Oakwood Primary School

OAKWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 20 th - 22 nd March 2000

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OAKWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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OAKWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Oakwood Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: mixed

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Oakwood Drive St. Albans Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Mary Davies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 05/02/96 Oakwood Primary School - 4

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Team members

Lynda Maple Registered inspector Peter Berry Lay inspector Lyn Watkins Team inspector

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Team members

Hillcrest Chatter End Farnham Bishops Stortford Hertfordshire CM23 1HL

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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11

Teaching, especially in English and mathematics

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11

The leadership and management of the school

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11

The behaviour, attitudes and personal development of the pupils

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 12

Standards in information technology and the resources to support pupils’ work in the subject.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 12

The tracking of progress and targeting of support for pupils with special educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for these pupils in some classes.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 12

Communication with parents and their perceptions of the school.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Oakwood Primary School is about the same size as other primary schools. There are 244 pupils on roll with slightly more boys than girls. At the time of the inspection there were 10 pupils aged under five in the reception class. The school serves the local area and the majority of the pupils live nearby. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, at 1.6%, is well below the national average. The number of pupils with English as an additional language is higher than in most schools. Only one is at the early stages of learning English. There are 45 pupils with special educational needs; this is broadly in line with the national average; none of the pupils has a statement for special educational needs and this is below average. Attainment on entry to the school is above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Oakwood is an effective school that provides a good standard of education for its pupils. Since the last inspection it has improved provision for the most able pupils who were judged to be capable of achieving even higher standards. It is popular within the local community and children enjoy coming to school. The quality of teaching is good and often very good. The inspection confirms that this has a positive effect on the pupils’ attitudes and motivation and the standards they achieve. The vast majority of parents are pleased with the teaching their children receive. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests for 7 and 11 year olds, pupils’ results in English and mathematics were well above the national average. The school is well led and managed and there is a shared commitment to raising standards further. This is reflected in the targets the school has set itself for the coming year; a particular target is to increase the number of pupils attaining level 5 in the Key Stage 2 National

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Curriculum tests. Evidence from the inspection indicates that pupils are on course to achieve this. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils attain high standards in English and mathematics. • Teaching is good overall. Almost half the teaching seen was very good or excellent. • The school is well led; the headteacher, deputy and co-ordinators work well together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the focus for the school’s development. • Pupils are very well behaved and they have very good attitudes to learning. Their personal development is strongly promoted by the school.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information technology and the resources to support pupils’ work in the subject. • The tracking of progress and targeting of support for the pupils with special educational needs. The level of work in mathematics and English planned for these pupils in some classes. • Communication with parents and their perceptions of the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Many improvements have been made since the last inspection. The quality of teaching has improved; no unsatisfactory teaching was seen in this inspection and a much higher percentage of the teaching was very good. There are now detailed schemes of work which help teachers to plan lessons that build on what pupils know and can do. Significant improvements have been made in assessing pupils’ progress and the newly appointed co-ordinator has initiated a number of very effective strategies to ensure assessment is more closely linked to planning. The curriculum for the higher-attaining pupils generally provides sufficient challenge. However, more attention needs to be paid to the needs of the lower-attaining pupils in some classes. The role of co-ordinators has been strengthened to enable them to gain a clear view of the standards in their areas of responsibility. They conduct observations of lessons and review teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. The school

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Oakwood Primary School - 7 development plan is more effective as a tool for improving the work of the school. The plan covers long and short-term developments and it is linked to the school’s budget. The school has been successful in developing procedures for systematically monitoring its work. The support for pupils with special educational needs has improved in some aspects; the procedures for identifying pupils are more systematic. There is still a need to monitor the progress of these pupils and direct teaching more carefully to their learning needs. The curriculum time in both key stages is still below the minimum hours recommended by the DFEE and the school still does not comply with the requirement to have a daily act of collective worship. Staff and governors have discussed these issues and the decision was made to make no changes to the current arrangements. The governors, however, should ensure that the requirement to hold an act of worship is met. In the team's view, the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

school provides a broad curriculum and this is not adversely affected by the length of the school day. Oakwood Primary School - 8

