Avenue Junior School

AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mr. A. C. Matthews RgI’s No: 19410

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AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 – 17 January 2001

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AVENUE MIDDLE 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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AVENUE MIDDLE 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. Avenue Middle School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Avenue Road Norwich Norfolk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 February 1997 Avenue Middle School - 4

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Team members

Mr. A. C. Matthews (Ofsted No. 19410) Registered inspector

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Team members

Mr. W. Cook (Ofsted No. 13279) Lay inspector

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Team members

Mr. M. Massey (Ofsted No. 23785) Team inspector

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Team members

Mrs. B. Darley (Ofsted No. 22518) Team inspector

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Team members

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd. Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Avenue Middle School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Avenue Middle School is situated in the Nelson ward in Norwich. The great majority of the pupils come from this ward, with a small minority coming from the University ward. The school roll has increased slightly since the last inspection and is about the same as other middle schools. There are 375 pupils – 172 boys and 203 girls aged between 8 and 12 years. The majority of pupils come from above average socio-economic backgrounds where the proportion of adults with higher education is well above the national average. The percentage of ethnic minority pupils is well below the national average. There are six pupils with English as an additional language, which is a higher proportion than in most schools. However, most of these pupils are children whose parents are at the university. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is nine per cent, which is below the national average. Twenty per cent of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs and eight pupils have statements of special educational needs. Both these figures are close to the national average. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Avenue Middle School is an effective school. Good quality teaching enables pupils to make above average progress and to achieve high standards. Pupils respond well to the positive and caring ethos of the school. Pupils have very good attitudes to school, behave very well, are well motivated by their teachers, and work hard. They are enthusiastic about their learning. The school is well led by the headteacher, who is well supported by his governors, deputy and senior subject leaders. The school’s good management contributes significantly to its standards. The school receives a below average income per pupil and gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The teaching is consistently good and standards that pupils achieve in Years 6 and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in mathematics. • Pupils have very good relationships, behave very well and work hard. • The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. • The school is well led, with the governors, headteacher and staff continuously seeking ways to move the school forward. • The school has improved relationships with parents, who are very satisfied with the standards that their children achieve.

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What could be improved

• The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and the sharing of good practice so that teaching could be even better. • The use and recording of assessments to track pupils’ progress so that appropriately challenging targets can be set to help them improve further. 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 made good progress since the previous inspection in 1997. It has a closer working partnership with parents. There have been good improvements in the Year 6 National Curriculum tests in the core subjects of English, science and mathematics. Good quality teaching of French is resulting in above average standards in Years 6 and 7, and there are now appropriate time allocations to ensure each subject has sufficient emphasis. There has been a good overall improvement in the work of Year 7 pupils, particularly in the core subjects. The quality of teaching has risen and markedly so in the proportion of very good or better lessons. The school development plan is now an effective vehicle for driving up standards and has helped to implement Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, improve the school’s provision for information and communication technology and pupils’ spiritual development. The

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Avenue Middle School - 7 school has continued to maintain its very high standards in behaviour, relationships and attitudes to work, with all three having a significant impact on pupils’ achievement.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Pupils enter the school with above-average attainment, make good progress through the school and attain results in English, mathematics and science that are well above average when compared to all schools. When compared to similar schools, the results for 2000 are well above average in mathematics and science and very high in English, where they are in the top five per cent in the country. The use of literacy in other subjects, such as science and history, has a positive impact on the development of writing, presentation and spelling. Pupils have a very good recall of number facts, are confident in suggesting strategies for solving problems and use mathematical vocabulary accurately. Pupils use their scientific knowledge well to formulate hypotheses and explain the results of their investigations. Good work was also seen in religious education, French, physical education and history. Standards in music are very high throughout the school and exceptional in singing and in instrumental

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Key

playing. Inspection evidence shows that the present Year 6 and 7 pupils are making good progress and attaining high standards in all subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have a great enthusiasm for school and very positive attitudes to their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is always very good, and sometimes excellent, in lessons. Pupils behave very well at playtimes and at lunchtimes, with no signs of aggression or overbearing behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships throughout the school are very good and this has a very positive impact on the way that pupils learn.

