Redbridge Primary School

REDBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th – 22 nd November 2001

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REDBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 193796 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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REDBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Redbridge Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 100 Redbridge Road Millbrook Southampton Postcode: SO15 0NR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Email address: head@redbridge-pri.southampton.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Local Education Authority

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Trish Gibbons

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 28 th April 1997 Redbridge Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 20609 Carol Worthington Registered inspector Science Design and technology Information and communication technology Music Religious education How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? Equal opportunities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

9624 Graeme Norval Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes and values How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 2715 Richard Hancock Team inspector English Special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

15011 Marion Wallace Team inspector Mathematics Art Geography History Physical education The Foundation Stage of Learning

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Bedford Primary Inspections 2 Grange Lane Cople Bedford MK44 3TT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Redbridge Primary School - 6

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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 pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This very popular primary school is situated in an area of Southampton where there is a significant measure of deprivation. Many children come from families who live in high rise flats or other council property. Thirty-two percent accept free school meals. There is a high rate of mobility amongst the school population. The school is slightly smaller than average with 200 pupils on roll between the ages of 4 and 11, nearly all of whom are white, with slightly more boys than girls. A further 7 pupils currently attend part-time. Forty-two per cent of pupils are on the register for special educational needs, which is well above average; none has a statement. Each year, more children enter school with behavioural difficulties. Attainment on entry is well below average and is one of the lowest in Southampton. One pupil has English as an additional language.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school, where standards are steadily improving. The headteacher’s leadership is very strong, and the school is managed well. Teaching is good overall and pupils, therefore, make good progress in their learning. There is a purposeful atmosphere with high expectations of all pupils. Relationships are good and children are happy. The school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Above average standards in science and design and technology in both key stages • Above average standards in mathematics in the infants in National Curriculum tests • Attitudes, behaviour and relationships • Very good teaching of numeracy throughout the school • High quality of teaching and learning in Reception and the Infants • The Literacy strategy in Key Stage 1 • Special Education Needs provision, especially for younger pupils • Very good provision for moral and social education • Outstanding links with the secondary school

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in literacy, especially writing at Key Stage 2 • Developing literacy throughout the curriculum • Information and communications technology: standards, provision and cross-curricular use • Provision for religious education • Accommodation – the outdoor play area for the under fives is hampering physical development. • Provision for more able pupils The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in April 1997, since when it has made good improvement. The key issues relating to assessment and to improved resources have been fully addressed. There has been a very significant improvement in the standard of design and technology, though there is still one statutory part missing. There is complete curriculum framework for all subjects except physical education. Standards have been steadily rising in all areas, except writing, which fell last year; standards in science and design and technology are particularly notable. The progress pupils make in mathematics has been greatly improved by the very good impact of the Numeracy Strategy and standards were above average in the infants last year. Resources in information and Redbridge Primary School - 8 communications technology (ICT) have been improved; expertise has also improved by the employment of a specialist teacher, but teachers still need more specific training in the computer room, and coverage of the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

requirements for this subject is incomplete. Music expertise has improved with the new co-ordinator. The school is in a good position to make further improvement.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Following an improvement in the standard of English in 2000, it fell back in 2001. The 11 year-olds who took the tests that year had suffered severe disruption to their schooling by a having a lack of continuity in the juniors due to several staff changes. This caused inconsistency in the teaching of literacy, and they were unable to make up sufficient ground in Year 6. Nevertheless, it was the particularly low standards of writing, which brought the results down, since reading standards improved. In mathematics and science, standards rose in 2001. All pupils gained level 4 or better in science appearing in the top five per cent nationally. Targets were exceeded for reading and mathematics. In the infants, standards in reading and writing improved in 2001 to below average from well below average, attributable to the introduction of the structured phonics programme, and there was significant improvement in mathematics, following the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy;

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STANDARDS

standards were above the average of all schools nationally. Compared with similar schools, reading and writing were average, and mathematics was well above average. Teacher assessments of science were above average. Current standards in all core subjects generally reflect the achievement in National Curriculum testing, including the low standard of writing, but there are significant differences between different year groups, characterised by the number of pupils with special educational needs.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils’ attitudes to work generate good learning. They come to school willing and eager to learn and to enjoy their studies.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good, both in and out of the classroom, which helps pupils learn without disruption.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils accept opportunities to show initiative and take responsibility. Monitors handle their duties maturely. The very recent establishment of a school council helps pupils to understand how they can work with staff and respond to each others' needs.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. Attendance has improved in this academic year and is now very close to national averages. Last year’s attendance statistics were distorted by the decision to record Autumn term holidays as unauthorised absence. Punctuality has also improved. Redbridge Primary School - 9

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching overall is good, with very good teaching in Key Stage 1. During the inspection, a high proportion of good teaching was also seen in Key Stage 2, but the whole range of evidence from pupils’ work shows that they make satisfactory progress from sound teaching. Particular strengths lie in the provision for literacy for reception and infants, and in the provision for numeracy throughout the school. In reception, teaching and learning are very good in literacy and in the development of creative, personal and social skills; it is weaker in physical education. In the infants, it is very good all round and, in the juniors, there are particular strengths in numeracy, science and design and technology. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good in the infants, where teachers and classroom assistants are experienced in working with each other, but more variable in the juniors, where there are some less experienced staff. The teaching of higher ability

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

pupils is not rigorous enough to extend their learning in every lesson.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. The balance is good with a very strong and necessary emphasis on the development of literacy and numeracy. The breadth of the curriculum is satisfactory; pupils undertake learning in all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, but statutory requirements are not met in parts of design and technology and information and communications technology. Extracurricular provision is rich and diverse.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. The school is alert to the needs of its youngest pupils, and appropriate provision is made to meet their needs. This provision is then well sustained throughout the school, especially in numeracy and in the provision of extra phonics and literacy through withdrawal groups. The school takes pains to ensure that pupils have access to all areas of the curriculum. Documentation is basically sound, but pupils’ records of progress are not always complete or up- to-date, and the school is not able to show the overall progress made by these pupils at important stages, such as the end of specific years. The school is aware that this is an area in need of development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for moral and social development is very good. There is a strong moral code, reinforced by a set of rules which pupils have helped to devise. Pupils take responsibility maturely and are given good opportunities to mix with others, often of a different age group, outside lesson time. Provision for cultural education is good; pupils study a rich variety of cultural issues and are satisfactorily prepared for life in multi-cultural Britain. Provision for spiritual development is satisfactory in assembly, but little reference is made to the spiritual aspects of the taught curriculum. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school is regarded as a very caring place; children want to come to school and feel safe there. Procedures for child protection are good. Health and safety procedures are satisfactory. Assessment of academic work is good at

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Key Stage 1 and satisfactory at Key Stage 2 because the marking code is not being consistently applied, and targets are not so detailed. The school works Redbridge Primary School - 10 well in partnership with parents.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides very good leadership and has created a school, which enjoys a large measure of success, where pupils are happy and fulfilled. The Senior Management Team and subject co-ordinators are effective in their roles and there is a strong sense of teamwork

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governing body is supportive and effective in fulfilling its monitoring role and nearly all its statutory duties; only strands in the provision for ICT and design and technology are now missing. The chairman’s annual report to parents lacks details in a number of important respects such as the professional development of staff and the progress of pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Co-ordinators make classroom observations of the quality of teaching and learning and review pupils’ standards of work so that strengths and areas of development can be discussed. The outcomes are making a strong contribution to the school’s knowledge of its own performance. The school development plan continues to provide a good basis for the development of issues at whole school level, and is underpinned by useful action plans for different subjects. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. All grants are used for their designated purpose. A particular strength lies in the deployment of a booster teacher and classroom assistants, who make a strong contribution to the raising of standards. Administrative and other staff are all very efficient.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing and learning resources are good, but the accommodation is barely adequate. Space in the new computer suite and cloakrooms is limited and some classes are over-crowded. In wet weather, the playground floods to an unacceptable level. The enclosed play area for children under five is inadequate and poorly resourced.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Teaching • The progress their children are making • The attitudes and values the school promotes • Leadership and management of the school • That the school is approachable • The level, organisation and consistency of homework.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with parents’ views in every respect. Redbridge Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils enter the school in reception with well below average attainment, particularly in literacy, which is poor. Although they make very good progress during the reception year, they enter the infants still well below average; only a few reach the early learning goal in literacy, though the majority does so in personal, social and emotional development, and creative development.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. By the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in English has remained well below the national average in previous years, though rose to below average in 2001. In comparison with similar schools, the performance of Redbridge is average. Results of the National Curriculum tests in 2001 show a rise in the standard of reading and writing. The percentages, for example, of the pupils gaining level 2 or above in reading have increased, and the percentage reaching level 2B or above in writing was higher this year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Results of the tests for 11 year-olds in 2001 were well below the national average and that of similar schools. The school’s targets were exceeded in reading, but in writing they fell short. Unfortunately, the pupils in this year had suffered severe disruption to their schooling by having a lack of continuity in the juniors due to several staff changes, which caused inconsistency in the teaching of literacy, and they were unable to make up sufficient ground in Year 6. Observation of current work shows that attainment is below average at both key stages but that the achievement of pupils by the time they reach the end of Key Stage 1 is good. The school’s assessment data show that good progress is made from their attainment on entry, and the value added to their education is good. The overall achievement of pupils at Key Stage 2 is satisfactory, except for writing. Nevertheless, there is a trend of improvement at Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The current standard of reading at Key Stage 1 is average. Infants enjoy reading but their library skills are undeveloped. Standards of writing are below average, but are improving, particularly in spelling, as a direct result of the school’s focus on phonic work. Standards of handwriting are satisfactory in the school as a whole. In other subjects, limited opportunity prevents pupils from improving their ability to read and write, but some good progress is being made in subjects where teachers draw attention to new vocabulary, for example, as seen in a science lesson where the teacher paid attention to descriptive words for texture. Speaking and listening are average across the school. They read well together in class, and are particularly helped by the guidance they receive in the literacy hour in reading, and are keen and interested to take ‘library bus’ books home. There is, however, no home-school reading diary so that their progress can be checked by parents as well as

