Sandringham Primary School

SANDRINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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SANDRINGHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Sandringham Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sandringham Road Forest Gate London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. F. Beasley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 June 1997 Sandringham Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

10153 Graham Soar Registered inspector Science What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9502 Rosalind Hall Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 19162 Mary Fowler Team inspector English as an additional language English 2701 Anne Osborne Team inspector Special educational needs Geography History Physical education Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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responsibilities

2705 Pat Holwill Team inspector Information technology Design and technology How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

15926 Janet Dyson Team inspector Music Religious education 2731 Penny Holden Team inspector Foundation stage Art How well are pupils taught?

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responsibilities

25455 Mary Summers Team inspector Mathematics Equal opportunities Sandringham Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

360 Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road London N17 9LN

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Sandringham Primary School is almost four times bigger than the average primary school. It has a large nursery where pupils attend part-time before joining the reception classes full time. Over 93 per cent of pupils have English as an additional language and of these over half are at an early stage of learning English. Three quarters of the pupils in the school have Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds. Entitlement to free school meals has remained well above the national average for the last three years. The proportion of pupils on the special educational needs register is below the national average. The attainment of pupils when they first start at the school in the nursery has declined over the last three years and is now well below the national average. A significant number of pupils of all ages join or leave the school at different times each term and only half the pupils in Year 6 have been continuously educated in the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Sandringham primary school is an improving school that is effective for the vast majority of pupils, many achieve well. Strong leadership has created a pleasant and popular school where teaching is generally good and pupils’ learning and achievements are valued. These values are recognised by both parents and pupils alike. Adults working in the school value individual pupils and there is mutual respect for the different cultures and faiths within the school community. Standards of Year 6 pupils although below the national average have improved significantly over the last two years largely because of the good teaching and clear curriculum planning. Standards of pupils at the end of Year 2 are unsatisfactory. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The leadership of the headteacher is good, and standards have improved significantly in recent years. • The nursery is good and pupils have a good start to their school lives. • The quality of teaching for the oldest pupils is a significant strength resulting in good progress and high standards compared to similar schools. • Pupils of all ages have excellent attitudes to school, they are interested and enjoy learning. • Relationships are very positive and standards of discipline are high; as a result behaviour is very good. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils make good progress in religious education because teaching in this subject is good. • Support for pupils with special educational needs and for those with English is an additional language is good, ensuring these pupils achieve well and make good progress.

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What could be improved

• Literacy standards across the school particularly in reading and writing are under developed. • Standards in all subjects particularly those in Reception and Years 1 and 2 are not high enough. • Knowledge and skills in art and music are limited for many pupils throughout the school. • The quality and consistency in teaching throughout the school needs improving to ensure teachers’ lesson plans take account of pupils’ previous experiences and achievements and raises what is expected of them. Sandringham Primary School - 8 • The way subject co-ordinators keep a check on teaching and learning and the standards of work achieved by pupils is not always sharp enough. 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 previous inspection found the school to have serious weaknesses. Improvement since then has been good. The school has tackled the identified weaknesses well, in particular there is now a shared sense of purpose; relationships have improved and expectations for the oldest pupils are high. Arrangements for managing the curriculum are secure. Clear policies guide assessments and lesson planning but the implementation of these is not yet fully consistent in all year groups. Common planning sheets and effective guidance notes ensure that what is taught meets National Curriculum requirements. Development planning is sound and focuses on the main priorities for the school. The governing body is appropriately involved in planning and monitoring school developments through commissioned reports from co-ordinators or the LEA. The quality of teaching has improved particularly for the older pupils. Support for pupils with

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

special educational needs has improved. Support for bilingual pupils is improving with closer working links between special educational needs support and literacy developments. Procedures for health and safety and child protection are now good. Attainment for Year 6 pupils has improved significantly in the last three years although there is a great deal more to be done to address underachievement in Years 1 and 2.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English E E E C well above average above average A B

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Key

mathematics E E D A average below average C D science E E* D B well below average low (bottom 5%) E E*

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Key

Compared with similar schools the results of the national tests are very high in mathematics, high in science and average in English. The results are lower than the national picture but bearing in mind that many pupils begin school with limited skills in English, their progress and achievement is good. This is largely because of the good teaching and pupils’ positive attitudes to school. The greatest improvement has been made in the achievements of Year 6 pupils, particularly in mathematics and science. The school exceeded its targets in 2000 for science and mathematics and reached the English target. Standards of pupils’ work seen in lessons show that improvements are being maintained, particularly in mathematics and science.

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Key

Standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 have declined over the last three years and in 2000 they were well below average in reading, writing and mathematics. This decline is attributed Sandringham Primary School - 9 to a number of factors: lower attainment of pupils on entry to the school, changes in staffing and large numbers of pupils entering the school during each key stage, many of whom with learning difficulties and/or limited knowledge of the English language. Although standards in lessons show the majority of pupils are achieving below expectations throughout Key Stage 1, most pupils are making good progress and there is clearly an improvement in their achievements on previous years. The school has met its targets for 2001 in mathematics, science, and reading but not for writing. The progress made by bilingual pupils and those with special educational needs are mostly good and higher attaining pupils are making satisfactory progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils are eager to learn, work hard and are proud of their achievements. Their enthusiasm for school has a positive impact on learning and the rate of progress. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are courteous polite and respectful. They listen attentively, are keen to join in and work well together. Personal development and relationships Very good. The school is a racially harmonious community founded on mutual respect and tolerance, which is firmly established in all aspects of the school’s work. Pupils willingly take on responsibilities from an early age. Attendance Unsatisfactory. Attendance is low in some infant classes but improves significantly as pupils reach Year 6. Extended trips abroad are having an adverse effect on some pupils’ attainment.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good for most pupils and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and their overall achievements. The best teaching in the school occurs in Year 6 where pupils are making very good progress and learning effectively, particularly the bilingual pupils. Good joint planning and effective language support are major factors in extending the literacy and numeracy skills of these older pupils with English as an additional language. The number of Year 6 lessons where both teaching and learning are very good, is double that seen elsewhere. The key factors linked to good teaching and learning in Years 5 and 6 are high expectations, a clear focus on learning where pupils are appropriately challenged and work progresses at a good pace but with opportunities for them to consolidate their understanding. Teaching the skills of literacy is mostly good and numeracy satisfactory throughout the school but improves significantly in

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

Years 5 and 6. This is largely attributable to grouping pupils by ability for English, mathematics and science in Years 5 and 6. These arrangements are having a positive impact on pupils’ achievements and their learning. Teaching and learning in the nursery is good or very good and are significantly better than in the reception classes where both teaching and learning are mostly satisfactory. Teaching of pupils’ aged 5 to 7 varies from class to class but improves towards the end of the key stage. Low expectations, lack of pace or a clear focus on National Curriculum levels are contributory factors in those lessons that are just satisfactory. Too few opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their knowledge of subject specific language or to use a wider range of books and talk about their ideas. This impedes the progress of bilingual pupils in these Sandringham Primary School - 10 lessons. The small number of unsatisfactory lessons is mostly from temporary teachers some of

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

whom are unfamiliar with the national literacy or numeracy strategies. Sandringham Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Joint planning, clear policies and guidance ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum. There are effective links with the community and local schools and a number of extra curricular activities enhance subjects being taught, particularly in PE. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good throughout the school. Classroom assistants know pupils well and plan with the class teachers to provide appropriate work that meets pupils special needs. These pupils make good progress. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) The support provided by the EAL team is effective in raising standards and improving English language learning. Effective team teaching, support and joint planning are beginning to have a positive impact on standards. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The rich variety of cultures and faiths along with the

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Aspect Comment

value and respect there are for individuals in the school ensures this. The effective programmes for supporting pupils’ personal development and RE are strengths.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils A good standard of pastoral care and support is provided. There is good provision to support the health and safety of pupils. However, whilst there is effective monitoring of pupils’ personal development pupils’ academic monitoring is under developed.

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Aspect Comment

Procedures for welcoming new parents and pupils are very good. Many staff are able to translate many of home languages spoken. However, written communication between the school and parents is unsatisfactory. The school provides a warm welcoming atmosphere were parents are encouraged to support their children. There is a clear commitment to meeting all pupils’ needs and to prepare them effectively for the next stage of education.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The head teacher provides a clear sense of direction for the school and there is a shared commitment for improvement. The aims of the school are clearly reflected in its work.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are committed to supporting school improvement and are developing their roles and responsibilities well. Financial controls are good. As yet, not all governors are able to ask the right questions or know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. Monitoring attainment and progress of individuals or groups is at an early stage of development. Systematic procedures for monitoring teaching and learning or the progress and impact of school developments are not fully embedded in practice. The strategic use of Good. Effective action is taken to meet school development Sandringham Primary School - 12 resources priorities supported by careful financial planning. Resources are used well, particularly the deployment of support staff.

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Aspect Comment

The school has undergone some significant improvements in the last two years. The head teacher effectively provides the focus for developments and the management of change. There remains a shortage of teachers but skilful use is made of classroom assistants to complement and support temporary teachers. Staff work well together to raise achievement and ensure good behaviour. Good use is made of scarce resources and the school provides a good learning environment that has a positive impact on both pupils’ learning and their achievements. The school successfully seeks funding to provide additional learning resources. The budget is managed very well and the principles of best value are effectively applied to financial decision making. Improvements are needed in procedures for monitoring that make more use of comparative data and develop systems that track individual pupil progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school deals well with problems or complaints. • Teachers are approachable and always available to discuss matters. • Children make good progress. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. • Greater consistency in the adoption of the school homework policy. • Supervision during break times and lunchtimes in the junior playground. • Communication between the school and parents about school improvement and the work of the governing body.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team fully endorses parents’ positive views of the school and shares with them the concerns in relation to the inconsistencies in the amount and type of homework set. Communications between the school and parents could also be improved. However, supervision in the playground is adequate and pupils said that they feel behaviour is generally good. Sandringham Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. About 93 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language, (EAL) and pupils achieve as well as expected by the end of Year 6. Results of the national tests in English are well below average and in mathematics and science they are below average. However, when these results are compared with similar schools pupils' attainment is satisfactory in English very high in mathematics and high in science. This shows the school is successful in helping pupils achieve their potential and make good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Attainment of children when they first start school in the nursery is well below average. The results of initial assessments made of these youngest pupils have shown a significant declined in the last three years. The majority of children begin to learn to speak English when they start school. The good quality of nursery provision provides a secure foundation for learning and ensures that these children make good progress in most aspects of the early learning goals.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The nursery staff use their bilingual skills effectively to keep children involved in learning. Children are keen to talk about their work and are gaining in confidence and independence. Both boys and girls are developing sound physical skills encouraged and challenged by adult helpers. Children are encouraged to play imaginatively and are gaining in confidence using technical language e.g. to describe the weather, or to talk about where their families live and the journeys they have made. By the end of the Foundation Stage children are meeting the learning goals well in personal and social development and in physical development. In knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative development many children are close to meeting the learning goals.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the more formal literacy sessions in the reception classes, pupils can write simple sentence, link pictures of objects to letter sounds. In numeracy they recognise written numbers and can order numbers up to 9. A few more able pupils are beginning to understand ‘change’ when using money in the class shop. However, by the start of Year 1, the majority of pupils do not reach the learning goals in communication, language and literacy or mathematics. This is because the programme for the Foundation Stage has not yet been fully adapted to cover all the early learning goals, in some groups the work is not always matched to pupils’ needs and their progress is not as high as it should be.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. There has been a downward trend in the results of national tests at the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics over the last five years including a large dip in 1999. This is because of a number of factors,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• the loss of several experienced infant teachers; • an increasing number of pupils who join or leave the school halfway through each term; • low levels of English language of pupils when they start at the school; • many pupils who are new arrivals to the school have specific learning difficulties.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

