Clarendon Road Community Primary School

Clarendon Road Primary School

Dates of inspection: 2 nd - 5 th July 2001

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Clarendon Road Primary School

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

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Clarendon Road 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. Clarendon Road Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Clarendon Road Eccles Salford Manchester Postcode M30 9BJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Dr S Hopkins

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1997 Clarendon Road Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

9479 Mrs C A Field Registered inspector The characteristics and effectiveness of the school The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Teaching and learning Key Issues for action 9428 Mrs J Butler Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes and values and personal development Partnership with parents and carers Pupils’ welfare, health and safety 15414 Mr D Carrington Team inspector Information and communication technology Religious education Leadership and management Quality and range of opportunities for learning 2818 Mr G Warner Team inspector Special educational needs Science Music Physical education 12145 Mrs T Patterson English Art and design Equal opportunities 6752 Mrs J Dickins Team Inspector Mathematics Provision for children in the Foundation Stage 30144 Mr E Hastings Team inspector English as an additional language Design and technology Geography History

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

TRIO Inspections Cherry Trees Wenlock Road Tasley Bridgnorth Shropshire WV16 4QB

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is located in Eccles and is situated in a well-established residential area of predominantly private housing, some of which is rented for a variety of uses. There are 343 pupils on roll: 170 boys and 173 girls, aged between four and eleven years. A further 37 children attend the school’s nursery. Most children’s attainment on entry to school is broadly average but covers a wide range. Sixteen per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is broadly average. There are eight pupils who have a statement of special educational need and this is a high proportion. Overall, some 20 per cent of pupils in school have special educational needs and this is about average. The majority of pupils are from White backgrounds with a small proportion with Black or Asian heritage. Nine pupils on roll do not speak English at home. Their own languages include: Arabic, Urdu, Gujerati and Telegu. There is no additional support

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

provided to assist these pupils’ education because all are confident to speak, read and write in English at school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is happy and caring and places children at its centre. The school makes exceptional efforts to include all children in its educational provision and welcomes all those who choose to come to the school. Everyone works hard for the benefit of the pupils and there are more strengths than weaknesses in the quality of education provided. The headteacher is a strong pastoral leader but has yet to set a clear educational direction that embraces academic rigour with the same conviction as he does pastoral matters. Most staff share a common purpose and have taken steps to make their work more effective. Those with leadership responsibilities do not play a large enough role in the process of systematic monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance. Teaching is satisfactory overall and enables most pupils to make appropriate progress; those pupils with special educational needs make good progress.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Not enough attention is paid to the needs of potentially higher-attaining pupils and this results in some underachievement. The cost of education is less per pupil than in most primary schools and the school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Good teaching leads to good learning from 3 to 7 years and standards are above average in English, mathematics and music at the end of Key Stage 1. • Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and make good progress against their individual targets. • Pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour and very good relationships with their teachers are successfully underpinning their effective learning in lessons. • The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall and results in pupils being well prepared for future citizenship. • The school has worked effectively to build a fruitful partnership with parents that benefits their children’s education.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) are too low at the end of Key Stage 2, particularly for potentially higher-attaining pupils. • The systems in place for assessment, monitoring and evaluation lack rigour, and insufficient attention is paid to developing the leadership roles of key staff. • The layout of the building restricts good communication and efficient working; however, some space is not used effectively. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Clarendon Road Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Following its previous inspection in 1997, the school had five key issues to address that focused on improving planning, assessment, the quality of teaching, aspects of management and attainment in information technology. There has been steady progress in improvement since then across the board, though more work remains to be done in all areas. The school development plan is a useful tool for guiding improvement and includes the right targets for the future. Underpinning this are detailed action plans for the prime target areas that are being effectively implemented but at a relatively slow pace. The key reason for this concerns the flow of information in school that is hampered by the limitations imposed by the poor-quality building and also by the style of the headteacher’s management which relies heavily on informal mechanisms. The school is judged to have the necessary capacity to continue to make

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improvement at a satisfactory pace but could be doing so much better if a more systematic and rigorous approach were taken to decision-making.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

The standards achieved by eleven-year-olds in the 2000 SATs were average in English and below average in mathematics and science. When compared to similar schools the standards were above average in English but well below average in mathematics and below average in science. Trends over time show a slightly improving picture in results in English but a very up and down pattern in the other two tested subjects. The school’s rate of improvement in standards overall mirrors that seen nationally. Results in the SATs are more positive at the end of Key Stage 1 than at the end of Key Stage 2.

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Key

There have been some changes in the school’s population that have had a negative impact on its overall performance when compared to similar schools; for example, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs joining the school in the junior phase since 1998. The current Year 6 comprises 20 per cent of pupils with special educational needs, five of whom have specific statements. This is a significant factor to be taken into account in judging current standards. The number of pupils who take up free school meals this year (16%) is half what it was two years ago, though the school believes many more are eligible, but there is no reliable evidence for this. Last year the school’s SATs results shown above were compared with schools that have between 8 and 20 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals.

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Key

At Key Stage 1, results show a rising trend in English and mathematics. The standards achieved by seven-year-olds in the 2000 SATs were average in writing, above average in reading and very high in mathematics. Results in mathematics placed the school amongst the top five per cent of all schools. Teachers assessed standards in science as average.

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Key

Evidence from this inspection shows that standards are good for seven-year-olds in English, mathematics and music. They are satisfactory in all other subjects. At 11 years, standards are unsatisfactory in English, mathematics, science and ICT, and satisfactory in all other subjects. The setting arrangements are working to good advantage at Key Stage 1 but at Key Stage 2 too little attention is paid to establishing, reviewing and revising targets aimed at ensuring that those capable of making good achievement do so. Clarendon Road Primary School - 8 Too little is expected of the oldest pupils in the second set of four, and this is working against their making the best rate of progress over time. Some good teaching and learning was observed at Key Stage 2 during lessons, but a very detailed examination of pupils’ work provided by the school revealed that erratic progress is being made by between 10 and 15 per cent of pupils and this is resulting in underachievement.

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Key

The school has set realistic academic targets for future National Curriculum tests at eleven years, but is not supporting their realisation through a system of effective monitoring that checks whether it is on track to achieve them during the year.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are happy to attend, and they learn to work and play together harmoniously. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good in and out of classrooms. For a few pupils, problems with their own behaviour and lack of self-control present difficulties from time to time but these are extremely well managed by teachers. Two fixed-period exclusions last year were fully warranted. Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils are confident and mature learners. They are willing to take responsibility when given the opportunity. Relationships are very good. Attendance Satisfactory. Pupils are punctual and parents appropriately inform the school of all reasons for absence.

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

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

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

Teaching is satisfactory overall and better than it was in 1997 when a quarter of the lessons observed were unsatisfactory. Teaching was 100 per cent satisfactory or better in the 88 lessons observed during this inspection, 59 per cent were good and resulted in the majority of pupils achieving appropriately. Teaching is more often good in the infant classes. Work in pupils’ books from last September suggests a slightly less positive picture in the juniors. The progress that a significant proportion of potentially high- attaining older pupils make is erratic because they are given insufficient challenge to enable them to reach the standards of which they are capable and because managers are not giving teachers the information they need to plan for improvement during the year.

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

Children get off to a good start in the nursery because of good teaching and learn to become keen and enthusiastic learners as a result. Some consistently good teaching is driving up standards at Key Stage 1. A key reason for this is the sharing of planning, and efficient teamwork that focuses on what individual pupils need to do next to improve. Pupils at all stages try hard in lessons and work with sustained application. They show pride in their work and enjoy most of their studies. They show positive responses even when the work is undemanding. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught effectively throughout the school. The school meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs well but is less successful in meeting the needs of potentially higher-attaining pupils. Throughout the school, too little attention is paid to giving pupils the information they need to play a key role in self-improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall. The curriculum is broad and suitably balanced though there is insufficient monitoring to check its quality and impact on the range of pupils provided for. Good attention is given to cross-curricular links that benefit pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. The range of extracurricular opportunities is good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. These pupils are enabled to make good progress against their individual targets. The work of support staff is particularly effective. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The school is helping pupils clearly know right from wrong and they are developing a good set of principles to live by, though spiritual development is not always planned for and this is a missed opportunity. The school’s provision for pupils’ social and moral development assists

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Aspect Comment

them to grow as responsible future citizens. Pupils are being well prepared to take their place in a culturally diverse society. How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. This is a caring school which places the personal development of all pupils at its heart, and which works hard to support the few for whom low self-esteem, lack of self-control, and generally low aspirations are a problem. With close support from the specialist agencies, the teaching and support staff provide well for the personal needs of pupils. However, at Key Stage 2, the monitoring of pupils’ academic progress is unsatisfactory. Teachers do not make enough use of assessment to ensure that pupils always receive appropriate challenge to reach their own potential. Health and safety considerations are satisfactory overall but the arrangements for first aid require review. How well the school works in partnership with

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Aspect Comment

parents. Good. The school works effectively to forge and nurture strong links with parents, who provide a good level of support through involvement with learning at home or at school, as well as generous provision for extra school resources. The nature of the partnership is one of mutual, friendly support, in which school and home together help children to develop their potential and overcome difficulties. Clarendon Road Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory overall. The headteacher is committed to school improvement, as are all staff, and there is a united determination to move the school forward. However, the leadership roles of key staff are unclear and too few people are being drawn into the whole-school process of self-critical review. Lines of communication are unsatisfactory and this results in inefficient working practices that are working against a good pace of improvement. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are well informed and are critical friends to the school. The work of committees enables effective management of governors’ business. All statutory requirements are carried out in full. The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. Senior managers have yet to make the most of data that enables comparison of the school’s performance against that of others.

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Aspect Comment

The targets for pupils’ attainment are not reflected enough in planning and the activities set. Teachers work hard to raise standards but their efforts are diluted because of the weakness in monitoring and assessment systems that do not give them the right information at the right time to support the raising of academic standards. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Staffing and learning resources are adequate and used soundly. The accommodation imposes some limitations on pupils’ learning because of shortage of space, but there is scope for rationalisation in some areas and more creative use of space elsewhere. The libraries are too small, halls are cluttered and there is no provision for disabled access. Finances are managed properly, including specific grants. Best value principles are followed satisfactorily – though not all key staff are aware of the full range that this encompasses.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and most behave sensibly. • Teaching is good and children learn successfully. • Parents are comfortable to approach the school with questions or problems. • There is inconsistent practice in the setting of homework. • The information provided about their children’s progress is not sufficiently detailed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team generally agrees with all of the views expressed above. Clarendon Road Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• The school has made steady progress overall in improving standards since the previous inspection four years ago. Its rate of improvement mirrors that seen nationally. • Most children start school in the nursery with broadly average levels of attainment and from three to seven years all of them make at least satisfactory progress in their studies. • The standards achieved by the current seven-year-olds are good in English, mathematics and music and satisfactory in all other subjects. • The standards achieved by the current eleven-year-olds are unsatisfactory in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) and satisfactory in all other subjects. • The current Year 6 comprises 20 per cent of pupils with special educational needs, five of whom have specific statements. This is a significant factor to be taken into account in judging current standards. • From seven to eleven years the great majority of pupils make steady progress; those with special

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

educational needs make good progress. There is a significant but small minority of potentially higher-attaining pupils who are not achieving what they are capable of. • Management systems to track, evaluate and raise standards are not rigorous enough.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The school has made steady progress overall in improving standards since the previous inspection four years ago. The school’s rate of improvement mirrors the national trend. There have been some changes in the school’s population that have had a negative impact on its overall performance when compared to similar schools; for example, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs joining the school in the junior phase since 1998. The current Year 6 comprises 20 per cent of pupils with special educational needs, five of whom have specific statements. The number of pupils who take up free school meals this year is half what it was last year, though the school believes many more are eligible. These are significant factors to be taken into account in judging current standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The standards achieved by the current seven-year-olds are good in English, mathematics and music and satisfactory in all other subjects. Most children start school in the nursery with broadly average levels of attainment and from three to seven years all of them make at least satisfactory progress in their studies. They make good progress in basic skills. The standards achieved by the current eleven-year-olds are unsatisfactory in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) and satisfactory in all other subjects. From seven to eleven years the great majority of pupils make steady progress; those with special educational needs make good progress. There is a significant minority of potentially higher-attaining pupils who are not achieving what they are capable of. The proportion of pupils who reach level 4 or above is below that found in similar schools and this is why the standards in English, mathematics and science are judged to be