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In Key Stage 2, the standard of reading is also average. Above average pupils are fluent and expressive, but all pupils’ ability to research using texts is below average. Juniors also enjoy books, and spend time each day in silent reading. Eleven year-olds avidly follow the adventures of Harry Potter. Standards of writing are well below average because writing is limited in range, is often wrongly spelt and pupils use uninspired vocabulary. Weakness in writing hampers other subjects, and though some teachers take the opportunity to stress particular vocabulary, the lack of a policy to extend language across the curriculum is a bar.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in mathematics, as shown by the results of the National Curriculum tests at Key Stage 1 in 2001, are above average according to points score, and well above those of similar schools. Redbridge Primary School - 12 This year had fewer pupils with special educational needs than others. The standards achieved by 11 year-olds in 2001 were below the national average, but average compared with those of similar schools. The percentage of pupils achieving the expected level 4 was in line with the national average and above average compared with similar schools. The percentage reaching level 5 was well below both averages. This represents a slight drop over 2000, interrupting a rising trend, but the school’s targets were exceeded. Boys have done better than girls in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Current standards are lower, because of the great differences seen in year groups. In the current Year 2, standards are below average, as many pupils have special educational needs. Those of higher ability know the two and ten times tables, complete simple addition and subtraction up to ten, and are beginning to understand multiplication and division. They identify two and three-dimensional shapes. Average pupils can draw basic shapes, but need help to use and apply mathematics and to handle data. The high percentage of pupils with special educational needs require much adult direction and reinforcement in all this work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Current standards of 11 year-olds in mathematics are below the average of those expected for children this age. There is a large number in the current Year 6, who have also lost ground due to disruption in schooling in their junior years. Pupils in Year 6 show ability to solve number problems, and suggest how to do simple calculations using the number line. They are making good progress handling data. Standards in Years 3 and 5 are nearer average, and pupils in both classes make very good progress, but in Year 4 they are well below average. This fluctuation directly relates to the number of pupils with special educational needs in class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science, Key Stage 1 teacher assessment in 2001 was above the national average in the percentage of pupils gaining level 2 or better, though the percentage gaining level 3 was slightly lower than the previous year’s, which was well above average. Science results have been improving steadily over the past three years, in line with the national trend. In the National Curriculum tests at Key Stage 2, standards as measured by average points score were in line with the national average, and above average compared with similar schools. All pupils reached level 4 or above, which put them in the top five per cent of results for this in all schools, and those of similar intake. The number achieving level 5, however, was below the national average, though compared with similar schools, it was average. Over the past three years, boys have done better than girls, contrary to the national trend. Current

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

standards in science generally agree with the test results. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science is similar to that expected for children this age; their skills of scientific enquiry develop well, but achievement is hampered by their below average ability in literacy, particularly the ability to write in a structured way and to undertake independent research topics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in other subjects are also governed by the degree of literacy required. In design and technology, where practical skills are paramount, standards in designing and making are above average and pupils at both key stages are making good progress. Standards in art, music and physical education are all in line with national averages, and again, pupils’ progress is good. In the subjects which require more writing, standards are below average. Pupils’ poor language ability was seen as an impediment to written work in history, geography and religious education, though good progress was seen in other aspects. Pupils develop an understanding, for example, of the importance of original sources, such as those found for their study of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Standards in information and communications technology (ICT) are below average for a different reason. The working conditions dictated by the constraints of the computer room and the limited time available prevent standards from

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The standard of work seen by pupils with special educational needs is commensurate with their ability in each subject. They usually achieve as well as they can because of the great attention Redbridge Primary School - 13 and support they receive from classroom assistants in particular, there is scope for their standard of literacy to be further improved, particularly at Key Stage 2. They do particularly well in practical subjects such as art and design and technology. The standards achieved in science over the past few years have been steadily rising. Pupils with special educational needs achieve their full potential by the judicious use of scribes, where appropriate, during tests, particularly in science.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ good attitudes to work and their good behaviour have a positive effect on their learning. They concentrate on their work at all stages of their time at Redbridge. As they mature, their ability to work without close supervision improves. During a very good Key Stage 2 lesson in art and design, for example, pupils of all ability levels displayed keen interest in exploring different techniques to work with clay. At both key stages, pupils’ attitudes are very positive and their behaviour is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ personal development is good. They accept opportunities to show initiative and take responsibility. A number of pupils regularly volunteer to help the caretaker, for example, by sweeping up leaves in the playground. The manner in which pupils share the small number of coat pegs in the over-crowded cloakrooms demonstrates maturity and consideration for others. Monitors handle their duties maturely. The very recent establishment of a school council helps pupils to understand how they can work with staff and respond to each others' needs. Pupils’ social and personal development is further helped by the excellent links between this school and the nearby community school. This is a strength of the school. There is a wide range of activities where pupils from both schools work and socialise together, including, for example, The Young Investigators science club, led by a science teacher from the secondary school. Aspects of adult education for parents are also available through

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils' behaviour is generally good, supporting their academic and personal development. The code of conduct is straightforward; pupils value the certificates and awards recognising effort and achievement in many fields. They are also aware that if they misbehave, sanctions will be applied. The mutual respect between all staff and pupils helps the development of good behaviour patterns. There was one exclusion in the last school year; there is no evidence of sexism or racism. This is a vibrant and exciting school where pupils may exhibit boisterous behaviour. However, they know that fooling around which may lead to bullying or dangerous games is not tolerated. Evidence during the inspection of one incident of silly play was instantly and effectively dealt with by the headteacher. Parents and pupils believe the school provides a safe and caring atmosphere, and inspection evidence supports this view.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance has returned to average, having apparently dipped in 2000/2001. The statistics for that academic year distorted the improving trend because of the management’s decision to highlight Autumn term holidays, recording them as unauthorised absence. The consequent very high percentage of unauthorised absence provided a misleading figure of overall attendance, but the practice of term time holidays has decreased as a result of the school’s actions, and the current level of attendance has a positive effect on pupils’ academic and personal development.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching overall is good, with very good teaching in Key Stage 1. Particular strengths lie in the provision for literacy for reception and infants, and in the provision for numeracy throughout the school. This represents good improvement since the last inspection. Redbridge Primary School - 14 17. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach is good overall, reflected in the way their pupils learn. In reception, teachers’ and assistants’ knowledge of the way young children learn is very good, which is especially effective in developing personal and social skills that underpin the rest of the curriculum. Their day is very well structured and organised, and adults lose no opportunity to develop children’s confidence and self-esteem. In the infants and juniors, particular strengths lie in teachers’ knowledge of the teaching of numeracy, which is very good, and elicits very

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

good progress throughout the school. Teachers’ expertise in science and design and technology is generally good, and the specialist knowledge of music, ICT and physical education is also good. In the best lessons, learning is fun and pupils are motivated to ask for harder work; teaching provides a constant challenge at their own level of ability. Areas where expertise is not so good are in the teaching of writing at Key Stage 2, religious education and the use of ICT across the curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of basic skills is good overall. The emphasis on phonics has had a very good effect in reception and Key Stage 1, where children are learning to build even quite difficult words, such as ‘disappointed’. In Key Stage 2, however, some new staff have not finished their training in literacy teaching, which results in lower standards for current upper juniors. Furthermore, these pupils did not have the advantage of the literacy hour as infants. The ‘booster’ teacher, however, is well qualified and is having a very good effect on standards. Excellent progress in literacy was seen in an infant class where there was constant use of patterns between phonics and everyday language, and extension of the vocabulary of all, but especially higher ability pupils. Literacy is extended across the curriculum well in mathematics and science as, for example, in a lesson where pupils were evaluating

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the difference between bread and toast. The teacher displayed a list of suitable words to use when recording their observations. They are not, however, extended adequately through subjects such as history and religious education, where there was insufficient writing at length. Numeracy is used well in science and design and technology, where accurate measurements and some data analysis is used. ICT, however, is not used well enough in other subjects. This is largely because of the logisitics of having to plan for half classes in the computer room and half elsewhere, and the difficulties of using the room without the specialist teacher there; not all teachers are confident to do so.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers’ planning is very good for literacy and numeracy, in particular, but also for design and technology and ICT. Its effect ensures that there is a progression of skills and that knowledge is increased gradually and solidly so that, for example, infants design and make simple swings and slides for a playground. Later on in the juniors, they extend this to design for an adventure playground and test different materials to make swings. Planning in other subjects is good in reception and Key Stage 1, and satisfactory in Key Stage 2. They take their termly and weekly planning from the QCA guidance for most subjects, and in most lessons, pupils’ work is planned well to take account of all abilities in the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers’ expectations are high in all years, stemming from the leadership of the school. The headteacher shares Aristotle’s philosophy that ‘Education is not about filling a bucket; it is about lighting a fire’. Throughout the school, teachers challenge pupils, pushing them just a little further each time, and pupils respond to the challenge. In most classes, there is extension work to follow a large amount to be done in each lesson. Children are very productive in lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Classroom management is good in Key Stage 2 and very good elsewhere. Some pupils, especially a few older boys, showed certain behavioural problems during the inspection, but were effectively removed by the classroom assistant or headteacher so that the rest of the class were not affected. Teachers plan a very good variety of activities and make full use of support staff in their lessons. This is generally most effective when both teacher and assistant are experienced and have worked together some time, as is the case in the infants. In the juniors, there has been much disruption of teaching over the past two years and, as a result, there are now some new teachers and support Redbridge Primary School - 15 staff. Whilst they are starting to work together well, it is obviously a process which takes time and training; consequently provision for activities which are designed to extend the achievements of all

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils, including those with special educational needs and the more able, is not yet as well defined as in the infants.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers’ use of time, and resources is good overall, and excellent in Key Stage 1 where support staff are very effectively employed. Time is generally efficiently used; lessons start promptly and move at a brisk pace. In some lessons, particularly in Key Stage 1, not a moment is wasted. Teachers make very good use of registration time for extra handwriting or reading. However, there is inevitably time lost during ICT lessons when pupils have to move across the playground, to be accommodated in the ICT room. Teachers use resources well, especially in Key Stage 1 where, for example, a lesson was seen based on ‘Suddenly’ by Colin McNaughton. All resources in the book and dressing up corner were related well to the book, and the teacher used a wolf mask to come into class and answer questions about how the wolf felt, which further developed pupils’ speaking and listening in addition to reading and writing already done in the lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The quality and use of ongoing assessment is good overall and very good in Key Stage 1. Teachers mark work and make frequent assessments according to the school’s policy. Homework is used satisfactorily to consolidate pupils’ understanding, but could be improved. Parents did not identify this on the OFSTED questionnaire, though they did on the school’s. The parents who commented at the meeting said they believed homework to be inconsistent. Inspectors agree. The use of a structured homework programme would help consolidate phonics throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Pupils with special educational needs are especially well taught at Key Stage 1, but at Key Stage 2 there is less consistency and some pupils would make faster progress if their learning needs were more closely addressed by teachers and learning support assistants in some lessons. Pupils are withdrawn to follow a variety of programmes to increase their ability in literacy; the school makes sure they still have access to the whole curriculum. Insufficient use is made of ICT to provide practice in phonics.

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PUPILS?

25. Overall, the quality of the curriculum is good and has improved since the last inspection. Throughout the school, the breadth of the curriculum is satisfactory; pupils undertake learning in all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. Provision for personal, health and social education is good; the school nurse helps teach sex education. Registration time is also often used to provide some time for private reading or to practise handwriting. Pupils have good opportunities to join in a wide range of extracurricular activities at lunchtime and at the end of afternoon school. Whilst the use of information and communication technology (ICT) is extending pupils’ skills and broadening their awareness, the full requirements for teaching it are not fully met in the control and monitoring aspects at Key Stage 2, in particular. Individual subjects make only limited use of ICT and it is not used

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PUPILS?

enough to help the learning of pupils with special educational needs. The aspect of control in design and technology is not being taught to pupils in Years 5 and 6. In all other respects, statutory requirements are being met.

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PUPILS?

26. The balance of the curriculum is good. There is a very strong and necessary emphasis on the development of literacy and numeracy, but appropriate periods of time are also spent on the study of other subjects. All pupils have the same opportunity to experience this curriculum, and the school is particularly effective in ensuring that those who have special educational needs are able to benefit Redbridge Primary School - 16 from it. However, those of higher ability are not always fully challenged because extension work to meet their needs is not regularly planned for in all classes.

p.15

PUPILS?

