Park Road Junior Infant and Nursery School

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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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. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 3 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Park Road Batley West Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr M. Pandor

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1997 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 4 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

M Shepherd Registered inspector Information technology Physical education Special educational needs Equal opportunities Deaf resource provision What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

B Silvester Lay inspector How high are standards? How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? S Chesters Team inspector English History Geography Pupils who speak English as a second language. How good are the curricular opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

S Gatehouse Team inspector Mathematics Religious education Music How well does the school cultivate pupils' personal development? Assessment J Mitchell Team inspector Science Art Design and technology Under fives

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough Cambs PE4 6QZ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 5 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT 44

Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 6 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School is set in the middle of Batley. It is of average size with 234 pupils, including 15 pupils in a hearing-impaired unit. These pupils work in purpose built rooms for specialist sessions but most of their time is spent with the rest of the pupils. Specialist teachers for these pupils work in partnership with class teachers. Nearly half the pupils in the school speak English as an additional language. This is much higher than average. Nearly a third of pupils are on the special educational needs register, which is above the national average. Over a third of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is well above average. Most pupils come from the immediate area but the pupils from the hearing-impaired unit travel from a wider area as it is one of only two units serving Kirklees. There is a large team of support staff working with individuals and groups throughout the school. Attainment on entry

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

is well below average. The school is a listed building that has had considerable renovations. The nursery is next to the reception and Year 1 classes. However, other classes are set in different parts of the building and Year 2 is particularly isolated. During the inspection the deputy headteacher was absent. A teacher on loan from another school taught his class. She had worked with the pupils for three days prior to the inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is very effective. Progress is very good overall. Pupils whose attainment is well below expectations when they enter the school generally attain average levels. Pupils who speak English as an additional language, hearing-impaired pupils and other pupils with special educational needs all make very good progress. Teaching is good with some very good features. Leadership of the headteacher and key members of staff is good. The school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Improvement in standards in English, mathematics and science is faster than average. Progress from the reception class to Year 4 is very good. Progress in Year 6 is excellent. • Progress is very good for pupils who speak English as an additional language, hearing-impaired pupils and other pupils with special educational needs. Provision is very good for these pupils. They are integrated very well in the school. • Very good relationships are developed and pupils have a very high level of respect for each other's feelings. Provision of spiritual, moral and social development is very good and provision for cultural development is good. • Teaching is good overall in both key stages and is based on very good teamwork with the support staff. Most staff have a strong shared commitment to helping pupils succeed. • The headteacher and most key staff provide good leadership. The headteacher is very effective in

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

actively seeking and then using specific financial grants and additional adults. • The school cares very effectively for its pupils. This includes excellent support for parents of the hearing-impaired pupils, a very good quality Breakfast Club and a very good After School Kids' Club.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Progress is unsatisfactory in the nursery and Year 5. Children with special educational needs are not identified effectively in the nursery. • The standards of gifted pupils are too low. • Standards in information technology are too low by Year 6. • Some management and communication systems are inefficient. Administration systems are not fully computerised. • Rates of attendance are too low. • There are too many aims for the school to implement successfully. • Progress in physical education in Key Stage 1 is too slow. 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 inspected in January 1997. Improvement since that inspection is very good. Standards in English, mathematics and science have improved considerably. Standards in physical education are still too low in Key Stage 1 but in Key Stage 2 there has been considerable improvement. Standards in information technology in Key Stage 1 are better. The progress of pupils who speak English as an additional language and pupils in the hearing-impaired unit is better. Relationships have improved from Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 7 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School good to very good. The proportion of very good teaching has increased in both key stages and there is now some excellent teaching in Key Stage 2. The success of the headteacher in accessing funding and personnel resources has greatly increased the facilities of the school and the number of adults working with pupils. The use of support staff has improved. Assessment systems are better and all subjects now

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

have up-to-date policies. The issues related to the governing body and gifted pupils have not been resolved. The teaching in the nursery has deteriorated.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The average standards above include pupils with statements both in the main school and in the hearing- impaired unit. When these pupils' results are excluded the standards are higher overall, particularly in English. Standards over the past four years have improved at a faster rate than the national average.

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STANDARDS

The inspection findings show a further improvement on the 1999 national tests. The proportion of pupils in Year 6 attaining the expected level in English, mathematics and science is average. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher level is lower than usual. Progress in listening skills is particularly good. Progress is unsatisfactory in the nursery in language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding. Progress is very good in Key Stages 1 and 2 because of the high quality teaching.

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STANDARDS

Standards in religious education are higher than expected in both key stages. Standards in information technology are too low at the end of Key Stage 2. Standards in physical education are too low in Key Stage 1 but very good progress is made in Key Stage 2 and standards are above average by Year 6.

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STANDARDS

The school meets its targets successfully.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes to school. They are enthusiastic about their work and are interested and involved in their tasks.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good in most classes, around the school, in the playgrounds and in the dining hall. Behaviour in Year 5 improved considerably during the inspection week.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Personal development and relationships are very good. There was a complete absence of oppressive behaviour, including bullying, sexism and racism. Pupils have a very good understanding of the impact of their action on others. They have a high level of respect for feelings, values and beliefs.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Attendance is below average mostly because of long-term absences of visits to Pakistan and India. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 8 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

One third of teaching is very good including a small proportion of excellent teaching in Year 6 in mathematics. Over a quarter of all teaching is good and one third of teaching is satisfactory. Teaching is unsatisfactory in the nursery with some poor features. There is some unsatisfactory teaching in physical education in Key Stage 1 and in science in Key Stage 2. Evidence shows that there are some unsatisfactory features in teaching over time in Year 5 and pupils' progress slows in this year group. Overall the quality of teaching of the teacher on loan during the inspection in Year 5 was good. Teaching in English, mathematics and science is good in both key stages.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Key Stages 1 and 2 Teachers work very effectively in teams with each other and with support staff. They teach basic skills very well and have good subject knowledge in most subjects. Teaching methods are very effective and most teachers work at a fast pace. Teachers have high expectations in Key Stage 1 and very high expectations of pupils in classes 3, 4 and 6. However, teachers' expectations of gifted pupils are too low. Teachers' planning is good. Management of pupils is good in most classes. Day-to-day assessment is good. The skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Pupils acquire skills, knowledge and understanding well. They work at a good pace with a good rate of productivity. They show interest in their work with good levels of concentration and co-operation. Learning of pupils who speak English as an additional language, hearing-impaired pupils and other pupils with special educational is very good.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Under fives Teaching in reception is good but teaching in the nursery is unsatisfactory. In the nursery there is insufficient teaching of basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Planning is not sufficiently detailed and day- to-day assessment is poor. The teacher does not interact effectively with individual pupils or groups often enough. The teacher works with too few pupils and relies on the nursery nurse to work with the rest of the class. The pace of the teacher's work is too slow. Children's learning in the nursery is unsatisfactory.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The school meets the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language, hearing-impaired pupils and other pupils with special educational needs very well. It does not meet the needs of all the gifted pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of learning opportunities in the nursery is poor. It is good in reception and in both key stages. There is very good provision of equal opportunities. There are very constructive relationships with partner schools and colleges.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for hearing-impaired pupils and for other pupils with special educational needs is very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language Provision for pupils who speak English as an additional language is very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for spiritual, moral and social development is very good. Provision for cultural development is good. The contribution of assemblies is very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares The school cares for its pupils very well. Personal support and guidance Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 9 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School for its pupils are very good. Procedures for monitoring personal development and behaviour are very good. Assessment systems are good. The provision of the Breakfast club and the Kids' club after school are very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school works with parents The school works hard to involve its parents. The provision of support for parents of hearing-impaired pupils is outstanding.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Leadership of the headteacher is good. Leadership of the following co- ordinators is good: English; science; pupils who speak English as an additional language; the hearing-impaired unit. Communication between the headteacher and the deputy headteacher is unsatisfactory. Objectives in the school improvement plan are not clear enough for the school to be able to check when they have been completed.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their statutory duties. There are several new governors. Governors do not have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Committees do not operate efficiently.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school evaluates most pupils' performance well. Monitoring of teaching is inconsistent.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The headteacher is very skilled in acquiring additional funding and personnel for the school. The school applies the principles of best value very well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation, learning resources Levels of staffing are good, particularly support staff. Accommodation is satisfactory overall. Learning resources are satisfactory. There are good resources for information technology and for the nursery children.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

13 per cent of parents returned the questionnaires and six parents attended the parents' meeting. Parents' views were sought during the inspection.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school. • Teaching is good. • Their children are expected to work hard and do their best. • Their children are being helped to become mature and responsible. • Their children are making good progress. • The school is well led and managed. • They feel comfortable approaching the school. • More information of how their children are getting on. • A closer working partnership with parents. • The amount of homework given.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with the positive views of parents. The quality of information provided for parents is good. The school has excellent provision for parents of children who are hearing-impaired. The amount of homework is appropriate. The school works very hard to involve parents but the response is disappointing. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 10 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Children's attainment on entry to the nursery is well below expected levels. Progress is unsatisfactory in the nursery in all areas except for physical development where progress is satisfactory. Children do not get a balanced programme of work because too much time is spent on physical development and insufficient time spent on the other areas of the curriculum. In reception progress is very good as the quality of teaching improves. Careful provision is made for pupils who speak English as an additional language, pupils who are hearing impaired and for other pupils with special educational needs. They all make very good progress. By the time children are five, attainment is below the expected levels except in physical and personal development which meets the requirements for this age. A firm foundation is built for the National Curriculum in reception.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The very good progress made in reception continues in English, mathematics and science for all pupils except for a small proportion of gifted pupils until Year 5, where the rate slows. However, this is compensated for in Year 6 where progress is excellent and makes up the lost ground from the previous year. Great attention is paid to developing language skills in Key Stage 1 which prepares the ground well for learning in Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The rate of improvement over the past four years in the national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 is above average. This has been recognised nationally as the school was identified as one of the top fifty schools to show these levels of improvement. This trend has continued. The inspection shows higher standards than last year's national tests. Last year's tests showed attainment well below the national average in English, below in mathematics and close to the national average in science. This included five pupils with statements of special educational needs. When these pupils' results are taken out of the statistics, the overall attainment is higher, particularly in English. When the national tests are compared with schools with a similar proportion of free school meals attainment is average in English and mathematics and above average in science. The school is disadvantaged in this comparison as the statistics do not take into account the number of

