Woodmansterne School

WOODMANSTERNE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th – 22 nd March 2001

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WOODMANSTERNE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full 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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WOODMANSTERNE 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. Woodmansterne Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Woodmansterne Primary School Stockport Road Streatham Vale Lambeth London

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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 Amanda Morgan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 th June 1996 Woodmansterne Primary School - 2

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Aspect responsibilities

3669 T Maslin Registered inspector Geography The school's results and pupils' achievements How well are pupils taught? 9537 C Marden Lay inspector Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well is the school led and managed? 22577 M Hart Team inspector Equal opportunities English Art How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 27061 I Stainton-James Team inspector Special educational needs Mathematics History Religious education 16773 R Arora Team inspector English as an additional language Information and communication technology Physical education 23385 S Gerred Team inspector The foundation stage Science Design and technology Music 19205 H Wilson Team inspector How well does the school work in partnership with parents?

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Woodmansterne Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Woodmansterne Primary School is situated in Streatham Vale in the south of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a large infant and junior school with a recently opened nursery. There are 359 pupils in Key stages 1 and 2, with a further 139 pupils in the foundation stage, 79 of whom are part time pupils in the nursery. Forty-two per cent of the pupils come from homes where English is not the first language, the main languages being Gujerati, Urdu, Punjabi and Kutchi. This figure is very high by National Standards and includes some 4 per cent who are refugees. The school population is socially diverse and a quarter of the pupils are eligible for a free school meal, a figure which is above the national average. On entry to the school, the pupils' attainments in English and mathematics are substantially below that which would be expected for children of a similar age. A fifth of the pupils have a special educational

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

need, which is broadly average. Of these, three pupils have a statement for their special educational need and a further 22 pupils are receiving outside specialist help for particular learning difficulties. Overall, the attainment profile of the school's intake is similar to the intake at the time of the previous inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school with a number of very good features. The leadership and the management of the school are good, with very good leadership from the headteacher, deputy headteacher and governing body. This has led to improved teaching and rising standards within the school, particularly in English. The school provides a good education for all its pupils, with very good provision for pupils for whom English is an additional language and those with a special educational need. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• There is very good leadership from the headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governing body, which gives rise to an effective strategic development for the school. • Teaching is good for the foundation stage and at Key Stage 1 and in most classes in Key Stage 2. • There is very good access to the curriculum for all pupils, including very good specific provision for pupils with English as an additional language and those who have a special educational need; the support staff make a strong, positive contribution to this provision. • The provision for the pupils' personal development and relationships and for their moral, social and cultural development is very good. As a result, the pupils work and play harmoniously together. • The pupils' achievements are good in English and mathematics and are very good in music. • The quality and range of learning opportunities for children in the foundation stage are very good.

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What could be improved

• Consistent use of ongoing assessment and the monitoring of its effectiveness. • The establishment of the Senior Management Team and the role of the co-ordinators in monitoring teaching and learning. • Standards in information and communication technology. 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 has sustained a good level of improvement since its last inspection. The quality of teaching has improved, maintaining the very good ethos for learning in the school identified at the last inspection. The sustained emphasis on developing literacy and numeracy has been successful. Standards have improved faster than the national rate in English and mathematics to the position where the school is now performing well by comparison with schools with a similar intake. The school is aware that standards have slipped in information and communication technology and has already begun to remedy this. Most of the action points from the last inspection have been tackled well, but ongoing assessment is not yet sufficiently well used to inform daily planning. As a result of recent staff changes, the management role of key stage and subject co-ordinators needs developing once more. Woodmansterne Primary School - 5

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

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Key

Children enter the nursery with standards well below those of children of a similar age. As a result of good teaching in the foundation stage they make good progress and achieve well, although standards in English and mathematics are still low when they enter Key Stage 1.

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Key

Pupils continue to make good or very good progress through Key Stage 1, achieving well or very well, so that, by the age of 7, standards in English are in line with national expectations and in mathematics are good. Standards are high when compared with similar schools. Good progress in English and mathematics is maintained through Key Stage 2. Results compare well with similar schools. Analysis of the results shows that, despite the dip in mathematics in 2000, progress for these pupils had been good. While standards in science are satisfactory overall, they are good in those aspects, which are tested at age 11. Test results are good in science and very good when compared with similar schools.

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Key

In the other subjects of the curriculum, progress is satisfactory and standards are generally in line with national expectations. Exceptions are music, where very good progress leads to very high standards, information and communication technology, where standards are generally too low throughout the school, and art, design technology and geography, where standards of the able children should be higher at the end of Key Stage 2.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes to their schooling, which make a positive contribution to their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms There is good behaviour around the school, with incidences of bullying or oppressive behaviour being extremely rare and quickly dealt with.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships and the pupils' personal development are very good and are a strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is marginally below the national average. The school has very good procedures in place for encouraging high attendance. Punctuality is good.

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Aspect Comment

The very good relationships and personal development are a strength of the school which enable this multi-racial community to live and work together productively and in harmony. Good attitudes to their work and generally good behaviour make a strong, positive contribution to the quality of the pupils' learning. Woodmansterne Primary School - 6

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

Lessons seen overall Good Good Satisfactory 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

Teaching of mathematics is good in the foundation stage, very good at Key Stage 1 and good overall at Key Stage 2. Teaching of English is good in the foundation stage, good at Key Stage 1 and satisfactory at Key Stage 2, although nearly half is good or better and there is no unsatisfactory teaching of English. This consistent quality has a very strong impact on the pupils' progress throughout the school.

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

Teaching is consistently very good or excellent in music, where there is a specialist teacher, which leads to very high standards in music. Teaching is good in all areas of the foundation stage curriculum and is good in science at Key Stage 1. In the other areas in both key stages teaching is satisfactory. A particular aspect, which needs attention, is the inconsistent use by teachers of the day-to-day assessment of progress to modify planning of future lessons. This was the root cause of the small amount of unsatisfactory and poor teaching, which was observed. Pupils generally make satisfactory gains in knowledge, although the changes the school has introduced to the teaching of information and communication technology have yet to make an impact on standards, which are still too low.

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

This subject balance of good and satisfactory teaching reflects the strong and appropriate focus the school has given to ensuring the full development of the pupils' literacy and numeracy skills, which are well taught.

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

Overall, 20 per cent of the teaching was judged to be very good or better, 94 per cent was satisfactory or better, with nearly two thirds being good or better. Just 6 per cent was unsatisfactory, of which one third was poor.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum There is a broad and balanced curriculum in place and the choice the school has made to devote a high proportion of time to English has been appropriate for its particular pupils. Curriculum access for all pupils is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs. They make very good progress and achieve very well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is very good provision for pupils with English as an additional language, which enables them to make good progress and achieve well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There is very good provision for the pupils' moral, social and cultural development and this is a strength of the school. Provision for spiritual development is satisfactory. The pupils are encouraged to accept responsibility and they demonstrate very good personal development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares well for its pupils. Procedures for child protection are very good. The school provides effective personal support, but does not Woodmansterne Primary School - 7 have fully effective procedures for assessing and supporting the pupils' academic progress in the complete curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school cares well for its pupils. Parents' views of the school are strongly positive and there are good links with the school. Parents contribute appropriately to their children's learning at home. The curriculum contains a high component of English and mathematics, which is appropriate for the school's pupils. All these positive aspects are strongly beneficial to the pupils' learning.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide very effective leadership. Recent staff changes have led to a lack of senior managers and an underdeveloped role for the subject co-ordinators, which is impeding the speed of the school's progress.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors have a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are very effective in fulfilling their responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has good procedures for monitoring its overall performance and taking effective action.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school has very good procedures for deploying its resources to the maximum effect for its pupils. There is a very good match and use of teachers and support staff, although one Year 6 class is currently without a permanent teacher. Accommodation is good. Some subjects lack sufficient resources to enable the best possible progress. Educational priorities are very well supported by careful financial planning. The principles of best value are effectively applied.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping pupils become mature and responsible. • The school has high expectations of pupils. • Some parents feel their children do not get the right amount of homework. • Some parents consider the range of outside activities to be insufficient.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive views of the parents. However, although homework makes a positive contribution to the pupils' progress, there are inconsistencies between classes. There is a good range of outside activities. Woodmansterne Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the nursery with standards well below those of children of similar age. They have poorly developed skills, particularly in mathematics and in communication, language and literacy. Many children have difficulty, for example, in their use of language to express their knowledge and understanding of the world. They have a poor understanding of books and few are able to tell a story from looking at the pictures as they turn the pages. Because of the good teaching in both the nursery and reception classes, they make good progress in all aspects of their learning in the foundation stage. They enter Key Stage 1 with standards that are broadly in line with children of a similar age in all areas except language, where standards are still below those which would be expected, and mathematics where standards are still very weak.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In English, all pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1. Standards in reading and writing have improved significantly since the last inspection and the numbers of pupils attaining the higher levels in the end of key stage tests has increased. Pupils with English as an additional language are able to communicate their intended meaning well, although they have not yet completely mastered the structure and grammar of English. Because of the good teaching the pupils receive, their attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with the national expectations for writing, above national expectations for reading and well above the standards reached by similar schools in the national tests for 2000 in both these areas. Good teaching ensures continued good progress through Key Stage 2. By age 11 most pupils are confident readers and can access a wide range of texts. They write in a broad range of styles and contexts, making use of dictionaries