27. Provision for the teaching of literacy is good; for the teaching of numeracy it is very good. The literacy hour is well established as the main means for addressing the weak literacy skills of the pupils. It is complemented by the time devoted to the teaching of numeracy which is especially effective. A key factor contributing to the overall success of each Strategy is the positive role of the learning support assistants who are playing an indispensable part in enabling teachers to meet the needs of all pupils. This support is especially effective in developing work in numeracy throughout the school. Better use of aspects of the literacy hour are needed to make it fully effective in ensuring that it makes an impact on improving writing standards at Key Stage 2. As yet, the school does not have a policy for developing literacy in the curriculum as a whole. Although teachers often seize opportunities

p.16

PUPILS?

to develop pupils’ language when they are teaching other subjects, opportunities are sometimes missed for such reinforcement, especially at Key Stage 2, in religious education, for example.

p.16

PUPILS?

28. The school meets the requirements of the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs. It is alert to the needs of its youngest pupils, ensures that assessments are accurately carried out and that appropriate provision is made to meet their needs. This provision is then well sustained throughout the school. Documentation is basically sound but pupils’ records of progress are not always complete or up to date. At both key stages, some targets are also too large and need to be broken down into smaller steps so they can be worked on more effectively by teachers and learning support staff. The school is not able to show the overall progress made by groups of pupils at important stages, such as the end of specific years. The school recognises this is an area where development is needed. Pupils have access to all areas of the curriculum and are given work matched to their ability. The school is also able to act as a very suitable location for pupils on placements from

p.16

PUPILS?

other schools. This works very well indeed, and they are included fully in the life of the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

29. In the school, as a whole, the provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of the curriculum is good. Through prayers in assemblies, the observance of Remembrance Day, and through the exploration of faiths in religious education, the curriculum touches on the spiritual. However, it is not strongly developed in the curriculum as a whole and this aspect is no more than satisfactory. This is largely because there are missed opportunities in subjects such as science, art and music, and through the study of memorable works of literature, for pupils to experience the wonder of great human achievements or to be in awe of the world around them. The contents of the curriculum planning documents rarely include this dimension and although the school makes the most of fortuitous moments such as a shaft of sunlight falling on a loaf of bread at harvest thanksgiving, this aspect of the

p.16

PUPILS?

30. The moral aspects of the curriculum are very good. School assemblies often have a strong moral content and the teachers leading them are confident and experienced in narrating stories, which effectively illustrate moral principles. These are reinforced by work in lessons such as ‘circle’ time or personal, social and health education, where pupils discuss issues such as bullying and its effects on both oppressors and victims. The fair-minded ethos of the school also reinforces a strong moral code and is underpinned by a set of rules which pupils have helped to devise. In their day to day work pupils are being encouraged by teachers to respect one another, to help, to share, to trust and, generally, to behave in a positive way that helps to promote and reinforce the values that the school stands for.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. There is very good provision for the social aspects of the curriculum because pupils have good scope to work and play together. In all their subjects, they are often encouraged to work in pairs and in larger groups. They have good opportunities to mix with other pupils, often of a different age group, Redbridge Primary School - 17 outside lesson time in activities such as playing the parachute game. Extracurricular activities include circuit training and the recorder club, when pupils join with others, and they regularly work together on dramatic representations and musical items in preparing for assemblies. The school provides regular occasions when pupils and staff come together as a whole school to celebrate the achievements of their community.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The cultural aspects of the curriculum are also good. They are especially well reflected in religious education lessons, which provide good scope for pupils to learn about a wide range of faiths, such as Judaism and Sikhism, and festivals such as Thanksgiving and Diwali. The school has also taken part in a local carnival which celebrated the diversity of cultures. Pupils sometimes read poems from different cultures in English, and study other cultures, such as Egyptian civilisations in history, and life in Mexico in geography. Provision for helping pupils to develop an awareness of the ethnic diversity of British society today is satisfactory. In art, pupils have some opportunities to enjoy the work of established painters, and in music to listen to the works of composers. A storyteller has visited the school and pupils have been introduced to the arts of Asia by a visiting local group. The

p.17

PUPILS?

book bus calls weekly to supplement the role of the school library so that pupils have opportunities to develop their recreational reading. Pupils’ understanding of local culture is well promoted through their study of the nearby village of Redbridge and the history of Southampton.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. Both the school’s range of extracurricular activities and its links with the community have been expanded since the last inspection and this represents good progress. They are now rich and diverse, and provision is very good. Pupils have good opportunities to take part in musical and sporting activities. Links with Redbridge Community School are especially strong and include Year 6 pupils taking part in a science club led by a secondary science specialist, and all pupils spending a day in the secondary school to help them with the process of transfer. At staff level there has been an exchange of teachers working on numeracy, special educational needs co-ordinators meet regularly to ease the process of transfer, and the headteachers of the two schools meet monthly. The school offers activities and courses for parents, including computers for beginners, health and beauty workshops and making decorations, the last of these being for both parents and children. Pupils take part in football

p.17

PUPILS?

tournaments, cross country running, and in junior citizen events which educate children about safety in an enjoyable way, involving fire and rescue service, coastguard and the health department team. A policeman visits termly to promote the ‘Getting it right’ scheme which relates to aspects of drug misuse and road safety. Parent value this contribution.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school is regarded as a very caring place; children want to come to school and feel safe there. Procedures for child protection are good; the headteacher is the designated person and works closely with local authority personnel and parents. Health and safety procedures are satisfactory, and one of the staff is highly trained in First Aid. The school has addressed the concern about the unmarked steps to the classroom blocks that presented a trip hazard. The edges are now painted bright yellow. There are adequate procedures to enable staff in remote classroom areas to summon help. Pupils have a private area where they can wait safely, should their parents wish to speak to the headteacher about any concerns.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The procedures to record and improve attendance are good and being reviewed for transfer to computerised records, using optical character readers. A specialist from the secondary school has recently been appointed to further this and other office procedures. There is close liaison with the local authority, and parents are aware of the need to keep the school informed of the reasons for absence. Absence is monitored daily and followed up with rigour. Redbridge Primary School - 18 36. The school’s behaviour policy clearly promotes and encourages good behaviour in class and around the school. Staff and pupils are aware of the procedures to recognise good behaviour. Pupils know that sanctions will be used if they behave badly.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Personal development follows in the ethos of care and concern which characterises this school. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, and have a personal portfolio that follows them through their time at school. Certificates for effort and achievement in many fields are awarded at ‘good news’ assemblies, which have a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes. The certificates are stored in the portfolio and parents are informed of the award when they collect their child at the end of the day. Teachers and learning support assistants relate very well to the pupils with special educational needs who respond well so that excellent relationships are established which helps the development of effective learning. Procedures to smooth the transfer to secondary education are already very good. The headteachers of both schools decided earlier this year to concentrate on improved liaison between Key Stages 2 and 3, the effects of which have yet to be evaluated.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. At the parents’ meeting, on questionnaires and during the inspection, a majority of parents expressed satisfaction with the way the school cares for their children. Inspection evidence supports this view.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Assessment was a key issue at the time of the last inspection, but this has now improved in some important respects. It is, for instance, very well established at Key Stage 1 and in some classes at Key Stage 2. A detailed plan makes clear how pupils’ work in all subjects is to be assessed and how their progress will be tracked. It provides satisfactory guidance on how the information that teachers derive from assessment can be turned into targets for pupils to aim at, and also how this should be followed up so that progress can be reported to parents. The policy is supplemented by a clear marking code which the school sees as being especially applicable to Key Stage 2. This policy is a helpful basis for the school’s work in this area, but its impact in all classes in Key Stage 2 is inconsistent.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Assessment arrangements are working especially well at Key Stage 1. In both literacy and numeracy, pupils’ work is carefully and frequently checked. Pupils are praised and rewarded when they do well, which raises their self esteem and encourages them to achieve further. The simple but effective targets displayed in their workbooks are a helpful reminder to pupils, teachers and learning assistants as to what pupils need to work on to improve. At this key stage, each pupil’s progress is also carefully tracked and mapped on a chart. This is good practice, as it is possible at a glance to see what pupils are achieving and what needs to improve. This greatly helps the monitoring process.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Although pupils are being tracked similarly at Key Stage 2, the process is not so advanced. There is little evidence, for instance, of the marking code being applied consistently in all classes. Satisfactory targets are found at the front of literacy workbooks but they lack the specific detail, which characterises targets at Key Stage 1. Pupils undertake regular annual tests and the outcomes are recorded and monitored. Pupils with special educational needs are carefully assessed at an early stage in their school career and their progress is regularly monitored.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The majority of parents holds the school in high esteem, and stated that their children feel safe and happy. They receive satisfactory information about children’s progress, and regular letters are sent home on many matters of school interest. Parents of children with special educational needs are well involved at all stages of the learning process. The ‘open-door’ policy is valued by parents, who feel that they will always receive a fair hearing. Evidence from the inspection supports these opinions. Redbridge Primary School - 19 43. The annual reports to parents about their children’s progress reflect teachers’ good knowledge of the pupils. Parents are invited to attend two formal meetings each year when they discuss progress and any concerns. The school acknowledges the need to review the governors' annual report to parents to ensure compliance with statutory regulations.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Parents’ influence on children’s progress is very variable. Although satisfactory information to allow them to help with homework is available, many are unable to support their children in this way. Very few parents regularly help in classrooms, but the school values very highly the support of those who do. There is insufficient support from parents to establish a parent association, although a number of parents would like to see one started. The occasional events organised by parents are appreciated.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school carried out its own survey prior to inspection. A significant minority of parents is unhappy about the level, organisation and consistency of homework. Inspection evidence supports the adverse views of these parents.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The quality of leadership and management is good. The strengths, which were identified at the time of the last inspection, have been maintained and, in some important respects, the school has moved on to improve further. The headteacher provides very good leadership and has created a school which enjoys a large measure of success and one where pupils are happy and fulfilled. The ethos of the school is very positive and all who work there show care and respect for pupils, working hard to help them progress. Relationships are excellent. An especially striking feature is the successful link with the local secondary school which brings additional benefits to the pupils in the form of extra facilities and additional learning experiences.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school’s prospectus clearly sets out the aims of the school. These are broad and appropriate for the age range of the pupils. The school is largely meeting its aims. Parents are enthusiastic about the school and what it offers their children. They are aware of its strengths and particularly appreciate the role played by the headteacher in knowing and understanding their children, and establishing open and effective communication with parents.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school’s overall levels of planning are good. The long and medium term planning of the curriculum gives a clear indication of what is to be taught and when. It provides the coherent framework which was lacking at the time of the last inspection. Good schemes of work are in place for the development of literacy and numeracy and most other subjects, apart from physical education – an area for development which was identified at the time of the last inspection and which the school has still to address. The school development plan continues to provide a good basis for the development of issues at whole school level, and is underpinned by useful action plans for different subjects. It identifies important priorities, sets relevant but attainable targets, indicates success criteria and is properly costed.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. A major development since the last inspection has been in the area of monitoring. The headteacher has been able to work closely with co-ordinators to set up an extensive programme. Time has been found to enable co-ordinators to make classroom observations of the quality of teaching and learning and to review pupils’ standards of work so that strengths and areas of development can be discussed. The outcomes are making a strong contribution to the school’s knowledge of its own performance, and this is now a good feature of the school’s management. Systems for performance management are also good and relate well to the monitoring process and to the individual interviews undertaken by all teaching staff. Redbridge Primary School - 20 50. The school has effectively identified the roles and responsibilities of staff. The senior management team consists of personnel with major responsibilities who meet regularly and frequently