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The school’s results and achievements

pupils who speak English as an additional language or pupils from the hearing-impaired unit. These pupils need considerably more support to allow them to achieve average levels.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. This year pupils in Year 6 are on track to attain the average Level 4 in English, mathematics and science. This is a considerable achievement considering the attainment on entry, the high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language, the high number on the special educational needs register and the pupils who are hearing-impaired. Individuals are targeted carefully and given additional support to increase the rate of their progress. Last year the school gained its first Level 5s in English and science and is on line to continue this trend this year. However, the proportion of pupils at this level remains below average. There has been insufficient attention given to the needs of gifted pupils to ensure they fulfil their potential. The school has already identified this as an area for development.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. In contrast to the national trend, boys’ performance is generally better than that of the girls in Key Stage 1, although the gap is reduced by the end of Key Stage 2. Careful targeting of individuals ensures that teaching matches their needs well regardless of their gender. Standards of literacy and numeracy are below expectations in Key Stage 1 but the school's focus on basic skills ensures that they are nearly at the expected level by Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 11 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School Year 6. The school sets appropriate targets and strives to exceed them. The overall targets are well supported by the setting of targets for individual pupils in each year group.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Standards of speaking and listening are at the expected level in Year 6. Pupils listen carefully, discuss issues confidently and explain their work fluently. Reading standards are broadly average in Year 6. Pupils discuss literature in depth and use reading skills across the curriculum well. For example, they scan texts in history to identify key information. Pupils are developing skills of using non-fiction texts. However, the limited supply of reference books in some subjects restricts the development of these skills in some subjects. Standards in writing are slightly lower than in reading. Pupils write for different purposes and include the expected level of grammar, for example they use connective phrases imaginatively to explain cause and effect. They take a pride in their presentations as they have regular opportunities for practising handwriting.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. The proportion of pupils reaching average levels in mathematics in Year 6 is in line with national levels but the number of pupils reaching Level 5 is too low. Most pupils work confidently with numbers to a thousand and have a good understanding of place value. They have a satisfactory understanding of shape and space and handle data at the expected level. In science the co-ordinator and Year 6 teacher analysed the pupils' level of understanding very carefully last year and ensured that any gaps in the teaching were filled. This year pupils have a thorough grounding of knowledge across the different aspects of the science curriculum. Pupils use correct scientific language and write scientific symbols correctly.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Attainment in the national tests last year at the end of Key Stage 1 was well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. The inspection shows that standards are continuing to rise. This is due to the increasing impact of the strategies set up to raise standards, particularly the target setting and the use of support staff and additional adults to meet individuals’ particular needs. However, the school has not yet fully compensated for the very low starting point of pupils and attainment is below the national average by the end of Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The inspection judged attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 to be below average in all aspects of English except in listening, which is at the expected level. Pupils listen carefully to each other and to adults but they have insufficient skills with words to match this standard in speaking. Reading has a high focus in both key stages. Standards are below average because the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language or are hearing-impaired have not had sufficient time yet to develop these skills. However, pupils read confidently to adults, use different methods of tackling unknown words and have a good understanding of stories. Writing standards are also below average. Pupils are beginning to use full stops accurately and spell regular words correctly. Some pupils use extended vocabulary correctly.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. In mathematics standards in Year 2 are below average. Many pupils discuss their mathematics confidently, recognise patterns in numbers and understand place value. However, although their confidence in language is growing steadily through the key stage, it is not yet at a level to support the understanding of new mathematical concepts effectively. This also applies to science where attainment is also below average. Pupils are developing understanding across all the aspects of the science curriculum but it is not yet sufficiently high to match the national average. Some gifted pupils report their findings well in carefully drawn tables. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 12 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School 11. Standards in religious education are above the expected level in both key stages. Teachers cover the locally agreed syllabus thoroughly and pupils are given very good

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The school’s results and achievements

opportunities for spiritual development in assemblies, which supports their understanding well.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Attainment in information technology is at the expected level in Key Stage 1 but it is below that level at the end of Key Stage 2 because pupils have not had sufficient experiences across the full curriculum. They use word processing skills confidently and have some understanding of data handling. Pupils are developing skills of using the internet. However, they do not use control technology at the expected level and they have little understanding of monitoring.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. All other subjects are at the expected level in both key stages except physical education. In Key Stage 1 standards are below national expectations. Teachers do not have sufficient confidence in their subject knowledge to extend pupils' learning sufficiently. Standards in swimming are below the expected level as many pupils do not reach the minimum standards. However, standards in other aspects of physical education are above expectations as there is very good subject knowledge in this key stage.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. Standards of numeracy and literacy are at the expected level by the end of Key Stage 2. They are below this level in Key Stage 1. The school works hard to raise standards in these two areas. The thorough work from the reception class through to Year 4 ensures that pupils make very good progress in both numeracy and literacy. This progress slows in Year 5 but accelerates in Year 6 to produce the satisfactory standards by the time the pupils leave the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils have positive attitudes towards school and their work. Behaviour is good both within lessons, during playtimes and during the lunch hour. The school has worked very hard to maintain and improve these aspects of their provision since the last inspection. The quality of relationships has improved from good to very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils are keen to attend the school and play a full part in its life, including the satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. They have a good attitude to their work. Pupils generally listen well to their teacher and are keen to answer and raise questions. They concentrate on the task given and are keen to improve. Pupils are enthusiastic about their work and are interested and involved in lessons. For example, in rounders in Year 6 pupils tried their utmost to gain a rounder or to catch a player out. Attitudes are less good in the nursery as pupils receive insufficient challenge. Attitudes are also less positive in Year 5 where a small number of pupils are disruptive. This distracts other pupils and takes a disproportionate amount of the teachers’ time. Attitudes to work in Year 5 were poor at the beginning of the week of the inspection but improved significantly during the week. The new teacher was very successful in improving the attitudes of the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

pupils. She set very clear expectations for behaviour and the amount of work she expected to be completed in lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The behaviour of the pupils in class and around the school is generally good and parents are happy with the standard of behaviour achieved. At the beginning of the year the school had some problems with unsatisfactory behaviour at lunchtime and took successful action to tackle it. There is no evidence of poor behaviour in class or around the school, except for the isolated examples of misbehaviour by a few pupils in Class 5. In the last year there was one permanent exclusion, which is similar to earlier years. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 13 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School 18. Attitudes and behaviour in the Breakfast Club before school and Kids' Club after school are very good. Pupils play co-operatively together and begin and end the day with all the positive aspects of a large happy family due to the high quality of the provision. This has a significant impact on the quality of their work as they begin and end lessons each day.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults and between the different ethnic groups in the school are very good. Pupils work well together in pairs and in groups and play together quite happily. They are friendly and polite and show respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. There is a very happy atmosphere in the school. The pupils who are hearing-impaired are very well integrated into the life of the school. The high level of expertise in signing throughout the school ensures a very good level of communication between these pupils and their fellow pupils. The pupils respond well to the school's good programme of personal development. For example, in assembly two nurses explained their role in the community and pupils began to address their feelings about the forthcoming meningitis injections. Pupils have some opportunities to take responsibility, which they accept willingly. Pupils help in assemblies, in the dining

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

hall and in their classrooms. They hand out books and take dinner registers to the office.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Attendance last year was below the national average and is unsatisfactory. The main cause of this level is the long term absences through visits to Pakistan and India. However, there are also some condoned absences and general illness. The level of attendance, however, has improved by almost three per cent since the last inspection as the school has worked to improve the rate. The level of unauthorised absences last year was well above the national average. The main reason for this is a small number of pupils with a large amount of unauthorised absences. Most of the pupils are punctual but a small number do arrive late and a few are persistently late.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching is a strength of the school. One third of all teaching is very good and includes excellent features in mathematics in Year 6. This very good teaching is evident in both key stages with a slightly higher proportion in Key Stage 2. Some key teachers are consistently very good. These include the Year 6 teacher, the teacher responsible for pupils who speak English as an additional language and teachers of the hearing-impaired pupils. These key teachers have a significant impact on the standards in the school. The Year 6 teacher ensures that progress accelerates sharply across English, mathematics and science after the drop in Year 5. The other key teachers work in partnership with class teachers across the school, which raises standards both for pupils in their areas of responsibility and other pupils in the classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Nearly an eighth of teaching inspected was unsatisfactory. A significant proportion was in the nursery, which also had some poor features. A small amount of teaching was unsatisfactory in physical education in Key Stage 1 and in science in Key Stage 2. Some aspects of the teaching that Year 5 received during the year are unsatisfactory. Pupils' written work since September shows a lack of challenge and reading standards drop in this year. The quality of the teaching during the inspection by the teacher on loan was good overall. She improved pupils' behaviour and attitudes to work significantly during the week of the inspection after only three days of working with the pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers work in partnership with each other very well. Teachers from the hearing- impaired unit support their pupils very carefully within the whole class context. They ensure that these pupils understand the work to be carried out. Whole class discussions are lively as the teachers both contribute to the teaching. Both the hearing-impaired pupils and the other pupils benefit from this team approach. Pupils' concentration rates are good as they receive well-targeted support to meet their individual needs. The Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 14 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School partnership with the teacher in charge of pupils who speak English as an additional language is equally good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers also work very effectively with support staff in both key stages. They plan carefully together to ensure a clear, shared understanding of the learning expected. Support assistants play a very valuable role with individuals and groups as they develop positive relationships with their pupils and build very carefully on previous learning very well. This produces a good level of acquisition of knowledge and skills by pupils. For example, a support assistant works every afternoon with carefully selected pupils and uses the previous day's discussion to develop their reading skills though sharing texts. Teachers receive detailed feedback about pupils' progress from the support assistants at the end of sessions. Teachers are very skilled at organising the wide range of adult support in classrooms. This includes support for hearing-impaired pupils, other pupils with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Teachers organise classroom assistants effectively, both within the classroom context or in separate spaces around the school. Teachers also encourage other adults to work in classrooms. For example, a grandfather works regularly in Key Stage 1 and the local deacon supports the teaching of religious education.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Basic skills are taught well in both key stages. Teachers plan this work carefully and provide regular opportunities for learning. However, the systems in Year 5 are not sufficiently effective to maintain the progress in reading evident in the rest of the school. Teachers use a combination of reading, writing, speaking and listening very effectively in lessons to support learning across these skills. Teachers of hearing-impaired pupils also include signing within this combination. They are very skilled at moving between these different elements which ensures high levels of concentration as pupils are continually changing their responses. Development of basic skills is supplemented well by homework in Years 2 and 6 where pupils take packs of work home often set at different levels to match pupils' different needs. Most other teachers provide a balanced range of homework.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Most teachers manage pupils well, because they have a good knowledge of how to motivate different individuals. They have established routines that provide a clear framework of expectations for behaviour. For example, in a rounders game in Year 6 pupils understood exactly how the lesson would develop and moved very quickly between the different parts of the lessons at a fast pace. Teachers give pupils time to respond to their instructions, which increases individual levels of confidence. For example, in Year 1 the teacher gave sensitive support to a pupil when she was presenting her work to the whole class. The teacher on loan established principles at the beginning of the week, which were being carried out by most pupils by the end of the week.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Planning is generally good in both key stages and is particularly detailed in literacy. Some teachers use real life contexts very effectively, which provides very good personal development. For example, in a hearing-impaired information technology lesson pupils used a mini-com system on a telephone to have a live conversation with an adult. Teachers plan carefully for different tasks to match the varying needs of most pupils. However, planning in the nursery does not identify the learning to be carried out in independent activities and does not consider the allocation of adult support. This leads to an imbalance between the teacher and the nursery nurse. For example, on two occasions in a lesson the teacher had two children inside the classroom and the nursery nurse had all the rest outside. Planning is inconsistent in mathematics in Year 5 and lacks sufficient detail to target different groups’ needs effectively. In all classes, tasks for