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and reference books. Higher attainers use interesting and well-chosen vocabulary to express the mood they wish to convey. In the end of key stage tests, standards dipped sharply in 1996 and have risen consistently since then. By 2000 they were in line with national averages and well above the standards achieved by similar schools. The inspection findings confirm these improved standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Standards in mathematics have improved since the last inspection. The pupils make very good progress through Key Stage 1. Very good teaching ensures that, by the end of the key stage, standards are good. In the tests for seven year olds in 2000 the standards were above the national average and well above those being achieved by similar schools. Pupils for whom English is an additional language make the same very good progress as their peers. Good progress continues throughout Key Stage 2. Standards fell back in the 2000 national tests and were in line with the national average. However, comparative data shows this group of pupils still made good progress through the key stage and their test results were above those achieved by pupils from similar schools. The inspection findings confirm these improved standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The standards observed in science have been maintained since the last inspection and are in line with national expectations at age 7 and at age 11. With good teaching, the pupils make good progress through Key Stage 1, even though standards achieved at the end of the key stage were below the national average. Progress is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 2, although good progress is made in those aspects of science which are subject to the end of key stage national tests. Thus, the results in 2000 showed improvement on the previous years, being above the national average and well above the results achieved in similar schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in music are very high throughout the school and pupils make very good progress. This represents a very good improvement since the last inspection. Standards in design and technology at the age of 11 are not as high as they should be and this represents a fall in standards since the last inspection. Standards in information and communication technology have dropped very slightly since last time and are unsatisfactory at both key stages. Standards in art, geography, history, physical education and religious education are broadly the same as at the time of the last inspection and progress is satisfactory, although some improvement is needed at the higher levels Woodmansterne Primary School - 9 of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in art and geography. In all these subjects pupils with English as an additional language make the same progress in learning as their peers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school's targets in English and mathematics for its end of Key Stage 2 results are sufficiently challenging and it is on course to reach them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Since the previous inspection, the provision for and progress of pupils with special educational needs and statements has been improved and enhanced. They make good to very good progress as a result of specialist teaching and their overall achievement is good because work in most lessons is closely matched to their needs. The school is quick to identify pupils with special needs and their achievement is further enhanced by participation in musical performances such as the orchestra and choir. All pupils with individual educational programmes continue to achieve with their designated tasks, which are regularly reviewed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils have good attitudes to school. They come in happily in the morning and quickly settle to their work. In lessons, they work hard and try to achieve what the teachers ask them to do, listening attentively and sustaining their concentration. Pupils enjoy school and show great interest in their lessons and in extra-curricular activities, showing pride in their work and being keen to move onto the next task. Many of them take part in the clubs the school organises, for example the orchestra, football and netball teams.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils with special educational needs have very positive attitudes to their learning. They relate well to other pupils, teachers and learning support assistants, show a lot of interest in school life and participate fully in school activities. The same positive attitudes are demonstrated by the pupils for whom English is an additional language.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils behave well, both during lessons and at play. They move sensibly round the school and are polite to visitors, opening doors for them and offering to carry things for them. During the inspection there was no evidence of bullying or oppressive behaviour and parents felt that the school would deal well with any concerns. In the last year there were two fixed term exclusions for physical violence. Attendance is satisfactory. It is very slightly below the national average, but unauthorised absence is below the national average.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Relationships within the school community are very good and a strength of the school. There is a very high degree of racial harmony, with pupils from all ethnic groups playing and working happily together. In class pupils readily help each other. For example, in a Year 5 class a pupil helped another one who spoke very little English take part in the lesson. The personal development of pupils is very good. In numeracy and literacy lessons pupils work well on their own while the teacher is working with other groups of pupils. School council members take their responsibilities seriously and represent the views of their classmates to the school council meetings. They then report on the actions of the school council in assembly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. The quality of teaching is good in the foundation stage and in Key Stage 1, with no unsatisfactory teaching in either of these two phases. In Key Stage 2 the teaching is satisfactory overall. This represents an improvement since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. Almost two thirds of the teaching was judged good or better, giving the pupils a very firm base for their learning. One fifth of the teaching observed was very good or excellent, which is nearly double that achieved at the time of the last inspection. In this inspection, six per cent was unsatisfactory or poor, which is half the amount of unsatisfactory teaching seen last time. This amounted to just less than ten per cent of the Key Stage 2 teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. Teaching in the nursery and reception is good, enabling the children to make good progress. The Woodmansterne Primary School - 10 curriculum is well planned and organised to offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. There are very good day-to-day evaluations about how well children are doing and this information is used effectively to plan the next steps, particularly in the nursery. The deployment of support staff is highly effective and they make a strong positive contribution to the children's learning. The good management of the children ensures a calm, happy and purposeful working atmosphere in a rich and stimulating learning environment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. At Key Stage 1 the teaching is good overall. It is very good in mathematics and music, good in English and science and satisfactory in information and communication technology, physical education and religious education. Insufficient teaching was observed in the other subjects from which to make a judgement. The teaching of the basic skills of literacy and numeracy is good. The school has made English and mathematics a high priority and this is reflected in the consistently high quality of the planning, presentation, organisation and expectations of pupils in these two subjects. Lively introductions, such as when Year 2 pupils were ordering and finding the missing number in a sequence in mathematics, maintain a good pace and challenge. Good use of well- earned praise ensures that the pupils’ self-esteem is high. The pupils respond positively and achieve high gains in knowledge. Less attention has been given to the other subjects of the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

curriculum and the planning and organisation of these is, understandably, not so intense. The use of day-to-day assessment to modify teaching plans for the next lesson is inconsistent. Sometimes this means that the work is too difficult or too easy and, in information and communication technology, progress is not what it should be.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Music teaching remains at a very high standard through Key Stage 2. Music is provided by a specialist teacher throughout the school. Planning is exemplary and builds successfully on the pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. The very good subject knowledge and expertise of the teacher are shared enthusiastically with the pupils. The pace is brisk and expectations of pupils’ participation and achievements are high. Time and resources are well organised. As a result pupils enjoy their lessons and develop a high level of critical and performing skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Overall the teaching of mathematics is good at Key Stage 2, although the programme being used with Year 5 at the time of the inspection was not fully appropriate. This was because the school had misunderstood how to implement a recent government initiative for a short series of booster sessions for this year group. The lessons were well managed and ordered, but the content of the lessons was not well matched to the pupils' needs and they did not learn enough. Both lessons were unsatisfactory because of this. The general standard of progress and achievement in mathematics in Year 5 indicates that such slow learning is not usual for these pupils. This reflects, too, that the use of day-to-day assessment is inconsistent in Key Stage 2.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching in the remaining subjects is generally at least satisfactory. Teachers have a secure understanding of the curriculum and are able to present work appropriately. The good teaching builds successfully on pupils' previous learning, combining high expectations with a well organised classroom. For example, in one Year 6 class, the teacher began by giving pupils good feedback about their observational drawings of the reproductive organs of a flower from an earlier lesson. As a result of this, pupils took more care and represented what they observed with increased accuracy. However, another Year 6 class is without a permanent teacher. While planning for this class is appropriate for English and mathematics, a lack of continuity in the planning for some of the other subjects, such as science and physical education, led to unsatisfactory lessons with a poor pace and a lack of real learning by the pupils. Overall, the standard of teaching in the key

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Throughout the school, homework is used appropriately to support the pupils' learning, although there are inconsistencies in its use between classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. There is very good support provided, specifically by the special needs co-ordinators, teachers and learning support assistants, for all pupils with special educational needs in their lessons and to promote their learning of literacy and numeracy skills. In addition the special needs teachers and other specialists provide specific learning for statemented pupils with physical, sensory, behavioural and learning difficulties. The excellent provision and support for the statemented pupils Woodmansterne Primary School - 11 results in these pupils making very good progress. Class teachers take into account the attainment and needs of pupils with special educational needs to support them in their lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Similarly, there is very good teaching provision for pupils with English as an additional language. There are good links between their class teachers, the two co-ordinators for the area and the support staff who work with them to develop their use of English. This ensures full access to the curriculum and, as a result, they make good progress.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. The school’s curriculum is suitably broad and includes all the required subjects of the National Curriculum, and religious education. For children under five the school offers a very good curriculum, based on the new Foundation Stage scheme of work. There is a good programme of personal, social and health education, which includes drugs awareness and sex education. The quality of the curriculum has been maintained since the last inspection and meets all statutory requirements.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The balance of the curriculum is satisfactory. While an unusually high allocation of time is devoted to English, the school’s circumstances, in particular the low standards of English when the pupils first enter the school and the high number of pupils for whom English is an additional language, justify the decision. The school’s good results in end of key stage tests and the progress made by all pupils (including English language learners and pupils with special educational needs) indicate that the curriculum balance is effective for this school. However, the topic based planning, as it is currently practised, does not always allow sufficient development of the subject specific skills for some of the other subjects, for example, geography, art and design and technology.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. The school ensures very good access to its curriculum for all pupils through the support it provides from specialist teaching staff. These staff have expertise in teaching English as an additional language or in teaching pupils with special educational needs and they work very well as a team with classroom teachers to help pupils gain full access to the curriculum. There is also good provision of classroom assistants who support pupils’ learning; these staff are well trained and well deployed and make a significant contribution to equality of access. Most of the support for pupils with additional needs takes place in the classroom. Teachers provide adapted or additional materials to help them progress. One pupil uses Braille to access the curriculum and is very well supported by staff and by other pupils. Learning mentors support pupils identified as having particular emotional needs and work with the school on improving attitudes, attendance and

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

motivation. Booster classes and additional literacy help are provided for identified pupils and the school refers gifted and talented pupils to take part in local projects.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25. The school has adopted both the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy and both are successfully implemented. The rise in standards over the past three years, the good achievement and the progress of pupils from well below average attainment on entry to average attainment by the end of Year 6, demonstrate the success of the school’s strategies for both numeracy and literacy.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. Provision for personal, social and health education is good. Year 6 pupils have drugs awareness lessons; there is good co-operation from the police and from Health personnel and often involvement of an interactive drama group. Pupils participate in an Emergency Services Young Citizen scheme in which they learn how to deal with emergencies and are given practical experience of role-playing what they have learned in mock emergency situations. Specific lessons, known as "circle times", are devoted to the development of the pupils’ social and interpersonal skills and give opportunities for them to discuss problems and personal issues.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. A minority of parents expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of extra-curricular activities offered by the school. Inspection evidence does not support this view; there are good opportunities for enrichment of the curriculum, both after school and during the school day. There is extremely high Woodmansterne Primary School - 12 participation in school choir and orchestra activities; football and netball are played after school and in other terms there is cricket coaching and gymnastics coaching. Puppet making, musical performances and art workshops have taken place, led by visiting artists. Pupils have visited the theatre, opera, galleries and museums and have performed at the Millennium Dome through their good Education Business Partnership links. There are close links with the local Sainsburys; the pupils sing carols every year and the school has twice been awarded sets of framed paintings as

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

part of the store's schools' liaison scheme. Social events are organised through the parent teacher association and cycling proficiency courses are run regularly.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school has very good links with partner institutions, for example, Goldsmiths’ College, Roehampton Institute, the Institute of Education and Kings College Department of Child Studies, with which the school has worked on a scheme for supporting parents in the education of their children.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual development. There are opportunities for reflection and for sharing in values; there is a spiritual and inspirational contribution from songs and hymns in assemblies and pupils have opportunities to talk about their own religious beliefs and customs to their schoolmates. Displays of religious artefacts can be seen in classrooms and are treated respectfully by pupils of all religions. Pupils rejoice in the achievement of others, for example, the pupil who read out from a Braille version, in assembly, the letter he had received from a famous author in reply to his own letter to her. Art and music and, to some extent, science lessons also make a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual development.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. All staff offer good models of consideration for others but staff also explicitly teach pupils how to behave, to know right from wrong and to relate to each other. They do this both in lessons and in “circle times” in which pupils learn to relate positively to each other and to express and listen to the worries and concerns of others. The School Council provides further opportunities for pupils to take part in decision-making and to take responsibility. All these measures contribute to the good behaviour and relationships seen in the school and the absence of bullying and oppressive behaviour. The school ensures that all cultural backgrounds are respected and valued. The musical life of the school is outstandingly strong. Books are well chosen to reflect the diversity of the school, and examples of art, dance and music are drawn from all cultures – for example, an Indian dance group

