Michael Faraday School

MICHAEL FARADAY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th – 26 th June 2001

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MICHAEL FARADAY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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MICHAEL FARADAY 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. Michael Faraday Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Portland Street Walworth London Postcode: SE17 2HR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1997 Michael Faraday Primary School - 2

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Team members

20737 Paul Evans Registered inspector 8933 John Chapman Lay inspector 17288 Megan Warner Team inspector 20832 Mohindar Galowalia Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Michael Faraday 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Michael Faraday Primary School provides education for 352 children aged 3 to 11. The school’s nursery has 30 part time children and 10 who attend full time. Forty-five children, 23 boys and 22 girls, are in the Reception class and there are 143 boys and 124 girls in Years 1 to 6. The school is situated in the Aylesbury estate in Walworth. The local community consists mainly of terraced housing and high-rise flats, both council and privately owned. However, almost all pupils attending the school live in social housing schemes. The pupils come from a rich diversity of ethnic backgrounds. Forty one per cent have English as an additional language, the most prevalent mother tongues being Yoruba, Bengali, Turkish and Arabic. This is very high compared to the national average. Twenty eight per cent of pupils are on the school’s special educational needs register, which is well above the national average. The number of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils having a statement of special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average. Sixty two per cent of pupils have been identified as being eligible for free school meals, which is very high when compared to the national average. Overall, pupils’ attainment when they join the school is low.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a warm and friendly yet hardworking environment for its pupils and celebrates the individuality of each pupil. A very good programme of extra-curricular activities includes a wide range of sports, music and very high quality day and residential visits. The day and residential visits are the sources of a great deal of evidence and data, which are later used as the basis of work undertaken in the classroom. The school has been invited to apply for Beacon School Status and last year received a high achievement award from the Department for Education and Employment. Michael Faraday Primary School is an excellent school, which teaches basic skills very well. It also raises the levels of self- esteem of all its pupils very well. By the time that pupils leave the school they achieve standards which are average in English, above average in mathematics and in the top five per cent in science compared

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

to all schools nationally. Compared to schools with a similar level of entitlement to free school meals, these results are well above average in English and mathematics and in the top five per cent in science. This is an outstanding level of achievement. When considering its context, the standards that it achieves, the quality of education that it offers to all its pupils and the money that it spends, the school provides excellent value for money. The effectiveness of the school is excellent.

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What the school does well

• The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language is excellent. • The school raises pupils’ levels of self-esteem and self-confidence very well. • The leadership and management of the school is excellent.

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What could be improved

This school has no significant weaknesses. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1997 when several issues were raised concerning areas of the curriculum, assessment, financial development and planning and the role of the governing body. The school has addressed all these areas and has made very good improvement since the last inspection. Standards reached by pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved steadily and significantly since 1997. Michael Faraday 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 E C C A well above average above average A B Mathematics C B B A average below average C D Science B A* A* A* well below average E

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Key

In the end of Key Stage 1 national tests in 2000, standards were well below the national average in writing and mathematics. Standards in reading were below the national average. However, the school now teaches basic skills in literacy and numeracy excellently. The percentage of pupils reaching the average level 2 and above in national tests rose in 2000 against the 1999 results and inspection evidence shows that this rise in standards is continuing. As the average attainment of pupils on entry to the school is low, it takes a long time before they are performing to their true potential. This point is now being reached within Year 4. Inspection evidence shows that pupils in Year 2 are now reaching standards in English which are still well below the national average but are continuing to improve. In mathematics and science, standards are broadly in line with national expectations. This means that the

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Key

school is steadily approaching its target for pupils’ standards to be in line with the national expectation at the end of Key Stage 1. When these results are compared to those of schools with a similar level of free schools meals, they are average in mathematics, above average in writing and well above average in reading.

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Key

In the 2000 national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 standards in English are broadly in line with the national average. Standards in mathematics are above the national average and standards in science are in the top five per cent nationally. Compared to the results of pupils in similar schools, standards are well above average in English and mathematics and are very high in science. These standards are an excellent achievement for the school. Inspection evidence shows that the steady and significant rise in standards since 1997 is set to continue.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils enjoy attending school. They are happy and relaxed in the atmosphere of supportive care, concern and guidance. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. Pupils understand the school’s high expectations for their behaviour and they meet them fully. Personal development and relationships Excellent. The relationships between pupils are excellent. The relationship between pupils and adults is one of complete trust and very high level support for pupils. Attendance Good. Above the national average and improved by more than three per cent over last year.

