst the pupils’ attainment on entry is broadly average, a significant minority have attainments which are below average. The pupils make good progress in relation to their prior levels of attainment, and by the time they leave the school, they achieve standards that are close to the national average in the core subjects of English and mathematics, and they are above average in science. The National Curriculum tests for 1998 indicated that pupils’ attainments were below the national average in English and mathematics and close to average in science. Analysis of the school’s 1998 performance data compared to pupils from similar schools, as opposed to all schools nationally, indicates that the performance of the pupils was broadly similar in English and mathematics and above in science. However, in 1999, the pupils’ standard of attainment showed a significant improvement in each of these core

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Exclusions

subjects. The key area of difference is that substantially more pupils attained the higher levels in English, mathematics and science.

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Exclusions

7. An analysis of test results for the school shows that standards in English have improved over the past three years. The school’s careful monitoring of the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy and its ability to assess its impact demonstrates the school has the capacity to continue to improve. Pupils attain standards that are close to average in speaking and listening. In reading, levels of attainment at the age of eleven are above average. When reading, most pupils are able to discuss attributes of character and plot and draw inferences from the text. Their literacy standards enable them to work well in subjects where they need to use their reading skills, for example their reference skills are improving. When writing, most pupils at the age of eleven have above average skills in spelling, but handwriting is a weakness. Pupils are able to write for a range of purpose, such as persuasive letters, newspaper

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Exclusions

articles and poetry, but there are too few opportunities for them to write at length. Most pupils make good progress in English throughout the key stage.

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Exclusions

8. Pupils' attainment in mathematics by the age of eleven is average. Results in the 1998 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests were below those achieved by pupils nationally and close to those in similar schools. In 1999, there was a significant improvement, especially those pupils attaining the higher grades. The performance of the pupils was well above the attainment of those in similar schools. Pupils respond well to their teachers and make good progress in using mathematical vocabulary and in the skills of data handling. Pupils are responding well to the emphasis given to mental mathematics and are making good progress in calculations involving tables, computation and measurement. They apply their numerical skills well in other subjects such science and geography. Pupils benefit from opportunities to apply their developing skills solving problems and investigative work. Standards in mathematics have shown an improvement overall since 1996 but the rate of improvement has been uneven. The

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Exclusions

school is now well placed to continue to make good progress in raising standards.

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Exclusions

9. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils make good progress in science and that standards of attainment are above average by the time they leave school. In the 1998 National Curriculum assessments at the end of Key Stage 2, 71 per cent of pupils achieved the national standard or above, which was close to the national average. The pupils’ performance at the age of eleven was better than that found in similar schools. There was a substantial improvement in 1999, when 85 per cent of pupils attained the expected level, 32 per cent of whom attained the higher level. An analysis of the test results indicates that standards of attainment in science are rising. Younger pupils engage in practical investigations and can classify materials according to their properties. For example, pupils check the validity of their predictions and know how to apply the concept of a fair test. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils

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Exclusions

engage in elaborate investigations and apply sound scientific methods to ensure secure conclusions.

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Exclusions

10. By the time most pupils leave school, they have knowledge and understanding of information technology that is similar to that which is expected. They are able to apply their skills across a range of subjects, particularly English and mathematics. Most pupils respond well to the systematic teaching of information technology skills in the computer suite. Information technology is satisfactorily integrated into the school’s curriculum and the capacity for improvement is good.

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Exclusions

11. By the time they leave school, the pupils’ attainment in religious education is in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. They learn about different faiths and religious symbolism. Pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school. In geography and history, pupils respond well to the stimulating curriculum, which includes a wide range of field visits and first-hand experiences. They make good progress and develop their skills and understanding in geography, particularly in mapwork, and satisfactory progress in history. In art, there are stimulating displays of pupils’ work which are a testament to the pupils’ good progress. Pupils make satisfactory progress in design and technology. Delves Junior School-14 12. In music, pupils respond well to the curriculum which is enhanced by the singing opportunities and the range of tuition which is available for pupils to learn to play a musical instrument. Pupils make satisfactory progress

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Exclusions

and develop a good understanding of musical form and composition. In physical education, pupils make good progress in team sports; they become competent swimmers and are successful in competitive sporting events.

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Exclusions

13. The pupils make good progress overall throughout the key stage. There is no distinction in the attainment and progress of pupils in terms of ethnicity or social background. The pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, although their learning targets are not always identified sufficiently clearly. At the age of eleven, the performance of boys is similar to that of the girls, and their progress in the school is broadly similar.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

14. Overall, the pupils’ attitude towards their work is good and it makes a significant contribution to their progress. The great majority show interest in their work and want to learn. Levels of concentration are high in most lessons, whether listening to teacher, working on their own, or in small groups. This was particularly evident during information technology lessons when all of the pupils worked diligently for the whole of the activity. The pupils persevere with tasks and are keen to solve problems. They ask questions confidently and cheerfully attend to errors. Most pupils take pride in their work. The parents agree that the school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on their children.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

15. The pupils’ behaviour in and around the school and on the playground is very good. They have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and they behave accordingly. Class and school rules are adhered to and very few incidents of unsatisfactory behaviour were observed. They enjoy playtimes and engage in appropriate games and activities. The pupils are respectful, friendly and polite. They are courteous and considerate to visitors. The resources, play equipment and displays are well cared for by the pupils. The parents are rightly pleased with the high standards of behaviour that the school achieves.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

16. The pupils with special educational needs behave well and have positive attitudes towards their work. Generally they participate successfully in activities provided for the whole class, however on occasions they are inappropriately withdrawn from whole class activities which reduces their opportunities to work collaboratively with other pupils. They have very good relationships with adults who support them individually, in group work and in whole class activities.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

17. The personal development of the pupils is good. They accept responsibility well and take on roles such as library monitors, register monitors and telephone answering at lunchtime. The pupils are eager to carry out these responsibilities and do so cheerfully and sensibly. The pupils gain increasing confidence through the extra curricular activities including sport and choir. Their understanding of the world is widened by visits and through work in their local environment. Their confidence improves as a result of attending outdoor pursuit centres. Through their charity and community experiences, the pupils learn to understand the needs of others and they play a full part in working in an orderly community.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

18. Attendance and punctuality are satisfactory and make an appropriate contribution to pupils’ attainment and progress. Evidence from the inspection indicates that attendance so far this year is slightly lower than last year but is still close to the national average for similar schools.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

19. The school is aware of an increasing trend to take holidays during term time. The very supportive education welfare officer assists the school and reminds parents of their legal responsibilities to maintain good attendance. Punctuality is satisfactory overall; there is a very small number of pupils for whom punctuality is Delves Junior School-15 unsatisfactory.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

20. The overall quality of teaching is good. In all of the lessons observed the teaching was satisfactory or better and in 19 per cent of the lessons it was very good or excellent. In 55 per cent of the lessons, the teaching was good or better. The school has managed to improve on the high standards in teaching which were noted in the last inspection. This is a strength of the school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

21. The overall quality of the teaching enables pupils to make good progress in most subjects. In most lessons, the teachers recap on previous work and set clear learning objectives to deepen the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Teachers value the work of their pupils and in each classroom there are interesting displays which stimulate their interest and incorporate their work. Teachers are effective in managing behaviour and have forged very good relationships with pupils. Teachers have a good knowledge of the National Curriculum and plan well to provide a range of activities which effectively link different subjects. An exploration of the work of Lowry and Cravelli in art, for example, is effectively linked to a geographical project on the local area. Teachers plan effectively within each year group to ensure that all pupils have access to a similar curriculum. Homework is used well to support learning; teachers regularly ask pupils to complete tasks or research topics, as well as providing extra

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

practice in literacy and numeracy. Many parents expressed the view that they were pleased about what was required from each child, and that it prepared pupils well for the demands of the comprehensive school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