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

takes place at lunch times. The good provision helps all pupils to feel valued and comfortable in the school and this promotes their learning well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school continues to provide very good care for its pupils. The key issue in the last report for improving procedures for assessment to include clear guideline on day-to-day marking and more rigorous and consistent assessment of pupils’ progress against national expectations has been partially tackled.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The headteacher, premises manager and governors regularly check the school site to identify any hazards. Staff log all safety concerns and the premises manager promptly deals with them. The school has very good procedures and practices for ensuring pupils’ welfare. Child protection procedures are in place and there are three members of staff who are fully trained to deal with any issues.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school’s behaviour policy is very good. The staff’s skilful handling of any behavioural problems is very good and makes a significant contribution to the good behaviour in the school. Staff consistently work to build pupils' self-confidence and esteem; this encourages pupils to want to achieve. The school has an appropriate policy on how to deal with any incidents of alleged bullying. The appointment of two learning mentors to the school contributes to the very good provision for personal development. In a four week period at the beginning of this year they improved punctuality by over 50 per cent. There are very good procedures for monitoring and improving attendance. The school follows up all un-notified absences and discourages parents from taking extended holidays Woodmansterne Primary School - 13 in term time.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The monitoring of pupils' academic performance is satisfactory overall. Assessment of mathematics and English has improved since the last inspection. There is an assessment policy and procedures are in place to monitor coverage of the subjects and to assess the levels the pupils are working at. Work is levelled against national expectations and teachers record pupils’ achievements. There is good educational support for pupils through the targets they have in mathematics and English. However, in the other subjects, except for music, there is very little formal assessment. In all subjects, except music, teachers do not consistently use assessment information to modify and amend their day-to-day curriculum planning. The school has introduced a marking policy, but teachers are not yet using it consistently throughout the school.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The support and provision for the pupils with special educational needs is very good and is excellent for those pupils with a statement of their need. At present this is closely monitored by the two special needs co-ordinators on the basis of individual need. There are also good links with many outside agencies, such as speech therapists and educational psychologists, thus ensuring that all pupils on the register receive appropriate support. The individual educational plans, drawn up by class teachers in consultation with the special needs co-ordinators and parents, all contain goals and targets, which are regularly reviewed.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The very good knowledge that staff have of their pupils’ needs, in conjunction with the very good relationships they have with their pupils, are central to the academic support and very good level of personal support they give to their pupils. "Circle time" and assemblies contribute to pupils’ personal development.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. The majority of parents have a positive view of the school; they indicate that their children are making good progress and that they are generally kept well informed. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept fully informed, formally and informally, and some get involved in supporting their child’s learning at home. The majority of parents take part in the formal review of their child’s progress.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. The school has developed a number of good links and positive relationships with parents and carers. These start prior to the children’s admission to the nursery with home visits and meetings to show prospective parents the nursery and to explain the foundation stage curriculum. The effective induction process is implemented when children join the school at other times.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The school makes parents welcome and there are many informal opportunities to speak to teachers when children are brought to and collected from school. There are formal opportunities in termly parents’ meetings to discuss pupil progress and to agree targets in literacy and numeracy.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school acts upon parental concerns through, as examples, the support given for the establishment of the Trojans after-school care facility, and moving the timing of the secondary transfer meeting to the end of Year 5 from the autumn term of Year 6.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school provides parents with a range of information on the curriculum areas that the children will be covering during the term, termly information on their children's progress and annual written reports towards the end of the school year. The information communicated is not necessarily clearly understood by the parents and does not generally give sufficient information on the children’s progress in areas other than literacy and numeracy. A few of the reports scrutinised did not cover the full range of subjects required by the National Curriculum, lacking a statement about information and communication technology, and, thus, did not meet statutory requirements.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents have a positive impact on children’s learning, such as through the support with guided reading. Woodmansterne Primary School - 14

p.15

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The headteacher, in conjunction with the deputy headteacher and the governing body, provide very good leadership for the school. They have a mutual understanding of the strengths of the school and a clear vision of how to improve an already good school. The headteacher’s very effective leadership is based on improving pupils’ attainment while still providing a very high level of care. The very good school development plan runs from September 1999 to March 2002 and contains appropriate priorities to raise pupils’ attainment. The school has successfully addressed the school development priorities of raising pupils’ achievements in English and mathematics. The work of the school largely reflects its aims and values. In particular, the school is very good at promoting pupils’ positive image of themselves.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. A number of staff with managerial roles have recently left the school. This has resulted in the school having an understaffed senior management team that is not able to fully monitor all aspects of the school’s work. An example of this is the area of assessment which falls inside the range of responsibilities of the newly appointed deputy headteacher, but for which she does not have sufficient time to ensure it is used consistently across the whole school. At present she is also holding the posts of Key Stage 1 co-ordinator and English co-ordinator, as well as teaching her class for four days a week. The post of Key Stage 2 co-ordinator is currently vacant, although the headteacher monitors the planning. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors are fully aware of the need to appoint staff to these posts, in particular to distribute the unacceptable load currently assumed by the deputy headteacher, and are actively working to fill them for the summer

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. Co-ordination of subjects is satisfactory overall. However, many co-ordinators are new to the posts and have had little opportunity to influence the standards in their subjects. In mathematics and English, co-ordinators have monitored pupils’ work and the quality of teaching and learning. This has contributed to the improving standards in both key stages. Music is well co-ordinated by a subject specialist who also does most of the teaching. In all other subjects co-ordinators know the strengths and weaknesses of their subjects but do not have opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in lessons or to influence improvements in their subject areas.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The special educational needs co-ordinators are responsible for co-ordinating the work of special support assistants who work with statemented and non-statemented pupils. They liaise daily with class teachers to ensure that the needs of the pupils are being fully met. They carry out their statutory functions properly and conscientiously. The policy on special needs is in the process of being updated to reflect the regulations, which are coming in with the revised code of practice. There is a designated special needs' governor who is knowledgeable about issues and maintains a close contact with the co-ordinators.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The governing body is very effective in fulfilling its statutory requirements. It has very good procedures for gathering information about the life of the school and the impact of its decisions. They regularly visit the school and talk to staff and pupils as well as receiving formal reports from the headteacher. The outcome is that they have a very good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They see the need to develop still further their strategic role in acting as a critical friend and challenging the school.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The headteacher and governors are very tenacious in bidding for grants. They use the school’s budget and specific grants very effectively to provide pupils with a good education. The budget is closely linked to the priorities in the school development plan. The decision to employ two teachers to support pupils with English as an additional language has been particularly effective in raising attainment of these pupils. A recent initiative of employing two learning mentors has been successful in improving punctuality in the short time they have been at the school. Financial administration is very good, with the school administrative officer providing very good information to enable governors to monitor the budget effectively. The headteacher analyses statistical data to monitor pupils’ attainment against national and Lambeth averages. The school and the governing body take the appropriate steps to compare and contrast the school's performance over a range of

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

issues when planning the use of resources. Woodmansterne Primary School - 15 49. The school has a very good staffing level that includes staff supporting pupils with special educational needs, two teachers to support pupils with English as an additional language and well trained classroom assistants. The very good deployment of these staff is effective in promoting pupils' achievements. The newly qualified teachers are well supported in their first year of teaching. However, the school is currently experiencing recruitment difficulties for one Year 6 class, which is without a permanent teacher.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The accommodation at the school is good, with a number of specialist rooms including a library, two halls and a music room. There is also a new Information Technology Suite. Although the room contains sufficient resources for use with a complete class, it is cramped and the pupils have to work so close to each other that accidental interference takes place.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The building is old and governors work hard to maintain a pleasant learning environment. The school is fortunate to have large, hard outside play areas. It has a programme to improve the outside environment as funds become available. The quiet area, which was funded by the Friends Of Woodmansterne School, is a good addition to the outside provision.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. There are at least satisfactory learning resources for all subjects except for physical education where there is no appropriate climbing apparatus for the older pupils. In religious education and music there is a good range of resources. Recent spending on mathematical resources has provided very good resources for the subject and these are well organised. There are also very good resources for design and technology.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to raise standards further the governors and the school should:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) Ensure the best possible progress in all subject areas by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• establishing clear and consistently used assessment systems for pupils' day-to-day work so that teachers have a better knowledge of what pupils have learned; and • establishing whole school procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of the way the assessment system is used.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(b) Strengthen the leadership and management of the school by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• completing the establishment of the senior management team; and • developing the monitoring roles of the subject co-ordinators.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(c) Improve standards in information and communication technology (ICT) by:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing pupils' access to resources; • reviewing the use of accommodation for ICT; and • ensuring staff are fully and properly trained.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school is aware of these issues and has already identified them as areas for improvement.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues listed above, the following, less important issues should be considered in the governors' action plan: Woodmansterne Primary School - 16 i) the apparatus for physical education is unsatisfactory; ii) not all written reports for parents meet statutory requirements; iii) standards for the higher achievers in art, geography and design technology at the end of Key Stage 2 could be higher; and iv) the curriculum balance and breadth should be kept under review to ensure the topic arrangements do not affect subject standards.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs 23, 41, 101, 107 and 114) Woodmansterne Primary School - 17

p.18

THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

53. The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good and one of the major strengths of the school. The school admits a significant number of refugees. The arrangements for meeting the needs of these pupils are managed with great care and attention to detail.

p.19

THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

54. Pupils with English as an additional language mix well with their peers and are keen to participate fully in activities and school events. They are motivated, keen to learn and enjoy the attention given to them when they are supported in their learning. This was well exemplified in a group supported in the classroom for intensive language-focused activities. In this session the pupils were eager to answer questions, showed a high level of motivation and were confident to share information with each other and the teacher. Pupils responded well to the teacher's encouragement and praise, and were fully involved as they practised and rehearsed specific sentence patterns based on the story of ‘Who Sank the Boat?’

p.19

THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

55. Admission procedures are effective and appropriately focused on collecting the most useful information about a pupil's background and their linguistic competencies in English as well as their other languages. This information is recorded on a profile, which identifies, apart from pertinent background information, levels of competency in speaking and listening, reading and writing. On the basis for this assessment, appropriate targets are identified and reviewed at regular intervals. These procedures are effective because they are shared thoroughly with the classteacher, at every review stage. The bilingual classroom assistants make valuable contributions to this process of information gathering and providing well-organised support to the targeted pupils. Providing interpreters and translating texts also supports the ethnic minority pupils and their parents.

p.19

THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

56. Support for ethnic minority pupils is principally in the class. Most pupils enter school with varying degrees of spoken English. Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) staff work in partnership with the classteacher, identifying and planning how to meet the needs of ethnic minority and bilingual children in specific areas of their learning. Progress is regularly monitored and this, in turn further informs planning and target setting. Pupil performance in national tests and assessments made by classteachers is carefully analysed to identify underachievement of specific groups or individuals.