As a result there is a marked dip in the achievement of pupils when they start school. The end of Key Stage 1 results for Year 2 pupils in 2000 showed some recovery but overall pupils’ performances were well below the national average particularly at the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics. The results were also below average when compared with similar Sandringham Primary School - 14 schools 1 . One of the key weaknesses was the low standards of Year 2 boys’ reading, which lagged behind boys in similar schools by the equivalent of almost a year of learning. The difference between the school and national standards in writing is not as marked as in reading but in 2000, writing was still below average 2 .

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The development of both the literacy and numeracy strategies has had a positive impact on standards particularly in Years 5 and 6. This is largely because of the structure brought to teaching and the clearer focus on lesson planning. Teachers are gaining in confidence at setting realistic target for pupils, but higher expectations and greater challenge is required in most other year groups. Recently, additional EAL support has been provided to help develop English language through a wider range of teaching approaches, more effective questioning and greater flexibility in the application of the literacy strategy. Where these developments have taken place then pupils make even greater progress. However, in some classes teachers tend to restrict opportunities for developing creative writing by focusing on simple sentence construction linked to a narrow range of resource materials.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Attainment of Year 6 pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 assessments and tests has shown a significant improvement year on year at a rate that is above the national trend. This is despite of the large number of pupils that join the school during Key Stage 2. However, the rate of improvement in mathematics and science is significantly better than in English, which has remained well below the national average despite improving at the same rate as the national trend. Standards in mathematics and science although below the national average are very good in mathematics when compared with similar schools and for science they are good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in lessons and in pupils’ work vary across classes and within year groups. Overall standards of work seen are below national expectations, but by the end of Year 6 there are more pupils achieving in line with expectations 3 . Nevertheless there is clear evidence that pupils are making good progress in their learning particularly in the Nursery and in Years 5 and 6. Standards are still below average in English, science, art and information and communication technology (ICT) and well below in music, by the end of both key stages. In mathematics, standards of Year 2 pupils are mostly below average but by the end of Year 6, the majority of pupils are in line with national expectations. Most pupils perform in line with expectations for their age in physical education (PE), design and technology, history and geography. In religious education (RE) standards are in line with and sometimes above those expected of the agreed

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

syllabus. Skills and knowledge in art and music are under developed but there is effective progress in ICT skills. The skills and processes linked to research, design and investigations are also underdeveloped largely because they are not systematically taught in each year group. Speaking and listening is developed effectively in history, geography and RE, but in some other subjects the use of technical language other than word lists is not so well developed. This is because some pupils have difficulty with English particularly in explaining what they mean or in using appropriate / technical terms. They also have difficulty reading and understanding the text when carrying out research.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Overall pupils make good progress in their learning, this is because of the effective support and generally good teaching which builds on the joint lesson planning that takes place within each year group with both teachers and the support staff. The specialist support provided

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Similar schools means schools with a similar proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals; for Sandringham this is between 35% and 50% of pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 National expectations for 7-year-olds relate to National Curriculum Levels 2 or above.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 National expectations for eleven-year-olds relate to National Curriculum Levels 4 or above. Sandringham Primary School - 15 for both pupils with EAL and SEN ensures good progress for these pupils. There are clear expectations linked to individual educational plans (IEPs) and structured approaches to language development that ensure good teaching and learning. There is clear evidence that the rate of progress of some SEN pupils is such that they move off the register, no longer requiring specialist support. The rate of pupils’ progress along the stages of English language acquisition is also good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils' excellent attitudes to their work and their very good standards of behaviour are strengths of the school. They are eager to learn, work hard and are proud of their achievements. In lessons they listen attentively to teachers, concentrate on the activities and want to do well. They persevere even when tasks are difficult. Towards the end of a long and very hot day for example, pupils unanimously decided 'we'll carry on working' when given the choice of completing the history task or having a short story read to them. Consequently, pupils' attitudes to school, and their enthusiasm for their work and school life, have a very positive impact on the quality of their learning and the progress that they make.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour is very good, both in class and around the school. Pupils are courteous, polite and respectful to adults and to each other. They work and play well together, helping each other in lessons and caring for newly arrived pupils. Despite the cramped playground space, their behaviour at both playtimes and lunchtimes is very good due to their respect for, and consideration of, others. From the nursery onwards, pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour. They know and appreciate the need for the school rules and are involved in drawing up their own class rules. In lessons, teachers reinforce the school's positive behaviour management policy and pupils' good behaviour is recognised through class rewards and achievement assemblies.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Throughout the school, pupils learn to take responsibility for their own actions and are encouraged to take initiative. In addition to their class responsibilities they have whole-school responsibilities which they take seriously and perform well. The Year 6 Road Safety Officers are particularly proud of their position, recognise the importance of their role and are determined to help reduce accidents. Overall, the school is a calm and respectful community where pupils feel happy, secure and able to learn.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Relationships are very good and there is a genuine sense of mutual respect between the children and adults who work in the school. In lessons, pupils listen to each other and learn to value one another's contributions, and in the playground they understand the need to include new and 'lonely' pupils in their games. In discussions, pupils are unable to recall any incidents of bullying and are confident that there would always be an adult to turn to in need. The oldest pupils commented that 'teachers are good company'.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The overwhelming impression of the school is of a racially harmonious community where understanding, respect and tolerance are developed through all aspects of school’s work. In religious education (RE) and personal, social and health education (PSHE), in particular, pupils learn to respect the feelings, beliefs and values of others. In a class assembly pupils were asked to reflect on how their activities can affect others and consider what bullying means. Year 6 pupils' RE work has included 'thinking about personal feelings' and 'welcoming other people's beliefs. In their wishes for a 'Perfect World' Year 5 pupils hope that … … 'everyone will be educated and treated the same ' … .. 'everyone will have equal rights' … … … .there will be less racism and violence… . 'family and friends will be happy together' . Sandringham Primary School - 16 15. Since the previous inspection good systems have been put in place to monitor

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

attendance. These have resulted in some improvement but the school's overall level of attendance remains below the national average. This is due, in part, to some families taking extended holidays in term time. Pupils with low or patchy attendance are carefully monitored and those with good attendance are rewarded. The school is successful in establishing a climate where pupils enjoy learning and want to come to school and the importance of regular attendance in supporting pupil achievement is made clear to parents. Attendance is lower in the infant classes and improves significantly as pupils reach Year 6. Some infant pupils who were on track to reach the average standard for their age at the end of Key Stage 1 failed to do so due to poor attendance. Consequently, the poor attendance of some pupils is limiting their progress and achievement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Staff work hard to encourage pupils to arrive on time. School procedures are good and there are regular 'late' patrols. During the school day, lessons start promptly and time is used well. Changeover after literacy and numeracy lessons is slick and efficient.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching is mostly good, with 95 per cent satisfactory or better and 61 per cent of this being good or very good but there are some extreme variations between year groups, classes, teachers and subjects. Teaching is particularly good in Year 6. Here, teaching in over 70 per cent of lessons was good or better and in over half of these teaching was very good. This prepares Year 6 pupils very well for their Key Stage 2 tests and for transfer to secondary school. Teaching is also consistently good in the nursery, giving pupils a very good start to their school life. Teaching is weakest in Year 3.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. However, within this variability there are some important strengths; for example, teaching in over 60 per cent of lessons throughout the school is good or very good. This explains why almost all parents, who commented in the questionnaire, thought that the teaching their children received was good. The teaching of English, geography, RE and PE is very good in a significant number of lessons. There is consistently better teaching in English throughout the school than in any other subjects mainly because the National Literacy Strategy makes it clear what should be taught and because lessons are well planned. Very good planning is particularly evident in Years 5 and 6 and is very effective in making sure teachers use time well and that the work they prepare for their pupils is taught well and builds on what they already know. In Key Stage 1, where teaching in English is satisfactory and could be better, it is because teachers are not using

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

real (published) books effectively enough to extend pupils’ reading and literacy skills in their lessons. Here, the main emphasis is on simple sentence work, this supports bilingual pupils in early stages of learning English but does not always help pupils understand how to write imaginatively or use grammar effectively.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. Some of the very best teaching in mathematics occurs in Years 5 and 6, where pupils are grouped according to their ability and teachers give pupils very challenging work. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson the teacher’s choice of work tested pupils’ understanding of square numbers very well; they were also very excited about their mathematics work because the teacher had organised very good mathematics games about square numbers which consolidated their understanding. In other classes not grouped by ability, the most effective lessons are where teachers set work at different levels of difficulty. Careful questioning enables pupils to think for themselves and use their ideas to solve problems. This range of planning ensures that all pupils including those with EAL and those with particular learning needs are effectively supported and appropriately challenged. In a Year 1 English lesson the teacher ended the lesson with a spelling

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

game and asked one child to spell ‘scrunch’ and another ‘inch’. Each question made the individual child think but both pupils managed to succeed. Sandringham Primary School - 17 20. An overall strength of teaching across the school is how well teachers manage their pupils. The EAL team of teachers and teaching assistants, has a good understanding of the language needs of pupils. They plan and teach in partnership with classroom teachers, contributing to the good management of pupils and the positive relationships throughout the school. All adults treat pupils with respect, they praise them when they have done well and reward them for effort. Consequently, pupils respond well and like their teachers and want to please them. The good behaviour of pupils is a constant factor in almost all lessons and is evident throughout all year groups. It is clear that pupils enjoy their practical work in science or