22. Although teachers are clear in their lesson plans about what the pupils will do, they do not always set clear learning objectives for individuals and small groups of pupils. Occasionally, teachers have low expectations of the pupils, particularly those capable of higher attainment. In these lessons, assessment information is not used effectively.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

23. The teachers’ planning does not always fully promote the learning of the pupils with special educational needs. Targets set in the individual education plans are clearly identified for the pupils with statements. However, the individual education plans for the pupils who have special educational needs are not always clear and there are inconsistencies in the way they are carried out. There is no systematic recording of their response to the targets that have been set. The pupils’ work is not consistently assessed. Pupils with special educational needs are sensitively managed and the non-teaching members of staff are well deployed, although they are not always sufficiently well briefed about the needs of individuals. Where this work is most successful it is planned and organised to enable effective support to be provided.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

24. The quality of the teaching in English is good. In the lessons which follow the Literacy Strategy, the planning and management are effective. Teachers set clear targets and have been effective in raising pupils’ attainment in reading and writing. However, teachers do not consistently set a good example to their pupils with the quality of their own handwriting on the board. The teaching of pupils who have English as an additional language is effective and they make good progress. The school has adopted the Numeracy Strategy and the teaching of mathematics throughout the school is good. However, the plenary session of each lesson is not always used effectively to reinforce the learning objectives.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

25. The teaching of science is a particular strength. Pupils are regularly engaged in practical work where they are required to make hypothoses and draw conclusions and this enables them to make good progress. The teaching of information technology in the computer suite, is good. Teachers are very well prepared for these sessions and enable pupils of all abilities to make good progress. However, as yet there are too few opportunities for pupils to use information technology to support their learning across the whole curriculum. The teaching of art, geography and history is good and helps the pupils to develop a range of appropriate skills.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

26. The quality of teaching in the other subjects is satisfactory. The teaching of music is impaired because of the accommodation, as the room currently set aside for music is badly affected by extraneous noise from the adjoining teaching areas. The quality of classroom discussion, particularly in Year 5, is also adversely affected by the proximity of neighbouring groups of pupils. Delves Junior School-16 ·

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The curriculum and assessment

27. The school has maintained the good standards of curriculum provision noted in the last inspection report and has improved its procedures for assessing pupils. There is still a need to improve the use it makes of the information gained from assessment.

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The curriculum and assessment

28. The curriculum is well balanced and broadly based, providing well for its pupils intellectual, physical and personal development and preparing them for the next stage of education. It fulfils its statutory obligations with regard to all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. The school has recently modified its overall curriculum plan in order to meet the requirements of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Teachers provide a series of lessons in sex education by means of a carefully planned programme closely linked with the science curriculum. The pupils are taught about the harmful effects of the misuse of drugs. The school is actively seeking opportunities to resume its swimming instruction programme which finished at the end of the last academic year.

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The curriculum and assessment

29. The curriculum provides well for the needs of the pupils at the school, taking into account their age, gender, attainment and background. There is effective equality of access to the curriculum and opportunity for most pupils. Teachers' medium-and long-term planning take account of the differing abilities of groups of pupils, with activities carefully matched to their needs. Most pupils with special educational needs have full access to a broad and well- balanced curriculum. On occasions however, they are withdrawn inappropriately from whole class lessons; for example, they are withdrawn from lessons such as science, for additional help in literacy. There are procedures for the identification and initial assessment of those pupils with special needs in place. However the individual education plans for the pupils do not always relate specifically to their needs and this together with inconsistencies in how they

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The curriculum and assessment

are carried out and monitored leads to a slowing of the rate of the pupils’ progress.

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The curriculum and assessment

30. Teachers take care when planning the work of their classes to ensure that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. There are schemes of work and policies in place for all subjects of the National Curriculum and for religious education. The school's curriculum is based on the National Curriculum programmes of study. Religious education relates closely to the Locally Agreed Syllabus. All subjects, programmes of study and attainment targets within the National Curriculum are covered by adherence to the school’s carefully drawn up curriculum plan. Teachers plan their work together in year groups and in phases when appropriate, in order to ensure continuity of provision. However, inconsistencies exist because of individual instrumental tuition. Subject co- ordinators regularly monitor to ensure continuity of learning, Teachers set pupils homework tasks and the school’s newly introduced homework policy and the home-school agreements ensure the wider coverage of the curriculum

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The curriculum and assessment

31. The school provides a large number of out of school clubs. These are for sport, music and information technology and they involve a large number of pupils. Sports teams compete against other schools. The school has built up a reputation for staging concerts in which a large number of pupils take part. A number of visitors attend the school to help to enrich the curriculum and teachers arrange visits to a wide variety of locations such as museums and churches to broaden the pupils' experiences and to support the work of the school. The school also offers older pupils the opportunity to participate in a residential visit in Year 6.

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The curriculum and assessment

32. Since the last inspection the school has improved its systems for assessing pupils in the core subjects, although the way that teachers use the information to help plan individual lessons is still underdeveloped. The procedures the school employs for assessing overall progress in English, mathematics and science are good. National Curriculum Assessment requirements at the end of Key Stage 2 are fully met and the school administers optional national tests in Years 3, 4 and 5. A programme of regular tests provides teachers with standardised information about what their pupils know compared with other pupils. The school carefully analyses the information gained from national tests at the end of the key stage in order to gain information about how to improve its teaching, to modify its curriculum and to set targets for improvement by individuals and groups. However, this process is underdeveloped.

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The curriculum and assessment

Procedures for assessing pupils' progress in the other subjects of the National Curriculum are informal and ongoing.

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The curriculum and assessment

33. The teachers do not yet have a system for using the information gained from on-going assessments to help them plan future lessons and to provide suitable work for pupils of differing abilities. Teachers monitor the progress of individual pupils in all areas of the curriculum and keep very good records.

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The curriculum and assessment

34. The school sends home to parents on a regular basis reports of their children's progress. Parents visit school Delves Junior School-17 regularly to discuss their children's progress with teachers. Pupils’ records are passed on to the next teacher and sent to the local secondary schools.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

35. The school makes very good provision for the pupils’ moral development. The provision for social development is good and there is satisfactory provision for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

36. Spiritual development is promoted satisfactorily through the curriculum areas of art, music, English and the environmental elements of science. The pupils visit the Birmingham Art Gallery and study different media and styles. In appraising for example, the Giordano painting of Dives and Lazarus or different depictions of Jesus, the pupils have the opportunity to explore the spiritual ideas portrayed by the artist. Creating their own pictures in the style of Picasso’s broken faces, the pupils are enabled to consider the emotions of people during war. Through religious education lessons, pupils are provided with knowledge of the religious beliefs of Christians and other religions. As part of the action plan following the school’s previous inspection a start has been made on developing the spiritual dimension of the education of the pupils. However, in whole school assemblies there is little time set

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

aside for personal reflection and scant reference is made to the spiritual dimension.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

37. Provision for the moral development of the pupils is very good. They are taught about right and wrong and are made aware of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. All staff have high expectations of how pupils should behave. Pupils are given responsibility for developing their own moral standards against the school’s behaviour policy and the code of behaviour in each class. As a result, pupils are polite and show respect for people and property. The school is in the process of introducing a progressive programme of personal and social education. A good start has been made with the Year 6 lessons, as when the pupils have an opportunity to consider the value of different members of society, and to debate the relative merits of their contribution to the good of community.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

38. The school makes good provision for the social development of the pupils. Relationships at all levels are good, pupils are encouraged to help one another and to consider the needs of others. The pupils visit older members of the community at Christmas time to sing carols and have opportunities to welcome visitors to the school. All pupils are expected to take responsibility for the school environment and property. There is scope for them to take part in tasks to help with the smooth running of the school, for example distributing registers and putting out apparatus for lessons. Work in personal and social education helps pupils to learn to be tolerant and understand the rights of others. Year 6 pupils are given the opportunity to make a residential visit to a local field centre where they are able to experience living away from home and take part in a variety of environmental and physical activities.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

