Dunn Street Primary School

DUNN STREET 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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DUNN STREET 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. Dunn Street Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Councillor M Stewart

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 June 1996 Dunn Street Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Mr A C Davies Registered inspector Mrs J Farmer Lay inspector Mrs L Furness Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Court 8 Bar Meadow Dobcross Saddleworth Oldham OL3 5QW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT [ ]

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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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL [ ]

The headteacher provides inspirational leadership. His own enthusiasm is infectious and he has the ability to make others work in partnership with him.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL [ ]

The school has developed outstanding links with local industry through its association with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a greater appreciation of their local community and heritage.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL [ ]

The systems developed for keeping track of the progress that children make in their learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a positive impact on the standards attained.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL [ ]

Teachers are very effective in managing the behaviour of children who, in turn, work hard and are keen to learn.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL [ ]

The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are effectively taught ensuring that children achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in other subjects.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED [ ]

Subject co-ordinators do not check children’s work on a regular basis and have only a limited overview of their area of responsibility.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED [ ]

Children’s use of spoken English is restricted and impedes their ability Dunn Street Primary School - 6 to use a wide written vocabulary especially when describing events and places.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED [ ]

The outside boundary to the school is not secure and constitutes a serious health and safety hazard.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Develop the role of subject co-ordinators [ ]

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the school’s security by erecting a fence that encloses the grounds and making it safe for children to play and to prevent trespass.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Dunn Street is a Primary School with a nursery unit. Children start at the nursery just after their third birthday and spend up to five terms there before moving to the reception class. Children transfer to secondary school at the age of 11. There are 184 children on roll, which includes 48 attending the nursery on a part-time basis. The school serves an area, which has a very high level of unemployment, due to the decline of the traditional heavy industries of shipbuilding and coal-mining. The percentage entitled to school meals free of charge is well above the national average (72 per cent). All children are white and the main language of all children is English. An above average percentage of children have special educational needs. The majority of children start in the nursery with personal and academic skills that are well below those expected for their age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with many strengths which far outweigh the few weaknesses. The headteacher provides inspired leadership and pays due attention to the standards that children attain. Good teaching and effective checking of the progress children make ensure that the school’s national test results are well above average compared to similar schools. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The headteacher provides inspirational leadership. His own enthusiasm is infectious and he has the ability to make others work in partnership with him. • The school has developed outstanding links with local industry through its association with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a greater appreciation of their local community and heritage. • The systems developed for keeping track of the progress that children make in their learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a positive impact on the standards attained. • Teachers are very effective in managing the behaviour of children who, in turn, work hard and are keen to learn. • The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are effectively taught ensuring that children achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in other subjects.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Subject co-ordinators do not check children’s work on a regular basis and have only a limited overview of their area of responsibility. • Children’s use of spoken English is restricted and impedes their ability to use a wide written vocabulary especially when describing events and places. • The outside boundary to the school is not secure and constitutes a serious health and safety hazard. 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

The school was last inspected in June 1996 and at that time it was judged to be a good school. It has maintained its strengths and built on this position by improving standards. The teaching for older children is now much better than that reported previously and the headteacher’s leadership has improved the way the school is managed. Dunn Street Primary School - 8 Headway has been made on all the main issues identified in the previous inspection with very good progress in two of the four areas. The Governing Body is now far more involved with the management of the school and improvements to the way the curriculum is organised allows for teachers to build on the prior learning of children. For the two other areas there is still some way to go to meet all the points set out in the previous inspection. Although there is better overall management of the curriculum there is still room to improve the way co-ordinators take a lead in their subjects. The safety issues

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

relating to the nursery have been dealt with but the lack of an appropriate outside boundary fence is still a problem.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The very good start that children have in the nursery and reception classes continues to be a strength of the school. This firm foundation enables children to achieve well later in school. This good start helps them to attain standards that are well above that of similar schools by the time they are 7 and 11. The good behaviour of children also continues to be a strength. The quality of teaching and leadership have both improved.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The 1999 national test results for 11-year-olds show that children attain above the national average in mathematics and science and close to the average in English. However, when compared to similar schools results in each of the three subjects is well above average. When taking account of the past three years, the results have been consistently above average in mathematics, being well above in 1997. In English there has been more variation with results being well below in 1998. In science the picture is one of improving results over time, moving from well below in 1997 to above average in 1999. The present Year 6 are attaining at the same levels as those recorded for 1999. The school is on course to meet the demanding targets it has set for literacy and numeracy through to the year 2002.

