Wolsey Junior School

TOLWORTH JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th to 11 th October 2001

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TOLWORTH JUNIOR SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Tolworth Junior School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Douglas Road Tolworth Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, Tolworth Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr N Winckless

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Tolworth Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20704 Terry Elston Registered inspector English, Information and communication technology, Pupils with English as an additional language, Equal opportunities. The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9446 Helen Griffiths Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 19897 Arthur Evans Team inspector Mathematics, Geography, History, Design and technology. 15271 Brian Farley Team inspector Art and design, Music, Physical education. How good are the curricular and other activities offered to pupils? 14596 Tony Fiddian- Green Team Inspector Science, Religious education, Provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Phoenix Educational Consultants “Thule”, 60 Joy Lane Whitstable Kent CT5 4LT 01227 273449

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division Tolworth Junior School - 4 Alexandra House 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE Tolworth Junior School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 25

Tolworth Junior School - 6 Tolworth Junior School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a larger than average school, on the western edge of Tolworth. The local area is a mixture of private and public housing, with a large block of council-owned flats next to the school. There are 330 pupils on roll between the ages of seven and eleven, with 150 boys and 180 girls. Nineteen per cent of the pupils are on the register for special educational needs, five of these pupils have a statement of special educational needs; this is broadly average. Over 17 per cent of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds, and nearly 15 per cent have English as an additional language; both of these figures are well above average. More than 15 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is about the national average. Pupils’ attainment on entry is average overall. During the last school year, 23 pupils entered the school other than at the usual time of first admission and 21 left it at times which were not those of the normal leaving or transfer for most

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils. This degree of mobility is higher than usually found. This school, in common with many in the area, has encountered some difficulty in recruiting staff recently, but all posts have been filled.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a sound school where standards are starting to improve after a period of decline. The headteacher, appointed four terms ago, provides good, strong leadership, and has a very good understanding of how to improve the quality of teaching and learning. There have been many changes in staff this year, but new teachers have settled in quickly and the quality of teaching is good. Pupils generally behave well, and there is a high degree of racial harmony. The school manages its funds well and provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The headteacher leads well, and has a very clear view of how to raise standards. • The quality of teaching is good as the teachers use interesting methods and plan lessons very well so that pupils enjoy learning. • Pupils’ attitudes to their work are good, and they have a great enthusiasm for school. • The very good provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs enables them to take a full part in all school activities. • Pupils’ standards in religious education and history are above average.

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What could be improved

• Standards in writing, particularly by boys and high attaining pupils, are too low. • Pupils with English as an additional language have too little support in lessons, and this means that those with very limited English find it difficult to understand the work. Tolworth Junior School - 8 • There are too few opportunities for pupils to learn about other cultures of the world. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997, and has made satisfactory improvement since then. Compared with the previous report, standards found in this inspection are higher in religious education, lower in mathematics and music and similar in all other subjects. The overall quality of teaching remains good, but there have been improvements in the way that lessons are planned, and the proportion of very good teaching has increased . The school’s response to the main issues arising from the last inspection has been good, even though many of the improvements have come about in the last year. Boys’ standards, with the notable exception of writing, are now much more comparable with those of girls. The provision for pupils with special educational needs has improved very well, and they now have full access to the National Curriculum. The headteacher has introduced a good range of effective strategies to monitor the quality of teaching, and other senior staff are increasingly

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

involved in monitoring pupils’ work and teachers’ lessons. The role of governors has been strengthened considerably, and they now play an important role in the running of the school and the monitoring of standards. In view of the strengths in the leadership and the good team of teachers, the school is well placed to improve further.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English C C D D well above average above average A B

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Key

mathematics C C C C average below average C D science B B C C well below average very low E E*

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Key

In English , overall results were below average because so few high attaining pupils exceeded the national level. The overall picture is of a downward trend compared with the results in 1998. Boys’ and girls’ attainment is broadly similar apart from in Tolworth Junior School - 9 English, where boys’ writing is of a lower standard than that of girls. The school did not meet its targets in either English or mathematics this year. This inspection finds that the current Year 6 pupils attain average standards in English, mathematics and science. The higher standards in English reflect the improvement in the implementation of the Literacy Strategy over the last year, but still too few higher attaining pupils achieve as well as they should in writing. Looking at the other subjects, pupils’ standards are above average in religious education and history, and average in art and design, design and technology, geography, information and

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Key

communication technology, music and physical education. Overall, pupils achieve sound standards, given their average attainment on entry. Those with special educational needs do well, and nearly all attain, or come close to, national standards by Year 6.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school These are good. Pupils love coming to school, and are proud when they do well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms This is good overall. Pupils behave well in lessons, but while they mostly get on well with each other at playtimes, a few pupils behave in an aggressive way to others.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is good. They are keen to take responsibility, and they value other people’s views. There is a high level of racial harmony. Relationships are good, and make the school a happy place.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. It is around the national average, and has a positive effect on pupils’ standards.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils have positive attitudes to work, and nearly all behave well. The high number of exclusions last year reflects the effort the school is making to improve behaviour, and serious incidents are now far less frequent.

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Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching and learning is good, and generally meets the needs of all pupils. Teachers make lessons interesting, and this generates considerable enthusiasm for learning. Lessons move at a brisk pace because teachers plan very well, and are good at managing pupils’ behaviour. The teaching of English and Tolworth Junior School - 10 literacy is good overall, but while it gives pupils the skills to read fluently, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ writing are not always high enough. This means that pupils sometimes write too little, and with insufficient attention to spelling and grammar. Teachers teach the basic skills of numeracy well, and pupils develop a good understanding of number as a result. The teaching of science is also good: it ensures that pupils have a clear understanding of scientific concepts, and a good knowledge of how to test their theories. The quality of teaching and learning in

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Years 3 – 6

information and communication technology is good, and enhanced by the facilities in the computer suite. In other subjects, the quality of teaching and learning is good in art and design, history and religious education, and is satisfactory in design and technology, geography, physical education and music. The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers’ planning, and the specialist teaching in groups which are withdrawn from the classroom, ensure that these pupils do well, particularly in improving their reading and number work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school has a good, well balanced curriculum, that is helpful to teachers when planning lessons. Despite parents’ concerns, the school offers a satisfactory range of extracurricular activities to enhance the curriculum. The provision for literacy is satisfactory, overall, but the lack of a structure for the teaching of writing means that the development of pupils’ skills throughout the school is patchy.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is good. Pupils make good progress towards their targets, and are included in all school activities. The provision for pupils with statements is very good, and ensures that their particular needs are met very well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language For the majority of pupils this is satisfactory. Teachers have benefited from good training to enable these pupils to take part in all activities, but the lack of extra support in lessons means that those at the early stages of learning English struggle to understand the work.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school provides well for pupils’ personal development, and does much to raise their self-esteem. The provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Pupils are encouraged to reflect upon the place of God in their lives, are taught to distinguish between right and wrong and are given many opportunities to work and play co-operatively. The school provides Tolworth Junior School - 11 much to enable pupils to learn about art and music, but too little to develop their understanding of other cultures, particularly those represented by pupils in the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes good care of its pupils, monitoring their behaviour carefully, and providing a safe place to work and play. The school’s procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are good in English, mathematics and science, but are not so well developed in other subjects. The curriculum is well planned, and gives pupils a broad range of interesting activities. The school was slow to implement the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies consistently, but these are now firmly in place and are starting to improve standards to the levels they were three years ago. The school works well with parents, and keeps them appropriately informed about their child’s progress.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The overall quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher leads well, and has done much in a short time to raise expectations of what pupils can achieve, and to improve the curriculum planning. The deputy headteacher and senior staff support the headteacher well, and play an important role in raising standards of teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors provide good support to the school. They are very knowledgeable, and are committed to the raising of standards. The school meets all statutory requirements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is good, and the identification of pupils’ weaknesses is helping to direct the school towards better performance in the national tests.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school uses its funds for pupils with special educational needs well, and this ensures that they have good support. The finance officer works closely with the headteacher and governors, and manages the budget to a high standard. The school has satisfactory procedures for ensuring the best value from its spending.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has managed the many changes in staff well. New teachers have benefited from very good induction procedures, and are already making good contributions to the quality of teaching. Accommodation is good, and ensures that all subjects can be taught effectively. The supply of learning resources is satisfactory, overall, and good in religious education and history. There are, however, some shortages of equipment in geography. Tolworth Junior School - 12