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

unsatisfactory. Overall standards are judged to be unsatisfactory since some higher- attaining pupils are not being assisted to reach the higher level 5, and a significant number of average- attaining pupils are not working at the appropriate level 4.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The school has established four learning sets that group Year 5 and 6 pupils by ability. The same happens across Years 3 and 4. The composition of these groups requires review as the current organisation is capping the potential higher achievement of between 10 and 15 per cent of Year 6 pupils. The school has made a useful start in setting targets in English and mathematics for groups of junior-age pupils but has yet to set specific targets for individual pupils that are regularly reviewed and revised in the light of how well they are learning. This is the next step for improvement to ensure that standards are given the boost they require and reach the realistic targets that have been agreed.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Children receive an effective education in the Foundation Stage. When the youngest children first enter the nursery class, their achievements in all assessed areas are found to be average. By the time they are five years old, their skills are at the level expected for their age and most have made Clarendon Road Primary School - 12 steady progress in all areas defined by the Early Learning Goals. A significant proportion of children currently in reception are likely to exceed the Early Learning Goals by the time they are five years old. Children who have special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make good progress in the Foundation Stage because of good staff teamwork.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. At the end of the infant stage, results show a rising trend in English and mathematics. The standards achieved by seven-year-olds in the 2000 SATs were average in writing, above average in reading and very high in mathematics. Results in mathematics placed the school amongst the top five per cent of all schools. Teachers assessed standards in science as average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The standards achieved by eleven-year-olds in the 2000 SATs were average in English and below average in mathematics and science. When compared to similar schools the standards were above average in English but well below average in mathematics and below average in science. Trends over time show a slightly improving picture in results in English but a very up and down pattern in the other two tested subjects. The school’s rate of improvement in standards overall mirrors that seen nationally. In tests, the boys do less well than the girls in school and against their counterparts nationally. This was not borne out by inspection findings.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Results in the SATs are more positive at the end of the infant phase than at the end of the juniors. Inspection evidence indicates that a contributory factor is the change in the school’s population at the junior phase but more significantly the fact that there is better coordination of learning across the infant phase than in the junior phase. Infant staff are more focused on what the next steps in learning should be for individuals and make sure that demanding work is given to pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding and extend their problem-solving skills. The setting arrangements, which group pupils by ability in English and mathematics, are working to good advantage for all pupils in the infants because of the sharp focus on assessing how well different pupils are learning. Pupils are making good progress because teachers expect them to reach specific standards in their work. There is good attention paid by teachers in the infant classes to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

enabling pupils to find out things for themselves, and this approach is supporting pupils’ research and enquiry skills successfully. The good attention to enabling pupils to have a go for themselves was amply demonstrated in a geography lesson in a class of mixed six and seven-year-olds. The pupils worked very purposefully and productively to plot their route from home to school and gave close attention to showing the location of speed bumps and traffic lights, for example, besides the key features such as hospital and church. When they had finished they independently used 1:1250 scale maps to locate the street in which the school and their home were located. They were eager to use a range of information sources to learn more about their local community and shared what they had learned with the teacher and classmates in the very good plenary session.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The school is aware that the standards achieved by eleven-year-olds in SATs last year were not as high as they had predicted. Managers have not been able to put their finger on exactly why this was so. There has been intensive support provided by the local authority for literacy and numeracy; and their monitoring shows that both teaching and learning are effective in classes. The inspection team also observed effective teaching and learning in classes and this is commented upon later in this report. A very detailed examination of junior-age pupils’ work provided by the school for inspectors revealed that the majority of pupils make reasonable progress and achieve acceptable standards. However, erratic progress is being made by between 10 and 15 per cent of pupils who are potentially capable of reaching higher standards. The key reason for this is the setting arrangements in English and mathematics that are geared to levelling down rather than lifting up

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

achievement. The work in sets is appropriate for pupils’ ages and teachers are following the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies in the work covered. However, there is insufficient linkage between what is taught and what needs to be learned to ensure that different pupils are certain of attaining the level of which they are capable.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils in sets one and four tend to make the best progress. Set one comprises the pupils who are predicted to achieve at the higher level 5 at the end of juniors and set four comprises the pupils who are lower attaining, including those with special educational needs. Too little is expected of the oldest pupils in the second set of four in lower and upper juniors, and this is working against them achieving to potential. Pupils in set three make satisfactory progress overall but it is variable. The school recognises that some pupils in set three, with additional support, could achieve the expected level 4 and has taken appropriate steps to support them. Managers have learned much from this Clarendon Road Primary School - 13 work and are now aware that precision is required to set work that meets the criteria that will secure the predicted levels for pupils in all sets. To date, the quality, accuracy and frequency of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

assessment against National Curriculum levels have not been sharp enough to spot pupils likely to miss the level predicted for them. Management has not yet given sufficient focus on collecting and analysing the right data to be able to track and target individual achievement on a regular basis. The headteacher is aware of this and has made a useful start in collecting the necessary data from a range of appropriate assessment tasks set during the year so that more focus can be given to target setting.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils with special educational needs get a good deal from the school and make good progress in consequence. The good additional support provided for pupils with special educational needs enables them to do well. Individual education plans are well written and are used consistently to support these pupils’ learning across the curriculum. The standards being achieved by pupils with special educational needs are appropriate.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. A very small minority of infant and junior-age pupils learning English as an additional language is identified in paperwork by the school. None of the pupils identified receives additional support for English as all are assessed to be confident with working in English. None of the evidence gathered during the inspection caused concern about how well pupils who learn English as an additional language achieve; the same judgements for all pupils are equally appropriate to these pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Throughout the school, there has been a positive impact on the achievements of pupils from the successful implementation of both the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies. (They have had relatively more impact for the younger pupils at present as, for them, this is the normal way to learn English and mathematics. For those in Years 5 and 6 the changes come on top of already established working patterns and so the impact is less.)

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Pupils’ number skills are becoming sharp and most work with speed and accuracy during the numeracy hours throughout the school. The strong emphasis given to practical mathematics and problem solving is paying dividends in infant classes, as the very good improvement in standards at the end of the key stage demonstrates. There is some good use of numeracy in other subjects, for example in a history lesson in a Year 1/2 class when they successfully placed a number of historical facts in chronological order. In junior classes well-chosen work is enabling pupils to catch up on aspects of mathematics not learnt securely in the past and, from this firmer foundation, take the next step forward with confidence. Most pupils use and apply numbers with reasonable accuracy and show competent mental recall of number facts. Most are developing the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding that are expected for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. Pupils largely develop good reading habits from an early age and enjoy reading for pleasure and for finding things out. Higher-attaining pupils are hampered in developing independent research and enquiry skills by the poor quality of the library, which is cramped and has limited resources. Pupils’ writing skills in English books are clearly improving because of the good attention the school has given to extending these. Pupils are writing imaginatively and creatively at length and are clearly getting enjoyment from so doing. For example in the lowest set in Year 5/6, pupils used ICT to help them write poetry. They formed couplets based on the title ‘Do you know my teacher?’ that were interesting and humorous. Good use was made of a wide range of adjectives, for example, when describing the teacher’s ‘piercing black eyes’ to bring the poem to life. Work is poorly organised in some older pupils’ writing folders in set 2, however, and an over-reliance on worksheets is inhibiting

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

creative work. Spellings are practised in most classes but many pupils are still mis-spelling key vocabulary. Pupils of all ages are attentive listeners and follow instructions well. Older pupils have less-well-developed speaking skills. They speak confidently and enthusiastically, but what they say is limited by their vocabulary and their willingness to voice their opinions or put forward a reasoned argument. This is one aspect of literacy that could be better promoted across the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. Pupils are making steady progress in science, even though standards are below average at eleven years. To a large extent, improvements in standards in science have been hampered because of the emphasis given to English and mathematics. A good action plan has been produced for science, which has yet to be fully implemented. The curriculum is well structured and good attention is being paid to promoting the investigative and experimental aspects of the subject. Teachers are providing interesting practical activities for pupils to learn by doing and this motivates good Clarendon Road Primary School - 14 involvement and sustained concentration that is helping raise standards. Managers have yet to set targets to support teaching and learning in science and this is a missed opportunity.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

16. The standards achieved in ICT by seven-year-olds are satisfactory. Standards are not yet at the level expected for eleven-year-olds because of continuing shortages of resources. Along with other Salford schools, Clarendon Road Primary is not being connected to the Internet until January 2002. Meanwhile the pupils are not receiving the curriculum entitlement for ICT that they should. The school is covering the rest of the programme of study for ICT and pupils reach the expected standards. Particularly good use is made of ICT to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum and this is preparing them appropriately to participate in a rapidly changing world that is being transformed by developing technology.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

17. The school is providing worthwhile experiences for pupils in all other subjects and standards are at the level expected by eleven years. The school is aware that raising attainment in English, mathematics and science must be its number one priority. Staff are united in their determination to raise standards and the school is judged to have satisfactory capacity to make timely improvement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

• Attitudes to school and behaviour have improved since the last inspection. • Pupils show real enthusiasm for acquiring new skills. • Behaviour is good in lessons, in assemblies and at play. • Pupils respond well to praise and reward, but understand and respect the need for sanctions. • They make the most of the rather impoverished playground environment. • There are very good relationships between pupils, and between adults and pupils. • Personal development is good: pupils learn to be independent, considerate, confident and sensible. • Attendance is satisfactory and punctuality is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Major strengths of the school, and ones which are particularly valued by parents, are the good attitudes which pupils have to learning and their good behaviour throughout the school day. These areas show an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils are happy to come to school, are keen to learn and try hard in lessons. They show real enthusiasm for acquiring new skills, from their first attempts at handwriting through to more complex tasks on the computers. They enter into role-play situations with imagination and flair. The atmosphere of suspense and anticipation when nursery children went on a bear hunt to music was magical. Similarly, older pupils slipped into the mindset of adults when engaging a ‘local councillor’ in discussion in a history lesson.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons, assemblies and at play. They are polite, exercise self-control and treat pupils, adults and property with respect. They respond well to the use of praise and the reward system, but also understand and respect the need for sanctions. Their willingness to sit patiently through a very protracted good work assembly was a credit to them. In the rather impoverished playground environment, they make the most of the limited space by self-regulation in the football area, and by harmonious groupings which allow for physical or quieter activities. A few pupils have significant problems with their own behaviour and lack of self-control from time to time but they are extremely well managed by teachers and support staff and do not disrupt learning. The school makes exceptional efforts to include all children in its educational provision and uses short- term exclusion only very rarely, when a cooling-off period or reinforcement of its intolerance of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

aggression is absolutely essential. The two temporary exclusions made last year were fully warranted.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Very good relationships between pupils, and between teachers, classroom assistants and pupils, successfully underpinned effective learning in lessons during the inspection. This feature is well demonstrated by the pupils with special educational needs, who ask for and receive good support from their support staff. However, some older pupils feel that they do not always find it easy to ask for help as they may be accused of not listening properly. This limits their potential progress. There is good racial harmony throughout the school, and an absence of anti-social or oppressive behaviour. Pupils are caring of one another, respect and show genuine interest in the different beliefs and customs of others, and work and play very well together. Clarendon Road Primary School - 15 21. The personal development of pupils is good. They learn to be independent and socially aware in the Foundation Stage, and gradually become confident and mature. They reflect well on their own

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

experiences, and learn to cope with their emotions. However, throughout the school, and particularly in Key Stage 2, pupils are not given enough information for them to play a key role in self-improvement by sharing with teachers the responsibility for their own academic progress. Pupils respond well to the opportunities they have to learn about healthy lifestyles. They are sensible, make informed choices and have high personal standards. They are happy to take on responsibility but feel that there are insufficient opportunities for them to really make a difference to the quality of school life.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. Attendance is satisfactory, but just below the national average for primary schools. There has been a slight improvement this year. Punctuality is good. Absences are all because of illness or family holidays and unauthorised absence is extremely low.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• Teaching is much improved since the previous inspection in 1997. • During the 88 lessons observed during this inspection none were unsatisfactory and over half were of good quality. Teaching is more often good for pupils up to the age of seven. • The management of pupils is very good, as are relationships, which make classes purposeful and productive places. • Literacy and numeracy skills are taught effectively and there is good impact from the school’s successful implementation of national strategies. • Pupils with special educational needs are taught well and given very good support by learning assistants. • There are shortcomings in the assessment of how well junior-age pupils are doing in the sets in English and mathematics that limit the usefulness of planning in providing work that challenges potentially high-attaining pupils to reach the standards of which they are capable. • Management systems to check and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning are not rigorous

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching is satisfactory overall and better than it was in 1997 when a quarter of the lessons observed were unsatisfactory. Teaching was 100 per cent satisfactory or better in the lessons observed during this inspection and resulted in the majority of pupils achieving appropriately. Parents hold positive views about teaching and many say the reason they chose the school is because of the rich and rounded education pupils receive. The majority of parents give good support to homework, especially reading with their children which is supporting the good level of achievement most pupils make in reading. The school is soon to advise parents of exactly what the expectations for homework are for all years. There are positive features present in teaching throughout the school: • very good relationships make classrooms positive places for teaching and learning; • the management of pupils’ behaviour is a strength. A few pupils have significant problems with

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

their own behaviour and lack of self-control from time to time but they are extremely well managed by teachers and this results in lessons that are purposeful and productive; • good methods are used to stimulate pupils’ interest and engage their sustained application; • support staff are well deployed and the work they do in assisting lower-attaining pupils with their work, including those with special educational needs, is helping these pupils make good progress.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching is more often good in infant classes than in junior ones. In the less effective lessons observed in junior classes, the teachers expected too little from potentially high-attaining pupils and used more of the time to give instructions and pass on information, rather than enabling pupils to embark on a journey of learning through finding out things for themselves and recording work in their own way. Work in junior-age pupils’ books from last September highlights these shortcomings very clearly. Work from different pupils has a sameness about it, and an over-reliance on work sheets is limiting potentially high standards of work in English and science, for example. Marking in books is variable; where it is best, it shows exactly what the pupils need to do to reach the standards expected and where improvement lies. Setting arrangements in English and mathematics are showing shortcomings as teachers have the tall order of trying to plan for two age groups and a wide

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

Clarendon Road Primary School - 16 range of abilities. Managers are not giving teachers the information they need to plan for improvement during the year. The very best practice in teaching and learning in the school has yet to be sufficiently shared. A timetable of monitoring and evaluation has not yet been established and the next step is to involve more people in observing work in classrooms. These are important aspects for improvement.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. In the 88 lessons observed during this inspection, teaching quality was of satisfactory or better quality overall. In forty-four per cent of lessons, teaching was of good quality and in fifteen per cent of very good quality. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. Teaching is satisfactory overall in school. It is good in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and music is good throughout the school. The very best teaching observed during the inspection was in the nursery and in Year 2. Here teachers give good attention to making sure that the work set for all pupils is matched to the level they are working at but also gives them extra challenge to push on in learning. In these classes, methods are varied and very effective, teachers are skilful at eliciting information and extending understanding through well-judged questioning. The good teaching from 3 to 7 years is enabling willing and enthusiastic learners. Pupils work hard, concentrate well and become mature and sensible learners. Pupils enjoy their lessons and demonstrate that they can work independently and responsibly when required. The good learning habits that are now being