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

design and technology and they look forward to working in the new computer suite. The very good relationships between staff and pupils are having a positive impact on children’s learning throughout the school. Overall pupils’ learning is good. The vast majority of pupils have very positive views about how important school is and the value of learning. An interesting curriculum and good teaching reinforce these attitudes which mean that most pupils start lessons wanting to learn.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers have very good strategies for helping everyone in their class learn. Small white boards are used effectively, enabling pupils to respond independently to questions. In a Year 3 English lesson, looking at the impact writing can have on readers, the teacher used a wide range of strategies to ensure all pupils understood, including writing on the board, paired and group discussions and interactive activities using punctuation cards. Flip charts are used to organise important teaching points so the pupils can refer to them later in the lesson. Indeed, in a reception class one pupil realised that the information written on the flip chart was needed by her group, so she quietly got up went to the stand and pulled it across the room to her group’s table. This also demonstrated how good many pupils’ attitudes are to learning and how they are developing the skills to become independent learners not always needing to be told what to do by

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson investigating patterns in numbers the teacher used every moment of the lesson to get the pupils to work. Pupils settled very quickly at the start of the lesson then the teacher ran a very crisp session on the 7 times table which stimulated the pupils’ interest and concentration, and set up some healthy competition. He kept pupils focused throughout the lesson with snappy questioning and they knew they could not relax for a moment, nor did they not want to, because he made the mathematics exciting.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching assistants are used very well in the best lessons. They know what they are meant to do because work is planned for them. In some lessons they use their knowledge of pupils’ home languages very well to reinforce what the teacher is saying and to check pupils’ understanding. This is a particular strength in the support for pupils with EAL. Pupils with special educational needs are given effective and appropriate teaching support. Teachers use the targets set in pupils' individual education plans (IEPs) as the basis for their own lesson planning and work is generally carefully matched to pupils' needs, particularly in English and mathematics. Learning assistants support pupils sensitively and effectively and make a significant contribution to their progress and achievement. In a Year 2 mathematics lesson, for example, the teaching assistant contributed significantly to the progress of three pupils with special educational needs

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

made. She encouraged them to contribute fully during whole class sessions and knew what their individual education plan targets were. Classroom assistants make regular on-going assessments for those pupils they support. This approach contributes effectively to the teacher’s overall class assessments. In a Reception class literacy lesson, the teaching assistant worked effectively with a group learning words beginning with ‘m’ and ‘s’ because she had been very well briefed and was sure about what she was to achieve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Where subjects other than English and mathematics are taught well it is usually because these teachers have good knowledge and love of the subject. The schemes of work also help because they make it clear what pupils should be learning and when. However, some of these Sandringham Primary School - 18 could be improved still further if the learning intentions were more closely linked to National Curriculum levels in order to provide a closer link between planning and assessment. The best teachers use their knowledge of the pupils to plan interesting and effective ways of teaching that build on pupils’ previous experiences. Skills and processes linked to research and investigative work are not as well developed as pupils subject knowledge and pupils do not always extend their investigations or research to the same level. There are exceptions, in a Year 4 lesson the teacher used the information pupils had gained on visits to local places of worship well. Her good

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

subject knowledge and teaching skills combined to get pupils to construct a game, which required the answers to many important religious questions. Pupils showed a good understanding of Christianity, Judaism, Sikism, Hinduism and Islam and knew about holy books and symbolism. 25. Teaching has improved since the last inspection and there are now more lessons where the quality of teaching is good and very good, and fewer lessons where teaching is unsatisfactory. The best teaching is still in the top of Key Stage 2 and in the nursery. Improving consistency and helping temporary teachers to develop their teaching skills remain the important areas for development.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

26. At the time of the last inspection in 1997, provision for the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils was unsatisfactory. Statutory requirements in design and information technology and geography were not being met. Since then, all aspects of the curriculum have been improved with the result that the quality and range of opportunities offered to pupils is now good. All the statutory curricular requirements, including the provision of religious education, are now met.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

27. Curriculum provision is good in the Foundation Stage and in both key stages. The overall curriculum is good in many classes across the school, but there is some inconsistency in year groups other than Year 6. The provision for speaking and listening is satisfactory and is clearly focused on the development of language acquisition of those pupils with EAL. The introduction of booster sessions for literacy and numeracy for some pupils also helps to improve basic skills. Some staff seek ways to include aspects of English, such as writing at length for a variety of purposes, into the timetable in the context of other subjects. However, this is not consistent and the increased emphasis on literacy and numeracy has resulted in some imbalance of time allocated to other subjects. The school is now looking at how to allocate time to subjects to maintain a well-balanced curriculum that meets the interests and needs of all pupils as well as

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

National Curriculum coverage for each class. Planning for the Foundation Stage is mostly successful in meeting the needs of children in the nursery and reception classes. However, it has not yet been fully adapted to cover all the areas of learning.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

28. Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 there is an appropriate emphasis on English, mathematics and science. Strategies for teaching literacy skills are mostly satisfactorily and those for teaching numeracy skills are good. The policy for information technology is now being implemented with more success now that there are improved resources and access to the new ICT suite. Already the use of this suite is having a positive impact on teaching and learning in the core subjects 4 , but the use of ICT is not yet firmly established in all National Curriculum foundation subjects.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

29. The school’s aims are supported by clear subject policies, most of which have been reviewed to take account of the requirements of new modified National Curriculum. Schemes of

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

4 Core subjects include English, mathematics and science. Sandringham Primary School - 19 work are in place to assist the teachers planning. These include specific guidance for teachers so that they directly impact on the quality of the learning outcomes for pupils. Teachers, in their year groups, plan in detail for each half term and then weekly. These plans are checked by the senior management team and subject co-ordinators. This helps to ensure consistency, and enables suggestions to be made for future learning and for resources to be carefully targeted.

p.18

OR STUDENTS?

30. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language is good and these pupils take a full part in the work and life of the school. Individual education plans successfully provide appropriate targets for their future learning, especially in English and mathematics.

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

31. All pupils have full and equal access to the curriculum at their own individual level, according to their needs. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. The governors have adopted appropriate policies for sex education and drug awareness. Personal, social and health education is included in the curriculum through lessons and ‘Circle times’. These sessions are sensitively organised by teachers and provide pupils with opportunities to reflect on their own feelings and those of others.

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

32. The school provides a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities and clubs for the pupils. These include infant and junior computer clubs, dance and sports activities. They are open to all pupils who wish to take part. Older pupils take part in competitive sporting events, for example, football and netball, with other local schools. Where there are activities and clubs, they contribute positively to the breadth and range of the school curriculum for the pupils. All these activities help to make a rich contribution to the quality, breadth and range of the school curriculum. The range of clubs and activities does not extend as fully as it might into areas of the creative and performing arts.

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

33. School visits and visitors to the school enhance the curriculum. Pupils in Year 6 have the opportunity to stay away from home during an outdoor activity week. Pupils regularly visit museums and other places of educational interest. Many invited visitors from the local community including artists, music and dance specialists, help to enrich pupils’ learning experiences. Parents also have an after school computer club. Good, constructive links have also been made with other local primary and the nearby secondary schools. The curriculum is further enhanced by the use of information and communication technology such as email and the Internet, which provide opportunities to link pupils with others further afield and sometimes are used in homework tasks. However, the use of homework such as reading and research activities making use of a wide range of resources varies significantly across classes and year group. There is not a

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

consistent approach to ensure that the school’s homework policy is implemented, or that parents know what is expected of them or their children. Where homework is used effectively and consistently as in Year 6 then pupils make good progress and homework plays a positive role in extending the taught curriculum.

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

34. The school is making good overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are very good features in all these aspects, with support for pupils’ moral and social development being particularly effective. RE and the personal social and health education (PSHE) programme make strong contributions to these areas of pupils’ development. Spiritual development is well supported by the school. There are good opportunities for pupils to learn about the beliefs and values of others through a study of the different faiths represented in the local area. Pupils are confident to talk and write about their own beliefs and values and show respect for those of others. Older pupils reflect on fundamental questions such as how animals should be treated or what their aspirations would be for ‘a perfect world’. Carefully focused questions encouraged the youngest pupils to respond with a sense of awe and wonder at the

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

intricacy of a wasps’ nest. Sandringham Primary School - 20 35. The school’s expectations about how people will treat each other are clear. This helps to ensure that pupils have a very good understanding of right and wrong. Moral and ethical questions are discussed in lessons, and assemblies often focus on relevant issues such as bullying, welcoming newcomers and friendship. Well-chosen stories are frequently used as a means of prompting pupils to think about moral issues.

p.19

OR STUDENTS?

36. All pupils are involved in taking responsibility in school and have a good understanding of living in a community. Pupils act as monitors carrying out routine tasks and there is democratic representation on the school council, older pupils are involved as road safety officers and each class is responsible for additional class rules or codes of conduct. Teachers often prompt pupils to consider other peoples’ feelings and points of view. This was demonstrated effectively in a PSHE lesson for Year 4 when pupils worked well together to solve problems in providing facilities for a community, making joint decisions and discussing different views and opinions. A geography lesson about the Indian village of Chembakoli was used to provide an occasion for pupils to close their eyes and reflect on what it must be like to stand in the sun all day long, picking tea. 37. Some aspects of pupils’ cultural development are very well supported by the school. The

p.20

OR STUDENTS?