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to discuss and make decisions on major issues. The outcomes are recorded and kept by the headteacher, but they are not communicated formally to staff. This runs the risk of the staff not knowing what decisions have been taken and how the decisions will affect them. Subject co- ordinators are clear as to their roles and responsibilities. Co-ordination of the Foundation Stage is very good. Co-ordination is also very good in mathematics because of the close connections made between the monitoring and further development of the assessment process. Where this relationship is less well developed in literacy, art, geography and physical education, for instance, it is satisfactory.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The overall management of pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils’ needs are carefully assessed and appropriate provision made to meet them. The school is making especially good use of its learning support staff, especially at Key Stage 1 where pupils’ progress, especially in literacy and numeracy, can be traced back directly to the quality of the individual help they are being given. All staff have benefited from in-service training in a wide range of special needs work. For the most part, resources are good, apart from the lack of ICT especially as an aid to writing and phonics development. Individual Education Plans identify targets and the ways to reach them; they are proving a useful guide to teachers. Records of individual pupils’ progress are not always up to date. The school does not have a summary of the progress made by groups of pupils in different years or in key

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

stages. Consequently, it is not easy for the school to know or demonstrate the overall success it is having with these pupils. This is the quality of information the school now requires in order for the annual governors’ report to parents to be more detailed and informative. These are weaknesses which the school acknowledges need to be addressed.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The governing body is largely fulfilling its statutory duties, only strands in the teaching of ICT and design and technology are now required to be put into place. It has a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and understands its weaknesses and what the school is doing to address them. Some governors have attended training sessions and others plan to do so in the near future. It has a good system for keeping in touch with developments in the school through its links with different subjects, and co-ordinators regularly report to them on the progress made by their subject in the school. Although the governing body fulfils its statutory duties in relation to the school’s provision for special educational needs, the chairman’s annual report to parents gives little information about the progress made by these pupils. In a number of other important respects the report also lacks detail, such as the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school’s financial arrangements are good. All audit reviews have been positive. The experienced office manager has effective systems for recording and tracking expenditure and the overall financial system is up to date, well organised and efficient. Good use is made of technology so that, at any one time, key information about the budget can be made available. The school is aware of the principles of best value, compares its performance with that of other schools, both locally and nationally, sets targets for its own performance which are challenging, consults widely, and always endeavours to get the best deal it can when spending money. The school also benefits greatly from the dedication of the support staff. The financing of support for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory but, because there is a lack of detail about the progress made by pupils, it is not pinpointed nor its effects carefully evaluated. Although the pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

well below average and more is spent on their education than for primary schools of this size, the good quality of the education they receive and the overall progress they make, ensures that the school is giving good value for money. Redbridge Primary School - 21 54. Teaching and learning support staff are benefiting from in-service training and its positive results can be seen in such areas as the school’s successful implementation of the Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. The school sees the need for continuous professional development, and staff are encouraged to undertake training, but there is no overall staff development plan which links with the school’s priorities. This is a weakness which might lead to some initiatives not getting properly off the ground because more expertise is needed. The school no longer requires teachers to report to staff after returning from their in-service training courses, so an important means of sharing new

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

expertise and ensuring that the school is obtaining value for money from its investment in professional development is not taking place. The induction of staff who are new to the school is an undeveloped area of the school’s work.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. There are sufficient staff with suitable qualifications to teach the national curriculum. The school spends a significant sum of money to provide learning support assistants, and their work is good and highly valued. Caretaking staff work hard to keep a difficult site clean and welcoming; they also work in classrooms as volunteer helpers. Appraisal and performance management procedures are good; those for the induction of staff new to the school are being reviewed. The school is judged suitable for placements on initial teacher training.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. There has been very good progress since the last inspection in the provision of resources. The provision to teach information and communication technology is as good as space permits. Reading books and other resources to teach literacy and mathematics have improved significantly.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The accommodation barely permits the teaching of the National Curriculum. Much of it is scarcely satisfactory. However, staff work very hard to use wall spaces for attractive displays of pupils' work and visual aids to learning. Space in the new computer suite and cloakrooms is inadequate and some classes are over-crowded. In wet weather, the playground floods to an unacceptable level. The enclosed play area for children under five is inadequate and poorly resourced.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

58. In order to raise standards, the headteacher, staff and governors should

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve standards in literacy throughout the school, but particularly in Key Stage 2 by

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Developing writing throughout the curriculum, especially in history, geography, and religious education (paragraphs 4, 5, 10, 18, 27, 77, 83, 98, 109, 119, 120, 124.)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Continuing the good work on phonics begun with reception and infants (paragraphs 18, 23, 24, 51)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Making targets in special educational needs and assessment in Key Stage 2 more specific and as measurable as those in Key Stage 1 (paragraphs 28, 41, 51)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Continuing training and support for new teachers and classroom assistants in teaching the literacy hour (paragraphs 18, 21, 54, 82)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving library skills (paragraphs 4, 76)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Providing a home-school reading diary so that their progress can be checked by parents as well as teachers (paragraph 4) Redbridge Primary School - 22 • Implementing a structured homework programme to consolidate phonics throughout the school (paragraph 23)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Planning provision for language development through other subjects (paragraphs 5, 9, 27, 77)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring there is sufficient hardware and software to meet teach the whole programme of study (paragraph 134)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Considering how the computer suite can best be used to ensure that sufficient time is given for the development of skills (paragraph 25)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring that teachers continue to receive appropriate training (paragraphs 128, 132)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Making better use of ICT in other curriculum subjects (paragraphs 17, 18, 24, 25, 74, 81, 91, 103, 117, 120, 133, 139, 143)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Making better use of ICT to support special educational needs, especially for phonics practice and writing (paragraph 24)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring all statutory requirements are met (paragraph 25)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve standards in religious education by ensuring that sufficient time is given to cover the full agreed syllabus, and that the subject is used as a vehicle to improve written language (paragraphs 10, 17, 18, 27)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Take steps to improve the outdoor play area for under fives and improve teaching for physical development by increasing expertise (paragraphs 61, 70 , 71)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Improve provision for the more able pupils by

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Identifying their needs more closely, providing work to extend their achievement in lessons, and monitoring their progress (paragraphs 21, 26)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In drawing up their action plan, the governors should consider these minor issues

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Create and implement a policy for spiritual development across the curriculum (paragraph 29) • Create and implement a staff development plan, linked to the school’s priorities (paragraph 54) • Ensure that a scheme of work specific to the school is in place for physical education (paragraph 145) Redbridge Primary School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 18

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 193

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 62

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 82

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 27

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 24

p.23

Attendance

School data 4.8 School data 2.2 Redbridge Primary School - 24 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Redbridge Primary School - 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 15 11 26

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 85 (80) 85 (80) 88 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 11 12 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 11 11

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 85 (87) 88 (83) 96 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 12 15 27

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys 6 9 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 10 15

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 56 (72) 70 (69) 100 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys 4 8 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 10 12

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 56 (72) 67 (69) 81 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.25

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Redbridge Primary School - 26

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.8 Financial year 2000/2001

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 471996

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 470995

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 158 Expenditure per pupil 2588

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 25899

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 26900

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Redbridge Primary School - 27

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 56 40 0 0 4

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 44 4 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 56 8 0 4

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 52 0 0 4

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 84 16 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 28 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 56 36 8 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 60 36 0 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 36 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 20 56 16 0 8

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Security – open gates Redbridge Primary School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Since the last inspection improvement has been very good in the provision for the Foundation Stage. The quality of teaching and support from all adults is better, the progress children make has improved significantly and the classroom is now well used.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. There is one Reception class in the Foundation Stage and children are admitted to school in the September following their fourth birthday. They start part time, gradually increasing their hours. At the time of the inspection, 22 children were attending for a full day and seven for half. The staggered start ensures all children receive high levels of support from a qualified teacher, a classroom assistant and a nursery nurse, and develop a positive attitude to school life. Most children have attended local playgroups before they come to school. Children and parents are well prepared before they enter school; this enables children to make a smooth transition into full time education. Home visits are well organised and time is spent ensuring children and parents are familiar with the school and its routines. Attainment on entry is well below average, especially in personal, social and emotional development,

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

mathematical development and communication, language and literacy.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. The classroom is spacious and well resourced, and provides an attractive learning environment. The outside area is not well used and is in need of development; it does not provide a stimulating learning environment. No children have currently been identified as having special educational needs. Baseline assessment information is carefully collated and contributes to the ongoing assessment procedures carried out during the year. Assessment is well established and is used well to guide planning. Resources are generally good, but only satisfactory to promote physical development. The majority of children are making very good progress in personal, social, emotional development, communication, language and literacy and creative development, good progress in mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, and satisfactory progress in physical development. By the end of the Reception year a few higher ability children are likely to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

achieve the expected Early Learning Goals in all areas of development.

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Personal, social and emotional development

62. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is very good and reflects the very good teaching in this area of learning. By the end of reception, most children should achieve the learning goal, and high ability children are already well advanced towards it. The adults create a secure environment where children enjoy coming to school and happily leave their parents and carers. The teacher is very organised and the presence of the nursery nurse and classroom assistant helps children settle into school routines. The teacher seizes every opportunity to develop confidence, self-esteem and celebrate achievement, which is acknowledged and rewarded with a sticker. Children are learning to co-operate with each other and are beginning to understand the needs of others. They are given time to close their eyes and reflect on things that make them happy and how they can make others happy. The teacher skilfully used Charlie, the class puppet, to talk about how someone feels if they

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Personal, social and emotional development

are sad and lonely. Children were encouraged to suggest how to make Charlie happy, and the teacher suggested they could be kind and talk to him, drawing a parallel with a child lonely in the playground. All children line up sensibly and manage their coats and changing well for activity sessions in the hall, those above average dressing and undressing independently. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong because the teacher identifies expectations clearly. They play alongside each other and share equipment. Ability to work independently is developing well. Children enjoy helping with jobs such as handing out the milk and being responsible for the collection of the milk cartons. Redbridge Primary School - 29 63. Teaching and classroom support is very good, and effectively contributes to standards achieved. Appropriate levels of challenge are provided to motivate children and to stimulate learning.

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Personal, social and emotional development

The children enjoy the activities because the teacher makes them exciting and fun, engendering positive attitudes and a developing eagerness and curiosity to learn. Instructions are clearly given and reinforced in a friendly but firm way. Children’s confidence grows through the teacher’s sensitive questioning and the opportunities she gives for children to talk to others.

