Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th - 21 st November 2001

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SCHOOL

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

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SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Grand Avenue Surbiton Surrey Postcode: KT5 9HU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: David Fullbrook

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 th - 12 th June 1997 Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 2

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Team members

18394 Maria Marsh Registered inspector 9537 Caroline Marden Lay inspector 19542 Shirley Lee Team inspector 3574 Kanwaljit Singh Team inspector

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Team members

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 14 - 17

Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School is a community school which is bigger than the average sized primary, with 509 pupils, 52 of whom have part-time places in the nursery. The admissions policy follows that of the local education authority. The school is predominantly white, but around 20 per cent of pupils come from ethnic minorities, of whom 10 per cent are Indian. Nearly 11 per cent speak English as an additional language; this is a high percent when compared with national figures. There is a very wide range of ability amongst pupils overall. Pupils’ attainment in reception has been slightly below the Borough average for the previous two years, but, in the most recent intake (2001), pupils are just above the Borough baseline. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average, although the proportion of pupils with statements is above the national average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School is a good school. It is well led by a very experienced headteacher, who is effectively supported by an able deputy. Overall, teaching is good and standards in national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 have been consistently well above the national average in English, mathematics and science between 1998 and 2000. In 2001, results continued to be above the national average in all three subjects. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes and good behaviour in the classrooms throughout the school. • Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is very good and has a very positive impact on the learning and progress made by pupils in the Foundation Stage. • Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards. • Formal procedures for parental consultation have a positive impact on the work of the school.

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What could be improved

• Further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment procedures which have been developed by the school. • Improve standards of the more able by ensuring that teaching consistently reflects the work already developed in the school to support the learning of these pupils. • Improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they compare more favourably with those in schools that have a similar intake of 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 previously inspected in June 1997 and standards in English, mathematics and science were found to be above national expectations throughout the school, with a high proportion of pupils achieving well above national tests in English and mathematics at the end of both key stages. Overall, these high standards have been maintained in Key Stage 2. However, standards in Key Stage 1 are now average in comparison to those in all schools nationally. The school is addressing the quality of teaching in this area. Since the last inspection, the school has further developed procedures for assessment across subjects. They have also put in place a rigorous monitoring schedule. This has helped raise the quality of teaching. However, these improvements have not yet made sufficient impact on raising standards. Governors, who have nearly all been appointed in the last two years, are provided with sufficient information to discharge those duties that are related to the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

curriculum. There is an extensive programme of professional development that is tied into identified priorities. The school has improved consistency across the split site and policies are now developed Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 5 on a whole school basis. However, the constraints imposed by the site continue to present a challenge to the school. The school is well placed to continue to make improvements.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Children make very good progress in the Foundation Stage and join year 1 with standards above those that are expected. By the age of 7, pupils achieve standards that are at the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In comparison to similar schools, standards are well below average in reading and below average in writing and mathematics. The school had anticipated that the introduction of the literacy strategy would have had a greater impact on standards in reading than has been the case, consequently less time and attention was devoted to individual reading. Standards in writing dropped in 2000, but have risen slightly in 2001. Standards in mathematics dropped in the 2001 test results. However, individual results indicate that overall, pupils are attaining at levels appropriate to their ability. Girls attain at higher levels in reading and writing and boys attain at higher levels than girls in mathematics.

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Key

By the age of 11, standards in national tests are above the national average in English, mathematics and science. Between 1998 and 2000, standards rose steadily in all three subjects. However, in 2001, when compared to the national average, pupils' average attainment in each of these subjects was lower than that recorded in 2000. This was most evident in mathematics and science. Since 2000, girls have achieved at higher levels than boys in English, although the gap is smaller than the national average. In the most recent tests, girls also performed at higher levels than boys in mathematics; there was no difference between boys' and girls' performance in science. The school met its targets for Level 4 in English, but not in mathematics and science.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils concentrate well, listen attentively to their teachers and work hard. Behaviour Very good overall. Pupils behave very well throughout the school day in class and as they move around the school. Key Stage 2 pupils have responded well to the recent changes in their playground and behaviour at break times is good. Personal development and relationships Very good. As they move up the school, pupils take their responsibilities very seriously. This is particularly evident in the School Council. Relationships within the school are very good. Pupils have responded well to the recently developed policies on behaviour management and anti-bullying and they work and play together co- operatively. Pupils show great respect for their teachers. Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above the national average. Unauthorised absence is below the national average. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 6