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

built systematically ensure that most make good progress. Because lessons are profitable, younger pupils are building skills, knowledge and understanding at good rates. This is having a positive effect on standards.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. Skills of literacy and numeracy are taught effectively and there is good impact from the school’s successful implementation of national strategies. Teachers make effective use of mental warm-up times to improve numeracy skills and they use sessions at the end of lessons well to assess pupils’ levels of understanding. However, many do not keep a sufficiently detailed record of how well different pupils achieve on a daily or weekly basis. Lesson plans, in consequence, are written to follow the national guidelines without sufficient adaptation to reflect the different levels of achievement taking place. Numeracy skills are integrated effectively into many other lessons. For instance, in design and technology and science, pupils use their mathematical skills very well to estimate, to measure accurately and to produce graphs. The use of these skills is enhanced further by the good challenges in lessons, especially in the way in which pupils are given problems to solve,

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

for example in science. Literacy sessions typically begin with the sharing of text, and most teachers engage pupils’ good working habits very early on by asking probing questions that stimulate thoughtful answers. It is usually the case that group activities are purposeful and productive times in which the majority of pupils get on well with their independent tasks. The practice of targeting lower-attaining groups of pupils for specific attention on building their phonological awareness is working effectively. The effectiveness with which high-attaining pupils are targeted for extended work is variable. There is good promotion of technical vocabulary in most subjects and this is a positive feature. In some junior classes, the opportunities for open-ended discussions are limited, however, by the readiness of teachers to accept one answer.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. Teaching and learning in ICT are satisfactory in the aspects covered but there are gaps in what is being taught and learned by eleven-year-olds due to the continued shortage of resources and the school’s delayed access to Internet use. The practical aspects of a range of subjects are being well promoted at Key Stage 1, and, as a result, pupils are confident to have a go at solving problems. This focus is supporting some good teaching and learning in core subjects throughout the school but is less in evidence in other subjects at Key Stage 2.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Children under five benefit from very good teaching and get off to a flying start in their nursery education as a result. The staff in nursery and reception work together well as a team. They understand the needs of young children and generally provide a varied range of learning experiences that help children develop a good all-round education and get into productive work habits from an early age. This is more consistently the case in nursery than reception, however.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. The teaching provided for pupils with special educational needs is good overall and is often very good in one to one and in small group situations. This good quality reflects the teamwork of the well-trained support staff who know the pupils they work with well. Individual education plans have Clarendon Road Primary School - 17 a more useful structure and format and are used successfully to chart progress. This enables the necessary action to be taken during the learning process rather than at the end of the cycle. This good practice could serve well as a model for ensuring that the needs of the highest-attaining pupils are consistently well met.

p.16

STUDENTS?

• The curriculum is broad and balanced and generally gives the necessary experiences to the pupils. • The strategies for literacy and numeracy are effective overall, though there is need to review the learning sets in the juniors to ensure that all pupils are given maximum opportunity to succeed. • Pupils with special educational needs study from a well-managed curriculum. • Provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language is effective. • The quality of personal, social, moral and cultural education is good. • Links with the community and other schools are good and visitors and educational visits make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. • Shortages of time and resources affect provision in some subjects. • The spiritual development of pupils is not planned consistently across the curriculum.

p.17

STUDENTS?

31. The curriculum of the school is effective overall and includes a number of strengths. This is an improvement on 1997 when inspectors judged that there were some shortcomings in subjects such as ICT and PE and in the provision for the under-fives. Furthermore, pupils did not always make systematic and consistent progress through the curriculum because guidelines to support planning were incomplete for some subjects. The end result of these shortcomings was underachievement by some pupils. School managers have maintained the strengths of the curriculum reported in 1997 and have made some important improvements. However, there remain aspects of the curriculum that require further thought, evaluation and improvement.

p.17

STUDENTS?

32. On the whole, the school provides a curriculum that includes all the necessary subjects that are developed systematically. National guidelines are used to identify the necessary pathway for pupils through different subjects and teachers use these effectively in planning. The curriculum meets the requirements of Curriculum 2000 and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education (RE). Shortage of resources restricts the breadth of work in ICT as pupils cannot use the Internet for communication or monitor processes using sensors, for example. This affects standards in ICT in the juniors, which are below the level expected. The time available for RE in the juniors is below that recommended in the syllabus and the second of the two aspects of the subject , learning from religion , is not covered in the same depth as the first element.

p.17

STUDENTS?

33. Children in the Foundation Stage learn from a sound curriculum that is based on the Early Learning Goals for children of this age. There are some differences in provision between the nursery and reception due to the separate traditions of the two classes. The coordinator of the Foundation Stage is working effectively to develop a unified early years education. Other staff join her in their commitment to plan and provide a curriculum for the youngest children in school that allows them to take the necessary small steps to build skills and knowledge carefully.

p.17

STUDENTS?

34. Basic skills and knowledge in literacy and numeracy are developed properly. The school’s strategies for literacy and numeracy are working effectively and standards are rising as a result. Basic skills are also promoted effectively in ICT and the sound cross-curricular dimension of much work in school ensures that, for example, writing is promoted appropriately in subjects other than English.

p.17

STUDENTS?

35. Pupils with special educational needs get a good deal in school because of well-structured individual education plans that set specific targets for learning and because their learning is regularly monitored and reviewed. Clarendon Road Primary School - 18 36. Those pupils who speak English as an additional language study from an appropriate curriculum. The level of support provided is such that these pupils learn English as effectively as the other pupils.

p.17

STUDENTS?

37. Outside of subjects, other aspects of pupils’ development are generally well provided for in the curriculum. Their personal, social and health education is well taken care of. The school has the necessary policies in place for sex education and the hazards of drug and alcohol misuse. These are covered carefully in the work set. The school makes good use of the experience, skills and knowledge of visitors who work with the pupils in developing good coverage of such matters.

p.18

STUDENTS?

38. Visitors also make a good contribution to the development of skills and knowledge in many subjects and the programme of educational visits is used effectively to build skills and knowledge in PE, history and geography, for example. The school’s links with the wider community, and with nurseries, schools and colleges in the vicinity, work to the advantage of the pupils. Furthermore, the good quality provision of activities outside lessons, is beneficial in improving the skills and knowledge of the pupils who take part.

p.18

STUDENTS?

39. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good overall. Provision for the moral development of pupils is good and is shown in the good behaviour and very good relationships in school. The school promotes its behaviour code successfully in all classes and there is shared expectation amongst staff and pupils concerning what is an acceptable way to behave. Assemblies are used successfully to celebrate pupils’ many social and academic achievements and this is proving extremely beneficial to raising pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. The large display in the junior hall of the weeks ‘superstars’ makes a huge contribution to pupils’ social development because it says how important it is to give of your best whether in work or in the relationships you form and the attitudes you develop. Social development is integral to the life of the school that operates as one large happy family. There is a good level of racial harmony and

p.18

STUDENTS?

pupils treat each other very well. The quality of relationships underpins the social development of pupils successfully. All work and play well together and they share, cooperate and collaborate very effectively in learning and leisure.

p.18

STUDENTS?

40. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is also good. There are good opportunities for pupils to discover the wealth of literature, music, art, dance and other elements of their own culture. In one junior assembly seen during the inspection, pupils listened attentively to Debussy’s La Mer and compared it to the same composer’s En Bateau heard the previous week. They contrasted the storm of the first with the calm of the second and ascribed the difference to the use of the full orchestra as opposed the solo piano. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to learn about the richness and diversity of other cultures, though there could be more visits to temples and mosques to explore at first hand the wealth of different faiths in Salford.

p.18

STUDENTS?

41. Provision for spiritual development is satisfactory. In general, there are too few planned opportunities for this across the curriculum. Inspectors observed a number of moments when pupils showed amazement, pleasure or sensitivity during their learning. For example, some pupils in an ICT lesson in Year 2 were fascinated as their work emerged from the printer to show the same qualities as their on-screen image. The power of such moments is sometimes lost, as not all teachers seize the moment when such experiences occur and planning leaves too much to chance in identifying opportunities to raise pupils’ awareness of the spiritual dimension of education.

p.18

STUDENTS?

42. In general, all pupils share the same opportunities to study from the overall curriculum. However, there are aspects of provision that require further thought and evaluation. The practice of setting pupils for work in English and mathematics in junior classes is flawed. Inspectors evaluated the work of pupils in middle sets in particular and established that there are some older, potentially high- attaining pupils in these sets that should rightfully be in upper sets. In addition, for most of the time, pupils in a particular set all complete exactly the same work. Thus, higher attainers are not taxed enough and, occasionally, lower attainers are frustrated by work that is too difficult. The school’s procedures for monitoring the effectiveness of the curriculum are inadequate to pick up why some pupils do not do as well as they might. Managers know that there is some underachievement and

p.18

STUDENTS?

have set targets to attempt to redress this but these have so far proved to be of limited success. This is a significant issue for the future improvement of the school. Clarendon Road Primary School - 19

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• The school is caring and places the personal development of pupils at its heart. • A particular strength is the support for pupils with special educational and behavioural needs. • Satisfactory provision is made for pupils’ health, safety and welfare but first aid arrangements and pupils’ toilets need upgrading. • There are satisfactory procedures for monitoring absence but good attendance could be better promoted. • Behaviour is well managed and oppressive behaviour eliminated. • Assessment procedures are in place for all subjects but are not being used effectively to promote academic progress in the juniors.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. This is a caring school that places the personal development of pupils at its heart. A particular strength is the way in which staff work hard with the specialist agencies to support the few pupils for whom low self-esteem, lack of self-control and generally low aspirations are the result of personal problems. The school is genuine in its desire to provide full education for all of its pupils, whatever their background.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Provision for the health, safety and welfare of pupils is satisfactory overall and has many good features. Since the last inspection, the health and safety policy has been upgraded to include regular risk assessments and codes of practice. There has been improved training for lunchtime supervisors, but they still lack the confidence to be truly proactive in leading play activities. Appropriate child protection procedures are in place and follow local area guidelines, but the designated teacher has not yet completed the full training. Pupils are also given personal training opportunities in aspects of healthy living and first aid. However, the school’s provision for first aid is inadequate. Further attention is needed to ensure that the personnel and the equipment are capable of meeting current requirements in a hygienic and effective way. In addition, the condition and lack of privacy in the pupils’ toilets is in urgent need of review.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance are satisfactory. Absences are followed up and there is an annual award for the class with the best attendance, but this is not having as positive an impact as a more personal attendance incentive scheme.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school has good procedures, through its assertive discipline policy, for promoting and monitoring good behaviour and eliminating bullying. The system is managed consistently well and is valued by parents, who are involved when appropriate. Pupils respond well to the various class incentives used, and the staff go to great efforts to build pupils’ self-esteem when highlighting special efforts in the regular good work assemblies.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Overall, the personal support and guidance provided for pupils is good, and is based on the way in which class teachers and support staff know their pupils well and strive to meet their needs through the taught curriculum, giving personal responsibility, and through the good extracurricular opportunities. However, there has been only limited progress towards meeting the key issue from the last inspection, which was to improve pupils’ educational guidance by better monitoring of their academic progress. There is now a whole-school policy for assessment, and opportunities are taken to establish pupils’ attainment on entry into the school as well as attainment against national curriculum levels in English and mathematics at the end of each year. A whole-school approach to assessing most other subjects is also in place to assist in the process of reporting to parents. However this information is not used effectively by class teachers, either to guide the way they plan

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the next steps in learning, or to set small, measurable targets for improvement by which the pupils could take some responsibility for their own progress. As a result, the monitoring and support of academic progress is unsatisfactory, particularly for the older pupils in the middle learning sets in English and mathematics, who are not achieving to their full potential.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. In contrast, pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their carefully planned individual targets because of the good provision that involves early assessment of needs and regular review. Clarendon Road Primary School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• The school values and works hard to maintain its fruitful partnership with parents and carers. • Parents are happier with the way in which the school handles complaints than in 1997, and feel that the school is now very approachable. • Parents have good views of the school and are very supportive. • Information provided for parents is good overall, but the pupils’ annual progress reports do not focus sufficiently on comparative attainment or include targets for improvement. • Parents’ contributions of time, effort and money have a good impact on their children’s educational experiences. 49. Since the last inspection the school has maintained its very successful initiatives to build a fruitful partnership with parents and carers that benefits their children’s education. The headteacher and staff place great value on this partnership and make themselves accessible to parents, who are welcome to see their children into class if they wish. There has been an improvement in the

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parents’ perception of how well the school handles complaints, and nearly all parents are now comfortable to approach the school with questions or problems. The school actively seeks parents’ views on certain issues before making decisions, for example in drawing up the new school aims. Parents have good views of the school, are very supportive of its policies and feel well informed about school life.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Good-quality information provides the foundation for this very effective partnership. The prospectus is an excellent document and provides a very user-friendly introduction to the school for new parents. The governors’ annual report to parents is also well produced, and parents like the regular and detailed newsletters that the headteacher provides. The half-yearly report and parents’ consultation evenings are valuable opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s progress, although the lack of shared, small, measurable targets for improvement for an individual child limits the effectiveness of parental involvement in this respect. A few parents also feel that their ability to give meaningful support to homework tasks is limited by the inconsistent practice of teaching staff in following school policy. The headteacher is aware of this and has already planned to send to parents a schedule of the homework to be set in all years. The pupils’ annual progress reports are

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

satisfactory overall, but again lack the focus on areas for improvement, and do not give a clear picture of how a child is getting on in relation to national norms.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Parental involvement has a good impact on the work of the school. Several parents provide useful support in lessons, as classroom volunteers or helping on school trips. The weekly toast sessions are popular with pupils and the very active PTA arranges social, fund-raising and education discussion events which benefit pupils. The generous financial support by parents has made a significant contribution towards early years outdoor play equipment, computers, books and sports equipment. Clarendon Road Primary School - 21