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Communication, language and literacy

64. Standards of work seen were well below average, but all children learn very well. Children listen well to adults but their speaking ability is well below average. Many children use one-word answers or point to objects rather than naming or talking about them. They are hesitant and many lack clarity in their speech. Children make very good progress in their reading. When they entered the school in September many were not interested in books or stories; after two months all children show a positive attitude to books and enjoy listening to stories. Higher ability children point to the title and author of the book. They speak in simple sentences about stories, such as ‘Spot is in his basket.’ Lower ability children notice single items in the pictures and identify them with one-word answers. Average children recognise the main characters and events of the story. Their ability to observe and

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Communication, language and literacy

to use vocabulary to describe what is happening is limited; children need to be prompted and guided to observe details in the pictures. In the guided reading session, the teacher encouraged children to identify words, and higher ability children were beginning to point to words appropriately. All children have a positive attitude to books and know they convey meaning. They all handle books carefully and regularly take them home. Good opportunities for independent writing contribute to the very good progress. Standards in writing are well below average. Average and below average children make marks on paper, whilst others write simple sentences. The teacher helps children understand a sentence by counting the number of words. It is unlikely that many children will reach this early learning goal by the time they are five.

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Communication, language and literacy

65. Teaching is very good. Children are gaining confidence and enjoyment in learning because the teacher provides interesting tasks that suitably challenge the children. Questions are used skilfully and encourage children to develop their confidence and to extend knowledge and vocabulary. All adults are very well organised and this contributes to the good progress made in learning.

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Mathematical development

66. Standards of work seen are below average, but children are achieving very well and a few will achieve the early learning goal by the end of the reception year. Others make good progress but are unlikely to reach it. With adult help, children count up to twenty using the number line. Average pupils can reliably count five objects or more and those above average touch count to seven. Counting skills are reinforced very well through singing rhymes and every possible opportunity is seized to enjoy counting, such as singing ‘One, two, three, four, five, once I caught a fish alive’ and ’One, two, buckle my shoe.’ This constant reinforcement contributes to children’s growing confidence and competence with numbers and counting. They independently count the children going home and those in the dinner queue. They are excited and motivated to do their work because the teacher uses resources imaginatively, encouraging them to carry out tasks with enthusiasm. Children make a very good start

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Mathematical development

recording their work and numbers. They make pictures of shape people, but cannot always recognise basic shapes in the classroom, and most do not understand relative size. Children copy and draw the basic shapes and practise writing numbers. Average pupils cannot complete repeating patterns successfully, and below average children are unable to copy numbers. Redbridge Primary School - 30 67. Teaching is good because children are appropriately challenged with activities to promote mathematical understanding. Organisation is very good, and adults use questions well to encourage a good response. Resources are used effectively to stimulate learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. All children achieve very well and make good progress in their learning, but most are unlikely to reach this learning goal by the end of the year, considering their starting point. Standards of work seen were below average. Children are introduced to their sense of touch by feeling a rough, bumpy log and a smooth, shiny mirror. They are sensitive and handle resources carefully. Higher ability children use words such as ‘bumpy’ to describe the wooden log. The teacher incites curiosity by introducing the ‘feelie box’, from which children have to guess the unseen object, feeling a variety of materials and substances. They show great delight as they feel the slimy worms and the squashy ball. Above average children sort the objects into rough and smooth. Attractive displays and easily accessible objects enable children to handle natural objects, such as conkers, cones and dried leaves. Questions around the classroom extend vocabulary and stimulate interest such as ‘Which animals

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

hibernate?’ Children are all on the early stages of learning in their sense of time and place. There are good opportunities for children to use the computer, and mouse control is developing well. They play in sand and water but are unable to describe what is happening when they spin the water wheel or shape the sand. They enjoy the tactile experience but need the continual guidance of adults to extend their observation and vocabulary. They investigate construction materials, but there was no evidence that children construct with a purpose.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

69. Teaching is good in this area of learning. A strength of teaching is the skilled use of questions that encourage children to extend vocabulary and develop confidence in their response to questions. Activities interest and excite the children and develop their curiosity. All adults work very well together to support the children and extend their learning.

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Physical development

70. Standards are below average and teaching is satisfactory. Some higher ability children will reach the early learning goal, but most will not. Provision for outdoor play is not as good as it could be. The school is aware of this and has identified it as an area for development. Children have an activity session in the hall, and the outdoor area is used for specific activities such as aiming bean bags into hoops and counting the number that are successfully thrown. The nursery nurse works with two children outside, but not all children experience an outdoor session every day. Children know they must warm up before activity because the teacher reminds them. They jump and bounce on the spot. Resilience is not well developed because the teacher does not challenge the children to improve this aspect of their movement. Opportunities to consolidate counting and language are not taken in the activity session. Children learn to listen to instructions and work as a whole group. They lift and lower

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Physical development

the parachute and manage to create an igloo effect by all sitting inside the parachute. They create waves and play a cat and mouse game. Opportunities to develop spatial awareness and develop co- ordination and extend movement vocabulary are not evident. The lesson observed promoted personal, social and emotional development well but opportunities to develop physical skills were limited. Children achieve well in improving their manipulative and fine motor skills, encouraged with a range of appropriate activities. They use pencils, crayons, and scissors and paint brushes effectively and with confidence. Hand-eye co-ordination is developing well through matching and positioning shapes, decorating and sticking.

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Physical development

71. Teaching is satisfactory because planning identifies learning clearly and activities are well organised. Provision for physical development could be better if the outdoor area were used more Redbridge Primary School - 31 effectively. The teacher clearly gives instructions and children respond to this very well. Time is used well.

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Creative development

72. Children achieve very well in creative development and make very good progress in their learning. By the end of the reception year, most children should achieve this learning goal and some may exceed it. Teaching is very good. Children have very good opportunities to explore a range of different textures and talk about them. The activities are well linked to work in knowledge and understanding of the world. The teacher extends the children’s vocabulary by introducing them to a collage and explaining how a collage is made using different textiles and materials arranged in a pattern or as a picture of a pond, trees and houses. Children are highly motivated by the experience of exploring and handling the different materials. They make effective progress in creative development because they are given very good opportunities to use their imaginations making a collage picture for themselves. Children are totally absorbed by the process of selecting, cutting and arranging

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Creative development

different materials to form a picture. They receive very good support from the classroom assistant and the nursery nurse. The children select and talk about their favourite material. They make their own spiders and arrange the features appropriately. In music, children remember and sing a selection of nursery rhymes and songs such as ‘The wheels on the bus’ with great enthusiasm. They tap simple rhythms and copy their teacher’s rhythm. The children are encouraged to use their imaginations and develop independence in the two role play areas. In the doctor’s surgery, children work together engrossed with the task of tending to the patient with the broken leg. Imaginations are developed with tasks such as caring for and grooming the class toy dog.

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Creative development

73. Teaching is very good in this area of learning. Teachers and support staff give regular opportunities for children to use their imagination. They are very well organised, and together create a stimulating environment in which children have the freedom to develop through carefully considered and very well planned activities.

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ENGLISH

74. The overall provision for English is satisfactory. The attainment of pupils when they start Key Stage 1 is well below average. By the end of Year 2, it has remained well below the national average in previous years, though rose to below average in 2001. In comparison with schools of similar intake, the performance is average. It has steadily improved its position in the LEA grading. Results in the National Curriculum tests in 2001 show that pupils’ spelling is improving strongly and that there is rise in standards of reading and writing. Results of National Curriculum tests for 11 year olds in 2001 were well below average in comparison with all schools and were also well below average in comparison with similar schools. This is due to poor writing results and an unfortunate lack of continuity in the juniors because of several staff changes, which caused inconsistency in the teaching of literacy, and

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ENGLISH

from which these pupils were unable to make up sufficient ground. Reading improved in 2001 and the school’s targets were exceeded.

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ENGLISH

75. Observation of current work shows that attainment is now below average at both key stages, and that the achievement of pupils by the time they reach the end of Key Stage 1 is good. The overall achievement of pupils at Key Stage 2 is satisfactory but progress in writing is unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, there is a trend of improvement at Key Stage 2.

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ENGLISH

76. Current standards of reading at Key Stage 1 are average. Pupils have a positive attitude to books and show that they have some important means for tackling unfamiliar words. They enjoy reading but their library skills are undeveloped. Standards of writing are below average, but are improving, particularly in spelling, as a direct result of the school’s focus on phonic work. Pupils’ work Redbridge Primary School - 32 is becoming extensive and varied, and creates interest. Standards of handwriting are satisfactory in the school as a whole. Pupils are provided with helpful guidance and have good opportunities to practise this skill. In other subjects, applied reading and writing are well below average, because there is little opportunity to practise their skills. Nevertheless, some very good progress is being made in certain subjects, because teachers are expert at identifying new words and helping pupils to understand

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ENGLISH

them. Particularly good examples were observed in lessons in science where the teacher fully exploited and extended the pupils’ own words to describe the textures of objects, and in physical education where pupils were taught to understand the term balancing. S peaking and listening are average across the school. Although pupils enter reception below average, teachers work hard to improve vocabulary, which pupils will very often understand verbally, and they express themselves adequately. Older pupils speak articulately, such as their discussions in their evaluations of their products in design and technology. A strong feature of speaking and listening is the work in pairs done in the literacy hour.

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ENGLISH

77. Standards of reading at Key Stage 2 are also average; this is an improvement. Pupils have an enjoyment of books. Higher ability pupils read very well, and are fluent and quite expressive. The less able show a developing confidence. All pupils are below average in the understanding of how to use the skills of research and investigation and how to locate texts for information. Standards of writing are well below average because writing is limited in range, is frequently inaccurate in spelling and the use of punctuation, and vocabulary is mostly unadventurous. Much work is brief and is sometimes incomplete. In some subjects, such as science, pupils’ progress is inhibited because of their weak literacy skills. Whilst some teachers seize good opportunities to attend to language, there is no planned provision for it through a language or literacy policy. This is a weakness because the overall standard

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ENGLISH

of literacy at Key Stage 2 is below average and pupils need the skills and concepts to be reinforced in all the subjects they learn.

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ENGLISH

78. The quality of teaching is very good at Key Stage 1 and is satisfactory at Key Stage 2. Some excellent teaching was seen in Year 1, building most strongly on the successful teaching of the Foundation Year. Very effective emphasis is placed on helping pupils hear and learn the common sounds of language, and coverage of a phonics programme is thorough. Throughout, teacher and pupils constantly use patterns of words such as tip-tap and chop and chip to reinforce the link between the sounds of phonics and real everyday language. Pupils enjoy this work and revel in trying to keep up with the rapid pace set by the teacher. The learning makes demands on the pupils but they rise to the challenge. The main focus of one literacy lesson, for instance, required the pupils to use sentences when writing about the book they were studying. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, were helped to recognise how language is expressed in sentences. When pupils

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ENGLISH

were working in groups, the teacher worked very effectively with higher ability pupils who were enriching their vocabulary by using adjectives to enhance description so that the subject of the story became ‘ the miserable wolf or ‘the greedy wolf’. The literacy lesson rose to a climax when the teacher, dressed as a wolf, generated great excitement and encouraged all the pupils to extend their language further by asking the wolf questions.

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ENGLISH

79. The pace of teaching and learning lessens in Year 2, but the quality is still good. The best feature of one lesson observed was the clarity of the learning objective and the way in which it was conveyed to the pupils through the use of a well chosen and well read story. Focusing on the use of joining words to help sentences to hang together, the teacher, using a helpful list as a prompt, encouraged pupils to identify appropriate joining words as she read the story to them. Group activities catered effectively for pupils at different stages of development. The behaviour of the pupils was very good and this helped them to concentrate and persevere with their learning tasks. Redbridge Primary School - 33 80. At Key Stage 1, the progress made by pupils with special educational needs is very good. A major factor contributing to this success is the excellent contribution of the learning support assistants.