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Aspect Comment

A very high level of behaviour is promoted from the earliest age. All pupils respond well to the high expectations of the school and to the support, care, concern and guidance offered to them. Michael Faraday Primary School - 6 They develop excellent relationships with each other and with their teachers and support staff. Michael Faraday Primary School - 7

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

Lessons seen overall Excellent Excellent Excellent 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

Few lessons are observed during a short inspection. However, the lessons observed included English, mathematics and music. The quality of teaching was at least very good and was excellent in the majority of lessons observed. The evidence gained from a scrutiny of pupils’ past work shows that teachers’ marking is consistently of a very high quality. Tasks are set which are well matched to pupils’ levels of ability and teachers have high expectations for pupils’ levels of presentation. Overall, the quality of teaching in the school is excellent. The excellent levels of planning and expectations for the achievement of all pupils combined with the very good monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of all teachers ensure the excellent quality of teaching throughout the school. The excellent introduction of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy are raising standards throughout the school.

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

Assessments of pupils’ progress are regular, very well recorded and very well used to match tasks closely to pupils’ levels of ability. The quality of teachers’ marking is consistently high.

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

From low levels of attainment on entry to the school’s nursery, the achievement of all pupils is excellent to reach the standards that are attained at the end of the school. The levels of achievement of pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are excellent throughout the school. A major contributory factor in this is the outstanding quality of support which is provided by learning support assistants and special support assistants.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Excellent. The statutory curriculum is fully in place and is enriched by the range of extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors to the school. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Excellent. The dedicated co-ordinator for special educational needs together with the highly qualified and equally dedicated support assistants ensure the consistent raising of standards through ensuring complete access to the whole of the school’s curriculum for pupils with special educational needs. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Excellent. The expectations for each pupil’s achievement are very high and are supplemented by the patience and very high quality support shown by all teachers and support staff. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are all

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Excellent. The school enables pupils to develop a wider understanding of the world around them. It provides them with the opportunity to enhance their lives through the excellent programme of personal development.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum provided fully meets statutory requirements. Depth and richness are added using all areas of the wider curriculum to develop and enhance the particular talents of individual pupils, for example in art, music, sport, information and communication technology and science. All pupils are given a greatly enhanced sense of self-esteem through the school’s belief that they can achieve Michael Faraday Primary School - 8 whatever they strive for. The very good programme of extra-curricular activities, particularly the residential educational visits, and the very high quality links with the outside community, give pupils a greatly enhanced view of the wider world and their place within it.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides excellent educational vision and direction for the school. Each member of the teaching and support staff is given, and fully accepts, responsibilities within the outstanding spirit of teamwork, which drives the school forward. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Excellent. The governing body has fully developed its role as critical friend to the school. Governors are true partners in the management of the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school has clearly developed, very high level, long-term aims for the achievement of all its pupils. The procedures for evaluating its progress and for modifying its provision in order to meet those aims are excellent. The strategic use of resources Excellent. The planning, consideration of options and the evaluation of the effectiveness of decisions are all highly efficient. All decisions are

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Aspect Comment

based on the benefits that they will bring to pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher’s vision for the educational direction of the school is recognised and respected by all staff and governors. All parents are very proud of the achievements of the school. All know that they are regarded as equal partners in the development of the quality of education provided. This atmosphere of outstanding partnership is a major strength of Michael Faraday Primary School.