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

• The personal, social and emotional development of pupils is managed effectively by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, though the academic direction is not forceful enough. • The school achieves its aims to develop pupils as well-balanced individuals. • The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Governors are a good force for school improvement and they ensure that the school applies the principles of best value properly. • Finance and most other resources are managed well. • The monitoring and evaluation of the school’s successes and weaknesses is not rigorous and does not sufficiently involve those with leadership roles . • Communication systems are not joined up because of the heavy reliance on informal mechanisms to pass on information. • The accommodation is shabby, cramped and not put to the most efficient use.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school has made satisfactory, if inconsistent improvement since its previous inspection in 1997in addressing the five key issues that focused on improving planning, assessment, the quality of teaching, aspects of management and attainment in information technology. Good investment has been made into improving the quality of teaching and it is significantly better than it was. The school has established a robust school development planning process, which was a key weakness in management previously. The school development plan is a useful tool for guiding the school’s improvement and includes the right targets for the future. Underpinning this are detailed action plans for the prime target areas that are being effectively implemented but at a relatively slow pace in some subjects, for example science. The thrust given to improving ICT on the other hand is proving highly effective, though continued improvement at the good pace set will be hampered by

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

resource shortages. There are two key shortcomings in management which affect the pace of change: • the limited analysis of data to track and target the school’s academic performance; • the limited free flow of information in school that is hampered by the poor-quality design of the building and also by the style of the headteacher’s management which relies heavily on informal mechanisms and does not draw sufficiently on the management skills of others.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school is judged to have the necessary capacity to continue to make improvement at a satisfactory pace but could be doing so much better if a more systematic and rigorous approach were taken to decision-making.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. In general, there is satisfactory leadership and management. The headteacher has done an effective job of promoting the personal and social development of pupils, and the school upholds its aims and values soundly. The school is popular with parents and is held in good regard in the community. Its strengths very much lie in its commitment to social inclusion and the very effective way it provides for a significant number of children who have emotional and behavioural problems. Leadership on the academic front has not been as effective in raising the levels of achievement of the more able and this was flagged up last time the school was inspected. The shortcomings lie in the lack of systems being established that enable rigorous and timely monitoring of pupils’ academic development. There is also a shortcoming the headteacher’s style of leadership which relies very much on informal mechanisms to draw those with key responsibilities into decision-making rather

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

than via a process that demands their regular critical input. All staff are committed to the well-being of pupils and they work hard to bring improvement. To some degree, the effect of this hard work is dissipated because weaknesses in educational provision are not identified soon enough and follow up lacks follow through.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher has a clear sense of priorities for the school and is joined in their promotion by the deputy headteacher. Together they form the senior management team.. Phase managers operate efficiently within the phase in which they work and take a strong lead in the pastoral aspects of school life. From time to time the headteacher draws them into a wider management team when there is a particular issue to address. However, too few staff with key responsibilities are given regular opportunities to contribute to decision-making. Most do not have the necessary knowledge of and insights into the overall academic performance of the school because they are not sufficiently Clarendon Road Primary School - 22 made aware of strengths and weaknesses in provision. To some extent, their work in getting to know the school is limited because there is no system in place that enables them to play a part in

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school evaluation. Beyond whole-staff meetings there are few regular meetings called to take a critical look at the academic standards being achieved. Additionally, the opportunities for regular communication are hampered because the school is accommodated on two levels, infants on the ground floor and juniors on the first floor; also there is no staff-room that everyone can fit into to enable them to share and exchange news and views as usually happens in a school. Middle managers and subject coordinators work hard to improve their own areas of influence but this work is insufficiently dovetailed to provide clear enough educational direction for the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Subject coordinators have a limited sphere of influence in comparison with colleagues in many other primary schools. Their knowledge of standards and progress in all classes in school is limited. Nonetheless, they work hard and are enthusiastic and determined. The ingredients for successful subject management, as opposed to subject minding, are in place. Job descriptions for coordinators are not focused enough on the key priorities for that subject and, whilst performance management systems are bedding in satisfactorily, staff require greater direction in order to bring concerted improvement.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) gives determined and informed leadership to making good provision for pupils with special educational needs. As SENCO she involves other staff in accurately identifying pupils’ needs. She ensures these are reviewed and renewed, when necessary, on a regular basis. She effectively draws together the skills of other staff through involving them in writing detailed individual education plans. She efficiently controls the budget made available to support the resourcing of needs. Colleagues are well informed about special needs provision which is a major focus of the school's improvement plan.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The governors are a strong influence on the successes of school management. Governors track school performance well and are quick to identify where action to bring improvement is tardy. They set clear targets for development and monitor these carefully. Governors fulfill their statutory duties properly and publish all the necessary information each year. The school follows the principles of best value satisfactorily, very much as a result of the governors’ comparison of school performance with other schools nationally, locally and those with a similar intake of pupils. They are aware of the shortfall in targets at the end of Key Stage 2 and have resolved to make better use of data in their analysis of the value the school adds to pupils’ education.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. School-wide procedures to identify and evaluate strengths and weaknesses are the chief shortcoming of management. Whilst the school has set appropriate targets for improved standards, the data collected to track the progress made is imperfect. Too often, the progress made is evaluated after the event rather than as it unfolds. Assessment procedures are not tied into the targets enough, so they do not keep track of what is being learned in relation to the goal. There is thus, little really useful data that can be used to plan the next step in learning. The limitations of the current system of setting pupils for literacy and numeracy in junior classes are known, but managers have little idea as to why they abound or what requires attention. Weaknesses in monitoring and evaluation result in individual staff sometimes working in a vacuum, because relevant information is not made available to them soon enough.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Within management there are a number of strengths. Finance is managed prudently and resources are used effectively. The funds available to the school, including additional monies for pupils with special educational needs or to boost standards for low attainers by the age of eleven, are used well and benefit these pupils considerably. Financial planning is done carefully and day-to-day systems to manage finance and for the administration of the school are good. The school operates within a tight budget and expenditure per pupil is below average. Because resources are generally put to effective use and standards and rate of progress are improving, the school is judged to give satisfactory value for money.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. There is a good level of teaching and non-teaching staff. As the key resource in school, they are generally used effectively and they share good commitment to improvement. The level and quality of learning resources are satisfactory overall, though several subject coordinators identify things lacking. In the case of ICT, this reduces the opportunities pupils have to achieve satisfactory standards by the age of eleven. The accommodation is a significant weakness. Many parts of the Clarendon Road Primary School - 23 building are in a very poor state, both indoors and out. Whilst teachers try to mask the peeling paint, damp patches and mustiness in the building with attractive displays, this cannot be done completely. Managers have adapted the buildings to provide an ICT suite but the cramped conditions there, and in some classrooms and the halls, limit the quality of education and aspirations

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of pupils. The buildings are not used effectively enough to promote high standards or to aid good communication, which is hampered by the acceptance of too many evident defects in the way the accommodation is arranged.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Thus, school management and leadership is the sum of diffuse parts. Some of these parts are good, others are satisfactory; some are unsatisfactory. Overall, leadership and management do work in the interests of the pupils and the school functions efficiently enough. That it could be even more effective is evident. The number one priority of standards as the driving force behind all that managers do has yet to be established clearly enough. Such unequivocal leadership would better harness the commitment and hard work of staff and result in stronger rates of progress and improved standards. The school has some strengths to build on in this quest, and success is within reach.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

63. In their work to further raise standards and improve the quality of education at the school, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

• Making the raising of academic standards the number one priority in the school’s aims and in senior managers’ job descriptions; • Reviewing the composition of learning sets in English and mathematics to ensure that the oldest and potentially higher-attaining pupils are given the same good deal as others; • Identifying those pupils with gifts and talents in school by drawing on the good practice already in school in the work being done with pupils with special educational needs; • Ensuring that all lesson plans have clear, detailed and challenging objectives for the range of pupils in the class; • Ensuring that the best teaching practice that results in accelerated learning is shared and exchanged; • Setting clear targets for pupils and clear outcomes for lessons based on accurate assessment of prior learning; • Widening the use of targets, specifically in teachers’ marking and the pupils’ annual written

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

reports; • Reviewing the quality and impact of planning and assessment through regular and systematic monitoring.

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

(Paragraphs: 2, 3, 8, 14, 17, 27, 32, 42, 48, 50, 84, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 99, 102, 104, 106, 130, 131)

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2. Make leadership and management more effective by:

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

• Defining roles and agreeing the tasks of those with leadership responsibilities; • Establishing good communication systems that involve regular meetings of those with management roles and a clear agenda for action; • Setting out a plan that explicitly shows what monitoring is to take place and what it is expected to achieve; • Reviewing the organisation of learning sets in English and mathematics so that the focus is on all pupils maximising their achievement; • Giving staff the necessary skills, time and opportunity to undertake classroom observations to check on quality and standards in the aspects/subjects they coordinate so that they can play a full part in school improvement planning and action; • Agreeing that subject action plans are implemented consistently across the school; • Analysing assessment data so that subject managers know how well pupils in school, especially potentially high attainers are learning, and use findings to inform the planning and provision of

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

human and physical resources; Clarendon Road Primary School - 24 • Setting challenging targets that reflect the school’s future ambition.

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

(Paragraphs: 9, 15, 24, 31, 42, 48, 53, 54, 55, 56, 59, 84, 90, 96, 97, 102, 109)

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

3. Promote good communication, the free flow of information and efficient working by :

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

• undertaking a feasibility study of the existing use and potential use of buildings that aims to: i) locate the headteacher’s room and secretary’s office closer together; ii) provide a staff room big enough to accommodate the whole staff; iii) make a definitive entrance to the school; iv) maximise the space available for ICT suite, hall use and library provision; v) improve toilet facilities.

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

A minor issue to be included in the action plan is the reviewing of first aid arrangements to ensure that they comply with the health and safety policy

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

(Paragraph 44) Clarendon Road Primary School - 25 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

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

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

0 15 44 41 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR– Y6

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 24 343

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 56 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y6

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 8

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 73

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

English as an additional language No of pupils

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 9

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 22

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 21

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year Clarendon Road Primary School - 26 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 25 24 49

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Boys 23 22 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 22 24

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Percentage of pupils School 94 (89) 90 (93) 100 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Boys 22 25 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 22 24 22

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Percentage of pupils School 90 (89) 100 (98) 96 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

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

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 27 27 54

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Boys 20 17 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 15 25

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Percentage of pupils School 81(75) 59(77) 87(80) At NC level 4 or above National 75(70) 72(69) 85(78)

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Boys 17 17 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 15 22

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Percentage of pupils School 70(79) 72(75) 81 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Clarendon Road Primary School - 27 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Any other minority ethnic group 8 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

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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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Teachers and classes Financial information

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14.7 Financial year 2000//01

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 679,741

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 1,858

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Total aggregate hours worked per week 193 Balance brought forward from previous year 1,312

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Balance carried forward to next year 5,076

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.27

1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Total number of education support staff 1

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1. Raise standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT throughout the juniors by:

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 46 5 1 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 47 6 0 2

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31 51 11 4 3

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 40 13 3 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 33 4 1 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 59 37 2 1 2

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 42 44 8 4 3

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 39 46 6 5 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 39 4 1 6

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 37 9 1 7

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

NB Rows may not total 100 per cent due to rounding Clarendon Road Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• The school has improved the provision made for the youngest pupils well and is very well placed to continue to do so in the future. • Most children achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they move into Year 1. • Standards in reading are good. • Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall. • Teaching is less effective in the reception class where methods do not consistently meet the needs of young learners as well as they might.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The school has improved the provision made for the youngest pupils since the time of the previous inspection and is very well placed to continue to do so in the future. In 1997 it was reported that most children made satisfactory progress and achieved expected standards in all areas including language and literacy, mathematics, and knowledge and understanding of the world. More-able children did not make as much progress as they should and the age and design of the building were barriers to providing high quality education. Provision overall for all children is now good. Good focus is given to basic skills and children are achieving some high standards in reading. The building remains old but the new outside play area is an asset and the school has plans to improve the use of space when the nursery teacher takes over as manager of the Foundation Stage from September 2001.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is made through a mixture of part-time and full-time places in the nursery and full-time places in the reception class. Eleven children attend the nursery on a full-time basis whilst a further twenty-six children attend either a morning or an afternoon session on a part-time basis. In addition forty-six children attend full time in the reception class. Children are admitted to the nursery soon after their third birthday and transfer to the reception class in the school year in which they become five. Although the school follows the usual criteria for offering full-time rather than part-time nursery education, most places seemed to be filled because the school tries to make use of all its available places. While this means that the school can respond positively to parental choice, it also means that it is more difficult for the nursery staff to

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

make different provision for the different age groups in the nursery. A number of children in the nursery have shared places with nearby private nursery schools who fetch and deliver children at the start and end of sessions. The nursery teacher has worked very hard to ensure that good relationships exist between Clarendon Road school and the private providers, and these are working to the benefit of the children.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Overall, the ratio of adults to children is good but, due to a sudden increase in numbers in the reception class and budget constraints, only one teacher is allocated to this class of 46 children. A nursery nurse and learning support assistant, together with the teacher, form the teaching team. The school is aware that this is not an acceptable situation and an additional teacher will be recruited for the start of the next school year.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. The school’s assessment of the children’s attainment on entry to the nursery shows that it is broadly average in all areas of learning. By the time that children finish the Foundation Stage and transfer into Year 1, most children achieve the Early Learning Goals as set out in the recently published curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. A small minority exceeds them. The children make good progress in this first stage of their education, largely because of the very good provision in the nursery, where consistently good and often very good teaching ensures that they make good gains in their learning. The situation in the reception class is slightly more varied. Although always at least satisfactory, some teaching is less effective because methods do not always meet the needs of young learners as well as they might.

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall. The best teaching is most frequently seen in the communication, language and literacy and mathematics areas of learning. Staff encourage purposeful talk and make learning exciting and fun so that much laughter is heard. Staff have Clarendon Road Primary School - 30 worked hard to implement the new Foundation Stage curriculum and are beginning to evaluate different areas of the curriculum. The nursery teacher has a very good grasp of the essential requirements of the curriculum and an excellent understanding of how young children learn. She leads the team effectively and will be even better placed to do so from September. A key feature of the successful teaching seen in both the nursery and reception class is the high expectations that are in evidence in lessons and the work produced by children. Teaching is less effective when the methods employed are not appropriate for the age of children. This was seen when the teacher

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

attempted to introduce a new topic to all forty-six reception age children in a large group.