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ENGLISH

Working harmoniously with the teachers, they are highly organised, very confident and show good knowledge of the pupils’ needs. Good examples were observed of these assistants establishing and reinforcing pupils’ phonic knowledge through the use of games and various other effective methods. They also extend pupils’ language by getting them to narrate a sequence of activities through creating a situation established through dressing up and playing a role. In all instances, pupils made very good progress in writing words accurately, in pronouncing them clearly and in sequencing them so that they made good sense.

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ENGLISH

81. The good quality of teaching and learning in the literacy hour is maintained at the beginning of Key Stage 2, but after Year 3 it is less good. In Year 3, pupils learned effectively about the use of the question mark through preparing for an interview with the Pied Piper of Hamelin. This lesson ended particularly effectively with the teacher working with the pupils on what makes for an effective question - a focus which had a good deal of challenge for all pupils. In the remaining literacy lessons observed at Key Stage 2, teaching is always satisfactory because lessons are well organised, learning objectives are clear and appropriate, and group work distinguishes well between the different needs of pupils in the middle range of ability. Most pupils make satisfactory progress and learn specialist terminology such as imperative, main clause and connectives. However, there are some weaknesses. In Years 4, 5, and 6, teachers sometimes spend too long at the beginning of the lesson

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ENGLISH

describing or explaining, which restricts the amount of time that pupils have to practise reading and writing, and their individual needs are not always being identified and worked on. In the plenary session, pupils are not always encouraged to assess how they believe they have met the objectives of the lesson. Homework is not used often enough to reinforce or to extend new learning. Generally, little use is being made of ICT.

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ENGLISH

82. The quality of support for pupils with special educational needs is more uneven at Key Stage 2, and some of the pupils do not make as much progress as they should in some lessons. Classroom assistants do their best to support pupils, though some are in early stages of training and are inevitably less effective than their more experienced colleagues. Similarly, the new teachers in the juniors themselves have not yet completed training in the Literacy Strategy, and their inexperience sometimes shows. It is for these reasons that the progress made by significant numbers of these pupils with special educational needs is no more than satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

83. All work is properly assessed and pupils’ progress is carefully tracked though Key Stage 1. This is not always the case at Key Stage 2 where the marking of work does not always indicate to pupils how they could improve it. There is little evidence of the use of National Curriculum levels on the work or any record showing to pupils what they have to do to reach a higher level. The assessment policy is underpinned by a good set of principles and has potential, but it was only formulated in the early part of this year and its impact has not yet been felt. Assessment was a weakness at the time of the last inspection and developments since then have not been fast enough at Key Stage 2. This is one of the reasons why standards of writing are not high enough by the time pupils leave the school.

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ENGLISH

84. Overall improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory and good in the supply of resources, which are now more abundant, although pupils are not able to take reading books home so that recreational reading is not encouraged, nor good independent reading habits fostered.

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MATHEMATICS

Redbridge Primary School - 34 85. Provision for mathematics is very good. The overall standard as shown by the National Curriculum tests in 2001 is below average for 11 year-olds and above average for 7 year-olds. A significant improvement was seen in the results of 7 year-olds, with more pupils achieving the higher levels of attainment, and these results were above average overall, and well above those of similar schools. Results of 11 year-olds in 2001 were just below the national average, and average compared with similar schools. The improved performance and consistency in achievement is due to the numeracy hour being very well implemented, and the quality of teaching. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls, but there is between pupils in different years.

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MATHEMATICS

86. Since the last inspection, the school has made good progress, especially in the quality and range of resources for teaching numeracy, and the quality of teaching throughout the school which is now very good overall. In classes and in withdrawal groups, additional support has been developed since the last inspection. Attainment over the last four years has steadily improved. Teachers are confident and successful teaching mathematics, and their booster classes contribute positively to the pupils’ achievement, effectively developing confidence and competence in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

87. Current standards generally reflect the national test results, with variation governed by the number of pupils in each year with special educational needs. However, considering this and the well below average attainment on entry to the school, pupils are making very good progress and, compared to similar schools, achieve very well. In the current Year 2, where there are many with special educational needs, standards are below average overall. Pupils of above average ability are beginning to find ways to halve numbers and explain their methods. They know the two and ten times tables, understand place value of digits, and are able to put numbers to 100 in sequence. They complete simple addition and subtraction up to at least ten, and are beginning to understand questions of multiplication and division. They identify two and three-dimensional shapes. Average pupils identify and draw basic shapes, but need help to use and apply mathematics and to handle data. The high

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MATHEMATICS

percentage of pupils with special educational needs require much adult direction and reinforcement in all this work. In Year 1, pupils do well in number work from excellent teaching and imaginative use of resources to ensure they count in twos and tens, and can explain the word ‘difference.’ Pupil motivation is high, and they become excited when they are successful. The classroom assistant makes an excellent contribution to progress and uses the class puppet effectively to enthuse and maintain focus on the task.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Current standards of 11 year-olds are below average. Pupils in Year 6 show ability to solve number problems, and suggest how to do simple calculations using the number line. Above average pupils manage counting on mentally. They are beginning to calculate fractions. Average pupils gain confidence using the number line. Pupils make good progress handling data. They use simple bar graphs to show the number of letters in a word; they calculate simple percentages and divide and multiply by three, four and five. Lower ability pupils identify missing numbers and solve simple number problems. However, the large number of pupils with special educational needs cannot do this work without adult help, which is why standards are judged to be below average.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Standards in Year 3 and 5 are nearer the average for their age, and pupils in both classes make very good progress. Those of higher ability in Year 3 partition three digit numbers and correctly multiply by tens and units. In Year 5, pupils multiply whole numbers by 10 and 100. They draw and measure lines to the nearest millimetre when measuring diameter of a can and coins. All pupils measure with reasonable accuracy for their age; those of higher ability find the perimeter of shapes easily by multiplying the length on one side by the number of sides.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Teaching is very good overall with instances of excellent quality. Excellent teaching occurred when the teacher constantly challenged the pupils at their own level of ability when counting forwards Redbridge Primary School - 35 and backwards. She exuded delight in the pupils’ efforts and achievement, which stimulated them to develop confidence and plead for more difficult work. The teacher communicated enthusiasm and joy in teaching mathematics and this strong positive message was reflected in the pupils who responded with high levels of enjoyment and motivation to learn more. Learning was fun and was presented in achievable steps of challenge that were effective for all pupils. The booster classes and additional numeracy support in Year 4 and 5 is proving effective and contributes to improving standards. Lower ability pupils receive very good support in class and in the booster classes. All pupils have targets but

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MATHEMATICS

some of these need to show smaller achievable steps so that pupils can regularly see that they are making progress and achieving their targets.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Literacy is used well by all teachers. Key vocabulary is identified in planning and emphasised appropriately in lessons, with reinforcement and checking of pupils’ understanding. In all lessons seen, challenging questions and high expectations encouraged pupils to learn and consolidate a range of mathematical vocabulary. Numeracy is used well across the curriculum to strengthen other subject areas, such as science. The use of ICT is less well developed; opportunities are often missed for all pupils to develop their mathematical skills by using the computer.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The leadership and management of the subject are very good. The role of the co-ordinator has improved since the last inspection. She makes a significant contribution to the standards achieved and the quality of the teaching and learning, having worked hard to establish clear targets and planning so that all pupils are challenged and supported to attain their full potential. Subject performance and the quality of teaching are closely evaluated; this rigorous process contributes to the very good achievement pupils make as they progress through the school. Resources are very good and are used effectively to enrich learning.

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SCIENCE

93. Provision for science is good. Standards achieved by 11 year-olds in the National Curriculum tests in 2001 were in line with the national average, and above average compared with similar schools. Science results have been improving steadily over the past three years, in line with the national trend; the target of 85 per cent achieving level 4 and above was exceeded. Pupils did well, and all of them reached level 4 or above, which put them in the top five per cent of results in all schools, and those of similar intake. The number achieving level 5, however, was below the national average, though compared with similar schools, it was average. Over the past three years, boys have done better than girls, generally performing slightly better that the national average, with girls just below. This is contrary to the national trend.

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SCIENCE

94. In the national teacher assessments for 7 year-olds, pupils’ performance in 2001 was above the national average in the percentage of pupils gaining level 2 or better, though the percentage gaining level 3 was slightly lower than previous years, which was well above average.

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SCIENCE

95. Standards seen during the inspection generally agree with the test results. Eleven year-olds’ knowledge and understanding of science is similar to that expected for children this age, but achievement is hampered by their below average ability in literacy. Pupils in Year 6 preparing for an investigation into how temperature affects the speed at which sugar dissolves showed that they know the function of basic scientific equipment, such as thermometers and force meters, and could plan how to use them in their investigation. Their knowledge of variables, such as the amount of sugar and water and the duration of stirring, was as expected for their age, showing they have received good grounding in how to conduct scientific investigations. Books show that they have covered the programme of study appropriately. Pupils have sound knowledge of how to separate mixtures, are Redbridge Primary School - 36

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SCIENCE

able to make a circuit for their torches in design and technology, and are able to devise food chains in nature.

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SCIENCE

96. Seven year-olds investigating how the toaster setting affected the colour of toast learned how to make the test fair; many of them thought of how to do this themselves, and were helped by their teacher in understanding how to make predictions and checking them afterwards, showing that many are working towards a higher level of achievement.

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SCIENCE

97. Three lessons were seen. The evidence from these and pupils’ work, both current and from last year, indicates that teaching is good overall, resulting in good progress in learning throughout the school. Pupils spoken to obviously enjoy science and are well motivated by it. They are very curious and delight in practical investigations, as well as the work they do using books and computers to find out about their current topics.

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SCIENCE

98. A major drawback to achievement is literacy. At present, pupils with special educational needs in Year 6 qualify for someone to write for them during their science tests, which has yielded good achievement. It is, however, unlikely that this will be continued throughout their secondary school career. Teachers are well aware of this, and encourage pupils to extend their vocabulary to include scientific words and relevant to the topic, to read aloud from scientific texts, and to write in a structured way using writing frames. Pupils use new vocabulary well in the infants, both in speaking and writing. However, there is not enough reinforcement of vocabulary through homework and subsequent testing of meaning, particularly for older pupils who also do not do enough research or write extended reports on their investigations.

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SCIENCE

99. Teachers’ knowledge of science is good and well sustained by their use of the QCA guidance throughout the school, which ensures continuity of content and progression of skills through both key stages. Lessons are characterised by a good range of activities with good attention to practical work in most. Pupils in Year 2 tested their own bread, for example, identifying several differences in texture, smell, taste and size between fresh and toasted bread. Higher ability pupils recorded this adequately in words, using simple worksheets prepared by their teacher. Other pupils recorded pictorially.

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SCIENCE

100. Pupils with special educational needs are well assisted to learn, particularly in the infants. This is mainly for their literacy needs, as they demonstrate sound scientific reasoning, educed by the classroom assistants. Support for learning is not so well developed in Key Stage 2 in that it is more general and not always focused on specific learning difficulties. Although higher ability pupils achieve well since a high proportion reach level 3 in the infants, there is not enough extension work featuring the pattern finding and problem solving nature of science, which pupils need to reach higher levels in the juniors.