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improved

• The good quality of teaching. • The headteacher and staff will always make time to see parents when there is a problem. • The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement. • Their children enjoy school. • A few pupils are poorly behaved. • Changes in staff have affected standards of work and behaviour. • There are not enough extracurricular activities after school. • The setting of homework is inconsistent. The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views. Of the other points, some classes have suffered by having different teachers, and this has affected the behaviour of a minority of pupils. The range of extracurricular activities is satisfactory, and is similar to that found in most other schools. The setting of homework is consistent, and has a positive effect on pupils’ standards. Tolworth Junior School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils’ standards in the national assessment tests have fallen steadily compared with other schools over the last four years. Between 1997 and 2000, standards dropped from well above the national average to below average in English, and from above average to average in mathematics and science. In 2000, standards were the same as those of similar schools in mathematics and science but below average in English. Pupils’ scores in English in 2000 were below average because too few pupils attained the higher Level 5 compared with other schools. In mathematics and science, however, the proportion of pupils who attained Level 5 was above the national average. The school was slow to implement fully the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, and this is why pupils slipped behind those in other schools. In science, the curricular planning is good, and the work done to improve pupils’ investigative skills has had a significant impact on their standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In 1999 and 2000, girls performed slightly less well than boys in mathematics, but significantly better in English. The school has worked to address these differences over the last year, working on boys’ self esteem and providing them with more resources to interest them. This inspection, however, still finds marked differences between the standards of boys and girls. The school met its targets for the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 and above in English and mathematics in 2000, but the provisional results for 2001 are below the targets set.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The school has done much to improve the way it uses the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy this year, and these are now firmly in place. As a result, standards are now average in both English and mathematics. The remaining weakness is in writing, where boys’ spelling is below average, and too few higher attaining pupils write as well as they should. The school has no whole-school scheme of work to develop pupils’ writing. This leaves planning up to individual teachers, and leads to inconsistencies between classes both in the teaching of skills and in teachers’ expectations of pupils’ writing in other subjects. Standards in science are average, although pupils’ investigative skills are above average. Standards in religious education and history, where curricular planning and resources are particularly good, are above average. In all other subjects, pupils’ standards are broadly similar to those found in most other schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Compared with the previous report, standards found in this inspection are higher in religious education, lower in mathematics and music and similar in all other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Overall, pupils achieve satisfactory standards given their average attainment on entry to the school. High attaining pupils achieve appropriate standards, overall and, even in writing a few pupils produce work of an excellent quality. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning, against their capabilities and their previous standards. The individual targets set for these pupils Tolworth Junior School - 14 are very clear and identify specific learning to be achieved. Some pupils have made sufficient progress to come off the register or to be placed in categories needing less support, demonstrating the success of the school’s strategies for special educational needs. In the national tests, pupils with special educational needs do well, and nearly all attain, or come close to, nationally expected standards by Year 6. The provision for pupils with statements of special educational needs is very

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good, particularly in terms of the support they receive, and in the monitoring of their progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Overall, pupils with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress in their learning against their capabilities and their previous attainment, and many do well in the national tests. Those at an early stage of the acquisition of English, however, have too little additional support in lessons, and this makes it difficult for them to keep up with the rest of the class.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Throughout the school, attitudes to learning are good. The behaviour of most pupils is good. Pupils’ personal development and relationships are very good, thanks to the effective teaching in the school and high expectations of all staff. Parents at the meeting and in response to the questionnaire were generally pleased with behaviour and with the way the school encouraged their children to become mature and responsible. This is in line with the findings of the previous report.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Attitudes to learning are good overall. Pupils are very keen to come to school, and most of them are punctual. They concentrate well and are well motivated. Pupils enjoy their work because teachers pass on their own enthusiasm. For example, in a Year 6 lesson on Anne Frank’s diary, pupils sat fascinated as the teacher read extracts, and were eager to articulate their own ideas. Pupils are interested in their work, are keen to join in discussions and value each other’s contributions. They work well together in groups and show a good level of independence in their learning. However, a few pupils chatter too much and distract others. Participation in extracurricular activities is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Behaviour in lessons is good, although a small number of pupils find it difficult to concentrate and indulge in attention-seeking behaviour. Ten pupils have been temporarily excluded in the last year as the school tackled serious issues involving the poor behaviour of a small number of pupils. In assemblies, at playtimes and in lessons, the behaviour of nearly all pupils is good. Pupils are open and friendly to visitors. They are courteous to teachers and to one another. There is an impressive degree of racial harmony and boys and girls work and play well together. Pupils know the rules well and appreciate the rewards system. Parents say that some bullying still exists, although none was seen during the inspection, and the records show that the number of incidents is declining thanks to the school’s efforts. Relationships within the school are good. Pupils are kind to one another, and helpful

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

to those with English as an additional language or with special educational needs. They are eager to show initiative and take responsibility. Tolworth Junior School - 15 10. Attendance and unauthorised absence rates are in line with national figures. Nearly all pupils arrive punctually to school, and make a prompt start to lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

11. The quality of teaching and learning is good, with around four out of five lessons good or better. This is broadly similar to the findings of the school’s last inspection when teaching was “good, but with some variation”. The quality of teaching seen in this inspection does show an improvement, however, because whilst eight per cent of lessons were unsatisfactory before, none was this time, and the percentage of very good lessons has risen. The main improvement lies in the quality of teachers’ planning as this was “not completely satisfactory” before, it is now very good, and states clearly what different groups of pupils will learn in each lesson. This improvement has been achieved in spite of the recruitment difficulties and significant changes in staff in recent months. Rigorous monitoring of teaching by senior staff and Local Education Authority inspectors is helping to raise standards of teaching

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

and learning, and develop consistency across the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. The teaching of basic skills is good. The literacy and numeracy lessons are planned appropriately, and pupils develop reading and number skills systematically as they move through the school. The teaching of writing, however, is less consistent, because the school lacks a scheme of work to help teachers in their planning of writing skills. Consequently, although, in some classes, writing is taught well, and teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work leads to very good work, in other classes, teachers accept writing that is not good enough, particularly in lessons other than English.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. The best teaching occurs in Years 5 and 6 where over 80 per cent of the lessons seen were at least good and around 25 per cent were very good. In these year groups, the needs of the pupils are very well met and their progress and achievement are very good. The high quality of the teaching and learning in these year groups was exemplified by a Year 6 science lesson where pupils had to investigate how electricity is made. The teacher made an excellent start, providing pupils with a very good diagram of a voltmeter. Quick-fire questioning and an enthusiastic approach had pupils straining to provide answers, and all were learning valuable skills. At just the right time, the teacher gave them their assignment, and they could hardly wait to get started. Pupils worked feverishly to complete their task, and all groups worked independently for much of the time because the planning was so precise. By the end of the lesson, all pupils had completed the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

task, and most worked at a level above that expected for pupils of this age.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. In Year 3, the quality of teaching and learning is good. Here, the needs of the pupils are suitably met and their progress and achievement are often good. A strength in the teaching of these pupils, who have just entered the school, is the way the teachers assess their needs accurately and provide tasks which are challenging, yet attainable. In this way, pupils learn quickly, and encounter much success. The teaching in Year 4 is satisfactory, but more variable. Some lessons are very good because the teachers’ excellent way of managing pupils’ behaviour helps them Tolworth Junior School - 16 cover lots of work, whilst, in others, the teacher has to work hard to control the class, and this slows down the pace of pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. Teachers use resources well to capture pupils’ interest and make the lessons exciting. This is particularly the case in religious education and history, where pupils have many opportunities to handle ‘real’ artefacts and learn first hand about different religions and events from the past. This is a significant reason for pupils’ above average standards in these two subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers’ thorough planning ensures that all pupils have challenging, yet attainable, goals, and this helps them make good progress towards their targets. Classroom assistants provide very good support for pupils with special educational needs, and this makes sure that they understand the work, and have the confidence and skills to answer questions. This is important, and delights pupils when they answer questions before other, higher attaining ones, in the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory, overall. Those with a reasonable command of English when they enter the school often do well. Teachers have had the benefit of appropriate training, and this means that by Year 6 many pupils attain at least as well at pupils who are native English speakers. Those with little or no English, however, sometimes struggle to understand the work because there are no specialist language support assistants to help them. This is unsatisfactory, and prevents these pupils from taking a full part in all school activities.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