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Aspect Comment

Classrooms have a purposeful atmosphere, with teachers focusing on pupils’ learning without needing to dwell on behaviour. Pupils’ attitudes and values exert a very positive influence on their learning.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 8 – 11 years Aged 12 years

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

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 8 – 11 years Aged 12 years

Overall, the teaching in the school is good. In 71 per cent of lessons, the teaching ranged between good (33 per cent) and very good or excellent (38 per cent). No teaching was unsatisfactory. This shows a good improvement since the last inspection. The teaching of literacy, numeracy and science is very effective, with much high-quality teaching observed during the inspection in all years, and particularly in Year 6. Teachers explain things clearly, make good use of pupils’ well developed speaking and listening skills, generate enthusiasm and create a positive learning environment where pupils feel valued and want to do their best. Because of the good quality teaching, pupils show very good enthusiasm and interest and try hard. As they move through the school, they develop increasing independence, with the oldest pupils showing a very marked degree of maturity. Teachers are encouraging and supportive when

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 8 – 11 years Aged 12 years

marking pupils’ work but do not consistently identify what pupils need to do to improve their work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is now broad and balanced and provides pupils with a wide variety of experiences. The music curriculum is particularly well developed. The different grouping and setting arrangements for individual years have a positive impact on the way in which the curriculum is delivered. The school has a satisfactory number of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils who need extra support are identified early and given appropriate support. Procedures for drawing up and reviewing pupils’ individual education plans are well established and effective.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good support. These pupils are well integrated into lessons and receive good quality one-to-one support from the local authority language specialist.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall, with particularly good guidance on moral and social issues. There has been a good improvement in pupils’ spiritual and cultural development, with art, music and religious education playing an important role.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Child protection procedures are well established and the school has good regard for pupils’ health and safety. Procedures for long-term monitoring and recording of pupils’ personal and academic development are unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Although the number of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory, the range is narrower than in most schools, limited mostly to sport and music. However, in both these areas, the extra-curricular activities have a very positive impact on the quality of the pupils’ performance. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the carefully planned work, the specialist support from the special educational needs co-ordinator and the classroom assistants and the flexible approach to grouping for literacy and numeracy. Assemblies and some lessons play an important part in pupils’ spiritual development, although pupils do not always have opportunities in lessons to reflect about what they have seen or learnt. Pupils’ moral and social development is very well promoted, with older pupils having opportunities to take on extra responsibilities and to play an active part in helping with day-to-day routines. However,

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Aspect Comment

Avenue Middle School - 9 for the older pupils particularly, there is a lack of formal structures to promote their ideas about the school, such as through a school council. There are arrangements in place for monitoring pupils’ progress through assessments. However, the school does not yet have well-developed procedures for the ongoing recording of individual pupils’ academic progress to ensure that targets are specific and appropriately challenging.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and provides good quality leadership. Co-ordinators are knowledgeable and effective. They have a very good grasp of what needs to be done to maintain and improve standards and successfully lead developments.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are well informed, committed, and give good support to the school. They have a good awareness of the school’s main strengths and work together well, with the headteacher, to promote the school’s aims.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has good procedures for analysing its own strengths and weaknesses and deciding what needs to be done next. The school does not systematically evaluate the quality of teaching so that good practice is identified and shared.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its below-average budget to ensure a good range of skills amongst its staff and sufficient resources for teaching the curriculum. Careful planning has ensured that programs for the two different types of computers complement each other and promote pupils’ learning through the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The school makes good use of its knowledgeable co-ordinators to lead curriculum developments and further improve standards. The headteacher and governors have made very good appointments to ensure a good balance of experience and expertise to lead further developments. The governors give good support in the drawing up of the school development plan and budget. However, more use could be made of the wide range of expertise amongst governors to help the school with first-hand evaluation of these developments. There is not enough monitoring of teaching at present. As a result, subject co- ordinators do not have a full understanding of the quality of learning in lessons, and teachers are not benefiting from their experience and expertise. The school applies the principle of best value well, particularly in its careful use of finances and in its comparisons of pupils’ attainment with that of other

