Twin Oaks Primary School

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 th – 13 th June 2001

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SIR FRANCIS DRAKE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 194697 Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 2 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Scawen Road Deptford London SE8 5AE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, Sir Francis Drake Primary School.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev. T Jacquet

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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responsibilities

19115 Eileen Chadwick Registered inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology What sort of a school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9446 Helen Griffiths Lay inspector How high are Standards? Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents 16760 Dorothy Latham Team inspector English, Music, Art and design, The Foundation Stage, English as an additional language. 15917 Robert Cross Team inspector Science, Geography, Physical Education, Equal opportunities, Special educational needs 15271 Brian Farley Team inspector Mathematics Religious education History How good are curricular opportunities offered to pupils or students? 22745 Rosalind Johns Team inspector The inspection contractor was: Phoenix Educational Consultants, “Thule”, 60 Joy Lane, Whitstable,

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responsibilities

Kent, CT5 4LT 01227 273449 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: Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 5 The Complaints Manager, Inspection Quality Division, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Sir Francis Drake Primary School is an average sized primary school educating boys and girls between four and eleven, serving the inner city area of Deptford. Overall, there are slightly more boys than girls but in Year 5, there are twice as many girls as boys whilst Year 6 has three times as many boys as girls. Three quarters of its 195 pupils, including the 30 children in Reception, come from minority ethnic backgrounds and are mainly from Vietnamese or African cultures. A very high proportion, three quarters, speak English as an additional language. Forty-nine pupils are at an early stage of learning English and are mainly younger pupils. More than 20 different languages are spoken and the main languages are Vietnamese, Yoruba, Chinese and Twi. The rate of mobility is high as 13 joined and 28 left other than at the normal entry time. The school has 45 pupils on its register for special educational needs, mainly for literacy or behavioural difficulties and four pupils have statements of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

special educational need. These numbers are broadly average. Nearly a half of the pupils receive free school meals, which is very high. The attainment on entry is very low. It is very low in speaking and listening and personal, social and emotional development and well below average in mathematical development.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with many strengths. The school strives with much success to meet the needs of the diverse community it serves. By the time pupils leave the school at eleven, they have achieved very well and their attainment is often in line with pupils of a similar age despite their very low starting point. The very strong leadership of the headteacher, and the successful teamwork with other senior managers and the governors, have led to much improvement in the past four years. Teaching is good and staff work hard to ensure the pupils enjoy school, develop good attitudes to learning and try their best. Standards in National Curriculum tests have improved very well in recent years and, in 2000, the school won an achievement award for being one of the most improved schools in the country. The findings of the inspection show that standards are still rising in English and mathematics. The school provides very good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The very good leadership of the headteacher, the senior management team and the governing body is resulting in improving standards and the school is now thought of highly in the community. • Good teaching is enabling pupils to make good progress and leads to average standards in reading, spelling, mathematics, and science by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Standards in information and communication technology, art, and design and technology are above average by the end of Key Stage 2. • Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is very good, and that for pupils with special educational needs is good, which enables these pupils to make substantial progress. • There is very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development leading to pupils behaving well in and out of classrooms and an impressive degree of racial harmony. • The staff work together very well to ensure that all pupils, whatever their family and language background,

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

can benefit from their schooling. • Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are much improved since the previous inspection and now meet requirements. What could be improved • Provision for physical development for children in Reception, as the outdoor play area is inadequate and the written policy is not in line with the new curriculum for the Foundation Stage. • The breadth of curricular opportunities for history and geography. Not enough time is spent on these areas and there is limited written work. • Opportunities for pupils to take part in a wider range of speaking and listening activities. 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 June 1997. Since then, it has made very good progress and is much improved. The vigorous action taken by the headteacher and the governors has brought about very good improvements in teaching, which has resulted in far higher standards in National Curriculum tests in mathematics and science by 11. The findings of the inspection also show that standards in English and mathematics have improved this year at age seven as well as at eleven. The school has addressed its key issues from the previous inspection very Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 8 well. Standards of behaviour, attendance and punctuality, information and communication technology, design and technology are very much improved, and music has improved well. The governing body now makes very good provision for monitoring the achievement of boys and girls and different ethnic minorities and fully meets its statutory responsibilities. The school has addressed its weaknesses in English well, and improvements for

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

pupils with English as an additional language have been very good. Standards in art are higher and the school has maintained average standards in physical education and religious education and the good progress made by pupils with special educational needs. However, within this very favourable picture, standards have declined in geography and history. The school has an excellent capacity for improvement in the future.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds 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 D well above average above average A B Mathematics D D D B average below average C D Science E E C A well below average E

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STANDARDS

National Curriculum results for mathematics and science have improved very well over the last four years. In English, standards improved well up to 2000 when they dipped. This was due to a high proportion of boys with literacy special educational needs, some of whom were late entrants to the school. Compared with similar schools, pupils did well in mathematics and science but, in English, standards were below similar schools. However, compared with their earlier attainment in national tests at seven, including the high proportion of late entrants, pupils achieved very well in mathematics and science and their achievement was satisfactory in English. The school has set very challenging targets for 2001 for 70 per cent of its pupils to achieve at least Level 4 in English and for 88 per cent in mathematics. Pupils are on course to achieve these targets for English although fewer are on course to reach the targets for mathematics. Inspection shows standards are continuing to improve.

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STANDARDS

This is because of high expectations for each pupil, whatever their starting point, demanding targets, very strong monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ progress and teaching and learning, and booster classes for seven and eleven year olds.

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STANDARDS

The findings of the inspection compared with all schools: • By the end of Reception, children have made good progress but their attainments are well below average in communication, language and literacy and personal, social and emotional development and all other areas of learning except mathematical development which is below average and creative development which is average. • By the age of seven, pupils reach average standards in reading, mathematics, including numeracy, science, information and communication technology, music and physical education. Standards are above average in design and technology and art and design but below average in speaking and listening, writing, history and geography. • By the age of eleven, pupils reach average standards in reading, mathematics, science and physical education. Standards are above average in information and communication technology, design and technology and art and design. Standards are below average in speaking, writing and history and

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STANDARDS

geography. Standards in music are improving through the school but are below average by Year 6. Standards meet the requirements of the agreed syllabus for religious education at both key stages. • Pupils achieve very well in this school. Pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress, those with special educational needs and higher attaining pupils make good progress.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Aspect Comment Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 9 Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils enjoy school and want to learn. Most listen attentively to their teachers. Children in Reception often have a limited attention span, which gradually improves through high expectations and sensitive and competent teaching.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. They understand what is expected of them and want to follow the school rules. On the rare occasions when pupils misbehave, they improve their behaviour when reminded.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships are very good and have a positive effect on pupils’ learning and attitudes to school. Pupils from the different cultures respect each other’s beliefs and they work and play very well together. Pupils take responsibility well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. Pupils are punctual and this is helping to raise standards. Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes are much improved and this promotes a happy and purposeful learning atmosphere. The school has given high priority to improving attendance and the procedures are very effective.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. Teaching is good overall and this is raising standards. Teaching and learning were satisfactory or better in all lessons. They were good or better in 71 per cent, with 27 per cent being very good. The teaching of literacy is often good and pupils learn well. Literacy lessons are often enjoyable, challenging and well matched to pupils’ attainment. Numeracy lessons are satisfactory with strong teaching seen in Reception and Years 2, 4 and 5. In these classes, teachers instruct and question well and ensure that pupils see the purpose of their learning, lessons often have a practical content and pupils do a lot of thinking and work. Teachers have good subject

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

knowledge, high expectations, often manage pupils well and ensure that pupils use information and communication technology as a natural tool for learning. Pupils with English as an additional language are taught very well, and pupils with special educational needs are taught well. Weaker aspects of satisfactory lessons were that organisation and management of pupils were not as effective as in good lessons and lower attaining pupils did not spend enough time reading during a Year 3 literacy lesson.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum is well planned and often provides a rich educational experience with good extra curricular activities. Teachers link subjects well in science, mathematics, design and technology and art when pupils solve real problems. The literacy and numeracy strategies are raising standards. Curricular time for history and geography is too low in Key Stages 1 and 2. The long term written plans for the new Foundation Stage are not in place and the outside area is too small.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall. There are good assessment of pupils’ needs and pupils are well provided for during group work but sometimes work in class lessons is not so well matched.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional Very good. Very good provision during specialist lessons, and good provision in class lessons. Pupils are identified early and there is much high quality early Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 10 language support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Moral, social and cultural development are very well promoted. Spiritual development is well provided for. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong because staff encourage them to respect all members of its community and the property of others.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are very well cared for. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic, personal development and behaviour are very good. The school has established a good partnership with parents and this makes a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Parents think highly of the school. The school monitors the progress of different ethnic groups carefully and provides support sessions for different groups, for example, in aspects of mathematics for girls.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has an excellent vision for improving the school and provides very strong yet sensitive leadership. The headteacher, deputy headteacher, and the governors are a very strong and effective team.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors have a very clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They fulfil their statutory duties very well and help to steer the direction the school takes.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school rigorously analyses its performance through the examination of performance data and teaching. It sets appropriate priorities and develops very good systems so that it can achieve these targets.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school manages its resources very efficiently, with careful planning and budgeting. Teachers are valued as the school’s main resource and their skills are developed well for the benefit of the school. Learning support assistants are well trained and briefed and have a good impact on pupils’ progress. Computers are very well used. There are enough teachers and the number of learning support assistants is generous and appropriate for this school. The accommodation is satisfactory. Upper junior classrooms are small and the school, rightly, plans to extend these. The school celebrates and displays pupils’ work and the learning environment is very welcoming. Resources are good. The school seeks to get best value by comparing costs with other schools.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school and enjoy learning. • The good progress their children make. • The high standards of behaviour. • The good quality of the teaching. • The very strong sense of community and racial harmony. The school is welcoming and approachable. • The leadership and management of the school. • They feel that the school provides a fine environment. • A small proportion were unsure how homework linked with class work and thought that it was inconsistent in amount and quality.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team supports the positive views expressed by parents and finds that the quality of homework is good and is regular.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils achieve very well in this school as, by the time they leave at eleven years old, they reach standards which are average overall. This represents very good progress since the attainment on entry of children to Reception at four years of age, although wide ranging, is very low indeed, particularly in speaking and listening and personal, social and emotional development. It is also very low for the high proportion of late entrants to the school, a significant proportion of whom enter with special educational needs in literacy or behavioural difficulties or with limited English. In the current Year 6, over a half entered later than the normal point of entry and, due to family upheaval, several have left and rejoined the school several times. In the 2000 Year 6, mobility was not quite as high as one third entered late. 2. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children attain standards that are well below those expected

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

for this age in communication, language and literacy, personal, social and emotional development and physical development. Children attain below average standards in mathematics and in knowledge of the world whilst their attainment in creative development is average. Children make good progress in all their areas of learning apart from in controlling larger movements in their physical development. This is because outside play facilities are inadequate to support physical development. Children with special educational needs are identified early and are provided with good support, which helps them to make good progress. The very high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress in learning to speak English and in learning to adjust to school. Their progress in all other areas of learning is good. 3. Analysis of the 2000 national tests for seven-year olds shows that, compared with all schools,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils attained well below average standards in reading and mathematics and below average standards in writing. Compared with similar schools, pupils’ attainment was average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. Standards have improved consistently in reading and mathematics for the past three years, although there was a slight drop in writing in 2000. Overall, standards in reading and writing have improved faster than the national trend from a very low base. 4. Analysis of test results shows that, over a three year period, boys have performed much better than girls. The inspection found no significant differences between the attainment or progress of boys and girls. The assessments made by teachers in 2000 matched test results well for reading, and mathematics but were higher than test results for writing. The assessments made by teachers showed pupils’ speaking and listening skills were well below average whilst their attainment in science was

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

average. 5. The inspection’s findings are that compared with all schools, seven-year olds attain average standards in reading, mathematics, including numeracy, science, information and communication technology, music and physical education and above average standards in design and technology and art and design. Standards meet the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus for religious education. Standards of speaking and listening, writing, geography and history are below average. 6. By the time they are seven, pupils enjoy listening to stories and rhymes and generally listen attentively. This is a great achievement for the school as many cannot concentrate adequately on entry to the school. Pupils speak confidently but, although the length of their sentences is satisfactory, their vocabulary is limited and they do not all use grammar correctly, especially those who are at an early stage of learning English. Pupils enjoy reading, handle books carefully and have a satisfactory

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

grasp of phonics. Many read accurately and able pupils read fluently and expressively. Most can write a brief description with satisfactory spelling and punctuation whilst those still at lower levels write a few simple sentences. More able pupils use a good range of vocabulary but their sentences are sometimes simple. Handwriting is below average as some still have difficulty presenting neat work. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 12 7. In mathematics, most attain at least average standards. Pupils order numbers to 100 and use addition and subtraction facts to ten when working with larger numbers. They understand doubling and halving, have satisfactory knowledge of 2 and 3 dimensional shapes and measure carefully. They tell the time using both digital and analogue clocks and use simple graphs to show data. Higher attaining Year 2 pupils successfully manipulate numbers exceeding 100. Most have sound mental

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

arithmetic skills, however, a few are slower and still rely heavily on fingers for counting. 8. In science, pupils make simple tests using mathematics for collecting results. They understand properties of materials well, for example, that some changes are irreversible. They also have satisfactory understanding of life processes and living things and are beginning to categorise animals by their similarities and differences. Pupils have sound understanding of forces and apply this to design and technology well. They do not suggest enough ideas or ask enough questions to help them to decide how to plan their own tests although this is now developing appropriately. Pupils use information and communication technology as a natural extension of their work in other subjects, especially in literacy, numeracy and design and technology and communicate ideas in pictures, words and mathematical data. Pupils have sound levels of computer skills, including when working with the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

keyboard. 9. Analysis of the 2000 national tests for eleven-year olds shows that, compared with all schools, pupils attained well below average standards in English, below average standards in mathematics and average standards in science. Compared with similar schools, from the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, pupils’ attainment was below average in English, above average in mathematics and well above average in science. 10. Compared with similar schools based upon prior attainment on entry to Key Stage 2, including one third who entered in Key Stage 2 from other schools, pupils’ attainment was average in English and very good in mathematics and science. This indicated good progress overall in Key Stage 2 with some very good progress in mathematics and science compared with pupils’ previous attainment. The school has made very good progress in improving standards over the last four years from a very low

