Whitley Lodge First School

WHITLEY LODGE FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 2 - 3 February 2000

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WHITLEY LODGE FIRST SCHOOL

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

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WHITLEY LODGE FIRST 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. Whitley Lodge First School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Woodburn Drive Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear Postcode: NE26 3HW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Margaret Jackson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1996 Whitley Lodge First School - 4

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Team members

Mrs Carole McBride Registered inspector Mrs Jean Overend Lay inspector Mr Jack Hagan Team inspector

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Team members

West Lancs Technology Management Centre Moss Lane View Skelmersdale Lancs WN8 9TN

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Whitley Lodge First School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

The school achieves high standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science The quality of teaching is good overall The school’s curriculum is of good quality Pupils’ attitudes and response to school are very good The headteacher is highly effective in drawing together the efforts of the whole school team to achieve its agreed goals

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

Standards in information technology for older pupils The school shares written targets with individual pupils and their parents in mathematics, but not in other subjects

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Whitley Lodge First School is bigger than other schools of this type. There are currently 276 pupils on roll aged between three and nine years. Fifty-two children attend part time in the nursery.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Overall, the area served by the school is one of social advantage. Three per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average for first schools. The number of pupils speaking English as an additional language (less than one per cent) is about the same as other schools. The number of pupils on the school’s register of special educational need (four per cent) is well below the national average. Less than one per cent of pupils have Statements of Special Educational Need, which is below the national average. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is broadly average although there are more with above average levels of attainment than below. Since the last inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed and has been in post for two and a half years.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Whitley Lodge First School is an effective school, which has a lively and purposeful atmosphere. It achieves high standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science. The quality of teaching is good. The headteacher and staff are an effective team who work closely together to provide a curriculum which challenges and motivates children. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• High standards are achieved in reading, writing, mathematics and science. • The quality of teaching is good overall. • A high priority is given to teaching literacy and numeracy but other subjects are also covered well. • Pupils’ have an excellent attitude to school and their behaviour is very good. They are very keen to learn, enjoy their work and get on well together. • The headteacher is highly effective in drawing together the efforts of the whole school team to achieve its agreed goals.

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What could be improved

• Standards achieved by older pupils in information technology are not as high as they could be. • The school shares written targets with individual pupils and their parents in mathematics, but not in other subjects. 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

Good progress has been made in addressing the issues raised by the previous inspection in 1996. Teachers in each year group now have a clear outline of what they are to teach in each subject and when this should be done. The system used for planning now means that teachers identify what it is they hope the children will learn as a result of lessons. This Whitley Lodge First School - 7 means that they are better able to assess children’s progress in gaining skills and knowledge.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

A more thorough analysis is made of the school’s results and the performance of individual pupils. There is much more regular and careful checking of the quality of teaching throughout the school. The headteacher monitors teachers at work and discusses her observations with them. This has led to improved quality in teaching, particularly in literacy and numeracy. It has also boosted staff confidence by praising their efforts and reassuring them that their teaching methods are effective in helping pupils learn.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school is continuing the development of its mathematics curriculum by implementing the national numeracy initiative. The standard of work in design and technology has improved significantly. This has been achieved by boosting staff confidence and pupils’ skills in the subject. The whole school involved itself in a project, which produced some stunning results and work of a very high standard.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Provision for information technology has greatly improved. The school, with support from parents, has put substantial funds into buying new computer equipment. The newly established computer suite has been in use for six months. Teachers are much more confident to teach the subject. There is still quite some way to go before standards of work for older pupils are as high as they should be, but the school has a clear plan of development, which it is pursuing vigorously.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school now has a clear policy for setting homework and older pupils are able to extend their learning at home with work in reading, mathematics, spellings and occasional project work which involved children in researching information.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

1997 1998 1999 1999 Reading A A A C Writing B A A A Mathematics A A A B well above average above average average below average well below average A B C D E

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schools

The school’s results are very good. They show that by the time they are seven, children are achieving standards which are well above those found nationally for this age group. When viewed together over the past three years, results show a constant picture of high achievement. Children achieve particularly high standards in writing, which is taught particularly well. Results in writing and mathematics compare favourably with schools which have a similar intake of pupils. In reading they are keeping pace with these schools. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ achievements in science indicate that they are in the top five per cent of schools when compared to national figures. Compared to similar schools, these results are above average. Whitley Lodge First School - 8 By the time they are five, most children are achieving what is expected for their age and many exceed this. Older pupils are well on target to meet the average for their age at 11

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schools

Whilst standards achieved by younger pupils in information technology are in line with what is expected for their age, older pupils do not achieve as well. They have insufficient opportunities to develop skills in using computers. Pupils who have access to computers at home do not build well enough on the knowledge they already have.