39. Cultural development is satisfactorily promoted through a range of activities both within and outside lessons. The school makes good use of the local area for visits as a resource for the pupils’ learning and this helps to develop understanding of the community and its cultural heritage, as for example when the pupils visit the Black Country Museum. Appreciation of their own, and other cultures is furthered by lessons in art and music, in particular the school environment is enhanced by a wide collection of pictures and artefacts from different cultural backgrounds. Visits to the school by a range of people from the local community make positive contributions to pupils’ knowledge and experience. Recent visitors to the school have included a member of the Sikh community, a Roman Catholic priest and a Baptist minister. The school celebrates a range of festivals such as Christmas and Easter, Eid, Hanukah and the Chinese New Year. The school has identified the need to extend and give an enhanced

p.17

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

recognition to the area of multicultural education, and for this purpose has prepared a draft discussion document.

p.17

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

40. Overall the provision for the support, guidance and the pupils’ welfare is good. This makes a significant contribution to their progress and personal development. The very good procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour are a strength of the school. There are good procedures to monitor progress and personal development. The procedures for child protection are satisfactory and a member of the senior management team is responsible for this aspect. Overall the school has satisfactory procedures to promote pupils’ wellbeing, health and safety. Delves Junior School-18 41. There are good procedures to guide teaching and non-teaching staff when assessing and recording pupils’ academic progress and personal development. The draft policy for assessment, reporting and recording mentioned in the previous inspection report has been developed into a comprehensive policy and procedural document. This

p.17

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

document incorporates appropriate procedures for recording progress in information technology and in design technology. Procedures to record progress in these two subjects were criticised in the last report. Significant work has taken place to ensure that all staff mark pupils’ work consistently and constructively. This is also a significant improvement since the last inspection. The practice of creating individual portfolios for each pupil has been continued. These provide good records as pupils progress through the school.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

42. Pupils with special educational needs receive additional support from staff within the school. There are procedures in place for monitoring the pupils’ general academic progress and personal development, however procedures for monitoring the progress of pupils towards the targets set in individual education plans are inadequate. Parents are invited to the annual reviews of their children. Support agencies such as speech and occupational therapy services and the Learning Support Team liaise effectively with the school.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

43. Information from support agencies is also used to supplement the data provided to pupils’ new teachers when they transfer to secondary education. An experienced class teacher is responsible for the links with the adjoining infant school and with secondary schools. A member of the board of governors is also a senior teacher at the secondary school to which most of the pupils transfer. The close liaison between the three schools ensures that transfer is as smooth and free of stress as possible. During their last year in the junior school, pupils become accustomed to moving from one classroom area to another as teaching takes place in sets according to ability.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

44. The previous report mentioned that behaviour and personal development was enhanced by the house system in school. This system, and the procedures for promoting discipline and good behaviour are very good. They have been improved since the last inspection, and produce an orderly atmosphere in which pupils feel safe and welcome. Staff make consistent use of awards and sanctions and pupils are aware of and respect the system. Pupils are willing to accept responsibility and display initiative. The school is currently considering the appointment of health and safety monitors to widen pupils’ responsibility and underline the school’s concern for their well-being. A very significant majority of parents support the school’s procedures for behaviour and inspection evidence confirms this.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

45. There are good procedures for promoting attendance and punctuality. The school has amended the complex procedures for recording lateness mentioned in the previous inspection report. The current procedures are less time consuming and more effective. There is close and effective liaison between class teachers and administration staff. Registers are collected in the morning and afternoon and are checked each week and signed by the school administration officer. The headteacher is aware of any developing trends and there are good procedures to inform parents of concerns and to request their co-operation in fulfilling their legal responsibilities.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

46. Good links have been established with the education welfare service. An officer visits the school weekly and checks the registers. He also speaks five languages and provides supportive backup for families where English is not the first language.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

47. Child protection is co-ordinated by one of the senior teachers. The school’s policy follows the statutory requirements and the majority of staff have appropriate knowledge of the procedures. However, the procedures for informing staff of any changes in the official guidelines are not comprehensive and do not ensure that all teaching and non-teaching staff are kept fully and promptly up to date.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

48. Procedures for the treatment of pupils who receive injuries are satisfactory. There are an adequate number of qualified first-aiders. Pupils who are injured receive appropriate care and attention and the procedures to inform parents of any concerns are satisfactory.

p.18

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

49. The procedures for evacuating the school building are imprecise, for example during whole-school assemblies. The school has noted this concern and is undertaking an immediate and detailed review to ensure that all risks are kept to a minimum. Delves Junior School-19 ·

p.18

Partnership with parents and the community

50. Overall the school has a good partnership with parents and the community. This makes an effective contribution to pupils’ progress and personal development. A very significant number of parents believe that the school keeps them well informed, particularly about their children’s progress. Evidence from this inspection supports that view. The previous inspection report commented favourably on the information to parents, with the exception of information about the curriculum. This shortcoming has now been overcome.

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

51. The school continues to provide parents with regular newsletters; class teachers, particularly in Year 6, help parents to understand what their children are being taught, and this helps them to support their children’s learning. The parents of pupils with statements of special educational need are involved in the annual reviews of and agree new targets with the teachers. Communication with parents on any matters of concern, such as absence or health, is prompt. There are three opportunities for parents to meet with class teachers each year. Parents are notified that if they wish to discuss their children’s report towards the end of the summer term they are welcome to do so. However, there is almost unanimous support from parents that should they have any concerns the school will meet with them immediately. Parents appreciate the school’s open-door policy.

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

52. Ninety-four percent of the parents responding to the questionnaire recognise the consistent effort that the school makes to encourage their involvement in their children’s learning. A large number of parents regularly help class teachers. There are guidelines for parents to enable them to support their children when working at home, and the school has complied with the recent requirements to produce a home/school agreement. Many parents have responded to this agreement; however there is no space for the pupils to sign this agreement and confirm their involvement.

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

53. The school makes satisfactory use of the wider community. Pupils visit a number of locations within the Birmingham area, such as the Black Country Museum and the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The choir perform for Senior Citizens at Christmas time. Pupils in Year 6 have the opportunity to make a residential visit to an outdoor adventure centre.

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

54. The school has opportunities to visit the religious centres of other faiths, such as mosques, synagogues and temples. There is evidence of visits by members of minority cultural groups to aid pupils in their understanding of the food, dress and customs of others. However, inadequate use is made of this potential to prepare pupils for life in Britain’s multi-cultural society.

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

· THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

55. The school benefits from very good leadership from the headteacher, a dedicated and enthusiastic staff and a supportive governing body. The governors and staff work with shared purpose and are committed to the aims of the school and to high standards of personal and academic achievement. There is clear educational direction for the work of the school.

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

56. The ethos of the school is very good and it is very successful in meeting its aims as expressed in the booklet for parents. There is a very positive, caring ethos which promotes high standards of academic attainment and personal development. Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds are happy in school and share its values. This is reflected in their work and behaviour, self-discipline and in their relationships with their peers and adults.