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Aspect Comment

The involvement of governors in discussions about the use of the resources of the school is excellent. Quotations are sought and decisions are made using a range of criteria, not on the basis of cost alone. All decisions are later evaluated for their effectiveness in raising standards and future decisions take into account any lessons learned. The application of the principles of best value is outstanding.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The fact their children like school. • The high expectations the school has for their children. • They are comfortable to approach the school with any questions or problems. • They feel that the quality of teaching in the school is very good. • They feel well informed about the progress made by their children. • The good progress their children are making. • They feel that the school is led and managed well. • A small minority of parents feel that children do not get the right amount of homework. • A small minority of parents would like to see the range of extra-curricular activities improved.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection evidence supports the positive views of the great majority of parents. The amount of homework increases in quantity and levels of difficulty as pupils’ progress through the school. Homework clubs are provided for Years 5 and 6 and the work undertaken by the pupils who attend is very closely matched to the ability of each individual pupil. The range of extra-curricular activities offered by the school is very good. In these areas, inspection evidence does not support the views of a small minority of parents. Michael Faraday Primary School - 9 Michael Faraday Primary School - 10

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

English is an additional language is excellent.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

1. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is low. Twenty-eight per cent of pupils are on the school’s special educational needs register, which is above the national average. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds; 41 per cent have English as an additional language.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

2. The school is in the third most deprived ward of the local authority. Southwark has been identified as the eighth most deprived authority in the country. Very few pupils have any pre-school experiences so that when they join the school’s nursery they have poor social skills and poor communication and language skills. The acquisition of literacy skills, particularly speaking and listening, is a priority for the school. The school quickly identifies the needs of individual children, using the results of tests undertaken on entry. This gives a clear indication of the abilities and needs of each child. A programme of study is developed which focuses on the specific needs of individual pupils. Throughout the school, basic literacy skills are excellently taught.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

3. As well as teaching letter sounds and names together with the basic formation of letters and later word shapes, the school focuses on raising the self-esteem of its young pupils. Many have not only had very limited pre-school experiences but have not been encouraged to express themselves and are very reluctant to enter into any dialogue. All teachers and support staff consistently apply the school’s excellent policies of behaviour management, encouraging all pupils to express themselves as well as they can. Praise is a constant factor in the development of pupils’ confidence.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

4. The school has a very high number of learning support assistants who work with various groups of pupils in classrooms and special needs support assistants who work with individual statemented pupils. Many have achieved qualifications on nationally recognised educational courses and three are university graduates. They provide excellent support for pupils of all abilities, but particularly for those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

5. There is a particular awareness within the school of the possibility that some of its pupils may suffer from dyslexia and that this may compound their other difficulties. The school pays for pupils to have assessments for dyslexia and, if identified, provides a support teacher one-day each week to work with them. A member of the support staff of the school has undertaken training in the ‘Beat Dyslexia’ programme and works daily with pupils identified with this learning difficulty.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

6. The school’s introduction of the National Literacy Strategy has been excellent and has had a significant effect on raising standards for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language in both key stages. Classroom assistants provide very high quality additional literacy support. This is very effective in raising pupils’ standards. The school has taken the imaginative step of teaching information and communication technology skills in the nursery. This enables all pupils, no matter what their difficulties, to present their work in a way which enables them to take a pride in their achievements. The self-esteem and self-confidence that this promotes are essential factors in the high levels of progress that these pupils attain.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

7. Less able pupils and pupils with special educational needs are very well supported by the school’s very high quality procedures which fully meet the requirements of the nationally agreed Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs. Procedures for assessing the specific needs of pupils are excellent and targets set in individual education plans are very well focused and regularly reviewed. A small number of targets in pupils’ individual education plans are a little vague and are not easily measured. The school has identified this as an area for improvement. It is planning to review all targets and to bring them up to the very high standards found in most individual education Michael Faraday Primary School - 11 plans. This excellent provision also identifies and deals with the specific needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language. All these pupils make excellent progress.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

8. A very good example of the school’s application of the principles of best value is seen in the administration of its special educational needs and English as an additional language provision. After consultation, it was decided to employ an administrative assistant to organise and maintain the special educational needs records. This has resulted in a excellent system of record keeping and in allowing the co-ordinator to focus on the identification and review of the programmes of study for pupils. Funding from the Excellence in Cities initiative has provided a learning mentor for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The very good progress made by pupils who have received this additional support has led to the school recruiting an additional learning mentor, funded through the same initiative.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