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

base and standards have been rising faster than the national trend. In 1997 overall standards were very low compared with national averages whilst in 2000 they were below average. 11. The combined test data for the years 1998 to 2000 show no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls in mathematics although boys out performed girls in English and science. Although no significant differences were observed between the attainment of girls and boys, the school carefully monitors the progress of boys and girls and different racial groups for any sign of underachievement. The school sets relevant targets for individual pupils. Where underachieving groups have been identified, the school provides enrichment sessions, for example, for speaking and listening and literacy skills for Vietnamese pupils, for improving the geometrical skills of underachieving pupils and girls’ mental arithmetic skills. These strategies are appropriate.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. The school’s formal targets for 2000 for 50 per cent of its pupils to attain Level 4 or above in English and mathematics were too modest. They were exceeded in 2000 and were lower than the standards attained in 1999. The targets set for 2001 are very challenging for 70 per cent to achieve Level 4 or above in English and 88 per cent in mathematics. The school is on course to achieve its targets for English, but the findings of the inspection show that in mathematics fewer are on course to achieve Level 4. 13. The findings of the inspection are that, compared with all schools, eleven-year olds attain below average standards in English. Standards of reading are average but standards of speaking, listening and writing are below average. They attain average standards in mathematics, including numeracy, science and physical education and above average standards in information and communication technology, design and technology and art and design. Standards meet the requirements of the agreed

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

syllabus for religious education. They are below average in geography, history and music. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 13 14. Pupils have satisfactory listening skills. They often speak confidently and most are fully fluent in English by this stage. More able pupils have a well-developed vocabulary and use complex sentences. However, lower attaining pupils are often inhibited when speaking in large groups and all pupils do not make enough formal presentations to large audiences. Pupils often enjoy reading, read fluently and use skimming and scanning for quickly identifying information. The proportion attaining average standards in writing is just below expectations. Many write for a good range of purposes and handwriting is good. Spelling and grammar are satisfactory. 15. In mathematics, pupils know their number facts, including multiplication tables and can solve number problems satisfactorily. They understand algebra well and can devise their formulae for

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

working out areas and perimeters of rectangles. Higher attaining pupils have good problem solving skills and devise formulae for more complicated shapes. Pupils know how to make spreadsheets and line graphs for showing their data and can extract data from charts well. 16. In science, pupils have at least satisfactory knowledge of science and their understanding of electrical circuits is good. They know the purposes of different switches and how these work, and apply this knowledge very well when solving problems in science and design and technology. Pupils’ investigative skills are satisfactory overall although they do not suggest their own ideas enough or plan their own experiments to test them well enough. Pupils’ information and communication technology skills are good in word processing, data handling and graphics and satisfactory in control technology. Pupils apply information and communication technology well to English and very well in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Their regular and challenging computer work in mathematics is having a positive impact on raising standards for older pupils in Key Stage 2. Pupils successfully use information and communication technology in many subjects, making very good progress in Key Stage 2 and achieving very well by the age of eleven. 17. Design and technology and art and design are strong throughout the school. Pupils are very creative and show good thinking and practical skills in these subjects. Art is used very well to enhance learning in other subjects, including design and technology. 18. Pupils apply literacy skills to science, design and technology and religious education satisfactorily but there is limited written work in geography and history. In history and religious education, pupils’ writing is sometimes untidy. They apply numeracy well in science, design and technology and information and communication technology but not in geography.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

19. Compared with their attainment on entry, the standards pupils reach in English, mathematics and science represent very good achievement overall. Pupils achieve consistently well in each stage of education through good quality teaching. The high expectations, excellent assessment and target setting by the headteacher and teachers for each pupil’s academic and personal development ensure that pupils always achieve their best. This, and consolidated periods of revision in their last year before pupils leave the school, is raising standards very well in English, mathematics and science. 20. Pupils’ achievement in the other subjects is good overall, with very good achievement in design and technology and good achievement in art and design and physical education. Pupils are now making good progress in music although standards are still below average by eleven. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in religious education. Their progress in history and geography is

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

unsatisfactory in both Key Stages 1 and 2. Little time is spent on these subjects and skills and knowledge develop erratically. 21. A very important aspect in raising achievement is that pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress. Those at an early stage of learning English make a very good start in beginning to learn the language through very good support and this progress continues through the school. Pupils with English as an additional language generally do well in the national end of key stage assessments at both key stages, and especially at Key Stage 2, frequently showing similar, and Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 14 sometimes better, ranges of results than their peers. The progress of pupils with English as an additional language has improved very well since the previous inspection. 22. Pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements of special educational need,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

make good progress and reach good standards for their capabilities. This is the same judgement as that made by the school’s last OFSTED inspection. The individual education plans for these pupils are carefully devised and show appropriate but challenging small steps in learning which the pupils can obtain and, thus, make progress. Learning targets for pupils with special educational needs are regularly reviewed and revised and show steadily increasing levels of achievement. Some pupils have made sufficient progress to be removed from the register of special educational needs or to have their level of need reduced. However, in some subjects, for example, history and geography, the work for pupils with special educational needs is not sufficiently matched to their needs. 23. Higher attaining pupils make good progress through the regular provision of challenging and well matched work. This results in the proportion of eleven-year olds attaining Level 5 in English,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics and science being close to national averages despite few attaining above average standards on entry to the school. The progress of the very able is satisfactory. This group is expanding, with the increasingly effective teaching and improved identification procedures. For example, due to very good provision in information and communication technology in Key Stage 2, a minority now have excellent computer skills and knowledge although few pupils have access to computers at home. 24. Since the previous inspection, standards in national tests in English, mathematics and science have improved very well from a very low base. Overall, there has been good improvement in standards in other subjects. Standards are very much improved in information and communication technology by the age of eleven and in design and technology by seven and eleven. Standards in art have improved well through the school and are higher in music by seven, and rising in Key Stage 2. Standards are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

similar in information and communication technology by seven, and in religious education and physical education by seven and eleven. However, pupils’ progress in physical education is now good in Key Stage 2 whereas it was satisfactory. Standards in history and geography have declined.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

25. Children in the Reception year feel safe and secure. They are interested in all that goes on around them but they are often socially and personally immature. Their attention spans are very short indeed, and they rarely persist in activities for long without losing interest. Their behaviour is generally satisfactory, because the teacher and her assistants are skilled at managing young children, and sensitive to their needs but, despite this, some behaviour is challenging. Most can sit quietly only for a limited time and listen for very short periods and children tire quickly. Relationships between adults and children in the Reception year are very good. 26. Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, attitudes to learning are good. Behaviour is good. Personal development and relationships are very good. This represents a considerable improvement on the findings of the last inspection, when the behaviour of some pupils had an adverse effect on learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Parents at the meeting and in response to the questionnaire were unanimous in their approval of the attitudes and values promoted by the school and of behaviour in school. They felt very strongly that the school encouraged their children to become mature and responsible. 27. By the end of Key Stage 1, except on the few occasions when work is inappropriately pitched, pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They are keen to come to school and punctuality is good. Pupils are well motivated, interested in their work and are eager to contribute to discussions. They listen well to one another and to their teachers. They work well together in small groups and share ideas well. Participation in extra-curricular activities is high. Behaviour throughout the school is good, in lessons, assemblies and at play times. Pupils support one another very well. In a very successful literacy session for pupils with English as an additional language, pupils were very keen to learn and confidently

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 15 read out their work to the whole class. The other pupils were very interested in the success of their peers and were quick to praise them. Pupils know the school rules well and praise from adults is highly valued. Pupils move around the school in a purposeful way and the school functions well as an orderly community. 28. There is an impressive degree of racial harmony. Older and younger pupils play well together and boys and girls mix well. There is no evidence of bullying and pupils feel confident that, should it occur, it will be dealt with quickly and fairly. Relationships within the school are very good. Teachers act as excellent role models of courtesy and fairness. Pupils are friendly and welcoming to visitors. There have been no exclusions this year. There were two fixed period exclusions last year, a substantial improvement from previous years .

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

29. Pupils with special educational needs have good attitudes to learning, which is the same judgement made by the school’s last OFSTED inspection. Most show interest in their work and try hard to succeed. They co-operate and relate well to the learning support assistants and teachers that they work with. Those with behavioural difficulties generally show good attitudes. However, on occasion, they lose concentration and exhibit inappropriate behaviour but they are quickly brought back on task by the adult they are working with. 30. Pupils willingly undertake responsibilities and there are many very good opportunities for them to do so. All pupils have tasks to do in class and older pupils have a variety of responsibilities such as helping with assemblies, the school office and play equipment. Year 6 pupils help in the Reception class with reading and games. The school council meets with the headteacher every month and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

members take their duties seriously. They produce many good ideas, which the school has taken up, such as the “friendship bus stop” for playtime. Pupils are learning to take responsibility for planning and managing their scientific experiments and this was seen in a very good Year 4 science lesson. The teacher, by her organisation, ensured that both girls and boys were given equal opportunities for suggesting ideas for tests and taking responsibility for planning tests. 31. Attendance, which was unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection, is now in line with national figures. Unauthorised absence is below average. Punctuality is now good. There have been very good improvements in attendance and punctuality since the previous inspection.

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32. The quality of teaching and learning is good. All lessons were satisfactory or better, including 71 per cent that were good or better. Just over one quarter of all teaching was very good. This is a very good improvement on the previous inspection when teaching was only satisfactory in seven out of ten lessons and only a quarter of lessons were good. The very good teaching was found mainly in Years 4 and 6 and during specialist lessons for pupils with English as an additional language. 33. Teaching is good in all stages of education and, in each stage, there is some very good teaching. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is very good and that for pupils with special educational needs is good. Both of these areas are very high priority in this school and the strong specialist teaching for these pupils, and the good quality class teaching for all pupils, has had a

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favourable impact on standards pupils achieve and the progress they make. 34. The major strengths of the teaching throughout the school are the way teachers make the learning relevant to pupils’ daily lives and provide interesting work so that pupils want to learn. Pupils’ work often has a practical content and real life link. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and they are often skilled when managing pupils, which promotes good learning. They ensure that pupils know the purposes of their lessons and are usually very patient when explaining them. The teachers use a good range of teaching styles, including instruction and questioning, and often provide opportunities for pupils to share ideas in small groups and learn from each other. Throughout, the school teachers use pupils as role models very effectively and the pupils know that teachers value their contributions. Teachers plan carefully and usually ensure that work is well matched to the needs of all abilities. Their subject

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Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 16 knowledge is often good and this enables them to teach subjects rigorously. The use of specialists, with strong subject knowledge and skills, for teaching physical education in Key Stage 2 and music through the school is ensuring that these subjects are consistently well taught. Teachers have very good relationships with pupils and, a striking feature is how class teachers create happy, calm and purposeful atmospheres for learning. Teachers set clear targets for pupils and often have high expectations of what they can achieve. In the most effective lessons, they give time deadlines and ensure that pupils work productively throughout. 35. Teaching and learning in the Reception year are good overall, and range from satisfactory to very good. This is a good improvement on the mainly satisfactory teaching found previously. The management of pupils is good. The teacher and support assistants are sensitive to both the personal

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and academic needs of these young children. The teacher’s knowledge and understanding of the curriculum for the Foundation Stage are good. Teaching methods are effective; especially for developing speech and reading, mathematics, and creative development. Expectations are appropriate and work is well matched to the capabilities of the children. Planning is clear and detailed, and is based on the nationally recommended curriculum for the Foundation Stage. Support assistants are well briefed and deployed and work very effectively as a team with the class teacher. The amount of support is good and classroom assistants make a valuable contribution to the children’s learning and their progress. Assessment is generally good and is used well to inform planning. A new addition to this is the forthcoming use of more detailed steps, linked to the nationally set goals. Transfer of records at the end of the Reception year is comprehensive, and there is good liaison between the

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Reception year and Key Stage 1. 36. In Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching and learning is good. This is a very good improvement from that observed during the previous inspection when two out of every ten lessons were unsatisfactory and there was little good or better teaching. During this inspection, 17 observations were made: the teaching was very good in four, good in ten and satisfactory in three. The teaching of English, including literacy, science, information and communication technology, design and technology, art and music is good. The teaching of mathematics, religious education and physical education is satisfactory with good teaching in numeracy and physical education in Year 2. 37. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is good. This is also a very good improvement compared with the previous inspection when four out of every ten lessons were unsatisfactory. During this inspection, 34 observations were made: the quality of teaching and learning was very good in

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eleven, good in thirteen and satisfactory in ten. The quality of teaching in English, including literacy, art, music and physical education is good. The quality of teaching in design and technology and information and communication technology is very good. The quality of teaching in mathematics, including numeracy, is satisfactory, with very good teaching in Year 4 and good teaching in Year 5. The quality of teaching in science and religious education is satisfactory. Examination of pupils’ previous work shows that, at both key stages, teaching and learning in history and geography are unsatisfactory. Although good geography lessons were seen in Year 2 and Year 4, the teaching of knowledge and skills in these areas is very unsystematic. 38. The National Literacy Strategy is often taught well through the school. In the very good lessons observed in both Years 1 and 2, the teachers taught phonics very effectively and enthusiastically

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through games. The teachers modelled the sounds with very clear diction, made very good use of the pupils’ suggestions, matched work to all pupils’ needs and promoted the learning of all abilities very well. In a very good Year 6 literacy lesson, the teacher aroused the pupils’ interest by her choice of text, which strongly appealed to pupils’ sense of humour. Her very good subject knowledge and teaching, and the arousal of pupils’ strong interest, promoted pupils’ rapid learning of how to create different effects in stories for particular purposes. In these, and all good or better lessons in literacy as well as other subjects, teachers use time very effectively. They manage pupils well and no learning time is wasted through the need to keep disciplining pupils. However, when lessons are satisfactory Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 17 there are some weaker elements. In a Year 3 literacy lesson, the teacher provided good opportunities

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for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills and to talk and think about the shared text. However, the shared text was rather small and the amount of time spent reading the text together was short. This particularly limited the learning of lower attaining pupils who became restless during the whole class session as they still need much daily practice with larger and easier reading texts. 39. The National Numeracy Strategy has been successfully implemented and this is raising standards. It is well implemented in Years 2, 4 and 5 and promotes pupils’ good learning in these classes. In a very good lesson in Year 4, the teacher’s very good class management ensured that maximum time was spent on learning. The teacher gave a very good demonstration of how to try different approaches for multiplying large numbers. She taught the pupils thinking skills by asking them to explain the rules she had used. Her strong modelling of her own thinking aroused pupils’ interest and

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showed pupils that thinking is a skill that needs to be learned. Her presentational skills, speech, handwriting and use of visual aids, are excellent role models for pupils. In satisfactory lessons, weaker features include less successful class management where teachers do not insist pupils fully attend before they instruct, fewer opportunities for pupils to develop different ways of finding answers and explain their thinking and not enough attention to teaching ability groups during group work. 40. Behaviour management is good overall. This is a very good improvement on the last inspection, when behaviour management was too often unsatisfactory. Teachers are well supported through very good behaviour management systems. The occasional shortcomings in behaviour management lead to a few pupils becoming restless when work is too hard, or when the teacher does not explain activities clearly enough, as in a Year 1 physical education lesson.