diverse cultural traditions of the area are given a high profile and all main religious festivals are celebrated in school. Displays in classrooms and around the school present positive images and reflect both pupils’ own cultures and those of the wider world. There are performances by a local poet and musicians. However, both art and music could make stronger contributions to pupils’ cultural development than is currently the case.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The educational and personal guidance for pupils is good. Pastoral systems in the school have improved significantly since the last inspection and are now well organised and comprehensive. Despite the large size of the school, adults know pupils well as individuals and good relationships between all members of staff and pupils ensure that each child is supported well in both their personal and academic development. The deputy headteacher takes a key role in this area and is highly effective.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures to ensure the health, safety and well being of children are good. There are regular inspections of the site and risk assessments are undertaken. The school follows the LEA guidelines for child protection and staff have had training in this area. There is good coverage for first aid and records relating to any incidents are detailed.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school has worked hard to improve its procedures and recording of attendance and this is now good. The school now complies fully with the regulations and registers are taken formally and accurately. The school now has clear criteria when considering whether an absence should be marked authorised or unauthorised. Those pupils whose attendance gives concern are monitored carefully. The school has a very good relationship with its educational welfare officer who visits weekly so concerns are dealt with promptly. The school rewards pupils for good attendance and discusses the implications of absence with parents particularly when extended holidays are planned. While attendance is below the national average it has improved and the attendance of individual pupils increases as they become older showing that the measures in place are having a positive impact.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures to monitor and promote good behaviour are very good. Behaviour is promoted positively and pupils are aware of what is expected of them. This is done in assemblies and also through the new PSHE programme, which is working well. Examples of positive attitudes, achievement, effort and good work are highlighted well in regular assemblies when pupils receive recognition in front of their peers. No instances of inappropriate behaviour were Sandringham Primary School - 21 seen during the inspection but good monitoring systems are in place to deal with this if necessary.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Pupils who join the school mid-way through the year are given lots of help to settle quickly. In each case the deputy headteacher meets with the parents to exchange information so that the school and class teacher are fully prepared to welcome the new arrival the following week. Additional learning support is in place for pupils joining the school in the middle of a year. These pupils receive a well-planned, four-week programme, which is skilfully delivered.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Playtimes and lunchtimes are well organised and well supervised. The school copes well with the number of pupils on the site and systems for moving pupils around the building have been thought out carefully to avoid crowding.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The development and implementation of a whole school assessment policy was a key issue at the last inspection and much work has been done to address this. There is now a whole school policy and assessment takes place in most subjects of the National Curriculum but its quality is variable. Assessment is better in all subjects in the upper end of the school but the quality of marking in some subjects does not always provide the guidance needed to enable pupils to know what or how to improve. In the weekly plans there is a focus on assessment opportunities linked to the learning intentions in English, mathematics and science. However, these learning intentions are not clearly linked to specific level descriptors in the National Curriculum. This means that not all staff are clear about the amount or the quality of work needed to achieve each of the different levels. Overall assessments in English, mathematics and

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

science are carried out systematically and the progress made by pupils is checked. However, in some classes it is unclear how information obtained affects future lesson plans. Portfolios are kept of pupils’ past work showing individual progress. Pupils are regularly assessed and the analysis of results is undertaken. However, the evaluation of the information could be developed further so that monitoring and tracking pupils’ attainment and progress is more effective.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has improved its collection of data over the past two years. There are secure systems in place for assessing the progress of pupils with SEN and identifying their future needs. The special educational needs co-ordinator and class teachers review pupils' individual learning targets termly and amend IEPs accordingly. There is also more information about EAL pupils and their progress particularly in the stages of English language acquisition but systems are not yet systematically developed on a whole school basis to provide a coherent picture of each pupils’ attainment and progress as they move through the school.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents’ views of the school are good. From the questionnaires and from pupils’ own comments there is an overwhelming agreement with the statements that children like school and are making good progress. Parents feel that teaching and behaviour are good and that the school expects children to work hard. Issues about homework were raised at the parents’ meeting and in the questionnaire. Here the inspection team felt that there were some unrealistic expectations set by a few parents particularly those of the youngest pupils in the school. In general the homework tasks set were satisfactory, although there were some inconsistencies in the application of the schools’ homework policy in some classes. Some parents felt that the provision of activities outside school could be improved. The inspection team judged these areas to be satisfactory although provision would be enhanced if there were more opportunities for

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

pupils to be involved in the creative and performing arts. Some parents did not feel that the school worked closely with parents but this is judged to be an area of strength. However, the inspection team agrees with the parents’ view that the information the school provides about their child’s progress and the curriculum they experience is too limited. Other issues raised by parents included the size of the dining room, the arrangements for those children who are fasting at Sandringham Primary School - 22 Ramadan and school uniform. The school already has specific systems for each of these concerns. Consultation and advice has been sought from religious and community leaders in relation to the issue of fasting. For example, if a child is fasting, then parents are expected to take them home at lunchtime so that they can rest.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school makes very effective links with parents by ensuring that all new parents have an individual structured interview with the deputy head before their child enters school. This enables concerns to be raised and relationships forged from the start, this process is very good. Many of the staff are fluent in different languages and as part of their induction parents are introduced to a member of staff who speaks the same language and can act as an interpreter. This is time consuming, but ensures that from the outset all parents are given the opportunity to become involved in the education of their child. The headteacher and deputy head are in the playground available to meet parents at the beginning and end of each day and teachers lead their class out at the end of the day so parents have an opportunity to talk with them then. While the human contact between the school and parents is very effective, the written communication is

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

unsatisfactory. Parents receive very little information about the curriculum that their child will be covering and reports on progress are often impersonal. The annual report for parents from the governing body is very brief and does not celebrate the achievements of the school. 48. The school has involved parents in literacy and numeracy sessions. These have been well attended as are specific assemblies and parents meetings where pupils are present and targets for improvement are discussed and agreed. There is an active ICT club for parents. Children take books home to read with their parents but there is no home school record of this so it is hard to judge its effectiveness. Most parents ensure homework is completed. This is having a positive effect on standards, but a significant number have yet to realise the importance of their child attending school daily. There are very good contacts with parents of pupils with special

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

educational needs and parents are regularly involved in the review process. The special educational needs co-ordinator involves parents and pupils in identifying future targets so that parents can work in partnership with the school in supporting their children. Support for pupils with EAL and their parents is good. Progress in the areas of support and links between the school, home and the community have improved significantly since the last inspection. There is a growing awareness of the positive impact the school is having within the community. However, a number of parents still take extended holidays abroad which adversely affects the standards to which their children attain.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The headteacher provides good leadership and management and a clear sense of direction for school developments. He and his deputy work very effectively as a team, enabling staff to work to their strengths and this has resulted in a shared commitment for high achievement and good school improvement. The headteacher along with the deputy headteacher and other senior staff have a collective responsibility for monitoring and managing curriculum developments. The team works very closely with the EAL, special educational needs and literacy co-ordinators and this enlarged management group provides greater depth to the school’s management structure and has enabled more staff to take on responsibilities and support developments. Organisation and management of staffing and the development of a management structure for the school have been major priorities for the headteacher since the last inspection.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Developments so far have resulted in improved provision, higher standards particularly in Key Stage 2 and a more coherent approach to the support provision of pupils with SEN and those with EAL. However there remains a concern about the shortage of teachers to fulfil the long-term absence of staff and the quality and experience of many temporary staff some of whom have little experience of the literacy and numeracy strategies. The school has however skilfully used teaching assistants and support staff to support and complement temporary teaching staff in an attempt to address the weaknesses. Sandringham Primary School - 23 50. The recent appointment of an EAL co-ordinator is having a positive impact on the quality of provision for those pupils with EAL in the school. Leadership and management of support for EAL are good. There is an effective support team that ensures pupils make good progress particularly in learning English. There is clear direction to the work of EAL support teachers and

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

assistants and the key areas for developments have been appropriately planned. There are developing links with both the literacy and special educational needs’ co-ordinators.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Leadership and management of SEN provision are also good. The special educational needs co-ordinator works very hard to ensure that good procedures are in place and that provision matches pupils' needs. She effectively involves the governing body. Monitoring pupils' learning and their progress is developing well. The governor responsible for SEN visits the school regularly and works in classes on a voluntary basis. The governing body fulfils its responsibility for SEN very effectively. The progress in SEN provision since the last inspection is good and it is clear that the good support and provision is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievements with a number of pupils moving down the stages or even off the register.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The creation of the foundation subject co-ordinator is a typical example of where the headteacher has effectively employed the teachers’ strengths to organise monitor and provide a framework for planning in the foundation subjects. Other middle managers, (‘phase leaders’) take responsibility for the managing both staff and pupils’ welfare and guidance in their respective year groups. They also have direct responsibility for monitoring developments and ensuring policies are implemented consistently. This framework is good and provides both support and guidance to temporary staff. However, not all new or temporary staff have had training to achieve a good understanding of the most recent developments in literacy and numeracy and this adversely impacts on the quality of teaching and progress in their classes. Induction arrangements for supply staff although sound, need improvement. This was a problem for the school during the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

week of the inspection when one class had three different temporary teachers.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Organisation and management of, and support for newly qualified teachers and students are strengths. The school manages each year to successfully recruit a number of new teachers from the students who train in the school. This is because of the good support along with the encouraging and welcoming ethos the school generates which encourages these new teachers to stay at the school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Management of the site is good and effective and efficient use is made of the space available. There have been significant improvements in the quality of accommodation since the last inspection. The restricted play area still presents problems particularly for PE and games but careful time tabling arrangements for play times ensure efficient and effective use of the space available. Classrooms are bright and the quality of displays generally good. They mostly provide a warm, pleasant, spacious atmosphere in which children can learn. The majority of pupils in the school are proud of their school and the accommodation, most notably the new ICT suit and the library areas.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. Members of the governing body are developing their roles well and in most cases the effectiveness of their work is satisfactory. Over-sight of financial management under the direct control of the deputy headteacher is very good. Governors ensure the school spends its resources wisely and seek to obtain best value when improving learning resources or refurbishment of classrooms as a result learning resources available for staff and pupils in all subjects are at least adequate and in PE and geography they are good. Educational priorities are very well supported through very good financial planning and the principles of best value are applied to all financial decision making. The success indicators in development plans used to monitor spending and school developments are not always clearly linked to pupils’ achievements or improved provision. This means that monitoring spending in terms of educational outcomes is

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

not always clear. Nevertheless the school has been successful in obtaining a number of Sandringham Primary School - 24 additional funds to support curriculum developments including ICT, improved PE facilities and refurbish play areas. Strategic use of resources is good, particularly in the deployment of classroom assistants to support temporary teachers. The main weakness for both the governing body and the middle management is the lack of clarity in terms of monitoring and evaluating the quality of provision, as well as the pace and direction of school developments. Monitoring to date relies heavily on the headteacher or the LEA in providing commissioned reports. These provide an overview of the state of school developments including teaching and learning but monitoring, and evaluation in particular are under developed. Particularly in terms of knowing what works and why and whether particular developments are effective or not in raising pupils’ attainment or

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

how particular groups of pupils are performing or progressing over time.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. In some subject areas monitoring is better developed than in others, but this rests largely on individual co-ordinators to drive developments forward rather than through a planned and structured approach to monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning, subject provision and standards. Because of the pressure on the school’s current staffing situation, there is insufficient time available to enable middle managers to develop and fulfil their management roles effectively. There is some monitoring of teachers’ planning but this is not directly cross-referenced to pupils’ work, the learning outcomes or the quality of teaching. However, the feed back provided by the curriculum co-ordinator for foundation subjects on some teachers planning is detailed and helpful. There is not a consistent approach to lesson observations although there are detailed reviews carried out by the LEA to monitor school developments. The way that the schools monitors and