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. The management of the Foundation Stage is good. The early years coordinator works hard to ensure that the Foundation Stage stepping stones are understood and followed appropriately by all staff. The planning is done together and this ensures imaginative activities to promote a wide range of learning opportunities. However, there is not enough opportunity for the coordinator to follow through and monitor accurately what children are achieving across the key stage.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

70. Provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development is good overall and as a result they make good gains in their learning. There are a small number of children in the Foundation Stage that have behaviour problems. They are well managed by staff and are usually cooperative and amenable to joining in with the rest of the class. Children meet together once a week to share and celebrate the work they have done. The careful way in which they sit and listen and share in each other's success is a tribute to their maturity and the quality of relationships that exist.

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

71. In the nursery, children take a little while to settle in but they soon become confident, eager learners who enjoy the opportunities to explore their classroom. Staff provide many interesting activities for them to chose from. Children soon enjoy making choices and can sustain their interest and concentration for extended periods. Children share and play together amicably, both inside and outside. They share games and equipment and play imaginatively making up stories to support their play. For example, children played for an extended amount of time with the large blocks making bridges, they had make-believe tea parties and took turns to throw bean bags at the number squares. The brown sugar coated banana was very popular at milk time!

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

72. In the reception class the children were observed to work with good confidence in a variety of groups. They worked together with partners and in friendship groups to select and draw living things and sorted them according to type. Staff are able to concentrate on one main group while other children play well together. For example, the nursery nurse worked at a practical mathematics activity with one group while others played hopscotch to reinforce both number recognition and their ability to hop. Children sustain their concentration well. They are confident users of the computer and are keen to share their work with adults and visitors.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

73. Children start school with broadly average skills in this area of development, but listening and speaking skills are not well developed on entry. Girls score higher than boys do. Although initially shy of talking to strangers, children quickly gain in confidence and by the end of the nursery year are keen to talk about their work and play. Children are provided with many good opportunities to talk and listen in the nursery and their skills and confidence improve. By the time they enter reception, most children listen attentively and are confident to talk in class. Children listen carefully to names being called when the register is marked and most answer their names confidently. Because much of the learning in the nursery is fun this helps children overcome their shyness in their enthusiasm to take part. A good example of this was seen when the nursery teacher worked with a small group on

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

developing early reading skills. The children laughed out loud at the illustrations but they followed very closely when the teacher read the text. They understood the story, found many small and interesting things in the pictures and knew what title and author meantIn the writing area they are encouraged to write freely and their efforts are retained so that progress can be demonstrated. In class books there are good examples of children writing their name and making up phrases and sentences about what they see around them. Children share the contents of the large-sized reading book (known as the big book) called 'Going on a Bear Hunt'. This book was used as the starting point for many activities during the week. The children listened carefully and showed that they were Clarendon Road Primary School - 31 able to answer questions, sometimes offering considerable detail. They enjoyed the many voices

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

adopted by the teacher and joined in with repeating sentences. Because the teacher insisted upon it, they listened and took turns in a very mature manner.

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

74. Children are enthusiastic readers in the reception class. Skills are carefully taught and staff also make sure that children understand what they are reading. More-able readers are beginning to blend simple words. During the inspection these children were being taught 'ch' and 'sh' sounds. They were keen and enthusiastic but called out instead of taking turns. This is not perhaps surprising when they were being rewarded by stickers. This lesson illustrates the strengths and weaknesses seen in the reception class. Basic skills are taught systematically. Most children are enthusiastic learners and one or two have behaviour problems. These are not always well managed and in some lessons too much time is spent on control rather than teaching and learning. Listening skills are increased as their teacher forms the sounds and confirms the accuracy of their spelling attempts. The big book is introduced to them by identifying the author and illustrator through

p.31

Communication, language and literacy

appropriate questioning. The enjoyment of books and reading is being entrenched in their minds because of the pleasure that they have in sharing books with their teacher. The majority of children are on track to reach the level expected by the Early Learning Goals at the end of this term but a few are still behind where they should be in their language, literacy and communication skills.

p.31

Mathematical development

75. Children enter the nursery with more advanced mathematical skills than language skills. Girls do significantly better than boys initially. Staff pay good attention to developing early number work in a way which is enjoyable. This ensures that children are well motivated and are keen to join in. There was much fun and laughter when the 'counting bird' made many mistakes that the children corrected with enthusiasm. In the nursery they learn to count to ten, recognise the numbers and know whether they are in the right order. They chant numbers up to five and to ten and match and sort using small animals and natural objects. Some children can recognise repeating patterns and create their own. An excellent example of this was seen in the outside play area when a child created a pattern from pieces of wood and cones. The child also solved the problem of keeping the pieces of wood from rolling away. Children have good opportunities to explore volume and depth as they work with

p.31

Mathematical development

sand and water and they are taught the correct mathematical language to enable them to talk about their work.

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Mathematical development

76. In the reception class children can count backwards and forwards to 20. Some can count to one hundred in tens using a 100 square. They understand how to add numbers together and do so with confidence. Less-able children worked with building bricks to make towers of 13 or 14. The nursery nurse introduced an element of competition into this activity by getting the children to work in pairs. They found this very motivating and worked hard. Some more- able children are learning to partition numbers between ten and twenty into tens and unit sets. This work is at an early stage and the children would benefit from more practical activities before moving on to paper-based work. Children are beginning to tell the time. They can make and recognise twelve o'clock, three o'clock and nine o'clock. They know what activities take place at each time. A number chose 12 o'clock as their favourite time because it is 'dinner time'. Staff work as a team. They work closely together

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Mathematical development

and support staff are well briefed and encouraged to lead some activities. This helps ensure that groups are smaller and provides for more individual attention. Children learn to use mathematical language in their play. This was seen when three boys worked animatedly with play-dough and challenged each other to make the 'longest snake, longer than an alligator'. Children with special educational needs benefit from the good level of support that is made available to them. Children improve their work steadily in the reception class. Almost all will achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they enter the Year 1 class and some have already done so.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. Many children in the nursery have a good general knowledge and this stands them in good stead as they begin to find out about the world around them. The nursery teacher took photographs of the local area and shared them with the children. Many buildings and features were recognised immediately and others were quickly identified during a walk round the nearby streets. Children have good observational skills. One child recognised that the letters on one post box were different - it said VR not ER. Children in both nursery and reception learned more about old and new Clarendon Road Primary School - 32 buildings when they visited a Tudor house and a modern show-home. The book they made demonstrates clearly that they recognise how the present differs from the past. Children drew maps of their route to school and these include a good deal of information about street furniture they pass on the way. They also show an early understanding of land use. Staff take nursery children in small

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

groups to the computer suite and there are sufficient machines for one per child. Using a painting program, children show that they know how to control the mouse, select different colours, the brush or spray paint and create their own pictures and patterns. They know which icon means clear the screen so they can start again and which means print. They are so excited to see their work in print that they bounce up and down in sheer joy. Some children would benefit from access to a roller-ball mouse, as this would make control easier for them.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

78. Children in the reception class learn about living things. They know that they can be classified into different categories such as reptile, insect and mammal. A few can even point out significant differences between the groups. All enjoyed looking at models and photographs and selecting a living thing to draw. The drawings showed clearly that many children have good observational skills, draw carefully and produce well-proportioned illustrations. This lesson was initially presented to all forty-six children as a large group. This restricted severely their opportunity to see the models shown them and there were too many children to engage in discussion. However this weakness was addressed when the class split into smaller groups. Children cut out carefully and use confidently a wide range of tools and sticking and gluing techniques. ICT work continues to improve and most children can select, drag, drop and print their work. Some also know how to save it. The good

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

opportunities children have to explore their world ensure that most achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they are ready to enter the Year 1 class.

p.32

Physical development

79. Children in the nursery and reception have good access to outdoor play and have good opportunities to develop their skills and confidence in this area of learning. Work has recently been completed on the 'outdoor' classroom and staff and children make full use of the interesting spaces that have been created. Children carried planks and logs about and constructed roads and bridges, they climbed on the rocks and tunnel, threw beanbags at targets and balanced on the blocks. As an imaginative play area the outdoor classroom has much to offer and this aspect is fully exploited. The area does include a roadway and there is some room for wheeled toys and climbing activities. Planning by staff indicates that children have access to this type of activity, although none was seen during the inspection. Staff have yet to evaluate the present range of activities to identify how the programme can be further enriched to increase the range of physical exercise available to the

p.32

Physical development

children. There are aspects of control, stretch and balance that are not currently available to them. Children play very cooperatively. They develop imaginative games, have pretend tea parties and interpret the bear hunt. They do so with care and consideration for others. There is developing control of the smaller physical skills, as children show their ability to manipulate the sellotape and string and cut with accuracy.

p.32

Physical development

80. Because no hall work was seen it is not possible to make a full judgement about whether children are on track to achieve the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning.

p.32

Creative development

81. Children in the Foundation Stage have regular opportunities to listen to and respond to pieces of music. Currently Saint-Saens’ ‘Carnival of the Animals’ is being played regularly to support the animal theme for the term. Childrenrecognised different parts of the music and were quick to identify fish as the theme for the new piece. Children in both nursery and reception have drawn, painted and made models of animals. They record their impressions of animals seen at the zoo in many ways. For example, the walls of the nursery are decorated with lively paintings of animals.

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Creative development

82. In the reception class, the children use their musical skills to experiment with sound and interpret the animals they have seen at the zoo. They are developing an understanding of tempo and volume. A girl with an African drum beats a rapid rhythm and says it is a tortoise. The teacher intervened well asking, 'How does a tortoise move?' and the child adjusted her rhythm appropriately. Some opportunities to reinforce key vocabulary were missed (although included in the lesson plan) but children were given the opportunity to use their imagination and develop a growing awareness of Clarendon Road Primary School - 33 sound. Stories such as 'Elmer the Elephant' are used well as a starting point for creative work. Children work with a nursery nurse and explore warm colours. They say that orange, yellow and pink are sunny colours, and enjoy working with the texture of thick paint. Children have good recall

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Creative development

of previous work. They draw pictures of Noah's Ark and begin to sing 'Who built the Ark?' The children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they begin in Year 1 in this area of learning as a result of the good teaching ensuring good progress.

p.33

ENGLISH

• Standards in English are above average at the end of Key Stage 1. • Standards in English are below average at the end of Key Stage 2 and this is unsatisfactory. • Teaching is good in Key Stage 1. • In Key Stage 2, teaching is satisfactory but expectations of pupils vary too much. • Progress in some English sets in the juniors is too slow. • Throughout the school, pupils have positive attitudes to their English lessons and learn with evident enjoyment. • The management of the subject is satisfactory but monitoring and evaluation of performance lack rigour.

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ENGLISH

83. The school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection because a number of the issues raised then have been addressed. There is still work required to boost standards in English, especially in the junior phase, but the school has reasonable capacity to achieve this. Listening skills in Key Stage 1 are at a good level and better than in 1997. The quality of creative writing is good because pupils are given regular opportunities to write independently. Teachers and learning assistants provide positive encouragement and appropriate support and this makes an important contribution to the purposefulness of lessons. The National Literacy Strategy has been successfully introduced into the school alongside other time-tabled slots for English. There was no unsatisfactory teaching in the 14 hours of English observed. Handwriting is improving because the whole school follows the same scheme, but standards of presentation are still too variable because teachers hold

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ENGLISH

different expectations. The system for teaching reading continues to be a strength.

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ENGLISH

84. At the end of Key Stage 1, standards in all aspects of English have improved since the last inspection and are now above the national average. At the end of Key Stage 2,reading standards are in line with national expectations. Standards have fallen below the national average in writing and in speaking and listening. This is mainly because managers do not systematically monitor learning within the literacy sets, and a significant minority of pupils are underachieving, particularly in the second sets in the junior phase. Staff have, in recent months, become more familiar with the detail of National Curriculum level criteria but are not yet tying these into marking, for example. There is limited use of well-focused targets to enable individual pupils to increase their rate of progress. Booster classes were set up and careful marking was helpful to pupils because it showed them how they could improve. This good practice is not embedded in the work of the school.

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ENGLISH

Speaking and listening skills are not developed in a systematic way as pupils move up through the school.

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ENGLISH

85. The standards achieved by seven-year-olds in reading in the 2000 SATs were above the national average, but in line with the average for similar schools. Standards in writing were average overall, but were below the average when compared with similar schools. In the period from 1996 to 2000 boys performed better than girls. The rate of improvement in English is average overall.

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ENGLISH

86. In the 2000 SATs for eleven-year-olds, overall standards in English were broadly in line with the national average and were above the average for similar schools. The difference in performance between boys and girls was not significant in the same four-year period. The inspection found that, throughout the school, there is little difference between the performance of boys and girls in English. 87. There have been some changes in the school’s population that have had a negative impact on its overall performance when compared to similar schools; for example, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with special educational needs joining the school in the junior phase since 1998. The current Year 6 comprises 20 per cent of pupils with special educational needs, five of whom have specific statements. This is a significant factor to be taken into account in judging current standards.

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ENGLISH

Clarendon Road Primary School - 34 88. Pupils in Key Stage 1 listen attentively and respond to questions from their teachers very well. Class discussions generate the expected level of confidence in using language, and pupils are steadily increasing their vocabulary. When listening to a chapter of ‘Harry the Centipede’ one boy defined ‘instinct’ as ‘ You don’t think, you just do it’. In a literacy lesson, a girl defined ‘occasionally’ as ‘ you do it a few times’. Pupils read their texts with accuracy and most with good understanding. They know how to tackle unfamiliar words by splitting them up and sounding them out. In Year 2, sustained responses are given by pupils when explaining the stories they have enjoyed. Many pupils are confident in talking about the factual aspects of their favourite books but less confident in offering their opinions. At the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils can write independently, sometimes

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ENGLISH

in a convincing narrative style. Ideas are clearly linked and the interest of the audience is held; for example, one pupil writes ‘Her dad had a surprise. Sophie couldn’t wait to see what it was’. Incorrect spellings are usually plausible, such as ‘spreis’ for ‘surprise’. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 all make good progress in English. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress in Key Stage 1 and as they move up through the school.