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schools

Evaluation of pupils’ work during the inspection confirms these standards. The school has set itself further targets which are sufficiently challenging. Pupils’ current achievements are such that the school is in line to achieve similar results this year and meet the targets it has set.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils are extremely keen and eager to learn. They thoroughly enjoy school and concentrate hard on their work even when it sets a high challenge for them.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave sensibly in the classrooms and on the playground. They settle quickly to work and no time is wasted in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils get on well together and show care and concern for each other. They take on responsibility well, showing mature attitudes and willingness to help.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Above average. Pupils are punctual and the school gets off to a prompt start.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

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

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

All teaching in the school is at least satisfactory with good or better quality in 75 per cent of lessons. There is a consistent picture of good teaching throughout the school. The teaching of English and mathematics is good and this includes both literacy and numeracy.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

Teachers have high expectations for what pupils should achieve. They set demanding tasks and pupils rise to the challenges offered. In most lessons, there is a busy and purposeful atmosphere with teachers and pupils keen to push on with work. Although a fast pace for learning is set, teachers create an atmosphere where pupils feel able to ask if they do not understand something. This leads to good levels of confidence in children. They are not afraid to try out ideas, ask questions and work independently. There is a Whitley Lodge First School - 9 great deal of enjoyment evident in lessons and good humour is often shared between teachers and their class. In some of the more ordinary lessons, teachers do not spend long enough explaining new ideas or tasks. The pace of learning slows because some children require further explanations.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-9 years

There is good quality teaching for all pupils. Those with special educational needs receive good levels of support. They work in small groups for intensive support and on some occasions, receive individual help. Sufficient challenge is provided in class activities to stretch higher achievers and meet the needs of the rest of the class. All pupils produce a large amount of work and take a great pride in neat writing and presentation. Most pupils are supported well with their work at home by parents and consolidate what they have learned in school. As a result, they move on quickly, particularly with reading and mental arithmetic skills.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a good quality curriculum. A lot of emphasis is placed upon reading, writing and mathematics but not at the expense of other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ needs are met through individual support and in small groups. The school is successful in giving pupils confidence and helping them cope well with the same curriculum as other pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good provision is made for pupils’ personal development. The school works hard to give pupils opportunities to reflect on spiritual issues and to learn the difference between right and wrong. Social skills are developed well and a good range of opportunities to study other cultures and beliefs is provided.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes good care of its pupils. It has good procedures for ensuring child protection. Health and safety issues are well addressed.

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Aspect Comment

The school meets all the statutory curriculum requirements. The variety of interesting and practical activities offered is part of the reason why pupils enjoy school so much. They are given responsibility and taught what it means to serve the school and wider community.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher gives a strong lead in moving the school forward. Despite the absence of key staff over the last two years, the school teaching team has maintained high standards and brought about further improvement. Whitley Lodge First School - 10 How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors fulfil all their statutory responsibilities. Through their different skills, they support the work of the school well. They are well informed and have a good knowledge of where the school is successful and where it can improve further.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school has a good understanding of its own areas of strength and its areas for development. Issues raised by the inspection have already been identified by the school as future targets for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school is making the best possible use of the resources it has. Forward planning is undertaken very carefully and the school is good at applying the principles of best value.

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Aspect Comment

Governors and staff are making concerted attempts to overcome a deficit budget but efforts have been hampered by long-term staff absence due to illness. Parents are generous supporters and raise substantial funds for equipment but there are still resource shortages in information technology.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school and are making good progress. • Children in the school behave well. • There is good quality teaching and teachers set high expectations. • The headteacher manages the school well. • The school provides well for pupils’ personal development. • The school welcomes them. • Some parents would like more homework for older children. • Parents are concerned about the effect of long-term staff absence on their children’s progress. • Some parents felt that communication about how well their children were doing could be better.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The school has an effective partnership with its parents. They have a good opinion of the school and the inspection team agrees that this is well founded. In respect of parental concerns, the school has made every possible effort to minimise the impact of staff absence on children. Regular and careful checks are made on pupils’ progress to see if they are keeping pace with what is expected of them. Evaluation of their work during the inspection indicates that they are.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Amounts of homework are in line with national guidelines and are adequate. Whilst the school informs parents well about the progress their children make, it is not as good at indicating where they need to improve or sharing these targets with them. Whitley Lodge First School - 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The school achieves high standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science .