p.19

THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

57. The quality of support provided in the majority of lessons is effective and results in the pupils consolidating learning and making good progress. Most pupils attain standards in line with their indigenous peers. Those identified on early stages of English acquisition are effectively supported to achieve well in lessons. The EMAG teachers plan effectively with clear learning objectives and well-matched tasks, making good use of interesting and stimulating resources for additional language learners. A particular strength in teaching is the regular evaluation of lessons by the EMAG staff and the sharing of the information with the mainstream teachers. There are some instances where no specific staff support is available. On these occasions, pupils’ needs are not specifically and explicitly tackled, particularly the range of methods used to support pupils in coping with the language demands and the opportunities afforded for developing their language in

p.19

THE PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

58. The deployment of the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant, which is fully delegated to the school, is effectively targeted to increase specialist staffing. The staff act as good role models. The school has identified appropriate priorities for development, with a clear focus on improving standards. Classteachers are appropriately guided by EMAG staff and equipped with suitable skills and resources to enhance pupils’ progress and raise their achievement. Literacy and numeracy lessons are planned well and the teachers working with pupils are generally aware of the full range of language needs of the identified pupils. However, not all mainstream teachers give sufficient regard to plan systematically to meet individual and group needs when specialist support is not available. Woodmansterne Primary School - 18

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.20

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.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 40 419

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 108

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 78

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 184

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 51

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 48

p.20

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 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. Woodmansterne Primary School - 19

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 2000 31 29 60

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 28 28 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 24 26

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 87 (68) 87 (73) 95 (71) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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 29 27 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 25 26

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 87 (71) 87 (76) 87 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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 2000 18 30 48

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 13 13 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 18 29

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 75 (79) 65 (79) 96 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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 14 13 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 26 21 30

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 83 (69) 71 (73) 98 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Woodmansterne Primary School - 20

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 66 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 28 Black – African heritage 1 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.22

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) 15 Financial year 1999/2000

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 1079782

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 16 Expenditure per pupil 2333

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 334 Balance brought forward from previous year 13750

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year (2000) 41442

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) 2

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 82

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Woodmansterne Primary School - 21

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 42 7 1 2

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 51 7 1 3

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 40 17 3 7

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 55 37 7 1 1

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 32 7 2 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 49 44 5 1 2

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 37 51 10 1 1

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 41 46 7 1 4

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 40 7 1 3

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 26 38 16 2 19

p.23

Other issues raised by parents

No other issues were raised by the parents. Woodmansterne Primary School - 22

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Children in the Foundation Stage are taught either in the nursery, which opened in September 1999, or the reception classes. Currently, the youngest children are admitted to the nursery on a part-time basis, in the year of their fourth birthday, and transfer to full-time education in reception classes either in September or January, preceding their fifth birthday. Forty-five children attend the nursery in the morning, while 32 children attend the afternoon session. Approximately 43 per cent of children in the nursery are from homes where English is an additional language and most of these children are at very early stages of learning English. At the time of the inspection, two children in the nursery had also been identified as having special educational needs.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The previous inspection found that children’s attainment on entry to the reception classes was below that normally expected for children of this age. This inspection finds that many children begin school with poorly developed skills, particularly in communication, language and literacy and mathematics. This is confirmed by initial assessments conducted with these children. Because the nursery provision is relatively new, not all the children in the reception classes have had the benefit of three terms in the nursery. While their rate of progress overall in nursery and reception classes is good, children still have below average levels of attainment in communication, language and literacy and mathematics by the end of the Foundation Stage. However, their attainment in personal, social and emotional development, their creative and physical development, together with their knowledge and understanding of the world, is broadly typical for their age.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. There are opportunities for parents to have useful dialogue with staff at the start and end of each day. Children, in reception classes, have reading bags to take home and parents are suitably involved with their children's learning.

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

62. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority, and to good effect, in both nursery and reception classes, with teaching and learning in this area being strong. A welcoming, calm and happy environment is created with consistent and very well organised routines. This provides children with security and helps to build up their confidence. The children respond very positively to the care of the staff and to the very good role models they provide. This is instrumental in helping them to develop good attitudes to school and in forming very good relationships with adults and with each other. It plays a significant part in their good achievement. Throughout the day, children play happily alone or alongside each other. In the nursery, children gain confidence and start to play co-operatively, for example, in role-play in home-corners, greengrocer and other shops and offices or when playing with construction toys, sand and water.

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

Staff in reception classes maintain these very good relationships with children and provide very good opportunities for them to work and play co-operatively. In both the nursery and reception classes, children are made to feel valued and to learn right from wrong in a positive way which enhances their self-esteem and encourages respect and consideration for others. Teachers encourage children to take responsibility and develop independence by providing opportunities for choice and by, for example, involving them in tidying their classrooms at the end of sessions. In both nursery and reception classes, most children are well on course to attain the recommended Early Learning Goals for this area of learning.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

63. Children’s achievement and learning in communication, language and literacy is good in the Foundation Stage. This is because, through good teaching, adults tell stories in an animated and enthusiastic way and use every opportunity to talk to children, effectively promoting speaking and listening skills, as well as developing an interest in books. Children respond with enthusiasm to Woodmansterne Primary School - 23 this and are eager to read books and participate in rhymes and songs. Children with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs are well supported to enable them to make the same rate of progress as others. In reception classes, teachers encourage partnership with parents and carers in supporting children’s reading development, both at home and in school reading sessions. In both nursery and reception, teachers make good provision for children to develop early writing skills in imaginative contexts, such as a café, where they demonstrate

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

awareness that print conveys meaning by pretending to take messages, write orders and bills in the home corner or shops. However, only the most capable children write with simple words and phrases. In reception classes, children listen and respond to questions attentively, with increasing levels of concentration. They are beginning to gain some confidence as speakers. Attainment is below that typically expected by the age of five.

p.25

Mathematical development

64. Although gains in learning are good, largely due to good teaching in both the nursery and reception classes, attainment in mathematics is below that expected by the end of the Foundation Stage. In both nursery and reception, teachers provide stimulating and exciting activities and games, which engage children’s attention. They make good judgements about children’s individual needs and plan their work accordingly. Nursery children develop an awareness of numbers through sorting, matching and counting and through activity songs and rhymes. Adult interaction with children as they play in their greengrocer’s shop develops understanding of numbers and of mathematical language such as “more than” and “less than”. They become familiar with coins as they buy and sell fruit and vegetables. In reception classes, children develop an understanding of numbers 1 to 10 and are introduced to the concept of “odd” and “even” by singing counting rhymes and by

p.25

Mathematical development

recognising pairs of socks and odd ones left over. Many children recite numbers to 20 and can recognise numbers to 10 on a number line. However, few children can carry out counting operations without counters to help them or are able to relate addition to combining two groups of objects and subtraction to “taking away”.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. When they enter the nursery, many children have difficulty in expressing their knowledge and understanding of the world. However, good teaching builds on children’s natural curiosity and many opportunities are provided through direct teaching as well as independent play to develop children’s understanding of the world. In the nursery, teachers have high expectations of what the children can do and organise activities very effectively. For example, the early foundations of scientific investigation were laid by providing children with opportunities to make simple predictions and to test their ideas when selecting from a range of waterproof and non-waterproof materials to make rain clothes for their dolls. Good use is made of visits, for example to a local bakery and cafe and of visitors, such as a postman and farmer, to increase children’s knowledge of the wider world. Children in reception classes develop an awareness of their senses such as touch and smell.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

They are encouraged to use them to investigate the world around them, for example, when moulding and feeling a salt dough mixture. In both nursery and reception, children are developing competence in using computers. By the age of five, children can use a mouse to control the cursor and utilise a variety of programmes to support their work in literacy, mathematics and art. Children use a range of construction materials and recycled materials to make models. They can operate a cassette player to listen to a story. Children’s attainment is broadly as expected for this age.

p.25

Physical development

66. Regular, daily access to a wide range of outside equipment enables nursery children to increase their confidence in climbing and balancing on planks and climbing frames. Riding and pushing wheeled toys develops gross motor skills and enhances their sense of space and direction. Children in reception classes have less frequent but regular opportunity to use the outside play area for prolonged sessions. Well thought-out and structured lessons in the gym hall enable reception children to use space well and to develop good control of their bodies as they hold, Woodmansterne Primary School - 24 manipulate and move on, under and around a large “parachute”. As they do so, they learn the need for co-operation and teamwork. Very good management and control of behaviour ensures that children follow instructions and move safely within lessons. Gains in learning are good in the basic actions of travelling, balancing and the use of space and children enjoy these activities displaying a

p.25

Physical development

good amount of creative and physical effort. A good range of creative activities, both in nursery and reception, enables children to handle crayons, pencils, scissors, glue and paintbrushes with increasing control and care, developing effective hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills. The level of attainment in physical development is broadly in line with the standard expected of children of this age.

p.26

Creative development

67. Children start from a low level of skill when they enter the nursery and make good progress throughout the nursery and reception years. This is due to the planned provision of a wide range of both directed and free choice opportunities, which develop children’s creativity well. In both the nursery and reception classes, teachers set up activities where children can observe natural objects such as plants and animals, including goldfish and gerbils in the nursery. A significant contribution is made by the music co-ordinator, who provides additional teaching of a very high quality. As a consequence, attainment in music is high. Children can recognise, name and play a range of musical instruments such as claves, triangles and maracas, and most can copy a clapping rhythm of four beats. Adult-led activities promote good learning of colours, developing children’s visual perception and fine motor skills effectively so that, by the end of the Foundation

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Creative development

Stage, most children attain standards that are broadly as expected for their age.

p.26

Teaching and other factors contributing to provision:

• effective leadership by the co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage; • good teaching overall, with some very good teaching in the nursery; • very good day-to-day evaluations by staff about how well children are doing and effective use of this information, particularly in the nursery; • very good deployment of support staff and very effective contribution by them to teaching and learning; • good management of children ensuring a calm, happy working atmosphere, which is particularly impressive in the nursery classes; • rich, stimulating, attractively presented and well-resourced learning environment; and • a very well-planned and organised curriculum offering a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities.

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Teaching and other factors contributing to provision:

68. The good quality provision for children in the Foundation Stage has been maintained in the reception classes, since the previous inspection. However, the overall provision has improved as a result of the good provision now available in the nursery.

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ENGLISH

69. Standards of attainment seen in English during the inspection meet national expectations both at age seven and at age eleven. This confirms the picture suggested by the end of key stage test results in the year 2000. These show that seven-year-olds attained the levels expected on average in schools nationally and attained at significantly higher levels than children in schools with similar characteristics. The school has not only maintained the standards seen for pupils by age seven during the inspection of 1996 but has improved standards significantly in reading and writing. In particular, it has increased the numbers of pupils attaining higher levels in reading and writing tests. A comparison of pupils’ attainment on entry to the school and their attainment by age seven indicates that they make good progress; the progress made by pupils learning English as an additional language is also good, as is that of pupils with special educational needs.