9. The parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept very well informed of the progress made by their children. They are invited to attend all review meetings. When individual education plans are reviewed and changed, the school sends a copy of the new individual education plan to the parents, who sign to show that they have received it. In this way, the school ensures that parents are very well informed about their children’s progress.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

10. The school’s procedures play a significant part in the standards that pupils achieve by the time that they leave the school. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, develop into good or very good readers by the time that they leave the school. They use sophisticated language when writing imaginatively in a wide range of styles. Standards in English in the 1999 and 2000 national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 were in line with national averages. This is an outstanding achievement. The age at which pupils attain basic language skills is falling slowly. At present, most pupils are reaching the levels expected for seven-year-olds by the time that they are eight or nine years of age. There are a number of reasons for this late development: the low overall attainment of pupils on entry to the school, the above average number of pupils with special educational needs and the high number of pupils for whom English is an additional language.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

Standards are raised at a very good pace throughout the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and into the early part of Key Stage 2. This is achieved through the excellent teaching of literacy, combined with the school’s procedures for special educational needs and English as an additional language.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

11. The school has accelerated learning programmes in Years 5 and 6 which promote a very high level of progress. Homework and science clubs, which are set according to pupils’ abilities, contribute significantly to this programme. Another significant factor is that very few pupils leave the school during their primary education and consequently they benefit from the school’s programmes of development throughout the early part of their education. The result is that almost all pupils leave the school with standards in language which are in line with expectations for their age. These accelerated learning programmes have an even more pronounced effect in mathematics and science. Almost all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language leave the school with standards, which are above average in mathematics and in the top five per cent nationally in science. All pupils who enter the school with English as an

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

additional language leave being truly bi-lingual. However, the specific vocabulary which pupils are expected to learn and use is not displayed throughout all lessons. The extending of this practice, seen in some lessons, would further support pupils with English as an additional language.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

12. This focus on the teaching of basic skills and later building on them makes a major contribution to raising standards. In 1999 and 2000 national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 the percentage of pupils who reached the expected level 4 and above, in mathematics, was above the national average. The percentage reaching the higher level 5 was also above the national average. In science, the percentage of pupils who reached the higher than expected level 5 was an outstanding 52 per cent higher than the national average. These are outstanding levels of achievement. Michael Faraday Primary School - 12 The school raises pupils’ levels of self-esteem and self-confidence very well .

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

13. The school has identified that the low levels of pupils’ confidence and self-esteem need to be raised considerably. Throughout the school, there is an atmosphere of celebration of the achievements of all pupils. This is evident in the extremely high standard of displays of pupils’ work, for example in art, science, information and communication technology and literacy.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

14. The school has developed an excellent approach to teaching elements of two or more subjects in the same lesson, right across the curriculum. Rather than using the National Literacy Strategy solely to teach English, it uses it as a teaching medium for other subjects. A scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that the subject matter in literacy lessons in Key Stage 1 includes science, religious education and visits to churches or art galleries. This is also the strategy with information and communication technology. Computer skills are taught very well in the Nursery and consistently well throughout the school to enable all pupils to take a real pride in their work. This is particularly effective because all pupils can celebrate their achievements, although most do not develop average language and presentational skills until late in Year 3 or into Year 4.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

15. Art and design is also used as a medium for learning throughout the school based on the high level of management and subject knowledge of the subject co-ordinator. She has led the development of a very high number of trips, visits and visiting artists to give pupils very high quality experiences. Another member of the teaching staff is an exhibiting artist whose skill and enthusiasm enhances pupils’ learning opportunities. Progress is very good from the time that children enter the nursery. The youngest children are taught very good skills of sketching, drawing and painting using an excellent range of media, including information and communication technology. The school has very good links with the Tate Gallery through its “Visual Paths to Literacy” programme. During the inspection, an excellent display in Key Stage 1 contained very high quality work in art and design which pupils undertook after a visit to the Tate Gallery. Pictures included hand drawn

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

representations of modern works of art that pupils had seen. Some had also drawn very good representations, using computers, of sculptures that they had seen. The display was explained to the viewer in word-processed passages produced by pupils. There were also high quality three- dimensional works produced by pupils in their study of sculptures. This was a very good quality cross-curricular study involving art and design, information and communication technology and literacy skills.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