The quality and range of learning opportunities provided by the school are good, and the curriculum makes an appropriate contribution to the overall aims of the school. Good progress has been made since the previous inspection in developing an appropriate curriculum. There has been successful implementation of the new National Curriculum 2000 in all subjects, giving a good emphasis upon the arts, and including a detailed programme for the personal, social and health education of pupils. All subjects meet the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum, and the religious education curriculum is based upon the locally agreed syllabus. The breadth, balance and the relevance of the curriculum are good. The school has correctly emphasised the need to raise standards in literacy and numeracy, and has given appropriate time to these aspects of its work.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

18. The planning to develop pupils’ literacy skills is satisfactory. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented fully, and it generally works well. However, the lack of a suitable scheme of work for writing means that pupils’ skills are not developed well enough as they move through the school. As a result, pupils’ progress is patchy and too few attain higher levels in the national tests. There is satisfactory planning to develop pupils’ numeracy skills. This has led to a gradual rise in standards in all years, but particularly in Years 5 and 6. Pupils are grouped by previous attainment in numeracy lessons, and this works well. Tolworth Junior School - 17 19. The opinion of a significant proportion of parents who responded to the questionnaire before the inspection was that insufficient provision is made for activities outside of lessons. The finding of this inspection is that provision for

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

extracurricular activities is satisfactory. At different times of the year, the school provides a range of activities such as football, netball, games, French, music and computer activities. A residential school journey for pupils in Years 5 and 6 provides many opportunities for them to broaden their education. There is a satisfactory range of visits made by pupils to support their learning. These include places such as the Tate Gallery, Kew, Hampton Court, Godstone and more local visits to support work in subjects such as English, history and geography.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

20. Provision for the personal, social and health education of pupils is good and includes work on citizenship, sex education and drugs education. All classes have lessons that aim to develop pupils’ self discipline and awareness of the needs of others. During the inspection, a number of good lessons were seen that promoted these aims well. Topics are intended to enable pupils to apply what they learn to their own lives in and outside school. The school extends pupils’ understanding of living in a community by giving opportunities for older ones to participate in activities such standing for election as house captains, applying to be road safety representatives, or assisting in setting up the hall for collective worship.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. The curriculum is well organised for pupils with special educational needs, and provision is good. The quality of pupils’ individual targets is generally good, and where statements of special educational need are involved, they are very good. The arrangement to withdraw pupils from literacy and numeracy lessons for special group work in Year 6 works very well, and pupils make good progress in these lessons. 22. The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development overall. 23. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. It happens mainly in assemblies and religious education, but in science, for example, pupils have the opportunity to appreciate the natural world of animals, flowers and the human body. In assemblies, there is a time for reflection on the theme and sometimes a prayer. Pupils come into the hall and sit quietly, responding well to the theme, which during

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the week of the inspection was, “Do to others as you would have them do to you”. Sometimes, they sing a hymn, and nearly always the time for reflection is focused towards their lives in school and the way they respond to others.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes, and this, in turn, underpins the good provision for moral development. Adults provide good role models and treat pupils with respect and consideration. The school has a positive approach to the management of behaviour, and produces information that is shared with parents in order to provide a partnership between home and school. Pupils are encouraged towards good attitudes and behaviour through the positive reward system, and achievements are celebrated enthusiastically in school assemblies. Tolworth Junior School - 18 25. The provision for pupils’ social development is good, and there are plenty of opportunities for them to work collaboratively in lessons. For example, in science they are given many tasks where they must share apparatus and discuss the findings of their work in their groups. They have the chance to help in the

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

organisation of the school by assisting with road safety, carrying packed lunches each day, and acting as house captains. For some of these posts, they have to apply in writing, or make a verbal presentation in order to be considered for the job, and this helps them to understand their roles. Teams and clubs also enable pupils to learn how to get on with each other.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. Cultural provision is generally satisfactory, although that for multi-cultural development is less well developed, and this was mentioned in the last report. Art, music and cultural visits such as to galleries and museums provide well for pupils’ development within their own culture. There is insufficient planning for pupils to experience and understand the ethnic and cultural diversity of British life, and visitors who could help with this are not planned for or used.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The school has satisfactory links with the community that contribute to pupils’ learning. The local police have been involved with a Year 6 Citizenship Day; there are visits to the local church and pupils take part in festivals such as those that involve country dancing or singing. A number of parents work voluntarily in the school and make a good contribution to pupils’ education. For example, the skills of a parent were used very well in an art lesson to help pupils learn to draw. A local company and football club have provided adult reading partners for some pupils. The school has begun to use the Internet to access information in the wider community. For example, pupils have looked at information about art on the Tate Gallery web site.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. Relationships with partner institutions are good. There are frequent meetings for parents and these enhance the good links that there are with the adjoining infant school. The headteachers of both schools meet regularly, and the transfer of pupils and their records is carefully managed so that transition from Year 2 to Year 3 is achieved a smoothly as possible. The headteacher also attends meetings in the infant school concerning pupils with special educational needs. This ensures that teachers know about pupils’ needs before they transfer. Teachers from secondary schools, to which pupils in Year 6 transfer, visit the school to help them make the change to their new schools when they reach the end of Key Stage 2.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. The school has effective procedures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its pupils. It has adopted local authority guidelines on child protection. The headteacher and her deputy have been trained in child protection procedures, and training is given annually to all staff. New teachers are appropriately trained as part of their induction. Links with social services are good. Health and safety practices and security are good, although the governors have been notified of a few minor concerns. Arrangements for dealing with pupils’ medical conditions are good. The school has a good number of staff with first aid training and good procedures for dealing with accidents. The level of supervision at lunchtimes and breaks is Tolworth Junior School - 19 satisfactory. Governors carry out formal risk-assessments regularly , and the vigilant caretaker monitors aspects of safety on a daily basis.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. Arrangements for the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are good, and an improvement since the previous inspection. The assessment co-ordinator manages the system very well. The school now has considerable data on pupils’ performance and progress in English and mathematics, and uses this data to analyse the performance of pupils with regard to gender and ethnicity. This ensures that the school and its teachers are aware of differences in attainment and can plan to overcome this issue. Co-ordinators for special educational needs and English as an additional language have full access to these data. All teachers have specific responsibilities within the process and work together to ensure that assessments are valid and reliable. The assessment of pupils’ attainment in other subjects is less advanced than in English and mathematics and at different stages of development. The governors’ curriculum committee receives regular reports on assessment

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

procedures so that it is aware of progress made.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The use of assessment information is good in English and mathematics. The comprehensive data that are collected on each pupil are used to set challenging targets for individuals, for each year group and end of key stage tests. The progress of individual pupils is closely ‘tracked’ from the time that they enter the school. The assessment of pupils’ overall attainment influences curricular planning, but not sufficiently in subjects other than English and mathematics.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Pupils with statements of special educational needs are very well cared for, and are fully included in the school’s curriculum. Good records about progress and achievement are kept, and very good reports are collected and presented at the annual reviews of pupils who have statements of special educational need. The assessment procedures for identifying such pupils are good. Individual plans are good, and they include clear and achievable targets to enable pupils to make good progress.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is still in the early stages, although some good features are in place. Each pupil has a personal target card, although there is no system for recording these. There are regular reports made on pupils with particular behavioural problems, and the system for monitoring these pupils is good. Classroom records sometimes note comments about pupils’ personal development, but these are not consistent. Certificates for good work and behaviour are sent home but are not entered into any centralised record. Annual reports contain good comments on pupils’ personal development, together with pupils’ assessment of their own achievements. Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are good.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school now has good procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating bullying. These are shared well with pupils and parents: for example, parents are telephoned for both achievements and incidences of poor behaviour. There is an effective system of points, stickers, awards and certificates, which works well for most pupils. The school constantly emphasises the language of choice, in which pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions and to think Tolworth Junior School - 20 about the consequences of decisions. Teachers have a consistent approach to poor behaviour. The teacher in charge of pastoral care and the local behaviour support services work well with pupils with behavioural difficulties in Years 5 and 6. As a result of all these measures, the number of incidents has been significantly reduced.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Procedures for monitoring attendance are good. The registers are checked daily by the office staff and are monitored regularly for patterns of lateness and absence. The educational welfare officer is supportive. Registration takes place promptly at the beginning of sessions and ensures a calm and efficient start.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. Parents at the meeting and in response to the questionnaire were broadly supportive of the school and all that it does for their children. They were particularly pleased with the quality of teaching and their children’s progress. Most felt that the school was well led and managed. Several parents expressed the view that the new headteacher had faced a difficult challenge and had had to make many changes. A significant number expressed concerns about bullying, homework, the extent to which the school worked well with parents and the quality of the extracurricular activities. Some parents were not satisfied with the school’s exclusion procedures. The findings of the inspection supported parents’ positive views. Homework was found to be appropriate in quantity and to make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. The school is making considerable efforts to address the issue of bullying. Exclusion procedures