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SCIENCE

101. Teachers have high expectation of their pupils as, for example, in an infant lesson on sorting and using materials, when the teacher drew good ideas from the class on the reasons why particular materials are used for a cycle hat, and why a suitable wrapping to protect a fragile present could be ‘bubble-wrap’. Teachers’ methods are in general well suited to the age and understanding of the pupils. The infants looking at materials were well motivated when using a teddy bear to test the material they had put on a slide to test its smoothness.

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SCIENCE

102. Several pupils have behavioural problems which put them on the special educational needs register, but it is well controlled in classrooms. On the odd occasion, the offending child would be removed by the headteacher or classroom assistant. This was very unobtrusive when observed in science, and the offending pupil was not allowed to influence others at all; time was not lost. Most Redbridge Primary School - 37 lessons proceed at a brisk pace and make the most of the time allocated. Good use is made of the plenary session to consolidate learning by going over the lesson objectives again.

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SCIENCE

103. Assessment is generally well used; good efforts are being made to quantify the regular assessment of key learning objectives from the QCA guidance to levels of attainment that can be tracked throughout the school. Assessment is also used well to influence the planning of the next stage of the curriculum, which is generally good - particularly at Key Stage 1, where classroom assistants are fully involved, making significant contribution to these lessons. Although literacy and numeracy are stressed in planning, the use of ICT is not strong in research, data analysis and for logging data to follow the course of experiments.

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SCIENCE

104. Leadership of the subject is good; the new co-ordinator has inherited a well led subject that is thriving. She is adapting the QCA guidelines to suit the school’s requirements closely, and introducing a trial assessment scheme this year. She has monitored the progression of scientific knowledge and understanding, and investigative skills effectively. She has extended the scope of some pupils by involving them in The Young Investigators science club, led by a science teacher from the secondary school.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. By the end of both key stages, standards in art are in line with expectation for pupils aged 7 and 11, and have been maintained since the last inspection. There have been some developments in the subject in that older pupils now have their own sketchbook and teachers make greater use of professional artists to illustrate the work. Planning identifies a progression in skills, knowledge and understanding, but this does not always happen in all aspects of the work.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. By the end of Year 2, pupils mix paint competently and use it confidently to create a self- portrait, for example, and also use a range of other materials such as pastel and chalk. They draw attractive fireworks showing effective use of shape and colour. Evidence shows pupils’ evaluation of their work is less well developed. No teaching was observed in the younger classes.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. By the end of Year 6, pupils use their imaginations well and have created a picture to celebrate their life. They use a range of media such as paint, pastels, and wax crayons. Pupils in the Fun Club create attractive three-dimensional masks of Native American Indians. Scrutiny of work around the school and in the co-ordinator’s portfolio shows a suitable range of work. In their work on relationships, Year 3 pupils made good progress sketching people in different postures, such as sitting or standing. Higher ability pupils are beginning to use smudging technique and said whether they liked the drawing or not. Ability to evaluate their own and others’ work, however, is basic. In Year 4, pupils have painted a portrait of a person in Tudor times, making good use of the books and the large bold pictures as a stimulus. In Year 5, the very good teaching contributes to the above average attainment in understanding and producing decorative features. Pupils made and decorated clay pots

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ART AND DESIGN

108. Teaching is good overall with instances of very good teaching in Year 5. In a very good lesson where pupils were making vases from clay, the teacher had very high expectations and children worked hard to meet the challenge. Pupils were enthusiastic and had a very good attitude reflecting the teacher’s own enthusiasm for the subject. The teacher challenged pupils and explained the meaning of words like ‘malleable’ whilst demonstrating. Very good subject knowledge and pace generated keen attitudes and real enthusiasm, which aided learning in a controlled and positive manner. The teacher made very good use of open ended questions to make the children think. Lower ability Redbridge Primary School - 38 pupils followed the teacher’s clear direction, whilst others developed their own. Planning shows progression in aspects of art such as painting, but it is evident that not all teachers following the plan.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. ICT is well used throughout the school but the use of language is not so good. Pupils need clear guidelines to help them evaluate their own and others’ work.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. There is a clear action plan for the development of the subject. The co-ordinator has started to assemble examples of pupils’ work in a portfolio. There is no monitoring of teaching and learning or assessment. Due to the strong focus on literacy and numeracy, there have been no recent opportunities to develop the subject.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. Provision for design and technology is good. The standards of work seen in design and technology at the end of both infants and juniors is above that expected for children that age in skills of designing, making and evaluating products. Pupils make good progress in this area of the curriculum, and it is one in which those with special educational needs are often able to shine, with good practical skills. This is a very good improvement since the last inspection, when design and technology provision was a key issue; there was no policy or scheme of work through which progression in knowledge and skills could be traced. Since then, the subject has been a focus for curriculum development and the national guidelines are being used as a basis for a scheme of work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. Pupils aged 11 evaluate a sample of slippers maturely, discussing their findings sensibly with each other before writing on their evaluation sheets. The majority understands the use of ‘star’ diagrams to assess a product. They identified some features of the commercially produced slippers that they would incorporate into their own design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. Pupils aged 7 designed ‘Joseph’s coat’ in several different ways, for example, through pencil and crayon drawing, through sticking coloured paper to a ready-drawn template, and by using graphics software. They evaluated their designs well, using appropriate vocabulary and remembering with a little prompting that this was a very colourful coat.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. The quality of teaching seen in all three lessons was good; teachers have good knowledge of the subject and there is photographic evidence of ample well thought out projects through the year. A good lesson in the infants when children were learning to prepare fruit and vegetables, was characterised by the interesting variety of learning activities, all designed to increase children’s experiences, and a very good rapport between the teachers and learning assistant, who had planned together well to take account of the ability range within the class. Both vocabulary and basic skills of using knives, peelers and graters were emphasised well. The class was well organised so that the adults could supervise small numbers, with half the class doing their design for their fruit salad on paper.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. There is good evidence that teachers are teaching all aspects of the design process well. Infants in Year 1 learn how to make ‘homes’ such as a thatched cottage, by taking boxes apart to see how a three-dimensional structure is made, and experiment with different ways of joining their doors and windows to the main structure. Design work develops particularly well; teachers plan well for the progression of skills and this was seen in the work samples presented. Seven year-olds are already drawing three different views of the vehicles they are designing, for example, and, later on, in Year 5, pupils use more complex computer designs for their musical instruments, and experiment with ways of improving their designs by, for example, improving the sound of their instruments by stretching fabric over a tub to enhance vibration. Good progression was also seen in other technology skills as a result

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Redbridge Primary School - 39 of good planning of the curriculum. Year 3 pupils, for example, do simple research into materials suitable to make their photo frames, and seek their friends’ opinions during evaluation. In the Year 5 project on bread, there is far more emphasis on research into texture, taste, existing products, such as loaves of bread, rolls and baguettes, before making and evaluating their product.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. Teachers make good use of cross-curricular connections with science, such as in the effects of forces in adventure playgrounds, putting electric circuits into their decorative torches, and studying healthy diets for their sandwich project. Assessment is good, and well used to show progression of skills. The twice-yearly assessment sheets are well planned in line with the level descriptions, and a good portfolio of work is kept, though at present it is not levelled. Teachers are also evaluating the QCA scheme as they go, with a view to adapting parts of it that their pupils find difficult, such as the ‘packaging’ topic. The co-ordinator gives good leadership in this; she monitors the curriculum by sampling and by informal discussion with teachers rather than classroom observations. She has given a demonstration lesson to most classes, emphasising safe use of tools which ensures that teachers

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. The school is not meeting the full requirement for design and technology in that it makes no provision for controlling devices using electronics or pneumatics, nor ICT. There are not enough construction kits, particularly technical ones for use by older pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. Provision for geography is satisfactory. From the evidence available, standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Good progress has been made in bringing planning into line with national guidelines and in improving the range of books and artefacts to support teaching and learning. Planning indicates better opportunities for older pupils to research information. Evidence to make a judgement is limited, but standards of work seen were just below average by the end of Year 2. No work was available from the previous year, and older pupils have not done any geography this term. From the work observed and discussions held, all pupils including those with special educational needs, are making good progress. They achieve well and make good progress in their learning. No teaching was observed during the inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. By the end of Year 2, pupils demonstrate an awareness of localities beyond their own. Discussion with pupils indicates they can are aware of and can identify differences between Southampton and Tocuaro in Mexico. Above average pupils know facts about Tocuaro, such as the village has one church compared with the many in Southampton. They know the Mexican food is very spicy and describe differences in food such as fish and chips and tortillas. They know there are no trains or shops in Tocuaro. Although they are aware of locality, pupils cannot express views about it or talk about how the environment is influenced by people. There is no evidence of pupils using specific geographical language. A good range of books about Mexico supports Year 2 work and attractive wall displays enhance learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, judging by the scrutiny of teachers’ plans and the analysis of pupils’ work. No more detailed judgements are possible. There was no evidence of the use of ICT, numeracy or literacy to enrich learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. The management of the subject is sound; the co-ordinator has been newly appointed to the school and has had no opportunity to develop a leadership role as yet. She has prepared an action plan for development of the subject and has revised the planning. She has a clear vision for the development of the subject. The school relies on national guidance to assure full coverage of National Redbridge Primary School - 40 Curriculum requirements. The establishment of manageable assessment systems has been identified as an area for development. There has been no monitoring of teaching and learning.

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HISTORY

122. The overall provision for history is satisfactory. Standards in history are just below what is expected at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school. No lessons were observed in the younger classes but scrutiny of planning, pupils work and discussion enabled judgements to be made.

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HISTORY

123. Since the last inspection, good progress has been made developing the range of available books and artefacts, and in the improvement in research opportunities for older pupils. Standards and the quality of teaching and learning have been maintained.

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HISTORY

124. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand the difference between ‘then’ and ‘now.’ Higher ability pupils have written about the events of the fire of London, and explained that people put the fire out with buckets because there were no fire engines in those days. Pupils have completed worksheets to show the events leading up to the fire and drawn pictures to fit the appropriate caption. Scrutiny of work and observation of pupils’ displays in the classroom indicate that higher ability pupils have a sound knowledge of the main events of the story, but that poor understanding of language limits the quality and accuracy of the written and oral work for average and lower ability pupils. Planning shows that drama has been used to enrich learning about Guy Fawkes and Grace Darling.

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HISTORY

125. By the end of Year 6, pupils develop an appropriate understanding of the importance of original sources. They study old photographs relating to Tutankhamun, and identify the significance in the sequence of events leading to the excavation of the tomb. Average and lower ability pupils need adult help to select and link information from the photographs, and are less confident identifying facts of the story from source materials, but those above average pupils can give detailed explanation and have some recollection of Howard Carter. They have made good use of ICT, guided to make a power point presentation on the story of the discovery of Tutankhamun. Pupils in Year 4 make good progress learning about the Tudors. They observe different portrait paintings of Queen Elizabeth 1 and talk about the pictures. Pupils receive good guidance from their teacher and enjoy identifying the age of Queen Elizabeth in six portrait paintings painted at different times of her life.