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

57. The headteacher knows his school and the pupils extremely well and is very supportive of his staff. He has established effective management structures and has empowered and motivated his colleagues to continue to strive for higher standards. A very effective working partnership has been established with the school’s senior managers. There is a strong team spirit which is based on open evaluation of their professional practice to achieve further improvement. The headteacher is respected both by parents and pupils, and enjoys the full support of his governors. This impacts positively on the quality of education. Curriculum responsibilities are devolved to teachers and curriculum planning is carried out co-operatively. The Literacy Strategy has been successfully introduced and Delves Junior School-20 the school is carefully monitoring its impact on attainment in reading and writing. The school is now monitoring the

p.19

Partnership with parents and the community

impact of the introduction of the Numeracy Strategy. Staff appraisal procedures are up-to-date and used effectively to improve the quality of teaching.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

58. The school has been successful in meeting most of the recommendations of the previous inspection report. In particular, issues regarding information technology have been well addressed through the development of the computer suite. The school has continued to provide a broad and balanced curriculum whilst successfully raising standards in the core subjects. Delves Junior has complied with the recommendations of the latest audit reports and continues to provide good value for money. Only in respect of the spiritual dimension does there remain considerable work to be done. The school has created a very stimulating outdoor recreation area with the imaginative development of the school grounds. Overall, the school has made good progress since the last inspection and is well placed to continue to improve.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

59. The special educational needs co-ordinator works with her colleagues to manage the school’s policy and resources for special needs. Teachers are aware of the procedures for identifying the pupils with special educational needs and parents know who are their main points of contact in the school. However, the co-ordinator has only half a day each week in which to carry out her role. Meetings with parents and staff, liaison with outside agencies and specialist support, and record keeping have to be completed in that time or when pupils are not in classes. She has little opportunity to monitor the support, to make initial assessments of pupils, to review pupils’ individual education plans, or to monitor the pupils’ progress. Non-teaching staff use the teachers’ planning, particularly in literacy and numeracy, to support special educational needs pupils. The staff’s monitoring of the pupils’ progress towards their

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

individual learning targets is inconsistent.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

60. The last inspection commented favourably on the provision to ensure equal opportunities for all pupils, and this standard has been maintained. Staff have a high regard for equality of opportunity with regard to gender, ethnicity and social background, the policy is well implemented throughout the school. However, the school’s programme of withdrawal for a few pupils’ special educational needs support and music tuition impairs their access to a full curriculum. With the setting arrangements in mathematics throughout the school and in Year 6 for English, the school has taken steps to ensure that the higher-attainers are sufficiently challenged in their work. However, assessment is still not consistently used to ensure that the work set matches the ability of these pupils.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

61. The school development plan, determined through consultation between staff and governors clearly defines a programme for further improvement. The targets, which include the consolidation of the Literacy Strategy and the successful introduction of the Numeracy Strategy, are realistic and appropriate. These initiatives are costed, but there are few criteria in place to judge the cost-effectiveness of spending decisions.

p.20

Partnership with parents and the community

62. The governing body fulfils its statutory requirements and has a committee structure which enables it to maintain a broad overview of the working of the school. However, too few of the governors conduct their monitoring role in a systematic manner. For example, the chair of governors serves on each of the Key Stage 2 committees and is also the nominated member of the board who oversees the provision for pupils who are on the register for special educational needs. This is too much responsibility for one individual governor. A few governors take an active interest in particular areas of the curriculum and a small minority takes an active part in supporting classroom provision. The governors' annual report for parents provides very clear and useful information about the life of the school. ·

p.20

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

63. The school has a satisfactory number of committed and suitably qualified staff, who have a range of skills and experience to teach the subjects of the National Curriculum. They have detailed job descriptions. The special educational needs co-ordinator is a member of the senior management team and is appropriately qualified. The pupils with statements are provided with additional support and whilst the support staff have gained experience in the school there have been no opportunities for them to be appropriately trained.

p.20

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

64. The teaching staff receive good support from a number of well experienced support staff and they work closely with class teachers. The commitment of the support staff in aiding the very popular and well attended extra- curricular computer club is especially noteworthy. This club runs morning and afternoon three days a week and Delves Junior School-21 there is always a queue for membership. The school administrator provides admirable support to all the staff, as well as providing a valuable link between parents and school. The caretaker and cleaning staff work hard to maintain a very difficult building in a clean and pleasant condition.

p.20

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

65. The arrangements for the professional development of staff are satisfactory. Teaching staff have an annual professional interview. There are opportunities for training for personal development, as well as supporting the school’s development. However, facilities for the development of non-teaching staff are inadequate; evidence from the inspection shows that these staff have not received adequate training in child protection or health and safety matters. The school acknowledges this weakness and has undertaken to remedy it. There are no newly qualified teachers or teachers in training.

p.21

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

66. Overall the accommodation in the school just provides for satisfactory delivery of the curriculum. Since the last inspection school numbers have grown significantly and the small new building works mentioned in the last report barely adds sufficient extra space for the school’s needs. The library area is very small and does not encourage pupils’ individual learning and personal development. The lack of sound-proofing means that pupils working in the music room, located off the main hall, are often distracted when the hall is in use. The music room is also a main passageway between different parts of the school and music lessons are frequently disrupted. The hall is not big enough for whole-school assemblies because of an increase in numbers on roll. Cramped accommodation, particularly in the Year 5 area, does not promote ideal learning conditions. The school has no separate medical room where more seriously injured pupils could wait under supervision and in privacy for collection by parents or

p.21

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

ambulance. The last inspection report criticised the lack of toilet facilities for female staff and there has been no improvement. The situation is now worse because of the increase in female staffing.

p.21

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

67. Externally there are areas of the building and grounds which require attention. The school and local education authority are aware of a significant number of minor hazards. For example, the foundations of the playground steps are very close to being unsafe and the playground surface is now in need of resurfacing. However, there is a good and attractive outdoor adventure area. There is a wildlife area but it has been neglected and is not used.

p.21

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

68. The previous report described resources as recently renewed and expanded. Since the last report expenditure on resources has remained high. The resources for information technology are good; the computer suite has a significant number of new and powerful computers as well as the older computers. There is a shortage, however, of control equipment such as programmable toys. Resources to support multicultural education include a small range of musical instruments and a good variety of well-displayed artefacts from different religions and countries. Learning resources for special needs pupils are satisfactory, in good condition and well stored. They are easily available for special needs staff to use.

p.21

The efficiency of the school

69. Taking into account the pupils’ levels of attainment in all subjects, the good progress they make throughout the school, the good quality teaching and the behaviour of the pupils, the school provides good value for money.

p.21

The efficiency of the school

70. The school manages its finances well. There is a joint governing body for the infant and junior school. There is a junior school committee that meets on a regular basis to discuss financial issues and it has effective oversight of school expenditure. The systems for financial control are very good and the minor issues raised in the latest auditor’s report have been addressed satisfactorily. The day-to-day administration is efficient, effective and unobtrusive. The headteacher and secretary are very efficient in their monitoring of expenditure and the governors are kept fully informed. The school secretary makes a welcoming first point of contact to the school.

p.21

The efficiency of the school

71. The subject co-ordinators and year group leaders manage budgets satisfactorily. Clear links are made with the school development plan and their expenditure is used effectively to support the pupils’ progress. The school development plan is detailed. The school recognises the benefits of incorporating the costings into the school development plan, but as yet there are no clear criteria for measuring the effectiveness of money spent.

p.21

The efficiency of the school

72. The teaching staff are well deployed and have responsibilities for the subjects of the curriculum as well as Delves Junior School-22 year group and other responsibilities. These duties are carried out efficiently. The learning support assistants are used well in the classrooms and have a positive impact on the progress the pupils make. For example, during information technology lessons, they give good support to groups of pupils, enabling the children to increase their skills. Funding delegated to the school in this financial year is used to maintain the level of support for statemented pupils and these are deployed efficiently.

p.21

The efficiency of the school

73. The accommodation and learning resources are used well and the best possible use is made of the somewhat cramped accommodation. Consideration needs to be given to making more effective use of the music room. The conversion of an administrative room into a classroom housing a computer suite has been effective. The previous inspection report was critical of information technology but the advent of the computer suite, together with improved teaching, has made a significant impact on the subject. Delves Junior School-23 · PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

p.22

The efficiency of the school

74. In the 1998 National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds, the number of pupils attaining or exceeding the expected level (71 per cent) was above the national average. However, the number of pupils exceeding the national expectation, and attaining level 5 (4 per cent) was well below the national average. These levels of attainment are below average when compared with the performance of pupils nationally, but broadly average in comparison with similar schools. The 1999 tests showed a marked improvement, with 76 per cent of pupils attaining at level 4 or above, compared with the recently published national average of 70 per cent. 32 per cent of pupils achieve the higher level 5 or above.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