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the gifted pupils do not always extend their learning sufficiently. Teachers use both their daily assessment and the formal assessment effectively to inform their planning. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 15 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School However, marking in books is too general and opportunities are missed to identify future developments for individuals.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers have good subject knowledge in both key stages. This is particularly evident in English and science. Both of these co-ordinators have a high level of expertise and the rest of the teachers benefit from this understanding as they seek guidance for their own age groups. This has had a significant impact on the improvement in standards in these subjects. Teachers, however, do not have a good understanding across all the aspects of information technology and physical education. The Year 5 teacher has secure knowledge in word processing and pupils make good progress in this aspect. For example, they combine text and graphics confidently. Teachers use their subject knowledge well when explaining new learning. For example, in Year 3 in music, the teacher combined her clear explanation with her demonstration of the pulse of the tune.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers have high expectations of most pupils. They provide stimulating work and challenge pupils to do their best. For example, in the hearing-impaired unit in Key Stage 2, pupils were expected to carry out work on three different types of programs in information technology in one session. They all made considerable efforts to complete this challenge. Targeting is used well through regular testing. It is linked carefully to homework and to additional support in class. However, teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations for gifted pupils. Although some pupils are now reaching the higher Levels 3 and 5 at the end of the key stages in some subjects there is insufficient challenge for some of these pupils. Expectations of the quantity and quality of written work in Year 5 are too low.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Teachers know their pupils well. They give focused feedback in lessons to ensure pupils are clear about the next steps in learning. They use praise very effectively to celebrate achievement and effort, which produces a high rate of productivity and pace of working in most classes. For example, in physical education in Year 4 the teacher identified imaginative balances by individuals and used their work to set targets for the rest of the class.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Teachers work at a fast pace. They expect pupils to carry out a series of tasks within each lesson and expect individuals to reach their targets. This engenders a sense of urgency in lessons with pupils striving to complete their work. Teachers of hearing- impaired pupils vary the pace very skilfully. They give time for pupils to work out their responses both in signing and in speaking whilst keeping a fast pace within the majority of the lesson. For example, when pupils were reading a new fairy story in Year 2 the teacher paused as pupils became excited about Jack's mother waving from the bottom of the beanstalk. In direct contrast to this finely tuned pace is the teaching in the nursery. The pace is very slow and the teacher spends far too much time with a selected few children and is often oblivious of the needs of other children in the vicinity.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Features of the excellent teaching in Year 6 include excellent questioning skills, subtle adjustments in the use of vocabulary to support hesitant pupils, a furious pace across all activities and high quality feedback across the whole class and to individuals based on very good subject knowledge. This produces excellent attitudes to work and a high level of concentration.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. The curriculum is satisfactorily broad, balanced and fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. A particular strength of the curriculum is the relevance it has for pupils from all cultural backgrounds. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 16 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School It provides a very well balanced and well organised curriculum for those pupils who speak English as an additional language. However, the curriculum in the nursery for the children under the age of five is poor. The time and tasks provided for the six areas of learning for this age group are unbalanced and children do not make satisfactory progress. This is particularly the case in language, literacy, numeracy and knowledge and understanding of the world.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. The school is receptive to educational developments and has successfully introduced the national strategy for the teaching of literacy. It is developing the recently introduced national numeracy strategy satisfactorily. Planning in these subjects is good except for planning in numeracy in Year 5. The quality of learning of pupils of most abilities is now good. However, the curriculum for gifted pupils is not clearly defined.

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PUPILS?

35. Since the last inspection the requirements of the National Curriculum have altered radically. There is a high emphasis placed on the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, information technology and religious education. The school has adapted satisfactorily and has maintained the provisions reported in the last inspection. The quality of planning has improved, particularly in literacy. Policies and schedules of when to teach which skills in each subject support teachers in their work. Mostly, these clearly identify what should be taught at particular times as pupils progress through the school, ensuring that knowledge is developed systematically. However, although the school recognises that it has gifted pupils, the planning does not always cater adequately for their specific needs. The provision of a weekly time to teach information technology is inconsistent across different classes. Planning for the children under five in the nursery is

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PUPILS?

poor. It lacks details and does not place enough emphasis on the teaching of basic skills. There is also too little focus placed on identifying the learning expected in different tasks or the role of adults across the range of activities. For example, the organisation of adults simply identifies whether the teacher and nursery nurse will be inside or outside.

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PUPILS?

36. Personal and social education is good and forms an important part of the school’s work. The provision for sex education, health and drugs awareness is appropriate and carefully planned. The curriculum is enriched by a satisfactory range of good quality extra- curricular activities, such as netball, information technology and environment clubs. These are enjoyed and well supported by pupils and parents value them. Learning outside of the school day is enriched by a variety of homework. The school justifiably takes pride in the very good access to the full curriculum that it offers equally to all pupils.

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PUPILS?

37. Curriculum provision for hearing-impaired pupils and for other pupils with special educational needs in Key Stages 1 and 2 is very good. The quality of the provision for the hearing-impaired pupils is a strength of the school. The school complies fully with the Code of Practice 1 for all pupils with special educational needs. Pupils are carefully assessed and their needs are accurately diagnosed. However, the systems for identifying the children with special educational needs in the nursery are inconsistent. This is unsatisfactory. The school receives good support from outside agencies. The quality of individual education plans is very good and activities are well matched to the targets set. Pupils receive high quality teaching when they are withdrawn from class and good support when they are not. This enables them to follow a broadly similar curriculum to their peers. Records are well maintained and progress is carefully monitored. All

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PUPILS?

reviews and statutory assessments are properly carried out.

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PUPILS?

38. The school’s links with the community are very good and contribute very well to pupils’ learning. Pupils have opportunities to visit places of interest to further their learning. For

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PUPILS?

1 Code of Practice – this gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities and tasks to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 17 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School example, they visit museums and a local country park. The school utilises local expertise, including that of parents, to develop and enrich the curriculum. For example, a Muslim parent helps with Muslim collective worship and the local vicar is a regular visitor to the school and often takes Christian assemblies.

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PUPILS?

39. The school has developed very good links with partner institutions and welcomes their involvement in the school’s work. For example, initial teacher training and work experience students work regularly in school and enhance curriculum provision. Partnership with parents is good and a few parents, and grandparents, frequently help in school. Family support groups meet in school and enrich the life and work of the school. Good links are established with local secondary schools. Liaison between schools is good and facilitates the pupils’ transfer to secondary education at eleven.

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PUPILS?

40. The school provides very well for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Provision for cultural development is good. Since the previous inspection the school has continued working very hard to improve upon its previous provision. Great care is taken to ensure that hearing impaired pupils, other pupils with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language have equal opportunities to develop their understanding in these areas. For example, in all contexts the hearing impaired pupils are supported by an adult who is an expert in signing.

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PUPILS?

41. Social and personal development is well planned for the children in reception. Opportunities for this development in the nursery are satisfactory. In reception children are given many opportunities to relate to each other in positive ways. They are beginning to learn respect for each other and to learn to share toys and other equipment and they are learning how to take turns and listen to each other attentively.

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PUPILS?

42. The provision for spiritual development in the school is very good. The school’s collective worship is organised effectively, providing very good opportunities for all pupils for reflection. They are organised very effectively to meet all the pupils' needs. For example, there are three different good quality assemblies arranged for Christian, Muslim and Muslim hearing impaired pupils. In lessons most teachers seize opportunities to alert pupils to the spiritual qualities around them as well as by their own achievements or those of others, long ago. For instance, in a maths lesson in Year 6 the teacher encouraged her pupils to celebrate the complexity of their own minds, as they put forward solutions to mathematical problems. The school has used opportunities very effectively around the building to heighten pupils' awareness of spiritual responses. This includes many high quality pictures, artefacts and posters provided in shared areas. For example, a

p.17

PUPILS?

quotation is provided in a cloakroom to stimulate reflection “Your mind is like a parachute – best when it is open”.

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PUPILS?

43. Provision for moral development is very good as the school strongly promotes the values of honesty, truthfulness and responsibility. In many classes there are displays of rules which govern the way the class is organised. In assemblies, provision is very good and includes both a range of high quality speakers and clear guidance from teachers. For example, a governor outlined the importance of making choices and the head of the hearing-impaired unit provided high quality role play to pose pupils with a moral dilemma. Teachers also identify moral issues very well within religious education lessons.

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PUPILS?

44. The school ensures very good provision for social development. It provides a wide range of different opportunities for pupils to develop these skills. This development is celebrated very effectively through certificates. They are presented in assemblies for good work and good behaviour in lessons and lunchtimes, which the pupils value. Teachers plan many opportunities for pupils to gain social skills by working together in pairs or in small groups. Pupils generally respond very positively to these occasions, Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 18 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School working together with consideration and sensitivity, showing empathy and understanding of a high quality. For example, when using a computer they willingly take turns, consult each other and help one another. Very good opportunities are provided for quiet socialising at playtimes as pupils have the use of well-placed seating areas away from the

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PUPILS?

45. Provision for cultural development is good. Good quality artefacts from around the world are used well to promote interest in other cultures. For example, in the hall the window cills are adorned with puppets from Indonesia and India. Stimulating opportunities are provided by the school for visits to local places of interest, which enrich pupils’ understanding and knowledge of the beauties within their own community. For example, the school organises regular visits to nearby places of worship. Study visits are organised to observe the historical past of the area. For example, pupils visited the Red House museum and have made a model of it: they recall that it is 150 years old. Multi- cultural visitors enrich the provision in a variety of different contexts including assemblies, class visits and theatre groups. Teachers include good quality opportunities to develop cultural understanding in lessons. For example, in reception pupils develop

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PUPILS?

understanding of the importance of prayer mats in the Muslim culture.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The steps taken to ensure the pupils’ welfare, heath and safety are very good. The teachers know their pupils well, recognise their needs and give them very good support and guidance. Parents appreciate the care the school takes of their children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school has a satisfactory health and safety policy. The caretaker and the headteacher carry out annual health and safety checks. Fire drills are held termly and the fire bells are checked weekly. All the moveable equipment is checked annually. A health and safety issue was identified during the inspection and this has been reported to the governors. The school has a very caring approach to its pupils. The school nurse comes in regularly to carry out health checks and to give talks to the pupils. The last inspection identified the school as a very caring community and this is still the case.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school provides a very good Breakfast Club, which gives the pupils who participate a good start to the day and allows the pupils to feed mind and body before school starts. The Kids’ Club also offers a very good range of activities, which the pupils enjoy greatly at the end of the day. The school has an appropriate child protection policy and the headteacher, who has received the necessary training, is responsible for its implementation. All members of staff are informed of the procedures to adopt if they have any concerns. The school maintains a ‘Care and Concerns’ Diary and a termly updated behaviour and concerns record is attached to each class register.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school’s procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. There is an appropriate behaviour policy, which contains a suitable range of rewards and sanctions to encourage good behaviour. The policy balances the need for assertive discipline, alongside positive reinforcement. It is the poor behaviour that is condemned, not the child. At the beginning of each term records on behaviour for pupils are stapled to each register. No incidents of bullying or racist abuse were observed during the inspection week. Incidents of bullying and racist abuse are infrequent but when they do occur they are taken very seriously. Both parties are interviewed and the parents are interviewed if necessary. All incidents of this nature are recorded.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school’s procedures for the monitoring and supporting of the pupils’ academic progress are good. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. There is a Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 19 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School detailed assessment policy including outlines of procedures to record pupils’ achievements as they move through the school. Teachers effectively assess pupils’ performance every term in English and mathematics. The senior management team analyses national tests and identifies individual pupils’ achievements and needs carefully. The analysis is used well to target individual pupils' needs. The assessment systems are having a positive impact in raising standards. However, the results are not used sufficiently by curriculum co-ordinators to provide them with an overview of their subject across the school. The assessment systems for pupils who speak English as an