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. The school has effective links with parents. The information provided for them is satisfactory. The prospectus and governors’ Annual Report are attractively presented and comply with legal requirements, although there is no statement on security. Newsletters are regular and friendly in tone. Advance information on the curriculum is sent to parents each term: it is very well presented and easy to use. It includes guidance on homework. Most parents have signed the home/school agreement. Home reading and spelling books are signed each week by parents, and parents are closely involved in behaviour logs for pupils with problems. Reports are clearly presented, although not all subjects are covered. They include opportunities for self-assessment by pupils and comments by parents.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved well in their child’s support. They are consulted in the various procedures, and are kept well aware of the school’s targets for their child. There are items with which they can help at home in the individual education plans, and they are able to consult staff when they wish.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. A good number of parents help in the school on a regular basis, especially with swimming, and more help on trips and visits. The Parents’ Association runs a good range of social and fund-raising events, and has raised good sums to buy equipment to enhance pupils’ learning.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Tolworth Junior School - 21 40. The quality of the school’s leadership and management is good, as it was at the time of the previous inspection.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The headteacher provides good leadership, and gives strong direction to the school’s future development. She came to the school four terms ago, and saw that standards were falling. The literacy and numeracy strategies were not fully in place, and this meant that the school’s results had dropped from well above average to below average in English in 1997, and from above average to average in mathematics. Working closely with the literacy and numeracy co-ordinators, the headteacher introduced effective measures to ensure that the national strategies were planned effectively, and that the teaching of basic reading and number skills was done consistently across the school. As a result of this positive action, this inspection shows that pupils’ reading and number skills are improving.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. The leadership of the school has had to work hard to recruit three staff this year in an area where many schools struggle to find good teachers. Energetic advertising and visits to initial teaching institutions have ensured that all posts were filled with suitably qualified staff.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. In recent years, the misbehaviour of a significant minority of pupils has been a concern shared by staff and parents. The headteacher has done much in a short time to set clear standards of behaviour, and this inspection finds that pupils have responded well, even though a significant number were excluded at the start.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The headteacher and staff have done much to address the key issues from the previous inspection. Boys’ attainment is starting to improve following the introduction of programmes to raise their confidence and self-esteem. The provision for pupils with special educational needs has improved significantly with more effective planning for their specific needs, and a much higher level of inclusion in all school activities. Monitoring strategies are now good, with the headteacher and senior staff observing teachers on a regular basis and providing them with useful feedback on how they can improve their teaching. This process has been enhanced by the use of Local Education Authority inspectors, who have given the school good advice on how to improve the overall quality of teaching.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The governing body are now appropriately involved in the management of the school. They have increased their level of monitoring in school, and have taken a particularly strong interest in the implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies. Governors are keen to introduce their own initiatives, and this makes them important figures in the improvement of the school. It was the governors who pressed for the computer suite to be established, for example, and this is helping to improve standards in information and communication technology. They work closely with the headteacher to monitor the progress of the performance management process, and have agreed realistic but challenging targets for the headteacher.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The headteacher works closely with the deputy headteacher, and they share a common vision for the improvement of the school. Both are good at looking critically at different aspects of the school to see how things could be done better. The deputy headteacher’s own teaching sets a very good example to other staff. This is Tolworth Junior School - 22 important, particularly with so many new and inexperienced teachers who can learn from her skills. The deputy leads the school in the analysis of national assessment results, and this gives staff useful information on pupils’ strengths and weaknesses. The deputy’s other roles, however, are unclear, and the school does not make the best of her skills and enthusiasm to raise standards.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. Other senior staff support the management of the school well. The literacy and numeracy co-ordinators have done much to establish the planning of their subjects over the last year, and the teaching shows a good level of consistency through the school. Year group leaders play a valuable role, particularly in the monitoring of standards across their year group and in individual classes. This shows teachers where additional work needs to be done to meet the school’s targets.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The special educational needs provision is very well managed by the headteacher. She has a clear vision for development, and has done much to ensure pupils’ inclusion in all activities since she has been in charge. All the documents relating to special educational needs are of good quality, and offer effective help and guidance for those who use them.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The teacher responsible for the provision for pupils with English as an additional language is experienced and well qualified. She monitors pupils’ progress systematically, and co-ordinates the funding. The training given to teachers has been useful, and has had a good impact on pupils’ progress.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. With so many new staff, the effectiveness of the school’s induction procedures is crucial to the maintenance of standards of teaching and learning. Teachers who have been recently appointed speak very highly of the quality of information the school provided on its procedures, and the excellent support of colleagues, the headteacher, year group leaders and their mentors.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The finance committee works hard to keep the school’s funds in good order. Its members analyse spending carefully, and are keen to achieve the best possible value for the school’s money by comparing different sources for their purchases and evaluating the school’s performance by comparing pupils’ results with those in similar schools.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school is very well supported by efficient administrative staff, who ensure that the needs of visitors, parents and staff are met efficiently. The office staff run the school office very efficiently, and ensure that the finances are in good order. The finance officer keeps the governing body, headteacher and staff well informed about the budget and makes effective use of the finance department of the Local Education Authority.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The number of teachers and their qualifications and capacity to meet the National Curriculum are good. All subjects have a co-ordinator. There is a good balance of experienced and newly qualified teachers. They work well together as a team and achieve a positive ethos. There is a good supply of learning and support staff whose skills and guidance enable pupils with special educational needs to take a full part in all school activities. Tolworth Junior School - 23 54. The school has used its funding for pupils with English as an additional language to provide staff training on how best to work with these pupils in the classroom. Whilst this gives teachers the necessary skills, and has made it possible for many pupils with English as an additional language to do very well in the national tests, it does not leave any funding for specific extra support in class. This is unsatisfactory, and prevents pupils with very little English from taking a full part in

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school’s accommodation is good, although some of the classrooms are small and the hall is only just large enough to contain all pupils for assemblies. There are good dedicated rooms for special educational needs and the library. There is also a well equipped computer suite, which has a positive impact on the teaching and learning of information and communication technology. Outside, there is an adequate hard surface playground, although the surface is very uneven and markings for games are faded. There is a good quiet and shaded area and a grass games pitch for games and athletics. The flowerbeds at the front of the school give an attractive and welcoming appearance.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The supply of learning resources is satisfactory, overall. They are good in religious education and history, and this is reflected in the higher standards attained in these subjects. In geography, however, there is a shortage of local maps and aerial photographs, and too few computer programs to enrich learning. Tolworth Junior School - 24

p.23

57. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to build on the good improvements made over the last year, and raise standards further, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.24

57. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards in writing by : • producing a scheme of work that identifies the skills that pupils should master throughout the school; • providing more tasks to encourage the development of boys’ writing; • ensuring that the teachers’ expectations of pupils’ writing in all subjects is as high as those in English lessons; • giving higher attaining pupils better guidance on how to achieve appropriate standards in their writing. (paragraphs 3,12,62,64,65,66)

p.24

57. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) provide more effective classroom support for pupils at the early stages of learning English. (paragraphs 6,17,54,59)

p.24

57. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) make better use of the range of cultures represented at the school to teach pupils about how other people in the world live . (paragraph 26)

p.24

57. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

p.24

57. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Develop whole-school assessment procedures in those subjects where they do not exist. (paragraphs 31,83,87,91,101,107) • Make more use of the deputy headteacher to raise standards throughout the school. (paragraph 46) • Improve the range of resources for geography. (paragraphs 56,91) Tolworth Junior School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 56

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 19 60 21 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. [When the total number is substantially less than 100, add] Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one [two, three, etc] percentage point[s]. [Where the total is close to or greater than 100, use only the first sentence.]