75. Inspection findings confirm that overall attainment in Key Stage 2 is in line with expectations, and in reading it is above. Attainment in spelling is above expectations whilst standards of handwriting generally are below. These levels of attainment indicate that the school has maintained the standards noted in the last inspection report.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

76. The school has successfully implemented the National Literacy Strategy and this has had a markedly beneficial effect on pupils` progress. In writing, pupils demonstrate an improving command of skills in punctuation and sentence structure. In reading, pupils benefit from experiencing a widening range of books. They read accurately and with greater confidence. Their speaking and listening skills are good. As teachers become more experienced in applying the scheme they begin to see the need for flexibility and adaptability to suit the particular needs of their pupils. For instance, teachers acknowledge that there is too little time allocated for pupils to write at length. The school has responded to this need by allocating extra time for writing.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

77. Throughout the school pupils with special educational needs and a significant number of lower attaining pupils make satisfactory progress when they are set suitable tasks in reading and writing designed to help meet their specific needs. Higher attaining pupils make good progress particularly when they have sufficiently challenging work. Pupils with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress in their acquisition of language skills.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

78. By the time pupils leave the school at the end of Key Stage 2, standards in speaking and listening overall are in line with national expectations. Most pupils speak with increasing confidence to a range of listeners. They ask and answer questions readily, respond enthusiastically to literature and express themselves clearly. They learn to present information they have gathered from a variety of sources. Most literacy sessions end with a discussion about what pupils have learned. Some pupils read out completed work and this reinforces their learning and increases confidence. Year 3 pupils begin to act out the story of “The three little Pigs.”

p.23

The efficiency of the school

79. The majority of pupils make good progress in speaking and listening. Teachers take care to use appropriate vocabulary and terminology in lessons in other subjects, such as science and art. Throughout the school pupils make good progress in the acquisition of speaking and listening skills. During lessons, they are encouraged to talk in pairs and groups; for example, pupils in Year 4 discuss the tone of voice required when performing different parts in a playscript. Year 5 pupils discuss the possible contents of “The Magic Box.”

p.23

The efficiency of the school

80. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have reading standards above national expectations. Pupils read for pleasure and with considerable understanding. They comment confidently on the differences in style between authors and use their skills of inference and deduction in their reading. Pupils use sources such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias and thesauruses to aid their understanding. By the end of the key stage they develop an understanding of idiomatic and expressive language beyond the literal. They express preferences for favourite books and authors. One pupil is a great fan of J.R.R.Tolkein and is rereading “Lord of the Rings,” another appreciates the humorous writing of Jacqueline Wilson.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

81. The majority of pupils make good progress in the acquisition of reading skills. The strong focus on reading in the literacy hour supports the pupils’ progress. The school has recently adopted a scheme whereby selected pupils receive additional support in developing literacy skills and this already has a beneficial effect on their Delves Junior School-24 progress in reading.

p.23

The efficiency of the school

82. By the age of eleven, writing standards are in line with what is expected nationally. Pupils write in a range of styles for a variety of purposes, including stories, playscripts, poems, instructions and reports. There are some good examples of extended writing in English, for example accounts of the pupils’ residential visits, but the school has identified extended writing as an area which needs to be developed. Extra lessons have been allocated on the timetable when pupils are taught to improve their work. Pupils develop, organise and communicate ideas, for example, in their book reviews. A significant number of pupils write in paragraphs. The pupils’ spelling of regular and irregular words is usually good and they use a wide variety of punctuation marks suitably. Standards of handwriting and presentation are unsatisfactory. While many pupils produce legible joined handwriting; this is not

p.24

The efficiency of the school

consistent throughout the school in all subjects. There is insufficient emphasis placed on the development of a neat, joined style in early Key Stage 2. Most teachers are not good exemplars in their blackboard writing.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

83. Pupils make good progress overall in developing their writing skills. There is evidence that pupils' progress has improved significantly with the implementation of the literacy hour. As they move through the key stage, their progress is accelerated through appropriately challenging tasks. Pupils learn to adapt their writing for different audiences whether responding imaginatively to a poem about an old blind lady returning from Bingo, or writing a brochure advertising the delights of a residential centre, in child-friendly language. Pupils increasingly use the skills of planning, drafting, revising and proof reading before producing a final clear copy of their work. Pupils become increasingly competent in spelling and grammar.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

84. Pupils use their literacy skills effectively in a range of other subjects. In science, pupils write up their investigations of liquids and solids and describe clearly what they have found. They write vividly about the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the tombs of the Pharaohs in history and competently describe their adventures at the residential centre.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

85. Pupils respond well in lessons. They listen carefully to their teachers and try hard to answer their questions. They are keen and eager to make contributions and to extend their knowledge. They listen to and value the contributions made by their classmates. They work particularly well in pairs and groups, sharing ideas and equipment profitably. They concentrate well for lengthy periods and take a pride in finishing their work on time. Many pupils show a real pleasure in language and the effects it produces. They listen to stories such as “The Old Woman who lived in a vinegar bottle” and share their teacher’s enjoyment. Pupils are proud of their work and show it eagerly to visitors. Pupils with special educational needs respond well to the activities provided for them in reading and writing and contribute to the discussions well.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

86. The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory and is good or better in nearly three-quarters of lessons. In 20 per cent of lessons, the teaching is very good. Where teaching is very good lessons are characterised by brisk pace, challenging tasks, high expectations of pupils' work and behaviour and infectious enthusiasm. In these lessons, pupils make good progress. Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the subject and so link together the skills of oracy and literacy systematically. They manage the pupils and deploy resources very well. They teach the appropriate programmes of study effectively and help to extend pupils' skills in subjects across the curriculum. Where teaching is less effective teachers have not always focused sufficiently on exactly what it is they wish their pupil to learn. The use of support assistants is good; in most lessons they are deployed efficiently make a

p.24

The efficiency of the school

87. The co-ordinator for the subject monitors her colleagues` planning to ensure continuity and progression and has led in-service training and observed some lessons. The school is equipped with a good range of appropriate reading materials for the effective delivery of the subject. The library is cramped and too small to provide a suitable focus for individual research, for the number of pupils.

p.24

Mathematics

88. Pupils enter school with average attainments, although a significant minority have attainments which are below average. Their level of attainment by the time they leave school is in line with the national average, although a significant minority have above average attainment. In the National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1999, 69 per cent of pupils attained the expected grade, a third of whom attained the attained a higher level. Taking the years 1996-1999, results achieved in the tests show a substantial improvement. In comparison with results achieved by pupils in similar schools, the pupils’ level of attainment is above average. Inspection evidence shows Delves Junior School-25 that pupils of all abilities make good progress throughout the key stage.

p.24

Mathematics

89. At the beginning of the key stage, most pupils understand the significance of place value in terms of hundreds, tens and units. The majority, but not all, have ready recall of the two and ten times table and can distinguish readily between odd and even numbers. Year 3 pupils carry out simple computations in their heads and can double single digit numbers, but they are not all secure; the higher attainers identify and use halves and quarters. They apply their knowledge of number to simple calculations involving money. The more able pupils distinguish between clockwise and anti-clockwise and are familiar with the points of the compass.. They correctly and confidently use mathematical names for common shapes such as squares, circles and rectangles, and can describe their properties.

p.25

Mathematics

90. In Years 4 and 5, pupils know that statistical information can be displayed in a range of forms. They tally information about means of travelling to school and can construct graphs to display the information. They have a good working knowledge of appropriate vocabulary such as axis, scale and table. They further develop their understanding of shape and recognise different triangles and identify different three-dimensional shapes such as cubes and cylinders and are able to discuss their properties. Pupils in Year 5 can explain mirror symmetry and the most able use their understanding to give examples of rotational symmetry. The majority can use a calibrated scale with accuracy.