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Aspect Comment

Pupils like coming to school and they respond well to the expectations of staff. Relationships within the school are very good and pupils are increasingly responsive to the needs of others.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Overall strengths in teaching in all key stages include good planning, a wide and effective use of questioning techniques, helpful plenary sessions which summarise points learnt during the lesson and an effective use of behaviour strategies. Identification and support for gifted pupils are good in Key Stage 2. However, the use of assessment to ensure the match of work to ability is underdeveloped, particularly for the more able. Literacy and numeracy sessions follow the DfES guidance and are overall well taught; however, in Key Stage 1 the teaching of reading is insufficiently structured for the less able pupils and in Key Stages 1 and 2, opportunities for independent writing are limited. Overall, the school meets the needs of its pupils, but is on the whole more effective with less able pupils than more able pupils. Pupils are articulate, confident speakers, who listen carefully. By the time they leave

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

school, pupils' writing is frequently good, but the range of their extended writing is restricted. In Key Stage 1, pupils are confident readers with familiar texts, but are frequently unused to the consistent challenge of more difficult texts.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is carefully planned; it is overall broad and balanced. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is particularly effective in supporting pupils' developing understanding. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Overall, the provision for pupils with special educational needs enables the majority of these pupils to make good progress. The school has identified the need for further training of staff where pupils have highly specialised needs. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The needs of pupils with English as an additional language are well met.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for moral and social development is good. Pupils show a developing understanding for what is right and wrong. Within the School Council, they show concern for equality and fairness for all. Provision for cultural and spiritual development is satisfactory and is promoted through visits and celebrations of festivals, such as Divali. How well the school cares for its pupils Good overall. The welfare, safety and child protection arrangements for pupils are supported by clear guidance for staff, alongside a developing programme for personal and social education. The use of day to day assessment to support pupil target setting is inconsistent.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum is broad, balanced and carefully planned. Staff give appropriate emphasis to developing pupils' literacy and numeracy skills. The interesting displays throughout the school, visits and after school clubs further enrich pupils' opportunities for learning. However, sometimes withdrawal of pupils from class lessons such as literacy, numeracy and science for SEN support, inhibits their learning opportunities in these subjects. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher and the deputy have a clear vision of the school's strengths and weaknesses and these are identified in the school development plan and other documentation. They have been identified through analysis of results and thorough monitoring. Appropriate priority is given to identified weaknesses, although responses to weaknesses in reading in Key Stage 1 have been slow. School improvement is supported by committed co-ordinators who are working with staff to improve standards. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are very supportive of the school and have a good understanding of their role. They ask important and relevant questions about standards and this is helping to shape the school's long term vision. Governors fulfil their statutory duties. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school works with the LEA to evaluate its

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Aspect Comment

performance against national and local standards. This process has highlighted appropriate areas for development. Monitoring of individual pupils' performance has to date been insufficiently rigorous; strategies have now been put in place to ensure that this work will more fully impact on developments within the school. The school is now engaged in refining its assessment procedures and target setting for individual pupils in order to support this process further. The strategic use of resources Good. The school has well defined procedures to support the strategic use of resources. For example, pupils have benefited from a recently installed ICT suite, the need for which was previously identified in the school development plan.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher gives a clear sense of direction to the work of the school. This is well documented and is shared with relevant personnel. Although the majority of governors are fairly new in post, they are nevertheless developing a strategic overview and ask challenging questions. They pay due regard to the results in relation to those from similar schools. They are now ready to be more involved with the early analysis of school performance rather than being informed of results at a later stage. Monitoring procedures by the senior management team are secure and they are having an evident impact on the quality of teaching and learning. The need for further work on assessment is clearly identified as a priority and time has been allocated for this area of work. Co-ordinators understand their role and are working with staff to make improvements, although in some cases, insufficient attention is given to comparisons with similar schools and they are insufficiently involved with analysis