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

evaluates how well it is doing and how well it is meeting its targets is not rigorous enough. Few governors are directly involved in any monitoring but they do commission reports from the LEA or the senior management team and occasionally co-ordinators present reports on specific issues but not all governors are clear about their monitoring role nor the expectations and focus of school visits. Not all governors are clear about the right questions to ask in order to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This therefore impedes their contribution to shaping the direction of the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The senior management team staff and governors are all involved at some point in school development planning. There is a close link between whole school priorities and those of the LEA’s educational development plan. The priorities for development are appropriate and the school has taken effective action to ensure it meets the targets set. There is a shared commitment to improvement, a significant development from previous inspections. The main weakness that holds back the school’s progress in all its developments is the availability of sufficient suitably qualified and experienced teachers to support the current staff in their endeavours in meeting the school’s development priorities. Currently the quality of teaching assistants and their ability to support and complement the work of teaching staff is good and a major contributory factor in the good progress and achievements made by pupils in lessons.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

58. The school has made some good improvements since the last inspection to address the serious weaknesses. Standards of eleven-year-olds in mathematics and science have improved significantly. In order to raise standards further and to improve provision consistently throughout the school, the headteacher staff and governing body need to focus on the following issues, most of which have already been identified in the school development plan.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Continue to raise standards of literacy throughout the school by ensuring that pupils develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening by; • using a wide range of texts and reference materials to extend literacy skills in other curriculum subjects; Sandringham Primary School - 25 • developing pupils’ reference and comprehension skills to enable them to become more competent researchers and to improve writing skills, particularly of boys. (paragraphs 1 to 8, 17,18, 27, 33, 52, 61, 62, 69 to 75 )

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise standards in all subjects throughout the school, particularly in the Reception classes and Key Stage 1 ensuring that: • teachers know and build on pupils’ previous experiences; • achievements in all six areas of the Early Learning Goals are recognised and that the assessment information is used to plan activities and set work that more appropriately meets pupils’ needs and abilities; • the expectations of National Curriculum levels are understood by all and used to raise standards and targets throughout each key stage; • pupils’ progress and attainment is monitored systematically as they move through the school. (paragraphs 1 to 8, 24, 27, 44, 45, 58 to 68, 72, 82, 84, 85, 90, 92, 93, 97, 121, 123,) Sandringham Primary School - 26 (3) Improve the quality and consistency of teaching by • developing and improving the skills of middle management to enable them to support, challenge and drive curriculum improvements forward;

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring middle managers have the time to undertake a structured and rigorous programme of monitoring and evaluation; • extending the range of monitoring and evaluation strategies to include lesson observations, teachers’ planning and pupils’ work; (paragraphs 17 to 25, 27, 33, 44, 45, 49, 52. 55, 56, 77, 78, 82, 90, 96, 97, 107, 100, 103, 114, 121, 128, 129, 130, 135, )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Improve teachers and pupils’ skills and knowledge of the creative subjects, including art and music, by • providing more detailed structured schemes of work and in-class support and guidance, which gives examples of the quality of work expected at different levels. • identify strategies for developing pupils’ skills in different aspects of each subject. (paragraphs 8, 32, 37, 46, 52, 98 to 100, 129 to 131, )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Other issues that should be considered by the school include;

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• continued development of governors’ knowledge and skills to enable them to fulfil their roles more effectively; (paragraphs 55, 56, )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• addressing the weaknesses in attendance and ensuring that parents understand the need for good attendance; (paragraphs 15, 40, 48, )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improving the quality of written communication between the school and home including the use of reading diaries as a means of involving parents more closely with literacy developments. (paragraphs 33, 40, 46, 47, 48, )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• addressing the variations in the range of homework activities set to meet the school’s stated policy. (paragraphs 33, 46, )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• continue to improve the development of ICT within the context of other subjects. (paragraphs 8, 28, 33, 96, 113, 118, 123, 127,) Sandringham Primary School - 27

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 45

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 21 40 34 4 1 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 60 822

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 329 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 10

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 10 160

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 794

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 115

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 934

p.27

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Sandringham 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 53 63 116

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 32 34 42 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 48 51 53

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 69 (64) 73 (66) 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 34 43 35 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 51 55 46

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 73 (68) 84 (77) 70 (73) 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 56 60 116

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 32 33 39 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 44 43 51

p.28

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 66 (48) 66 (51) 78 (51) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 28 30 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 39 39 51

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 58 (39) 59 (43) 76 (44) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Sandringham Primary School - 29

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 13 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 58 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 102 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 33 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 29.4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 1,537,452

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 23 Expenditure per pupil 1,647

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 620 Balance brought forward from previous year 115,781

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 39,826

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 124

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 10 FTE means full-time equivalent. Sandringham Primary School - 30

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

Strongl y agree Tend to agree Tend to disagr ee Strongl y disagr ee Don’t know

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Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 53 41 3 2 2

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Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 56 35 5 1 3

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 39 35 14 9 4

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 36 7 3 4

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 56 30 5 4 6

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 56 37 3 0 4

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 47 35 9 1 8

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 49 38 4 2 7

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 48 38 7 3 4

p.30

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 34 7 5 12 Sandringham Primary School - 31

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

59. Most children now start their education at Sandringham nursery and this gives them a strong start to the foundation stage. 5 The two nursery classes provide the children who attend for morning or afternoon sessions a good education because teaching is good. The vast majority of children starting in the nursery begin to learn to speak English when they start school. Staff in the nursery are very good at settling new children, encouraging good attitudes to work and giving them very good experiences to develop their command of English. The reception classes give pupils a sound education although in some classes teaching and the work planned is better than in others. The programme for the Foundation Stage has not yet been fully adapted to cover all the early learning goals. This means that some activities are too easy and do not build on what children already know and some activities are too difficult because they do not take into account

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the stage they are at. The quality of teaching in reception classes is not as good as in the nursery, as a result pupils’ achievements are not as high as they should be and the overall attainment of children at the end of the Foundation Stage is below expectation. Children do not yet reach the learning goals in communications, language and literacy or mathematics. They are however meeting them well in personal and social development and in physical development and are close to meeting them in knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development.

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Personal, social and emotional development

60. Children’s skills in the area of personal and social development are good throughout the Foundation Stage. In the nursery by the end of the school year even children who are still only three are showing excellent attitudes to learning, they are able to stay concentrating on an activity for a good length of time. Nursery children have the ability to persevere and even though they find an activity difficult will keep on trying. One boy cutting out picture of objects he wanted to take on holiday in order to stick it onto a suitcase shaped piece of paper, found the task really difficult but persisted until he had achieved it. Nursery children are able to sit quietly listening to a story or to an adult telling a story. They take part in activities very seriously whether its dressing up and organising a pretend party, or writing a letter to their parents and posting it or quietly reading a book on their own.

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Personal, social and emotional development

61. The good social and emotional development is largely because; parents’ encourage positive attitudes to school and all the adults who work with pupils, teachers, nursery nurses and teaching assistants are skilled in developing pupils’ attitudes and relationships. Adults sensitively point out to children the effect of their actions and praise good behaviour, “I really like the way Ahmet is taking part” for instance. When a girl asks a boy for a turn on the bike he is riding he gives it up well. Adults positively encourage children to be independent and self confident throughout the foundation stage. This is very effective and by the time they are in reception they demonstrate this in many ways. When given appropriate work, they can get on without adult support and help one another thoughtfully. In a numeracy session one girl realised the task her group had, would be easier if they could use the teaching notes written on the flip chart. She

p.31

Personal, social and emotional development

quietly fetched the stand and carried it over to her table for them all to use.

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Personal, social and emotional development

The foundation stage of education is for children aged three to the end of their reception year. During this time children work towards early learning goals in six areas of learning. There are developmental steps along the way to each early learning goal called the stepping-stones. Sandringham Primary School - 32

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Communication, language and literacy

62. The area of communication, language and literacy is the area many children make the greatest progress in but still do not reach the early learning goals at the end of the Reception year. This is partly because many children are learning to understand and speak English. This takes time. The good relationships between adults and children in the nursery give children the confidence to try speaking English. In a remarkably short time children take their first attempts at using English words, experiment with words and quickly build up extraordinary expertise. Bilingual nursery nurses and teaching assistants play an important part. They judiciously use the pupils’ home language to check understanding and focus children’s thinking. Adults generally use English well, asking questions and making statements in a variety of ways to help children pick up meaning and they allow them a good length of time to work out answers. In the nursery

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Communication, language and literacy

adults plan experiences that will intrigue and excite the children to encourage talk and to give reasons to build up their vocabularies. Textures to touch such as the trays of coloured water thickened with cornflour and the feely box promote discussion. The bowls of seaweed and shells in seawater before the trip to the seaside give lovely reasons to talk and give children new vocabulary. These experiences enrich the vocabularies of all children well.

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Communication, language and literacy

63. In reception classes the children’s language is further developed with opportunities to talk about a special object such as the wasp nest brought in for children to see and describe. Adults find every opportunity to talk to children about what they are doing. Not only talk is developed, lots of opportunities for writing and reading are also planned. In the nursery these are linked securely to play activities but in the reception classes they often become too removed from reality and worksheet dominated. In some literacy lessons work about words and sounds are taught separated from books and often, for children learning to speak English, without clear meaning. One unifying strength however is how adults demand eye contact from children so that they attend closely. At the end of the foundation stage pupils love stories, make up their own, speak clearly with attention to whomever they are speaking to and write their own names and

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Communication, language and literacy

familiar words in reasonably neat letters. Many children are at an early stage of English acquisition, which means they still need to develop a larger vocabulary and knowledge of language structure. However, most have developed a sound and secure phonic knowledge of simple sounds and words and have started to use this to read.

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Mathematical development

64. Many children are developing good skills in mathematics but by the end of the Foundation Stage many still do not achieve the early learning goals for mathematical development. This is largely because too much emphasis is placed on work sheet based activities in Reception and most children, with limited understanding of English language, find these difficult to interpret. In the nursery every opportunity is taken to count, to sing number songs and to work out simple sums. In the nursery many pupils can name and recognise numbers beyond 20. During registration one boy accurately wrote 26 in the air, to indicate the correct number of children sitting on the carpet. Adults use tabletop activities to get children to work out problems, for instant plastic dinosaurs were used for adding and take away sums. Numbers feature around the nursery, and in games, to encourage the children’s familiarity with

p.32

Mathematical development

them. A boy sitting on a cycle looked down at the large number attached to the front of the bike, looked up with an expression of surprise and discovery and said, “ number 6 says 9 upside down!”