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ENGLISH

89. Attainment in speaking and listening is below average at the end of Key Stage 2. Most pupils listen well in class and answer and ask questions on an individual basis with reasonable confidence. Generally they do not offer complex or lengthy contributions to convey their ideas and are not practised in using language in a range of situations and for different purposes. There is not the expected level of confidence in group discussion or in addressing the class. Attainment in reading is average overall, although some pupils attain above this. Most pupils read fluently. They select fiction books independently for interest and enjoyment. There is, though, a general lack of confidence in discussing their reading preferences. Reading skills for researching information are underdeveloped. Attainment in writing is below average at eleven years. Many pupils can organise their thoughts logically and write basic sentences correctly; there are, however, grammatical errors

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ENGLISH

and punctuation problems in many pieces of work. Creative writing skills are not yet well developed but more opportunities are now provided which are leading to improvement. The use of ICT to support writing is a positive feature. Some pupils in lower Key Stage 2 (Set 3) work together well to develop a story about ‘an old wrinkled lady, with a crooked and wobbly walking stick’. The presentation of work varies greatly. Most pupils write neatly using joined writing of a consistent size in handwriting lessons but too many pupils do not put sufficient effort into their writing in other lessons. Pupils are confused because there is no clear policy on how work should be presented and teachers in Key Stage 2 hold different expectations. Some English folders in upper junior classes are poorly organised, and scruffily presented.

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ENGLISH

90. Progress in English is satisfactory overall in Key Stage 2. The setting of pupils leads to steady progress for the majority of pupils. The underachievement is mainly in the two second sets with some in the third sets. This is due to imprecise ongoing assessment and appropriate tracking of the progress individual pupils make, which results in undemanding levels of challenge for them. Further differentiation is necessary in order to accelerate the progress that pupils can make. It is timely for a review of the composition of learning sets to be undertaken to ensure that they meet the needs of all pupils.

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ENGLISH

91. Throughout the school, pupils have positive attitudes to English. In lessons they concentrate well and behaviour is good. They settle down to their tasks quickly, and have very good relationships with staff and each other.

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ENGLISH

92. There is effective English teaching throughout the school. It is good in Key Stage1 and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. Teachers in Key Stage1 have consistently high expectations of pupils and provide them with rich opportunities to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills. Marking is not consistently used across the school to confirm the key learning points and set realistic targets for individual pupils to improve further.

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ENGLISH

93. Coordination of the subject is shared between the headteacher and a teacher in Year1/2 and is satisfactory. There is a corporate approach to planning in place, which supports the implementation of the school’s literacy strategy. A useful start has been made in the analysis of test data which is informing some aspects of planning, but this has yet to support more specific target setting in both literacy hours and the additional English lessons. The development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills has yet to be planned for systematically and developed through all subjects. Resources for Clarendon Road Primary School - 35 English are sufficient though the junior library is very limited in space and does not provide a base for pupils to develop their independent research skills.

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MATHEMATICS

• The standards achieved by 7-year-olds in mathematics in the 2000 SATs were very high and placed the school’s results in the top five per cent nationally. Good standards are being maintained in Key Stage 1. • The standards achieved by the eleven-year-olds were below average and this is still the case for the current Year 6. • This year, standards are at least at the level expected or above this in each class from Years 1 to 3. The current Year 3 is on track to exceed the expected standards in 2004. • Overall, standards in mathematics have improved at a rate similar to that seen nationally but results are erratic from year to year. • Teaching quality is good for the infants and satisfactory for juniors. Very good relationships underpin the purposeful learning that takes place in most sets. • There are weaknesses in assessment and target setting and, in some learning sets in the juniors, teachers are covering the work expected for the age groups but without sufficient attention to the

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MATHEMATICS

94. The school has improved standards in mathematics significantly since the 1997 inspection. There has been successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy that has given all teachers secure subject knowledge and an enthusiasm for teaching mathematics that was not consistently present four years ago. The strong focus on investigation is really paying dividends in the infants as the steeply rising results reflect. There is less evidence of pupils being given frequent enough opportunities to manage and assess their own learning in junior sets and this is an area for improvement. A useful start has been made in refining assessment and target setting but there remains much to be done to sharpen up practice so that all pupils are given work that challenges high-level achievement. The boosting of standards in mathematics is a key priority of the school.

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MATHEMATICS

95. The attainment of the current Year 6 is below that expected at the age of eleven. This is no different to the position in 2000. The close scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that between 10 and 15 per cent of pupils in the current Year 5 class are likely to achieve below the level they are capable of achieving when they take the SATs next year, unless effective action is taken to boost their achievements. However, the current Year 3 is on track to exceed the expected standards when they take the SATs in 2004. The improvements to standards and progress are working steadily through the school. This year, standards are at least at the expected level or above this in each class from Years 1 to 3. There is no difference between the attainment of boys and girls. The benefit of improvements has not yet been felt as much in Years 4, 5 and 6, where standards are still below those usually found. The pupils’ mathematics diet of skills and knowledge has improved but

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MATHEMATICS

weaknesses in assessment and target setting mean that, in some sets, pupils do not make enough progress. Younger pupils, particularly those in Key Stage 1 who have benefited from the school’s successful implementation of the numeracy strategy and have always experienced good teaching and learning, are doing very well compared to any school.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Older pupils have not always had the benefit of good teaching in mathematics. The staff have worked hard to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics since the previous inspection. Early indication of results in 2001 shows that about 4% more pupils have achieved the expected levels. There has been some lifting of results for those pupils who have special educational needs and who comprise 20 per cent of the cohort. The coordinator is disappointed that results have not improved by more than this amount. However, there are several reasons why results will not improve until several underpinning issues are speedily addressed. Firstly, the school does not have good enough methods of assessment to identify pupils who are failing to make expected progress and, equally, it has imperfect systems to identify pupils who could do much better. Secondly, although the setting arrangements generally work well for pupils in sets one and four, where

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MATHEMATICS

progress is good, progress is more erratic in sets two and three. This is partly due to weaknesses in assessment and target setting but is also due to shortcomings in planning that takes insufficient account of what different pupils should be learning. Although no teaching was unsatisfactory in any of the 14 hours of direct observation of lessons in mathematics, the examination of work in pupils' Clarendon Road Primary School - 36 books reveals that they are not given enough work to do at a high enough level. Nor are they expected to complete a good volume of work or present it carefully and neatly.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The school has begun to collect evidence of how pupils perform year on year but this evidence is collected at the end of the year when it is too late to change teaching and learning. At present much data is being collected but no one is quite sure how to use it to set targets for individual pupils. For example, no one has used the data to identify pupils who have exceeded expectations or regressed during this school year. Yet it was quite possible for inspectors to do this, which is how they identified that some sets are more successful than others. Managers have yet to set the educational direction needed to focus in on tracking and target setting. The headteacher has yet to draw all teachers into a process of self-critical review. Additional training is required to help staff understand the links between target setting and marking and the results of assessment and planning new and challenging work. The overall targets set for attainment in mathematics by the school have not

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MATHEMATICS

been met because they have not been used to find out which additional pupils need to achieve level 5 and what they need to do in order to reach it. The school has yet to set targets that are demanding, but achievable, and matched to actual pupils so that everyone knows what each pupil needs to achieve.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Provision for higher-attaining pupils varies. In some sets, work is challenging and pupils make good progress but in other sets all pupils are given the same work to do. Sometimes higher-attaining pupils have to complete the ordinary level work before they get on to something more challenging. This is unnecessary and wastes time. When given an investigation to solve, for example to identify the rule when dividing by decimals, pupils in Year 6 work well and enjoy the challenge. The school knows standards need to be higher and staff are very committed to improvement. With additional training in the use of assessment to inform planning so that all staff know precisely what pupils need to do to achieve higher levels, standards will rise as work is better matched to pupils' needs.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Standards are being helped to rise mainly because the curriculum has been improved and consequently the quality of teaching and learning has risen too. The numeracy strategy has been introduced with considerable success and the sharper focus on knowledge, skills and understanding that this has brought is benefiting progress and standards.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The quality of teaching is good for the infants and satisfactory for juniors. There are several strengths of teaching, including the management of pupils, the teaching of basic skills and the very good contribution made by support staff. Setting and the contribution of support staff are the main reasons why pupils with special educational needs make the good progress in mathematics that they do. Learning for all pupils is now more interesting and enjoyable and some lessons particularly in Key Stage 1 were positively exciting. For example, this was very evident when Year 2 pupils taught themselves their 8 times table. The amount of work produced by pupils varies between sets and phases. Pupils in Key Stage 1, and in some sets in Key Stage 2, work hard and produce good amounts of work. But presentation is inconsistent and not as good as it should be because some staff do insist on the correct layout or use of rulers and allow pupils to cross out their work

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MATHEMATICS

vigorously! Pupils do not have many opportunities to review and evaluate their own learning and marking of their work is not used consistently to show where improvement is required.

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MATHEMATICS

101. The subject is led and managed effectively by a committed coordinator. She has a firm understanding of the areas that need to be improved. She understands the need to monitor learning more closely than in the past and that better assessment and target setting are required. She has rightly identified the need to involve all staff in monitoring pupils' progress. Mathematics has not yet achieved the level of success desired by the school nor does it reflect the full potential of the pupils. However, staff are determined to succeed and there is enthusiasm, willingness and commitment to tackle what needs to be done. The inspection team judges that there is good capacity to raise standards quickly in mathematics.

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SCIENCE

• Standards are at the level expected for seven-year-olds but below those expected for eleven- year-olds. Clarendon Road Primary School - 37 • Improvements in science since the last inspection have been hampered by the school's emphasis on English and mathematics, together with insufficient monitoring and evaluation of the standards being achieved. • Satisfactory teaching and learning take place but the progress made by a small but significant minority of potentially higher-attaining, junior-age pupils over time is unsatisfactory. • Pupils behave appropriately and enjoy group and whole-class work; they especially like practical investigation when given the opportunity. • An action plan is in place which, if fully implemented, provides an effective platform on which to build for future improvement.

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SCIENCE

102. Standards in science are at the level expected at the end of Key Stage 1 and below the level expected at the end of Key Stage 2. Improvements in science have, to some extent, been hampered by the focus the school has given to English and mathematics. Science is now a key priority for improvement. The action plan in place provides a sound basis on which improvement can be made. Within this plan the need to give more challenge to higher- attaining pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 is recognised as being vital to raising standards. The lessons observed in the inspection week, together with a detailed scrutiny of pupils’ work, showed that the curriculum for science is fully covered and that standards are beginning to rise because of the practical approach being taken to both teaching and learning. There is still an over-reliance on worksheets that is limiting higher-achieving pupils’ independent research skills in some junior classes. The subject

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SCIENCE

coordinator is aware that raising expectations of what all pupils are capable of achieving in science and setting targets for their future learning is the next step to be taken to boost standards in science. She has yet to be given sufficient time to exercise her leadership responsibility to influence improvements in science.

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SCIENCE

103. Teacher assessments last year showed standards to be above the average level of attainment at level 2 and close to the national average at level 3. Results of the SATs in 2000 at the end of Year 6 were below average overall and at the higher level 5. Trends over four years show science results rising at the pace seen nationally in science. Girls do slightly better than boys in science tests but not to a significant degree. Inspectors found that there was no significant variation between the achievements of boys and girls in the lessons they observed or in the work sampled. The school has looked at the SATs results and has identified the need to provide more challenge in activities for higher-attaining pupils.

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SCIENCE

104. Although inspection evidence from the sample of work and five lesson observations shows attainment still below average at the end of Key Stage 2, there is evidence of average attainment at the end of both key stages. The key improvement of making activities more practically biased has engaged pupils more meaningfully in science lessons in infant classes. This is just beginning to permeate into junior classes but not yet as consistently as in the infants. Pupils’ interest is being well captured when opportunities are created for them to experiment and investigate. Some good progress was observed, for example, in a lesson in a Year1/2 class about the effects of conditions of storage on the durability and deterioration of food because the teacher took great pains to involve all pupils in the lesson. The weakness identified at the last inspection of not giving enough consideration to physical science has been addressed through the school’s adaptation of planning to

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SCIENCE

ensure that time is made available for pupils to learn about a range of physical phenomena, for example in a Year 6 class lesson when pupils considered the upthrust of various liquids when different items are submerged. There is now a more balanced programme of science in place. There are, however too few opportunities made available for pupils to record work independently at the end of the junior phase. Although teachers are promoting the correct scientific vocabulary in the oral parts of lessons, the limited opportunities for recording negates the use of correct scientific language. Pupils with higher abilities are being unnecessarily prevented from developing improved skills and knowledge in their own way because they are presented with too many worksheets that seek simple answers to scientific problems and close off some of the avenues that budding scientists may wish to explore for themselves.

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SCIENCE

105. In infant classes, pupils benefit greatly from the fact that the teachers give them the opportunity to experiment and develop their own lines of enquiry. This was well demonstrated in a Year1/2 lesson. After a careful assessment of risks and good attention paid to health and safety aspects, pupils experimented with real food to discover the effects of conditions of storage on its durability or deterioration. The teacher skilfully probed the pupils’ knowledge and then asked good questions Clarendon Road Primary School - 38 aimed at extending this further. Pupils used words such as ‘mouldy’ to describe the appearance of food left out in hot weather, whilst another said that ‘germs’ are responsible for bacterial decay. Pupils were totally absorbed in the discussion and shocked at the probable effects of decay of a range of food items. They made good predictions. One boy talked about food ‘going off’ and came

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SCIENCE

up with the sensible idea of how it might be preserved in a cold fridge. Pupils made sensible suggestions about how long they should leave the food before it might ‘go off’. They learned about the effects that bad food has on the body and the illness that can result. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, made very positive gains in developing their skills of enquiry. Observations were well made and the teacher took very good opportunity to ensure that everyone made advances in their knowledge and understanding. The choice of topic also made an important contribution to pupils’ understanding about eating sensibly and keeping safe and healthy.