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STANDARDS

The test results for 7-year-olds show that for reading and writing standards are below the national average but well above average when compared to similar schools. In mathematics, standards are close to the national average but when compared to similar schools are again well above average. The results have fluctuated slightly over the past few years but have remained well above those of similar schools. The present Year 2 group is attaining at levels slightly above those of the 1999 group.

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STANDARDS

Children achieve remarkably well when considering their very low level of attainment when they start in the nursery. Good progress is made by lower attaining children due to the quality of support provided for them. A combination of good teaching and children’s willingness to learn helps all children achieve well. However, the children’s impoverished skills in speaking is holding back standards in writing Dunn Street Primary School - 9 throughout the school. There is good use of literacy, numeracy and information technology skills in other areas of the curriculum.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Children are proud of their school. Their self-esteem has been raised by the high profile of the work they have done in the local community. They are always keen to be asked and to answer questions.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The behaviour of children in and out of lessons is consistently very good. The children appreciate the rewards they receive when they have behaved appropriately. Children are polite and well mannered and show respect for the adults who work with them.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Children are quick to develop good relationships with all the adults, including visitors, who work with them. They are able to show initiative in their learning and provide interesting ideas when involved in various projects.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Below average. The school has put a great deal of effort into improving the attendance rate but a significant few are persistent non-attenders. A few parents do not ensure that children are at school on time.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Good Good Very 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 AND LEARNING

Children achieve well because of the very good teaching of basic skills in the early years and the challenging work being carried out with older children. Teachers are very effective when concentrating on the skills of literacy and numeracy. This has resulted in standards in English and mathematics being improved. Older children have a good understanding about how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve because effective targets are set for and shared with them. They work hard to achieve their targets and as a result improve their standards. Children feel a strong sense of pride in what they achieve.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teachers manage the children very well. Particular attention is given to channelling the energies of children into their work. Sensible and effective systems are in place to help children understand what is, and is not, acceptable and they respond positively. During each lesson the teachers prepare appropriately for the full range of abilities in the class and there is particularly good support provided for children with special educational needs. Children work very hard and older ones in particular have a good understanding about what they need to do next to improve their work.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is never unsatisfactory. It is very good in 15 per cent of lessons; good in 54 per cent and satisfactory in 31 per cent. Dunn Street Primary School - 10

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum All subjects are taught in line with the National Curriculum requirements. Good and appropriate emphasis is given to literacy and numeracy. The curriculum is enriched by the excellent links that exist with industry. The projects already completed have helped children understand more about their own culture and way of life.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There is good support provided from a range of agencies for children with special educational needs. Appropriate small steps to help them improve are identified at a very early stage and priority is given to supporting them. There are regular reviews of their needs and suitable adjustments made to their individual education plans as a result.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The children’s pride in developing a major piece of art work that stands in a prominent place on the quayside has given children a real sense of inspiration and wonder. This has benefited them spiritually as well as culturally. There is a strong sense of children feeling responsible for their actions and the way they co-operate in class indicates that they are committed to supporting each other.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The system in place for checking on the progress that children make and setting targets for future improvement is very good. There is care and consideration given to almost all aspects of children’s health and safety. The exception being the inadequate boundary fence that is ineffective in providing the level of security needed for the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Exceptional leadership by the headteacher has provided staff with a clear sense of direction giving emphasis to improving standards. The systems in place enable staff to recognise strengths and weaknesses in literacy and numeracy. However, co-ordinators are only partially able to gain an overview of their subject and their role is not as fully developed as it could be.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very committed to the school and have effective systems in place to check on the school’s performance. They are very knowledgeable and their committee system allows them to be fully involved in all aspects of the school’s work. Dunn Street Primary School - 11 The school’s evaluation of its performance Very careful and considered checking of national test and other standardised results is helping the school to focus attention on those areas requiring improvement. The headteacher uses all the information available to him to check the school’s performance in relation to that of other schools locally and nationally.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The priority given to financing support for children with special educational needs is one example of the school using money to make a positive impact on children’s learning. The finance committee is experienced at making considered decisions about spending based on the best possible impact on the school’s performance.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The leadership provided by the headteacher. • The good progress that children make in their learning. • Teaching is good and teachers work hard to help the children. • They appreciate that children are expected to work hard when they come to school. • Standards of behaviour are very good and most children behave much better at school than at home. • A small minority are unhappy about the arrangements for homework. • The amount of activities available for children outside school causes a significant minority of parents some concern.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