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Aspect Comment

of results and monitoring at an early stage. The need for further management training to support new co-ordinators has been identified. Overall, the school applies the principles of best value effectively.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Teaching is good. • They are comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The school helps their children become mature and responsible. • The range of activities outside lessons. • Information about their children's progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the areas which please the parents most. However, the team does not agree with parents on what they would like to see improved. There is a sufficiently wide range of activities outside lessons and sufficient information is given to parents about their children's progress. For both key stages, reports give good information about progress in all year groups. They provide information which is related to levels of achievement in the core subjects and there are "can do" statements for all foundation subjects. Reports are supplemented by termly meetings for parents. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 8

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Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes and very good behaviour in the classrooms

1. In the Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes. In the nursery, pupils were able to sit and listen to sounds on a tape, such as a clock or a hoover, and respond effectively to questions such as, "What do you think the sound is?" "Have you heard it?" "When did you hear it?" They also replied politely with "Thank you," and "No thank you," when asked if they would like a piece of fruit. This approach to school continues through Key Stage 1. Pupils listened well and responded enthusiastically to open ended questions in, for example, a maths lesson when they were being asked questions related to the ten times table. In Key Stage 2, pupils consistently concentrate well, work hard, show an interest in what they are doing and join in when appropriate. For example, in plenary sessions at the end of lessons, pupils listen appropriately and contribute effectively. Their approach to learning enables them to

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Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes and very good behaviour in the classrooms

reflect on aspects of the lesson and consolidate their learning. For example, pupils in Year 4 were asked to choose appropriate adverbs to go into a text and explain their choice. Many of the pupils found explaining their choice quite challenging, but their positive attitudes enabled them to think through their ideas and express their developing ideas with confidence.

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Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes and very good behaviour in the classrooms

2. Behaviour in classrooms is overall very good. Pupils throughout the school sit and listen both when they are directly involved and when other pupils are being instructed. For example, in Key Stage 1, in Year 2, pupils are given instructions for the week and in both Year 2 classes, pupils were observed listening to these for about 15 minutes. There are pupils with behavioural difficulties in the school who are on the special educational needs register and these pupils are well supported by a range of adults. The behaviour of these children can be disruptive. However, the majority of pupils tend to ignore this behaviour and carry on with their work, despite the potential difficulties. Overall therefore, the positive attitudes which are encouraged by the teaching and other staff, enable lessons to take place in a way that is effective for pupils. Pupils continue to behave very well as they move between classes and at the beginning and end of

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Pupils consistently demonstrate positive attitudes and very good behaviour in the classrooms

3. The positive attitudes noted during the inspection are developed and supported by the School Council, whose members take their responsibilities very seriously and show concern for more vulnerable pupils, such as those who are younger or disabled. They show a pleasing concern for fairness, as when members of the council considered the rights and wrongs of having another football pitch on the playground. The members decided that this would be unfair to other groups of pupils.

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Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is very good and has a very positive impact on

the learning and progress made by pupils in the Foundation Stage.

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Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is very good and has a very positive impact on

4. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes has a clear sense of direction and is very focused on developing pupils' learning. Planning reflects the Early Learning Goals which were introduced into schools in September 2000.