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. In National Curriculum tests for seven year olds, the school consistently achieves results which are well above the national average. In 1999, the school’s results remained high in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, Whitley Lodge First School’s best achievements are in writing and science where they are well above average. In mathematics, they compare favourably to others and are above average. In reading, most similar schools show the same performance as Whitley Lodge First School.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Older pupils build well on this very good performance. By the time they leave to attend the middle school, the great majority are well on the way to meeting the average expected at age 11.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Pupils’ work in writing is of a particularly high standard. This is achieved because the school places a strong emphasis on developing their skills and confidence from the nursery onwards. The youngest children are encouraged to attempt what the school calls ’brave writing’. Teachers praise their efforts and children do not worry about making a mistake. Writing quickly becomes an adventure to them. In Years 1 to 4, teachers are skilled at linking much of the writing children do to work they are doing in other subjects. For example, they write reports on science experiments they have carried out or write poems and stories. Teachers continually introduce new vocabulary and provide plenty of classroom displays with new words or ideas for writing. This pays off well in the quality of written language children use in their work. They are taught how to order their ideas and plan their work carefully. By

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Year 4, pupils are producing a large volume of written work in all subjects. They are able to explain themselves accurately in writing and express their creative ideas using stylish and mature language.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. A strong emphasis is placed on the teaching of number and pupils learn to do mental calculations quickly and accurately. They become very confident at dealing with numbers. Teachers give them plenty of opportunities to use their mathematical skills to solve problems, often requiring a good knowledge of different concepts. For example, Year 4 pupils were asked to calculate the difference in minutes between 1.23 pm and 2.17 pm. This required them to apply their knowledge of time and subtraction. When they are introducing new ideas, teachers give children a lot of practice with apparatus and equipment in practical situations. The school has a similar approach to teaching science and children are constantly engaged in interesting activities, which develop their skills of observation, prediction and recording. Year 3 pupils, for example, gained much scientific knowledge about changes to materials caused by heating and cooling through the enjoyable

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Reading, writing and mathematics are all developed well through regular homework. Whitley Lodge First School - 12 The quality of teaching is good overall.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. All teaching in the school is at least satisfactory. The quality in 75 per cent of lessons is good or better. All teachers have a good rapport with their class and inspire confidence and enthusiasm in children. Whilst there is a relaxed atmosphere in classrooms, lessons are organised well so that no time whatsoever is wasted, pupils know what they are expected to do and time limits are set for tasks.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Teachers use the resources they have to the best advantage, including any adult support in the classroom. They brief their helpers well and ensure that they understand what children are expected to learn in a particular lesson. This enables all pupils to learn at a good pace as more than one adult who knows exactly what they should be learning often supports them.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. Other resources are used imaginatively to help children make sense of new ideas. In a mathematics lesson in a reception class for example, the teacher used resources related to a story they had been reading to help children subtract numbers from ten. She arranged items on the farmer’s washing line and removed some. The class recognised the items and were quickly able to say how many had been carried off by the wind as they had been in the story. They were keen to retell the story and undertake the subtraction sums a number of times.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. Teachers bring a great deal of fun and enjoyment to lessons. They work hard at putting ideas into terms, which children can understand. For example, in a Year 1 history lesson, the teacher wanted the class to understand the concept of a family tree and the relationship of people to each other. He used his own family to illustrate the idea and also drew up a family tree for a boy in the class. The class were able to see the connections because they knew the people involved and what their connection was to each other. There are many examples in the school of teachers successfully setting up this type of activity.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

10. Lessons offer a high level of challenge and on most occasions, this is modified to meet the needs of all children in the class. In some of the more ordinary teaching, the teacher does not spend long enough explaining what are difficult ideas for some children. In most lessons, teachers are clear about what they expect children to learn but do not always share these anticipated targets with the children themselves.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

11. There is skilled teaching of literacy and numeracy throughout the school. In numeracy, teachers are skilled at teaching pupils different ways to find answers. As a result, pupils gain great confidence in dealing with numbers and will tackle difficult problems. In a Year 4 lesson, for example, most of the class were keen to give answers when asked to halve larger numbers, containing fractions. Pupils are taught their tables and expected to consolidate this knowledge at home.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

12. Reading and writing are both taught well. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and encourage children to enjoy reading and practise their skills by reading at home for a short period each day. Writing is taught particularly well. Teachers make sure that pupils have a clear plan for the way they will present their ideas and they give plenty of prompts and visual aids. Story introductions and suggested vocabulary are displayed in classrooms. These methods increase pupils’ confidence to write and attempt more adventurous words. Whitley Lodge First School - 13 The school’s curriculum is of good quality.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