p.25

Mathematics

91. By the age of eleven, many, but not all pupils, have a satisfactory mental recall of their multiplication facts up to 100. They add and subtract decimals to two places and the higher-attainers multiply and divide decimals by units. Almost all pupils successfully find fractions of quantities and a small number of pupils correctly convert fractions to decimals and percentages. End of key stage pupils understand the concept of equivalent fractions and can perform simple additions. They use tables and graphs to present their results. They demonstrate that they understand how to measure area and that different shapes can have identical surface measurements.

p.25

Mathematics

92. Pupils of all abilities respond well to the carefully structured lessons and make good progress in developing a mathematical vocabulary. They make good progress in their understanding of shape and data handling. Younger pupils make good progress in the use of the four rules of number, and this provides a secure basis for more elaborate calculations as they progress through the school. Pupils' skills in mathematics are well used in other subjects such as geography, where they use their expertise in working with co-ordinates. In science, pupils use their understanding of measuring time and temperature to conduct an investigation into cooling and insulation. They compile and interpret graphs and spread sheets based on their observations. These opportunities for pupils to develop mathematical skills across the curriculum make a significant contribution to the pupils’ progress in numeracy.

p.25

Mathematics

93. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. When they are supported in classes by classroom assistants, there is a tendency for them to be spoonfed rather than allowing time for them to work out their own responses. Furthermore, although pupils are put into sets for mathematics, the work set for the lower attainers does not always match the range of ability within the set and there is insufficient challenge for some.

p.25

Mathematics

94. The pupils’ responses are consistently good and they have positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils show interest in their work and behave well in most lessons. Pupils listen attentively to guidance and work hard to overcome their difficulties. They are particularly enthusiastic when taking part in problem solving exercises. They co-operate willingly, work well together in groups, and sustain concentration for appropriate periods of time when working independently. They take care when presenting their work in books and handle resources well. Only a small minority are unable to work independently and lose concentration when they are not the focus of the teacher’s attention.

p.25

Mathematics

95. The quality of teaching is good. Throughout the school teachers have good subject knowledge and their high expectations of pupils is demonstrated through probing questions and an emphasis on investigative work. Lessons are well planned but not all have clear and precise learning objectives. Furthermore, the work set is rarely matched to the full range of pupils’ abilities. Pupils are encouraged to carry out accurate mental calculations and there is a strong emphasis given to recognising patterns and mathematical relationships. All teachers maintain good standards of discipline and have forged very good relationships with their pupils. The quality of marking is good and teachers provide very good oral feedback to pupils. At times, too little attention is given to the plenary session in numeracy lessons and thus opportunities are wasted to reinforce learning and to establish the progress of the pupils.

p.25

Mathematics

Good records are maintained and teachers place great emphasis on sharing learning targets with their pupils. Homework is used well to support learning. Information technology is used well to support the pupils’ work on data Delves Junior School-26 handling.

p.25

Mathematics

96. The co-ordinator, who is enthusiastic works hard to support his colleagues and to raise standards in mathematics. The scheme of work which has been updated recently to accommodate the requirements of the Numeracy Strategy places great emphasis on problem solving and mental mathematics. Test results have been analysed to identify strengths and weaknesses in the pupils’ performance and to organise different ability groupings. However, the current setting arrangements do not make sufficient distinction between the different ability groups. Booster classes are used effectively to provide additional support. The school has a good supply of apparatus and materials which are readily accessible, well organised and well used.

p.26

Science

97. The results of the end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests in 1998 showed that the pupils’ attainment was close to the national average. In 1999, there was a significant improvement with almost 32 per cent attaining the higher standards. When looking at these results in comparison with the performance of pupils in similar schools standards in science are above those found in similar schools. Over the last three years the performance of the pupils has been close to the national average. Inspection findings indicate that attainment is above average at the end of the key stage and that pupils make good progress. The pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

p.26

Science

98. The pupils learn that living creatures have different diets and that plants produce their own food. They find out about minibeasts and they learn about the habitats of different animals. They test materials for flexibility and discover which will pass through sieves. The pupils read temperature scales and classify materials as solid, liquids or gases; they understand that heating or cooling can affect the state of materials. When investigating such changes they begin to learn that some are chemical and others are physical. As they progress through the school, the pupils discover that some changes are reversible and others are not. The pupils learn about magnets and electrical circuits and find out through experimentation how the shadow cast by the sun moves during the day and changes in length. They learn about the components of food webs and chains. Work on forces is extended to include friction

p.26

Science

experiments. An investigation into the best material to use as an insulator to prevent liquid cooling is carried out. Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to take part in a residential visit that focuses on environmental science. The work is continued in school by finding out how a greater volume of water cools at a slower rate than a small one, and how water from a lake can be cleaned.

p.26

Science

99. In lessons, the pupils listen well to introductions and are keen to offer answers. Their behaviour is good and they work well, both independently and collaboratively. The pupils often have opportunities to design their own experiments, although this is not always prefaced by predictions about what will happen in different situations. The pupils respond well to the practical activities and these have a good impact on their learning.

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Science

100. The quality of teaching is good. The teachers have a good understanding and knowledge of the requirements of the National Curriculum and use appropriate vocabulary and questioning to extend learning. They often challenge the pupils’ thinking and understanding by giving opportunities for them to develop independence. For example the pupils select their own materials and decide how to carry out an experiment to clean water from a lake. The teachers’ planning is based on the good scheme of work that is in place, this provides opportunities for topics to be revisited with pupils’ knowledge and skills being systematically developed and extended. The teachers prepare and use resources well and generally maintain a good pace to the lessons. This, together with clear organisation and competent management of the classes contributes to the good progress that is made by the pupils. There are good procedures in place for assessing the progress of pupils although these are not always used to inform

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Science

101. By the end of Key Stage 2, the majority of pupils attain standards that are broadly in line with those seen nationally. However, a significant majority attain better than average standards in word processing, data handling and the use of spread sheets. The youngest pupils in Year 3 are fluent when using the keyboard and the mouse. They use the mouse to position the cursor accurately, understand how to use menus correctly and can enter and exit Delves Junior School-27 programs. All of the pupils are proficient in saving, correcting and printing text and the older pupils understand the difference between portrait and landscape printing.

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Science

102. Progress in all year groups is good and this includes the pupils with special educational needs. All of the pupils acquire a wide and secure range of skills as they move through the school. For example, the pupils in Year 3 know how to open and close files and how to save their work to disk. They have a good understanding of the keyboard, using the ‘shift key’ to write particular characters or symbols. The pupils in Year 4 develop their word processing skills and have a secure understanding of how to use spelling checkers and how to change the style and size of text. The pupils in the same year group use a publishing program to design wrapping paper. The pupils in Year 5 make very good progress when using spread sheets; they develop a secure understanding of columns, rows and cells and of how to enter data. These skills are built on very effectively in Year 6.

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Science

103. The pupils use computers to support their work in English and mathematics. In English, word processing skills are enhanced through the writing of poetry and prose. Graphs and charts are regularly produced; for example, Year 6 pupils charted their success in football matches and produced a graph to show the results. However, due to the lack of computers in classrooms, the technology is not used regularly and systematically to support subjects such as history and geography. The school recognises this and has plans to ensure this shortcoming will be addressed. Work on control technology is planned for later in the academic year.

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Science

104. The pupils are very enthusiastic when using computers. They enjoy using the hardware and see it as an integral part of their learning. They concentrate well for long periods and show a determination to improve their computer skills. They are keen to help one another, take turns willingly and talk confidently about the work they are undertaking.

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Science

105. The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory and is usually good. There is good, direct teaching of skills coupled with effective opportunities to put these into practice. The quality of the teachers’ planning, their careful preparation and commitment to the subject, ensures that all of the pupils make good progress. They have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve. For example, when using spread sheets, Year 6 pupils were expected to use a formula to calculate their answers. Whilst a few teachers still lack confidence in using computers, the majority have good subject knowledge.