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 330

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 50

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 55

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 49

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 23

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.25

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Tolworth Junior School - 26

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 39 38 77

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 29 29 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 24 31

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 78 (74) 69 (70) 84 (84) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 29 31 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 24 30

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 78 (75) 71 (69) 83 (78) 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.

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 63 Other minority ethnic groups 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. Tolworth Junior School - 27

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16 Financial year 2000/01

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.6

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y1 Total income 729827

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 717088

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 154 Expenditure per pupil 2160

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 20293

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 33032

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 7

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Tolworth Junior School - 28

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 38 57 4 0 1

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 29 54 14 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 40 28 4 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 31 53 11 4 1

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 42 44 8 4 1

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 39 54 3 0 4

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 32 44 15 6 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 32 50 8 8 1

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 33 56 8 3 0

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 24 35 24 14 4 Tolworth Junior School - 29

p.28

ENGLISH

58. The school has worked hard to improve the quality of planning and teaching of literacy, and the benefits of this are clear as standards attained by the current Year 6 pupils are similar to those found in most schools.

p.29

ENGLISH

59. Pupils make satisfactory progress in English as they move through the school. Those with special educational needs achieve good standards compared with their previous attainment, because they receive well-planned and effective support in class and their progress is reviewed regularly. Pupils who have English as an additional language make steady progress, and many do well in the national tests in Year 6. Those at an early stage of English acquisition, however, sometimes struggle to keep up with the rest of the class because they often lack support in lessons.

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ENGLISH

60. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are average. In Year 6, nearly all listen attentively and speak willingly in small groups and to a wider audience. Teachers use effective resources and challenging questions well to stimulate pupils’ own thoughts of enquiry and promote good listening skills. This was evident in a very good Year 6 lesson where the teacher immediately gained the pupils’ interest by reading extracts from ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ with great expression. Pupils were keen to offer ideas to the teacher’s question, “What’s the difference between a biography and autobiography?” and referred to the text knowledgeably when giving their answers. Most spoke confidently, many using interesting, mature vocabulary, and made very good gains in their speaking and listening skills, as well as in their knowledge and understanding of the different styles of writing.

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ENGLISH

61. Standards in reading are average in Year 6. At all ages, pupils enjoy reading the shared text in the literacy hour and many read with appropriate expression and understanding. Teachers impart a love of books well to pupils and the emphasis on the enjoyment of reading is successful in developing positive attitudes towards books. They are keen to name their favourite authors, such as Roald Dahl or J. K. Rowling. In Year 6, they read with reasonable fluency and accuracy, and a few pupils interpret difficult texts confidently. They discuss characters, confidently, often with a good level of detail. Higher attaining pupils read challenging material, and use the more advanced reading skills of inference and deduction very well. Teachers develop pupils ’ research and reference skills well by giving them lots of dictionary and thesaurus work, and they locate words easily; this also extends their vocabulary, as was seen when Year 5 pupils quickly came up with words such as

p.29

ENGLISH

‘careworn’, forlorn’ and ’solemn’ when suggesting alternatives for ‘sad’.

p.29

ENGLISH

62. Standards in writing are average by Year 6, but few pupils move on to attain the high standards of which they are capable. The school has no specific scheme of work to develop pupils’ writing systematically as they move through the school, and this leaves too much to the skills of individual teachers. Boys’ writing is weaker than Tolworth Junior School - 30 that of girls, overall, even though the school has improved the standard of their work over the last year. They often write less, and few use interesting ways to join sentences. Their spelling is less accurate, and the targets for boys to attain by the end of Year 6 are significantly lower than girls. Nevertheless, many Year 6 pupils write in a range of styles including poetry, reviews, instructions, newspaper reports and stories. They organise their writing in a logical sequence, and show a sound understanding of grammatical structure. Most use paragraphs appropriately and

p.29

ENGLISH

consistently in their writing. Pupils are encouraged to plan, draft, edit and refine their written work, which is helping them to write interesting stories. They discuss and appraise their own and other’s writing, which is good, as this helps them to develop and extend their ideas. Teachers are developing the technique of ‘modelling’ writing, by completing a written task themselves on a whiteboard, and showing the class how to use appropriate words and techniques to achieve the desired effect. This works very well: pupils learn quickly from the teacher’s example, and their own work is improved as a result. Pupils write interesting poetry, but only a few use words very well to create mood and effect. One such pupil, a boy, during the inspection, wrote an excellent poem about his first day in school:

p.30

ENGLISH

“Goodbye , my darling” my mum said cheerfully, “Goodbye” I mumbled, My thoughts were scarred So was my heart, Me, the cute little boy In five minutes there would be nothing left of me.

p.30

ENGLISH

63. On the whole, pupils have good presentation skills, but many in Years 3 and 4 do not use joined writing, and not all teachers set a good example by joining their own writing on the board.

p.30

ENGLISH

64. The teachers do not develop pupils’ literacy skills in other subjects consistently. Although they give pupils plenty of reading tasks, including research projects, in many subjects their expectations of pupils’ writing are too low. This happens especially in history, geography and religious education lessons and, where worksheets are overused, it limits the development of pupils’ skills further. As a result, too much of pupils’ writing is brief, and lacks the attention to detail found in literacy lessons.

p.30

ENGLISH

65. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good throughout the school, and is an improvement from the previous inspection. There are very good relationships between pupils and adults in the school. This creates a positive climate for learning and give pupils confidence to develop their skills and their understanding, and to enjoy their work within clear guidelines. The development of pupils’ language has a high profile in the school, and teachers reinforce this well in class by emphasising precise terms so that pupils become familiar with, and understand, words such as homonyms, similes and paragraphs from an early age. The teachers’ good subject knowledge is clearly evident in their clear, stimulating lessons and the confident way they manage the literacy hour. This ensures a brisk pace to lessons, and quickly secures pupils’ interest and attention. The teachers are good at explaining new work clearly, and this enables the pupils to acquire and

p.30

ENGLISH

Tolworth Junior School - 31 consolidate new learning quickly. The pupils respond well to the challenges set and concentrate throughout the lessons. Teachers make good use of assessment information in order to plan appropriate work, and this helps pupils learn from their mistakes. Teachers’ marking is good, and provides pupils with constructive comments about how they can improve their work . Not all teachers provide an appropriate amount of challenge for more able pupils. This explains inconsistencies in standards, particularly in writing, from class to class, and the small number of pupils who attain high standards in the national tests. 66. The curriculum in English is well balanced and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. Over that past year, the school has worked hard to provide training and support to enable teachers to implement the National Literacy Strategy consistently. The effects of this are starting to be seen, as pupils’ standards are

p.31

ENGLISH

beginning to improve. Appropriate targets in literacy are set for pupils to motivate them and give them responsibility for their learning. The school has addressed the issue of boys’ underachievement by using more appropriate resources and work specifically planned to capture their interest. This is starting to have an effect and, while the standard of their writing still lags behind that of girls, the gap is narrowing. Information and communication technology is used well to support teaching and learning in English, particularly when pupils produce their own ‘newspapers’ and edit their written work using word-processors. The newly appointed co-ordinator provides good leadership, and her thorough monitoring of teaching, planning and samples of pupils’ work, is helping to raise standards. Her demonstration lessons provide a good model of teaching, and are particularly helpful to new and inexperienced teachers. There is a satisfactory range of books and materials. The

p.31

ENGLISH

school’s library is an attractive place for pupils to browse and enjoy books, and is used effectively to develop their research skills.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

67. In Year 6, standards in basic numeracy and in other areas of mathematics are average. Standards were above average in the previous inspection, but fell significantly afterwards. Standards rose gradually from 1998 to 2000, more or less in line with the national trend and with boys outperforming girls. Currently, standards are rising as a result of consistently good teaching. The school has set a challenging but realistic target of 75 per cent of pupils to achieve the expected National Curriculum Level 4 or above. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making satisfactory progress.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

68. In Year 6, most of the pupils multiply and divide whole numbers by ten and 100 accurately. Not all pupils, however, are confident with multiplication tables. Most have a sound understanding of equivalent fractions, and higher attaining pupils reduce a fraction to its simplest form. A few pupils apply their mathematical knowledge to solve real life problems very well, but many find this difficult, particularly when the problem involves more than one step. Most pupils confidently calculate the area and perimeter of irregular shapes. They are familiar with the language of angles, and many use a protractor to measure angles accurately. They record data effectively by means of accurate tables and graphs Tolworth Junior School - 32 69. The pupils make good use of their mathematical skills in other subjects. In science, for example, pupils in Year 5 have measured temperature readings carefully and produced accurate graphs of their results, and in work linked to history

p.31

MATHEMATICS

and design and technology, Year 3 pupils designed effective Roman mosaics, using symmetrical patterns.

p.32

MATHEMATICS

70. The quality of teaching and learning is good in all year groups and is often very good. Setting by ability in each year group ensures a good match of work to pupils’ differing needs. The teachers are confident with the three-part daily mathematics lesson. They ensure that the pupils are aware of the lesson’s learning intentions and they place a strong emphasis on mental calculations. The teachers organise group work well and classroom assistants play an important part in the pupils’ learning. Teachers consolidate pupils’ learning by means of effective summing-up sessions at the end of lessons and through regular homework tasks. All the teachers have high expectations, and pupils respond to these by producing well presented work . Teachers make good use of regular assessment to plan subsequent work. For example, one teacher’s weekly planning sheet during the inspection was annotated with comments such as “reinforce poor understanding of

p.32

MATHEMATICS

multiples of 10 and 100” and, “Build in work on number square and counting stick first”.