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

additional language and for those whose hearing is impaired are very good. Teachers make good use of their systems.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Pupils’ work is marked regularly. However, there is little evaluative comment and no indication from teachers of how pupils could improve their work. The school acknowledges the need for a whole-school marking policy.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The use of assessment systems is good in literacy and for those pupils who speak English as an additional language and for the hearing-impaired pupils and other pupils with special educational needs. However, the use of all assessment systems in the school is not yet being sufficiently monitored, consequently there are some inconsistencies. Some lessons are not being sufficiently fine-tuned to meet the needs of all pupils. This has a negative impact especially upon the attainment of the gifted pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. The school’s procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. Teachers and other adults monitor the personal development of the pupils carefully. Extensive individual records are kept and a brief reference is made to personal development in the pupils’ annual reports. Teachers and other staff have a very caring approach to the personal needs of the pupils and this makes an important contribution to the ethos of the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. The school’s procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Attendance is monitored carefully by the teachers and then by the headteacher and the educational social worker. The school works hard to tell parents about the importance of regular attendance. For example, the educational social worker makes regular home visits where there are concerns.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Parents are generally supportive of the school and the links between the school and parents have a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. The school reaches out to try to involve parents more but the response from parents is often disappointing.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The quality of information provided to parents is good. Regular information letters are sent out. For those parents who speak English as an additional language, bilingual workers and one of the school governors translate communications where necessary. Opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s progress with teachers are good. The school uses the first meeting effectively to discuss target setting and there are good opportunities for parents to discuss children’s annual reports. Attendance at these sessions has improved but only about half of the parents attend. The pupils’ annual reports are of very good quality. They are very comprehensive, identify National Curriculum levels and set targets for improvement in the core subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents of pupils who speak English as an additional language are well informed about the school before their children enter their class. For example, home visits are made to the parents of multi-lingual children before they enter the nursery. A bilingual support Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 20 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School worker also attends. Good quality induction meetings are held for parents new to the school but fewer than half attend.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. Provision for parents of pupils who are hearing-impaired is excellent. There are high quality weekly meetings to communicate the progress of the pupils. Parents are also provided with signing lessons to allow them to support their children in the next stages of their learning. There are a large number of outside experts involved in these meetings to ensure very high quality support. For example, a bilingual worker attends weekly to ensure there are no communication problems. The headteacher and her colleagues have worked hard to ensure the funding continues to maintain the level of this provision. Parents of pupils with hearing impairment are given very good quality support when their children begin school. The head of the unit spends valuable time with both the parent and the child in the context of the classroom in order to ensure that parents understand the routines.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. Some good quality information meetings are held on curricular matters, such as the literacy hour. In the parents’ questionnaire, 20 per cent of those parents who responded stated that they did not feel well informed about how their child was getting on. The inspection evidence did not support this view. The previous inspection judged the information provided was good and this is still the case.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. The school’s links with its parents are effective and their involvement has a sound impact on the work of the school. The contribution of parents to children’s learning, at school and at home, is satisfactory. A small number of parents help in school on a regular basis. They hear readers, help on trips and in other ways. Some parents have received training on better reading skills which has increased the quality of their support to individual pupils. The amount of homework provided is appropriate. There is a home-school agreement but very few parents have actually signed and returned it to the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. The Parent and Toddler Group meets in the school weekly and is highly appreciated by the parents and children concerned. The parents, teachers and friends association organises summer and Christmas Fayres, which are well supported by parents but very few parents involve themselves in running them.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The headteacher provides good leadership. She has established clear priorities for the school of raising academic standards in English, mathematics and science in the context of very good relationships across both pupils and adults. She has ensured a high level of commitment to improvement across the staff. This has had a significant impact on the faster than average rate of improvement in academic standards over the past four years. This proves the school's capacity to succeed in meeting its targets. The headteacher is also determined to celebrate the strengths of the cultural variety within the school to enrich pupils' personal development. For example, she has organised balanced provision in assemblies, combining three separate venues for Christian, Muslim and hearing- impaired Muslims on two days, with whole school assemblies on the other days. The headteacher is very skilful in acquiring additional funding to improve the school's

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

provision. She matches the needs of the school very effectively with available grants. She takes every opportunity to bring additional adults into the school to extend the experience and support for all pupils. For example, when the new local Methodist deacon offered support she was soon involved with a wide range of activities, which extends pupils' range of experiences very effectively.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The headteacher has ensured very successful integration of the hearing-impaired pupils across the full range of school activities through careful liaison with the head of the unit. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 21 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School The organisation for these pupils is complex and diverse and makes the best use of adults' time. The integration of pupils who speak English as an additional language is equally successful, as the leadership of the co-ordinator is very effective. She also works closely with the headteacher. The special educational needs co-ordinator monitors the work of support staff carefully and ensures that they are used efficiently in many different ways. She ensures that staff are familiar with individual education plans and identifies areas where more support staff would improve provision. However, the communication between the headteacher and deputy headteacher is unsatisfactory and does not

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

promote a consistent view of the developments of the school. Changes agreed in senior management meetings are not communicated consistently to the staff, with different views expressed by the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. This reduces the impact of the understanding by staff of the changes.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The leadership of the literacy and science co-ordinators is very good. They offer good quality support for teachers through good subject knowledge. Monitoring of teaching is good in literacy and identifies development points effectively. The headteacher and advisers from the local education authority also monitor some teaching well. However, monitoring is inconsistent, as there are no formal systems for co-ordinators to support teachers to improve their teaching through classroom observations. This restricts their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses within their subjects.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The governing body has gone through several changes in personnel, which has reduced their effectiveness in shaping the direction of the school. Governors in key positions do not have sufficient understanding of their roles because they do not have sufficient involvement in the day-to-day work of the school. For example, governors were paired with teachers across different curriculum areas eighteen months ago but have not yet developed effective links with these teachers. The governing body fulfils statutory requirements and is involved in preparing documentation for parents. For example, the chair and vice chair have produced the annual report to parents. However, the committees are not operating effectively, or reporting effectively to the full governing body. Several governors have taken advantage of training opportunities but not all the governors have attended the courses to support their own particular responsibilities.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The school improvement plan identifies key areas for development in the school. Governors, teachers and support staff all contribute to the planning stages in a range of different ways. For example, staff and governors worked together to identify their joint priorities in workshops entitled "I have a dream". This ensured that the planning was based on shared beliefs. However, the objectives identified within the different categories are not sharply defined enough, which does not allow clear identification of when they have been completed. The school has a large number of aims. They are appropriate in content but are not succinct enough. They do not allow clear communication of the school’s work.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Although the school only has one class for each year group, the particular features of the school are complex. There is a large team of teachers for the hearing-impaired pupils. This team is very well qualified and both teachers and support staff have a high level of qualifications both in signing and in working with these pupils. For example, support staff and teachers sign across all the range of the school's provision, which ensures that these pupils make very good progress both in academic and personal development. There are several support staff for the high proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. These staff are also well qualified and play an important role in ensuring these pupils understand the work carried out in classes. Many adults work with the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in a range of different contexts according to the pupils' needs. There are satisfactory arrangements in place for the

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

induction of new teaching staff. An information booklet is provided, in-service training is Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 22 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School given and a mentor is always available. The appraisal of teaching staff is currently not taking place but there is an annual professional interview for all staff, which is used well to identify training needs and has maintained the status of Investors In People. The effective staff development and the very effective provision for pupils provide a good basis for supporting initial teacher training and other students. Several students work in the school from a range of different institutions. These students are deployed carefully and work well to develop their own skills and to support individuals and groups of pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The complexity of the staffing is managed well by the headteacher and key co-ordinators. However, these features produce a large amount of administrative work. The secretary is a valued member of the team and has a good understanding of the school's life. For example, she has taken qualifications to ensure that she can sign with the hearing- impaired pupils to ensure effective communication with them. However, the computers are not used enough to carry out the complex administrative work and the headteacher does not delegate enough of these tasks to free her time for more crucial tasks. Financial systems are monitored and controlled well by the headteacher and secretary but again the computer is not used to carry out key tasks. The headteacher applies the principles of best value very thoroughly and takes every opportunity to ensure spending is cost effective both with major projects such as the refurbishment of the adjoining property and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

in minor work such as the painting of the school by the caretaker.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The accommodation is well maintained and is kept very clean and is free of graffiti. Because the school is on many different levels, it would be impossible for a physically disabled pupil to reach all the rooms and play spaces. Externally the play space is thoughtfully and imaginatively laid out to allow pupils to play together in large groups or to sit quietly, without one disturbing the other. This has a positive impact on behaviour at playtimes as pupils can use either the quiet areas for discussions or the larger areas for playing games.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Resources for learning are good in the nursery and for information technology. In all other subjects they are satisfactory. Additional resources are loaned from the local education authority, which supports resourcing levels well.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. Pupils enter the school with attainment which is well below the national average. They all make good progress and by the time pupils leave the school the expected proportion of pupils reach average levels in English, mathematics and science and higher levels in religious education and physical education. Personal development and relationships are very good, teaching is good in both key stages and leadership is good. There has been a very good level of improvement since the last inspection. Despite the cost per pupil being much more than the average level, the school still gives good value for money. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 23 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

72. In order to improve the school's provision the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) provide consistent progress across the school by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) improving the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils in Year 5 by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing the range and quality of written work in English, mathematics and science; • teaching reading more effectively to widen the range of pupils’ skills and to motivate them to read more regularly; • improving the consistency of planning in mathematics to provide steady development of knowledge and skills of all pupils in lessons; • devising strategies to improve pupils’ attitudes to their work in order to ensure more progress in lessons; Paragraphs 2, 14, 16-17, 22, 25, 27, 29, 88, 90, 92, 95-96, 99, 106, 109

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(b) improving the quality of teaching and the provision for nursery pupils to ensure better progress by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• spending more time in teaching language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding; • improving the teaching of basic skills; • increasing the detail of the planning; • devising effective systems for ongoing assessment; • interacting with individuals and groups more effectively; • increasing the pace of teaching; • organising the time of the teacher and nursery nurse more effectively; Paragraphs 1, 22, 27, 31, 33, 73-74, 76, 78, 80, 86

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• producing a policy for the provision for gifted pupils; • identifying these pupils more effectively; • raising teachers' expectations of these pupils; • including more challenging work for these pupils in teachers' planning and group work; • monitoring the effect of the new provision to ensure consistency across the school; Paragraphs 4, 7, 29, 35, 52, 88-89, 97, 106, 119

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) raise standards in information technology in Key Stage 2 by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing teachers' subject knowledge across all strands of the subject by in- service training; • teaching information technology regularly each week; • planning more consistently for the use of computers in classrooms; • increasing the use of the computer suite; • balancing the coverage of the different parts of the subject more evenly; • providing guidelines by computers to increase independent learning; Paragraphs 12, 123, 125, 127-128

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve the efficiency of some management and communication systems by: Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 24 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School • increasing the consistency and use of the monitoring of teaching; • producing clearer objectives in the school improvement plan with measurable outcomes; • delegating the administration of the finance effectively and increasing the use of computerised systems; • improving the consistency of the headteacher and deputy headteacher’s communication of management decisions to staff; • increasing the involvement of governors in the daily life of the school and improving the efficiency of their committees.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issue above, the following less important weaknesses should be considered for inclusion in the governors' post inspection action plan:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• reduce the number of aims of the school to make them more succinct; Paragraph 66 • continue to improve the rate of attendance; Paragraph 20 • increase the rate of progress in physical education in Key Stage 1; Paragraphs 13, 22, 135-136 • identify pupils with special educational needs earlier in the nursery. Paragraph 37 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 25 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 46

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

2 31 26 33 6 2 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 24 210

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 83 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 20

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 70

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 113

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 6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 7

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. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 26 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 14 30

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 10 9 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 12 12

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 60 (65) 70 (73) 77 (77) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (85)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 9 10 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 10 12

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 67 (62) 67 (69) 80 (54) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 13 16 29

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 9 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 12

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 55 (52) 62 (24) 83 (28) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 7 9 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 10 10

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 59 (n/a) 66 (n/a) 69 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 27 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 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.