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41. Teaching and support for pupils with English as an additional language is very good overall. The specialist teacher is very effective in the way she tutors individuals and small groups, organises the support provided by assistants and teachers and also teaches alongside class teachers. Most of the specialist support is targeted at those at the early stages of learning English and is in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. However, some pupils at early stages of learning English join the school during Key Stage 2 and these pupils also receive targeted support in the same way. There is very careful planning to ensure pupils learn successfully in each lesson and that their and skills develop over time. Assessment is very good and each pupil has an individual education plan. Targets are very clear and promote thorough planning. Pupils are taught through a very effective mixture of in class,

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individual and group support. Individual or group tutorials, by the specialist teacher or assistants are very well focused for promoting careful listening, such as for early phonics or very basic stages of vocabulary learning. Class teachers are well aware of pupils’ needs, plan work carefully and respond to them sensitively and classroom assistants provide very valuable support. Class teachers often emphasise discussion, group work and learning through practical work which helps pupils with limited English to develop a range of vocabulary quickly. For example, Year 1 pupils learned about scientific forces when they made moving pictures in design and technology. 42. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good. This is an improvement of the findings of the school’s 1997 inspection when teaching was judged to be “effective”. The good quality of the teaching and learning of these pupils was illustrated in a group

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session for Year 4 pupils. The teacher had chosen work centred around the school as a basis for extending the pupils’ vocabulary, writing and social skills. As they knew the school well, they were stimulated and able to take part confidently. A relaxed and purposeful working atmosphere, which helped to develop the pupils’ social skills was quickly established. The pupils were asked to suggest and write words related to the school as preparation for writing a short story and for their homework. They did this with good levels of application and confidently asked the teacher for help when they encountered any difficulty. The teacher encouraged the pupils’ independence by asking them to identify and use words on display. The improvement of their phonic skills was built naturally into the lesson as the teacher helped the pupils to correct sounds that they were not pronouncing correctly. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 18

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The teacher’s expectations of the pupils were conveyed to the pupils as they were encouraged to think carefully and as they were set time limits for completing their work. 43. Day-to-day assessment is good overall. Teachers use praise and encouragement, often provide good feedback during lessons and fine-tune their lessons to meet the needs of different learners. However, the quality of marking is variable, especially in mathematics, as it does not always tell pupils how to improve their work. A few parents at the parents’ evening were concerned about homework as they were not sure whether it supported class work. The inspection team found provision for homework to be good overall and supported the targets set for pupils in English and mathematics. This is helping to raise standards.

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44. The school provides a broad, rich curriculum that is relevant to pupils’ daily lives and encourages good progress and personal development. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught. Religious education meets the requirements of the agreed syllabus. 45. The curriculum for children in Reception is satisfactory overall. The nationally recommended Foundation Stage curriculum is appropriately planned and the National Literacy and Numeracy frameworks are well implemented and adapted. The curriculum recognises the importance of first hand experience, of developing language and thinking and of children’s creativity. However, in physical development, opportunities for children to select apparatus for developing and controlling their larger body movements are unsatisfactory. This is due to a lack of space and equipment in the outdoor area. Although the curriculum follows the nationally recommended areas of learning, the policy,

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scheme of work and assessment systems known as “Stepping Stones” for the new Foundation Stage are incomplete. The school is aware of this and has planned to put these in place. 46. The nationally recommended minimum weekly lesson time is met in Key Stage 1 and exceeded in Key Stage 2. The amount of time devoted to teaching English is very high, as raising standards in literacy is a major priority. Time devoted to most other subjects is appropriate but below average time is spent on history and geography, leading to pupils’ unsatisfactory progress in these subjects. The headteacher and the governors’ decision to allocate much time to English to improve basic skills is justified by the improving standards. The school carries out an annual audit of pupils’ attainment and then adjusts allocations to subjects according to priorities. An example of this is seen in information and communication technology and religious education, which have had much time devoted to them in

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order to improve the subjects. The headteacher rigorously monitors the attainment and progress of all pupils and this information is effectively used to develop aspects of the curriculum. The governors have also established a committee that monitors the curriculum and it has begun to track and record the progress of a group of pupils through the school. This is to determine if the curriculum matches pupils’ needs. 47. The school has successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. They have been appropriately resourced and are having a good impact on helping to raise standards throughout the school. Since the last inspection, the school has also implemented good quality schemes of work for all subjects. Most of these are based upon those provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, although some are substantially modified to meet the needs of the school. Provision for teaching information and communication technology, design and technology and music

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has been considerably improved and the school now meets the statutory requirements for collective worship, which was also a weakness at the previous inspection. 48. The school makes very good use of curricular time, and makes learning very relevant to pupils, when pupils solve real problems that cross subject barriers. For example, in science, art and design and technology, older pupils design and make model chairs and burglar alarms for science and design Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 19 and technology. Business and industry links also make learning relevant to pupils. This was seen when Year 2 pupils visited a Blackheath pizza restaurant and learned about the world of work as well as the scientific and mathematical processes of creating pizzas from basic ingredients and how to design and make their own pizzas. 49. The school provides a wide range of extracurricular activities for enriching the curriculum. The

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take-up is good and these experiences make very important contributions to pupils’ skills and personal development. The findings of this inspection confirm the views of parents who were satisfied with the range of extra curricular activities. However, a few expressed concern that none was provided for pupils in Key Stage 1. Depending upon the time of year, pupils in Key Stage 2 have, for example, opportunities to take part in a choir, chess club, gardening, football, netball and cricket. There is also a very good computer club. Members of staff and governors organise and run these activities. Instrumental tuition is offered to all pupils in Years 5 and 6 and they have the alternative of learning to sail. A wide range of visits enhances the curriculum. Pupils have visited the National Gallery, the Golden Hinde and the science museum. They have also visited the local church, a synagogue and a

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mosque for their religious education studies. Years 4 and 5 pupils have been to Horton Kirby field study centre for geographical work, comparing rural and urban areas. 50. The quality and range of learning opportunities for pupils with English as an additional language are very good. Pupils follow the National Curriculum, but the pace is adapted for individual needs. The very good specialist provision for accelerating their learning in English enables them to make good progress in their subjects. Planning and provision for pupils with English as an additional language have improved very well since the previous inspection, when there were some weaknesses in some classes. The curriculum is fully available to all pupils. There is an excellent equal opportunities policy and this is reflected very well in practice. The school’s overriding aim is to consider and provide equal opportunities for all and to combat disadvantage.

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51. Pupils with special educational needs have access to the National Curriculum that is similar to that of other pupils. Care is taken to ensure that, when these pupils are withdrawn from lessons for support, they do not miss out on the work going on in the classroom and thus fall further behind the other pupils. Their individual education plans contain appropriate targets that, for example, relate to the development of language, social skills and reading as well to improving their attendance. These plans and the support that pupils with special educational needs receive from teachers and learning support assistants promote their progress well. In some cases, when pupils with special educational needs do not receive specialist support, the work they are given is not well matched to their needs. It is often too hard for them and they do not complete it or make enough progress. These judgements are similar

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to those made by the school’s 1997 OFSTED inspection. Pupils with behavioural difficulties receive specialist support for part of the week. This is having a significant impact on improving their behaviour. 52. The school very successfully promotes the personal, social and health education of its pupils through everyday life and teaching. The well-structured programme emphasises a healthy lifestyle and incorporates drugs and sex education. It is approached through timetabled lessons, circle time, assemblies and drama workshops. Priority is given to promoting pupils’ self-esteem and encouraging pupils to explore their reactions and solutions to everyday problems. There are good nurture groups for girls in the upper juniors, aimed at raising self-esteem, and similar groups for pupils with English as a second language. The school council makes a significant contribution to citizenship. The police and

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fire services visit regularly to give talks on road, rail and river safety and Year 6 pupils take part in the junior citizens programme. 53. Overall, the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. It has improved well since the previous inspection when it was judged satisfactory overall. Furthermore, the implementation of strategies to manage the behaviour of pupils has led to significant improvement. In the Reception class, provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Spiritual Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 20 development occurs in story, poetry, prayer, and music. Moral development is given high priority, along with social development, in day-to-day activities and the issues these raise. Opportunities for developing social abilities include the good provision for role-play, group work, and learning to take turns. 54. In Years 1 to 6, provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good overall. Collective worship and

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religious education provide a wide range of experience for pupils. For example, in one act of worship led by a member of the clergy, pupils were introduced to the Christian belief in the three-person nature of God. Pupils responded well to this and showed sustained interest. On another occasion, the values promoted by the school were very prominently presented in a drama about the nature of love and hope and self belief. Pupils have regular opportunities in class time to gain insight into values and beliefs in religious education. Other aspects of spiritual education occur in subjects such as art and music, but overall, there is little systematic planning for this in most subjects. 55. Provision for the moral development of pupils is very good. The school has a very positive moral ethos. Collective worship and religious education make a significant contribution to pupils’ understanding of moral issues and high expectations of pupils’ behaviour are supported by realistic

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school rules. An anti-bullying policy is established with a focus upon ensuring that pupils understand its requirements. They have a good understanding of the differences between right and wrong because the school encourages them to respect all members of its community and the property of others. There is a strong drive on the part of the headteacher and staff to develop the self-esteem of pupils and help them to peacefully resolve conflicts that may occur. The very good ethos of appropriate moral behaviour promoted by the school, is regarded by the headteacher as fundamental for the successful development of pupils’ personal and academic attainment and progress. 56. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. There are high expectations that pupils should develop good social skills and relationships. All pupils have clear targets for personal and social development and the headteacher monitors pupils’ progress in achieving them. There is a very clear

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focus on anti-racism. Adults are first-class role models for pupils and demonstrate respect and courtesy in their dealings with them. The employment of two male members of staff is a further example of the determination of the school to provide positive role models for boys. Pupils have good opportunities to exercise responsibility. For example, they plant and care for the gardens and pupils in Year 6 often help with those in the Foundation stage. There are good opportunities for pupils to work co-operatively together, for example, in physical education. Contact with the wider world is encouraged by the pen pal links with a school in Ghana and e-mail contacts in Holland. Pupils in Year 6 gain in social awareness when they make their school journey to Arethusa. During the inspection, pupils were friendly, polite and well mannered at all times. The findings of this inspection confirm the very positive views of parents about the quality of the moral and social education that the school

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provides. 57. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Through subjects such as art and music, they develop an appreciation of their own culture and that of others. Music is used very well to promote cultural awareness. The pupils are taught to appreciate the way in which musicians and composers from different cultures have engaged in creative activity. The cultural backgrounds of pupils with English as an additional language are celebrated and respected. Songs, music, drama and literature enhance the school’s enjoyment and celebration of cultural diversity. There have been visits from theatre groups, musicians and an artist in residence to extend the understanding of pupils with respect to the range and depth of human creative activity. Religious education makes a strong contribution to pupils’ understanding of the diversity of belief. For example, pupils study religions such

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as Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism as well as Christianity. 58. The local community makes a considerable impact on pupils’ learning. Local building companies have given good sums for minor projects and various larger companies have given substantial donations for making the library and the computer suite. Members of the local football club and local Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 21 craftspeople have visited the school. Parents have given talks on different religions. Students from five local secondary schools undertake work experience and student teachers and nursery nurses use the school as part of their training. There are satisfactory links with the local senior school to which about half the pupils transfer. Teachers from Sir Francis Drake, and from the secondary school exchange pastoral and academic information and the two schools work closely on families with problems. The secondary school runs a summer school for primary children as well as football and

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music activities. There are good links with the local nursery school and the teacher and pupils from the Reception class visit the nursery before the nursery children visit the school. Reception children have planted trees in the nursery garden.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

59. The school is a very caring community, which has effective procedures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its pupils. Local Education Authority guidelines on child protection have been adopted. The deputy headteacher, who is the designated person, has not been formally trained. However, the special educational needs co-ordinator, who is also closely involved in monitoring this area, has been fully trained. Links with social services are satisfactory and the school nurse provides considerable support. Health and safety practices are good. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and the degree of involvement by the governors is high. The level of supervision at lunch and play times and security are very good. One minor safety concern has been communicated to the governors. 60. Overall, arrangements for the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are good. They are very good in English and mathematics. In English and mathematics, the procedures are particularly

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effective because the headteacher monitors the work of all pupils and, therefore, knows exactly the levels at which they are working and what needs to be improved. He discusses pupils’ progress with each teacher on a regular basis and is able to set attainment targets for both individuals and classes. The co-ordinator for science operates a similar system. Pupils, and their parents, are made aware of the targets set for them and this makes a very good contribution to the development of their motivation and self-esteem. Pupils’ personal development is very closely monitored. In the other subjects, co- ordinators have begun to develop assessment procedures and these are often linked to the national planning guidelines used by the school. However, both planning and assessment are unsatisfactory in history and geography. 61. The use of assessment is good overall. Information from assessment is used very well for

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

planning in English, mathematics and information and communication technology and satisfactorily in science. This is much improved since the previous inspection. The information is used particularly well to identify those pupils with particular learning needs and to plan specific support. In both Key Stages 1 and 2, the school makes very good use of the data from the end of key stage tests, and that from the optional tests for Years 3, 4 and 5, to set very demanding targets and to measure the performance of pupils. Detailed analysis is carried out of pupils’ performance in tests and in their work to set targets for their attainment in the annual statutory tests. This means that the progress of individual pupils is very effectively ‘tracked’ from the time that they enter. 62. Children in the Reception year feel safe and secure and relationships between adults and children are very good. Pastoral care of children is very good. Support and care are provided while at the

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same time encouraging independence. The programme for teaching and learning is well planned to meet the children’s different needs. Individual targets are set which are regularly reviewed, and are discussed with parents at the twice-yearly consultations. Assessment and monitoring of children’s attainments are good, and follow both baseline assessment and assessment in the nationally designated six areas of learning. 63. Assessment for pupils with English as an additional language is very good. Academic progress is individually tracked, and are results thoroughly analysed by ethnic groups as well as by gender. The results are used to plan provision to address any underachievement. Personal development is also Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 22 closely watched, and emphasis is placed on developing confidence and providing support. Teaching and support staff are caring and ensure that those at early stages of learning English are able to make