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The high standards that pupils achieve. • School improvement since last inspection. • The pupils’ very positive attitudes to school and the good progress they make. • The very good behaviour in school and the good quality teaching. • The very high expectations placed on the children and the way in which the school helps the pupils to become mature and responsible. • The good opportunities to look at pupils’ work at parents’ evenings and the school open day. • Improved partnership in such initiatives as ‘Safe Routes to School’ • The limited range of extra-curricular activities. • The information provided by the school on pupils’ progress. • Approachability of school when parents have concerns. • The school playing field. • The amount of homework. • The criteria for allocating musical instruments to pupils who leave before the end of Year 7.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team heartily endorse the positive views that parents have of the school. Parents are generally well pleased with the school’s provision for their child’s education. The school has worked hard since the last inspection to work more closely with parents and the team felt that procedures for sharing concerns with the school were clearly understood. Whilst the number of pupils taking part in clubs, particularly in music, was high, the range of clubs is comparatively narrow. The school does, however, support the after-school care club by the free provision of accommodation. School reports meet statutory requirements and inspectors felt that the level of information from the school gave parents a clear insight into the work their children would be covering during each term. Pupils know when homework is to be set and the work they do at home successfully reinforces their learning. The

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

school’s games field provides a good space for activities but pupils do not have access to toilets during their time away from school. This does cause distress to some pupils when accidents occasionally occur. The governors are working hard to improve facilities at the site. The inspectors felt that some of the school’s criteria for the allocation of musical instruments were not in keeping with the school’s statement on equality of opportunity, and might deny some potentially talented musicians access to an instrument. Avenue Middle School - 11

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

1. Pupils’ attainment in the National Curriculum tests for the last four years has been consistently above average and often well above average. The results for the 2000 tests show that overall, when compared to similar schools, the results were in the top five per cent in the country, being 2.5 points ahead of the national average. This means that pupils are almost one year in advance when compared to other pupils of the same age. Inspection evidence shows that standards are well above average in English and science and above in mathematics, where the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 is not as high as in the other two subjects. Fundamental to the good progress that pupils make are the very positive attitudes that they have towards their work and the high quality presentation of this work, whether in their notebooks, exercise books or personal projects. The quality of the project work in the Year 6 Tudor diaries is very high, with

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

pupils showing very good research skills, integration of information and communications technology and a keen understanding of audience. This very good work is well built on in Year 7, when pupils show great originality in producing their own holiday brochures, such as “Paradise Planet”.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

2. The quality of teaching is consistently good and the levels of very good and excellent teaching have improved considerably since the last inspection. Teachers’ planning is of a good standard and clearly identifies what pupils are to learn. The two commonly used acronyms WALT (we are learning to) and WILF (what I am looking for) help pupils to clarify what they are expecting to learn and this often fires their enthusiasm for the task ahead. This was clearly evident in a Year 4 geography lesson where pupils were exploring maps to identify features of a village. The quality of teachers’ questioning has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning. A Year 7 French lesson was conducted almost entirely in French, with well focused questioning from the teacher that enabled pupils to practise and extend their knowledge of numbers, colours and animals. Good use of humour was evident when pupils were using colours to describe animals. The teacher described

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

‘une souris jaune’ as a ‘punk mouse’ much to the amusement of the pupils. Very high quality questioning in a Year 6 science lesson led to pupils examining their hypotheses on their evaporation investigation and considering further investigations that would enable them to confirm their findings. The teacher’s questioning also encouraged pupils to draw on all of their previous subject knowledge, not only to explain their own findings but to question their peers about theirs. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is thorough and supportive; however, it does not consistently inform pupils about what they need to do to improve.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

3. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in the great majority of the lessons seen. It not only contributes to the good quality of questioning but also to pupils’ level of understanding. Carefully chosen poems and extracts from The Rats of Nimh successfully enabled Year 7 pupils to develop their understanding of imagery, alliteration, rhythm and rhyme so that, by the end of the lesson, they could clearly differentiate some of the essential elements of narrative and poetry. Similarly, the success of a Year 5 information and communications technology lesson related very closely to the teacher’s very good subject knowledge and a crisp and precise explanation that promoted good understanding and confidence on the part of the pupils. As a result, pupils made very good progress in their understanding of entering data onto a spreadsheet. Occasionally, such as in a Year 7 design and technology lesson, the teacher did not have enough subject knowledge to