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Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is very good and has a very positive impact on

5. In both classes, teachers make available a full range of stimulating activities. These help to embed the learning of basic skills by developing and re-enforcing ideas within the context of meaningful and memorable activities. For example, in the reception class, the teacher had developed a range of ideas around cooking and invitations. This included different groups of pupils successfully developing their knowledge, understanding and skills in communication, language and literacy and mathematics through working and playing constructively. The range of activities included; writing a party invitation, reading the menu with the nursery nurse, cooking cakes from play-dough with the support of an adult, and learning about numbers by setting a table for a party of six, with six beakers, plates, hats, balloons and buns. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 9 6. In both classes, teachers use questioning skilfully to develop key vocabulary as well as pupils'

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Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is very good and has a very positive impact on

knowledge, understanding and skills. When appropriate, they use open-ended questions; for example, when looking at a picture, children are asked to describe what is happening. At other times questions are used to develop skills, as, for example, when pupils were asked to change initial sounds in three letter words to make rhyming words, as in "bat" for "cat".

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Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is very good and has a very positive impact on

7. As a result of this very good teaching, pupils make very good progress during the Foundation Stage. When they come into the nursery they are working at expected levels of achievement; they show, recognise and name familiar objects and sounds and they use the mouse appropriately with the computer. By the time they are in the first term of the reception class, most pupils speak in full sentences, are able to read familiar words, know their sounds and build words from three sounds. In mathematics, they can add to five and demonstrate their answers, using the fingers on both hands. They can concentrate for twenty minutes, take turns and share resources. Pupils are therefore well on target to exceed the expectations laid down in the Early Learning Goals.

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

8. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is consistently good. Out of 15 lessons, eleven were good or better, with one very good and one excellent. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Overall, teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of English, mathematics and science and this effectively supports the teaching and learning for the majority of pupils. Lessons are well structured, with clear objectives which are shared with pupils. This provides a supportive framework which ensures that lessons are well paced. As a consequence, pupils' knowledge, understanding and skills are developed on the basis of secure foundations. For example, in a Year 4 lesson on the use of adverbs, the teacher used helpful examples and through a range of activities encouraged pupils to identify, choose or use their own adverbs. Such work in the lower part of Key Stage 2, provides a necessary scaffold for work in the later years of Key Stage 2 and

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

contributes significantly to the high standards in the core subjects.

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

9. Teachers have high expectations for the majority of pupils and they develop their understanding through a good range of questions. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, for example, the teacher expected that all lower ability pupils would be able to name and classify different triangles and their properties. The teacher built confidence by asking pupils the correct mathematical names for triangles and then went on to explore pupils' knowledge of, for example working out the size of an exterior angle. The range of knowledge that was developed by these questions and the answers was supported by clear explanations which were appreciated and understood by pupils. The emphasis on learning provides the foundation for good behaviour management. Teachers encourage pupils to be involved in their own learning during the lesson. This occurs, for example, when pupils are asked to show, by a discreet show of fingers, whether they have understood,

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

think they will have understood by the time they have completed the work or require a lot more support in order to understand. Behaviour management is further developed by the use of well- structured activities which keep pupils engaged. However, at times, these activities are unnecessarily dependent on worksheets and do not always challenge the most able. The good teaching is frequently well supported by additional classroom support, including that from the headteacher, deputy, support assistants and staff from the local education authority. This is particularly helpful in raising achievement for pupils with special educational needs and those from ethnic minorities.

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

10. The consistently good teaching supports the standards that are above the national average in English, mathematics and science. In all three subjects, standards have been well above the national average between 1998 and 2000. In 2001 all subjects dipped, although pupils' overall average attainment, in comparison to other schools, was higher in English than in mathematics and science. These results were confirmed in the observations and scrutiny of work, although the work of more able pupils was at times found to be below pupils' capability, for example, when pupils with the capacity to write effectively had completed worksheets which, for them, were undemanding. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 10 11. The school measures progress against results gained at Key Stage 1 and their analysis shows that pupils who remain at Grand Avenue Primary make more improvement than those who have come in from other schools. However, this improvement is greatest in English and least in

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

mathematics. The profile of boys' and girls' attainment varies according to the subject. In the last two years, girls have gained higher results in national tests in English than boys; before this time, results were more equal. In tests for mathematics and science since 1997, boys have usually attained at higher levels than girls. However, in 2001, girls attained at higher levels than boys in mathematics and attainment in science was equal for boys and girls. The school is monitoring the attainment of all pupils quite carefully and is beginning to analyse the results of groupings of pupils, such as gender and ethnicity groupings, in order to enable the development of appropriate strategies to support equal opportunities.