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Mathematical development

65. In Reception these number skills are further developed and many children can recognise and manipulate in a simple way numbers up and beyond 100. Teachers have set up shopping situations and give pupils real money to use but what is asked of them is not always easy for the children to understand. This is because the children need more practical work and because the Sandringham Primary School - 33 teacher has not explained the task well enough. Too often Reception children can do a number activity practically, such as matching a coin to a labelled toy ‘for sale’ but when presented with a worksheet cannot do it. Children have in the main reached the goals for counting and using numbers in practical problems. Many are at the stage of using language such as addition and subtraction practically and with the help of an adult. They are developing their understanding and the vocabulary necessary to work with shape, space and measure. Children can put two objects

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Mathematical development

in order by height and weight. They can name simple shapes but are not always sure of greater, heavier and lighter. Adults need to develop a more challenging and richer mathematics curriculum for Reception children, one that does not require so many worksheet type activities.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

66. In the area knowledge and understanding of the world children have a rich experience in the nursery in exploring what and how things happen. By the end of the Foundation stage many children are close to meeting the early learning goals for this area of learning. In the nursery children make chapattis and talk about how the ingredients change when mixed and then change further when cooked. In Reception children learn about living things and how plants for example grow, they look at what floats and what sinks. Throughout both the nursery and reception classes children develop their making skills and love cutting out and fastening paper and card. Most are good with their hands and can cut out neatly and trace accurately. They build using bricks and construction toys, often making elaborate constructions. Most use computers quite confidently, they can use a mouse for example, but they do not use programmable toys or concept

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

keyboards. Children often use programmes they cannot read but guess at. Throughout the nursery and Reception classes their sense of time is developed, teachers ask questions about interesting events in the children’s lives including how they were when they were babies. They learn to understand the difference between what happens now and what happened a long time ago. One boy in the nursery was playing at going away and had done before, the adult reminded him, “You went to Pakistan yesterday how did you manage to get back for school today?” Play activities such as this, help children develop their understanding of the world and their sense of place. When they are in reception they talk about where their families originate from and many can trace routes on a world map and identify countries. Teachers are good at encouraging pupils’ awareness of the world beyond their locality and recognising and valuing pupils’ heritages.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Many children come to school with a strong set of beliefs and by the end of the foundation stage have achieved these particular goals. They understand about their own and other’s beliefs. Many are able to recognise that other children have different beliefs and can give some examples of different events in different religions. Reception children can name the Bible, and the Koran and know there are other sacred texts. Adults develop these aspects of learning well.

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Physical development

67. Children’s physical development is good and adults extend them well by the end of the Foundation stage children are meeting the early learning goals for physical development. Children in the nursery have very good skills on tricycles and scooters; both boys and girls can ride extremely quickly, steering safely and accurately. They climb and balance and are agile and careful towards each other. They build and climb on and in structures they make out of large cardboard boxes. Reception children do not have access to an outdoor environment as the nursery children do. However, separate playtimes and more play equipment during these times have been organised to improve the opportunities available to reception children. They develop their ability to catch and to throw. ‘Playtimes’ will need to be well used to continue the children’s good development of movement and control from the nursery. Children develop a good sense of

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Physical development

space and do not bump into each other they are thoughtful and careful. The children do know how important it is to eat well, be clean and look after themselves well but not all reception children understand about what happen to them when they are active. Sandringham Primary School - 34

p.33

Creative development

68. In the nursery creative activities are a strength, children use a wide variety of beautiful and arresting materials to make collages and pictures. They paint and draw and discuss the things they see and feel, explaining why they are doing things in a particular way. In Reception classes pupils continue to be given creative activities, the best of which ask children to look at something and paint or draw what they see or to create something very individual. Poor creative opportunities happen in reception classes where teachers give children outlines to fill in or show children how to all make exactly the same patterns or picture by following step for step. In the nursery and in reception classes children listen to music and sing a variety of songs, they explore sound and do movement to music. Skills in singing and movement are not as good as they could be because the programme for these areas does not build sufficiently on what children have done

p.34

Creative development

before. Children use their imaginations well and this is an area adults develop satisfactorily overall and well in the nursery where they often join in and extend children’s pretend games. Children respond well to musical and artistic experiences but are not routinely encouraged to use all aspects of creativity to express their feeling or ideas especially musically. As a result by the end of the Foundation stage although some reach the early learning goals for creative development many do not.

p.34

Creative development

69. Since the last inspection the nursery has doubled in size so that all can start their time at the school with nursery experience and the progress made in the quality of education since the last inspection is good. The two nursery classes currently provide different experiences for the children within them and developments are being planned to ensure all nursery children have the same good experience in the future. The Foundation Stage is also new since then and although it came into place at the beginning of the academic year, planning and assessment has not yet taken all the new requirements into account. The work in the Reception classes needs to be developed to provide better continuity of experience from the nursery so that children’s skills can be built on securely. Throughout the Foundation Stage children with special educational needs are generally supported well so that their skills are properly developed. This is mainly because all

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Creative development

adults know the children and their need well and because classroom organisation and staffing levels allow for some individual attention. All children are involved and encouraged to develop their skills equally and the range of backgrounds, cultures and beliefs are respected and valued.

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ENGLISH

70. Standards in English at the end of Year 6 have improved since the last inspection at a slightly greater rate than in schools nationally but although below national averages in 2000, they are now in line with the average scores for similar schools. The school reached its target for 2000. This is a significant improvement since the last full inspection. The quality of work seen and the outcomes of tests show that girls achieve higher standards than boys do in Year 6. Standards in English for Year 2 pupils went down following the last inspection, but began to rise again in 2000. However standards were still well below national averages and below those for similar schools with few seven-year-olds achieving the higher levels in reading or writing.

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ENGLISH

71. The evidence from pupils’ work and their performances in lessons show many of the present Year 6 pupils working close to the national expectations for eleven-year-olds, and those in Year 2 remain just below average in reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

72. Skills in speaking and listening of pupils’ by the time they reach the end of Year 6 are broadly in line with the national expectations and at the end of Year 2 are close to the national expectation. This is a significant achievement since many of them enter the school with very little spoken English or experience of reading and writing in English. However, many pupils in the Sandringham Primary School - 35 lower ability groups in Years 5 and 6 still lack confidence in spoken English and younger pupils do not always have the breadth of vocabulary or the confidence to discuss topics in depth. Pupils’ listening skills are good, they are attentive in class and listen carefully to teachers and each other. By the end of Year 6, many pupils, particularly the more able make good contributions to debates and discussions. In a Year 6 class, pupils shared their views on the feelings and intentions of

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ENGLISH

73. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 and 4 in their writing in both class work and in tests. However the proportion of pupils achieving higher levels in writing is lower than it should with a number of more able pupils under achieving. This is because the work provided does not always challenge for the more able pupils nor does it provide sufficient opportunities for them to write imaginatively. Older pupils regardless of ability make good progress in Years 5 and 6.

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ENGLISH

74. Many younger pupils are progressing well with their reading considering the low starting point in terms of their knowledge of English. However their ability to read with expression is hindered largely because they have insufficient experience of or access to different kinds of books. Opportunities for them to discuss the deeper meanings in stories or for them to explore texts to show deeper understanding are not always provided.

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ENGLISH

75. Most pupils know the difference between information books and stories and many can locate information using a contents page. Few pupils however in Key Stage 1 and in Years 3 and 4 are encouraged to talk about their favourite books or authors or explain how they selected books for themselves. Pupils take books home from the reading scheme, but there is no shared reading diary between home and school. Opportunities for independent reading are limited. A number of Year 2 pupils and those in Key Stage 2 can locate information books by subject and these are sometimes used for research. Some make effective use of the Internet for research but this is at an early stage of development. Many pupils in Years 5 and 6 read fluently, but the strategies they use to work out unfamiliar words are limited. Many tend to rely on letter sounds and do not often use the meaning or sentence structure to support accurate reading. Across Key

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ENGLISH

Stage 2, critical reading of information texts is under-developed and pupils’ ability to distinguish between fact and opinion is limited. By the end of Year 6 although the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in reading is below the national average, some average and most able pupils’ standards of reading are close to national expectations. A considerable achievement.

p.35

ENGLISH

76. By the end of Year 2, many can write in sentences, which are grammatically correct, using capital letters and full stops. They can usually spell common words accurately and are able to write for different purposes such as instructions and recounts of events. Some thoughtful poetry was seen in Year 1. Reading scheme books are often used as a starting point for writing but this approach limits ideas, sentence, grammar and vocabulary and is a major contributory factor to the under-achievement of able pupils. Work on display based on a Philip Pullman novel showed that pupils could produce interesting work when given a lively starting point. Standards in writing for many pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 are close to national expectations. A small number of able pupils achieve high standards. This is the result of good teaching and flexible use of the literacy strategy, especially for older pupils. There is a wider range of stimulus for writing at

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ENGLISH

Key Stage 2, such as Year 4 who were writing about keeping birds in captivity or in Year 6 writing a play using Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist as a starting point. Pupils are able to use a variety of sentence structures, spell regular words accurately and use sentence punctuation. Many pupils across many year groups have difficulty writing information texts. Opportunities to develop this kind of writing in other subjects are missed in some classes. Handwriting has been given more attention since the last inspection and pupils have regular opportunities to practice handwriting skills. However, in a number of classes handwriting and presentation it is still weak. Pupils tend to write in pencil until the end of Key Stage 2 and this continues to limit progress and presentation in this area. Sandringham Primary School - 36 77. Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to their work and this is a significant factor

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ENGLISH

in the good progress they make. They concentrate well in group sessions and settle quickly when required to work individually. Pupils of all ages collaborate well and listen to each other. There are positive relationships between pupils, teachers and support staff. Pupils of all abilities work hard and try to complete the tasks set.