16. In Key Stage 2, in a study of an “Arrow launching machine”, pupils combined their skills in mathematics, science and information and communication technology. Each pull of the launcher was measured in grams and each pull was repeated three times. The scientific elements of fair testing were very clearly explained and the distance that the arrow travelled each time was measured and recorded. All results were entered into a spreadsheet, which also included a block graph of the average results for each pull weight. Pupils in the high quality information and communication technology suite of the school produced this very high quality record sheet.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

17. From the very earliest age, children and pupils in the school are provided with experiences which broaden their view of the world around them. The range of visitors and visits provided by the school is outstanding. In Year 6 pupils are taken on extended residential educational visits. Pupils are encouraged to think and to express their thoughts and feelings from the time that they first enter the school. They develop confidence, initially because they recognise that they can try anything in the highly supportive atmosphere that surrounds them. Steadily this builds into self-confidence, which is combined with excellent behaviour and self-discipline to produce highly motivated learners. Music is another area which the school promotes to a very high level. Pupils learn to play a very good range of instruments. The school has its own, very good brass band, which takes part in competitions and performs at concerts and functions both inside the school and in the wider

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

community. Pupils listen to a good range of music in assemblies and take part in musical productions. This involvement in music and drama makes an excellent contribution to the self- esteem of pupils, which in turn has a very good impact on the standards that they achieve.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

18. Sporting activities also have a high priority in the school’s very good programme of extra-curricular activities. There are clubs for rugby, netball, cricket, mixed rounders and other sports according to Michael Faraday Primary School - 13 season. There are regular training sessions for teams in major team games and regular fixtures against other local schools. The school regularly wins competition trophies. The school takes great pride, not only in its pupils’ achievements in sport, but also in the sportsmanship and outstanding behaviour of all pupils when representing the school in the wider community. For some pupils, sporting prowess is the key to raising their self-esteem. This in turn, has a positive impact on their academic standards.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

19. The very good range and quality of these extra curricular studies, visits and visitors is a major factor in the standards achieved by pupils in the school. Pupils grow to be confident and have high levels of self-esteem. They develop the confidence to perform in public, whether speaking or reading their own writing at assemblies, playing music or acting before larger audiences. The range of activities is wide enough to enable every pupil to find a strength. This has a very high impact on their personal development. Pupils develop high levels of maturity and skills as intuitive, independent learners.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

The leadership and management of the school are excellent.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

20. The headteacher is a charismatic leader who shows true vision in providing educational direction for the school. There is a wide range of strengths amongst the other senior members of staff, which provides an extremely solid foundation for the outstanding teamwork amongst all the staff of the school. All the teachers, classroom assistants, the two excellent administrative staff and the premises manager deal with all pupils in the same manner of trust and high expectations. The team ethic is central to the high performance of this school. In the same way that the self-esteem of pupils is raised leading to higher standards, so the true team involvement of all staff leads to much improved self-esteem and all round performance at the highest level.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

21. All members of the team are involved in all aspects of the planning of the provision of the school. The monitoring, evaluation and appraisal of staff, together with priorities in the School Development Plan and national initiatives guide the excellent programme of staff development. Teachers are given the opportunity to present the knowledge, understanding and skills gained on courses to the whole staff. This is a very efficient use of time and money.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

22. The planning and expertise which guide this level of team building are excellent. When new staff are required, qualifications and experience are not the only criteria which guide the governors and the management team in making appointments. Other major considerations are personality, levels of commitment and the school’s judgement as to whether a particular applicant will fit into and improve the team. The procedures for the induction of new staff, for their training and support are outstanding. All staff express great pleasure and professional satisfaction in working in the school. They show outstanding support for each other and real care and affection for all their pupils.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

23. The links with the outside community are excellent and have an outstanding impact on pupils’ learning. For example, a major international bank places its graduate students in the school. This initiative has the benefit of providing extra individual support for individual pupils and groups working on information and communication technology, literacy and numeracy. There is also a direct contribution towards specific projects such as school visits. High level support is also given to produce a well-designed school handbook. The school also has a close link with a major provider of power in the area. This large company sponsors the school rugby club strip, provides sites for educational visits and gives valuable support and assistance in the area of information and communication technology. Both the bank and the power company contribute significantly to the school through the presence of members of their senior management staff on the governing body of