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

Formal procedures of parental consultation have a positive impact on the work of the school.

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

12. The school has a systematic approach to involving parents in the work of the school. In addition to using formal questionnaires on a regular basis to gather information, the headteacher organises focus groups to support school initiatives. Volunteers are sought and the headteacher aims to include different volunteers in each group, although she is clearly dependant on applicants. She also aims to include a representative range of parents from different year groups. Parents have, for example, helped develop the home school contract and booklets to support mathematics, as well as supporting the development of behaviour and anti-bullying policies.

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

13. In the case of the recently developed behaviour policy, parents were invited to a workshop to review the existing policy and 28 attended. With the anti-bullying policy, parents were invited to attend training given by the advisory teacher from the local education authority. As a result, the 24 parents who attended joined in a brainstorming activity and helped clarify the wording of the policy itself. Parents who have been involved in these activities recognise the value of this approach and feel that the school has formal systems in place to gather and use parental opinion to shape its work. Parents interviewed during the inspection also feel that they are well informed about the work of the school. They cited the termly parent consultation, the curriculum newsletters, which give ideas on how parents might help their children at home and general information newsletters. When parents have a concern, the headteacher has appropriate formal

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Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good and leads to high standards in English, mathematics and

mechanisms through which these can be heard. However, there is a small group of parents who do not feel that their individual anxieties are listened to in the same positive way and that they are not involved in making decisions, but are informed of outcomes. Nevertheless, the school takes a lead in seeking parental views in relation to the development priorities of the school and as a result, parents make an important contribution to the work of the school. This is particularly evident in the positive attitudes and good behaviour that have been identified as strengths of the school.

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To further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment

procedures which have been developed by the school.

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To further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment

14. Since the school's previous inspection in June 1997, the school has worked hard to develop its assessment procedures. It monitors pupil progress over time through an appropriate use of tests in Key Stage 1 and annual testing of English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 2. Teachers take account of these tests to group pupils and to match work according to their ability. Where this is used most effectively pupils make good progress and reach high standards. However, insufficient use is made of daily assessment to ensure a consistently refined match of work to pupils' growing knowledge and understanding.

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To further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment

15. In the last six months, the assessment policy has been revised and the school has bought in outside expertise in order to support them in developing a tighter assessment framework. As a result of this work, the co-ordinators for English and mathematics have developed criteria to support National Curriculum assessments for their subjects. These provide an extremely helpful starting point for discussion and potentially for the subsequent development of assessment and improved learning by children. Teachers have copies of these criteria and have given positive feedback to co-ordinators. However, teachers have yet to work together in assessing pupils' Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 11 work, using them. Consequently, they are not yet used in a consistent and coherent way throughout the school.

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To further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment

16. Overall, therefore, assessment does not yet lead to consistently helpful marking or target setting. Nevertheless, there are examples of marking where teachers' comments are beginning to clarify the next steps in learning for pupils, but this approach is not well developed throughout the school. Similarly, the quality of target setting which is developed from assessment is very different between classes. In one class, pupils have targets written in envelopes at the beginning of their books; this a supportive approach to developing pupils' learning, but these targets are not then referred to in a consistent way when work is marked. In other classes, there is no evident target setting related to learning in any of the pupils' books. Assessment of reading is also underdeveloped. The majority of pupils are reading books fluently, but there is no consistent way of assessing pupils' strengths and development points in a way that enables them to consciously

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To further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment

develop strategies for improvement. Consequently, pupils are not being challenged by their reading, nor is there a system for sharing reading targets with parents.