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MATHEMATICS

71. The teachers make good use of information and communication technology to enhance learning. This was illustrated in a very good Year 6 lesson, where the teacher enabled the pupils to produce accurate bar graphs of favourite foods. In another Year 6 lesson, the teacher placed an appropriate emphasis on the use of correct mathematical terms, such as ‘axis’, ‘vertical’ and ‘scale’. This helped in the pupils’ learning of how to interpret a simple line graph and of how a constant is represented on such a graph. In a Year 5 lesson, the teacher asked the pupils to explain their strategies, and this helped them to understand that there is often more than one way of solving a problem. She stressed that the method they used was not the crucial factor; they should use the one which they found easiest and quickest. She urged the pupils to check the reasonableness of their answers and this had a good impact on the pupils’ learning of addition of two-digit multiples of

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MATHEMATICS

ten. In a very good Year 4 lesson, the teacher made effective use of a counting stick, which helped the pupils to count quickly up and down in steps of ten. She used a number square well and encouraged the pupils to look for patterns: “Close your eyes and see the pattern in your head”. The teacher moved the lesson along briskly and made learning fun, by getting the pupils to play a ‘tennis match’ game, which enhanced the understanding of number patterns, and a ‘Hit 100’ dice game, which consolidated learning of place value and mental addition of two-digit numbers to 100. In a Year 3 lesson, the teacher made good use of a ‘function monster’ on the board and this helped the pupils in this below average ability set to understand which number operation to use to solve simple problems. She matched work well to varying needs within the class and set a particularly challenging activity for the higher attaining pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

72. The co-ordinator leads the subject well. She has drawn up a good policy, which meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. Planning and teaching have been monitored to evaluate pupils’ performance and to share best practice. This Tolworth Junior School - 33 has also led her to give useful demonstration lessons for colleagues. The co- ordinator analyses data from national tests and other assessments in order to see where the pupils are finding difficulties, and from this information, has drawn up a clear action plan aimed at raising standards further. There are sufficient, easily accessible resources to support teaching and learning. The teachers place a strong emphasis on collaborative learning wherever necessary and this makes a good contribution to the pupils’ social development.

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SCIENCE

73. In Year 6, pupils’ attainment is average. In common with some other subjects, this overall average attainment represents a decline in standards since the previous inspection. This is borne out by the results of the national end of key stage tests, which show that standards fell noticeably in 1998, the year after the last report. Since then, the trend has been upwards, and the indications are that standards are steadily improving. One reason for this improvement is that recently, there has been better planning for the curriculum using national guidelines. Teachers have enhanced these with material and worksheets, gathered from a variety of sources, which bring the lessons to life.

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SCIENCE

74. Pupils are making sound progress. Work is so organised that those who have special educational needs are able to make similarly sound progress, especially in the practical investigations. At the time of the last inspection, girls outperformed boys, but this inspection finds no significant difference in the performances of boys and girls.

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SCIENCE

75. Teachers make lessons interesting and challenging, and this is why pupils enjoy science, particularly the practical experiments. For example, Year 3 pupils were finding out about healthy teeth, and what foods might be bad for them. The teacher had devised a picture card game and this delighted the pupils, who learned more about the effects of food on their teeth while really enjoying themselves.

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SCIENCE

76. Some of the strength of pupils’ attainment in science lies in the good learning that arises from practical investigations, especially in Year 6. For example, the pupils investigated the production of small amounts of electricity by using the acid from a lemon and various types of metals. They successfully worked with several metals such as zinc, copper and aluminium, read their findings from a voltmeter and recorded them accurately on the worksheet.

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SCIENCE

77. Relative weaknesses occur when teachers do not ensure that everyone understands clearly what they are doing, or spend too long in discussion and not enough time on investigation. Teachers do not always pay sufficient attention to the idea of a fair test, which is usually necessary parts of planning for science lessons.

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SCIENCE

78. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen, and the overall quality of teaching and learning is good. This represents an improvement since the last report. Teachers ensure that investigation forms a large part of pupils’ learning, and many of the other aspects of science are taught through this method. For example, in a Year 3 lesson, pupils were setting up an experiment to test what happens to eggshells left in Tolworth Junior School - 34 different solutions over time. They talked about how it could be made a fair test, and began to discover what aspects would remain the same for all four liquids throughout the time. A good lesson in Year 4, enabled pupils to attain above average standards because the teacher explained the task very well, and her high expectations meant that pupils were encouraged to try harder and work at levels expected of Year 6 pupils. Year 5 pupils have spent time considering which parts of

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SCIENCE

the body are involved when they undertake various activities. For example, when someone skips, they found that the ankle, the wrist and the toes are all used to various degrees.

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SCIENCE

79. In the practical experiments, pupils work in mixed ability groups, including some with special educational needs and some with English as an additional language. These pupils receive help from their classmates and are able to join in successfully for the most part. Teachers generally control classes well and, consequently, pupils usually behave well and concentrate on their work. Although homework was not evident in many lessons that were observed, it could be seen clearly when looking at pupils’ past work.

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SCIENCE

80. The subject is managed well, and the co-ordinator has developed good schemes of work using national guidelines. The co-ordinator has introduced useful target- setting procedures to start in Year 3, gradually working through the school. These targets, and the proposed focus on science for next school year, indicate that the gradual trend for improvement seen in the results is on track to continue.

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ART AND DESIGN

81. The attainment of pupils in art and design is average in Year 6. All pupils in the key stage make at least satisfactory progress and, for some, it is good. Pupils with special educational needs and those that have English as an additional language progress well, particularly when they have close support. There are no differences in the attainment of boys and of girls. These standards are similar to those reported in the previous inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

82. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. This judgement is based upon lessons observed and an analysis of work previously produced by pupils. No judgements were made on the quality of teaching in the previous inspection. In a Year 6 lesson, the teacher’s good subject knowledge and lively manner resulted in pupils’ careful attention and they made good use of close scrutiny to improve their observational skills when they examined two pictures by Lowry. Because of the skilful way in which the teacher presented the lesson, they made good progress in their understanding of how the artist conveyed mood and atmosphere in the paintings. Pupils were very aware of what they were doing because the lesson was planned in detail. Therefore, when they compared the two paintings in small discussion groups, they made effective use of the skills that they had learned, to comment upon the artist’s methods. A very good lesson in Year 5 was the result of

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ART AND DESIGN

the teacher’s high expectations. All pupils made very good progress in the use of charcoal. They learned to create effects by the use of appropriate techniques and produced good representations of a group of small objects . The working Tolworth Junior School - 35 atmosphere and management of pupils were both very good. This kept them focused upon the task and they made very good creative effort with sustained concentration. The teacher made excellent use of a volunteer parent to help pupils learn and develop specific skills. A lesson in Year 3 on repeating patterns was effective, and pupils made good progress because the teacher was well organised, gave individual attention to pupils, and had good subject knowledge. This was clearly expressed and pupils responded well with concentration and a very good pace of work. The classroom assistant closely supported lower attaining pupils. The patterns produced by pupils were often attractive and imaginative. There are