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ENGLISH

70. The standards of work for eleven year olds seen during the inspection also meet national expectations, although some pupils in Year 6 show more variable attainment, almost certainly as a result of an unsettled period in one classroom with too many staff changes. In the year 2000 Woodmansterne Primary School - 25 national tests, pupils reached the average level attained by all schools nationally and higher levels than pupils in similar schools. Following the 1996 inspection, standards dropped sharply but have risen steadily since then to be in line with national expectations again. Attainment is better overall than that of pupils in similar schools and much better than similar schools in respect of the number of pupils attaining at higher levels in the tests. A comparison of test scores over time in all schools nationally indicates that Woodmansterne pupils make good progress by age eleven and much

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ENGLISH

better progress than pupils in similar schools. No differences were observed during the inspection between the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils from different ethnic groups achieve in line with their peers and those with English as an additional language make good progress. Pupils with special needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment and there are examples of excellent progress in English among pupils with statements of special needs.

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ENGLISH

71. Standards in speaking and listening are satisfactory by age seven. Listening is good and some pupils express themselves clearly in complex sentences, with an awareness of appropriate language for different situations. However, many pupils who are learning English as an additional language communicate their meaning confidently and well but have not yet completely mastered the structure and grammar of English. In the literacy hour, pupils in a Year 2 class can discuss the text of “The Ugly Duckling”, recall other similar stories and suggest adjectives to make captions more interesting. They tell the teacher when a word in the text is new to them and are keen to add it to their vocabulary. At age eleven, pupils can speak confidently, using the appropriate vocabulary to discuss their work, as in a Year 6 lesson in which they looked at imagery in a prose poem, defining and illustrating simile, metaphor and alliteration. Pupils also use good speaking and

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ENGLISH

listening skills in circle time, where they observe the conventions of speaking only when they are holding a symbolic object, listen to each other sympathetically and express their personal concerns, for example, about what they do not like about play time. They are able to make positive statements about other members of the class and ensure that their remarks are not hurtful. Higher attaining pupils achieve very good standards in speaking and listening. Pupils who are still learning English as an additional language show confidence and make good progress, often using sophisticated vocabulary but still making errors of structure or grammar.

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ENGLISH

72. Pupils’ attainment in reading at age seven is in line with national expectations for their age and much better than usual for schools with similar characteristics. More pupils than would be expected reach the higher standards in national tests and this is reflected in standards seen during the inspection. In Year 2 the most able pupils read independently, and with good understanding, storybooks consisting of several chapters of text with only occasional illustrations, while all pupils have made a good start on reading and most can read reading scheme books appropriate for their age. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language make good progress and pupils with special needs tackle appropriate work at a simpler level but still make good progress. Pupils clearly enjoy reading and books are sent home regularly; many, but not all children read with a parent at home and there are home school reading records, which contain helpful comments by

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ENGLISH

staff and parents. Pupils know about dictionaries and their reading includes non-fiction and personal research. They can look for books in the library and understand simple classification, as well as having all the necessary concepts about titles, authors, illustrators and so on.

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ENGLISH

73. Reading by age eleven is fully satisfactory by national standards and better than in most similar schools. The most able pupils can discuss and compare texts, make reference to the text to support their opinions, make deductions and predictions about what characters might do or how they feel. Almost all pupils have effective reading skills, which support their access to the whole curriculum. The majority of pupils read accurately and many read fluently, with good expression and comprehension. They are confident in reading aloud and when reading silently and independently they are able to concentrate well for long periods. They express enjoyment of their reading at all ability levels. They are given access to a very wide range of literature and writing for different purposes and they have good library and research skills including the ability to access information on computer.

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ENGLISH

74. Standards of attainment in writing are satisfactory overall by age seven and the proportion of pupils reaching higher than average levels is greater than would be expected nationally or in similar schools. Pupils write stories and poems, poetry, letters and dialogue - and they are able to use Woodmansterne Primary School - 26 their writing to support lessons across the whole curriculum. Most pupils can write simple words and phrases independently and with correct or, at least, sensible spelling; they can use word banks and writing frames. They have secure knowledge of how letters make sounds and build into words and they apply their knowledge as they write. Expectations are high that pupils will write independently or with appropriate support. Handwriting is legible and increasingly regular; more able pupils use joined handwriting by age seven. Presentation is usually satisfactory but pupils do

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ENGLISH

not always set out their work to its best effect, for example omitting margins and not underlining titles.

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ENGLISH

75. By age eleven, pupils’ writing meets national expectations. During the inspection, a wide range of written work was seen, including extended writing in personal projects, book reviews, play scripts, poetry and descriptive and narrative writing. Pupils are able to write independently and make use of dictionaries and reference books. The accuracy of spelling is in line with what is expected at this age and higher attaining pupils write fluently with an awareness of style, using interesting and well- chosen vocabulary, which expresses the mood they wish to convey. Handwriting is clear and cursive, often fluent and regular. Pupils learning English as an additional language achieve well and pupils with special needs cover a similar range of written work with additional support, or work at a simpler level on a related theme; they make good progress.

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ENGLISH

76. Pupils’ attitudes to English are generally good throughout the school and both attitudes and behaviour are consistently good in the infant classes. In the junior school, attitudes and behaviour are more variable; they are usually good, occasionally very good and even excellent, but there are a few occasions when unsatisfactory behaviour interrupts learning.

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ENGLISH

77. Teaching in English is good overall; it is most consistent in Key Stage 1, where 5 out of 7 lessons seen were good or better, with examples of very good and excellent teaching. In Key Stage 2 half of the lessons seen were good and only one lesson was unsatisfactory. Strengths of English teaching throughout the school include good knowledge and understanding of the subject, high expectations of work and behaviour and good teaching of basic skills. Relationships are very good and there is good teamwork between class teachers and supporting teachers and assistants. These strengths promote confidence, interest and good motivation in pupils. In lessons where the best practice is seen, planning is clear for all parts of the lesson and includes appropriate methods, materials and tasks for all pupils, including those with English as an additional language or with special needs. An example is an excellent and briskly-paced lesson in Year 2, in which work was

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ENGLISH

carefully matched and targets set for three levels of ability; English learners were supported by visual materials as well as additional staffing. As a result, all pupils achieved well, enjoyed their lesson and made very good and secure progress.

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ENGLISH

78. Where a lesson was unsatisfactory or had elements within it which were not satisfactory, pace was sometimes too slow, allowing pupils to become restless, as in a Year 6 class where there was insufficient structure to keep the lesson moving forward or work was not well matched to the needs and abilities of all pupils, for example, in a Year 3 class where half the pupils had chosen books which were too hard for them. Good presentation is not promoted consistently enough and insufficient use is made of information and communication technology.

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ENGLISH

79. Leadership and management in English are satisfactory and are improving as policies become embedded in practice and staffing matters resolve. The National Literacy Strategy has been well implemented, is being well used and is having a positive effect on standards. Systems are in place which ensure at least weekly assessment of pupils’ reading and writing and there is regular recording of the results of spelling tests. Pupils are aware of their targets, many of them based on higher-level skills required by the National Curriculum, and work towards them. There is a school portfolio with examples of carefully marked work illustrating each National Curriculum level and careful forecasts are made of pupils’ end of key stage performance. Teachers have sufficient expertise to ensure the accuracy of these assessments. There is good cross-curricular planning which brings history, geography and science into the literacy hour as subjects for writing work. A

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ENGLISH

staff group oversees policy and practice in literacy and there are regular discussions in year groups of how well the week’s lessons have gone. However, there are no consistently used systems to ensure that ongoing assessment is used to modify planning for future lessons, for example, to Woodmansterne Primary School - 27 repeat a topic which clearly did not go well. Assessment of speaking and listening is not in place.

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ENGLISH

80. A very high proportion of the timetable is devoted to English; because of the need for high levels of language input and support for pupils, almost half of whom have English as an additional language, this strategy has been of value, and pupils are offered good and varied curriculum opportunities in English. In addition to following the scheme of work of the National Literacy Strategy, pupils are offered a programme of research skills through lessons in the library as well as in classrooms to develop their ability to use sources of information and to work independently. They also have reading sessions and story times in addition to the Literacy Hour. Resources have recently improved and include some very good books, which motivate and interest all groups of pupils. There is a reasonably spacious and well-stocked library that is staffed so that it can be used by small groups of pupils sent out of their class for personal research and this is a good asset.

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MATHEMATICS

81. Results in national tests for eleven year olds in 2000 were broadly in line with the national average but above the national average when compared with those in similar schools. Standards in national tests and teachers’ assessments for seven year olds were above the national average whilst, when compared with similar schools, standards were very high.

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MATHEMATICS

82. Pupils for whom English is an additional language make good progress and reach similar standards to others as a result of the good support that they receive. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress and achieve standards commensurate with their abilities. Overall, standards in mathematics have shown good improvement since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Standards during the inspection were average overall throughout the school. However, the number of pupils achieving the higher levels of the National Curriculum at both key stages is above the national average. By the age of seven, most pupils can double and halve numbers up to 20, and some beyond. Many are able to count and manipulate numbers to a hundred in mental mathematics by, for example, counting on and back in tens from zero and calculating multiples of ten. Many can identify and use halves and quarters. They are able to sort and classify various two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. They are confident in ordering numbers, particularly when putting television programmes in the correct order using digital time. They are also able to record simple data and to enter them on bar charts. They have good recall of their 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x and 10x tables, which helps them to solve problems including money problems in which

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MATHEMATICS

change is involved. Appropriate vocabulary is used in all mathematics lessons and pupils take great pride in using the language for themselves, in most cases correctly.

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MATHEMATICS

84. By the age of eleven, pupils’ confidence has grown and they can use a variety of mental and written methods for calculating numbers up to 99999 and recognise digits to three decimal places. They can work out simple calculations in their heads and are confident in their use of a calculator. They understand that simple fractions can be converted into decimals. Most pupils are familiar with various angles, such as acute, obtuse and reflex, and are able to measure them using protractors as well as constructing two-dimensional shapes such as triangles. Pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of shape and draw nets in order to construct three-dimensional models. They are able to show the number of lines of symmetry of regular shapes, including octagons and heptagons. They work at the expected level for their age in data handling and are aware of different ways of recording data, for example pie charts, bar graphs and line graphs. Most pupils are able to

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MATHEMATICS

cope with investigations and complex problems. The higher-attaining pupils are challenged effectively in many lessons. Pupils’ numeracy skills are used soundly in other subjects, including science, measuring in design and technology, time lines in history and graph work in various subjects. Most pupils respond well to the mathematics lessons, participating willingly in oral and mental work whilst applying themselves well to individual and group work.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The overall quality of learning is good and very good at Key Stage 1. This is partly due to the effective use of the numeracy strategy and partly to the good quality teaching of mathematics in Woodmansterne School. Throughout the school, pupils’ mental skills are being appropriately Woodmansterne Primary School - 28 developed within numeracy lessons. Through their investigative work, such as Pascal's triangles, they are developing their independent learning skills. Most pupils show interest in their mathematics lesson and often describe it as their favourite lesson. They show great enjoyment of mental mathematics especially when there is a slightly competitive edge or a games element, as was apparent in a Year 2 lesson when pupils were ordering and finding the missing number in a sequence. Generally, pupils listen well to their teacher and work well with good levels of concentration. They work well in pairs and small groups. Relationships between teachers,

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MATHEMATICS

learning support assistants and pupils are good, which provides a confident and positive atmosphere in which achievement flourishes and pupils can get on with their work and know how well they have done.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Achievements in mathematics are very good by the age of seven years old and good by the age of eleven years old. Most teachers adjust their lessons to ensure that pupils understand as much as possible. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is effectively co-ordinated within the subject and pupils receive good support, which ensures that they make good progress. The pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their learning difficulties as they receive very good support in lessons from the teachers and the learning support assistants. The good progress is made as a result of good planning and in the quality of guidelines for teachers contained in individual education plans.