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

ensure that all elements of the lesson were well balanced, successfully developed and led to pupils overcoming their ‘making’ difficulties. Avenue Middle School - 12 4. There are very good relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils want to work hard for their teachers and earn their praise. The quality of relationships gives pupils the confidence to volunteer answers and to clarify misunderstandings. This helps their learning and extends their opportunities to contribute to lessons. A pupil in a lower-attaining Year 5 mathematics set described maths as her “favourite subject because the teacher explains things clearly and lets others explain how they do it”. The Year 5 religious education lesson, which provided children with a good background understanding of the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela, was all the more successful for pupils’ questions and contributions. The telling of the related story of Vishnu by

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

individual pupils to their peers not only reinforced their understanding but was indicative of the warmth and trust generated by the teacher.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

5. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because they are well supported in class by the teachers, classroom assistants and their good quality individual education plans that clearly identify the next stages of learning. As a result, these pupils are confident, play a full part in lessons and are very positive about their learning. The good quality input from the knowledgeable special educational needs co-ordinator benefits groups that are withdrawn in Years 4, 5 and 6 for extra mathematics and English support. As a result of this specialised input, the pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and make good and often very good progress in relation to their learning needs. Pupils with special educational needs also receive good support from the experienced classroom assistants, who are fully involved in the planning of pupils’ work, show firmness and sensitivity in their working approach with the pupils, and a consistent desire to see

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

6. In Years 5 and 6, teachers’ expertise in religious education, music, physical education, information and communications technology, French and personal, social and health education is having a very positive impact on pupils’ progress, their attitudes to work and the standards they achieve. The weaknesses identified in French teaching in the last inspection have been successfully addressed, and pupils now have great enthusiasm for the subject. The teaching of music, mostly by the deputy headteacher, leads to exceptionally high standards in the subject throughout the school. The quality of teaching in lessons, choir practices and orchestra activities, galvanises pupils’ enthusiasm and instrumental expertise, to produce sounds and experiences that add tremendously to the school’s curriculum and to pupils’ spiritual and social development.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

7. The good use of resources throughout lessons leads to pupils’ increased understanding of what they are learning about. In the Year 6 numeracy lesson on division, the use of clear demonstrations on the white board, together with digit cards and well differentiated worksheets, led to pupils making good progress in their work. The new information and communication technology suite houses the school’s personal computers: these are used well for half-class teaching and are becoming increasingly well integrated across the curriculum. High quality composition work in music by the oldest pupils makes good use of a challenging computer program. In this, pupils showed a very good understanding of composition, and used correct musical terminology to evaluate the work of their peers.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

Pupils have very good relationships, behave very well and work hard.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

8. Relationships throughout the school are very good. The school is a harmonious and supportive community where the ethos is relaxed but also clearly focused on learning. In lessons, the great majority of pupils are eager, willing and co-operate well. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to work, in some lessons, are excellent. These positive attitudes are a very significant factor in the good progress that pupils make through the school. Classrooms have a purposeful atmosphere, with teachers being able to concentrate on the lesson’s work without having to dwell on behaviour. Very good relationships are evident at break and lunchtimes, with year groups playing happily together. Older pupils show great maturity as monitors when they carry out their wet break and wet lunchtime responsibilities. Lunchtime is an orderly occasion, with pupils showing good manners and an awareness of others. Lunchtime supervisors are treated with good respect.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

9. The very good relationships that exist between pupils are used well by teachers in the learning Avenue Middle School - 13 process. Good quality group work, such as is evident in design and technology, physical education and science, is carefully planned by teachers, so that pupils learn from each other. Pupils’ very good collaborative skills are reinforced by the perceptive and thoughtful comments that they make in class discussions, with good respect for each other’s views and opinions. Pupils benefit from growing up in this supportive environment. This was clearly evident in a Year 7 music lesson, in which pupils sensitively appraised their peers’ composing work. “I liked the piece,” declared one pupil, “but I thought the strings impinged too much on the other instruments’ playing.” In several lessons observed, there was a general sense of excitement about the new learning that was taking place. Pupils respond by producing quality work, and by taking a great

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

pride in its presentation, some of which is outstanding.

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and 7 are well above average in English and science, and above average in

10. The school offers increasing responsibilities as pupils move through the school and this was clearly seen in assemblies and lunchtimes, as well as in classroom responsibilities. In interviews with the oldest pupils, inspectors were made aware of pupils’ maturity, sense of responsibility and commitment to their school. However, at present these pupils lack a formal forum, such as a school council, where their views can be heard and discussed.