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ENGLISH

78. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teaching is particularly strong in Year 5 and 6 classes. All permanent teachers have a satisfactory understanding of the National Literacy Strategy. In Key Stage 1, the teaching of phonics and basic sentence grammar is a strength. The texts used in the literacy hour are not always stimulating. Where this is the case, they do not act as good models for writing. There is inconsistency in teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do, especially for able pupils. Teachers’ planning is very good across the school and this is a significant improvement since the last inspection. Teaching assistants are used effectively to support pupils’ learning. Pupil management is good and classroom routines are well established. Expectations are made clear and learning objectives are shared with pupils. Informal assessment is used effectively during lessons and pupils’ work is marked to indicate achievement of the

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ENGLISH

learning objectives for the day. Not all teachers are following the teaching and learning policy and including quality comments in pupils’ books. The assessment of reading is limited to records of group reading, progression in phonics and common words. There are no records of pupils’ use of reading strategies, understanding of the meanings in the books they read or of their independent reading. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan work that builds on pupils’ pervious experiences or to address weaknesses.

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ENGLISH

79. The co-ordinator gives clear direction for the development of the subject. She has ensured that the National Literacy Strategy has become established in the school and keeps staff up-to-date with new materials. She has led training for staff and the next stages are planned. There is now a clear scheme of work and teachers’ planning is good. Most year groups plan together and this is one of the factors that ensures teaching assistants are fully informed about what is to be taught. There has been some monitoring of teaching, but this currently only takes place in the autumn term. Books are not monitored and this contributes to the lack of consistency in presentation and standards across year groups. The targets for English in the school development plan are appropriate, but there are no quantifiable success criteria for specific groups or pupils in order to monitor progress or the impact of subject developments. Overall

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ENGLISH

progress in English since the last inspection has been satisfactory.

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

80. Over 93 per cent of pupils at the school have English as an additional language (EAL). Of these over 60 per cent of them are at an early stage of learning English. There are over 40 different nationalities represented in the school with an increasing number of refugee and asylum seekers. The main home languages spoken are Bangladeshi, Urdu, Gujerati, and Punjabi, because over three-quarters of the pupils have Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi back grounds. A significant number of staff in the school are able to support pupils and their families with their home language. Spoken communication between the school and the pupils’ families is very good although written communication is weak.

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

81. The ability of the school to address specific language needs of pupils was identified as a weakness in both the previous inspection reports. Until recently, limited progress had been made. However, a new co-ordinator to support English as an additional language (EAL) was appointed in September 2000 and she has made a marked improvement by establishing procedures for assessing pupils regularly. She has introduced monitoring of teaching and made links between the stages of English language acquisition and the National Curriculum. ‘Team teaching’ with EAL teachers or support staff working alongside class teachers remains the main Sandringham Primary School - 37 approach for supporting bilingual children, and within this system, individual pupils receive targeted support and make good progress. However, with the very large numbers of pupils involved, not all receive the help they need on a regular basis. Considering the previous

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

unsatisfactory provision, the progress made during the last year has been good.

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

82. There is clear evidence that pupils are making satisfactory progress through the stages of English language acquisition as they move through the school. An on-going analysis of the numbers of pupils on each stage of English in the four main home languages spoken in the school has been made since 1999. However, systems for tracking the progress of individuals or different groups of pupils across year groups and the availability of data to support monitoring and evaluation of provision to support pupils with EAL is at a very early stage of development.

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

83. All teachers and teaching assistants supporting bilingual pupils have a good understanding of the language needs of pupils. They plan and teach in partnership with classroom teachers, contributing to the good management of pupils and the positive relationships throughout the school. They are competent to contribute to the teaching of the national literacy and numeracy strategies. ‘Team teaching’ time is organised in half-termly blocks and this means that only a proportion of classes is supported at any one time. Pupils at the early stages of second language acquisition are the focus of their work, leaving some others without this specialist support. This is a contributory factor to the lack of challenge for more able pupils in Key Stage 1 and in Years 3 and 4. On-going assessments of the progress of pupils through the stages of English contribute effectively to the class records. Provision for pupils who have both

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

language and special educational needs is good.

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

84. The attitudes and behaviour of pupils are very good. They show respect for the languages, cultures and beliefs represented within the school and support each other very well. The provision for speaking and listening in the curriculum is satisfactory. It is good in many classes across the school, but there is some inconsistency in year groups other than Year 6. Additional support has recently been provided for pupils joining the school in the middle of a year. These pupils receive a well-planned, four-week programme, which is skilfully delivered. The curriculum helps all pupils to develop personally and socially, particularly in religious education. Resources reflect a range of cultures and traditions, although the stories chosen for the literacy hour, particularly at Key Stage 1, do not always make effective use of what is available.

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THE PROVISON FOR BILINGUAL CHILDREN

85. The co-ordinator for EAL support has made a good start to improving provision for pupils. She gives clear direction for the work and is beginning to make a positive impact across the school. She has developed good working links with a number of subject co-ordinators and the recent provision of additional resources for history and geography is an example of this collaboration. Teaching assistants supporting these pupils have received extensive training. All members of the team have been monitored and given written feedback on the quality of teaching. Appropriate priorities have been identified in the School Development Plan, but the lack of quantifiable success criteria linked to classroom outcomes reduces its effectiveness as a tool for monitoring improvements. The ability of the school to track pupils attainment and progress along with the continued development of provision of pupils with EAL remain priorities for school

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MATHEMATICS

86. Standards in mathematics at the end of Year 6 have improved significantly since the last inspection at a greater rate than is the case nationally and in 2000 although below the national average, results are well above average when compared with similar schools. Pupils at the end of Year 2 reach standards that are below average for their age in numeracy and in all other areas of mathematics. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests standards were well below average and, although there is a slight improvement in the attainment of the current Year 2 pupils, there are still Sandringham Primary School - 38 too many who are not reaching expected levels for their age. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have fallen since the school’s last inspection, when they were judged to be average. This is because of a number of factors including a planned focus on raising standards at the end of Key Stage 2 and insufficient monitoring of teaching and learning to identify where improvements

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MATHEMATICS

should be targeted. Few pupils reach high standards in the tests and boys do much better than girls. This is because teachers do not expect enough of girls, who often do not take an active part in lessons. However, considering that most of them only begin to learn English when they start school, they make satisfactory progress overall. Pupils with special educational needs also make satisfactory progress. 87. By the age of seven, many pupils can work with numbers to 100, for example when they calculate the change from £1 after buying a number of different items. There are, however, quite a few pupils who are still working with numbers to 10 and 20 and need counters to help them work out the answers. Many show confidence in doubling and halving numbers but again, there are others who are still do not really understand what a ‘half’ is. Most know some of the properties of two and three-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

88. The work in lessons and in pupils’ books indicate that many pupils in Year 6 are reaching average standards for their age in mathematics. This is an improvement since the National Curriculum tests last year when standards were below average. Considering the context of the school and the number of pupils who are learning English as an additional language, or who arrive half way through the year, pupils do very well indeed. Although standards have been low over the past four years, they have been improving steadily. Over a quarter of the pupils reached high levels in last year’s tests which was very good and similar results are expected this year. Girls did better than boys in 2000 tests but there appears to be no significant difference this year. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in Years 3 and 4 but, in Years 5 and 6, their rate of progress increases dramatically, because of the high quality

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MATHEMATICS

89. By the end of Year 6, most pupils can add and subtract numbers mentally, for example, 152 plus 18. They transfer their sound knowledge of multiplication facts to solve more difficult problems such as seven times 15; they explain their methods well, showing high levels of confidence and understanding. More able pupils show impressive levels of skill in working out fairly complex algebraic problems. Most pupils can work out areas and perimeters and can gather and store information, for example, about favourite television programmes. They use ICT appropriately to present information in graphs, for example about Premier League football teams. This was a weak area at the last inspection and pupils are now more confident at it.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at both key stages but is good in Year 5 and very good in Year 6. This is why pupils make so much progress in these years and achieve very well in comparison with similar schools. In these classes, the teachers expect their pupils to work hard and achieve the learning intentions for each lesson. During the lessons’ introduction, teachers ensure that their pupils know exactly what they are expected to learn and they keep reminding them of this throughout the lesson. This enables pupils to be focused and involves them in assessing how well they are doing. Teachers are really enthusiastic about mathematics and they transmit this well to the pupils. This makes pupils excited about mathematics lessons and keen to succeed. This was noted in a Year 6 lesson on multiples – a fairly dry subject was made exciting and challenging by the teachers’ skilful questioning and presentation. Teachers’

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MATHEMATICS

organisation in these classes is very good – they ensure that pupils waste no time as they move between classes to their mathematics groups and that lessons begin promptly. Pupils have a good amount of time, therefore, to get to grips with their work. Lessons always begin with a quick mental arithmetic session and, in the main, teachers throughout the school manage this well. They quickly gain their pupils’ attention and involve them in activities or games which help the pupils to become more confident in handling numbers. In most classes, the quality of Sandringham Primary School - 39 relationships between teachers and their pupils is good and this helps teachers to manage behaviour well. Pupils enjoy the humour and easy relationships and show high levels of respect for their teachers. In most cases, teachers are implementing the National Numeracy Strategy successfully and this is helping them with their lesson planning and presentation.

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MATHEMATICS

91. The grouping of pupils by their ability in mathematics in Years 5 and 6 has enabled teachers to pitch their lessons at the right level and provide work, which helps them to move on in their understanding. However, even within these groups, there can be significant variations in pupils’ abilities and more able pupils could be challenged still further. In other year groups, the main weakness is in the match of work to pupils’ abilities. This was also a weakness at the last inspection. In many classes, pupils all do the same work; some find this too easy and some are unable to complete it because they don’t understand. Often, where teachers have organised different levels of work, the activities do not really help the pupils to move on in their learning. This is why some pupils are not making enough progress. For example, in a Year 2 lesson where pupils were learning how to solve problems by using the correct numerical operation, the

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MATHEMATICS

worksheet provided was dull and uninteresting and required the pupils to spend a great amount of time reading rather than working on their mathematics. In Key Stage 1, teachers’ expectations are not high enough, particularly of girls and this affects their progress.