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MATHEMATICS

87. The quality of teaching is, overall, good throughout the school and very good at Key Stage 1. Only two unsatisfactory lessons were observed. These were both in Year 5 where the school had mis- understood how to use a new programme, based on a recent government initiative for a short series of booster sessions for this year group. The lessons were well managed and ordered, but the content was not well matched to the pupils' needs, the assessment procedures were not sufficiently well established or practised to identify this and the pupils did not learn enough. The general standard of progress and achievement in mathematics in Year 5 indicates that such slow learning is not usual for this year group.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understand how to teach numeracy, being familiar with the strategy. All lessons start with mental or oral work. This is usually successful because questioning is brisk and matches the needs of all the pupils. Planning is good and teachers generally ensure that pupils of all abilities work at appropriate tasks. Learning objectives are clear and, in most lessons, shared with pupils so they understand what is expected. In most classes the control and management of the pupils is good and contributes to the good behaviour seen in most lessons. When teaching is most effective there is good pace, skilful questioning and management with challenging activities planned. When teaching is less effective, it is because the pace of the lesson is slow, the main activity too long or not suitable for the pupils in that it does not stretch them, it does not match their needs or the plenary session is not used effectively to build

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MATHEMATICS

upon pupils’ previous learning. The quality of marking is inconsistent although, in many classes, marking was diagnostic and gave pupils helpful hints as to how they could improve their work. Homework is used regularly to reinforce and extend the learning.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The curriculum has improved since the previous inspection and is now based on the numeracy strategy, resulting in it being broad and balanced with good emphasis on mental mathematics, problem solving and investigations. Arrangements for assessing and tracking pupils’ work are in their infancy but the introductions of individual targets and a structured system for pupils to evaluate their own progress is becoming well established. It includes regular reviews of the pupils’ targets. The co-ordinator provides a satisfactory lead and effective support for her colleagues. Resources are very good and used well in lessons, being easily accessible to all staff. However, little evidence was seen in the use made of information and communication technology in mathematics. Display work in mathematics in classrooms links with the current topics, as well as providing a constant reminder of mathematical vocabulary. The display of three-dimensional

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MATHEMATICS

models in the Cotswold Hall, the report on the Grand Prix on-line Maths Challenge and the details of the London Mathfest all go further towards raising the interest in mathematics throughout the school. Woodmansterne Primary School - 29

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SCIENCE

90. Standards in science have been maintained since the previous inspection. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are currently achieving standards expected for their ages. The most capable pupils achieve results at a higher level in their knowledge and understanding of life and living processes, materials and their properties and physical processes. Standards in scientific enquiry are typical for their ages.

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SCIENCE

91. Pupils’ results in the 2000 end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests were above the national average and well above average when compared to schools with similar backgrounds. Boys performed better than girls. The trend of improvement over the last five years is broadly in line with that found nationally. The variation between inspection judgements and end of Key Stage 2 national test results in 2000 can be explained by the fact that pupils’ practical skills and understanding of scientific enquiry, which are not subject to national tests, are less well developed than other areas of science and few pupils attain above the expected level for their age in this aspect of the subject. In the 2000 end of Key Stage 1 National Curriculum teacher assessments, the percentage of pupils reaching at least the standard expected of most seven year olds was below the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching a higher level was close to the

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SCIENCE

92. There are no marked differences in the performance of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are supported well and make good progress.

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SCIENCE

93. Standards in the current Year 2 are broadly typical for their age. Pupils have a basic understanding of “pushes” and “pulls” as forces. For example, in Year 1, pupils recognise that in a park playground some “rides”, such as a roundabout, need to be pushed, while a climbing frame requires children to pull themselves up with their arms and push with their feet. By the age of seven, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of living things. For example, most pupils understand that living things grow and reproduce and they are familiar with the life cycles of frogs, flowers and humans. However, pupils know less about habitat and the ways in which animals are suited to particular environments. They are able to use simple classifications to sort food into different categories and have some understanding of those that are best for a healthy life. Good questioning by teachers challenges pupils to make careful observations of what they see and to

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SCIENCE

draw conclusions from their observations. For example, as they make comparisons between two flowers such as a tulip and amaryllis, pupils are beginning to look for differences and similarities and begin to investigate such questions as “Do plants with thick stalks need more water than those with thinner stalks?” By investigating a variety of materials, most pupils, by the age of seven, begin to recognise that squeezing, squashing and stretching can change some materials. However, few understand that some changes are reversible, such as when water is heated or frozen, and that others are not. By the age of seven, pupils can say what they think might happen in an experiment, describe and record their observations and are beginning to understand the process of finding out through “fair” testing.

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SCIENCE

94. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of living things is satisfactory overall. Pupils have a sound knowledge and understanding of the human body and of functions of major organs, such as the heart and blood circulation. They have a sound knowledge of the skeleton and muscles and understand the importance of exercise, its effect on pulse rate and the importance of a healthy diet. They have a good knowledge of plant parts and the reproductive organs and their functions. They can use and make their own keys to identify different types of plants by features. Few pupils, however, describe similarities in the main stages of human and flowering plant life cycles or explain why various environmental conditions, such as the availability of water or light, give rise to a variety of living organisms. Pupils describe evaporation and condensation and can give explanations as to why some materials dissolve or can be separated.

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SCIENCE

They have a satisfactory understanding of electricity and identify reasons when a light fails to work within a circuit. Pupils demonstrate a satisfactory understanding of the process of investigation, from prediction to conclusions, record their findings in tables and bar charts. The brightest pupils Woodmansterne Primary School - 30 consider the factors to be taken into account when setting up a ‘fair’ test. They refer confidently to “variable” factors and are able to record their results in line graphs.

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SCIENCE

95. The quality of teaching and learning in Key Stage 1 is good, with some examples of very good teaching through the use of investigation and experiments. Teachers usually deliver lessons at a brisk pace and challenge pupils’ thinking by good use of questions. They organise lessons well to make the most effective use of support staff and resources. This means that pupils often make good gains in their learning of experimental and investigative science, as well as in their knowledge and understanding of scientific information. Pupils respond well to practical activities and are motivated to find answers to problems. Teachers are also careful to use and emphasise the correct scientific terminology, such as “variety” when referring to flowers of the same family. This has a beneficial effect on pupils’ development of vocabulary and on their overall learning in science. Good cross-curricular links with mathematics enable pupils to apply skills in measuring to their

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SCIENCE

scientific observations. Good examples of this were seen in both Year 2 lessons, where pupils used string and rulers to measure the length or circumference of flower stalks.

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SCIENCE

96. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with some examples of good teaching in some Year 6 classrooms and very good teaching in Year 4. However, there are pockets of unsatisfactory teaching in Year 5 and some poor teaching elsewhere in Year 6, which result in unsatisfactory achievement. Where teaching is good or better, it builds successfully on pupils’ previous learning. For example, in one Year 6 class, the teacher began by giving pupils good feedback about their observational drawings of the reproductive organs of a flower from an earlier lesson. As a result of this, pupils took more care and represented what they observed with increased accuracy. Good teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do, keep all pupils’ attention firmly focused and ensure that the brightest pupils are sufficiently challenged. In these lessons, pupils respond with good attitudes, high levels of concentration and good behaviour.

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SCIENCE

Throughout the key stage, the teaching of basic skills and attention to scientific terminology is good. Teachers make good use of support staff and the resources available to them.

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SCIENCE

97. In one Year 6 class, it is insecure subject knowledge and the management of pupils’ behaviour and activities that restricts their learning in poor lessons. A significant minority of pupils are not well enough involved and focused in the lesson as a whole. This is because the teacher does not demand that pupils pay attention and work has not been set at a high enough level to extend the brightest pupils. Where teaching is unsatisfactory in a Year 5 class, planning does not clearly identify the needs of the wide range of pupils and the pace of learning is too slow. There is insufficient challenge, especially for those pupils capable of higher attainment.

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SCIENCE

98. Written recording of investigations and reporting of other factual information provides satisfactory support for the school’s work in literacy. Counting and measuring activities contribute satisfactorily to work in numeracy. Computer technology is starting to be used to enhance pupils’ work in science but is not yet used sufficiently.

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SCIENCE

99. The curriculum for science meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and follows recent national guidance. The scheme of work provides useful guidance for teachers to enable them to plan lessons satisfactorily. However, the time allocated to the subject, especially in Year 1, blocked as it is to link with topic work, is not sufficiently well used to help pupils make as much progress as they might. There are sound procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ achievements in Key Stage 1 and these are beginning to be used satisfactorily to guide pupils’ next steps in learning. However, this assessment of pupils’ attainment has not yet been extended to Key Stage 2, where there is no consistent approach to checking and recording pupils’ attainment and progress. The school has begun to analyse results of teacher assessments and end of Key Stage 2 national tests but these are not yet used satisfactorily to make changes to the

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SCIENCE

curriculum or to identify areas of strength and weakness in teaching and learning.

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SCIENCE

100. The subject co-ordinator is new to the role. She is enthusiastic and eager to carry out the developments identified in the action plan she that was drawn up for the subject. Because of staff changes, her management role is under-developed and she has not yet had the training or opportunity to carry out checks on the teaching and learning of science in the classrooms. This Woodmansterne Primary School - 31 was a key issue at the time of the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Judgements in art and design are made on the basis of the small number of lessons which could be seen during the week of inspection, on samples of pupils’ work and on scrutiny of art work displayed in classrooms and corridors. On this basis, standards attained are good by age seven but just below the standards expected nationally by age eleven. Pupils aged seven can mix colours, draw and paint from life and from imagination, paint self-portraits and use a variety of materials to produce collage pictures, prints and patterns; they can make models from “junk” materials or modelling clay and experiment with making different textures using tissue paper and glue. They use drawings and paintings to illustrate and decorate their work in other lessons. They can choose materials and tools, observe subjects closely and discuss their work. By age eleven pupils can use pastels, chalks, pencils and paint to depict landscapes, draw flowers from life and

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ART AND DESIGN

design attractive posters and book covers related to work in history, geography and English. They can talk about similarities and differences between their work and that of others tackling the same subject. They experiment with repeating and rotating patterns and they interpret the style of Mondrian, Matisse or Picasso in their own work. However, at the end of the Key Stage in Year 6, the quantity and range of work is restricted and there is a relative lack of three-dimensional work. Standards are much the same as at the time of the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. Pupils have very good attitudes to the subject and their behaviour in lessons is very good because they enjoy what they are doing.