All the positive points made by the parents have merit. The inspection team agrees that the leadership and teaching give the children every opportunity to learn. There are adequate arrangements for homework with most parents being supportive of the school’s arrangements. There is a good range of clubs for older children and younger children have opportunities of making many visits to places of interest during the year. Dunn Street Primary School - 12

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• The headteacher provides inspirational leadership. His own enthusiasm is infectious and he has the ability to make others work in partnership with him.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The headteacher is extremely knowledgeable and dedicated. He has outstanding systems in place to help him use national and other standardised test results in an effective way to identify the school’s strengths and weaknesses. He uses the information that is available to him in very effective ways to ensure that targets for the future are securely based on two main principles. Firstly, good awareness of the work that is happening at the moment and secondly, anticipating how improved provision can affect future standards. He has an excellent understanding of what the results are telling the school and has very good systems in place to ensure that action is taken to improve the provision for the children.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The staff are very clear about the role they have to play in ensuring that results are as high as they should be. This indicates that there is good communication and a shared vision for the future. In each classroom, teachers are particularly alert to what the expectations are for the children and plan effectively to meet targets that are set. This is at its best at present for literacy and numeracy. However, the process used for literacy and numeracy sets a very good standard that is to be used for developments in other subjects. This way of working has ensured that there is a strong sense of teamwork in the school. The headteacher has a very good understanding about the strengths and communicates these effectively to his staff. He is also alert to the areas that require improvement and has put in place measures to help support these. This is particularly evident in the way that the school budget has been used to target areas requiring improvement.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The governors and parents rightly have a great deal of faith in the headteacher’s leadership. The parents’ questionnaires revealed that everyone believes that that the school is well led and the vast majority (90 per cent) feel that the school is very well led. Similarly, during the parents’ pre-inspection meeting there was very strong support for what he has already achieved. The governors have a good understanding of their role and although many are new they have been able to gain a good insight into the way the school is being led. They have much confidence in the leadership and know that the headteacher is hard working and very thorough. There is therefore a strong sense of unity within the school with clarity about what all want for the children. High standards are a high priority and the methods used by the headteacher is ensuring that all staff, governors, parents and children do not under-estimate the school’s potential to fulfil its aim of ensuring that each child achieves to their

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• The school has developed outstanding links with local industry through its association

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with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a

greater appreciation of their local community and heritage.

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with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a

The business links that the school has established is making a real difference to the education of the children. Not only is it furthering their knowledge in an academic sense it is also giving them a very positive vision of their own community and heritage. For example, two major projects, one on-going and one completed, help children consider the historical as well as the environmental issues associated with living in the north-east. The links have been set very effectively between the school and the South Tyneside Business Partnership.

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with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a

The recently completed project has resulted in an outstanding piece of art work being on permanent display in the community. The main objectives of the project were to link art with economic and Dunn Street Primary School - 13 industrial understanding through ‘a cross-curricular theme of the National Curriculum’. The project involved children working with a professional artist with a view to producing a prominent piece of art work to be displayed in the Port of Tyne. The work involved children taking a ferry down the Tyne and taking in the local landscape. The work with the professional artist was completed at school. The children produced ideas which the artist helped them to develop into three-dimensional models. The examples produced are on display in school and are of a very high quality. These ideas were then transformed into a sculptured model, which is in itself an excellent example of the work carried out. A

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with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a

full-scale model was then produced using the wooden example as a guide. The end result is quite stunning. Equally as important is the pride felt by children who know they have had a big hand in producing something that is now a prominent feature of the quay side.

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with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a

Another project currently at an early stage of development aims to increase the children’s awareness of the river and its surrounding industry. This effectively brings together children’s geographical and artistic skills. The children use maps and their own knowledge to place well-known landmarks on a diagrammatic map of the river. Photographs are then used to help children with some of the artistic impressions. The aim is to use the children’s work to create a ceramic impression of the Tyne in one of the new underpasses created by the development of the Tyne tunnel. The important point is that it provides the children with an excellent opportunity to feel proud of their heritage and to improve their local geographical knowledge.