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SCIENCE

106. Practical work and scientific enquiry have not been central to all of the past work in junior classes. However, during the inspection week it was clearly seen as necessary to follow through the method of working that is now more secure in infant classes because of the focus that teachers here are paying to learning by doing that is encouraging pupils to follow their own lines of enquiry. In Year 3, the study of the life cycle of a flowering plant was made more meaningful because pupils had real plants to experiment upon. The use of language such as ‘stamen’, ‘stigma’ and ‘pollination’ arose as pupils looked at plants. However, the follow-up task of cutting up illustrations to place them in sequential order was limiting for some pupils, as all were involved in the same task. Investigation is more effectively followed up in Year 5 where, through the use of coloured water, pupils consider how water and minerals are transported to different parts of plants. Recording is completed in

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SCIENCE

pupils’ own words. Pupils are particularly perceptive in their scientific predictions as a result of the structured way in which the teacher takes them through the process of experimentation. For example, in a lesson about photosynthesis pupils hypothesised with confidence about how different plants, such as celery and chrysanthemums, would be affected if parts of them were denied sunlight. There is recognition of the need to continue this form of working throughout the junior classes and a useful start has been made as these lessons demonstrate.

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SCIENCE

107. Pupils enjoy science. In the lessons observed, learning was satisfactory. Pupils maintain interest in tasks to a good degree. There are satisfactory levels of concentration, ensuring that appropriate attitudes are developed. Pupils work together well, discussing ideas and listening carefully to a range of opinions in group work. Progress over time, however, is still unsatisfactory due to the lack of challenge for some potentially able scientists, particularly in junior classes.

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SCIENCE

108. Teaching is satisfactory throughout the school with some evidence of better teaching seen during the inspection week. Where teaching is best, introductions are made very carefully as a result of thorough planning. Teachers use skilful questioning to establish pupils' knowledge about their learning and to deepen their thinking skills. A good range of resources has been provided for tasks to be carried out systematically. A brisk pace is maintained in most lessons. Where teaching is less successful, tasks are often more mundane. Pupils are not given enough opportunity to record findings in their own way. This lack of challenge hampers pupils’ achievements over time.

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SCIENCE

109. The coordinator has led the subject satisfactorily and has drawn up a useful action plan that will help bring improvement if it is fully implemented. She has been effective in supporting colleagues with revising their planning to take account of the national guidance for science that was introduced last September. A good start has been made on updating resources to ensure that there is sufficient equipment to support both teaching and learning across the science curriculum. Staff meeting time identified to discuss science has been eroded thus far by the emphasis given to other aspects and literacy and numeracy in particular. The governing body has requested regular reports about science and a positive feature is the developing links between one governor who is taking a specific interest in science and the coordinator. The coordinator also holds responsibility for coordinating special educational needs, which takes up much of her time. She has not been given enough

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SCIENCE

opportunity to lead improvements in science as set out in the school’s development planand at the pace required. She has not yet observed direct teaching or learning but has been involved in sampling pupils’ work. Targets for science have not been set, as they have been for English and mathematics, and this is a missed opportunity.

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ART AND DESIGN

Clarendon Road Primary School - 39 • Good provision is made for art and design. • Pupils enjoy a range of experiences. • Visiting artists stimulate pupils’ creativity. • The coordinator has made a good start in leading the subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. Good provision for art and design has been maintained since the last inspection. It was possible to observe only one art lesson during this inspection week due to the school’s time-tabling arrangements. It is not possible, therefore, to make judgements about the quality of teaching and standards at the end of the key stages.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. Display around the school shows that pupils have a good range of opportunities to produce work from their own experience and sometimes from their imagination. Visiting artists to the school have provided excellent inspiration and opportunities for pupils to use their imagination and work creatively. Art and design is developed well alongside other subjects such as history and geography and it makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ cultural development. In Key Stage 2, for example, pupils have made careful paint and crayon pictures of Tudor people. Others have produced interesting drawings using pencil and felt tip, showing various elevations of their Victorian school building. In a Key Stage 1 class, charcoal drawings inspired by Lowry are displayed. Pupils have a positive attitude to their artwork. In discussions with inspectors they enjoyed explaining about what they had created and showed immense pride in their work. They were particularly keen

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ART AND DESIGN

to share their impressions about the wonderful piece of sculpture located in the foyer. Some said it reminded them of a sweet shop and others a Hindu temple. The pupils are to work with the artist who designed the piece at the end of this term and will have chance to create their own designs then.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. The coordinator for art and design has an enthusiasm for the subject and has made a good start in managing the provision. She has organised the display of pupils’ finished work in the public areas of the school, updated resources and made useful contacts in the community. There is no procedure at present for tracking the progress that individual pupils make and this is the next step for her to take, alongside monitoring the work to check that the requirements of Curriculum 2000 are fully in place. The newly established ‘Display File’, when developed fully, will be a useful too for tracking coverage and monitoring standards.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• Standards have improved since the previous inspection and pupils are now enabled to build upon previous learning appropriately because of effective planning and the worthwhile experiences they are offered. • The new coordinator is enthusiastic, has good ideas for improvement and is clear about the need to develop assessment practice. He has yet to develop his role through the monitoring of teaching and learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. Standards are at the level expected at the end of both key stages, and are better now than when the school was last inspected. The issue reported on previously concerning the lack of technological challenge at Key Stage 2 has now been addressed, with the emphasis now being firmly put upon function and the process of construction rather than on appearance only. Good use is made of ICT- based resources to support learning in design and technology, for example when the paint program is used to develop ideas and print off at the planning stage. Pupils make steady progress in consolidating their design and technology knowledge and increasing skills, and show confidence in the safe use of a variety of tools and materials throughout the design process.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers are secure in their subject knowledge and lessons are well planned and resourced. In a lesson in Year 1/2, pupils design and make papier-mâché islands by building up layers of paper and paste until they make the required shape. They observe the change that has taken place during the drying process, and then skilfully paint it in the appropriate colours to represent a beach, the sea and a volcano. After carefully cutting out tree shapes, they glue them in place to complete the project. They have previously worked on other topics to produce finger puppets, garden mobiles and card figures and cut-out clothes to portray a fashion show. Clarendon Road Primary School - 40 Pupils have achieved appropriately in all of these topics. The assessment procedures at Key Stage 1 are thorough, with individual progress records kept for all pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. In Key Stage 2, pupils were observed making a game using batteries, bulbs and buzzers, based on the principle of the published children’s game ‘Operation’. This task was carried out confidently, with pupils using their knowledge of electrical circuits gained previously in science lessons. Under careful adult supervision, pupils drilled and sawed accurately as part of the process of construction. Pupils in Year 5 made percussion instruments, maracas, as a link with their geography studies of the Caribbean island of St Lucia. The use of inflated balloons to create the spherical head of the maracas caused some difficulties when they became deflated before the papier-mâché was properly dry, requiring a number of pupils to re-evaluate their technique two or three times. Eventually they overcame the problem successfully and the finished articles were robustly made and suitable for the purpose. The final test will be when they are used in a performance later this term. Pupils in both

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

key stages, including those with special educational needs, make steady progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. The subject coordinator has made a sound start in managing design and technology. He has put in place a scheme of work to fulfil the statutory requirements of Curriculum 2000. He has a sound knowledge of the subject and has plans to give the subject a higher status in the school. Although he provides support and guidance for his colleagues, he is able to monitor planning only and not classroom practice throughout the school. He has yet to review assessment procedures for recording pupil progress, in order that the school can plan effectively to meet the needs of all pupils as they move up the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

• Pupils make satisfactory progress across both key stages because of effective teaching. • A range of well-organised educational visits support learning well. • Good attention is paid to promoting cross-curricular links between subjects, and pupils use ICT to support their geography studies. • The coordinator has not yet had time or opportunity to establish a rigorous assessment scheme or to monitor teaching and learning across the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. Standards in geography are at the level expected for seven and eleven-year-olds. The strengths reported in geography have been sustained since the time of the previous inspection. In addition, through planned worthwhile experiences, the school is ensuring that pupils in both key stages make at least satisfactory progress. This is an improvement.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are developing skills in making and using maps that are appropriate for their age. This is due to consistently effective teaching, with some very good teaching being seen during the inspection. Throughout the infant phase, opportunities are provided to take pupils out into the locality and extend their learning by building on direct experiences. They correctly identify a number of features on a local street map of Eccles and some locate the exact position of their own homes. Following a visit to the High Street, pupils have drawn their own maps showing close details such as traffic lights and the crossing warden when marking the route they followed. They talk confidently about their journey from home to school and describe the features on the way. Most know by heart the exact details of their address and understand its importance for locating the position of their home. Pupils’ understanding is further developed by handling a variety

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GEOGRAPHY

of maps that are used for a range of purposes, including plans of the London Underground, ski runs, A-Zs and ordnance survey maps. They say confidently which features they think are roads, rivers, lakes or railways, and which are natural or man made. As a result of these experiences, pupils are developing a geographical vocabulary that they use with confidence.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. The overall quality of teaching in junior classes is sound because teachers are very confident in their own subject knowledge. They provide valuable experiences through well-planned lessons for pupils, thus ensuring that most are making at least satisfactory progress. Using secondary sources, pupils compare environments different from their own. In Year 3, for example, pupils discover the differing lifestyles of children living in Jodhpur, India, and pupils in Year 5 look at life in St Lucia in the Caribbean, and develop their understanding by making comparisons with their own home life and experiences. Pupils in Year 4, when looking at the development of an urban area, are provided with challenging activities to help them discover the correlation between high population and the Clarendon Road Primary School - 41 large number of factories in Eccles. The school provides very good opportunities as part of their

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GEOGRAPHY

local studies for Year 6 to discuss and debate the issues concerning the closure of the High Street to traffic. Pupils use their literacy skills well, expressing sensible ideas in a mature way, and showing a good grasp of the implications of both sides of the arguments. Other pupils in Year 6 devise a questionnaire and collect data from a traffic survey they carry out in an attempt to find solutions to the problems caused by unauthorised parking in the area around the school. They produced some interesting ideas during classroom discussion for improving the situation, as a direct result of some effective and well-planned lessons.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. The subject coordinator has provided a well-thought-out curriculum and systematically planned visits to support the teaching of geography throughout the whole school. There are good links with the other areas of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. The subject has an adequate supply of resources and is continuing to acquire new resources of good quality. As yet, across the school, there is insufficiently rigorous assessment of pupils’ achievements so that they will know what they need to do to improve their work further. Although the monitoring of teachers’ planning is carried out on a regular basis, as yet there are few opportunities for the coordinator to monitor classroom practice directly.

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HISTORY

• There is an exciting curriculum being taught in history that results in pupils enjoying their studies and making steady progress. • There are limited opportunities for independent research for older pupils due to the poor library resource. • A new coordinator is enthusiastic, has good ideas for improvement and is clear about the need to develop assessment practice. She has yet to develop her role through the monitoring of teaching and learning.

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HISTORY

121. Since the previous inspection, standards in history have been maintained, with pupils reaching the expected levels for their age at the end of both key stages. In addition, the history curriculum has been redeveloped and the scheme of work is now fully in place incorporating all the requirements of the Curriculum 2000.

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HISTORY

122. By the age of seven, pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the lives of people in the past satisfactorily through the examination of an excellent range of artefacts that add significantly to their learning. Through the effective teaching they receive, pupils relate items like a mangle to a modern day tumble dryer, and discuss how a flat iron was heated for use. The quality of learning owes much to the skilful questioning and teaching style employed by the teaching staff. Pupils develop an understanding of how hard people worked in the past, both in their homes and in factories and mills, through these lessons. By the age of eleven, pupils have developed a sense of time, have some knowledge of the major and older civilisations like the Greeks, Romans and Aztecs, and have a good knowledge of people and events. They have built up an understanding of life during the industrial revolution and what it was like to live in Victorian England. When

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HISTORY

questioned, they can make accurate comparisons about schooling then and now, rich and poor children, and how inventions changed and affected peoples’ lives. Local studies of Eccles using old maps showing the town in the nineteenth century extend their learning well.

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HISTORY

123. Pupils in Year 6 find out about life in the 1930s through the use of books, videotapes, television programmes, photographs and museums. Research skills are developing well, particularly in Years 5 and 6, but there are limited opportunities for independent research due to the poor library facilities. Overall, most pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress, although there are insufficient opportunities to extend the learning of the more-able pupils.

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HISTORY

124. The quality of teaching is generally satisfactory across the school and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. There were examples of some good quality teaching seen during the inspection, despite the small number of lessons that were observed. Teachers are confident and display enthusiasm for the subject, and plan interesting lessons using a variety of techniques and interesting resources. As a consequence, pupils show great interest and a desire to know more. Pupils’ concentrate and work well, both independently and cooperatively, and enjoy good relationships with each other and the teaching staff. Clarendon Road Primary School - 42 125. The curriculum covers all the recommended areas and is usefully extended through the involvement of community groups and using the local areas of Eccles as a resource. History is also used well to promote the further development of literacy skills and the use of information and communication

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HISTORY

technology. The use of visits to places of historical interest adds breadth to the subject. Although there is some good quality marking of pupils’ work there is not a consistent approach to help pupils know how to improve their work further. Current assessment procedures are not yet rigorous enough, neither are they linked to future planning.