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A A* A B well above average above average A B mathematics A A* A B average below average C D science A A B C well below average E

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Key

Standards were well above the national average in English and mathematics; they were above average in science. Compared with similar schools, results were above average in English and mathematics and average in science. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher level in English and mathematics was well above the national average and above average for similar schools. Results over the last four years show that standards are being maintained. In the most recent Key Stage 1 tests, the school’s results were well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher level in all three subjects was well above average. The school greatly exceeded its targets in 1999 and those set for 2000 are significantly higher. The inspection team judged the current targets to be sufficiently challenging. In the work seen, standards were high in most subjects. Children under five in the reception class exceed the

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Key

expectations for their age. At the end of Key Stage 2 some pupils are working at a very high level in mathematics. As pupils move through the school they achieve well and the majority make good progress though in information technology the standard of work is just satisfactory. Because the pupils' literacy and numeracy skills are so good they can easily tackle their work in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are enthusiastic about their activities and they work hard in lessons and extra-curricular activities. They are keen to come to school and work well together.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good in all aspects. Pupils are polite and courteous and show good levels of self-discipline.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils respond well to the challenges set them. They gain in confidence and maturity and benefit from many opportunities to help around the school. Relationships are very good. Pupils show respect for one another and the values of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Pupils arrive punctually and are rarely absent from school.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils' very positive attitudes and behaviour contribute towards the very productive climate for learning. Oakwood Primary School - 9

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

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

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

All the lessons seen were satisfactory or better. 45% of the teaching was very good; including 9% where it was excellent and a further 46% where it was good. 9% was satisfactory.

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

The teachers of the reception children ensure that they make a very good start on their schooling. They value talk and play as a means of learning and make lessons enjoyable. Throughout the school the teaching of English and mathematics is good. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been successfully implemented and the skills in these areas are taught well. Teachers are confident and have good subject knowledge. They know how different aspects of the subjects link together and can explain these to their pupils. Teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour and standard of work and pupils work hard to meet these expectations. Class management is very good indeed and a good sense of purpose is established and maintained. Pupils work hard and they are interested in their work and show good levels of concentration. They are aware of what they need to improve and are keen to do better. The needs of the majority of