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ART AND DESIGN

103. There is insufficient evidence to make a general judgement on the standards of teaching in Key Stage 1, but the one Year 2 lesson observed was very well taught. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is at least satisfactory and was good in two lessons out of the three seen. Knowledge and understanding of the subject are good and methods appropriate. In the most successful lessons, pupils are enthused and excited by the work they are doing, for example, in a Year 2 class, a group of pupils drew shells and part of a sheep skull, using lenses to observe closely the differences in texture and colour. Their drawings were of a very high standard and fully met the teacher’s high expectations for them in providing beautiful and interesting subjects; their discussion of texture and shape and their comparison of their drawings, all of which used quite different techniques, were also of very high quality. In a good Year 6 lesson, pupils drew daffodils and

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ART AND DESIGN

discussed with their teacher how each had focused on a different aspect of the flower and how each piece of work was different but equally valid. However, in a lesson in which pupils drew and painted volcanoes, making their own interpretation from photographs, the work was a useful part of their topic and resulted in satisfactory paintings, but did not allow them to build skills, knowledge and abilities in art, or to improve and develop their work as they should be doing at the end of the key stage. Sketchbooks are used in some classes but their use is not consistent and this is unsatisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. Curriculum co-ordination is currently unsatisfactory. The aesthetics co-ordinator has very recently taken on responsibility for art and design. There is a brief policy that does not significantly add to the scheme of work, which has recently been adopted and which does not give real direction to the subject. Art and design have a relatively small amount of time on the timetable. There is no consistent or rigorous assessment of pupils’ art work to record skills and progress and the subject does not currently have a high profile. This contributes to below average standards at the end of Key Stage 2. However, the school values art and design and provides some very good opportunities for pupils, for example, the project in which Goldsmiths’ College students worked with pupils one day a week to make hats, visits to art galleries and exhibitions and the exhibition week at the end of the school year when the hall becomes an exhibition of work from all subjects for the

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ART AND DESIGN

whole school and pupils visit other classrooms to see what their schoolmates have been doing. Throughout the year, pupils’ art work is displayed throughout the school and examples of artists’ work are on show in corridors. Art makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Woodmansterne Primary School - 32 105. A limited number of lessons were seen during the inspection. Other evidence was gained from examination of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning and through discussion with staff and pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Attainment in design and technology is typical of that expected nationally at the age of seven. Pupils use pictures and models to communicate their designs. They generate ideas and work with simple materials such as paper, card and textiles to make model houses, toys, bags and finger puppets. As they move through Year 1 and 2, pupils increase their knowledge of joining and finishing techniques. They assemble, join and decorate materials in a variety of ways using paint, fabric, needles and thread, paper, scissors and glue. They make steady gains in learning over time.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Satisfactory standards are maintained in Years 3 and 4. In Year 3, pupils investigate and evaluate the packaging of a range of supermarket products, answering questions about their use and the opinions of the users. In Year 4, pupils develop a simple understanding of mechanisms, such as sliders and pop-up flaps, that can be used in making books or cards with moving parts. However, attainment by the age of eleven is below national expectations. This represents a fall in standards since the previous inspection. This is mainly because the impetus begun in Key Stage 1 and in the lower end of Key Stage 2 is not built upon sufficiently well to ensure a secure working knowledge and understanding of materials and components needed to make working artefacts or models, for example, controlled by ICT or electricity. Pupils do not have sufficient understanding of the planning process when designing a model or artefact. When planning hats and masks, for

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

example, pupils consider the materials they would like to use but do not give sufficient thought, in their designs, to the tools and equipment they might need or how they will be used.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. There were insufficient lessons seen in Years 1 and 2 to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching. The small number of lessons seen in Key Stage 2 was satisfactory overall. A good lesson was seen in a Year 4 class. Here the teacher’s demonstration of new techniques was particularly good. She paid attention to correct terminology such as “fold”, “flap” and “score” and emphasised the importance of accurate measurement, referring to “acute” and “obtuse” angles, thus providing an opportunity for pupils to apply and use their mathematical knowledge.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. From the evidence of work on display and from talking to pupils, it is clear that attitudes are positive, that pupils are well motivated and take pride in their finished results, which are sometimes photographed or displayed attractively in classrooms. Pupils with special educational needs and those whose first language is not English make progress at the same rate as others of the same age.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Teachers follow an optional scheme of work, based on national guidance. This has recently been introduced but has not yet had sufficient time in place to make a significant impact on standards by the age of eleven. In Years 5 and 6, the use of a topic focus in planning the curriculum constrains the subject nature of design and technology and the objectives sometimes become confused with those of art and design. Assessment, which was identified as a weakness by the last inspection, is still an area for development. There are insufficient and inconsistent procedures in place for checking pupils’ progress or to guide teachers’ planning so as to make an impact on raising standards. Consequently, by the age of eleven, pupils’ achievement in design and technology is not as good as it should be. Resources are good, with more than adequate materials and tools, although full use is not always made of these, especially saws, glue-guns and

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GEOGRAPHY

111. The school does not teach geography every week of the year, but alternates geography with history. This is often done and the school meets the National Curriculum requirements for the subject. Thus, at the time of the inspection, geography was only being taught in Key Stage 2. Evidence of achievements at the age of 7 is based on pupils' work, the school's planning and recording, displays of the pupils' work and discussions with them. Overall, both at the age of 7 and Woodmansterne Primary School - 33 the age of 11, standards are broadly in line with national expectations. Standards are broadly the same as at the time of the previous inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. At the age of 6, the pupils learn to compare two different localities and are able to write with understanding about the difference between living on the Island of Struay and the mainland. By the age of 7, they can use a map of the world to explain where members of the class have taken the class mascot, ' Barnaby Bear', when going on holiday. All three pupils spoken to could identify America and Spain, with the higher attaining pupil demonstrating a wide knowledge of countries' locations.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. As pupils move through the school they study different localities in greater depth. For example they use photographs and other source material to explore the way of life for a mother in the Indian Village of Chembokalli. Some of the pupils have their own experiences of such a way of life and these were willingly shared with the rest of the class, thus enabling a rich and fruitful discussion.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. By the age of 11 the pupils undertake considerable research work into areas such as rivers or volcanoes. These projects are well presented and cover a wealth of detail garnered from a range of sources including the library and CD-ROMs. Their work showed good use of research skills. Insufficient use is made of primary sources, for example photographs and maps, as the pupils develop their understanding of how to answer geographical questions. The pupils have a good understanding of physical geography (how the world was made), but human geography (how mankind has affected the land through settlement) is less well developed and features more rarely in their projects. Thus, some excellent work in many of its aspects lacked the geographical focus needed for high attainment and the more able pupils were not achieving in the subject as highly as they could.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. The teaching could only be observed in Key Stage 2. Here it is satisfactory. Planning is based on the nationally recommended scheme adapted to meet the school's needs. Discussions play a positive place in furthering the pupils' understanding. The amount of work expected varies from class to class. In some, the teacher's expectations are high and the pupils enjoy their tasks, concentrating for long periods. In others, generally good behaviour masks small amounts of time, which are lost through off task activities and the pupils' productivity is lower. Methods for assessing and recording the pupils' progress in geography have still to be developed. The geography curriculum is enhanced by the use of visits to external places, for example, an extended field trip to the Isle of Wight in Year 6.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. The co-ordinator has only been in post for two months. She is aware of the areas which need to be improved and has already drawn up an action plan and timetable for addressing these.

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HISTORY

117. Due to time-tabling arrangements, no direct teaching of history was observed during the inspection. Analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils show that standards are much the same as at the last inspection and are broadly in line with expectations at the age of 7 and the age of 11.

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HISTORY

118. By the time pupils are seven they understand that life was different in the past and compare the different toys used by children then and now. They are beginning to develop an awareness of chronology. Their work on Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole showed an understanding of the difficulties of being a nurse in the Crimean War. Their understanding of the life and work of Florence Nightingale was further enhanced by a visit to the Florence Nightingale museum in St Thomas' Hospital.

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HISTORY

119. As pupils move through the school they continue to follow the national guidelines. Through the various topics they make in depth studies of, for example, Invaders and Settlers’, the life and times of Henry VIII (a topic which was popular with pupils and those spoken to were able to recall all the names of Henry’s wives and their fates!), the Egyptians, the Aztecs and the Greeks. In the work on Victorian children, good empathetic writing was seen and the project work produced was of a Woodmansterne Primary School - 34 high standard, particularly ‘A diary of a Victorian servant girl’. From these projects it was apparent that pupils are developing their independent learning research skills and their work showed good use of information and communication technology as well as library usage.

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HISTORY

120. Pupils enjoy history and talked enthusiastically about the topics that they have studied. Throughout the subject there were links with art and literacy and work produced was generally well presented.

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HISTORY

121. All the units of work are planned from the nationally recommended scheme of work and this is being tailored to the whole school’s needs. The co-ordinator has only been in the post for two months but has already identified the areas which need to be improved. Procedures for assessment have not yet been implemented.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. Since the previous report, the school has made good attempts to address issues and improve provision through good intentions, realistic targets and action plans. A well-resourced computer suite was developed and introduced earlier this year. Although this resource is valuable for the effective development of ICT skills, it is not capable of being used by full classes. The accommodation is not designed with an appropriate ventilation facility or suitable furniture. The introduction of the suite took much longer than had been expected, because of long delays in setting up the network. As a consequence, there has been limited teaching, so far, to provide the intended coverage of the ICT curriculum. Prior to this, the provision for ICT had been restricted. Thus, there has been a slight fall in the standards reported at the previous inspection. Pupils’ attainment, as judged during the inspection week, is below national expectations across the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

school. Several aspects of the National Curriculum for ICT have not yet been taught at both key stages. The current time-tabling arrangements are not providing the extra tuition needed by Year 6 pupils, in particular, so that they can reach satisfactory standards and develop skills needed on transfer to secondary schools.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. The school has plans to enlarge its information technology resources with more machines and Internet facility. Currently, however, there is very little extension work to help develop a more versatile range of skills linked to a range of National Curriculum subjects. Other plans include boosting the confidence and expertise of teachers through appropriate training and support for teaching and developing the subject across all subjects of the curriculum. The school is attempting to improve standards through a clear focus on planning and implementation of skills framework based on the national guidance in the subject. The new schemes of work, when fully implemented, will provide a suitable basis for the development of a good range of information technology opportunities for all pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Satisfactory progress is being made in the acquisition of elements of the knowledge and some of the skills, which comprise the national curriculum for the subject. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make expected progress. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have satisfactory knowledge of control devices and that information can be recorded in ways other than written. They can create simple sentences and recognise some of the features of word processed text. However, their skills to programme control devices and use computers to classify information and create simple graphs are not sufficiently developed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. At the end of Key Stage 2, there are strengths in the way pupils are beginning to use word- processing and drawing skills. Some of the work in information and communication technology is effective in developing language and literacy skills. For example, Year 4 interrogating a database, use search and select appropriate functions to produce a block graph or a pie chart. Year 6 pupils further their knowledge and use of technical terms and select appropriate tools to successfully word process a given passage. They explore the use of clip art and add borders to present their text attractively. Year 3 pupils learn to sort and identify different functions of ‘word art’. They confidently alter font size but lack basic skills such as saving their work or readily retrieving previously saved work. Pupils have not had sufficient opportunities to witness examples of Woodmansterne Primary School - 35 multimedia work, acquire enough understanding of web-sites or the practical application of the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