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their needs known and to understand what is going on around them. They make sure that these pupils are not isolated but can make friends and feel comfortable and secure. 64. Assessment procedures for pupils with special educational needs are good. They are identified early and accurately and good use is made of the assessments of pupils on entry for this purpose. Careful use is made of assessment information to decide the content of individual education plans. Progress towards the targets on individual education plans is carefully recorded and, when the plans are reviewed, this information is used to decide on future targets. 65. The school carefully tracks pupils’ personal development from the initial baseline, with targets being set and shared with parents and pupils. Classroom records are carefully kept and the head teacher and class teachers discuss concerns weekly. Annual reports include very good monitoring of

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personal development. Concerns about underachieving pupils are quickly followed up. The headteacher monitors the work of all pupils during the year and very good notes are sent to parents. 66. Behaviour management is very good. The approach is consistent throughout the school and combines a positive behaviour strategy with a variety of rewards for good behaviour, hard work and effort. Expectations of behaviour are high and the sanctions are clear and understood by all. Questionnaires contribute to the “Bullying Index” in Year 5, to ensure that pupils feel safe and confident. The school council runs questionnaires to ask pupils if they are happy. 67. Procedures for monitoring attendance and punctuality are very good. The midday supervisor daily checks the registers and the headteacher scrutinises them weekly for patterns of lateness and absence. Lateness slips are given and three such slips in a week trigger a letter to parents. The school

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telephones the parents of absent pupils on the first day of absence. These procedures, combined with awards for good attendance, have raised attendance rates by six per cent over recent years. There are good links with the educational welfare officer. Registration takes place promptly at the beginning of sessions and ensures a calm and efficient start to the day.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

68. Parents at the meeting and in response to the questionnaire were very supportive of the school and all that it does for their children. They felt that the school had gone from strength to strength since the last inspection. Nearly all felt that the teaching and behaviour were good, that their children were encouraged to become mature and responsible, and that the school was well led and managed. One or two expressed concerns about supervision after school or homework. A few felt that there could be more extra-curricular for Key Stage 1 children. The findings of the inspection support the parents’ positive views. Supervision after school was found to be good. Homework was found to be a useful support to class work. The amount of provision for extra-curricular activities is similar to that found in most primary schools with good provision for Key Stage 2. 69. The school has worked very hard and effectively to achieve the good links with parents that now

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exist. The information provided for them is good. The prospectus and the governors’ Annual Report are very attractively presented, easy to use and comply with statutory requirements. Newsletters are frequent and good advance warning is given to parents about forthcoming events. Good information is provided each term on the curriculum to allow parents to help their children with their learning. It includes good guidance on homework. The induction pack for new parents is good, although insufficient information on helping children with reading is given. All parents have signed the home/school agreement. Home/school reading books are used very successfully as a dialogue between home and school. Reports are very good. They are helpful and diagnostic. 70. There are close links with parents of children in Reception, which greatly eases the transition to school. Both parents and children are invited to visit the school before children start. Members of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 23 staff make home visits to each child’s home, before children visit the school. A number of parents help in school. The baseline assessments made soon after entry are discussed with parents. 71. The school makes every effort to make good links with the parents of pupils with English as an additional language, and has an open door policy for parents with any worries or enquiries. This area is much improved since the previous OFSTED inspection. Interpreters are currently provided for a number of Vietnamese parents and their children’s reports are translated for them. The school also links with the locally organised education translation service to have school documents translated as necessary. Some school documents are available in Vietnamese, Chinese, Cantonese, Gujerati, Hindi and Turkish. The school runs support groups for parents of pupils with English as an additional

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

language from time to time, according to requirements, such as family literacy groups. A recent initiative has been an after school club for Vietnamese parents and their children in information and communication technology. 72. The school has good links with parents of pupils with special educational needs. This area has improved since the school’s last OFSTED inspection. Annual reviews of the progress and needs of pupils with statements of special educational need are carried out as required. Parents of these children are present at the review or, if they are unable to attend, their views are fully represented. Similarly, parents of children with individual education plans are made aware of the targets on these plans and are involved when any review of the targets is carried out. The special educational needs co-ordinator and class teachers are readily available at all times to parents who wish to discuss their

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child’s progress. Nevertheless, the school is keen to build on and further improve its links with parents and this is a key action on the school’s special educational needs action plan. 73. A small number of parents help in school on a regular basis. Others have visited the school to demonstrate skills such as spinning and music and to discuss their religious beliefs. Good numbers help on trips, visits and on sports days. Virtually all parents go with their children on the annual school trip to the seaside. Parents feel welcome in the school. Attendance at class assemblies and school performances is very good. The Friends Association organises a good range of social and fund- raising activities for improving the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The leadership and management of the school are very good. This has strengthened since the previous inspection when the leadership of the headteacher was strong and that provided by the governing body was sound. The headteacher provides very good leadership. He has an excellent vision for improving the school and provides very clear direction. He has introduced very effective systems for realising the school’s vision of “High standards all” and “We take steps to combat disadvantage and aim to provide equal opportunities for excellence”. He works closely with the capable deputy headteacher and, together with the strong staff, they work together very effectively to create a welcoming and very positive learning atmosphere. The governing body works closely with the school to help to steer its direction and the leadership it provides is very good. The sense of purpose, harmony and community is very strong and this is the result of the close teamwork between

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the headteacher, the staff and the governing body. All are concerned with continuously improving the school, setting high standards and providing an environment where all pupils can thrive, despite many starting school at very low standards of attainment. The quality of education provided, pupils’ attitudes to school and their attendance have improved very well since the previous inspection. The school has an excellent capacity to continue to improve in the future. 75. Effective leadership and management are evident in the successful raising of standards in National Curriculum tests. At the time of the previous inspection, soon after the headteacher joined the school, standards in 1997 tests for eleven-year olds were in the lowest five per cent in the country. Since then, standards have risen year on year, and, at a rate greater than the national trend. This is a school that strongly evaluates its own teaching methods and progress. Strong factors in raising attainment have

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

been the thorough implementation of a very clear behaviour policy, rigorous monitoring of teaching and Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 24 learning and pupils’ attainment and progress, action to improve pupils’ attendance and the thorough analysis of the school’s performance data in order to set targets for the future. School improvement planning is very good and there are very specific goals with time scales for implementing, monitoring and evaluating actions. There has also been overall good improvement in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. However, within this favourable picture, standards in history and geography have declined. 76. The governing body is very well led. The chair of governors is strongly committed to school improvement. He is a very regular visitor to the school and has a very good understanding of school life and the needs of the community. He is well supported by members of the governing body who

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

represent the diverse nature of the community the school serves. This enables the governing body to be very sensitive to the concerns of parents. There is a very effective committee structure and the governors provide an excellent range of expertise to help the school to move forward. Governors’ visits and monitoring have a clear focus towards evaluating the school’s strengths and weaknesses and monitoring school improvement. 77. Co-ordinators’ roles are well developed and these have considerably improved since the previous inspection. Co-ordinators review curricular policies and provision, provide good vision for improving subjects, support teachers in their planning and teaching and rigorously monitor planning. All co- ordinators have produced suitable action plans for improving their subjects, manage budgets and have good levels of subject knowledge. 78. The co-ordinator for pupils with English as an additional language supports and manages provision

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for them very well. Her organisation of the planning of the work, together with the assessment and tracking of pupils’ achievement, is very good indeed. The school has made very good progress since the previous OFSTED inspection in addressing its weaknesses. Funding for supporting pupils with English as an additional language is used very effectively. 79. The management of the provision for special educational needs in the school is good. This is the same judgement as that made by the school’s previous OFSTED inspection. The special educational needs co-ordinator works closely and effectively with learning support assistants and class teachers to promote the progress of these pupils. Support is focused on younger pupils in order to meet their needs and to remove them from the register of special educational needs if possible. The special educational needs co-ordinator has high expectations of the progress that these pupils are capable of

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

making. The management of the learning support assistants is very effective. They are briefed regularly each week, receive appropriate training and are well deployed. Funding for pupils with special educational needs is well spent. The role of the learning mentor for pupils with behavioural difficulties in relation to the special educational needs co-ordinator’s role is not clearly defined. 80. Financial planning is very good. Financial planning is closely linked to the school improvement plan, and through their visits and analysis of the school’s performance data, the governors evaluate well the impact of spending on the work and behaviour of pupils. The governors, headteacher and staff are committed to spending the annual budget to enrich the education and experiences of the pupils. However, the school is carrying forward a large contingency fund that has been accumulated over the past few years. This large sum is the partly the result of substantial sums raised by the

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

headteacher from donations from local industry. It is also the result of economising on supply cover, as the headteacher often teaches classes when teachers are away on courses or are sick. The governors have saved some of the budget in case long-term staff illness arises. The school is also saving money as it plans to extend the Year 5 and 6 classrooms as these are small for the size of the pupils. The school’s savings are the result of good budgeting and forward planning. Spending decisions are carefully related to obtaining best value for money. 81. The school’s very careful financial planning has led to much improvement in resources for information and communication technology. There is an excellent new computer suite and each class has two up-to-date computers. Each teacher also has a laptop. Computers are used very efficiently Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 25 and this is improving standards. Financial controls are good and conscientiously carried out. The

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school secretary and part time bursar keep systematic records that are closely monitored by the local education authority and the finance committee. 82. The school’s staffing has a good impact on the standards which pupils attain. The teachers are well qualified and have good levels of knowledge and expertise, which enables the curriculum to be taught effectively. The school is well supported by a generous proportion of classroom assistants, they are deployed well and have good knowledge of pupils’ work and their individual needs. They make a positive impact on the progress the pupils make. In the last four years, the school has had a high staff turnover; this has been the result of staff changes resulting from the last inspection. The induction arrangements for new staff are very good and there is a good staff development policy that is linked to the teachers’ individual targets. 83. The accommodation is attractive and the school has made a town site into an oasis by creating a

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

pretty courtyard garden and providing plants for decorating the school playground and classrooms. Displays of pupils’ work celebrate their achievement, making the school welcoming and inviting. The teaching space is mostly adequate to meet the demands of the curriculum. However, in Reception, whilst the indoor accommodation is satisfactory it is very full and not sufficiently carefully organised and the outdoor area is too small for outdoor physical development. Resources are good, including for bilingual pupils.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

84. In order to continue to improve the quality of education provided by the school the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) *Improve provision for children in Reception by: ( paragraphs 2, 45, 83,88, 100)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• completing an up-to-date foundation stage policy, scheme of work and effective assessment system; • improving the outdoor accommodation so space is adequate and there is suitable climbing and balancing apparatus, and safe playground surface; • ensuring that there is enough space for the use of wheeled toys.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise standards in geography and history by: (paragraphs 5,13,18,20,24,37,46,60,75,143

p.25

-

150) • increasing the amount of time for these subjects so that knowledge and skills are systematically developed through the school; • improving assessment procedures and the use of assessment to ensure work is well matched to pupils’ prior attainment; • providing opportunities for pupils to write for different purposes in these subjects; • ensuring that writing is always of a high enough standard and matched to pupils’ capabilities; • developing the co-ordinator’s role to include the monitoring of teaching in these subjects, so that teaching is of a consistently high quality throughout the school.

p.25

(3) Raise standards in speaking and listening by providing opportunities for pupils to take

part in a wider range of speaking and listening activities. ( paragraphs 5,6,13,14,39,107,108, 116, 118, Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 26 141)

p.25

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Ensuring the procedures for marking pupils’ work are applied consistently by all teachers and that pupils are given clear guidance on how they can improve. (125,130,145,149) • Ensure the co-ordinator for child protection receives her training as soon as possible. (59)

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

Items marked * are identified in the school development plan. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 27

p.26

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 30

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 195

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 89

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 45

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 93

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 28

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.27

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 28

p.27

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 16 12 28

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 13 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 10 9

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 82 (76 ) 82 (100 ) 82 (79 ) at NC level 2 or above National [83] (82) [84] (83) [90] (87)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 14 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 9 9

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 86 (79 ) 82 (83 ) 86 (90 ) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 18 6 24

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 58 ( 63 ) 67 ( 63 ) 88 ( 67) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 58 (71 ) 67 (67 ) 88 (67) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 29 • Omitted as fewer than 10 girls involved in the tests.

p.28

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 27 Black – Caribbean heritage

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 48 Black – African heritage

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 33 Other minority ethnic groups

p.29

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.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.6 Financial year 2000/1

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20..3

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y[ ] – Y[ ] Total expenditure 622,967

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 3,195

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 199 Balance brought forward from previous year 45,815

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 61,000 Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 30

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 60 40 0 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 38 0 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 60 30 9 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 73 21 6 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 79 19 0 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 83 14 1 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 73 23 4 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 77 23 0 0 0

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 32 0 0 1

p.30

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 55 35 6 0 4

p.30

Other issues raised by parents

The parents were very supportive of the school and said it had very much improved under the present leadership. Several wrote or said they felt fortunate to have their children at this school. Parents liked the family atmosphere, the harmony and the way their children want to achieve their best. They felt that pupils of all abilities achieved well, including higher attaining pupils. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 31

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85. Children born in the autumn enter Reception in the September, and the spring and summer born children enter in January. Many have already had some form of pre-school experience. Assessment made on entry to school shows overall attainment is very low compared with that normally found for children of this age. It is very low in personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy and well below average in mathematical development. Over two thirds of the children begin school with English as an additional language and a quarter have very limited English. The class teacher is appropriately qualified; she and her assistants are all well experienced with this age and work well as a team to form a secure and caring environment for the children. 86. The children make good progress through work and play activities that are well matched to their previous attainment. This is the result of good teaching, observation, assessment and recording of

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children’s progress. Assessment of standards is undertaken during the children’s first half-term and is also applied by the school later in the year to measure how much progress children have made. Children with English as an additional language make very good progress through receiving very good support. Pupils with special educational needs and higher attaining children are identified early and make good progress through being given well-matched work. 87. By the time children leave Reception, their attainment in communication, language and literacy and personal, social and emotional development is well below average, although they have made good progress from their entry levels. Children’s progress is good in speaking and listening, and in the beginnings of writing, whilst in reading and interest in books it is very good. This results in older, more able children reaching average standards in reading. In mathematics and knowledge and