13. The school takes the business of providing its pupils with a broad range of experiences very seriously and it offers a rich and varied curriculum. Careful attention is paid to teaching reading, writing and mathematics, but teachers are always mindful to develop pupils’ skills and knowledge in all other subjects. The curriculum is organised in such a way that pupils reinforce skills they have acquired in one subject by practising them in another. For example, Year 4 pupils had been learning about measurement of shapes and perimeters in mathematics. During a design and technology lesson, they applied the mathematical knowledge they had gained to the task of making packaging for products by carefully measuring an outline and cutting it out.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

14. The school’s strength in this area was exemplified best in an impressive design and technology project involving the whole school. Each class was given the challenge of making an artefact relating to the local area, a large book and a board game. The results not only demonstrated pupils’ above average skills in designing and making products, but their high levels of competence in reading, writing, number skills and art.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

15. Pupils’ personal development is supported well. They have many opportunities to take responsibility and older pupils have duties around the school, such as looking after younger children in the dining room. They confidently show visitors around the school and this is greatly appreciated by parents and members of the local community. After being shown round a display of work, one visitor wrote and remarked that the child who showed her around “was a very good guide and explained all the different things to us”. Children are taught to reflect on their own lives and to show care and concern for others. Their recent display of ‘Millennium wishes’ show a good depth of reflection and awareness of the issues facing others in their community. The school has received a local award for its work in the community. The school promotes skills of citizenship well. It teaches its pupils about their responsibilities within the community of the school and within the wider

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

locality. There are lunchtime activities, such as newspaper writing, chess and recorder clubs which enable them to socialise and some pay fees to attend sports clubs after school with professional coaches.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

16. Children develop a good awareness of their cultural heritage and the diversity of other people’s lives through visits. The curriculum is brought to life by visits to places of local interest. Much of the history work for example, is enriched by visits to museums or historical sites.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils’ attitudes and response to school is are very good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

17. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are reluctant to be absent even when not feeling well. This reflected in their very good levels of attendance and punctuality and by the overwhelming majority of parents who share this view. The children themselves say how much they enjoy school and are keen to talk about their favourite lessons.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

18. Interest levels in lessons are high and pupils set about tasks with tremendous enthusiasm even when these are difficult. They are prepared to persevere and carry on trying when problems arise. Most children produce a large volume of work in lessons and take pride in keeping their handwriting neat. Whitley Lodge First School - 14 19. Teachers challenge pupils to think deeply. They are successful in this and through clever questioning, they draw imaginative and often logical answers from their class. Children will add their own comments and on occasions, challenge viewpoints. Teachers manage these situations well and show tremendous patience and humour whilst a child puts their own case or argues a point. As a result, pupils are confident to speak out and think for themselves. Their response in lessons is positive because they feel that their opinions are valued. They have very good relationships

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

with their teachers and with each other.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

20. Behaviour in and around the school is very good. Pupils are sensible and observe rules, for example, when using the stairs or when working in the computer suite. They behave well on the playground and lunchtimes are pleasant, social occasions.

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The headteacher is highly effective in drawing together the efforts of the whole school

21. Since her appointment, the headteacher has given a good lead in focusing the efforts of governors and staff to work at agreed priorities and during this time, the school has been effective in making improvements. This is particularly commendable, as senior staff have had periods of long-term absence due to illness. A new senior management team has only recently formed with the appointment of a deputy headteacher. The school has never accepted staff absence as a reason for delaying plans or not pushing ahead with developments. High standards have been maintained and new initiatives have been successfully introduced and monitored in practice.

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The headteacher is highly effective in drawing together the efforts of the whole school

22. The governors of the school are supportive and work as an effective team with the headteacher and staff. They contribute much with their own skills and are very much aware of the school’s strengths and the areas in which it needs to improve. Governors make regular visits to the school to observe lessons or check how any new initiatives are working in practice. For example, a governor with responsibility for literacy has visited to take part in reading and writing activities. The school undertakes a careful analysis of its own performance and its development plan is the subject of regular discussion at governors’ meetings.