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14.1 Financial year 1998-1999

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16.2

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 388,026

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 14 Expenditure per pupil 1,597

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 328 Balance brought forward from previous year 2,504

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 1,105

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8.4 FTE means full-time equivalent. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 28 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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. 36 52 6 0 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 31 47 6 8 8

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 50 15 0 6

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 33 20 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 50 33 11 3 3

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 55 3 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 40 40 17 0 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 36 47 3 3 11

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 36 58 0 3 3

p.28

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 35 47 6 0 12 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 29 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. Children enter the nursery at the age of three and transfer to the reception at the beginning of the year in which they are five. At the time of the inspection 48 children attended the nursery part-time. Seven children in the reception class were under five. Attainment on entry is well below average. Many children have little or no knowledge of English. Children make unsatisfactory progress in the nursery in language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world because the teacher does not provide sufficient challenge. Progress is very good in reception and compensates for the unsatisfactory start. However, by the age of five, children’s attainment remains below average in these areas. Progress is satisfactory in personal and social, creative and physical development in the nursery and this progress accelerates in reception. By the time pupils are five most pupils attain the expected levels in these areas.

p.29

Personal and social development

74. Progress in the nursery is satisfactory. Children learn to share and take turns when they play on climbing equipment or ride tricycles in the outdoor area. In the classroom they make choices about their activities as there is a wide range of interesting tasks. However, adults do not intervene appropriately to ensure that children choose a balanced programme of work. Good resources in role play areas, such as in the maternity hospital, provide good opportunities for children to play co-operatively but without adult encouragement or involvement they often play in isolation alongside each other and therefore their play is limited. For example, two children in the ‘maternity hospital’ played independently with the ‘babies’ putting on nappies. There was no interaction between them and they did not take different roles in their play. There are too few opportunities for group work for children to develop relationships with each other.

p.29

Personal and social development

75. In the reception class the development of personal and social skills is very good. Children are provided with a good range of activities to develop personal skills. There are a large number of additional adults who are well organised and who challenge and support individuals and groups. Children show sensitivity to each other, are eager to learn, work as part of a group and show respect to each other. For example, in a feedback session all children listened carefully to the hearing-impaired children as they signed and explained the work they had carried out.

p.29

Language and literacy

76. Children in the nursery make unsatisfactory progress in language and literacy because there are not enough interactions with adults. Planning in this area is poor and does not identify key areas for learning sufficiently well either on a daily or a weekly basis. Children do not begin conversations or ask questions. Although questions may be asked, the teacher does not always expect a reply. Because there is little intervention in role play children’s language is not developed sufficiently. The children who speak English as an additional language are not supported effectively. The teacher does not plan sufficiently well for the development of language across the different activities provided. Some children show an interest in books but it is not exploited. For example, the teacher ignored four children who went to the book corner and picked up books and they lost interest as they did not receive any support. As books are not shared frequently enough

p.29

Language and literacy

with children, either individually or in groups, many children do not learn how to handle books correctly. Although they turn the pages and enjoy looking at pictures, many children do not know the difference between print and pictures. The nursery does not Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 30 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School have a permanent mark-making centre and there are insufficient opportunities for children to explore writing materials or to learn to write.

p.29

Language and literacy

77. When children join the reception class they benefit from a rich literacy environment and take part in the shared reading part of the literacy hour. The reception team work very well together and the nursery nurse provides very good support for the children under five. They join with their hearing-impaired friends and learn to sign as well as read. This adds a further valuable dimension to their understanding of communication. In the reception class children choose books to look at during regular quiet reading periods and acquire good basic book handling skills.

p.30

Mathematics

78. Progress is unsatisfactory in the nursery. Children have too few opportunities to develop mathematical skills. There are no activities planned on a daily basis to focus on sorting or counting. Although resources are plentiful these are not built into planned structured activities with adult input to develop children’s understanding of mathematical ideas or to teach basic counting skills. Incidental opportunities are not taken effectively. Many opportunities are missed to extend children's experience of simple counting and the development of mathematical language. The children develop some understanding of quantity through water and sand play but this work is not structured to extend children’s learning effectively.

p.30

Mathematics

79. When children transfer to the reception class they benefit from good quality planned and incidental opportunities, such as counting the children as they line up, which ensure their knowledge of number develops. During the mental mathematics session in numeracy they are involved in counting experiences and these mental sessions are followed by well matched, focused activities with the nursery nurse. Children are familiar with simple counting games and use simple mathematical language as they are well supported by adults.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

80. Progress in the nursery is unsatisfactory. Children develop some understanding of the world but without effective adult input these ideas are not fully developed. Planning does not identify key learning sufficiently well. The nursery nurse makes good use of incidental opportunities. For example, when a beetle was found in the water tray she seized the opportunity to extend the children’s experiences by finding a magnifying glass, so that the group of children that had gathered could look more closely. Children use materials satisfactorily to make models but this work is not extended to promote learning in other curriculum areas. Children do not use computers regularly.

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

81. Progress in reception is very good. Children are provided with a stimulating range of experiences to develop their understanding. Children develop good skills on computers as they are well supported by adults and are given interesting programmes for their work. They develop skills in using wood and building vehicles from construction kits. They have a simple understanding of living things as they learn through observation. For example, they watch the development of tadpoles on a daily basis and experience the changes that take place as a frog develops. Children make very good progress in home technology as the nursery nurse works regularly with them to develop these skills.

p.30

Physical development

82. Progress is good in physical development both in the nursery and reception. In the nursery children have daily opportunities to work both inside and outside on large apparatus and most of their time is spent on these activities. They develop confidence in Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 31 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School their movements in and around the nursery play area and when using the large wheeled toys and climbing frame. Children enjoy outside play activities and demonstrate satisfactory skills in climbing and controlling wheeled toys. The nursery nurse uses opportunities well to develop ball handling skills by playing with the children. However, the pace of the teacher's work is too slow and reduces her interaction with the children.

p.30

Physical development

83. In reception children join in the physical education lessons and further develop skills across a range of contexts. By the time they are five children have confidence in controlling their bodies. For example, they balance successfully on one foot and can hit a ball with a large bat.

p.31

Creative development

84. Progress is satisfactory in the nursery and good in reception. By the age of five most children are at the expected level of attainment. In the nursery they explore a range of paint including ready mixed poster paint and finger paint. By mixing their own powder paint they successfully learn the effect of colour mixing. They sometimes choose to develop their paintings further by the addition of collage materials, which are always available. Children are given access to a suitable range of multicultural musical instruments but they are not used enough to accompany their singing of rhymes and songs.

p.31

Creative development

85. In reception children are given a range of interesting tasks and develop their creative skills through skilful adult intervention. While children are working they receive opportunities to explain what they are doing. Work is celebrated effectively at the end of lessons. This time is also used effectively to develop musical skills of singing that the children enjoy.

p.31

Creative development

86. Teaching in the nursery is unsatisfactory. There is a poor balance within lessons across the different areas of learning with insufficient time spent on language and literacy, mathematics or knowledge and understanding of the world. Basic skills are not taught sufficiently well and planning is poor. This is because it lacks detail both on a weekly and daily basis. There is very little assessment carried out on a daily basis and children's development is not considered in planning. There is a poor balance across individual and group activities and the organisation of the teacher's and nursery nurse's time is poor. The pace of the teaching is too slow

p.31

Creative development

87. In reception, children benefit from a very good team of adults and teachers. The head of the hearing impaired unit works in partnership with the class teacher and they work very closely with the good quality nursery nurse. A large number of additional adults work regularly with the children. This gives children very good support on an individual level. The balance of structured activities and free choice play is good and children’s progress is carefully monitored.

p.31

ENGLISH

88. Standards have improved faster than the national average in English over the past four years. The inspection shows a continuation of this trend. By the end of Year 6 the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 is in line with the national average. Hearing-impaired pupils, pupils with other special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language make very good progress. Teachers plan very carefully for these pupils and support staff are very effective in supporting individuals and small groups. However, the proportion of pupils who reach the higher Level 5 is too small. The national literacy strategy has been implemented effectively and is a contributory factor to the improvement in standards. Teaching, particularly in literacy Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 32 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School lessons, is good in most classes and results in pupils learning very effectively. The

p.31

ENGLISH

standard of work in lessons is good and is now comparable with that in other schools. This is evident in the progress pupils make in all classes from reception to Year 4. However, the rate of learning slows in Year 5. It accelerates significantly in Year 6 as a result of very high quality teaching and the pupils in this class make excellent progress. Attainment of girls is lower than the boys in Key Stage 1 but by the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is similar.

p.32

ENGLISH

89. Most pupils progress from levels of attainment well below the expected level in the reception class to standards close to the national average as they leave in Year 6. Pupils in Key Stage 1 also make very good progress. However, there is not enough time from the reception class until the end of Year 2 for many of the pupils, who speak English as an additional language, to acquire the skills needed to succeed well in the national tests for seven year olds. This means that the results in these tests are still well below the national average. Pupils who speak English as an additional language, hearing impaired pupils and other pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. They all receive very good quality support and there is an efficient match of the work they do to their specific needs. However, gifted pupils are not always challenged sufficiently and some of these pupils underachieve.

p.32

ENGLISH

90. Standards in listening are at the expected level by the end of both key stages. This is a considerable achievement as children enter the school with listening skills well below average. All adults work hard to insist that pupils listen carefully. This supports pupils’ skills across a wide range of contexts. For example, pupils are expected to listen intently in assemblies, or when listening to hearing impaired pupils explaining their work at the end of lessons. Standards in speaking develop more slowly. By the end of Key Stage 1 standards are below average. In Years 3 and 4 pupils continue to build well on earlier skills. Pupils lose some confidence in Year 5 but their learning accelerates in Year 6 due to the very good opportunities provided by the teacher. Year 6 pupils listen very carefully to adults and to each other. They discuss and explain their work fluently. For example,

p.32

ENGLISH

they debated the genre of one text and compared it with the style of another. Year 6 pupils discuss different views confidently and give well-reasoned arguments to support their views. They listen respectfully to the opinions of others, speak out clearly and confidently present their own ideas.

p.32

ENGLISH

91. Reading has a high focus throughout the school with an emphasis on the enjoyment of books. Attainment remains below national expectations in Key Stage 1 and is close to average at Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 1, this reflects the high proportion of pupils in the school who speak English as an additional language and who have not had sufficient time at this stage to acquire the English necessary to succeed in the reading tests. Teachers in Key Stage 1 focus carefully on the development of basic skills. Pupils enjoy reading and many read to adults confidently. They talk about the books they read and demonstrate good understanding of stories. They begin to attack unknown words competently, using picture and phonic clues successfully.

p.32

ENGLISH

92. At Key Stage 2 pupils read confidently, accurately and with increasing fluency. In Years 3 and 4 pupils read with growing understanding. They have different strategies for reading new words and acquire an increasing knowledge of how to blend sounds together. However, in Year 5, pupils do not use these tactics so effectively. Consequently the levels of attainment in reading in that class are lower. Year 6 pupils show great enthusiasm for reading and discuss literature in depth as the teacher provides stimulating contexts for learning. Teachers in Key Stage 2 teach the skills of scanning and skimming text to retrieve information. Pupils learn these skills well and by the end of the key stage apply them to work in other subjects. For example, pupils in a history lesson scanned text on the history of Batley to find information about changes in the town through the Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 33

p.32

ENGLISH

Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School centuries. They improve their understanding of referencing and research skills and become increasingly adept at using the library. However, whilst the library is frequently used, it is not well placed in the school and does not have enough non-fiction books for some subjects. This restricts the opportunities available to pupils.

p.33

ENGLISH

93. Teachers keep very good records of reading progress, which helps to ensure that pupils’ learning moves forward at a good pace. However, there are no reading records that can be used as a two-way dialogue between home and school. The school has recognised this gap and is developing a home-school diary. Reading progress, particularly for hearing-impaired pupils, other pupils with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language, is very good in all year groups, except Year 5, where it is satisfactory.