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

pupils are well met and the quality of teaching enables them to achieve good standards and make good progress. In some the classes, the pitch of the work is at times too hard for the some of the low- attaining pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school has good strategies for teaching the basic skills of numeracy and literacy but has yet to provide a similarly good curriculum for information technology. Sufficient attention is given to all subjects, particularly art. The curriculum is enriched by visits, visiting artists and a good range of out of school activities. The curriculum meets the statutory requirements except that the act of collective worship is not held daily.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The school has improved its procedures for identification but does not sufficiently monitor the effectiveness of teaching on pupils’ learning to ensure they make better progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The school makes satisfactory provision for the few pupils who are at the early stages of speaking English as an additional language. Adults provide good models of spoken and written language to support the pupils’ literacy skills.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for all aspects of pupils’ personal development is very good; it is a strength of the school. Pupils are encouraged to take their learning seriously and do the best they can. Assemblies, in particular, provide a good context for supporting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares for its pupils very well. Good procedures are in place to ensure their welfare, health and safety. Oakwood Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The school is well led. The headteacher, deputy and staff are an effective team; they work well together to provide a good standard of education for the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is very supportive of the school and provides an effective role in determining and monitoring its work. It has a clear view of future developments that will enhance provision and it complies with most statutory requirements. There are some omissions from the school’s prospectus and the Governors’ Annual report to Parents and a daily act of collective worship is not held.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There is a shared commitment to maintaining high expectations and raising attainment even further. Good use is made of available information to evaluate how well the school is doing in relation to other schools and in relation to pupils’ previous achievement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its resources. Decisions about spending are carefully considered and are based on the identified needs of the school. Best value principles are applied, albeit informally, though improvements could be made to the ways in which the school consults with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The pupils are well behaved. • The good quality of teaching. • Their children like school. • Teachers have high expectations. • The information they are given about their children’s progress. • The links between parents and the school. • The school’s approachability. • The arrangements for homework; many feel there is insufficient.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive comments made by parents. The team judges that the school provides a good range of information about children’s progress although the systems for informing parents about pupils with special educational needs is not as good as it could be. The staff and governors should take steps to ensure parents are fully aware of the school’s procedures and seek to establish a more positive partnership with parents. The school has prepared a new homework policy that explains clearly the school’s expectations. The team considers this to be a very helpful document and judges the range and amount of homework to be appropriate. Oakwood Primary School - 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• Pupils attain high standards in English and mathematics.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests for Year 6 the pupils attained high standards in English and mathematics. These results are a reflection of the above average attainment on entry, the good progress made by the pupils in most classes and the good teaching they receive. The school has made good use of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy to raise standards further. In fact, the pupils' very good literacy and numeracy skills help them acquire skills and knowledge in other subjects of the curriculum.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. In the reception class children's attainment is better than expected. They are confident learners who take part enthusiastically in their class activities. In their mathematical learning for example, they work confidently with numbers and know about shapes and aspects of measures. In their lesson, they counted, added and subtracted with numbers up to 10. They listened carefully and expressed themselves clearly when they explained how they worked out their answers. Many have mastered the early stages of reading and writing and have a good knowledge of letters and sounds. In the mixed Reception and Year 1 class the children's writing was confident, clear and well- proportioned. The teacher helped the children extend their already good vocabulary and this helped them write in an interesting way.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. By the age of 7 the percentage of pupils achieving high standards in their work in English and mathematics is well above average. In Year 1 many pupils have very good knowledge of phonics and their reading is accurate, well paced and fluent. In their literacy lesson, they were taught how to use the blurb, contents and headings in non-fiction texts to sharpen their search for information. By Year 2 they are, in the main, fluent and independent readers and writers. The pupils’ mathematics work is of a very good standard. Some of the activities are challenging and cover some of the objectives in the Year 3 programme of work from the Numeracy Strategy. The pupils make good progress and their work shows a good understanding of the subject. Their literacy and numeracy skills make a good contribution to their science work. They observe closely and record what they notice. Their recording skills are carefully developed through systematic teaching of writing

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. In Key Stage 2, the English and mathematics work seen during the inspection was of a high standard. By the end of the key stage, most of the pupils are fluent, expressive readers, confident speakers and independent writers in a good range of styles. In their reading they show they can read beyond the literal and understand how authors use language to create atmosphere and arouse feeling on the part of the reader. The work set requires a substantial amount of reading in preparation for written tasks. Standards of presentation, punctuation, spelling and grammar are high. The pupils’ mathematics work makes demands on their thinking skills. The older pupils are required to solve problems and explain their methods. They have well-developed strategies for working out number problems and they check their work using different methods. They use vocabulary and notation accurately and are good at interpreting charts and diagrams. They have good

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

recall of number facts and can use these when working with a wide range of numbers. Pupils make good use of their literacy and numeracy skills in their work in other subjects. Oakwood Primary School - 12 • Teaching is good overall. Almost half of the teaching seen was very good or

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excellent

5. The teaching of the children who are under five was very good and in one of the lessons seen it was excellent. There was a strong focus on learning through talk. The teaching enabled children to explain their ideas and the quality of interaction between the teacher and the children was excellent. Both teachers of the reception children are aware of the needs of young children and understand the importance of play as a means of learning. They ensure that the children grow in confidence and establish good relationships with each other. They help them make a very good start on learning to read, write and work with numbers and other mathematical ideas. They provide well for the children's creative development and prepare them well for their future learning in subjects such as technology, science, history and geography.