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with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a

Both of these examples show that the business links have extended children’s thinking and stimulated interest in the local community. The work has also helped the school to have a high profile in the locality.

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with the Education and Business Partnership. This has resulted in children having a

• The systems developed for keeping track of the progress that children make in their

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

positive impact on the standards attained.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

The school has created a very effective system of tracking children’s progress. This involves taking account of their test results as well as giving consideration to what is happening in lessons. Alongside this the school has developed very effective systems to set appropriate targets to help children improve. The two systems link together well to help the school be in a good position to have realistic expectations of the progress likely to be made by the children during each term.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

These relatively new systems involve placing children into ability groups. Detailed analysis of a piece of work from a typical child in each group is then made. This analysis outlines what they are already achieving and links this to a level descriptor from the National Curriculum. By doing this, the teachers are able to determine what the child is already achieving and what needs to be done next in order to move the learning on. By choosing only one member from each ability group the system is manageable and does not put unrealistic pressure on the teachers. A very effective system of recording the information is used to help teachers to assess present work and make predictions.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

The analysis allows the teachers to set targets on a termly basis. At the end of the term a further analysis is made which helps teachers to determine the amount of progress that has been made. This also allows the teachers to feel confident of setting daily targets when necessary. This was evident in a Year 4/5 class where children had individual targets based on the group targets recorded termly. This system is particularly helpful for children, who know exactly what they need to do to improve their own work. In Year 5/6 individual writing targets, outlined in their exercise books, helps to develop a very effective dialogue between the child and the teacher. Dunn Street Primary School - 14 The system is giving the school realistic, sensible and manageable targets for the future. It also means that because the targets are linked to National Curriculum levels then the progress made by groups of children is upper-most in the teachers’ mind. This leads to standards being improved and the rate with

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

which they are improved being carefully measured. Dunn Street Primary School - 15 • Teachers are very effective in managing the behaviour of children who, in turn, work hard and are keen to learn.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

In each of the classes there are children with the potential to be disruptive. However, due to the good behaviour management skills of individual teachers the children work productively and enthusiastically and put a great deal of energy into their work.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

Teachers use a range of effective strategies to achieve this positive atmosphere. There is a ‘whole- school’ behaviour policy, which is used to good effect and helps children to understand what is, and is not, acceptable behaviour. Within each classroom there is evidence of children having been involved in talking about the school ‘rules’ and writing captions that remind them of the important aspects they need to remember. The teachers are aware of the need to keep whole class introductions interesting and lively. The pace of these introductions is brisk and good questioning from teachers keeps all children involved. This was seen in all classes and was particularly effective with Year 2 children during a literacy lesson. During this lesson the teacher was working on rhyming words and she successfully generated much enthusiasm amongst the children. When they moved from the whole class situation to group tasks there was very little lost time and they quickly settled to their tasks.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

There are occasions when teachers effectively reinforce aspects of personal development into the main theme of the lesson. Twas done to very good effect in a literacy lesson with the oldest children. In this lesson the teacher read an extract from the book ‘Kes’, which has a strong theme about bullying. The teacher’s questioning focused on appropriate aspects of behaviour and provided children with opportunities to discuss what is and is not acceptable ways of behaving and responding. The use of the theme in this case acted as a catalyst to a very mature debate on the issues.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

The teachers are very aware of the potential difficulties that can occur if children are grouped inappropriately. They are careful about the seating positions of children and talk openly with children about why they might choose not sit next to someone if this is likely to lead to minor disruption and a loss of concentration. The children respond maturely to these issues and can explain why sitting next to someone might temp them to behave inappropriately.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

The good behaviour management skills employed by teachers can best be illustrated by appreciating the difficulties encountered in the nursery and, to a lesser extent, the reception classes. In these classes the teachers have to work extremely hard to retain children’s undivided attention. The children in the nursery find it difficult to settle for any prolonged period of time despite the stimulating tasks that they are given. For example, during a whole class singing session only half the group fully participate despite the good use of visual aids to help the children focus on the singing. The teachers in both nursery and reception have to work very hard to help children develop good working habits. Teachers in the nursery and reception do this to good effect enabling other teachers to benefit from their good organisation and management in later years.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

One of the most important factors regarding the good behaviour of children is the consistency of approach from all staff. This leads to the good behaviour and attitudes being extended beyond the classroom to the dining hall and playground. The children know exactly what is expected of them and the successful channelling of their energies into their work results in them being keen to learn and to them achieving well.