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

understanding of the world, children attain below average standards through very good progress in mathematical development and good progress in knowledge and understanding of the world. In creative development, they reach average levels after very good progress. In physical development, their attainment is well below average after satisfactory progress. 88. Overall teaching and learning are good. An exact comparison with the findings of the school’s previous inspection is difficult as attainment and progress and teaching were judged by the age of five and not, as they are now, by the end of the Reception year. However, children’s progress was judged to be satisfactory and teaching was satisfactory. These are now good and the school has made good progress in improving provision for this age. The curriculum provided for the children is satisfactorily based on the national framework leading to the Early Learning Goals. However, the school’s policy,

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

scheme of work and assessment systems for the Foundation Stage are not completed to ensure the comprehensive implementation of the recommended framework that was seen during the inspection.

p.31

Personal, social and emotional development

89. By the end of Reception children are still well below average compared with children of their age but they have learned to work and play alongside others and to become more independent. Learning is good; children are learning to work and play with each other with enjoyment. Most enjoy the company of other children and share conversation while pursuing an individual game or activity although some still prefer to play alone. Very few engage in truly co-operative play and when this does happen, it is short lived, as many are socially immature. Staff are aware of this and do their utmost to promote collaboration and co-operative play. A good example of this was seen when a classroom assistant played the role of waitress in the classroom café, modelling the speech needed, for example asking which items each child would like to choose from the menu. Another example was seen when an adult played with a child when they used construction toys together. Children are able to dress and

p.31

Personal, social and emotional development

Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 32 undress themselves, sometimes with help. They gradually get to know where things are in their classroom and begin to help to tidy up. 90. Classroom procedures are well established and children gradually respond to the routines of the day, although this takes time and not all of the younger children understand daily routines. Behaviour is generally satisfactory but the teacher and her staff work hard at this and they achieve a good result given the starting point of most children. Many have very short concentration spans. They do not sustain activities for long, and chosen tasks are often abandoned. Again, the teacher and her staff select activities of interest to promote motivation and by intervening in play and with much emphasis on talk, strive to lengthen the children’s concentration. Short spans also mean that teaching is planned to incorporate plenty of repetition and to ensure that the children learn through practical activities.

p.32

Personal, social and emotional development

Children learn to adopt positive attitudes towards one another, and take turns. 91. Teaching and learning are good. This includes provision for play, imaginative activities and collaborative tasks promoted by adults, as well as direct teaching strategies. The teacher has created a safe and secure environment in which children are valued as individuals. Her management of children is good, and very good relationships between all create a pleasant atmosphere. The children have the confidence to explore because they feel secure and are happy.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

92. Standards found during the inspection show that, despite good progress being made, children’s attainment at the end of the Reception year is still well below that found in most schools. Children are able to listen for short periods. When given short instructions or demonstrations, and clear information, they can attend and take in information. However, their retention of information is not always good and this fact, together with short attention spans, requires considerable repetition of work. This is built in to the teaching strategies used. Most talk confidently but many have limited speaking skills, especially those at an early stage of learning English. Special attention is given to these pupils. They are linked to one of the assistants who monitors them and their needs consistently and cares for them. This creates a good bond with caring adults and enables progress in individual speech and

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

language development to be carefully noted. Children’s range of vocabulary and their grammatical structure are often limited. They like to speak to the adults around them, and to comment to other children playing and working alongside them. They are able to enjoy simple rhymes, poems and stories. All the assistants, as well as the class teacher are skilled in promoting the use of language, and in particular the use of language for thinking and reasoning, by the techniques of open-ended questions, descriptions and explanations. 93. Children enjoy sharing a Big Book with the teacher, and older and more able children are doing well in learning sounds and letters and can spell simple words. Children understand that print carries meaning and many have a good knowledge of letters of the alphabet. However, a considerable group does not yet have a sound working knowledge of all of them, despite the teacher’s good teaching of

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

phonics. Most children are still at the stage of enjoying handling books, looking at them and discussing ideas gleaned from the illustrations. Many can recognise the odd word or some familiar letters; older and more able children can already read simple texts with success. Writing is well below average across the range of achievement and is the most immature aspect of this area of learning. A few older and more able children can write two or three sentences. Others can occasionally spell a simple word correctly. Overall, about a half of the class, achieve the designated goals by the end of the year. The rest, are only able to write random letters and shapes, in a very unformed and uncontrolled way. Some of these are able to make an attempt to copy the teacher’s writing but others cannot do this. 94. Teaching and learning are good. Children’s understanding of, and interest in, books and reading

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

skills are well supported, there is good support for extending speaking and listening, and thorough attention to phonics. The teacher and her assistants all use questioning skilfully to encourage children’s responses, raise language levels and promote thinking in large and small groups. Assistants Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 33 are well briefed and are used effectively particularly for developing language through role-play and extending the speech of pupils with English as an additional language. The programme for communication, language and literacy is well planned and well linked to the National Literacy Strategy as recommended for the Foundation Stage. There is sound organisation and good choices of topics to interest the children.

p.32

Mathematical development

95. Children’s attainment on entry to school was not as low as in personal and social and language and literacy development although it is still well below what would be expected nationally. By the end of their Reception year, children’s attainment is below average after making very good progress. About half, including the more able and older, can add two numbers together within practical situations and are already reaching or on course to reach the expectations by the end of the year. The rest of the children are still working on learning to count and learning figures representing numbers and the concepts attached to them. Some still finds one-to-one correspondence, such as putting a daisy in each pot, quite difficult. Overall, these children have well below average skills in counting, manipulating and writing numbers to ten. Most enjoy number activities and stay on task but some cannot yet do this. Very good attention is paid to developing mathematical language. Children enjoy

p.33

Mathematical development

the games introduced by the teacher with the number line and flash cards, and are helped by the visual displays. 96. Teaching and learning are very good. Priority is given to practical activities to help children understand through talking and real life experiences. Expectations are appropriate for children’s capabilities and work is very well matched to different stages of development. Whole class sessions are well taught with clear purposes and good explanations.

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

97. Children’s overall attainment is below average by the time they leave Reception. Children are beginning to sort different materials into their properties and know how to make colourful woven patterns. They observe how plants grow and have planted beans and nasturtiums, knowing they need to water them to make them grow. They also know that growing beans have roots and they develop their observational skills through watching these grow. They have experienced walks in the immediate neighbourhood, such as a trip to the nearby park, and have talked about their journeys. Animals have formed another focus, and visitors such as kittens have proved an excitement. Children talk about themselves and their families, about their birthdays and their growth, and are learning to use vocabulary such as ‘yesterday’, ‘tomorrow’, or ‘once, long ago’, to represent time. They know that changes in materials occur when they make cakes and they observe what happens when water is

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

frozen. The children create their own inventions with waste packaging and construction toys, learning about materials, structures and moving parts. They know how to use the computer for simple matching activities. 98. Teaching and learning are good. Provision for all kinds of play for promoting this area of learning is good. In one satisfactory lesson observed, there were good features when the teacher gave a good demonstration of how simple pneumatic devices work. This exciting experiment combined aspects of both science and design and technology and aroused children’s interest in how air could be used to make something move. Their task of making a push up teddy fascinated the children. However, the organisation of the children at the end of the session was not totally smooth and prevented the lesson from being good.

p.33

Physical development

99. Attainment in this area of learning and development is well below average after satisfactory progress overall. Although children use their hands well to make and fit things together, as in jigsaw puzzles and in their play with construction toys, their manual dexterity and control in drawing, writing and colouring do not reflect the range of skills expected for this age. Children have made some Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 34 progress from a low start. However, their progress in clambering and in controlling movement is limited because of the lack of suitable equipment. Some have very poor letter formation. In painting, when large brushes are used, their control is better. At playtime and in physical education lessons, they are able to enjoy moving freely, and can run, jump and turn, but their control of movements is well below average. In games, where social development also plays a part, they are also very limited. In

p.33

Physical development

some skills, especially where there are social components, such as spacing out, not bumping, they are often more like children between three and four years old. 100. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Teaching in formal physical education is satisfactory. Activities are planned satisfactorily for the development of manual dexterity, such as the use of simple tools, scissors, brushes and pencils. However, suitable outdoor clambering and control activities, cannot occur due to the lack of space in the outdoor area. This is also too small for running about.

p.34

Creative development

101. Children attain average standards. Pupils use larger tools, such as brushes and printing shapes or sponges, and can express their ideas using satisfactory skills. In free painting, children make interesting compositions and patterns, using a variety of colours. Their paintings of playground games are vivid and lively. They carefully experiment with mixing paint in different colours and combinations. However, their drawings are immature and colouring is often uncontrolled. Many free choice activities are set up to encourage and develop the children’s creative and expressive skills. Children are introduced to the use of paint, crayons, collage, modelling with reclaimed materials, fabric work, weaving, and the use of malleable materials such as clay and play dough. Role-play is well supported by dressing up clothes, the café and the home corner. In music, children enjoy singing familiar songs

p.34

Creative development

and rhymes and learning new ones, and they like to clap or play a percussion instrument to accompany a song with satisfactory rhythm. They show their enjoyment of music by enthusiastic responses, and attainment in music is average for age. 102. Teaching and learning are good. Good provision is made for the arts, and children are able to enjoy expressing themselves in movement, sound and art. Children are making very good progress because of the frequent good high quality opportunities for creative development.

p.34

ENGLISH

103. Overall, standards in English are below average for seven and 11 year olds compared with all schools. This represents an improvement from the standards attained in both key stages in national tests in 2000. These improvements are in reading at Key Stage 1 and in English overall at Key Stage 2. Standards are similar to those found during the last inspection. However, the standards pupils attained in tests for seven and eleven year olds in June 1997, at the time of the previous inspection, were very low. Since then, standards in national tests have improved considerably for seven-year olds in both reading and writing. Standards for eleven-year olds improved well in 1998 and 1999, at a rate faster than the national trend. However, they dipped in 2000 to well below average. Then, a quarter of pupils, all boys with high stages of special educational needs in literacy, attained very low standards.

p.34

ENGLISH

However, analysis of pupils’ results from 1997 to 2000 shows boys often do better than girls at both key stages. The school is now monitoring all groups for underachievement and has special support programmes for girls. No significant differences between the standards reached by boys and girls were observed during the inspection. There are similar proportions of girls and boys receiving help for literacy special educational needs. 104. Since the previous inspection the school, has made very good progress in improving pupils’ progress in English, and the quality of teaching. At the time of the previous inspection, these were satisfactory in Key Stage 1 but unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2. Pupils’ progress, teaching and learning are now good in both key stages. The improvements seen in English during the inspection, compared with the previous inspection and 2000 national test results, are the results of rigorous target setting, the

p.34

ENGLISH

Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 35 thorough monitoring of pupils’ progress towards these targets as well as teaching and learning. The school addresses any underachievement of individuals, of different races or gender by providing high quality extra support, or where appropriate, addressing any weaknesses in teaching. 105. The inspection shows that by the age of seven standards in reading are average whilst writing and speaking and listening are below average. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and do well for their previous attainment, whilst those with English as an additional language, a very significant proportion, make very good progress indeed. This high proportion of pupils learning English as an additional language affects the overall attainment of pupils. However, these pupils do very well against their entry levels at the start of their schooling, due to the very good quality of the

p.35

ENGLISH

specific support provided by the school. All ability groups of pupils achieve well in speaking and listening and in writing against their previous attainment, and, in reading, they do very well. 106. The inspection shows that eleven-year olds attain below average standards in English. They attain average standards in reading but below average in writing and speaking and listening compared with all schools. There has been significant improvement in reading since the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs do well for their previous attainment and make good progress. Pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress from their starting points on entry to school. Pupils of all abilities are well challenged and achieve well in speaking and listening and in writing, and in reading they do very well. 107. In Year 2, standards in speaking and listening are below average overall. Pupils often enjoy

p.35

ENGLISH

listening to stories, rhymes and poems and generally listen attentively. This is a major achievement and results from high expectations, good teaching and skills in managing pupils. Pupils learn to take turns in speaking, and to respect the contributions of others. They are generally eager to speak and speak confidently. In a Year 2 literacy lesson, many pupils contributed good ideas to complete the sentence “Dark is…” in an imaginative way, extending the topic studied in their Big Book about Plop. Teachers make good use of opportunities for speaking and listening in reporting to the class during plenary sessions, and also in partner discussions during tasks set in literacy lessons. Pupils are generally able to speak at appropriate lengths, but some pupils’ vocabulary and grammar are weaker areas, particularly those with English as an additional language at early stages of acquisition. Teachers are

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ENGLISH

well aware of individuals’ needs and give good support and help. 108. By Year 6, standards in speaking and listening are still below average but closer to the average than at the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils are generally careful, responsive listeners and are able to appreciate and respect the contributions of others. They often speak confidently and clearly and are able to express their ideas. Most pupils with English as an additional language have reached the stage of full fluency in English but they do not always catch the more sophisticated nuances in their comprehension of English. More able pupils respond precisely using well-developed vocabulary and complex sentences, whilst average ability pupils can give an opinion. Most lower-attaining pupils are keen to express their ideas but some are more reluctant to speak in front of the class. Many enter class discussions, as in a Year 6 lesson on the genre of school stories where they were able to

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contribute comments on differences in style, and ingredients of the plot, as well as to describe characters such as “The Demon Headmaster”. There are good opportunities for speaking and listening, and drama lessons contribute well to the development of these skills. However, there are few opportunities for extending speaking and listening by presentations to large groups and debates. Teachers make good use of plenary sessions for pupils to report on their work, and use small group discussion very well. This was seen in Year 5 where pairs of pupils were planning leaflets to advertise leisure venues. 109. In Year 2, standards in reading are average. All pupils enjoy reading and like to take their books home, and practise. They handle books confidently. They also enjoy shared reading in the literacy hours, and pupils in Year 2 are interested in their text about Plop and his adventures. This formed a challenging exercise for pupils to imagine further happenings for a new chapter, and to

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Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 36 suggest ideas for the chapter heading. They responded well with a range of original and imaginative ideas. Pupils generally read accurately, and books are well matched to pupils’ capabilities. More able pupils read with fluency and expression, whilst most others read carefully and accurately at appropriate levels for their age. Phonics are taught and learned very carefully and comprehensively. There is very good attention to pupils’ understanding of the meaning of words. This supports the learning of pupils with English as an additional language very well. 110. In Year 6, standards in reading are average. Considering the previous record of results in this aspect of the subject, there has been considerable improvement. All pupils are interested in reading and take books home from school whilst many also use public libraries. Interest and enthusiasm for books develop well through the key stage. In Year 6, pupils of all ability groups are able to read with

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fluency and expression; most can give a concise summary of what they have read, and can give predictions about possible outcomes. Nearly all pupils heard to read gave J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books as favourites, but most could list other authors as well. On the other hand, few children’s classics or abridged classics were mentioned. Although evaluative skills are not fully developed, more able pupils are able to compare genres and describe differences in terms of plot and characterisation. Pupils in Year 6 are confident about the differences between fiction and non-fiction, have appropriate library skills, which have been well taught and well learned, and can use indexes properly. They have also acquired the skills of skimming and scanning to help them identify information quickly. 111. In Year 2, standards in writing are below average. The upper average and more able pupils can write a brief description, report an event very simply or recount a simple story. Their spelling is

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generally good and reflects very careful phonics teaching. Punctuation is satisfactory and handwriting is developing, but a number of pupils still find it hard to present neat, evenly formed work. Few use complex sentences. Although more able pupils use a good vocabulary, most still have a restricted vocabulary. This is linked with the high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language. This gradually improves due to careful teaching and the linking of meanings to spellings. Lower average and lower attaining pupils find punctuation difficult and this hampers their writing. In writing displayed in the Year 2 classroom, more able and upper average pupils did well in their letters to Baby Bear, writing in role as Goldilocks, and all pupils achieved well. Less able pupils are not yet able to write as much as others but attempt to make a few simple sentences and put them in sequence.