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The school has strengthened its relationships with parents, who are very

satisfied with the standards which pupils achieve.

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The school has strengthened its relationships with parents, who are very

11. The school has worked hard to strengthen its relationships with parents and improve the channels of communication. Regular newsletters keep parents up to date and the school/parent partnership that was built up after the last inspection contributed significantly to the home-school agreement and the recent publication “Safe Routes to School”. The school, at parents’ request, now organises regular curriculum meetings. Parents find the parent-teacher meetings in November and May useful opportunities to discuss their children’s progress and enjoy the range of activities on display at the February Open Day.

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The school has strengthened its relationships with parents, who are very

12. The school gives high regard to its relationship with parents. Parents’ interest in the school was reflected in the high proportion of returned questionnaires and the wide-ranging debate that took place at the parents’ meeting. Parents feel that there is a closer relationship with the school since the last inspection, with formal meetings with teachers easy to organise through an appointment system. Informal contact between parents and teachers is not easy to maintain due to the geography of the school. Parents are very positive about their children’s attitudes to school, the high standards that they attain, the quality of teaching, and the way in which the school is managed. Some parents are, however, concerned about certain issues: these include the limited range of extra-curricular clubs, the information that the school provides, its approachability when they have concerns and the inadequate playing field provision. Whilst not

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The school has strengthened its relationships with parents, who are very

all parents are happy about all aspects of the school, they know that the school will listen to their concerns and act in the best interests of the pupils.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

13. Avenue Middle School pupils are happy, enthusiastic and caring. Much of this is due to the school’s planning in this area. Assemblies play an important part in this provision. For example, the Year 6 and 7 assembly on Amnesty International focused on the infringement of human rights. The assembly was led by pupils and, through readings and short playlets, emphasised how the removal of human rights affects individuals. This was well related to the importance of sticking up for each other to offset playground intimidation. This assembly was a starting point for the setting up of an Amnesty International group, which was later followed up by more than 20 pupils. The assembly gave a strong social and cultural emphasis with an over-riding moral thread. Opportunities for pupils to reflect on what they had heard and their response introduced a strong spiritual element into the assembly. Pupils’ well-developed social skills meant that all pupils were

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The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

listened to carefully and their comments valued. The good quality singing during assemblies also makes an important contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Other year assemblies successfully build on pupils’ spiritual development and consistently reinforce the school’s very Avenue Middle School - 14 strong moral and social code.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

14. Pupils’ social development is well planned for during lessons, when the very good relationships that pupils have built up are used effectively in collaborative situations to enhance their learning. For example, Year 7 pupils worked very closely together on the designing and making of a powered vehicle controlled by computer. As a result of this close co-operation, pupils were constantly refining and improving their model. Religious education lessons enable pupils to gain a good knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs and customs of a variety of cultures. Art, music and personal and social education lessons, together with the choice of literacy texts, all make a strong contribution to pupils’ understanding of their own and other cultures.

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The school is well led, with the governors, headteacher and staff continuously

seeking ways to move the school forward.

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The school is well led, with the governors, headteacher and staff continuously

15. Strong leadership is provided by the headteacher and key staff. The success of the school owes much to the headteacher’s drive and resolve that there must be no complacency over the good standards achieved. In this work, he is very well supported by some knowledgeable co- ordinators, who develop clear development plans to improve standards further in the school. Recent appointments of assessment and English co-ordinators have strengthened the team and the school is in a strong position to improve further.

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The school is well led, with the governors, headteacher and staff continuously

16. The school development plan is carefully thought through, involving input from both staff and governors. It is prioritised and carefully financed. Good use of the available funds has ensured that developments have been appropriately resourced and consideration given to the training needs of staff. As a result, the school has improved consistently since the last inspection. In addition to maintaining and improving the fabric of the building and the playground, future plans include the introduction of a new mathematics scheme, the revision of the school curriculum, the development of the library and closer governor links with individual curriculum subjects.