p.33

ENGLISH

94. Standards in writing, at both key stages, are slightly lower than those in reading. They are below average at Key Stage 1 and close to expectations at Key Stage 2. However, teachers do not always challenge sufficiently the pupils who learn more quickly and consequently this group underachieves. At Key Stage 1 pupils begin to use full stops and capital letters accurately. They begin to spell regular and common words such as ‘said’ and ‘went’ correctly. Their handwriting becomes more uniform but not many make a good attempt at a joined script, other than in formal writing practice lessons. A few pupils begin to use extended vocabulary to add meaning and interest to their work. For example, one pupil whilst writing a story changed the forms of her sentence from "one day” to “the next day” to make the sentence more interesting.

p.33

ENGLISH

95. At Key Stage 2, pupils begin to write at greater length for a variety of purposes. They spell increasingly complex words accurately and use a wide variety of punctuation correctly. Teachers teach the grammatical structure of English. For example, in Year 4 pupils learn to use conjunctions such as ‘therefore’ and ‘because’ to connect sentences. Progress slows in Year 5 with little improvement across pupils' written work. In Year 6, progress accelerates and pupils develop more sophisticated use of grammar. For example, pupils use connective phrases such as ‘as a result’ and ‘for that reason’ to join sentences and to explain cause and effect in their writing. They use these skills well in other subjects in Year 6. For example, in history, pupils use skills learned in literacy lessons to take notes for the development of an historical essay. Teachers explain the importance of good handwriting and teach pupils correct letter formation. They plan

p.33

ENGLISH

regular opportunities for pupils to practise their writing in lessons. Consequently, pupils improve their presentation and take pride in their work. This is a contributory factor to the improved standards. Teachers use computers to present final drafts of written work but there is little original drafting carried out on computers or specific teaching of word processing skills.

p.33

ENGLISH

96. Teaching in the literacy hours is good in most classes and results in pupils enjoying lessons. Most teachers know the subject well, explain their expectations clearly and make the literacy lesson interesting. This encourages the pupils to take an interest in reading and writing and provides good opportunities for pupils to learn effectively. Teachers maintain good levels of discipline and use encouraging praise to motivate pupils. This means pupils behave well throughout lessons. The high expectation of teachers that pupils will listen carefully and work quietly enhances the quality of learning and results in pupils making good progress. Occasionally a few boys, particularly in Year 5, lose interest in the tasks set, usually in the independent group work session and this inhibits their progress. Teachers plan lessons well, with a clear focus on what it is that pupils are to learn in the session. Teachers know their pupils very well and understand

p.33

ENGLISH

their individual needs. Marking is positive and encouraging but does not give targets for pupils and does not help pupils understand what they need to do next. Teachers use questions very effectively to assess their pupils’ understanding of the work covered and Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 34 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School make good use of the information collected to target future improvement. This work is supported very effectively by the co-ordinator, who keeps precise and clear records of what pupils achieve. The progress of the pupils who speak English as an additional language is particularly well documented and clearly shows the advancements they make in written English.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

97. Since the last inspection the school has been very successful in improving standards in mathematics. Standards in the national tests have improved faster than the national average over the past four years. The inspection confirms the continuation of this upward trend. By Year 6 most pupils are reaching the expected level for their age. Teachers identify individual pupils’ needs carefully through regular tests and then plan work carefully to meet those needs. However, the proportion of pupils reaching higher levels is below the national average because the gifted pupils have not been targeted specifically. Pupils who are hearing-impaired, pupils with other special educational needs or who speak English as an additional language all make very good progress. This is because the teaching they receive is very good and skilled and experienced assistants support them very well in lessons. The school intends to consolidate and secure its successes so

p.34

MATHEMATICS

far and will now also seek ways to increase the numbers of pupils reaching the higher than average levels.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

98. Several factors have contributed to the remarkable improvement in standards in mathematics: a rise in the quality of teaching, recent in-service teacher training in mathematics, the contribution of a dedicated team of support assistants and improved assessment systems. The mathematics co-ordinator has introduced the National Numeracy Strategy, has conducted a survey of teaching resources and is organising their storage centrally. New resources such as number fans and large 100-number squares have been ordered to assist teachers as they emphasise the development of mental arithmetic skills. The analysis of test results and the consequent identification of pupils needing extra help in mathematics have also had an impact on standards: these pupils receive extra attention in mathematics lessons, so they make better progress.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

99. Pupils make very good progress from reception through to Year 4. In Year 5, where planning is inconsistent, the rate of progress slows but it accelerates considerably in Year 6. This has been achieved by good teaching overall, with excellent features in the teaching in Year 6. Support assistants are very well organised and provide valuable extra support for individual pupils and groups. The approach has paid dividends, with significant improvements in most pupils’ attitudes towards mathematics. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced effectively. This has increased the rate of pupils' mental mathematics skills as well as the quality of planning in most classes. Standards in the national tests in mathematics have risen steadily over the past four years. Girls are doing better than boys and the school is monitoring this carefully. Teachers use opportunities well to develop numeracy across the curriculum and standards by the end

p.34

MATHEMATICS

of the school are at the expected level.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

100. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils discuss their work confidently using mathematical vocabulary such as add and subtract. They use mathematical symbols appropriately, for example addition and subtraction signs, and write numerals correctly. In Year 1 when investigating the difference between numbers, they enjoy looking at coins from other countries and spotting the differences between them. They construct simple charts to show data. Good links with other subjects are made when they study the passing of time throughout the year. In Year 2 they recognise patterns in numbers, such as odd and even numbers, and enjoy finishing a number line or inserting missing numbers on a 100- square grid. They understand the importance of the value a digit has depending on its Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 35 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School place. Pupils recognise simple shapes such as squares, circles and triangles. They

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MATHEMATICS

confidently count up to 100 and, when counting backwards, think carefully when challenged to calculate which number comes next. By the end of Key Stage 1, they have a sound knowledge and understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of number and of shape, space and measures. They have used their knowledge and understanding of number in everyday problems. They interpret information on bar charts.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

101. Teaching in Key Stage 1 provides many relevant opportunities for pupils to gain experience in practising their mathematical skills. Teachers effectively seize the opportunities of daily registration to promote mathematical thinking as pupils have to calculate in their heads the answers to written real-life problems. This involves addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Teachers are also very skilled at adapting information for mathematical purposes. For example, when a young pupil described a visit to a shoe-shop for new shoes, the teacher was quick to exploit the mathematical slant and reinforced the vocabulary of “bigger, longer, wider and more expensive”.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

102. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils work confidently with numbers up to 1,000. They enjoy the challenge of constructing a complex pattern in their heads. For example, they add and subtract sequences of numbers whilst they wait their turn to leave the hall after assembly. In discussion, they know the properties of different types of triangle and use the appropriate mathematical vocabulary such as equilateral and isosceles. They understand how to calculate area and perimeter and they choose the appropriate unit of measurement to estimate length. They identify the properties of solid shapes such as rectangular cuboids and triangular prisms and they have the expected level of understanding of geometrical shape. They are confident in identifying which mathematical operation to use when solving problems; for example, when calculating the cost of five bottles of a favourite well-known drink or how much change they would have

p.35

MATHEMATICS

from a five-pound note after buying a box of chocolates for £3.50. They apply their knowledge of number very well. The gifted pupils extend their application of knowledge to bigger numbers involving thousands.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

103. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is generally planned to include many opportunities for pupils to build on their previous learning and to gain in mathematical skills such as mental calculations at speed. Teachers encourage pupils to master the memorisation of multiplication tables so homework is set regularly to encourage these skills. Teachers seize opportunities to encourage pupils in their mathematical development. For instance, at the end of assemblies the headteacher sets various classes challenging but appropriate mathematical sequences. These occasions are very much enjoyed and mathematics is seen as challenging fun for everybody, girls and boys, staff, governors and visitors alike. Teachers generally provide homework regularly. Homework is good in Year 6 where pupils expect to carry out regular work at home.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Pupils’ attitudes towards mathematics are good overall. They are particularly good in Year 6 where the teacher has high expectations, the teaching is dynamic, has a clear sense of purpose and a fast pace. Most pupils enjoy mathematics, behave well, sustain their concentration and respond well to adults.

p.35

MATHEMATICS

105. Resources to support teaching in mathematics are of good quality and have been updated to support the Numeracy Strategy. The school is aware that their attainment in mathematics has improved at a slightly slower rate than in English and science. There are clear plans to focus more clearly on this subject next year. These plans include the appointment of a teacher in Key Stage 2 with mathematical expertise. The mathematics co-ordinator has introduced most aspects of the National Numeracy Strategy but she has not had sufficient opportunities to monitor teaching. This has reduced her effectiveness in identifying strengths and weaknesses in the school. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 36 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School

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SCIENCE

106. Standards have improved faster than the national average in science over the past four years. Last year the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level was close to the average. The inspection confirms that this trend is continuing. Pupils make very good progress and the standard of work seen by the time they leave the school is now well above that in other similar schools. The written work of pupils shows that standards drop in Year 5. Work there relies on photocopied notes and there is a predominance of worksheets, which offers little challenge to gifted pupils. However, this is compensated for by vigorous teaching and extra time spent on science in Year 6. The accelerated progress of pupils is due to the co-ordinator and Year 6 teacher acting on the careful analysis of previous national test results and on weaknesses highlighted. Pupils with special education needs and those who speak English as an additional language do well

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SCIENCE

because of the support they receive. Pupils with hearing impairment receive very good teaching and support within the ordinary classroom as well as in the special unit, which results in them doing as well as their hearing peers. This is a considerable achievement. Throughout the school all teachers actively teach scientific language thoroughly, which enhances the learning of all pupils. However, the needs of all the gifted pupils are not fully met.

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SCIENCE

107. Last year’s teacher assessments at age seven showed that the number of pupils reaching the expected level for seven year olds in knowledge of living things and materials was above the national level. However, attainment across all areas of science in Key Stage 1 was below the national average.

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SCIENCE

108. Teaching is good in both key stages with very good features in Year 6 and for the hearing impaired pupils throughout the school. In Key Stage 1 teachers use real objects well to develop understanding. For example, Year 1 pupils developed a good understanding of the link between flowers and seeds through the teacher’s relevant choice of dandelions as specimens. Teachers use display well to reinforce learning. A high quality display in Year 1 gave pupils the opportunity to examine different whole plants and identify roots, stem and leaves. Teachers provide effective practical experiences for pupils. In experimental science pupils investigate a range of different problems. For example, they test the effect of gradient by running cars down ramps of different slopes. Although pupils are challenged in lessons and their efforts are praised, the quality of their written work is affected by their standards in writing. Marking is minimal and opportunities are lost to set

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SCIENCE

targets for future learning. Teachers provide effective opportunities to develop computer skills as CD ROMs are used to access scientific information.

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SCIENCE

109. In Key Stage 2 teachers build well on previous learning except for Year 5 where pupils are not set sufficiently challenging work to meet their individual needs. Teachers use resources well to stimulate interest. For example, in Year 3 the teacher stimulated pupils so that they were keen to contribute to the lesson by passing a piece of pumice stone round and challenging pupils to find a use for it. Pupils' contributions are used well to develop whole class understanding. Teachers prepare pupils well for new work. For example, in Year 4 work on friction was established by identifying what they already knew about forces. Questions like ‘Can you see a force?’ followed by ‘How do you know it is there?’ effectively challenged pupils' previous knowledge. Teachers use real life contexts to reinforce learning. Appropriate examples such as pushing a loaded supermarket trolley over different surfaces related well to pupils’ experiences in Year 4 and made a

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SCIENCE

good introduction to practical investigations. The Year 6 teacher is very enthusiastic and is determined that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language will reach the highest possible standard. During a revision and testing session for the national tests pupils were fired with Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 37 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School excitement to obtain full marks. The teacher’s praise, encouragement and humour, together with the odd clue, enabled most pupils to be successful. Homework is used well in Year 6. Pupils are provided with good quality reference books to support their tasks. They respect these resources and take care that they are used effectively. Teachers use numeracy and literacy in science effectively to support learning. There has been an improvement since the last inspection in investigative work as teachers provide better

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SCIENCE

110. Pupils with hearing impairment are fully integrated into lessons. They receive excellent support from their own teacher who works very effectively with the class teachers. Support staff target their needs very effectively. The work of the teacher of the deaf working across Key Stage 2 supports her role as co-ordinator very effectively as she is able to work with all the teachers on a regular basis. She has very good subject knowledge and teachers appreciate her support.