setting up of various programmes. Most pupils understand the basic format of the computers and load appropriate programs with confidence. Year 5 pupils receive demonstration on how to use an ‘information workshop database’. Some examples of completed work indicate that most pupils can use the keyboard and the mouse competently to control the machine and to input data, saving and printing the results as necessary. A few higher attaining pupils show good levels of understanding of the computers and confidence to successfully explore new programs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. The quality of teaching is satisfactory at both key stages. Teachers are currently concentrating on the basic skills of communicating, controlling and handling information. Mastery of these skills is essential before pupils can effectively use information and communication technology across the curriculum. A few teachers have a good level of expertise, which they use well to plan and to confidently help when pupils experience difficulties in their work. Other staff are less secure in their understanding of the potential to extend pupils’ learning of the computer and the associated software. Teachers generally make effective use of computers in their classrooms. The ancillary helpers plan with the class teacher and are often deployed to work with individuals on relevant software. The new ICT co-ordinator provides necessary support in order to raise their confidence in the teaching of the subject. Good use is made of the audio visual aids available in school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. The quality of learning is satisfactory. Pupils’ attitudes towards information technology are very positive. They enjoy using the computer suite and a few are capable of working independently with suitable software, taking increased responsibility for their own learning. Most pupils successfully share the control of the program when working in pairs. Some good collaboration was observed by confident pupils paired to support the ones who are less familiar with the computer or the software. However, a few pupils become frustrated when they do not get to use and investigate software by themselves. Most pupils show respect for the teacher's exposition and their behaviour is consistently good in whole class lessons. However, they are inclined to get very excited and noisy in lessons and this affects the quality of their concentration and productivity in learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Lessons in ICT concentrate on the basic skills and this is beginning to be effective. The teaching programme ensures a year-by-year sequence. However, the school has not yet developed strategies to assess and record pupils’ progress with reference to the National Curriculum requirements. The role of the co-ordinator, particularly in monitoring teaching, is under-developed. Despite the development of the ICT suite, computer resources are insufficient for a school of this size. A heavy demand is being placed on the new ICT suite, with the result that some computers were not working during the inspection.

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MUSIC

129. It was not possible to observe teaching in all aspects of music or in every year group. However, it is clear from those lessons seen and from listening to singing and instrumental playing in assemblies that standards are very good and well above those expected nationally at the end of both key stages. This represents very good improvement since the last inspection, which found standards to be close to the nationally expected level. Pupils’ knowledge and skills in listening and performing are particularly high and their enthusiasm, effort and enjoyment is evident in the quality of their singing and playing of both tuned and un-tuned instruments. The results of pupils for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs are similar to those of pupils of the same age.

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MUSIC

130. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are developing a wide range of musical skills and have built up a significant vocabulary of musical terms. Pupils are developing the ability to listen carefully to music and recognise how different moods and effects can be created. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, in response to a recorded lullaby, one pupil said, “ It makes me sad”, while another said, “It is relaxing”. By the age of seven, most pupils can sing in tune and with expression. They can improvise repeated patterns and can play un-tuned percussion instruments following a simple score. By accompanying songs with body percussion, such as clapping, or by playing percussion instruments, they learn to combine layers of sound and begin to appreciate the combined effect. Woodmansterne Primary School - 36 They are learning to appreciate pitch and dynamics and use these to control voices and instruments.

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MUSIC

131. Pupils’ gains in learning are very good over time and are excellent in some lessons. This is due largely to the expertise and enthusiasm of the music co-ordinator, who teaches most of the music lessons. In Year 3, for example, all pupils are taught to play the recorder and many of these can read musical notation. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have acquired good skills in sustaining rhythms and layering sounds to texture. Performing skills are well established and a significant number of pupils play recorders and percussion instruments in the school orchestra, which accompanies songs and hymns in assemblies each week. Pupils perform with confidence and reward the performances of others with careful listening, interest and encouragement.

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MUSIC

132. The quality of teaching is at least very good and sometimes excellent in both key stages. The very good subject knowledge and expertise of the music co-ordinator are shared enthusiastically with pupils. Lessons, which are very well planned, follow the school’s good scheme of work and move learning forward through varied, challenging and enjoyable activities. Each lesson provides a range of musical experiences that build successfully on existing skills, knowledge and understanding. Pupils are well managed and the pace of lessons is brisk and lively. Time and resources are organised so that all children have maximum, first-hand experience of handling and playing the school’s good range of musical instruments.

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MUSIC

133. The curriculum for music is planned effectively and the subject is well co-ordinated with good liaison between the co-ordinator, class teachers and peripatetic specialists. Good records are kept of pupils’ attainment and progress and these are used satisfactorily to guide their next steps of learning.

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MUSIC

134. The school provides very good additional musical experiences within and beyond the curriculum. As they move up though Key Stage 2, pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6 have the opportunity to continue recorder lessons in lunchtime or to join the school choir which, among other events, has participated in the Streatham Arts Festival. The school also subsidises fees for instrumental tuition in violin, brass and guitar from specialist teachers for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The curriculum is further enriched for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 by participation in workshops run by the New London Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and by involvement in projects and concerts at The Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival hall.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, show satisfactory levels of achievement in both key stages. The overall satisfactory standards outlined in the previous inspection report have been maintained. However, the restricted range of large climbing apparatus for pupils in Key Stage 2 remains a weakness. Older pupils are deprived of valuable opportunities to enhance their gymnastic skills. The available range is suitable for Key Stage 1 only. Arrangements for swimming lessons are in place for pupils in Years 3 and 4. Pupils throughout the school are not taken to swimming lessons. However, discussions with children and staff indicate that the majority do acquire the skill in their own time and it is expected that, by the time they leave the school at eleven, a significant number of pupils will be able to swim at least 25 metres and practise water safety. The co-ordinator for the subject has plans for pupils to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

experience friendly matches and competitive sport with local schools, in order to encourage pupils' enthusiasm and interest in physical education, and help raise standards and subject profile within the school curriculum. There is provision, particularly in Key Stage 2, for both boys and girls to have opportunities to experience football and netball in the after-school clubs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. In the lessons observed, pupils in Key Stage 1 made satisfactory gains in the acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding of movement and improve co-ordination and control. They balance and travel in different ways, linking simple movements together. Younger Key Stage 1 pupils explore ways of supporting weight on different parts of the body. Year 2 pupils learn to incorporate stretch and curl movements in floor and apparatus work, with increased co-ordination. Pupils show Woodmansterne Primary School - 37 good awareness of space, safety and others around them. They acquire satisfactory understanding of fitness and health. In Key Stage 2 pupils continue to make sound gains in the development of dance skills. Pupils in Year 5 work in small groups and successfully devise their own rhythmic dance to music. They explore, improvise and combine movements, but do not have sufficient opportunities to assess each other's performances. Year 6 pupils were observed in outdoor games,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

developing defending and marking skills. Pupils practise taking defending and attacking positions, developing tactics of avoidance and showing good control and accuracy in passing and receiving the ball. Pupils are not sufficiently supported to develop their knowledge of exercise in a healthy lifestyle. They do not regularly talk about the effect of exercise on the body in lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in both key stages. Teachers explain activities clearly and give appropriate reminders of safety. Most pupils listen carefully, follow instructions correctly and work safely. Most teachers use satisfactory subject knowledge to carefully plan and focus on specific skills. Some teachers use pupils' demonstration to enable others to make sound progress and help them improve their performance. However, not all teachers make effective interventions to give pupils opportunities to evaluate their own and others’ performance. In the poor lesson in Year 6, inadequate knowledge of the pupils' previous achievements, together with a lack of good subject knowledge and ineffective strategies to control pupils’ behaviour, caused the session to lose direction and purpose to the point where no learning was happening. Most teachers create an effective pace in lessons and have appropriate expectations of behaviour. Through this,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils develop their skills and extend their range of performance. Good explanations and individual as well as group demonstrations create an effective learning environment. Pupils strive to improve their performance through taking advice and examples given in lessons and show appropriate concerns for quality and precision. Most pupils display positive attitudes towards physical education and show obvious enjoyment in all lessons. They are active and enthusiastic. They co- operate well and show respect for others and equipment. Most pupils observe good supporting behaviour.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The school has adopted the nationally recommended schemes of work. The co-ordinator is aware of the future direction in the subject and has identified areas for further development to raise standards in all aspects of physical education. The role to formally monitor and evaluate teaching and learning is not developed yet. The resources are well organised and centrally based for ease of use. Extra curricular activities generate considerable pupil interest and support their progress. Teachers carefully plan and provide a good mix of co-operative and competitive work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. By the age of 7 and 11, standards in religious education meet the expectations of the local authority's agreed syllabus for religious education. The satisfactory standards noted in the previous report have been maintained.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. At both key stages, time-tabling arrangements resulted in very few direct teaching lessons being observed. In those lessons observed, teachers had planned satisfactorily using the Lambeth's agreed syllabus and the national guidelines as their scheme of work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. Pupils learn about the importance of religions in some people’s lives. They appreciate the different ceremonies and celebrations of Christians and other world faiths. They learn about the Christian celebrations of Harvest, Christmas, the sadness of the crucifixion and the later joy of Easter. Pupils become familiar with the different books in the Christian Bible, both Old and New Testament, and know some of the stories they contain. Pupils in Year 2 took great pleasure in recounting the story of Zacchaeus and were able to explain the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan. During the years, celebrations and festivals are also studied and celebrated. By the age of eleven years pupils have experienced the importance of such festivals as Eid, Divali and Hanukah and have learnt the importance of various signs and symbols in different faiths. They are aware of the importance of the holy books used in other faiths such as the Qur’an and the Torah. Teachers

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

make good use of artefacts and the curriculum is further enhanced by visits to places of worship. Lessons are effectively planned and good control and management in lessons ensures that all Woodmansterne Primary School - 38 pupils are able to remain on task.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. The introduction of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy has meant there has been no recent professional development in religious education. The co-ordinator is recently appointed but has positive ideas as to where the subject needs developing. At present, assessment procedures have not been developed in the subject.

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