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112. In Year 6, standards in writing are below average but they are only just below the average. In Years 5 and 6, pupils are able to write for a good range of purposes and are beginning to adapt their writing to show appropriate styles. There is a good range of different forms of writing including extended stories, character studies, scene setting, instructions, advertising and persuasive writing, play scripts, and poetry. In a Year 5 lesson, when pupils wrote in draft and prepared persuasive leaflets, the ideas were well expressed and structured and suitable for their purpose. Skilled teaching helped pupils to recognise the important points for persuasive writing. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils planned how they would write school adventure stories, with a good sense of style. For example, they included scene setting, characterisation and humour following a discussion of “The Demon Headmaster” and

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“Matilda”. Pupils improve their work well through drafting and evaluating and adjusting work before their final draft. However, pupils do not often use very specific vocabulary for creating precise effects. 113. Handwriting improves considerably through Key Stage 2, and by the age of eleven, pupils present their work well. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. Displays of written work around the school are impressive, with contributions from all classes and year groups. There were very striking newspaper articles, which were word-processed and looked like newspaper. There were Greek myths and legends from Year 5 and advertisements, writing about Sir Francis Drake and the Tudor explorations from Year 4, and writing about Hindu gods, in Year 3. The work on democracy, studying the ideas of the ancient Greeks and comparing these with the election in Britain today by Year 5, was particularly impressive. Throughout the key stage spelling is carefully taught and

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Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 37 learned, and grammar is well structured. There are no specific weaknesses in the teaching and learning of writing through the key stage, and the gap between current attainment at the end of the key stage and national expectations is due to the low levels of English language skills on entry to Key Stage 2. A high proportion of Year 6 pupils entered late in Key Stage 2 with low attainment in writing. Analysis shows that these pupils have made very good progress compared with their earlier attainment in other schools. 114. The quality of teaching and learning in English at both key stages is good. There was no unsatisfactory teaching in the subject, and teaching ranged from satisfactory to very good. The very good literacy lessons were found in Years 1, 2 and 6. Examination of pupils’ previous work, and hearing pupils read confirms that for English as an additional language and special educational needs

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teaching is good overall. This is a big improvement from the last inspection when teaching ranged from unsatisfactory to good and none was very good. This is reflected in the good progress pupils make. Additional, well-taught, booster groups are now being funded and are held for pupils in Year 2 who need extra help to reach target levels in the subject. Spelling and grammar are very carefully and comprehensively taught throughout the school, which promotes systematic learning in spelling, punctuation and appropriate sentence formation. The school has addressed this key issue from the previous inspection well. Teachers chose study texts carefully; choices are often imaginative and provide well for stimulating pupils’ interests and motivation. 115. All teachers have good presentational skills and evoke pupils’ interest. During very good lessons, for example in Year 1, teachers arouse pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and are very adept

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when matching work to the range of attainment. During these lessons, time is used effectively and pupils of all abilities learn rapidly. In good and very good lessons, class management is very good which results in maximum time for learning. All teachers explain the lessons’ purposes very clearly to pupils and are patient when instructing, explaining and questioning. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is very well organised and very good. Groups are taught oral and literacy work matched to their own level, and there is a very good mixture of group withdrawal and class teaching. The teacher for pupils with English as an additional language works very well as a team with class teachers and her modelling of good practice for other teachers is excellent. Teachers throughout the school are skilled when using open-ended questions to promote thinking and reasoning. On the rare

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occasions when teaching is satisfactory rather than good or very good, for example, in a Year 3 literacy lesson, there are some weaker elements and class management is less skilful. In this lesson, there was not enough opportunity for lower attaining pupils to read the shared text. The text was not only hard it was too small which limited the time for these pupils to learn reading skills in this lesson. 116. The school has made good progress in addressing the key issue on ensuring that there is a systematic programme for developing speaking and listening. Teachers make good use of group work and plenary sessions and drama for promoting speaking and listening. They also develop pupils’ performance skills in reading aloud. However, there is little evidence on more formal aspects of speaking and listening, such as prepared short one-minute speeches or mini-debates. 117. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented well. This is having an impact on raising

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standards in reading. Generally, pupils of all abilities are well challenged and teaching and learning are well sequenced. The use of literacy skills across the curriculum is varied. It is better in some subjects than others. There is very effective writing in science and for instructions and evaluations in design and technology in Key Stages 1 and 2 but is limited in history and geography with some unsatisfactory presentation of work. This reduces the opportunities for extending pupils’ experience in writing, often presenting little challenge for the higher attainers. Good use is made of information and communication technology for producing stories and poems and writing for different purposes in design and technology. 118. There is a good and up-to-date language policy, including for handwriting and spelling. The National Literacy Framework is used as a scheme of work for reading and writing. National model

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Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 38 schemes of work are also used especially for speaking and listening. There are clear action plans for reading and writing which show good use of analysed assessment data in the formation of priorities. Assessment is very thorough in reading, spelling and writing, with national assessments at the end of every year and written work is sampled and levelled for each pupil at least once a term. However, there is, at present, a lack of stringent monitoring to ensure that the teaching of speaking and listening is effective, apart from for the assessments and records for pupils with English as an additional language. The results and assessments of pupils are individually tracked as they pass through the school. Test results are carefully analysed against gender and ethnicity. School targets in English for Year 6, in the national end of key stage assessments take account of pupil tracking and analysed data

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from these tests. The formal target for 70 per cent to achieve Level 4 or better is appropriate and challenging. 119. The English co-ordinator has good subject knowledge, and provides clear leadership. The staff are implementing the new initiative of the national publication “Grammar for Writing”. The co- ordinator monitors the planning done by teachers, samples pupils’ work on a systematic and regular basis, and also observes some lessons across the school, providing staff with feedback in both verbal and written forms. The headteacher does the same. This very systematic approach to monitoring is improving standards of teaching. Enrichment events include book weeks, visits by authors, poetry days, and visiting drama groups. Resources in the subject are generally good. The library is well stocked, and used. The quality and range of books are good. The subject contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum

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MATHEMATICS

120. The findings of this inspection show that, in Year 2, most pupils reach standards that are close to average compared with all schools, including in numeracy. In the previous inspection of 1997, standards were said to be ‘broadly in line with national expectations’. However, in that year national test results were well above average in Key Stage 1, but in subsequent years, they were well below average. In the 2000 tests for seven-year olds, standards were well below national averages and average compared with similar schools. The improvements seen on the inspection are the result of a very clear focus for improvement, and thorough monitoring of pupils’ progress and target setting. Pupils achieve well by the end of Key Stage 1. No significant differences between the standards reached by boys and girls were observed during the inspection . Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make good progress compared with their earlier attainment.

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121. The standards reached by pupils in Year 6 are average. As for Year 2, this judgement is based upon teaching observed, an analysis of pupils’ work and discussion with them. In 1997, the judgement on standards was ‘broadly in line with national expectations’. However, at that time, national tests revealed that standards were very low. Since then, standards have improved very well and by the 2000 national tests for 11 year olds, standards were below average. The proportion of pupils who reached the higher level was the same as found nationally. This represents very good achievement for the school as the proportion of pupils reaching the higher level was well above similar schools. Comparison with pupils’ attainment in Key Stage 1 tests in 1996, including that of the third who entered late, shows that pupils achieved very well in this school by the age of eleven. No significant differences between the standards reached by boys and girls were observed during the

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inspection. The school has set very challenging targets for 88 per cent of its pupils to reach the national average this year. By the time pupils are eleven, they have achieved very well compared with their very low attainment on entry to the school. 122. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Key Stage 1, with good teaching in Year 2. This judgement is based upon lesson observation, analysis of work and discussion with pupils. The previous inspection described teaching as ‘generally sound, but with some that is unsatisfactory’. The good improvement in the quality of teaching is reflected in the improved levels of attainment. In a Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 39 good Year 2 lesson, the teacher’s subject knowledge and skills were effectively used to help pupils gain understanding of the ordering of whole numbers. She made particularly good use of questioning when she repeatedly asked pupils to explain their understanding of what they were doing. This helped

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them to clarify their mathematical thinking and gave other pupils opportunities to learn different approaches to working out their answers. Good management of pupils, work carefully matched to their needs and effective use of support assistants to help those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, all contributed to the good progress made in the lesson. Most pupils worked well independently although a few took too long to settle to the practical activities that followed the introduction. Analysis of pupils’ previous work shows that pupils usually work productively which contributes well toward the good progress that they make. The teachers organise the plenary sessions well for consolidating pupils’ understanding of key ideas. This makes a good contribution to the pupils’ speaking and listening skills because the teachers insist that they explain clearly and that others listen

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carefully. 123. In a Year 1 lesson, the teachers gave a clear presentation to help pupils gain understanding of ideas such as ‘less,’ ‘between’ and ‘more’ with respect to number sequences. The teacher frequently asked the pupils to explain their thinking and this revealed that some had underdeveloped appropriate vocabulary. He worked hard to remedy this, but because some pupils did not pay close attention or talked inappropriately, he tended to ‘talk over’ them rather than insist that they listened properly. This meant that some were not fully aware of what they were to do in the practical work that followed the introduction. The teacher had good interaction with individual pupils and was particularly effective in finding different ways of explaining important facts to them. Marking is helpful to pupils, but there is insufficient emphasis upon the need for high quality of layout and presentation in Year 1.

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MATHEMATICS

124. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall with good features. This judgement is based upon lesson observations, analysis of work and discussion with pupils. The previous inspection described teaching as, ‘sound overall, but ranging from good to poor’. Good improvements are the result of specific efforts to raise standards. In a satisfactory Year 6 lesson, the teacher provided a challenging mental activity that sharpened pupils’ thinking and their speed of recall and calculation. There were good expectations of what the pupils should achieve and effective support was provided for a group of lower attaining pupils, but a significant number found the subsequent activity difficult. When the teacher reviewed pupils’ understanding by close questioning, this was difficult because of the wide range of attainment in the class and the inability of several to sustain concentration. In Year 6, pupils have developed some strategies for problem solving and

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understand a broad range of mathematics, including data handling. In a good Year 5 lesson on measuring angles, the pupils made good progress because the teacher carefully demonstrated correct techniques. Their success gave the pupils confidence and resulted in good concentration and application. A very good lesson in Year 4 resulted from the teacher’s good organisation, knowledge and demonstration of the processes of dealing with numbers. The pupils both worked very hard and learned very well in a quiet and purposeful atmosphere. This very effective lesson was underpinned by the teacher’s very high expectations of the pupils and the way in which the tasks were very closely matched to their needs. 125. In Key Stage 2, marking is carried out regularly, but does not always tell pupils how to improve their work. Teachers do not always emphasise the need to record work in a clear and tidy manner

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MATHEMATICS

and this sometimes results in inaccuracies. The school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy successfully and this has been effective in raising standards. Teachers’ planning draws well on the strategy and good use is made of the close assessment of pupils’ attainment to develop numeracy teaching. There is very effective use of information and communication technology in the subject, for example, in databases, and this is closely matched to the work that pupils do in lessons. This provides very good opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematics for a real purpose. Pupils apply numeracy well to science and design and technology although it is not so well applied in geography. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 40 126. The mathematics curriculum is broad and balanced because the co-ordinator carefully monitors teachers’ planning. Pupils have suitable homework in both key stages to help them develop

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their skills and understanding. The school has observed differences in attainment between boys and girls and has begun to analyse the reasons for this and provide specific intervention. For example, a special girls’ group has been established to help them gain confidence in mathematics. All pupils have individual targets for their attainment based upon the results of testing and work that they do in class. These assessment procedures are very good and enable teachers to know exactly what needs to be taught and when. The thorough nature of these measures has had a powerful influence upon the raising of standards. The subject co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and provides good management with clear direction for the subject. This is based upon the rigorous analysis of pupils’ work and test results. The co-ordinator does not monitor teaching, although there are plans for this, but the headteacher does.

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He is also very closely involved in the analysis of data and the regular scrutiny of pupils’ work to determine the levels that they attain and their progress over time. The result of these monitoring strategies is very positive and makes a significant contribution to the raising of standards. The subject fully meets the requirements of National Curriculum.