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excellent

6. English lessons were seen in both key stages and the teaching was consistently good. It was particularly good at the end of Key Stage 2. Throughout the school, teachers introduce pupils to a range of good literature and teach them to read and write to a high standard. The teachers clearly expect, and achieve, high levels of participation in class lessons and encourage all pupils to answer questions and put forward their ideas. This they do with great interest and enthusiasm in most cases. The organisation of literacy hours ensures that pupils work intensively on improving their reading and writing. The amount and range of work done in many classes is impressive. Good teaching enables the pupils to develop their literacy skills to a high level and this helps them in their work in other subjects. For example, in a very good Year 2 science lesson, pupils confidently wrote up their own experiments. They wrote quickly and accurately, spelling independently and with

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excellent

7. Mathematics was well taught in the classes seen. Teachers' subject knowledge is good and they plan well for their lessons. Particular attention is given to developing the pupils' oral and mental work. Correct use of mathematical vocabulary is strongly promoted and pupils are expected to explain their methods of calculation. In a Year 5 and 6 class, the mathematics teaching addressed the needs of the wide range of pupils in the class; it made appropriate intellectual demands on the high attainers in particular. In the relaxed, but purposeful atmosphere, the teacher encouraged the pupils to tackle problems, talk about solutions and learn from their errors.

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excellent

8. Teachers have good subject knowledge and this enables them to plan effective lessons. They make sure pupils are clear about the objectives for their learning. They give good clear explanations and question their classes well to ensure understanding. They manage their classes very well and maintain a productive working atmosphere. Their lessons proceed at a good pace and new and interesting work is introduced so pupils' interest is sustained. The pupils respond well to their teachers' expectations and show willingness and keenness to learn. Oakwood Primary School - 13 • The school is well led; the headteacher, deputy and co-ordinators work well

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

9. The headteacher has been in post for ten years and is rightly proud of the school and its achievements. He provides stability and continuity for the work of the school and has successfully led it through many significant changes over the years. He knows the pupils well and is keen that they should all do well. He sets very high expectations for the pupils to aspire to. The deputy headteacher is relatively new to the school and she is an excellent role model as a class teacher. Together they provide strong leadership for the rest of the staff. Staff share a common purpose and commitment to maintaining the school’s strengths and making improvements where needed. Those with management responsibilities take these seriously and give good support and encouragement to their colleagues. Since the previous inspection their roles have been developed to enable them to gain a clear view of how well the school is doing. The National Literacy and Numeracy

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

strategies have been successfully implemented and are having a positive impact on pupils’ achievements. The co-ordinators for these areas are fully involved in monitoring the progress of the initiatives and how well they are being taught. They provide feedback to staff about their work and highlight what is going well and what needs further attention. In this way, everyone is encouraged to reflect on the contribution they make to the school’s aims and values, its policies and successes.

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

10. Governors are very supportive of the school and are enthusiastic about their involvement in the life of the school. They share in decision making and work in partnership with the staff to ensure the pupils experience a good quality of education. They contribute to the effectiveness of the school by acting as critical friend and asking whether the school is as good as it could be, or could it be better. There are good levels of expertise among the governors and they make the most of their skills in assisting in the management of the school. They are properly involved in school development planning and evaluating past performance. They hold the school to account for the standards it achieves and the targets it sets. They are aware of areas needing improvement and understand their role in making things better. For example, there has been a concerted effort to improve resources for information technology and the school’s budget has been

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

carefully managed to enable substantial improvements to be made. The governing body generally fulfils its statutory responsibilities; however, it does not ensure a daily act of collective worship.

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

• Pupils are very well behaved and they have very good attitudes to learning. Their personal development is strongly promoted by the school.