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ART

111. Pupils enjoy art and teachers value the contribution that art makes to the curriculum. Pupils make steady progress throughout the school so that at seven years of age and by the time they leave the school they achieve the expected standards for pupils of their ages. The school values work of high quality. For example, they frame pupils' work as a lasting artefact as shown by the framing of a picture entitled ‘Highway Man’s Hollow’ painted by a Year 4 pupil.

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ART

112. Evidence of work on display consisted mainly of drawing and painting with little evidence of three-dimensional or textile work especially in Key Stage 2. However, these elements are covered in the scheme of work recently adopted by the school.

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ART

113. In Key Stage 1 pupils mix their own paint and therefore develop a good understanding of the effect of tone tints and shades. Printing techniques are successfully developed using a variety of materials as printing blocks including footwear and a mixture of building blocks. Pupils make good use of paint programs on the computer to draw simple pictures. Observational drawing and painting is satisfactorily developed so that by the end of Key Stage 1 pupils use water colours effectively to paint cross sections of fruit and vegetables. Work on textiles culminated in the production of a striking patchwork quilt depicting a rural landscape. Pupils accomplished the design after studying photographs of the countryside, assisted by one of the support staff. Teachers take some opportunities to develop artistic skills through information technology.

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ART

114. Observational work continues to develop satisfactorily throughout Key Stage 2, teachers often linking the objects studied to work in other subjects. For example, in Year 3 pupils who were studying rocks and materials in science, looked carefully at lumps of rock before successfully drawing their own pictures in the style of Cézanne. In another lesson in Year 5 the loan teacher provided good opportunities for pupils to develop observational skills on fruit and seeds by using pencil to draw cross sections of fruit. The teacher raised the quality of the work produced by reviewing progress as she monitored and then using the end of the lesson to review best pieces of work to consolidate techniques learnt. Progress in printing techniques are achieved by pupils designing and making their own printing blocks in the style of Greek patterns. In Year 6 pupils are inspired by lively teaching, for instance, when studying the work of Paul Klee. They eagerly explained the

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ART

characteristics of his work explaining how they were applying his style to their own drawings. The teacher skilfully extends pupils’ ideas by a true appreciation of their efforts and by bringing the class together at intervals to make a point or give advice, often using someone’s work as an example. Stimulating questions and comments spur pupils on to work hard. For example, ‘Klee has used a staircase and a rocket with his doll, how about Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 38 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School adding something really weird to your picture?’ Paintings in the style of Kandinsky demonstrated good techniques in the use of colour and pictures were further enhanced by the addition of collage. Pupils with hearing impairment are well supported within the classroom and are able to achieve at the same level as their hearing peers. Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs make

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. Pupils enjoy designing and making things throughout the school and the standards that they achieve are in line with those expected for pupils of similar age both at seven and eleven. A similar judgement was made at the time of the last inspection. The subject is now well supported by a scheme of work that ensures continuity and progress throughout the school. The judgement at Key Stage 2 is based on discussions with pupils and scrutiny of work. In Key Stage 1, one lesson was observed and evidence is taken from work on display.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. Pupils in Year 6 are enthusiastic about the subject and feel that they have really achieved something when an article is finished. They are eager to describe in good detail how they designed and made wheeled vehicles. They felt the project was great fun from the early designs on paper through to the testing and evaluating of the finished vehicles. They have a good understanding of the process of designing, making and testing and give reasons for each stage.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. In Key Stage 1 pupils design and make models and develop appropriate skills. For example, they made musical instruments from recycled material choosing suitable size boxes and other materials such as string and paper. They are supported in learning the techniques of fixing, using glue and tape, and choose appropriate finishes to their models.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. Teachers use effective demonstrations to maintain pupils' interest. For example, in Year 1 the teacher used a simple string toy and attractive books that had moving pictures. Pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, then designed a moving picture of their own with support for initial ideas from the teacher. Pupils use scissors accurately to cut out their designs of flowers or animals and tape to fix tabs and slots. Pupils are given opportunities to discuss their work but identify ways to improve their models.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

119. Geography and history are linked by one co-ordinator under the heading of ‘Humanities’. However, they are taught as two separate subjects and have separate planning systems. Standards in both subjects have been maintained since the last inspection and the quality of pupils’ learning is satisfactory. The school continues to organise geography and history within different topics. No history lessons in Key Stage 1 and no geography lessons in Key Stage 2 were observed during the inspection. However, from the lessons seen, discussions with pupils and looking at written work, it is evident that standards are satisfactory. Whilst the time allocated to the subjects is reduced to allow for the recommended higher emphasis upon literacy and numeracy, the school plans to cover the breadth of National Curriculum requirements for both subjects. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, impaired hearing and who speak English as an

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

additional language, make good progress throughout the school. This is due to the teachers’ good planning for these groups and also because the support they receive is well targeted. However, there is little evidence to show that teachers require additional work from the gifted pupils. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 39 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School 120. Pupils at Key Stage 1 have some understanding of locations beyond their immediate environment. For example, they appreciate that they live in Batley and that Leeds is ‘another place’. They know that buildings have different purposes. For example, Year 2 pupils used photographs of local buildings to describe what purpose the buildings serve and by whom they are used. In history, pupils compare old and new and describe how what we wear now differs from past clothing using words such as ‘now’ and ‘then’. They confidently distinguish between aspects of their own life, such as the use of electricity,

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

and ‘past times’ when ‘they used candles’.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

121. Pupils at Key Stage 2 link geography and history, when they study Batley through the centuries. They study life in Tudor times in history lessons and compare life in an Indian village with life in England for a geography topic. Staff make good use of the local area. For example, pupils visit local museums and country parks to add interest to their learning. Their historical knowledge and understanding of a range of periods and their ability to sequence these accurately, is satisfactory. Their geographical knowledge on mapping and the way in which humans affect their environment is satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

122. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers plan lessons well so that pupils use the skills that they have learned in other subjects. For example, in Year 2, pupils used skills of tallying learned in numeracy to conduct a survey of the traffic using the roads around the school. This adds to the enjoyment of the lesson and ensures that the pupils learnt well. Teachers expect the pupils to work hard in lessons and behave well. They encourage them with lots of praise and, as a result, pupils are keen to work and participate in lessons actively and willingly. Discussions with pupils and a scrutiny of their written work demonstrate that the rate of development in geographical and historical learning is sound overall. Teachers assess pupils well in lessons but the information collected is not used adequately to target the next stage of work. The co-ordinator has identified this and has suitable targets in her action plan to develop further the

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

progression of historical and geographical skills and to monitor the pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

123. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are at the expected level. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. Pupils receive a balanced coverage of the different aspects of the subject and have regular turns on the computer in lessons. In Year 2 this is supplemented by time in the computer suite. Standards in Key Stage 2 are below expected levels. Pupils do not get sufficient time to develop skills in using computers to control programs or for monitoring. They do not get sufficiently regular opportunities to work on computers in classrooms. The time they spend in the computer suite in Key Stage 2 is now increasing. The progress of pupils who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs is good. They are given specific guidance from support assistants or other adults.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

124. Teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. All teachers provide a range of different programs to develop pupils' skills. These programs ensure development of both computer skills and skills across the curriculum. For example, in Year 2 pupils improved their handling of the mouse by using a program that required them to keep inside a maze. They also developed good mental mathematics skills as they carried out sums in their heads as part of the program. In this key stage teachers use support assistants and other adults well. These adults sit with the pupils and pose questions to enable them to solve any problems encountered. Pupils are organised to work in their reading pairs. This develops social skills well and saves time in organisation. Pupils respond well to this organisation and co-operate well with each other. For example, in reception two pupils organised themselves to take turns and were very pleased when their partner achieved

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

the goal for the task. In Year 2 the teacher plans work carefully to develop literacy skills. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 40 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School For example, she develops reference skills well by using CD-ROMs to locate information about their science work on mini-beasts.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory. The amount of time spent across the different aspects of the subject is unbalanced. Pupils develop satisfactory skills of word processing. In Year 5 they combine graphics and text confidently and in Year 6 they use word processing to produce the final version of a draft. They use different fonts and formats confidently. Pupils are beginning to develop confidence in using the Internet but have not yet reached the expected level. The Year 6 teacher uses the expertise of her pupils well. For example, she organised a pupil who was confident in accessing the world wide web to work with other pupils to develop their understanding and skills. Pupils in Year 6 are given freedom to use computers in the suite to improve the quality and presentation of their work. This increases their motivation and independence. However, they are sometimes not given sufficient support to carry out their objectives. For

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

example, a pupil chose to reproduce a Roman soldier using graphics but the support teacher did not intervene quickly enough to meet his needs.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Standards in information technology of the hearing-impaired pupils are higher than the rest of the school. Pupils work confidently across a range of programs. For example, they understand and use e-mails correctly. Teaching of these pupils is very good in both key stages. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and provide stimulating and challenging work. They expect pupils to concentrate and to make considerable efforts to learn. These high expectations ensure that pupils give of their best. For example, pupils covered four different pieces of work in one session. Exciting and useful opportunities are provided. For example, in Key Stage 2 pupils used a mini-com system to communicate directly with the teacher's mother about the swimming lesson they had just completed. The co-ordinator, who is also a teacher of the deaf, works very effectively with the Year 2 teacher. They share the specialist hearing-impaired facilities and the

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

computer suite, with pupils mixing together to complete class tasks. This increases the confidence of both sets of pupils and develops social skills very effectively.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Provision in Year 2 is good. The teacher sets regular time each week to teach half the class specific skills. However, most teachers miss opportunities to focus specifically on the teaching of information technology. The Year 2 teacher keeps thorough records. She tracks the development of each pupil carefully and keeps examples of their work. This ensures that future work is based on the pupils' needs. However, these systems are not used consistently throughout the school. Standards of display are inconsistent. The best displays include a range of pupils' work and explain the processes used. For example, a well presented display in Year 2 contained bar charts, symmetrical patterns, graphics compositions and simple word processing.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

128. The school has recognised that the use of the computer suite is inefficient and has just appointed a support assistant for information technology. It is planned that she will work with pupils regularly, both in large groups and individually, to improve their levels of skills and understanding. At the moment, however, pupils do not have sufficient time to develop their skills in Key Stage 2. The subject knowledge of the support assistant is good and she works well with pupils.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

129. The co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and supports staff well in the technical aspects of the subject. For example, she set up all the CD ROMs for the Year 2 pupils. She has a good understanding of the systems and coverage of the subject but she does not have opportunities to monitor the work of all the other teachers. This reduces the impact of her support and expertise in improving the quality of teaching and raising standards.

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MUSIC

Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 41 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School 130. Standards in music are in line with national expectations by the end of both key stages. Pupils are making satisfactory progress although when taught in lessons by teachers with good subject knowledge they make better progress than average. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. These findings reflect the findings of the last inspection.

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MUSIC

131. In Key Stage 1, pupils are beginning to explore the difference between a fast pulse and a slow pulse. They are provided with the opportunities to experience these elements of music through playing a range of percussion instruments. They are beginning to understand that some instruments make sounds by being shaken, or tapped or scraped. The lesson is well paced so their interest is maintained and through good questioning they remember their past learning of the names of the instruments, for example tambour, maracas and wood-block.