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ART AND DESIGN

good quality displays of pupils’ work in the school, but the work in pupils’ sketchbooks does not always reflect the high expectations that are necessary to enable them to produce work of excellence.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and has identified the priorities necessary to continue the improvement of art and design, but teaching is not monitored. Standards of attainment are monitored by looking at displays and sketchbooks, but there is no formal assessment. This is a weakness, because it does not identify the necessary skills that pupils need to develop. As a consequence, teachers cannot plan the art curriculum to ensure that all necessary skills are developed effectively . The school has a scheme of work for art and design based upon national guidelines, and good use is made of visits to places such as the Tate Gallery and the Marianne North Gallery at Kew to broaden pupils’ experience of art and artists. This also makes a good contribution to pupils’ social and cultural development. The use of information and communication technology also contributes to the breadth of the art curriculum; for example, pupils in Year 5 used a graphics program to create a

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ART AND DESIGN

representation of ‘The Snail’ by Matisse.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. The subject was not being taught during the week of the inspection, but the limited evidence of pupils’ work available for analysis indicates that standards in Year 6 are broadly average. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are making satisfactory progress in developing their designing and making skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. In Year 6, pupils design sturdy models, bearing in mind the people who will use them. They have produced sound design sheets, including step-by-step instructions and clearly labelled diagrams. They evaluate their finished products well, and suggest ways in which they might make improvements. These products have included imaginative bins for litter, and moving toys incorporating a cam mechanism. The pupils measure accurately, saw carefully, and use different joining techniques in order to make sound wooden photograph frames. In food technology, the pupils designed and made interesting tropical fruit salads.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. An analysis of teachers’ planning and of pupils’ work indicates that the quality of teaching and learning is broadly satisfactory. There is an appropriate balance in the teaching of the skills of design, making and evaluating. The teachers use design and technology well to enhance learning in other subjects. For example, in work linked to science, Year 4 pupils have designed and made satisfactory moving shadow puppets and board games, incorporating electrical circuits. In work linked Tolworth Junior School - 36 to history, Year 3 pupils have used a range of tools and materials to design sound Roman mosaics, Greek temples and Viking longboats.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. The co-ordinator has only just assumed responsibility for managing the subject. She has not had time to evaluate pupils’ subject performance. There are no formal, whole school procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress, although they are encouraged to assess their own work. A subject policy is scheduled for development next year, but current planning is soundly based on national guidelines. There is an adequate range of tools and equipment, which is safely and securely stored in a central location, but limited facilities for food technology. In encouraging the pupils to work collaboratively and to share resources, the subject is making a sound contribution to their social development.

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GEOGRAPHY

88. Standards in Year 6 are average. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are making satisfactory progress in developing their geographical skills and knowledge.

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GEOGRAPHY

89. In Year 6, pupils have a sound understanding of nature’s water cycle and of the changing nature of a river and its valley from source to mouth. They know that people rely on a clean water supply, but also appreciated how they pollute rivers and lakes. They have a sound understanding of why settlements grow up and why people either stay in one place to live or move on elsewhere. The pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of some Ordnance Survey map symbols and of the need for a map key.

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GEOGRAPHY

90. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The teachers make useful links with other subjects where relevant. For example, they have developed the pupils’ literacy skills by asking them to write imaginary letters of complaint to the landowner about the quality of water from the village well. The pupils have conducted a survey of water use in their homes, and they have used their mathematics skills well to record findings by means of accurate bar graphs. The teachers place an appropriate emphasis on fieldwork to enhance learning. Through first-hand experience the pupils have compared features of the geography of Tolworth with that of Godstone. The teachers also emphasise the importance of developing the pupils’ mapping skills. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher challenged the pupils to find small places on a large map of West Cumbria. This was a ‘hopeless’ task and made the pupils realise that the use of four-figure grid

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GEOGRAPHY

references was essential to locate places quickly. She challenged higher attaining pupils appropriately, by teaching them to use six-figure grid references by asking, “Why might you want to use six-figure rather than four-figure references?” This helped the pupils to learn that a more precise location is possible in this way. The teacher made good use of small overhead transparencies to enhance this learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

91. The co-ordinator has just assumed responsibility for managing the subject, but has made a sound start to monitoring planning, which is based on national guidelines. However, there are no formal, whole school procedures for assessing or tracking pupils’ progress . A subject policy is scheduled for development next year. Tolworth Junior School - 37 Learning resources are adequate, with a good range of geography reference books in the school library, but there are not enough local maps and aerial photographs, and too few suitable computer programs to enrich learning. The subject makes a sound contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, they learn about environmental pollution, the destruction of the world’s tropical rain forests and the need for conservation and recycling.

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HISTORY

92. Standards in Year 6 are above average, which reflects the findings of the previous inspection. Most pupils are making good progress in widening their knowledge and understanding of aspects of British and world history and in developing their research skills. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and achieve well.

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HISTORY

93. By Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of the need to use evidence to find out about the past. They know that some of this evidence is first-hand, whilst some comes from secondary sources. They find information from a variety of sources, including books, photographs, artefacts and the Internet. Most pupils have a good understanding of aspects of life in Tudor and Victorian England, and of how Tolworth has changed since the late nineteenth century. They have used their literacy and information and communication technology skills well to produce good quality, well presented reports about a recent Year 6 ‘Victorian Day’.

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HISTORY

94. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The teachers maintain an appropriate balance between giving the pupils information and allowing them to find things out for themselves. They understand the importance of allowing the pupils to empathise with people from the past. For example, the pupils have written good accounts in the persons of Henry VIII, Francis Drake, a monk during a Viking attack, Queen Boudicca and a young Roman child visiting the public baths for the first time. In this way, the teachers ensure that the pupils use history to develop their literacy skills.

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HISTORY

95. The teachers emphasise the difference between fact and opinion and the reliability of evidence. In a Year 6 lesson, the teacher used a radio dramatisation well to enable the pupils to learn about the scandal at Andover’s Victorian workhouse. This helped, in addition, to develop the pupils’ listening skills and their ability to make relevant notes. In another Year 6 lesson, the teacher encouraged higher attaining pupils to become independent learners, while she focused on another group, and this allowed them to find out about life in a Victorian workhouse. In a Year 5 lesson, the teacher made effective use of small statement cards, which the pupils placed in appropriate positions on a matrix. This helped them to learn about the reasons why Henry VIII married each of his wives and why the marriages failed. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher used questioning well, in order to draw out ideas from the pupils and to help them form a picture of how life in Celtic Britain

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HISTORY

changed with the coming of the Romans. In a Year 3 lesson, the teacher explained to pupils about her own family tree, and this worked very well as it motivated the pupils, and helped them begin to understand the inter-relationships between the gods of ancient Greece. Tolworth Junior School - 38 96. The school improvement plan indicates that a subject policy is to be developed next year. Nevertheless, planning is soundly based on national guidelines. The co- ordinator manages the subject well. She has developed a clear action plan to secure further improvement and she has tackled the issues raised in the previous inspection report, particularly the need to develop the pupils’ skills of independent enquiry. She monitors planning, in order to ensure progression and consistency in pupils’ learning. Although she has not monitored any teaching, she offers help and advice to colleagues as necessary. There are satisfactory procedures to assess

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HISTORY

pupils’ progress. There are plenty of resources to support learning, with a wide range of history reference books in the school library. The teachers enhance learning through visits to Hampton Court and Kingston Museum and this makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The teachers have used visitors well to enrich learning. These have included a ‘Tudor’ music group, actors and senior citizens.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

97. By Year 6, standards in information and communication technology are average. The systematic use of the computer suite ensures that pupils have regular opportunities to learn new skills, practise them immediately and save the finished work in their own folder. In this way, they build up a sound store of techniques and knowledge as they move through the school. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, and enjoy the success that the use of computers provides them with their written work. Those with English as an additional language make sound progress because they often work in pairs, and benefit from good levels of support from the teacher and their partner.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. In Year 6, most pupils use information and communication technology competently to organise, reorganise and edit text to ensure their writing is clear and well presented. They use their word-processing skills well to edit their writing that they completed in literacy lessons, correcting punctuation and inserting paragraphs. Pupils use CD-ROMs confidently as research tools to extract information to support their work in art and history. Their work combining text and graphics to produce a Roman ‘newspaper’ is of a particularly high standard. Pupils read the information to check its relevance and modify their search strategies. Pupils make effective use of the Internet, sending their stories to pupils in other schools, and delighting at the responses they receive. This make a good contribution to pupils’ social development. In art and design, they conduct detailed searches of the Tate Gallery