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

11. Throughout the school the pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very good. They listen attentively to information and participate enthusiastically in their lessons and in other activities. Pupils are eager to learn and respond well to challenges. All pupils, including those under five, are able to work at a good rate. In all the lessons and assemblies observed during the inspection, pupils sustained concentration very well. This was particularly evident in an excellent assembly where the whole school listened with rapt attention to a beautiful performance by the school choir. In the inspection questionnaire, 94% of parents agreed that their children liked attending the school. The pupils show great pride in their work; for example, when discussing their art displays and explaining why they were awarded house points. Oakwood Primary School - 14 12. The standard of behaviour is very good. The parents were virtually unanimous in

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

their praise of the good behaviour. There have not been any exclusions in recent years. The pupils know the school rules and they abide by them. During the inspection the pupils’ behaviour was exemplary for the majority of the time; the only occasions when lower standards occurred were in the juniors’ playground at lunchtime, when the shortage of midday staff made supervision difficult. Orderly movement around the school enables the school to function efficiently; this was exemplified when pupils were coming in and out of assemblies.

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

13. Relationships within the school are very good, between pupils and adults and between the pupils themselves. Pupils work and play harmoniously together, with very good collaboration in group activities. They show suitable respect for property and for the feelings of others. The school uses circle time successfully to promote the pupils’ personal and social development; a Year 2 class was observed where the pupils talked about “trust” and expressed their personal praise for the pupil who was the “special person of the week”. The pupils are given many responsibilities to help within the school. They are courteous and confident. There are positive contributions to pupils’ development from the extra- curricular activities, the charity work and the educational visits. The personal development of pupils is very good overall.

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together as a team. The governing body is effective in helping to determine the

14. The school has a very good ethos. Together with the very good level of attendance, the pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and their conduct make a significant contribution to the quality of education and to the high standards that are achieved.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• Standards in information technology and the resources to support pupils’ work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

15. The standards the pupils achieve are satisfactory and they do not mirror the high standards seen in other subjects and have not improved since the previous inspection. Many of the pupils have access to computers outside school but the school’s provision does not sufficiently capitalise on this. Pupils are capable of developing their skills and competencies to a higher level. The school is well aware that it needs to rectify this and is currently taking steps to improve resources dramatically. In the previous inspection, a number of areas were highlighted for improvement to enable standards to be further raised. Most of these are included in the school’s current development plan, which features IT as a main area for attention. A new room has been developed to provide a computer suite with new hardware, and software is being introduced to meet the needs of the pupils’ ages and demands of the curriculum. At present, many of the computers are old and unreliable and

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

do not lend themselves to the ‘state of the art’ technologies that are now available and some of the software is unsuitable. There are few resources for pupils who have special educational needs. This is frustrating for teachers and pupils alike. In fact, during the inspection, a lesson had to be postponed because the computer failed to function adequately.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

16. All aspects of the IT curriculum are taught and teachers plan a range of activities to cover the different elements. For example, younger pupils in Key Stage 2 experimented with a music programme and older pupils used sensors to investigate temperature and sound. Their results were used effectively to link with work they were doing on graphical representation in mathematics. In general though, much more use should be made of IT to support pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills. At present pupils do not have enough access Oakwood Primary School - 15 to working with computers. • The tracking of progress and targeting of support for pupils with special

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

17. The previous inspection found that provision for higher and lower-attaining pupils needed attention. Since then, the school has improved provision for higher-attaining pupils, but in many lessons, tasks and activities are still not well-enough matched to the needs of the lowest attainers. This is particularly apparent in some of the mixed-age classes. For example, in an English lesson in the Y1/2 class, a few of the pupils who are low attainers were given work that did not help them improve their English. They spent too much of the time cutting out pictures portraying sounds in words at the expense of learning about the sounds themselves. In a Year 3/4 mathematics lesson, the work was pitched too high for some of the pupils. It was directed principally towards the higher attainers and the lower attainers found it very difficult to grasp the abstract mathematical ideas presented to them.