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learning and of providing them with targets for the future are very good and make a

• The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are effectively taught ensuring that children

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achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in

other subjects. Dunn Street Primary School - 16 Each teacher in the school is very confident and knowledgeable about the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. This helps them to concentrate on teaching the basic skills and give good attention to the use made by children of these skills.

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achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in

Teachers’ planning for literacy and numeracy is very thorough. They use the national guidance provided for teachers to good effect and are aware of the needs of individual children. Their planning takes into account children’s the prior knowledge and what they need to do next in order to improve. This is seen in the reception class where the teacher enables children to practise counting forwards and backwards so as to help reinforce the order of number. It is also seen in a Year 5/6 class when they create a frequency table, which requires them to call upon information they have learnt in a previous lesson.

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achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in

In literacy, the teachers of younger children in particular effectively use a range of skills to help children read. Good attention is given to phonics with children knowing from an early age the sounds made by different combinations of letters. They also focus on recognising unknown words by reading on and initially making a sensible attempt at working out the unknown word. In a Year 2 literacy lesson the teacher successfully works at children’s expression by reading aloud in a lively manner. The children’s own reading is also full of expression indicating that they are regularly encouraged to develop expression when reading. The same teacher gives additional emphasis to phonics through work on rhymes in a poem she is reading with the children. The teachers of younger children base much of their teaching on the ‘formal’ teaching of these skills. It is proving to be successful as can be noted from the well above average results when compared to similar schools they achieve in reading at

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achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in

The teachers of older children build on this solid platform and by the time they are in Year 6 children are confident enough to write for a range of purposes. For example, the most able children in Year 6 are able to apply their writing skills to good effect in dealing maturely with sexism and other social issues. The majority of Year 6 children are able to understand how a sentence is constructed and use technical terms such as: compound; complex and sub-ordinate clause. The teacher of Year 4/5 is able to use advertisements to help children understand about the use of persuasive words. The children quickly recognise the potential power of words or phrases, especially those associated with photographs and appreciate how they can be used for positive and negative purposes. There are very good opportunities for children to use their writing in science, religious education and history. The children make good use of the range of writing that they have been taught during the literacy sessions.

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achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in

For example, reporting the results of their experiments in science or writing as journalists about a battle from history. The continued good attention to basic literacy skills ensures that children attain standards that are well above those of similar schools when they are in Year 6.

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achieve well in English and mathematics. Children use these skills appropriately in

In mathematics, the good use of mental and oral sessions helps teachers to improve children’s response to basic number work. From reception onwards there is good emphasis on developing this aspect of children’s work. The good attention to teaching basic number skills helps children at the age of 11 to attain above the national average and well above the average of similar schools. Importantly, the teachers are aware of helping the children to find ways of using their skills to develop other work. In science and design and technology as well as in aspects of geography, children use their knowledge of number to create tables, charts and statistics to record work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Dunn Street Primary School - 17 • Subject co-ordinators do not check children’s work on a regular basis and have only a limited overview of their area of responsibility.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Despite improvements having taken place in relation to the role of co-ordinators since the previous inspection there is still some way to go before co-ordinators are in a position to have an effective overview of the way their subject is taught.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The co-ordinators are effective in ensuring that there is an up-to-date policy and scheme of work for their subject. There has also been good preparation to implement the changes to the National Curriculum, which will come into force in September 2000. They are aware of the resources that exist in school and act in an advisory capacity for their colleagues. However, they are not in a good position to check on the standards that are being attained and on the quality of the provision for their subject across the school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

There is some nervousness amongst staff when it comes to their taking on a wider role. They are not appropriately skilled for the additional tasks they need to undertake and require suitable training to help them improve their effectiveness and to contribute to the further improvement of the school. For example, they do not regularly check samples of children’s work and there is a lack of confidence amongst co-ordinators in doing this necessary work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The limitations of their present role does not give them a good platform for being able to assess how well their subject is being taught or how well children attain. In the core subjects of English, mathematics and science the headteacher has very effective systems for analysing test results. He does share this information with the staff but the co-ordinators are not in a position of working out what they need to do to maintain good standards or indeed to improve them. The quality of teaching is at present checked by the headteacher, which is appropriate for a school of this size. However, the co- ordinators are unaware of the criteria used for making judgements about the effectiveness of teaching in their subject. The lack of professional development is hindering their ability to develop their role.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• Children’s use of spoken English is restricted and impedes their ability to use a wide written vocabulary especially when describing events and places.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