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To further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment

17. However, the school does have the potential to move forward in this area. There is already a secure system of monitoring teaching and learning and observations are used to identify priorities. Given that work by co-ordinators is already underway and that assessment is a priority in the forthcoming plan, there is a clear framework through which this area of work can be developed, implemented, monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis.

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To improve standards of the more able by ensuring that teaching consistently reflects the

work already developed in the school to support the learning of these pupils.

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To improve standards of the more able by ensuring that teaching consistently reflects the

18. The school has a policy that supports achievement of gifted and talented pupils. The implementation of this policy is effective in relation to pupils with particular gifts. For example, one pupil aged 9 years gained a high grade when he sat his GCSE in mathematics and then moved successfully to a choir school. Staff have had initial training on developing the learning of gifted and able pupils and the school identifies and tracks the progress of the more able. However, there is evidence in both key stages that, although individual able pupils make good progress, as a group, they do not make the good progress that is made by the majority of pupils who have special educational needs. For example, in Key Stage 1, although the majority of able pupils meet their targets in reading, they are less likely to in writing or mathematics. In Key Stage 2, results in 2001 show a fall in percentage attainment at the higher levels in all the core

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To improve standards of the more able by ensuring that teaching consistently reflects the

19. Observations of teaching and scrutiny of the work confirmed these results, even where lessons were good, overall. In Key Stage 1, for example, observations indicated that pupils who were confident, independent writers were at times working at tasks with an emphasis on copying ideas, rather than developing them. This was a missed opportunity for independent writing for the most able. In Key Stage 2, the scrutiny of work in English included examples of writing that were well above national expectations. In such instances, pupils' writing was consciously structured with an effective use of complex sentences and precise and varied vocabulary. However, these same pupils had been involved in completing many worksheets which did not encourage them to use or develop their evident capabilities. A timetable of support for more able pupils is in place, but the approaches identified in the school’s policy are not yet fully embedded into day to day

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To improve standards of the more able by ensuring that teaching consistently reflects the

20. Monitoring in classes by the headteacher and deputy head has indicated that developing the day to day opportunities for the more able is the next key area of work in relation to the implementation of their policy for the more able. The programme of monitoring that the school has in place provides a system which has the potential for careful scrutiny and evaluation of ongoing teaching opportunities for this group of pupils. This would enable good practice to be identified and disseminated. Similarly, the Governors' sub-committee structure has the potential for ensuring that closer attention is focused on the monitoring and evaluation of this area of work. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 12

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

compare more favourably with those in similar schools.

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

21. In Key Stage 1, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are all at the national average and according to information provided by the school, individual pupils are currently working at levels anticipated by their levels of attainment when they were in the reception class. However, overall, pupils in the Foundation Stage make very good progress and start at the end of reception at levels that are above the expectations identified in the early learning goals. This very good progress is not maintained and, by the end of Key Stage 1, pupils' achievement in reading is well below the average of similar schools, as defined by the percentage of free school meals. In writing and mathematics, achievement is below the average of similar schools. Reading results have declined since 1998; writing dipped in 2000 and has slightly improved in the most recent results. In mathematics, the dip against national standards has occurred for the first time in 2001.

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

Within this context it is important to note that, in writing and mathematics, less able pupils tend to make good progress and pupils who are on the borderline of being more able have made less progress than anticipated.

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

22. A sample of pupils was heard reading. They read fluently and work out unknown words intelligently. The school operates a system whereby children read books at a particular level; this supports the development of a broad understanding of reading. However, reading is not sufficiently well monitored. In the home reading scheme pupils choose their own books and record the title on a sheet which goes home for parents to sign. The system does not ensure sufficient challenge for the most able and is not sufficiently structured for the least able. For example, one pupil who was a beginner enjoyed the pictures, but the level of difficulty in the text was too high and she could not, therefore, pick up enough cues to use the knowledge she had acquired about letter sounds. In writing, the scrutiny of work indicated good attention to the detail of capital letters and full stops, but there was a limited range of writing and a low expectation of

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

how much should be written. There was also insufficient range between what was expected by the least and the most able children. The scrutiny of work in mathematics also showed that the range of work for the different groups of pupils does not reflect the wide range of ability. Overall, teachers do not have high enough expectations of the most able. This acts as a hindrance to even better progress and higher attainment for these pupils.