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HISTORY

126. All evidence of pupils’ progress considered shows that teaching is satisfactory overall; two lessons were seen – one was good and the other satisfactory. These lessons were well planned and good use was made of a variety of resources. Good contributions from learning support assistants ensured all pupils made good progress. In the good lesson, for example, questions were used well to check pupils’ understanding and to develop curiosity in studying old portraits and identifying information. Some pupils were quick to make perceptive comments, whilst others needed guidance to make evaluations, and their remarks were mainly descriptive. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the attention given by learning support assistants.

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HISTORY

127. The co-ordinator for history is good and makes a significant contribution to the subject. She has developed history effectively, considering the major school focus on literacy and numeracy. All teachers have a review sheet for assessment, but there has been no monitoring of teaching and learning. Resources are satisfactory. A Victorian day and visit to a Tudor house in Southampton enrich learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Redbridge Primary School - 41 128. Overall provision for ICT is satisfactory. The standards of work seen are below average in both the infants and juniors because pupils in Year 6 had too little experience of using computers lower down the school. Their keyboard skills are poor, but their dexterity using the mouse is better, even if they have trouble remembering which mouse button to press for various functions. Funding for equipment and training has only recently become available, and finding a suitable site for the computer room has proved particularly difficult, since the main school building is small and cramped, and compromise had to be reached with only half a class at a time able to be accommodated.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

129. Pupils aged 11 were seen preparing to make a presentation for an animated slide show illustrating their work on Ancient Egypt. They had very little time to do this, and only a few were successful in testing different forms of animation or sound effects. Most, however, had prepared their slides previously by searching the Internet for suitable images of pyramids and temples, for example.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

130. Pupils aged 7 satisfactorily use a word processor to write stories, practising using the keyboard to make sentences using capital letters, full stops and spaces between letters, but do not have enough time to consolidate this work and become adept with the keyboard. Consequently, the standard is not as high as it should be at this age.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

131. Provision for ICT was a key issue at the last inspection. It has certainly improved with the new computer room, a part-time teacher who teaches there for two and a half days a week and the adoption of the national guidance for ICT by the new co-ordinator, who has good vision for the development of the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

132. The quality of teaching and learning was good, both in the computer room and in the classroom activities running concurrently. The specialist and several other teachers have good expertise, and all staff have had some training which is ongoing through the New Opportunities Funding. However, because of the lack of space in the computer room and the necessity for the class teacher to supervise the rest of the class, it is not often possible for teachers to learn to run the network in the presence of the specialist teacher; few have the confidence to do this on their own. The logistics of supervision and time allocation are the main barriers to progress, which is, consequently, slower that it might be. Nevertheless, there is good evidence of progression in the use of graphics software in particular. Young children in reception and Year 1 make pictures of trees, flowers and themselves, showing good

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

awareness of colour and increasing mouse control.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

133. Teachers make satisfactory use of ICT in the infants to consolidate work on writing sentences with a capital letter and full stop. This is made successful by the classroom computer being used productively with half the class whilst the others are in the computer suite. Good use is made of graphics software in the Year 2 design and technology project, ‘Joseph’s Coat’. A computer designed model is one of several made to illustrate children’s imaginative design ideas for the coat to be made out of colourful material. Despite these appropriate uses of ICT, there is insufficient evidence to show that the full curriculum is being covered. There is no data logging equipment to show, for example, the progress of an experiment in science, nor the opportunity for older juniors to devise simple programmes to control a sequence of traffic lights, for instance, or models such as those which may be made from

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

134. In the juniors, teachers are satisfactorily following the national guidelines, and evidence of work on newsletters and spreadsheets resulting in the formation of bar charts was seen. The volume of work produced is insufficient, however, for skills to be fully developed, and there is much to catch up on, although the school now has a reasonable amount of software. Computers are not used widely in all subjects. The best use is made in art and design and technology, but they are not used Redbridge Primary School - 42 sufficiently to aid the development of reading comprehension and spelling for children with special educational needs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

135. The co-ordinator is fairly new in post, but has done much already to improve the facilities available in the school. He works closely with the ICT teacher and both realise there is much to be done in the way of providing sufficient resources to cover the statutory curriculum and raise standards in the subject.

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MUSIC

136. Provision for music is good. Standards in music are similar to those seen in most schools for children this age, and singing is a strength at Key Stage 2 in particular. Eleven year-olds identify musical instruments from recordings, clap a rhythm over a percussive ostinato, and sing accurately in a two-part round. Seven year-olds sing in tune, clap pulse and recognise the names of percussion instruments.

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MUSIC

137. Teaching is good overall, although timetable constraints only allowed three lessons to be seen. Music plays a great part in the life of the school, and it is particularly noticeable that younger children consolidate numeracy by singing counting songs, such as ‘One, two, buckle my shoe’, and, in science, ‘Head, shoulders, knees and toes’. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of music is underpinned by appropriate schemes of work in both key stages and the co-ordinator’s specialist knowledge. All aspects of the music curriculum are taught, and a distinct feature of this school is the whole class violin lesson in Year 3, making good use of the funding from the Southampton Music Service. One of these lessons was observed, in which good progress was made in learning standard notation, key and time signatures. Pupils were proud of their violins and performed unselfconsciously. Aural skills were

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MUSIC

developed well by the teachers’ playing sequences of notes; most pupils recognised when one teacher played a sequence backwards rather than as an echo. The close attention paid to the conductor’s beat during a whole class session enabled pupils to realise the discipline of keeping time so that all could play the march tune correctly in unison.

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MUSIC

138. Pupils enjoy music and behaviour is good. They concentrate well. Lessons tend to be short, but teachers make good use of all the time available and plan for a good variety of activities. The co- ordinator is the music specialist who has developed the subject well since her appointment, but other teachers also have musical expertise, and those who do not are well supported, so that music features strongly in the life of the school. Pupils were seen rehearsing songs for the Christmas production, and the recorder group rehearsed carols for the end of term assembly. Music is played at the beginning and end of assemblies and pupils’ attention is drawn satisfactorily to instrumentation, for example, though the spiritual aspects of listening to music by great composers is not always recognised. Visiting musicians, such as the African drummer and the West Indian steel band, give pupils some insight into

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MUSIC

139. Assessment of musical ability is in early stages. It is mostly verbal in the infants, but there is some evidence of written assessments in the juniors. Literacy and numeracy are developed through use of specialised vocabulary and attention to beating time, but little use is made of ICT in recording, for example.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The provision for physical education is satisfactory. Standards of attainment in physical education by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are typical for pupils of this age. All achieve well and make good progress. Since the last inspection, standards have been maintained and the school has made good progress developing extracurricular activities. Planning for physical education is Redbridge Primary School - 43 unsatisfactory; there is a long term plan, but nothing more detailed. During the inspection, lessons were observed in dance at Key Stage 1 and 2, and games in Year 4. Swimming and gymnastics were not observed, nor lessons in Year 6. A discussion with staff, pupils and a scrutiny of planning enabled judgements to be made.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. In one infant class, pupils were seen exploring travel around the room by crawling, jumping and sliding. Resilience is not well developed because the teacher did not challenge the pupils to improve this aspect of the movement. They did not develop skills and knowledge as well as they could because they were over-challenged to combine fast and slow, large and small movements. They were not given enough guidance to help them select, refine, practise and remember their movements. In another class, excellent teaching contributed to the above average attainment and pupils linked simple movements into more complex and demanding sequences. All pupils know how to exercise safely and can talk about the effect on their bodies, though not enough opportunity is given in Year 2 for pupils to evaluate their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. Juniors swim regularly at the local community school, but there are no records of pupils’ progress and attainment. Most swim by the time they leave the school and half of Year 4 manage 25 metres. In dance, pupils created a short routine in response to the stimulus of the Iron Man. High ability pupils dance with expression, and rhythmic response is well developed. Good teaching, with clear guidance to improve the technical aspects of the dance, contributes to the standards achieved. The teacher mentioned changes of speed, direction and level, and pupils managed to produce aspects of these elements in their dance. In games in Year 4, attainment is below that expected for this age. Average and below average pupils are unable to aim the ball successfully to their partner in short tennis and many cannot make contact with the flying ball or hit it back to their partner. Pupils are taught by a professional coach, but a game that is over- challenging does not help pupils to develop

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

their confidence or competence hitting a ball. Year 6 pupils explained simple attack and defence tactics; they have a sound understanding of the effect of exercise and its value to health and fitness.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Teaching is good overall with excellent teaching in Year 1. In the excellent lesson seen, the teacher skilfully insisted on a clear progression in running, hopping, skipping and balancing. Support from her assistant was excellent. In less effective lessons, teachers do not provide sufficient guidance to help pupils develop the technical aspects. Teachers’ knowledge of safe practice for warm up exercises and activities is unsatisfactory in game lessons. Not enough of use of language development is made through physical education lessons, and no evidence of the use of ICT was seen. 144. Opportunities for outdoor adventurous activities are good. All Year 6 and Year 4 pupils attend Woodmill Outdoor Adventure Centre and Beaulieu activity centre. The school compensates for the inadequately sized hall by making good use of the Community school facilities. Mats, stored against the wall and behind the climbing frame are not easily accessible, are worn and need replacing.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. There are strengths and weaknesses in the leadership of the subject. The co-ordinator has worked hard to develop extracurricular activities, which are well attended and enrich the curriculum provision. There is a policy for physical education, but the school has been slow to develop planning that ensures coverage and progression in all areas. The co-ordinator is using the national guidelines and various other commercial schemes, but there is nothing specific to the school. The long term plan identifies coverage of all activity, but discussion with Year 6 pupils revealed they had no recollection of doing any gymnastics or dance since Year 2. The hall is too small for older classes. There is no monitoring of teaching and learning or assessment in the physical education policy document.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Redbridge Primary School - 44 146. Provision for religious education is unsatisfactory. The standard of religious education is below average in the infants and below average in the juniors. Very little was seen during the inspection, so most evidence comes from displays and from work in books. There was some inappropriate work on flight seen in the book of 11 year-olds, relating to secular work on Greek mythology and insufficient written work to substantiate an average standard in the juniors. Most of the work done by the infants is verbal and, therefore, there is no evidence from written work.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. The locally agreed syllabus is in place, but not firmly embedded in the curriculum. Pupils learn about the major festivals of all religions. Infants, for example, have worked this term on Harvest, planned to coincide with work on healthy diet in science and technology, and Christmas. They also study some aspects of the Hindu religion, including the festival of Diwali. Juniors have studied the Jewish festival of Hanukah, and some colourful displays of menorah are apparent as a result. Pupils also gained some understanding of Jewish customs and the way of life from this study.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. In Year 5, the emphasis was on the Christmas story, with definite reference to the Bible teaching and the journey of the Magi, but there is no obvious reference to the important Christian season of Advent, which immediately precedes Christmas. However, this is done as part of the agreed syllabus in Year 4, which provides a rather disjointed picture.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149. The co-ordinator realises there is still much to do to put a more effective scheme into place, so that literacy in particular can be extended through religious education, and give more written evidence for assessment. Religious education is not extended enough in assemblies, which often concentrate more on the moral rather than spiritual aspect of life. The school has good contacts with the local vicar who occasionally works in the classroom, and whose church is used for Christmas services, which most parents attend. Resources have increased since the previous inspection, and the school also has good borrowing arrangements with a local multi-cultural centre.

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