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MUSIC

132. In Key Stage 2, pupils gain from the considerable subject knowledge of their teachers in Years 3 and 4 as they investigate the pulse of lively dance music and follow a sequence of clapping, clicking and tapping led by their teacher. She skilfully invites intrepid classmates to be leaders and they invent a wide range of complex patterns that require considerable concentration to follow. When the pulse of the music has been secured, various percussion instruments are passed around to add colour, or timbre to the activity. In Year 4 pupils recall previous knowledge and understanding of the different instruments which make up the typical orchestra: they know the main sections – wind, strings, brass and percussion and eagerly suggest which instruments belong to which family. They gain from the specialist knowledge of their teacher as she explains why the piano belongs to the percussion family. As they listen to Grieg’s music “Morning”, they identify correctly

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MUSIC

which instruments have the tune at various times and which instruments are supporting with an accompaniment.

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MUSIC

133. In assemblies, pupils enjoy singing. They sing in tune with confidence, although opportunities are being missed to improve their singing further by encouraging better breath control and attention to diction. They are not yet singing with different dynamics to add colour and interest but there are good links with literacy as they read the words of their songs projected effectively. The pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported since their attention is drawn to the words by one of the pupils at the projector. Pupils whose hearing is impaired are very well supported as they follow the signing of one of the staff whilst singing the song.

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MUSIC

134. Music is played as classes enter the hall for assembly and brief descriptions are sometimes given to focus pupils’ attention; for example, they listen to guitar music, to unaccompanied singing in two parts and to a well-known excerpt which is used for a television commercial about baked beans. However, these opportunities are not being exploited sufficiently. Opportunities are being missed on these occasions to enrich pupils’ knowledge of the wide wealth of music, which would also assist them gain an understanding of other cultures and times. The school invested heavily in enabling the co-ordinator to choose a new range of compact discs: she has made a very good selection which, if brought into full use, will certainly enrich and enliven pupils’ experience of old and new music throughout the world. She has also bought a new scheme to assist class teachers to manage lessons in music for their own classes with more confidence

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MUSIC

once they have received the benefit of in-service training.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are below expected levels as teachers do not have sufficient subject knowledge across the subject. Progress is unsatisfactory as the pace of Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 42 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School lessons is too slow and does not allow pupils to gain confidence in developing skills. In contrast, in Key Stage 2, the Year 6 teacher and the co-ordinator in Year 4 both have very good subject knowledge which ensures a very good rate of progress. This compensates for Key Stage 1 and by the end of the key stage standards are above the expected level in games. Standards in swimming are below expectations as a smaller proportion of pupils swim the required distance by the time they leave school. Hearing- impaired pupils, other pupils with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language make the same level of progress as the rest of the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils in their year group. Standards have improved considerably in Key Stage 2 since the last inspection as they were judged to be below expectations and are now above.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Teaching in Key Stage 1 is unsatisfactory. Pupils make a satisfactory start in reception as they build on the good progress made in the nursery. The teacher uses appropriate language to support pupils' understanding in lessons. For example, she asks the pupils to wriggle like tadpoles. Interesting ideas are used in Year 1 to stimulate pupils' interests and support their understanding of the movements required. For example, the teacher showed a flat plastic bag and then crumpled it up as a model for pupils to stretch and curl. However, pupils are not given sufficient time to consolidate their new skills by practising them enough times. The same weakness is evident in games. Pupils are given appropriate tasks but the slow pace of lessons restricts the number of activities carried out in lessons. In Year 2 pupils are not used effectively to demonstrate to the whole class in order to raise standards. For example, some boys showed a high level of skill in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

throwing and catching small balls but their expertise was not identified and the rest of the class made little progress in developing this skill. Teachers in this key stage do not wear appropriate clothing for physical education. This does not provide a good role model for pupils and leads to a variety of footwear and kit from pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is very good. Progress is satisfactory in Year 3 and then accelerates in Years 4 and 6. This very good progress is an outcome of the furious pace in lessons. Features of the very good teaching include giving very clear instructions and expecting pupils to respond very quickly. These teachers set high expectations and encourage every pupil to work to their capacity. For example, in gymnastics in Year 4 gifted pupils were used to demonstrate different balances. Targets were then given to individuals depending on their own level of performance. Teachers balance different aspects of the lessons carefully. For example, in rounders in Year 6, pupils practised skills of fielding and then moved into a game with short periods for each innings. This ensured a high level of concentration of all pupils who were engrossed in the game. Pupils have a very high level of teamwork as the teachers use the games to provide

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

continuing guidance on team strategies. They expect pupils to explain why they responded to different parts of the defence or attack. Pupils have a very good understanding of the importance of adhering to the rules of games as teachers reinforce this learning every time decisions are made. A very high level of competition is engendered in games lessons and every pupil expects to do their best for their team. Teachers use support staff effectively. For example, in Year 6, the support assistant was a joint referee and gave crucial decisions during the game.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The co-ordinator has supported teachers well by improving the quality of planning. Planning is very thorough and based carefully on a range of published schemes. It ensures that lessons build on previous learning and supports progress. However, some teachers have too much information within each lesson to provide a clear focus for learning. The co-ordinator does not monitor teaching and is therefore unable to raise standards by sharing her expertise during lessons. Organisation of the timetable is sometimes inadequate. Teachers do not always check the availability of the yard either for physical education or for other activities being carried out in the school environment which can lead to two classes needing the same space. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 43 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School 139. Opportunities outside lessons play a valuable contribution to raising standards. There are

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

a variety of games offered after school with matches against other schools. Pupils take these matches very seriously. The employment of a play worker during lunch times plays a valuable role in developing pupils' skills. It also supports harmonious behaviour as many pupils are engaged in this work and develop positive attitudes within a playtime context. The Breakfast and Kids' Clubs also develop team spirit as pupils play a range of games together with good quality adult support.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Standards of attainment in religious education have risen in both key stages and are now above expected levels. This is due to very good teaching and the good quality of all assemblies that effectively and appropriately address the needs of all pupils. Assemblies are used very effectively to enhance pupils’ understanding and knowledge of religious education. Pupils make good progress in lessons and they have very positive attitudes in those and in assemblies. They show interest in topics under discussion, especially when these are led by teachers or visitors with excellent subject knowledge.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. In the reception class pupils pay very close attention as they learn about different religions. The teacher provides good quality visitors who explain well at these pupils' levels. Pupils learn to examine pictures closely and handle prayer objects with care and respect. They show respect also when learning about the importance of rituals. For example, they understand the role of washing in the Muslim religion and the importance of removing shoes and covering heads when praying and listen in stillness as prayers are recited and translated. Pupils listen attentively in lessons and learn specific names of key artefacts. For example, they learn the names for special items that Muslims use. Teachers use plenary sessions well to recap learning. In Year 2 pupils gain knowledge and understanding of what it means to be a Christian. They are shown a range of items, which are significant for Christians, for example a kneeler and a candle. They handle

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

these with appropriate respect and learn the names that Christians use, for example ‘cross’, ‘crucifix’ and ‘rosary’.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have gained a very good knowledge and understanding of world faiths as they have studied what it is like to be a Muslim, a Christian or a Jew. They show great respect for all the faiths and demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of religious and moral issues. This is often at a level that reflects considerable maturity and sophistication uncommon for pupils of this age. In Year 6, pupils show considerable interest in and knowledge of Judaism as they learn about the festival of the Passover. They recall the life and times of Moses, and consider the quality of life experienced by the Jews, as they were slaves for Pharaoh in Egypt. They gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of the Passover and are interested in the details of the Jews’ flight, for example that they could not put yeast into their bread as they did not have enough time to wait for the dough to rise.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The quality of teaching is very good. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge and make their lessons interesting and stimulating by providing a good range of real items important to all world faiths. Pupils’ response to religious education is very good. They show courtesy and consideration for others, handling items with due care and respect. Behaviour in these lessons and in assemblies is very good as pupils concentrate hard and pay close attention to their teachers and visitors. Both staff and pupils show a very high level of sensitivity and understanding towards each other. There are very good relationships and everyone’s contributions are equally valued. This feature of religious education is one of the strengths of the school. Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 44 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School 144. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge and is very well qualified for her role. She

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

has gathered together a good range of religious artefacts, which are of high quality. However, there are not yet enough resources to enable the bigger classes to make really good use of them. The school has arranged visits to places of worship in the community to enrich pupils’ knowledge and understanding as fully as possible. This is very good practice and the school makes very good use of its community which enriches the curriculum.

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT

145. Provision within the hearing-impaired unit is very good and is a valuable part of the whole school's work. The head of the unit provides sensitive leadership. The teaching team and support assistants all work together very effectively for the good of the pupils. There is a high level of expertise within this team, particularly in signing. This expertise is used to very good effect to support pupils across a wide range of contexts. It is used sensitively to challenge pupils when they are working in the specially designed classrooms. It is used well to supplement communication of teachers in mainstream classes when pupils are working alongside their year groups. It is used clearly in assemblies to ensure these pupils have equal opportunities in understanding the contributions of others. For example, in the assembly including nurses from the local community, the head of the unit was able to reassure pupils of the care taken in giving

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT

injections by signing the meaning of the presentations.

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT

146. Teachers and support assistants are very successful in building and maintaining pupils' confidence across the curriculum. Praise is used very successfully to encourage pupils to try harder. There are high expectations of pupils both in their levels of concentration and in the accuracy of their responses. Staff insist that pupils work to combine signing with speech. A multitude of opportunities is provided for pupils to develop these skills across school life. For example, some midday supervisors have learnt signing to ensure pupils can explain their needs during the lunch hour. There is a firm commitment of integration of these pupils. For instance, the whole school signs together during assemblies.

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT

147. Pupils' progress is very good throughout the school in relation to their individual education plans. These plans are very detailed and are written using the expertise of the teaching team in combination with experts from outside the school. Progress is particularly good in science as the science co-ordinator is also a teacher within the unit. Pupils make very good progress in this subject by the end of Key Stage 2 and several pupils reach the expected national average of Level 4.

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT

148. Each pupil's programme of work is carefully planned to ensure optimum use of the school's facilities. The curriculum is carefully balanced to provide opportunities for learning in different contexts. Pupils learn basic skills of literacy and numeracy at a very good rate when they work in their withdrawal sessions with very specific teaching to meet their needs. The rest of the learning is carried out in their year groups with careful support to ensure their understanding. Provision also includes effective opportunities for pupils from the main year groups to work in the specialist rooms. For example, in information technology, hearing-impaired pupils worked in the computer suite and mainstream pupils worked on the computers in the specialist rooms. This has a very positive impact on the development of positive attitudes and values as pupils learn to appreciate each other's strengths and weaknesses and develop a high level of respect for

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT

149. Children are introduced very sensitively into the school's systems. For example, new parents and their child spend time together in getting used to the classrooms and the parents gradually leave their child for longer periods. In the younger classes the pupils Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School - 45 Park Road Junior, Infant and Nursery School from the unit spend most of their time within their main class. This supports the work of hearing-impaired pupils in the main year groups well as all pupils in the class become used to each other.

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PROGRESS AND PROVISION OF THE HEARING-IMPAIRED UNIT

150. Pupils are given very good provision to develop spiritual, social and moral understanding. There is an effective combination of whole school assemblies and special assemblies to offer different experiences. The specialist assemblies are particularly good and ensure clear moral teaching. For example, the head of the unit and a nursery nurse role played a story of a rich and a poor man so well that the pupils remained captivated throughout the session, gaining a clear understanding of the moral dilemma.

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