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Science

106. The subject is managed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co-ordinator. The school is effectively adapting the national guidelines to support the pupils’ learning. The previous inspection report highlighted information technology as a weakness. The school has made significant progress since then and continues to make good progress. Learning support assistants provide good support within lessons and their increased knowledge also has a significant impact on the progress the pupils make. A computer club, run by the teachers and ancillary staff, operates three mornings and afternoons a week, before and after school, and over a third of the pupils attend. This too, is a significant factor in raising the pupils’ confidence and skills in the subject. ·

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Religious education

107. By the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is in line with the Locally Agreed Syllabus, and pupils are making satisfactory progress. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, have equal opportunities to participate in the learning activities provided.

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Religious education

108. The pupils learn about Christmas and Easter and discover how symbols are used in Christianity. They discover that there are many churches with differing traditions within the Christian faith. Stories from the bible and other religious faiths are used to develop their religious understanding and they begin to relate these to their own lives. The pupils develop an understanding of the symbols and rituals of the Jewish religion through learning about the plagues and the festival of Hanukah, and of the Hindu religion through the stories of Divali. By studying Islam they learn about the ways in which people from another faith celebrate their belief through prayer and the Qu’ran. The younger pupils consider what makes people special, such as family and friends, and discover features of leadership. Older pupils debate the relative importance of members of the community and the different roles they

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Religious education

fulfil. Throughout the key stage the pupils are given opportunities to explore issues such as the significance of pilgrimages and learn about customs such as naming ceremonies from Christianity and Sikhism.. They learn to reflect on feelings and emotions, and how prayer and times of reflection may be used. Religious education makes a Delves Junior School-28 good contribution to provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Religious education

109. Pupils’ response to religious education is good, they concentrate well in lessons and whole school assemblies. They listen quietly and are well behaved. They answer questions enthusiastically and become involved in the activities provided. Good relationships are evident between adults and pupils, and between pupils themselves who are supportive of one another’s ideas. Pupils work well together in collaborative sessions and are prepared to offer their opinions in discussions. They show appropriate respect for artefacts and traditions from faiths and traditions other than their own.

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Religious education

110. The quality of teaching throughout the school is satisfactory. Teachers demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education. They make good use of questions and suitable vocabulary to extend and assess pupils’ insight into new areas of understanding. Work is matched appropriately to pupils’ age and abilities. The curriculum co-ordinator supports colleagues effectively by demonstrating good practice and provides valuable informal support to colleagues in the planning of topics and use of resources. However, he has few opportunities to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning throughout the school. There is good range of resources including books, pictures and artefacts, these are used to make interesting displays to promote the pupils’ knowledge of different faiths.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

111. Progress in art is good throughout the key stage. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The good work exhibited around the school is colourful, interesting and well arranged and shows a range of techniques and media. Work in art is often related to topics being studied in other curriculum areas such as history, geography and science.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

112. The pupils can mix colours and shades using a variety of media, for example pencils, pastels, paints and a range of papers for collage work. They consider the effects that different colours create such as using blues for cold scenes and vibrant reds and oranges to suggest hot scenes. Using thick paint, the pupils produce tactile flower pictures in the style of Van Gogh. Delicate shades of water-colour paint are used to illustrate the detailed interiors of fruit and vegetables. The pupils make good progress in depicting facial features when drawing portraits using pencil, pastels and crayons. They learn to observe artefacts and images closely. Particularly effective are drawings of everyday objects such as lunch boxes, containers and shoes. The pupils work carefully to record their observations of an object such as a ‘trainer’, producing drawings of all surfaces and gradually extracting the graphic nature of the

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

patterns they observe. Careful teaching of techniques such as graded and flat washes, how to draw using perspective and how to show light and shade in paintings result in the pupils being able to create water-colour paintings of a high standard. The pupils respond well to other artists’ work and use their observations to develop their own techniques. The older pupils produce very good large drawings and paintings of, for example, an old man. Throughout the school pupils have opportunities to experiment with a range of media such as when they successfully model pots and figures from clay and decorate hats using a variety of materials. Pattern is explored using printing techniques and paper weaving. Some of the most successful pieces of art-work incorporate a range of media as when seaside pictures use washes, inks and sand.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

113. Pupils enjoy art activities and are enthusiastic about their work. They are able to talk confidently about how they have achieved effects with different media. In evaluating their own work, they are able to say how it could be improved. They listen to other pupils’ ideas and incorporate them into their own work. The pupils work carefully and are willing to try new techniques and materials to achieve the effects they have in mind. They show pride in the finished products.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

114. In art lessons, materials and other resources are very well prepared and teachers are secure in their knowledge of what is to be taught. Their enthusiasm communicates itself to the pupils. There is a policy and good scheme of work in place which helps teachers ensure progression throughout the key stage. Resources are good and are well used by the teachers to provide the very good range of learning opportunities. The subject area makes a significant contribution to the spiritual and cultural provision for pupils. Delves Junior School-29 ·

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Design and technology

115. It was only possible to observe two lessons in one year group during the inspection. Judgements are made on these lessons, a scrutiny of teachers’ planning and the pupils’ previous work. Most of the pupils are making satisfactory progress.

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Design and technology

116. The pupils are able to design, make and evaluate their products and they are introduced to a limited range of joining techniques, for example split pins to make cardboard puppets. The pupils in Year 5 design and make tea bags as part of their science work. They consider the different materials and determine which is the best. The pupils in Year 4 make hats and evaluate their designs to determine how they could improve what they have made. The pupils learn the importance of hygiene when they bake cakes. Older pupils develop their ability to design and make models. They make masks using a variety of techniques and weather vanes as part of their science work.

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Design and technology

117. The pupils enjoy the opportunities to design and make. They listen carefully to instructions and are respectful when commenting about the work that other pupils have undertaken. The pupils co-operate well in groups and work enthusiastically at their tasks.

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Design and technology

118. The quality of teaching in the lessons seen was satisfactory. The tasks were explained clearly and there was an appropriate link to future learning in the teachers’ planning. Careful questioning helped to maintain the pupils’ interest. The teacher had a sound knowledge of the subject and made effective use of plenary sessions to determine what the pupils had learned. A small number of higher attaining pupils could make better progress if presented with more challenging activities. Whilst the school is giving less attention to the subject than previously, there is sufficient coverage. This is achieved, in part, through links with other subjects such as science and history. For example, the making of historical buildings enables the pupils to develop an understanding of how Tudor buildings were constructed.

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History and Geography

119. The pupils, including those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in history. Aided by a particularly well-thought out scheme for developing mapping skills, pupils make good progress in geography. Pupils make particularly good progress when their understanding is enriched by carefully prepared field study visits or a visit to the school from an expert. For instance, pupils studying the Victorians are aided considerably by a visit to The Black Country Museum. Similarly, Year 6`s study of Ancient Egypt is enhanced by a visit to the museum in Birmingham where the intricacies of mummification can be investigated. The majority of pupils achieve standards in history and geography that are appropriate for their age. The school maintains the standards reported in the last inspection.

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History and Geography

120. Early in Key Stage 2, pupils make a careful study of the weather both at home and in differing regions of the world. They study the area around the school and record their observations on maps. They develop essential skills by using plans, maps and photographs, learn about scale and how to use the compass. In history they learn to look for clues about the past in the form of evidence and learn about the Victorians and the Romans. They develop an understanding of timelines. Pupils in Year 4 study the Tudor period. They concentrate on the religious, social, cultural and aesthetic aspects of life at the time, and also learn effectively about prominent figures. They learn about Ancient Greece by studying pictures of contemporary vases. They also study the importance of water in different countries and its influence in settlement and land use. They pursue an in-depth study of Walsall and develop their

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History and Geography

121. The focus of Year 5`s study is how children lived during the Victorian era. They visit The Black Country Museum and learn about Victorian schooling by sitting in a Victorian schoolroom. The focus of their geographical study is Rainforests, and the animals and people who live in these regions. They learn how the rainforest is being destroyed. They study how man changes the landscape, and develop strong views about pollution. The focus of the Year 6 geographical study is how people live, this time in a village in India. They further develop their skills in using maps with different scales, and consider the different ways that land is used, making effective comparisons between the lifestyles of the people who live there with people in differing regions. They are also involved in an in- depth study of the geography of Great Britain and have the opportunity to do fieldwork on a residential visit. They

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History and Geography

Delves Junior School-30 develop their understanding of life in Elizabethan times and make a study of how their home town developed and grew over the centuries.