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The school is well led, with the governors, headteacher and staff continuously

17. Governors share the headteacher’s determination to ensure the highest standards and he has their confidence. They work hard on the school’s behalf and bring a wide range of expertise into the school’s management. However, the school could make more use of this expertise to help in the analysis of its developments. The linking of governors with year groups is a good initiative and made more significant by some governors’ presence at the fortnightly planning meetings, when pupils’ progress and future initiatives are discussed. Governors have a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses through visits, communication with the headteacher and regular reports from subject co-ordinators. The results of year assessments and test results are discussed, with governors being closely involved in the setting of end-of-key stage targets.

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The school is well led, with the governors, headteacher and staff continuously

18. The schools’ aims are reflected very well in its practice. The school provides a varied and balanced curriculum and a variety of approaches to learning in a happy and secure environment, in which the pupils flourish, and develop self-respect, self-confidence and healthy attitudes to learning.

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The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and the sharing of good practice so

19. Numeracy and literacy strategies have been successfully implemented through the school. Regular release time was given to the literacy co-ordinator to monitor the planning and the implementation of the strategies in the classroom. However, due to an accident, the numeracy co-ordinator has only been able to monitor a small amount of teaching and learning in the classroom. Whilst she receives the results of half-termly and end-of-year assessments, she has recently been unable to visit classrooms to identify good practice so that this can be shared with colleagues. Similarly a regular rolling programme of monitoring by other co-ordinators is not yet Avenue Middle School - 15 in place and, as such, good opportunities are being missed by the school for teachers to learn from each other through observation, as well as through more formal inservice training. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, a teacher had difficulty keeping pupils on task, and would benefit

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The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and the sharing of good practice so

from observing more experienced colleagues at work. However, formal monitoring of teaching by the senior management team will be started later this year as part of the performance management initiative. There is, however, still much to be gained from regular opportunities for teachers, at all levels, to learn from the observation of each other’s teaching.

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The use and recording of assessments to track pupils’ progress so that

appropriately challenging targets can be set to help them improve further.

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The use and recording of assessments to track pupils’ progress so that

20. The school uses a variety of standardised and teacher assessments to monitor pupils’ progress. However, some of these assessments are not compatible with the higher-attaining pupils’ abilities and, consequently, do not clearly show the progress these particular pupils have made over time. For example, some higher-attaining pupils in Year 5 achieve the highest levels in their reading test, and any improvements they make in future years cannot therefore be measured. There is, also at present, no whole-school recording system for tracking pupils’ progress so that both year group and individual targets can be easily monitored and predictions made. The new assessment co-ordinator has drawn up draft proformas so that pupils’ progress can be tracked and predictions about future targets made. At present this is for the three core subjects of English, mathematics and science and also information and communications technology. The present initiative is

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The use and recording of assessments to track pupils’ progress so that

working well and it is intended to extend it through the school and also link it to a new commercial database. This will enable the school and governors to monitor individuals’ and year cohorts’ progress more carefully to ensure that the high standards in the school are maintained and raised further.

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The use and recording of assessments to track pupils’ progress so that

Both key issues are priorities in this year’s development plan.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

21. In order to raise standards further, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) establish a regular programme of classroom visits to: - monitor the standard of teaching and learning; - highlight strengths and weaknesses and set individual targets for improvement; - introduce peer observations so that the best teaching practice in the classroom is shared.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) introduce an assessment and recording policy that: - is appropriate for the wide range of pupils’ ability; - allows regular recording of pupils’ ongoing assessment; - provides relevant information for the setting of year cohort and individual targets; - is carefully designed to ensure ease of use and efficient use of teachers’ time. Avenue Middle School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

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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 Y4 – Y7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 375

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 33

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y4 – Y7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 76

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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 6

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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 17

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 27

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 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. Avenue Middle School - 17

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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 47 47 94

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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 40 38 40 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 45 41 44

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 90 (87) 84 (82) 89 (86) 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 37 37 39 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 43 36 44

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 85 (83) 79 (76) 88 (81) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 15 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Avenue Middle School - 18

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15.5 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y4 – Y8 Total expenditure 629437

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 1648

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 105.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 17920

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 7909 Avenue Middle School - 19

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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. 44 49 6 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 37 56 2 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 54 11 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 50 18 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 40 41 13 3 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 41 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 16 57 19 4 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 39 46 5 1 9

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 36 53 6 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 15 39 25 9 12

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