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SCIENCE

127. The findings of the inspection are that standards in science are average in Year 2. This finding is similar overall to the assessments made by teachers in science at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2000. Standards in those assessments were below average at Level 2 and above, and above average at the higher Level 3. The findings of this inspection are similar to those of the school’s 1997 inspection which judged standards to be “in line with national expectations”. However, that inspection judged progress to be sound. This inspection finds progress, including that made by pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, to be good from a low starting point. No significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls were observed. 128. The findings of the inspection are that standards are average in Year 6, which is the same judgement as that made by the school’s last inspection. In the end of Key Stage 2 tests in 2000 in

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science, standards were average compared with all schools and well above average compared with similar schools. Standards have risen sharply in these tests since 1997 when they were in the lowest five per cent in the country. This is due to the effective emphasis the school has placed on raising standards in this subject particularly in the last two years. This emphasis also accounts for the fact that the school’s last inspection judged progress to be “only just satisfactory” whilst this inspection judges it to be good overall although there are variations between classes. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make good progress. Girls have performed significantly less well than boys in the tests in this subject over the past three years but no evidence of differing attainment was seen during the inspection. 129. The quality of teaching and learning at Key Stage 1 is good. This is an improvement on the

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judgement of the 1997 inspection, which found teaching to be sound overall. A good lesson about the identification of similarities and differences between humans and between animals, exemplified the good quality of the teaching and learning throughout the school. Initially, the teacher stimulated the pupils’ interest by using photographs she had taken of the children as a basis for the recognition of similarities and differences in their features. The pupils identified things like hair, legs, nose and ears. The lesson then moved on to discuss differences and features such as the texture of their hair, the colour of their eyes and the colour of their skin were pointed out. This led to a sensitive and natural discussion of differences between those of varied ethnic backgrounds. The lesson proceeded at a good pace and there was a good discussion between the teacher and the pupils about similarities and

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differences between humans and animals. The teacher used questions well to help the pupils to develop the points they made: “Who was writing about an animal which lives in a cave and cannot see?” “Me. Bat!” The pupils enjoyed the lesson and showed their enthusiasm as many hands were raised to answer questions. The teacher’s effective, relaxed and natural control was shown, for Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 41 example, when she told one pupil, “I know you know the answer but I will not ask you if you make those noises!” The pupils paid careful attention and all, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, participated fully in the lesson. The learning support assistant was well used to assist a pupil who had difficulty in concentrating. The pupils made good progress and were well prepared for the next lesson by being told their purpose. 130. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at Key Stage 2. This is the same

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judgement as that made by the school’s last inspection. That inspection found that the quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 ranged from very good to poor. A similar wide variation was found by this inspection. In Years 4, 5 and 6, the lessons seen and the analysis of work indicated that teaching and learning were good overall as in Key Stage 1. However, the evidence showed that teaching and learning in Year 3 are unsatisfactory where the analysis of work showed that, in Year 3, the pupils had not completed enough work. Too often, pupils had written very little more than the title of their work. Some work was identical for all abilities. In addition, in this year group, topics were not explored in sufficient depth and there was little evidence of the application of numeracy or information and communication technology skills to the subject. The marking of work by the teacher was largely ticks and some praise but few developmental comments were made. Expectations were low.

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131. The subject is well managed by an experienced and knowledgeable co-ordinator. This subject has made very good improvements, for example, in the end of Key Stage 2 test results, since the school was last inspected. The co-ordinator has led the school’s focus on improvement in this subject identified in its school development plan very well and has a good action plan for its continued improvement. The breadth of the science curriculum and its links with other subjects, for example, design and technology and information and communication technology, are also strengths. Investigative work is a relative weakness in that, although it has improved greatly, it is still often very directed by the teachers and pupils do not get always have the chance to apply their own ideas. The pond area is a useful resource but it is not used to best effect. Although targets are set for attainment in science, these are not shared with the pupils in the same way that they are in English and

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mathematics. Throughout the school, work is not always set to meet the needs of pupils of differing levels of ability sufficiently. The subject makes a very good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and meets National Curriculum requirements. Photographs of the pupils observing the creatures brought into the school by the “insect man” show their evident awe and wonder at what they see.

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ART AND DESIGN

132. During the inspection, it was not possible to observe any art lessons in Key Stage 1, and only two in Key Stage 2. However, examination of pupils’ previous work, discussions with them and teachers’ planning were used to make judgements. Display around the school is considerable, and illustrated well the standards achieved in different year groups. Pupils’ work in art and design is above average by seven and eleven and throughout the school. This is an improvement on the average standards found in the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs do well in the subject as do also those with English as an additional language. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls in this subject. 133. The quality of teaching and learning is good at both key stages and promotes good progress. Teachers have received considerable recent training and are confident in their subject knowledge.

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This ensures that they can systematically teach pupils the techniques in drawing, painting and three- dimensional work well. Because of teachers’ high expectations, pupils move on quickly from basic techniques to evaluation and modification and improve their own work through observation, and shared experiences. In Year 2, pupils have a good range of skills, which helps them to show careful observations and their ideas well. Pupils are able to use successfully different textures and techniques as in their teddy bear paintings in Year 2. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 42 134. In Year 6, pupils produce good quality still life studies in the style of Georgio Morandi. Year 6 pupils show their good skills when they design and make flower paintings using pastels in the style of Georgia O’Keefe. Pupils use information and communication technology very well; for example, the “pop art” work by Year 6, using a digital camera to take photographs of themselves, formed a

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particularly striking display. There were many imaginative mutations of the photographs, through very skilled use of computer graphics. Very good use of information and communication technology was seen when Year 4 made intricate patterns using Logo and in the rotations and translations for embroidery by Year 6. 135. Throughout, there is very good emphasis upon three dimensional work and links with other subjects, especially design and technology. This was seen when Year 2 pupils designed and made party hats, Year 5 pupils made Hindu masks in papier mache, and Year 3 printed designs in the style of Egyptians. A very good variety of materials is available and teachers use these in very creative ways. Some particularly good work took place when older pupils designed and made vases from paper layers and Year 6 pupils used wire and plaster of paris to design and make chairs. The latter task resulted in a huge variety of different and original chair forms, and was very well linked with

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design technology work. The quality of finish on the chairs and the use of colour was very good. The use of the chairs was given significant thought and a range of different designs considered, including some illustrations showing Van Gogh’s paintings of chairs. 136. The co-ordinator bases the school’s art and design work on a national model scheme of work, but with some units of work linked to topic work in other subjects. This is done well, and the policy for art and design is also appropriate. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge, is enthusiastic and provides good subject leadership. The co-ordinator keeps portfolios of good work as records and to give teachers ideas in the future. Assessment in the subject is mainly through the individual sketch- books of pupils, which show what standards they have individually reached. These, together with teachers’ planning, are monitored by the co-ordinator. She has also, in the recent past, monitored art

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lessons throughout the school. Monitoring arrangements have improved since the last inspection. Enrichment in the subject is good: all Key Stage 2 classes go to the National Gallery every year, Year 6 have worked with local sculptors to produce an outdoor work for the area, and there have been visits by artists and craftspeople as well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

137. During the inspection, the teaching of design and technology was observed in Years 1, 4 and 6. Judgements are based on these observations, on the analysis of pupils’ work throughout the school, discussions with pupils and teachers and on the school’s planning and records. The evidence shows that standards are above average in Year 2 and Year 6. This judgement is a very good improvement from that made by the school’s last OFSTED inspection when standards were found to be below expectations by Year 2 and Year 6 and that design skills were weak. Pupils’ ability to design and make with a range of materials, including textiles, food, construction materials and electrical components, is strong throughout the school. Throughout, pupils apply scientific, artistic and mathematical skills and knowledge very well. 138. By the end of Year 2 pupils’ designing and making skills are above average. Pupils’

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knowledge of food products is particularly good and is applied well when they design and make pizzas for a purpose. Pupils successfully generate ideas and their craft skills are good. They apply their art skills carefully which helps them to make attractive end products. Pupils developed very good product knowledge when they visited a pizza parlour in Blackheath and learned about how to make pizzas. In both Years 1 and 2, pupils apply their understanding of scientific forces very well, for example, when designing and making bridges or when making moving pictures worked by levers. Pupils’ evaluation skills are satisfactory. They are beginning to improve their work as they proceed through the designing and making process. Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 43 139. In Year 6, pupils’ designing and making skills are above average. Pupils successfully apply their knowledge of products, including users’ preferences, when designing and making. They develop

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clear criteria for their designs, which helps them to create products that are suitable for their intended purposes. For example, when designing and making slippers for toddlers using textiles, pupils investigated slipper designs and the needs of toddlers before deciding the criteria their designs must fulfil. Pupils communicate designs and plan ahead well. They cut, shape and join materials very carefully, producing high quality end products. Their evaluation skills are satisfactory; they evaluate their work during the designing and making process, making satisfactory use of their initial design criteria. Pupils often have creative ideas and, because they develop their craft skills well, they are able turn their ideas into high quality end products. Some very good work was seen when pupils designed and made model chairs from wire and Modroc and when they designed and made vases and pots. In

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both of these projects, there were excellent links with art and the quality of finish was very good. Pupils develop good understanding of electrical circuits and know how to use different switches, for example reed and tilt switches and pressure pads, and use this knowledge to make very original and technical designs for burglar alarms. Pupils’ understanding and use of mechanisms are satisfactory. 140. The quality of teaching and learning observed in lessons, and from analysis of pupils’ previous work, is good at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 2, very good teaching was observed in Years 4 and 6. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and teachers use a very good range of teaching styles in order to teach specific subject skills. For example, in a very good Year 4 lesson when pupils learned about the importance of fitness for purpose in product design, the teacher gave high quality instruction and demonstration. Her questioning carefully took account of pupils’ previous

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understanding and ensured that they learned in depth. She provided excellent practical opportunities for the pupils to evaluate money containers in small groups. A strong feature of all the lessons seen was that the pupils were provided with very clear purposes. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and teach thoroughly practical skills to enable the pupils to use the design, make and test process competently. Pupils are well managed, and, in very good lessons, concentrate fully at all times. 141. Pupils are provided with very good opportunities for applying mathematics, science and art to design and technology. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop literacy, including speaking and listening, subject vocabulary and writing. However, there are missed opportunities for paired or small group work during whole class introductions, when pupils can discuss ideas, and feed this back to

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the whole class. Pupils apply information and communication technology well to the subject, with very strong links in graphics, word processing and computer control. 142. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, often achieve very well by the time they are eleven years old. Gifted pupils make satisfactory progress. This is the result of very well planned work and very strong subject co- ordination. The subject co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and supports and monitors the work of other colleagues very well. Classroom assistants are well briefed and support pupils but do not do their work for them. Assessment is good and is developing well. Since the previous inspection, the inspection found that there have been very good improvements in teachers’ subject knowledge through staff training. Resources are good.

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GEOGRAPHY

143. During the inspection, the teaching of geography was observed in Years 2, 4 and 6. Judgements are based on these observations and on the analysis of pupils’ work throughout the school, discussions with pupils and teachers and on the school’s planning and records. The evidence indicates that standards are below average in Year 2 and Year 6. This judgement is different from that made by the school’s last OFSTED inspection when standards were found to be “generally in line with national expectations by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2”. This difference is because the school devotes approximately half as much time to the teaching of geography as most schools do. This means that, although the pupils generally reach average standards in those aspects of the subject that Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 44 they are taught, too many aspects of the curriculum are not covered in sufficient depth. As a result,

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both boys and girls, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, do not make sufficient progress or produce enough work. 144. At Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory in the lessons seen and in the analysis of work although there was some variation at Key Stage 2. However, overall, teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. This is because although the teachers cover the topics they teach in the time available appropriately, the total time available is too short. This prevents pupils acquiring sufficient geographical knowledge, skills or understanding. This also explains the difference in the judgement of teaching compared with the findings of the school’s last inspection which found it to be “mainly satisfactory”. The generally satisfactory nature of the teaching seen throughout the year was illustrated by a Year 6 lesson about the effects that weather has on tourism.

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GEOGRAPHY

The lesson began with a careful revision of aspects of earlier work. For example, the pupils’ understanding of a snowstorm was revisited as the teacher judged that they did not fully know what it was. The pupils listened and contributed quietly but were passive rather than enthusiastic. The objectives of the lesson were discussed with the pupils and they recognised tourism as “going on holiday”. The use of travel brochures for the pupils to work in pairs to identify holiday activities which might be affected by the weather stimulated them. They worked successfully together and appropriately recorded their findings on worksheets that they had been given for this purpose. Although satisfactory progress was made, the topic was very limited in scope and did not challenge pupils of higher ability. 145. In Year 3, the quality of teaching and learning was unsatisfactory in the analysis of work. In this year group, the pupils produce too little work. The work they do produce is very variable in terms

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GEOGRAPHY

of standard and presentation. The same work is set for pupils of all levels of ability and need and they make too little progress. This is due to the teacher’s low expectations and inadequate use of assessment information to plan the pupils’ work. The analysis of work shows more general weaknesses in other classes in terms of the failure to use marking to aid pupils to progress. 146. Standards and the quality of curricular provision in geography are not as good as they were at the time of the school’s last inspection. Therefore, its improvement has been unsatisfactory. However, in spite of this, it is well managed by an enthusiastic co-ordinator. The co-ordinator has correctly identified marking, narrow curricular provision and the lack of sufficient written work by the pupils as major weaknesses in the subject. She has also fully recognised the school’s strength in its provision of fieldwork in some classes, for example, through visiting the Horton Kirby study centre.

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GEOGRAPHY

Within the restriction of the school’s decision to limit the time spent on geography, she has a good action plan for its development. She has also provided teachers with a list of web sites for use in geography lessons so that information and communication technology can be used successfully for research in the subject. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ cultural and social development, for example, through the study of the local area and meets basic statutory requirements.