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History and Geography

122. The pupils` response to these studies is good. They are always keen and interested and try hard to answer their teachers` questions and to make positive contributions to discussions. They are stimulated by imaginative teaching and show good empathy with the plight of the people they study. They co-operate well when working in pairs or groups, sharing equipment, resources and ideas effectively.

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History and Geography

123. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and is good or better in nearly three quarters of lessons observed. Teachers plan their lessons carefully. They manage their pupils particularly skilfully. They plan activities, which are suitable and have high expectations of what their pupils can achieve. Lessons are sharply focused and resources are used particularly well to promote enquiry. There is an appropriate level of subject knowledge evident in every lesson and in the best lessons an enthusiasm which teachers successfully convey to their pupils. Educational visits are carefully chosen to illustrate and enhance these studies.

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History and Geography

124. The two subject co-ordinators work hard to support their colleagues. They have gathered a good range of resources and use the local library service to borrow artefacts. They realise the importance of good quality study visits to enhance the delivery of these subjects and in this they have the co-operation of the parents. Systems for assessing pupils` progress and attainment are satisfactory.

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Music

125. Pupils make satisfactory progress in singing, performing and composing. They also make satisfactory progress in listening and appraising and reach standards appropriate for their age. The school has therefore maintained the standards reported in the 1996 inspection.

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Music

126. Younger pupils learn effectively about pitch and rhythm. They learn to locate various notes on the musical stave and to sing them. They identify the long notes in the song they are learning and learn to sustain them tunefully. Older pupils also learn a song and have to identify a metre of three and sing in a round. They develop their vocal skills and learn to beat out the pulse and tempo in a given piece, identifying clearly which are the strong beats. They remember that last year they learned about a “drone” in their study of music of other cultures and they know what an ostinato is. The school places a strong emphasis on pupils learning to sing tunefully with clear enunciation. They also learn to maintain a rhythm in accompaniment. Pupils play unpitched percussion instruments as well as chime bars and glockenspiels. Pupils listen to and appraise a wide range of music and develop strong

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Music

opinions. Teachers also make links in their planning with other subjects and other traditions, such as music from different ages in history and music from other cultures in geography. Pupils are also offered a range of opportunities to compose and to perform on a wide range of instruments. This they do with a growing confidence and sense of purpose as they move through the school.

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Music

127. Pupils enjoy their music and this is evident in the way that they respond to every musical activity. They sing enthusiastically. The school choir is a very popular activity. They are always happy to perform and to discuss their work, taking pride in their performance.

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Music

128. The teaching of music is satisfactory overall. Teachers have appropriate expertise and subject knowledge although the school lacks a pianist. Teachers plan work carefully taking care to make it as varied and interesting as they can. They work hard to make sure that their pupils enjoy a variety of musical experiences. In lessons they control pupils and deploy resources particularly well and lessons move at a lively pace. Unfortunately due to the school’s problems of overcrowding the music room is also used as a thoroughfare. It is not soundproof and pupils are often distracted by noise from activities outside. This is particularly apparent when pupils are trying to listen carefully.

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Music

129. The school has purchased a scheme of work to support the teaching of music and has a good supply of musical resources. Out-of-school activities include a choir which takes part in local music festivals. There is also a guitar club and visiting teachers support the music curriculum by offering instrumental tuition on a wide range of brass, woodwind and stringed instruments during school time. This affects curriculum provision in other subjects. Delves Junior School-31

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Physical education

130. Standards are sound throughout the school and the pupils make satisfactory progress. In gymnastics the pupils follow the instructions carefully, have good control of their body and show an improved awareness of how to put together a sequence of movements. The pupils in Year 4 can create sequences by transferring their weight through different body parts. The pupils in Year 6 understand the need for a warm up session prior to a vigorous fitness activity. In dance lessons, Year 5 pupils show good control. They learn steps to create barn dance sequences and become familiar with the appropriate movements such as “cast out” and “gallop”. In games lessons, Year 4 pupils learn the basic skills of passing, stopping and dribbling with a hockey stick and how to pass and intercept using a large ball.

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Physical education

131. The inspection of this school included a focussed view of swimming which is reported below. The school is not currently involved in a swimming programme for its pupils, although it is actively seeking suitable provision. However, as a result of the pupils' involvement in the swimming programme in Year 5, at least 60 per cent can swim 25 metres unaided. Thirty per cent of the pupils currently in Year 6 can swim at least 50 metres and are competent in more than one stroke. By the time they leave school most pupils can swim 25 metres.

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Physical education

132. The pupils enjoy all aspects of physical education. They work enthusiastically and are keen to improve their skills. They co-operate well in groups and their behaviour in lessons is always at least good. They observe the performance of others and applaud their achievements. Equipment is set out and put away in an orderly manner and the pupils are keen to help with these tasks.

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Physical education

133. The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory and is often good. Subject knowledge is good throughout the school and this has a positive impact on the progress the pupils make. For example, in a dance lesson, the teacher had very good knowledge and this was a significant factor in the pupils making very good progress in their ability to remember the dance movements. The pupils are managed well with firm but unobtrusive control. Learning objectives are made clear and in all lessons the pupils know what they have to do to improve their skills. Time is used very effectively and there is good pace to the sessions. The teachers make good use of plenary sessions to reinforce good practice. All of the teachers dress appropriately for lessons and appropriate emphasis is given to safety.

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Physical education

134. There is a scheme of work that effectively promotes continuity and progression. The curriculum is enriched by many extra curricular activities including football, netball, cross-country and cricket. The pupils in Year 6 visit an outdoor pursuits centre and experience a range of activities including canoeing, climbing and orienteering. The pupils compete with local schools in a range of sports. Resources for the subject are good although the hall is somewhat cramped, particularly when it is occupied by the older pupils.

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Physical education

135. The inspection was carried out by a team of five inspectors over 19 inspector days. Seventy-three lessons or parts of lessons were seen during sixty-four hours of direct observation. Inspectors also heard a representative sample of pupils read and they tested their knowledge of basic numeracy and computer skills. Samples of pupils’ work were scrutinised in each year group and policy documents and school management plans were analysed. The attendance registers, pupils’ records and teachers’ planning files were inspected. Inspectors attended registration sessions and assemblies. Over 20 meetings were held with teachers, governors and other members of the non- teaching staff. Before the inspection a questionnaire was sent to all families and a meeting was held for parents. This meeting was attended by 7 parents and there were 110 responses to the questionnaire. This response represents a 25 per cent return.

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Physical education

Delves Junior School-32 · DATA AND INDICATORS

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Physical education

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 Y3 – Y6 344 4 48 70

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Physical education

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 344 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 26.44

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Physical education

Total number of education support staff: 5 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 127.5

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Physical education

£ Total Income 537714 Total Expenditure 508864 Expenditure per pupil 1479 Balance brought forward from previous year 40203 Balance carried forward to next year 69053

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Physical education

Number of questionnaires sent out: 440 Number of questionnaires returned: 110

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Physical education

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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Physical education

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 39 54 4 3

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Physical education

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 62 37 1 Delves Junior School-33 The school handles complaints from parents well 29 62 7 2

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Physical education

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 24 64 9 3

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Physical education

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 41 55 2 2

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Physical education

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 41 54 4 1

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Physical education

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 47 47 5 1

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Physical education

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 35 55 5 5

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Physical education

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 42 53 4 1

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Physical education

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 46 47 5 2

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