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

18. In addition, in some classes, marking of work does not help low-attaining pupils improve their work and it is at times negative and not constructive. For example, scrutiny of books showed that inappropriate comment is written on quite young pupils' work. This takes the form, as one parent said at the meeting, " of exhortation to improve and do better". Clearly, as the parent realised, young children cannot do this without the help and understanding of adults.

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

19. The school has improved its procedures for identification of pupils with special educational needs. Some parents reported that, previously, pupils who have special educational needs had not been identified until Y2, despite raising their own concerns with the school. Some of these pupils, now near the end of their time in the school, are two years behind their peers in reading and writing because they have made less progress than they should. Identification now takes place much earlier than Year 2 and good additional support is given to those children in the reception year who need extra help to make a prompt start on developing reading and writing skills or who do not settle easily into school. Their progress is carefully monitored and outside help is sought earlier than it was. Some children, after a short period of carefully targeted support, have taken their place as fully- integrated members of their classes.

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

• Communication with parents and their perceptions of the school.

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

20. A significant proportion of the parents who responded to the questionnaire feel that the school does not make enough effort to communicate with them and that the school is not easily approached. They expect more information and would like more involvement with the school. The inspection team finds, however, that the quality of information provided by the school is at least as good as that provided by other schools. For example, the school provides test results for parents at the end of each year in Key Stage 2 and this exceeds the legal requirement. Annual reports are informative and suitably detailed.

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

21. A significant number of parents expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made by their children in the school's mixed-age classes. Similar concerns were raised at the time of the previous inspection but they were only partially upheld. Findings of the present inspection lead the team to agree with some of the views expressed by this group of parents. A small number of pupils in some classes have difficulty understanding the work in lessons because it is pitched at too high a level. This, in some cases, has a negative Oakwood Primary School - 16 effect on their progress and self-esteem. Discussion with pupils confirmed the parents' views. A few of the pupils said they disliked several subjects of the curriculum and felt they were ' no good' at reading, writing, mathematics or science. They did, on the other hand, like art very much and felt they had learned a great deal about the subject.

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

22. About a quarter of the parents are unhappy with the amount of homework set by the teachers but the inspection team finds that the provision of homework is satisfactory throughout the school. The staff have prepared a new leaflet which outlines the exact arrangements for homework; the inspection team saw the draft of this document and believes it should be helpful in clarifying the school's expectations and procedures.

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educational needs and the level of work in mathematics and English planned for

23. A number of parents are unhappy about the quality of care for pupils in the playground at lunchtime. The inspection team agrees that the level of supervision is too low to maintain the general high quality of behaviour.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Raise standards in information technology by ensuring that pupils have more opportunities to work with computers and build on the skills they have acquired outside school. Improve resources for information technology as planned.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Help pupils with special educational needs make better progress in their learning by planning work that is better matched to their levels of achievement. Give particular attention to English and mathematics in some of the mixed-aged classes.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Find ways of improving communication with parents and dealing with their concerns more effectively. Ensure parents are familiar with the school’s policies and procedures and give them more opportunity to be involved. Oakwood Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 16

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

9 36 46 9 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 244

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 45

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 18

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Oakwood Primary School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 23 16 39

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 19 21 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 87(92) 95(93) 97(94) at NC level 2 or above National 82(80) 83(81) 87(84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95(97) 97 (98) 97 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 24 20 44

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 21 22 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 18 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (92) 91 (89) 91 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 21 24 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 17 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (100) 93 (90) 93(92) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Oakwood Primary School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 4 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 1998-1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total expenditure 417,547

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 1, 644

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 52 Balance brought forward from previous year 13,865

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 36,569

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Oakwood Primary School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 42 47 10 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 47 48 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 18 55 19 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 21 45 27 6 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 44 32 13 11 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 52 37 3 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 29 44 19 8 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 34 47 8 11 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 42 3 5 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 47 8 2 6

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Other issues raised by parents

A number of parents expressed dissatisfaction with the governors' decision to give leave of absence to the headteacher for three years in succession.

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