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

23. Observations in classrooms showed that, on occasions, teachers did extend pupils' thinking by careful questioning, but this was not consistently the case. There were also examples where teachers spent too long talking to pupils, without getting oral feedback from them; teachers were not, therefore, in a position to assess pupils' understanding. Consequently, teachers did not, on these occasions, reinforce important points that had not been understood, nor were teachers in a position to take pupils' ideas forward. There were also occasions when teachers were engaged in a dialogue with pupils, as in one mathematics lesson when pupils' ideas for multiplying by ten were clearly valued, but the teacher did not move their ideas forward by indicating the strengths and limitations of their ideas.

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

24. The school recognises that there is work to be developed in all three subject areas. Monitoring by the headteacher shows a good awareness of the detailed work that needs to be achieved. Indeed, observations by the team show that work on the quality of teaching has already had an important impact on improving the quality of teaching in this key stage. This has yet to have a long-term impact on standards in a way that supports raising of attainment against that in similar schools. However, the school did not react sufficiently quickly to the drop in reading attainment which started in 1998 and it was over reliant on the positive effect of the literacy strategy on standards in reading. The English co-ordinators have designed a reading record that can be used to develop a dialogue between the school and home that has the potential to support further progress in reading. They expect to implement this in the January term 2002. Overall, the

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To improve the standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

anticipated work on assessment and improving the attainment of the most able also has the capacity to further improve the quality of teaching and learning in reading, writing and mathematics. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 13

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) To further improve standards for all pupils by a more consistent use of the assessment procedures which have been developed by the school.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Use assessment criteria to moderate pupils' work in English and mathematics. • Ensure that marking throughout the school consistently supports pupils' learning • Agree and implement a consistent approach to developing target setting for individual pupils. • Agree and implement a system of recording assessment in reading which enables pupils to develop strategies for improvement. • Monitor and evaluate agreed changes on a continuous basis.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) To improve standards of the more able by ensuring that teaching consistently reflects the work already developed in the school to support the learning of these pupils.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Scrutinise work of pupils to ensure that the level of challenge is appropriate and consistently applied. • Monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching for the more able. • Identify and disseminate good practice.

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(3) To improve standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

compare more favourably with those in similar schools.

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(3) To improve standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

• Implement the reading record that has been designed and monitor and evaluate its effectiveness in raising standards. • Develop the use of assessment (Key Issue 1) in reading, writing and mathematics. • Ensure that the policy for more able pupils is implemented in Key Stage 1.

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(3) To improve standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1, so that they

(paragraphs 21 – 24) Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 14

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 19

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 4 13 44 35 4 0 0 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 four percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 435

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 7 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 106

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 80

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 26

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 33

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 15

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 43 26 69

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 35 38 39 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 25 25

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (99) 91 (97) 93 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 37 41 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 25 25

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (97) 96 (97) 91 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 36 33 69

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 33 27 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 32 27 29

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (97) 78 (93) 91 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 33 33 35 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 32 33 30

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

Percentage of pupils School 94 (88) 96 (90) 94 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 16

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 31 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18.6 Financial year 2000/1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income £966,994

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 16 Total expenditure £938,581

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 296 Expenditure per pupil £1,956

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year £43,422

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year £71,835

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 9

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School - 17

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 36 51 7 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 22 65 5 2 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 19 62 8 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 22 59 9 3 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 51 40 2 6 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 43 44 3 2 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 29 55 11 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 41 47 4 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 39 52 1 1 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 18 40 18 5 14

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Other issues raised by parents

A few parents had concerns in relation to the identification of pupils with special educational needs. The inspection team found that the school is appropriately using the criteria laid down by the London Borough of Kingston to identify pupils.

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