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

the school. The school also has very good links with a university in New York, in the United States of America. Under-graduate and graduate students from the university’s initial teacher training programme fulfil one of their teaching practices in Michael Faraday Primary School. Two Professors from the university visited the school during the inspection and could not praise the school highly enough for the opportunity that it provides for their students. This programme also has a very beneficial effect on pupils’ learning, giving them the opportunity to work closely with teachers from another culture. Michael Faraday Primary School - 14 24. The governing body undertakes its responsibilities excellently. Their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school is outstanding. They act as a truly critical friend to the school and give the school’s management team very good support. They are fully involved in all aspects of the

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

development of the school and are true partners in all decision making. There are four governors’ committees, each of which meets two or three times per term. The full governing body meets once each term, when it receives reports from its composite committees. All governors are involved in discussions about all aspects of the school. All decisions are reached corporately and are based on the guiding principle of the benefits that they will have on the pupils’ education. The governors set themselves targets each year and individual governors take responsibilities based on their particular interests and abilities. This manner of organisation is very effective.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

25. The levels of financial planning are excellent. The school development planning is outstanding. It includes the specific allocation of the funds needed to achieve the targets set. When the school was faced with the possible replacement of the present school building with a new one, planning was put in place, which connected all expenditure to this possibility. Now that this plan has been deferred, plans already in place to upgrade the buildings of the school are about to be implemented. This has been done without compromising the school’s aims in any way. This is excellent.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

26. The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is excellent. The school’s accommodation provides good areas for teaching and learning. It is greatly enhanced by the very high quality of the pupils’ work which is displayed in all areas. Resources for teaching and learning are very good. Resources for literacy and numeracy have been extended to meet the needs of the national projects in these subjects. The resources for literacy, numeracy, science and information and communication technology are excellent.

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The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom

27. Michael Faraday Primary School is one of outstanding effectiveness. When considering its context, the level of education it provides, the standards it achieves and the money it spends, the school gives excellent value for money.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Michael Faraday Primary School is a school which has no significant weaknesses. However, there are some minor points which should be addressed.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors may wish to consider the following minor points when seeking to raise standards even further:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) raise the quality of all targets in pupils’ individual education plans to match that presently found in the great majority of these plans (paragraph 7);

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(b) extend the good practice, seen in some lessons, of presenting the key vocabulary to be learned in a lesson visually throughout the lesson. This will further aid the language and communication skills of all pupils, but especially those with English as an additional language (paragraph 10). Michael Faraday Primary School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 312

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 196

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 87

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 129

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Michael Faraday Primary School - 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 29 16 45

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 25 25 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 12 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 (77) 82 (73) 87 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 24 25 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 13 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 80 (73) 84 (73) 84 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 27 15 42

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 24 23 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 12 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 83 (78) 83 (78) 98 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 16 18 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 9 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 64 (68) 64 (81) 76 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) . Michael Faraday Primary School - 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 21 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 85 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 20 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 993,337

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 20 Expenditure per pupil 2,957

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 411 Balance brought forward from previous year 57,767

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 151,671

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 50

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Michael Faraday Primary School - 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 76 22 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 71 25 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 61 25 9 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 77 19 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 78 14 3 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 81 16 1 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 70 23 3 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 73 25 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 27 3 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 55 28 5 1 11

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

The great majority of parents and carers feel that Michael Faraday Primary School is a very good school, that their children enjoy going to school and the school has high expectations for each child. Parents are very supportive of the school and appreciate the fact that all staff are approachable and always available to discuss any problem they may have. A very small minority have some concern about the amount of homework their children are expected to undertake and that more able pupils are not always given work appropriate to their ability. The inspection team found that the amount of homework given to pupils increases in quantity and levels of difficulty as pupils progress through the school. Homework clubs are provided for Years 5 and 6 and the work undertaken by the pupils who attend is very closely matched to the ability of each individual pupil. Michael Faraday Primary School - 19

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