One of the main handicaps to improving children’s written work is the impoverished spoken language that they use. The initial assessments made with the children as they start in the nursery and reception classes shows that they have difficulty communicating at the levels expected for their age.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The school is very aware of the issue and does give appropriate time to help children develop spoken English. However, difficulties remain especially in relation to the range of words used in everyday communication. An appropriate speaking and listening policy and guidance has been produced which outlines activities that can be undertaken with different year groups. However, this is having only a limited impact on improving children’s speaking skills.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

One of the most difficult issues for the school is that the restricted language used in communicating is adversely affecting children’s written work. During lessons children struggle for fluency in their speaking. Despite stimulating and interesting lessons the children’s responses to teacher’s questions tends to be restricted to remarks like, ‘It was funny’. Despite the good opportunities provided for children to use literacy skills in other subjects, older children struggle to find the range of technical words necessary to help them with specific scientific description.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The children are able to learn about the use of punctuation and grammar. They have good understanding about the structure of a sentence and of how to use speech marks. However, when it Dunn Street Primary School - 18 comes to describing events and places in their stories their language tends to be very restricted and this deflects from the imaginative effort that they put into their work. Written passages will contain many errors, such as mixing ‘are’ and ‘our’. These errors can be directly attributed to the way they speak, as are the errors they make with tenses, for example, ‘was’ and ‘were’.

p.17

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The writing of all children shows that they are not using a wide vocabulary. For example, Year 4 children tend to restrict their writing to words that they know and are not confident enough to experiment with unfamiliar words. This is the case throughout the school and limits their writing, especially when it come to writing descriptive passages.

p.18

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• The outside boundary to the school is not secure and constitutes a serious health and safety hazard. The school has a serious issue relating to the security of the outside grounds. The school building is itself very secure and there are several systems in place to ensure that the children are safe during lesson times. However, the lack of an appropriate boundary fence to enclose the school grounds is a safety hazard.

p.18

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The younger children’s playground is situated at the front of the school and is not enclosed. This means that young children have direct access to the road and puts unrealistic pressure on supervisors, especially during lunchtimes. The other issue is that anyone can walk across the school grounds at anytime. This has happened on more than one occasion. There is also free access to the playground for stray dogs. Again, this is something the staff of the school has had to contend with.

p.18

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

This was raised as a serious issue in the last inspection and although some internal fencing has made it safer for nursery children the outside boundary of the school remains a problem. The governors have worked hard to bring the issue to everyone’s attention but with little success. The governors are not able to act on the situation independently because it is not within the school’s budgetary capability to fund the necessary improvements.

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to continue the good work and strive for even higher standards the governors, headteacher and staff need to:

p.18

Develop the role of subject co-ordinators so that:

• they are in a position to have a better overview of the standards that are being attained in their subjects; • they are better placed to check on the achievement made by children of differing abilities; • they regularly check on the work that is being produced so that they can recognise where there are strengths and weaknesses.

p.18

Improve children’s spoken English by:

Dunn Street Primary School - 19 • considering ways of helping to increase their vocabulary; • providing regular opportunities for them to use descriptive language in everyday communication.

p.19

Improve the school’s security by erecting a fence that encloses the grounds and making it

safe for children to play and to prevent trespass.

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 162

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 120

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 46

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Dunn Street Primary School - 20 Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

p.20

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.20

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Dunn Street Primary School - 21

p.20

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 17 11 28

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 6

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 75 86 79 at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 71 86 86 at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.21

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 6 12 18

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 3 5 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 11 11

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 72 89 94 at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 3 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 11 12

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 72 94 100 at NC level 4 or above National 68 (63) 69 (65) 75 (72)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Dunn Street Primary School - 22

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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.

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.2 Financial year 1999/2000

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 340910.00

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1785.00

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 45 Balance brought forward from previous year 9158.00

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 17773.00

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Dunn Street Primary School - 23

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 59 37 0 0 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 44 0 0 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 48 26 15 0 11

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 70 26 4 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 81 11 4 0 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 81 15 0 0 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 67 26 0 0 7

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 89 7 0 0 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 30 7 0 4

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 33 30 26 7 4

p.23