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HISTORY

126. The management of the subject is satisfactory, and a new coordinator has been appointed recently. She is enthusiastic and has ideas for developing the subject further. This will include the extending of the involvement of community groups to provide wider experiences for pupils, for example in archaeological digs. Her role includes the monitoring of teachers’ plans but, as yet, she does not have the opportunity to monitor classroom practice.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• Standards are at the level expected by the age of seven but below the level expected at eleven years because of a continuing shortage of resources. • The subject has been improved well since the previous inspection and pupils make sound progress through the school because of effective teaching. • Teachers make better use of ICT than in the past and cross-curricular links are strong. • The coordinator manages the subject very effectively, though the monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum, quality of education and standards are incomplete. • Workspace in the ICT suite is cramped and noise from other users of the hall is distracting. The school has not undertaken a proper review of the school’s accommodation to check what alternatives there are for the provision of ICT.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. The school has worked hard to improve standards in ICT and they are now satisfactory at the age of seven. However, they are below average at the age of eleven, due to a continuing shortage of resources. Along with other Salford schools, Clarendon Road Primary is not being connected to the Internet until January 2002. In 1997, inspectors judged ICT to have many weaknesses, not least the unsatisfactory quality, number and use of computers in school, teachers’ unsatisfactory subject knowledge and the erratic progress made by pupils. The coordinator has done a good job to improve these aspects and staff have worked hard to learn much more about the subject, so that they can teach it effectively. This they now do, though resources are still not at the level that school managers are working for.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. The new ICT suite, housed at one end of the junior hall, is already being used well. In addition, classroom computers are put to effective use for pupils to consolidate and extend skills and knowledge in different subjects. There is now promising use of ICT across the curriculum, with some good examples seen during the inspection; for example, the Year 6 RE work to research about the Bible. In a few instances, the software available is not ideal to support effective learning, as seen in a Year 6 history lesson when pupils were researching the Aztec civilisation. In this lesson, a general CD encyclopaedia that had little useful information was the only available resource. Such limitations slow the learning down.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. The coordinator has ensured that infant pupils have their fair share of use of the ICT suite. Pupils in Year 1 confidently enter information on the different types of houses they live in into a database. They select appropriate icons to print and save their work and then to finish the session. By the age of seven, pupils know how to start programs, use the keyboard and mouse to navigate the software and have basic skills in entering text and information and in making simple changes to these.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Junior pupils become proficient in the editing and formatting of word-processed documents and the construction and interrogation of simple databases and spreadsheets. Because of continuing limitations of resources, they do not have enough opportunities to use computers to control and monitor processes, though younger pupils use Roamer , a programmable vehicle, to learn how to give instructions that result in a sequence of movements. As yet, the school does not have a suitable Internet connection that would allow groups of pupils to use the web to communicate with Clarendon Road Primary School - 43 others or to research topics. Because pupils cannot have the necessary experience, standards are not up to the expected level in this part of the work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. The quality of teaching in ICT is now satisfactory through the school and is leading to pupils, including those with special educational needs, making sound progress. One or two teachers still profess that they have insufficient subject knowledge or that they lack confidence to teach the subject. During the inspection, even the anxious teachers did a thorough job of teaching their classes and, in one instance, teaching and learning quality were both good. This was due to the very effective partnership between the class teacher and the support assistant. The pupils themselves were also helpful in this lesson, as one or two had good levels of skills and knowledge that they shared well with other pupils. Pupils are generally hard working, behave well and concentrate hard. The management of pupils in ICT lessons is a particular strength of teaching and basic skills are taught effectively. Some aspects of planning, including the identification of precisely

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

what is to be learned in lessons and the process of target setting, assessment and evaluation, require enhancement but teaching and learning have clearly moved on during the last four years.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. The coordinator has worked with determination, knowledge and insight to bring improvement and has succeeded well. The monitoring of ICT is an aspect of management ripe for enhancement and a review of the cramped working conditions in the all-purpose hall that houses the ICT suite is another priority.

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MUSIC

• Standards achieved by seven-year-olds are above the level expected; those achieved by eleven-year-olds are in line with those expected. • There is an improvement in standards throughout the school compared to those found at the time of the last inspection. • Good teaching supports pupils well in developing good attitudes to music. • Pupils are well behaved and their social skills are developed well by the variety of group and whole-class activities. • Not enough monitoring of achievement throughout the school has yet taken place.

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MUSIC

133. Standards in music are above the expected level for seven-year-olds and in line with those normally expected for eleven-year-olds. This is an improvement throughout the school since the last inspection, when they were in line for seven-year-olds and below those expected for eleven-year- olds. The school has analysed carefully the weaknesses that were identified. It has made provision for some composition to be successfully included in the musical experiences given to pupils, particularly in junior classes. Peripatetic, specialist teachers add to these experiences in junior classes as instrumental work with string, woodwind and brass instruments are a regular part of pupils’ learning. This mainly involves pupils in Year 4 at the present time. Everyone, including talented pupils and those with a variety of special educational needs, enjoys music making. The quality and range of music in the school makes an important contribution to pupils’ cultural

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MUSIC

134. In Year 1/2 infant classes, pupils join together to sing in a variety of groups. They show ability to listen, internalise and recall the sounds modelled by the teacher. They sing solos with confidence with real clarity in their diction. As they listen with such care to one another, as well as their teacher, they are able to improve upon performance. Very good levels of pitch control are then added to the clarity of their diction. One boy and one girl sing together with very good expression in their voices, using them as instruments, with good levels of maturity. Pupils perform for one another, as well as for adults, with real pleasure and enjoyment.

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MUSIC

135. In junior classes, pupils build upon these quality experiences and add to their musical knowledge and understanding as they skilfully include some composition in their learning. They continue to increase their skills in performing together in Year 3 as they form a lunchtime choir. The pupils’ enthusiasm for learning is confirmed by the way that they quickly learn words to songs. This means they can concentrate upon improving the tone as they sing together, rather than having to give too much attention to sheets of words. Composing skills are given attention in Year 4, where pupils have the benefit of working with the coordinator as their class teacher. They choose appropriate Clarendon Road Primary School - 44 instruments to suit the pattern of music that they have made after listening carefully to a tape of birdsong. Pupils work very ably in partnership to make contrasts in their performance. This ability

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MUSIC

to create patterns in music is reinforced as they make up simple notation with their teacher's skilful support. The initial use of spontaneous composition is further enhanced in Year 6 when pupils use a wide range of instruments as well as their voices as they perform ‘Tuxedo Junction’. The teacher uses the support of both a tape and a voluntary helper to create a complex pattern of music making. This demonstrates clearly the benefit of building skills gradually so that by the end of a key stage pupils are well prepared for their next phase of music making.

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MUSIC

136. Lessons are well planned and resources are used effectively. Instruments are used well as tools for developing skills in music making and, as a result, pupils acquire a good understanding of beat, rhythm and timing. Teachers use correct musical language, such as ostinato, so that pupils’ technical language develops well. As a result of the interesting and enjoyable activities provided for them, pupils have very positive attitudes to music and they behave well. The mixture of group and whole-class activities that are central to their music making profitably enhances their social skills. Confidence in teaching the subject is enhanced by the good levels of satisfactory resources, such as tapes.

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MUSIC

137. The subject is led satisfactorily by the coordinator, who is supported well by another teacher with equal enthusiasm and expertise. There is not, however, enough opportunity for monitoring of what is being achieved across the school through direct observation of lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• Standards are at the level expected for seven and eleven-year-olds. • Strengths found at the last inspection have been satisfactorily maintained. • Good teaching and learning take place in circumstances that limit the opportunity to raise standards further. • Pupils have good attitudes and behaviour and develop personal skills successfully as a result of teachers’ good interactions and good use of barely adequate resources and limited space.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. Standards in physical education are at the level expected for both seven and eleven-year- olds. The sound standards identified at the time of the last inspection have been sustained. Teaching and learning are good across the school for all pupils, including those with a variety of special educational needs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. During this inspection it was possible to observe only games lessons in the infants and games and swimming lessons in the juniors. However, planning for the subject and discussions with staff indicate that pupils have the opportunity to build skills and knowledge appropriately in all strands of physical development. In infant classes they are also able to build upon the relevant experiences given in the Foundation Stage. Experiences in dance are particularly strongly supported by the expertise of a visiting teacher giving pupils additional support in developing their skills effectively. These opportunities generate good attitudes and behaviour from pupils across the school. Their social skills develop well as they interact at a personal level.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The infants in Year 1/2 are imaginatively supported in developing knowledge and understanding of games skills through the coordinator’s liaison with the local high school. Pupils visit the high school with the coordinator to work with students who are completing a games skills certificate. The coordinator, together with an ample number of support staff and volunteer helpers, support the students in giving pupils a range of interesting and appropriate developmental physical experiences. Pupils work in a carousel arrangement in groups of five to develop their games skills. They learn good levels of body control as they all warm up in a tig- tag game. They move into smaller groups, supported by adults in each group as well as students. The skills of catching and throwing, moving in different ways and directions are accomplished with ease. They are repeated in order to improve performance accurately. Pupils also enhance social skills appropriately as they work in differently

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

sized groups. At the same time the enjoyment of physical activity is clearly shown in the enthusiastic way that they participate in the games. Clarendon Road Primary School - 45 141. By the age of eleven, pupils have had opportunity to build consistently their knowledge and skills of games techniques. In Year 3, for example, they learn the value of working in pairs before they combine in teams as they improve running and catching and throwing skills. The competitiveness of games is also identified for them as they work with enthusiasm and accomplishment. In the same year group, they have good opportunity to become effective swimmers. Already in this year group the majority of pupils are swimming unaided in weekly lessons at the local recreation centre. All are confident in the water, with only a minority needing more than one supportive aid. The opportunity to learn to swim is given to all junior classes, but is not yet available to infant classes. Pupils in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Year 6 understand how to improve ball- handling and striking skills within a game. This is generated through games of field hockey and cricket. Although the school has no field, it overcomes this difficulty by giving pupils accelerated skills in this area of learning by using the local leisure centre facilities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. Teaching and learning are good across the school because of the confidence that teachers have when teaching physical education. Teachers are determined to give pupils appropriate experiences, even though they do not have the ideal conditions that could support them in raising standards above a satisfactory level. Hall space is cluttered with equipment around the periphery and by the ICT suite in the junior hall. This limits the space available for physical education and slows the pace because of the need to be aware of potential health and safety risks. Additionally, the school is hampered in developing athletics and some games as it has no attached playing field and has to make special efforts to use one nearby. The coordinator’s link with the high school has been carefully fostered to support infant classes. The skill and expertise of junior teachers are well focused in the thorough planning that they complete to ensure pupils' good experiences.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. There is effective management of physical education by a committed and hard working coordinator, who cares passionately about pupils having the best possible experiences presented to them. She has provided colleagues with a sound policy and scheme of work so that all work with confidence and enthusiasm. There are satisfactory resources to support appropriate levels of learning. The programme of extracurricular opportunities, such as the dance club and games against other schools, enhances pupils’ social skills as well as their physical ones. The coordinator has not yet had enough opportunity to monitor teaching and learning directly in order to give her firm knowledge of standards and progress across the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

• Standards are satisfactory at the age of seven and eleven and pupils make the expected rates of progress. • The quality of teaching enables pupils to learn satisfactorily and promotes very good relationships that support pupils’ behaviour, concentration and effort. • The coordinator manages religious education (RE) effectively but has yet to establish rigorous assessment systems and undertake an evaluation of teaching and learning to help plan improvements. • The focus on learning from religion is not strong enough in junior classes and the time allocated to lessons is below the recommended level.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. Standards in RE are at the expected level at the ages of seven and eleven. The school has sustained the strengths of the subject since the previous inspection, though there are still several tasks for the enthusiastic coordinator to complete.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. Pupils attain satisfactory standards overall. The curriculum for RE is based effectively on the locally agreed syllabus, though there is insufficient emphasis in the junior classes on the aspect learning from religion . Standards would clearly be higher with more emphasis on this aspect. There is some good quality work in pupils’ books, but this is mainly in the aspect which relates to the religions themselves.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. Infant pupils are introduced effectively to well-known stories from the Bible and they learn about key people and events in the Christian religion. They also acquire basic information about other religions, chiefly Judaism and Islam. Pupils know how to treat other people fairly and show that they Clarendon Road Primary School - 46 value their families and friends. They build knowledge and understanding at the expected rate and have a firm foundation for junior RE when they leave Year 2.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. Junior pupils extend their knowledge of Christianity and other major faiths well. As they grow older, pupils begin to compare and contrast the different religions studied. They recognise that temples, mosques and synagogues, for example, are respected and hallowed buildings, just as are churches. In a lesson in Year 4, pupils talked confidently of the prayer ceremonies of Islam and made some simple comparisons between the Bible and the Qur’an. Pupils in Year 6 suggest sensible rules for their classes and develop a clear sense of morality.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. Pupils are interested in RE and work well in lessons. Their behaviour is good; they concentrate well and try hard. Pupils with special educational needs and those who do not speak English at home make the same satisfactory progress as the other pupils. In some case, the higher-attaining pupils do not make as effective progress because their work is exactly the same as for other pupils, and is insufficiently demanding. However, overall, the teaching of RE is mainly effective and the quality of learning is satisfactory. Teachers have sound subject knowledge overall, though they do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to cover all elements of the learning from religion part of the syllabus. The use of marking to show pupils where improvement is necessary is inconsistent. Teachers’ management of pupils is very good; they use appropriate teaching methods and resources are used effectively to support learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149. The management of RE is satisfactory. The coordinator has clear ideas of the remaining priorities for the subject. High on her list for improvement is the provision of a consistent form of assessment of both aspects of RE and the review of time allocated to the subject in junior classes to ensure that all elements of the work are covered in good depth. These priorities are the right ones to take RE forward in the future. There has been no opportunity for the coordinator to monitor standards, the curriculum and teaching and learning in other classes. However, the coordinator has made a promising start to the task of improvement.

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