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

website, and produce excellent copies of ‘The Snail’ by Matisse by altering, cutting and pasting shapes. The school has only recently bought sensors to enable pupils to monitor changes in materials, and their experience and skills in this area are limited.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

99. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Systematic planning of the curriculum and good provision for staff training have improved the quality of teaching since the previous inspection. Most teachers are confident using computers, and have the necessary skills to pass on to pupils. They make the most of their time in the computer suite, often starting work in the classroom and then Tolworth Junior School - 39 moving on to the computers in the suite. Teachers make very effective use of the large computer screen, and this enables all pupils to see how to perform tasks as the teacher demonstrates.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

100. Teachers make a good start in Year 3, using data handling programs to enable pupils to learn how to create bar graphs of different types of transport. Here, teachers focus appropriately on basic skills, and pupils soon gain confidence in saving work in their own folders and become familiar with the ‘home’ keys. In Year 4, teachers help pupils refine their word-processing skills, as they create titles for their work on Queen Boudicca, and edit text to improve its appearance. In Year 5, pupils are taught useful skills to enable them to re-size shapes, and cut and paste text and graphics. As a result of this good teaching, nearly all pupils quickly gain confidence in these techniques, and produce some very imaginative work. Year 6 teachers extend pupils’ skills well by providing challenging work on combining text, graphics and sound using a commercial presentation program. Pupils’ use of email

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

develops well in Year 6 as they communicate with other pupils in Australia, and this make a good contribution to their social development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

101. The school has adopted the nationally recommended scheme of work and this is used well to support the teaching of the subject. The school has no consistent system of assessing pupils’ progress, and has this as a target in its development planning. The subject co-ordinator provides good leadership and has been closely involved in the development of information and communication technology in the school. He has monitored teaching in every class, and pupils’ standards have been monitored effectively by collecting samples of their work. The school makes effective use of government funding, ensuring that there are sufficient resources in the computer suite and in the classrooms.

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MUSIC

102. No judgement could be made about pupils’ attainment in Year 6, because it was not possible to see any lessons. The last inspection report described attainment as ‘good’. Only one lesson was seen during this inspection and the attainment of pupils was broadly similar to that found in most other schools. In the one lesson seen, pupils kept a steady beat as they sang, recognised that different elements can be combined to create effects and sang with good expression. They worked well together to achieve this outcome and showed some knowledge of how to improve what they did.

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MUSIC

103. The lesson seen was well presented with particularly good explanations of main ideas such as pulse and rhythm. Pupils learned how to identify the pulse in recorded music and began to extend their understanding of the basic ideas taught. Teaching was maintained at a good pace, but some pupils became restless when instruction was lengthy and caused them to wait for too long before playing or singing.

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MUSIC

104. The school has a broad and balanced scheme of work that ensures all pupils have full access to the music curriculum. A school choir performs at events such as the Borough Music Festival, and in Christmas productions at the local church. Tolworth Junior School - 40 There are music and drama events in the school in which pupils in Years 5 and 6 take part. When musicians have visited the school, for example, a Tudor group, Victorian Music Hall and the Baroque Rock Band, pupils have extended their music education, and their spiritual, social and cultural development has progressed. These activities all make a good contribution to the music curriculum. The co- ordinator provides satisfactory leadership, and has devised a simple system of assessment to establish what pupils can do. Priorities for development are known, but no written action plan guides this. Some monitoring of the curriculum has taken

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MUSIC

place, but the effect of this is limited because teaching of the subject is not monitored. Pupils use information and communication technology effectively to compose and record their work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

105. It was not possible to see physical education in Year 6 except for one swimming lesson. In this, pupils made good progress, were confident in the water and worked hard to improve their performance. In the other lessons seen, pupils’ attainment was average. Those with English as an additional language and special educational needs were all fully involved and made satisfactory progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. This is a similar judgement to that of the previous inspection, but then some teaching was judged ‘very good’. The teaching of swimming was good because the teacher gave very clear instruction, structured the lesson to ensure that pupils learned and applied a good progression of skills, and had high expectations of them. In a Year 5 lesson, a pupil demonstrated warm up activities while the teacher provided a good commentary on this so that pupils learned appropriate techniques. The pupils concentrated well in the lesson that followed and worked hard to improve their skills of passing and moving with a ball. The teacher helped them to develop their skills by careful intervention, but did not demand a sufficiently high standard of performance. In lessons for Years 4 and 5, teachers gave clear instructions that pupils understood and ensured good challenge and pace with the provision of an

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

interesting range of activities. A common weakness in the teaching was that pupils had sometimes to listen to instructions for too long and became restless or inattentive. In addition, in all the lessons seen, pupils had few opportunities to evaluate their own performance or that of others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. The school has a sound scheme of work for the subject. Pupils have the benefit of learning to swim on site and this provision is good and used well. Year 6 pupils have a residential visit that includes outdoor and adventurous pursuits. A number of extracurricular activities take place such as football, swimming, table tennis and netball. There are no formal assessment procedures to monitor the progress of pupils and, therefore, curricular planning cannot be developed from analysis of their needs. The co-ordinator is newly appointed and is enthusiastic to ensure that the subject is developed well. However, although some priorities for improvement have been identified, there is no written plan of action. There are no opportunities to monitor teaching, but the co-ordinator has looked at some of the planning for the subject. Space for physical education in the hall is limited, but the Tolworth Junior School - 41

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

hard court and grassed areas outdoors are spacious and make a good contribution to the resources available.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

108. In Year 6, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious education exceed the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. This is a good improvement since the last inspection when standards were average. The schemes of work are organised so that by the time pupils reach Year 6, they are able to use the knowledge and understanding gained in earlier years. They make good comparisons of the topics studied, across two religions. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils were revisiting what they and done about Hindu worship in some detail, and are moving on to compare that with Christian practices. Many pupils have a good depth of knowledge about the various artefacts used in worship. They are particularly skilled at researching their topics, finding, for example, detailed information about Islamic religious practices.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

109. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that they are developing a good knowledge and understanding of several religions. For example, Year 3 pupils are beginning to learn about the Jewish feast of Passover and its biblical origins in the book of Exodus. They are learning the symbolism of the various foods used in the meal, and have seen and understood the Seder plate that is used. As a result of well-structured teaching, Year 4 pupils are laying good foundations for later study by considering the idea of Hindu gods in many forms. Some have used a computer to research this work. They have grasped that they remain the same person, but may have many changing attributes such as being trustworthy, reliable, sensible, or polite, friendly and honest. They were full of ideas about this, and moved readily on to discuss how the creator God has to maintain a watch over creation, and care for animals and plants.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

110. Pupils in Year 5 considered the story of the Good Samaritan with a good degree of sensitivity in one lesson where the teacher asked questions in order to develop pupils’ thought. The lesson was taken at a good pace and pupils followed the story in their own Bibles as the teacher read. They extended their learning well, bringing their own ideas about the characters in the story. For example, one pupil suggested that the Jewish priest who ‘passed by on the other side’ might have already done his lengthy preparation for worship, and did not wish to repeat it. They all understand that parables set out to tell stories that have meanings behind them.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

111. Teachers use a good variety of methods such as “Look it up” quizzes, and role-play, when they considered the consequences of taking other people’s things. Pupils are encouraged to relate their religious education to everyday life, and pupils in Year 5 will be producing their own modern versions of the Good Samaritan soon. The teachers ensure that there are links between the facts about religion and the effect that belief has on people’s lives. Pupils study Christian aid agencies such as Catholic Fund for Overseas Development and Christian Aid.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

112. Assemblies often link to the work in religious education. During the inspection, the assembly theme was “Do to others as you wish them to do to you,” Tolworth Junior School - 42 and this linked in with work from the Bible that Year 5 pupils have done about Christian moral principles.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

113. The subject is well led by a teacher who is interested and committed to its development, and who sets a good standard in her own lessons. The good supply of resources has a good impact on the standards of attainment because pupils can see and handle objects that are used in worship. There is a good display of these objects displayed in the school, and they range across all the religions that are studied. There is no opportunity for the co-ordinator to monitor teaching, but planning and some of the pupils’ work are monitored. Assessment awaits the new locally agreed syllabus, although teachers already identify assessment opportunities in their planning.

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