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The headteacher is highly effective in drawing together the efforts of the whole school

23. The school has a deficit budget but has worked really hard to overcome this. The headteacher and governors manage what is a very tight financial situation very well. Every avenue for extra funding is explored and decisions to spend money are carefully considered to ensure that best value is obtained.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Standards in information technology for older pupils.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

24. The school has made considerable efforts to improve its provision in information technology. A computer suite has been in use for six months but pupils who are currently in Years 3 and 4 are only just beginning to see the benefit of this. They have not had as good a grounding in learning how to use the computer or in developing their information technology skills through work in other subjects. Although the school has allocated generous funding and made several purchases of computers and programmes, resources are still inadequate to meet pupils’ needs. In most lessons, children share one computer between three of them. Time for Whitley Lodge First School - 15 each class to use the purpose-built computer suite is limited. Computers in classrooms are largely outdated and will not cope with the software which is needed to develop pupils’ skills; for example, in using CD-ROM machines to research

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

information. Children therefore have insufficient ‘hands-on’ experience to develop knowledge and skills at a fast enough rate.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

25. A high proportion of pupils have computers at home and are familiar with different applications, such as word processing. Some know about the Internet and how to access it. The school’s provision does not always extend the skills of the oldest or most knowledgeable pupils further. Most can work competently with the keyboard and operate the basic functions of the computer but the scope of work is limited and they undertake too little work with data handling, control technology or simulation programs.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

26. Children under five in the reception classes are exceeding the expectations for their age in being able to use the keyboard and mouse with growing confidence. In the infant classes, children are familiar with everyday uses of technology. They can load and play tape recorders and know that many appliances in their homes operate through technology. When they use the computer suite, more of them are able to have a turn on the computers because there are fewer children in these classes than in the older classes.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

27. Teachers make the most of the allocated time their class has in the computer suite. They organise groups of pupils well to make the best possible use of all the computers available. Tasks are related well to other work being undertaken and are meaningful to pupils. In a Year 3 lesson for example, pupils worked at planning a story using computer images. They had the opportunity to add speech to the characters’ images. This was good reinforcement of the work they had been doing on punctuation in English.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28. Pupils receive good support in lessons and adult helpers are deployed well to assist and help rectify problems. This enables children with less experience to move on at a faster pace. Higher achievers however, are not always challenged by activities and their progress is too slow.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29. The school has made several improvements in its provision for the subject. Staff have undertaken training in the subject and are now more confident to work with the whole class using several machines at the same time. They have good subject guidance and know what they need to teach to each year group.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

30. The school is well aware of the weaknesses in its provision and has set realistic targets to address them. A planned programme of purchases has been set out and as finances allow, new computers are being purchased.

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The school shares written targets with individual pupils and their parents in

31. Teachers keep a close check on pupils’ progress with their work. This progress is looked at further by the headteacher. She keeps a particularly close eye on the classes whose teachers have been absent for extended periods. In most lessons, teachers are clear about what they want children to learn and they measure children’s progress against these goals. Whitley Lodge First School - 16 32. The school’s good practice of setting numeracy targets for each pupil is a valuable system which tracks their progress well.

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The school shares written targets with individual pupils and their parents in

33. Whilst they keep a regular check on pupils’ reading and writing progress, teachers do not write targets for how work can be improved. For example, in reading comments are made by the teacher in the pupils' home/school reading record on how well they have read but not all teachers write suggestions about what they should practise next. In writing, teachers make positive comments on pupils’ work, but not all indicate how work could be further improved.

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The school shares written targets with individual pupils and their parents in

34. When teachers work with small groups and guide their reading, some are good at identifying the skills which a particular group needs to practise. They focus their attention around this and encourage the children to work at specific weaknesses. However, they do not always share these targets with children or communicate them well enough to parents.

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The school shares written targets with individual pupils and their parents in

35. Some parents indicated concern that they were not as well informed about their children’s progress as they would like. Written reports to parents are of generally good quality, indicating each child’s achievements throughout the year and setting out what needs to be done in the future. Although targets are set out at the end of the academic year, sometimes these are not clear enough. Parents are left to ‘read between the lines’ or infer from the written comments what their child needs to do to improve.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in information technology for pupils in Years 3 and 4 by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- increasing the resources for information technology as funds become available; - providing further opportunities for pupils to improve their skills in information technology by using it more in other subjects.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Set targets in reading and writing for individual pupils by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- using assessments of pupils’ work to outline where improvements can be made; - sharing these targets for improvement with pupils and parents. Whitley Lodge First School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 15% 60% 25% 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 224

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals n/a 7 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 12

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Whitley Lodge First School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 29 26 55

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 26 28 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 25 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (97) 96 (100) 96 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 28 29 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 25 26

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 96 (96) 98 (97) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Whitley Lodge First School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total expenditure 354,690

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1 Expenditure per pupil 1,543

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 16 Balance brought forward from previous year -43,607

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -39,651

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 FTE means full-time equivalent. Whitley Lodge First School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 40 53 2 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 39 55 2 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 20 49 21 4 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 25 52 15 6 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 55 40 1 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 54 41 1 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 30 51 13 4 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 49 40 2 2 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 41 52 2 1 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 41 27 5 8

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