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HISTORY

147. There is limited evidence of work in the subject in either key stage. Analysis of pupils’ previous work in Year 2 shows an unsatisfactory range and depth of work. Attainment is below average by Year 2 and Year 6. In the previous inspection, attainment was judged ‘satisfactory’ and in line with national expectations at both key stages. The reason for this difference in the judgement of attainment between the inspection of 1997 and now, is mainly because of the lack of range and depth. This is caused by insufficient time allocated to the subject. No teaching was seen in either key stage, however, the rate of progress made by pupils, judged by the analysis of work, shows that it is unsatisfactory. A display of pupils’ work from all classes in the school hall indicates that they are capable of producing work of satisfactory quality if given the time. For example, a Year 4 visit to the Golden Hinde, resulted in some good drawings of the vessel and carefully word-processed descriptive

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HISTORY

Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 45 writing and in Year 6 the use of information and communication technology has been effectively used to produce a good display of 1960’s Pop Art. 148. In both key stages, because of the lack of evidence, it is not possible to say if there are any differences in attainment between boys and girls, those with special educational needs, with English as an additional language or pupils from different ethnic groups. 149. The quality of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1. There is insufficient challenge for pupils to learn historical information and too little focus upon the development of pupils’ skills of historical enquiry. Some extended writing has been produced and this shows that pupils have an interest in the subject and some knowledge of it, but the quality of presentation, particularly handwriting, indicates that expectations of what pupils should achieve are too low. In Key Stage 2, the

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HISTORY

quality of teaching and learning is also unsatisfactory. Pupils have a narrow span of appropriate skills and the presentation of their work is characterised by handwriting, sentence construction and spelling that are often unsatisfactory or poor. This indicates that teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils should achieve. Pupils have carried out some research and have engaged in extended writing to record their knowledge and understanding. Although the content is often interesting, it is rarely of satisfactory quality. Marking is not always helpful, as it does not consistently show pupils how they could improve. 150. The curriculum for history is narrow because little time is devoted to the subject. The reason for this is that the school has made the decision, in order to raise standards, to concentrate more time on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils have had the benefit of some visits to

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HISTORY

places such as the British Museum or the Imperial War Museum to support their learning. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped and have little effect upon the development of the subject, but the school has plans to improve upon this. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic, but because there is no monitoring and evaluation of teaching or written improvement plan, future development of the subject is not well organised.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

151. In Year 2, standards are average and, in Year 6, they are above average. This is very good improvement in Key Stage 2 on the average standards achieved at the time of the previous OFSTED inspection, when standards were below average. Standards in Key Stage 1 are similar. Since the previous inspection, a very good computer suite has been installed with a network of fast and up-to- date computers and each class also has two computers. Throughout the school, both girls and boys very successfully use computers as a natural tool for learning in other subjects. 152. In Year 2, pupils generate ideas in the form of graphics, for example, when designing pictures to illustrate books they have read. Pupils have a good range of word processing skills and keyboard familiarity and they can select fonts, making them bold to improve their presentation. However, there is little evidence that higher attaining pupils use the computer to develop their thinking by typing their

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

writing directly onto the computer, as they usually use a first written draft. Pupils show mathematical data in the form of simple tables and control the school’s programmable toy “ Roamer” by creating sets of instructions. They are very confident computer users; they adeptly switch on and off and can access programs and their own files very well. 153. In Year 6, pupils’ skills are impressive. They competently design ways of presenting their stories they have named “Double Death Trouble” or “Double Death at Benbow Inn”, for example. Pupils select graphics, font style, size and colour to capture the historical nature of their stories very well. When pupils write about friction in science, they select fonts to present factual accounts showing very good awareness of the need to present information in different forms for different users and purposes. Pupils’ ability to select, combine and present information for attracting their audience is very

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

good. This was demonstrated when pupils successfully used a digital camera for taking photographs of themselves and, after loading into their own files, transformed their pictures by adding colour, patterns, Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 46 mosaics to ask the rest of the school “ Guess Who?” Pupils steadily build skills for using email and the Internet. They successfully represent and analyse mathematical information gained through science. For example, in Year 5, pupils analyse the results of monitoring changes in their pulse rate after exercise and entering results on spreadsheets. Pupils select different graphs, including line graphs, for best comparisons. Their skills in modelling are strong features and, by Year 6, pupils use their own algebraic formulae to calculate the areas and perimeters of a range of different shapes. Pupils’ control technology skills are satisfactory with good features when they write simple programs for

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

creating different shapes when using Logo. Pupils create sets of instructions for switching buzzers and light on and off when operated by touch sensors. 154. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress throughout the school through well matched work and many opportunities to apply information and communication technology to their literacy and numeracy work. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in Key Stage 1 and very good progress in Key Stage 2 and were observed to make very rapid progress in Year 4. Here, pupils had very good opportunities to achieve at higher levels when they worked with mathematical data, gathered from a geography project, on how they spent their leisure time. Pupils selected from graphs, including pie charts, to show their information for the best effect. Some pupils with English as an additional language have very advanced computer skills and make very good

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

progress through sensitive teaching which allows for their true potential and overcomes language barriers. The overall progress of the very able pupils is satisfactory. As pupils become more expert at the computer, through competent teaching in the very good computer club, pupils’ true potential is revealed. At present, opportunities for very high level work are not consistent through the school and very able pupils are not systematically identified. Overall, most pupils’ achievement is good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. It is very good by the age of eleven. Few pupils have home computers and few enter school with sound skills. 155. The quality of teaching and learning is good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. The consistently high quality teaching, and high expectations of teachers through the school raise pupils’ attainment from a low base. This judgement has been made after examination of pupils’

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

previous work, observing four lessons and observing the pupils when they used the computer in the context of their work in other subjects. A striking feature of all of the work is how well information and communication technology is used to support learning in other subjects. Overall, teachers have good, and sometimes very good, subject knowledge and plan how to teach skills very carefully. Time is used very effectively in the suite and during class lessons particularly in literacy, numeracy and science. From the youngest age, pupils are encouraged to be interested and attentive through the way teachers ensure computer work is relevant to pupils’ interests. In a competent lesson in Year 1, the teacher put his high expectations into practice when the pupils were taught the skills for presenting their work in history through using a multimedia package and were provided with opportunities for experimenting with their own ideas. In this lesson, and throughout the school, the quality of help

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

provided by learning support assistants was good. 156. The scheme of work is good. Teachers’ subject knowledge is very much improved since the previous OFSTED inspection through regular training. All teachers now have a laptop and this has improved their subject knowledge. The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and vision for improving the subject and provides very good support to other teachers. The monitoring of standards and teaching is very good. Resources are good and very well organised. The school is already planning for the future to ensure that computers remain up-to-date and information and communication technology remains a strength of the school. . M USIC 157. The standard of music in Year 2 is average compared with all schools. This is a strong improvement from the below average standards found in the last inspection. The last inspection found that many teachers lacked confidence in the subject, making the subject weak. It was, therefore,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 47 decided to employ a music specialist and to provide a lesson for each class every week. The current visiting teacher has been coming to the school since the start of the year, only two full terms so far, but improvements are already taking place. The class teachers attend the music specialist’s lessons and monitor pupils’ progress, as well as sometimes assisting in leading groups. This system works well, and standards are now coming along by leaps and bounds. Pupils of all ability groups achieve well in Key Stage 1, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls in this subject. In Year 2, pupils know a wide range of songs and, through taking part in classroom singing and assemblies, can sing with reasonable tune. They have a good sense of rhythm and perform simple

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

patterns by singing, clapping or with instruments. They are beginning to understand well how music creates mood. 158. The standard of attainment in Year 6 in music is below average, despite the recent improvements. This is the same as the standard found in the last inspection report. Although classes in Key Stage 2 are now getting good quality teaching and an appropriate programme, Year 6 did not have these experiences when they were younger and their standards have not, therefore, been raised. Year 6 can sing parts in a round, their singing lacks good tone and pitch, although their volume and enthusiasm are satisfactory. Their ability to maintain a rhythm while others are performing a different pattern, is poor. Their knowledge and experience of instruments are limited. However, all pupils in Years 5 and 6 are given the opportunity to learn a tuned instrument, guitar, violin, clarinet or recorder,

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

on a regular basis in school. Virtually all pupils take up this offer and, as a result, are learning to read music using conventional notation and are acquiring a sense of melody. 159. The quality of teaching and learning are good throughout the school. The music specialist has excellent subject knowledge and successfully transmits this to pupils. In the three lessons seen in Years 2, 4 and 6, musical elements were used imaginatively in the singing and rhythm making. Appreciation of music was well integrated into the lesson alongside the more active music making and performing strands, and in Year 4, pupils did well in maintaining different rhythm parts. The teacher makes good choices of music calculated to appeal to them, for instance, the “Take Five” jazz. Although difficult even for Year 6 with layered rhythms, this appealed to their tastes. The “cuckoo song” was enjoyed very much in Year 2. The scheme of work used by the specialist teacher is a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

commercial one which covers fully all aspects of the subject needed for the National Curriculum. However, no specific lesson plans were available to be studied, apart from the set details in the scheme books, and no overall plan for terms or the year groups was available for scrutiny. During the inspection, there was no evidence of any composition being done in any year group, or of the use of graphic notation as a building block to conventional notation, although the music teacher states that these aspects of the subject are indeed covered. 160. There is an appropriate subject policy and a co-ordinator has recently been appointed. She has good musical knowledge and expertise, and helps the specialist teacher to run the school choir, an extra-curricular activity. She has not had the opportunity to monitor lessons throughout the school or planning. Assessment in the subject is based on national guidelines, and is informally done by each

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

class teacher. Some of the weaknesses in the subject which previously led to unsatisfactory standards in music in the last inspection have been addressed, for example, better teaching across all year groups and a balanced programme. The co-ordination of the subject, together with assessment and its monitoring, is now being developed. The curriculum is enriched by visits from musicians who perform for the children. Resources are good and include plenty of percussion instruments, including some of different ethnic origins, and a good variety of CDs and tapes for listening music, from a wealth of differing musical traditions. Every morning, as pupils arrive at school, the building is full of music from the week’s chosen composer, which provides a cheerful start to the day and enhances their cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 48 161. During the inspection, two games lessons were observed at Key Stage 1 and two gymnastics lessons were seen at Key Stage 2. In these lessons, standards were average in Year 2 and at Key Stage 2. No lessons were observed in Year 6 during the inspection. However, discussion with teachers and the school’s records show that most pupils swim at least 25 metres safely and unaided by the time that they leave the school. Progress, including that made by pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. These judgements are similar to those made by the school’s 1997 OFSTED inspection except that progress at Key Stage 2 was judged to be satisfactory not good. The difference is explained by the school’s use of specialist physical education teachers at Key Stage 2 during this inspection. There are

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

no differences in the standards achieved by boys and girls. 162. At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, although it is good in Year 2. This is the same judgement as that made by the school’s previous OFSTED inspection. In a satisfactory Year 1 games lesson, the teacher organised appropriate warm up running, jumping and skipping activities, which the pupils carried out with suitable co-ordination and control although few pupils could skip successfully. Pupils showed sound independence in collecting and putting away resources, which made a sound contribution to their social development. The bat and ball session started with suitable demonstration of skills such as how to hold the bat properly. The pupils practised these skills successfully. The teacher’s control of the pupils was satisfactory although some pupils took too long to respond and lacked concentration. A learning support assistant gave good support to a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupil with special educational needs, which helped him to participate fully in the lesson. Some of the activities were too hurried with the teaching point not fully explored or sufficient demonstration or evaluation of the skills required, for example, skipping. There was no consideration of the effects of exercise on the body. Overall, satisfactory progress was made. 163. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is good. This is an improvement on the findings of the school’s last inspection, which judged that only half of the lessons seen were satisfactory or better. The difference is explained by the school’s use of specialist physical education teachers at Key Stage 2 during this inspection. In a good Year 3 gymnastics lesson, which exemplified the strengths of the teaching and learning throughout the school, the teacher’s expertise was apparent in the speed and range of the pupils’ activities during their warm up session. The pupils were given

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

good opportunities to make decisions about their own performance, which they took well by planning and executing a number of suitable movements. Some of these movements were demonstrated to the class and the teacher took the opportunity to extend the pupils’ evaluative skills well. “Why was it nice?” “I liked the shape.” The teacher’s high expectations were shown as he asked pupils to try to make movements at least as good as those evaluated. The teacher had good control of the pupils although many of them did not use space well even when asked to do so which, to some extent, limited the effect of their work. The lesson was well structured in terms of developing skill and, by the time it had ended, most pupils had made good progress in devising appropriate sequences of movement. 164. The subject has improved well since the school’s 1997 inspection. Standards have been maintained and the quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 has improved. The subject has been well

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

managed by the co-ordinator. She has introduced a number of good initiatives, for example, implementing the revised scheme of work and developing the use of specialist teaching support. The co-ordinator also has plans for further development such as assessment and monitoring procedures although these are not formalised in an action plan. The school has a good hall and appropriate hard surfaced area and resources to support the teaching of the subject effectively.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

165. At the ages of seven and eleven, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Judgement about standards in Key Stage 1 is based upon an analysis of pupils’ work and one lesson observed. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ work was analysed and two lessons were observed. These findings are the same as reported in the previous Sir Francis Drake Primary School - 49 inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, are well involved in all class activities and make satisfactory progress. No differences in achievement were observed between boys and girls. 166. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and similar to the previous inspection. In Year 2, pupils cover a good range of work. They have learned about Moses and the Ten Commandments and have considered the need for their own classroom rules. They have

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

examined and compared the value of money and of love and, in a lesson observed, learned about the way in which people celebrate key life events. In this lesson, the teacher worked hard to help pupils develop their understanding of what events were particularly important. Resources were well used, for example, a christening gown and baptismal certificate, and this helped pupils to understand the importance of this particular event. The class discussion about life events was effective in gaining the attention of most pupils, but for some it was too long and they became restless. Good support was given to a number of pupils by the teacher for English as an additional language. An examination of pupils’ work indicates good levels of interest and some good written work. However, there is some unsatisfactory handwriting and careless presentation. Work is marked regularly and some helpful comments are made. Analysis of pupils’ work in Year 1 indicates that they have covered a good

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

range of material and acquired relevant knowledge. 167. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Key Stage 2. In a Year 6 lesson, the teacher set out to help pupils learn about the different ways in which people remember those who have died. Pupils looked at related pictures and discussed what they saw. Although some did not have good listening skills, a number made appropriate suggestions particularly when reminded that careful listening was important in a discussion. Pupils worked with satisfactory concentration when writing. Learning was particularly effective when discussion turned to the school’s memorial garden for the children of Dunblane school; this was relevant because some of the pupils in Year 6 had older brothers or sisters who were involved in its construction. Analysis of pupils’ workbooks shows pupils cover a good range of material including pilgrimages, aspects of Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity and Judaism.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

168. Good use is made of extended writing and pupils’ knowledge is appropriate for their ages, but the quality and presentation of the work indicate that teachers’ expectations are not high enough. In Year 3, pupils showed interest in the Jewish observance of Shabbat and had a good knowledge of its various aspects, although they had little previous familiarity with the topic. The use of a good range of artefacts by the teacher was clearly the reason that the pupils were motivated to learn, although a number had behavioural problems. In Years 4 and 5, pupils have learned about the features of a church building, Christian values, the design and use of a Mosque, Buddhist teaching, the parables of Jesus and Hindu worship and festivals. Written work has an appropriate content, but the quality of presentation is often untidy. 169. The school has a scheme of work based upon the locally agreed syllabus. The co-ordinator

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

monitors teachers’ planning and more attention is now being given to improving writing. All of these represent an improvement upon the situation described in the previous inspection. The scheme of work provides suitable opportunities for assessment. The use of assessment to guide curriculum planning is not consistent throughout the school. The subject makes a very good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils because these aspects are often highlighted in lessons. The caring ethos of the school reflects the teaching of religious education and the values implicit in collective worship. The co-ordinator has an appropriate improvement plan for the subject. The regular sampling of pupils’ work contributes to the evaluation of standards of teaching and learning. Resources are very good.

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