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MATHEMATICS

92. There has been a limited number of improvements in the provision for the subject since the last inspection. The quality of teaching is better although there is still room for improvement. Pupils’ progress is now systematically assessed but teachers in many classes are not making enough use of this information to provide appropriate work for pupils. Records of progress are not kept in a clear enough manner to give an overall picture of pupils’ progress through the school. There is still no whole school policy for the teaching of mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The new co-ordinator has made a start in assessing where improvements are needed but her work so far has had a limited impact on raising standards or the quality of teaching. Some monitoring of teachers’ planning and lessons has occurred but this has not been rigorous enough to make any difference. It has not identified, for example, that some new or temporary teachers have had no training in the National Numeracy Strategy and that they need a great deal of support in planning their lessons. The school is starting to analyse information from National Curriculum and other tests to see where it could do better, but is not yet taking effective action to address the weaknesses. Staff development is not identified systematically enough and the results of training judged to see what effect it has had on teaching and learning. Overall progress since the last inspection is satisfactory largely brought about by the good quality of work in Years

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SCIENCE

94. Overall pupils’ attainment in science is below expectations with the exception of the top ability group in Year 6 where a significant number of eleven year old pupils are working above expectations. In the end of Key Stage 2 test in 2000, attainment was below the national average but above average when compared with similar schools. This represents a significant improvement on previous years and progress made is at a greater rate than in primary schools nationally. In the end of Key Stage 1 teacher assessments in 2000, pupils performed well below both the national average and the average of similar schools. The work seen in pupils’ books and on display in classrooms shows a wide range of scientific applications being covered by pupils of all ages. However, there is often limited progress seen in relation to skills and processes needed to carry out experiments or to investigate scientifically particularly when work on the same themes

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SCIENCE

or science contexts are covered in the Reception, Year 4 and Year 6. In for example topics on plant growth or electrical circuits. Sandringham Primary School - 40 95. Pupils in both Years 1 and 2 are studying plants. Most can label the parts of plants and younger pupils were able to describe what happens to plants if they are not watered. These six- year-olds were encouraged to investigate whether plants need light to grow. Pupils collectively design a series of experiments and predict what might happen to growing beans in the light and dark. Year 2 pupils are beginning to use the correct terminology to identify the function of each part of a plant, describing conditions for plant growth and making comparisons between two different plants. In these lessons although pupils are very attentive, keen and enjoy working with materials and equipment the work tended to lack challenge and pace particularly for the more

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SCIENCE

able pupils. Nevertheless, there is an increasing number of pupils throughout Key Stage 1 showing evidence of work that is broadly in line with expectations for their age.

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SCIENCE

96. Attainment in Key Stage 2 although mostly below average, there are some examples where pupils are making good progress and the trends in school performances in science are at a greater rate than schools nationally. The target for Level 4 or above has been met despite the fact 11 per cent of the pupils in Year 6 only joined mid-way through the year. Year 6 pupils in the top science group have good knowledge of the application of electrical circuitry and are able to design and construct security lights and buzzers triggered by a pressure pad. Pupils clearly know the difference between a wiring and circuit diagram and are familiar with the components and symbols. They talk with enthusiasm about their work, fault finding and explaining the circuit making good use of scientific terminology. A particular achievement considering many of these pupils have English as an additional language.

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SCIENCE

97. The quality of teaching in science is satisfactory. The best teaching coming from those staff that have good subject knowledge and know of how to teach science, particularly in developing pupils’ scientific language and in supporting pupils with EAL. This is clearly evident in a Year 4 lesson on sound where pupils investigate how the pitch of a note is altered by different musical instruments. In this lesson the EAL teachers, support staff and the special educational needs co-ordinator, work with the class teacher. They provide good demonstrations, modelling the work and ensuring pupils fully understand what is expected of them. Both EAL and SEN pupils are fully engaged and make good progress. Planning and preparation for the majority of science lessons is good and the strategy for year group planning is providing effective support and involvement of SEN and EAL support staff. However teachers’ lesson planning does not

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SCIENCE

always link the targeted learning intentions to specific National Curriculum levels. Hence teachers and pupils alike are not always clear of what is expected in terms of quality or quantity of work. The long science sessions lasting sometimes the whole afternoon need to be reviewed, particularly when there is limited practical work and the main focus is worksheet based. In these lesson insufficient use is made of information technology and other reference texts to support independent research and referencing skills. As a result the pace of learning is adversely affected. There is also a problem with curriculum and time tabling organisation when all four classes from the same year group are all studying the same topic and all needing to same resources. This makes inefficient use of valuable resources. Nevertheless support and encouragement for all pupils is good and the good relationships all staff have with pupils ensures

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SCIENCE

pupils enjoy their science. In lessons pupils are fully engaged and they all have very positive attitudes to the subject.

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SCIENCE

98. Co-ordination and management of science in the school is in a state of flux with the current co-ordinator only in post since Easter 2001 and about to leave. The science curriculum is based largely Government backed guidelines but does not fully reflect the changes to the new National Curriculum. Assessments in science are sound, reflecting the school’s marking and assessment policy. The use of pupils’ science portfolios containing work that is jointly moderated and annotated to show the standards achieved. This provides both pupils and new staff with a clear record of pupils’ progress over time and the context of previous work. Science resources are adequate but not always accessible particularly for teachers and pupils in Key Stage 1. Not all staff are aware of what equipment is available or how to use it effectively. The role of the co- Sandringham Primary School - 41 ordinator is under developed although some monitoring of teaching and pupils’ work sampling

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SCIENCE

has taken place in the past, there is not a rigorous structured programme for monitoring and evaluating science provision and standards in science across the school. Progress since the last inspection in terms of standards attained and the quality of science education throughout the school has been good.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. There are some great strengths in art in the school that contribute to the look of the building and its surroundings. Two large projects over the last two years, using the expertise of the school co-ordinator and the LEA art inspector working with Year 5 pupils have produced excellent large-scale paintings. One year these paintings were enlarged almost abstract elements of natural forms such as slices of orange. These designs were also made into large banners displayed in the main shopping street. This year the theme has been animals and the pictures decorate the playground.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. Despite this very good work in special projects, standards in art are below national expectations for pupils at the end of both Year 6 and Year 2. Pupils in Year 6 paint subtle and interesting landscapes but their brush control and use of paint is not as skilful as it should be. Aztec jewellery has been the theme for some interesting 3-D work but as pupils have used pasta to provide the texture the results are all very similar and do not encourage creativity. This is because pupils have not developed the necessary skills or understanding over time as a result overall progress in creative skill development is unsatisfactory. The youngest pupils in school often make interesting and effective drawings and paintings. Many are very good at making things and love cutting out and sticking things. It is these early steps that are not systematically built upon as pupils have over the past years have had a series of one off art lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. The school now has a good programme for art that is interesting and ensures pupils from year to year have a broad range of experiences to develop better skills. For example, sculpture has a place in the curriculum with some pupils looking at the work of Giacometti making their own figures and younger pupils looking at the work of Lowry making pipe cleaner figures. Another very positive development is that there are many more opportunities for the pupils to draw or paint something they are looking at rather than from memory. Additionally the co-ordinator has put together examples of the different art activities pupils will do within this programme, so that teachers know what should be expected from pupils in art lessons. Whilst this represents a good improvement since the last inspection, the scheme itself is not sufficient to raise standards. The sound start pupils make in creative development in the nursery is not effectively built on; teachers

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ART AND DESIGN

need help and guidance when they plan each art activity to ensure they understand the techniques involved and therefore can help pupils learn new skills and improve old skills. Pupils have art lessons for only half of every term and if pupils are to achieve the appropriate levels every lesson must count. Teaching must be very purposeful and focused so that pupils can learn and develop skills to become proficient. Overall the progress made in art since the last inspection is unsatisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. Standards in design and technology are in line with national expectations by the end of both key stages and there have been significant improvements in pupils’ designing skills since the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. By the end of Key Stage 1, more able pupils in Year 2 understand the need to make choices and plan before trying to make things. Younger pupils in Year 1 are developing their manipulative skills effectively, they shape and assemble card and paper to make box models of Sandringham Primary School - 42 buildings and vehicles. They show increasing accuracy in cutting, joining and decorating their products to achieve a planned effect. They are also learn to shape and join as, for example, in cutting and fixing hinges on the doors of the paper houses the pupils make.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. By the end of Key Stage 2, Pupils in Year 6 are able to apply a wider range of techniques and knowledge in order to design card and paper structures, and make 3D objects and model buildings. A significant strength lies in the quality and variety of work in Key Stage 2. The oldest pupils’ work shows detailed planning and sequencing of the stages of construction, and there is evidence of knowledge, skills and understanding being built on previous work. However this is not the case in all year groups. A wide range of materials are selected carefully by the pupils to fulfil their design criteria, as for example, in designing and making torches, burglar alarm pressure pads, pneumatic monsters and electrically driven buggies made by the older pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Pupils progress in the subject is good. They are used to being asked to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their own designs and the designs of others. Pupils in Year 5 examined a range of toys to learn about cam mechanisms before planning how to make their own toy. Pupils’ designs give clear information and different views of the finished toy, and details of how individual parts would help to make it move. Design and technology work is often linked with other subjects, for example, history, art and science. For example, as part of their work in science, Year 4 pupils used their technology skills to produce torches with different switching mechanisms. Throughout the school, pupils show a satisfactory awareness of the design process, and accuracy in making which often enhances the appearance and effectiveness of finished products.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Pupils in both key stages are very well motivated and fully absorbed in their work. Year 6 pupils are very enthusiastic and keen to explain their knowledge about the cars they have made and what improvements they need to do to make their cars go faster. They are able to remember work and activities from previous years and talk positively about the achievements of others in their class. Throughout the school, pupils take pride in their work and enjoy talking about it to visitors.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. The quality of teaching that was observed in the one lesson seen in Key Stage 1 was satisfactory. However, teaching was consistently good in Key Stage 2 lessons. In the good teaching, learning objectives are clearly explained to pupils at the start of lessons and pupils understand the purpose of their work. Teachers maintain pace and rigour in the lesson, regularly reinforcing teaching points whilst moving around the room. There is a good balance between teachers giving direct instructions and pupils becoming effective and independent learners using information gained from a variety of sources. Teachers plan together in year group teams, so they regularly share their ideas.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. The school follows the governments backed scheme for design and technology. The scheme gives examples of suitable tasks for each year group, and there are helpful booklets to give sufficient guidance to teachers about developing pupils’ work as they move through the school. The present co-ordinator has only been in post for two terms but has developed a clear system to support colleagues in their planning, although she has no allocated time to be able to support them in the classroom. Available resources are adequate and suited to the range of work planned by the school. Larger items of equipment, tools and other resources are neatly stored in a central resource, which is accessible for pupils when accompanied by an adult. Overall progress in both standards and the quality of provision for design and technology since the last inspection have been good.

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GEOGRAPHY

Sandringham Primary School - 43 109. Overall, pupil attainment in geography is at least in line with and, at times, exceeds national standards in both key stages. Effective curriculum planning, with the introduction of a detailed scheme of work, has resulted in improved standards and pupils are now making steady progress in developing their geographical skills, knowledge and understanding.

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GEOGRAPHY

110. From and early age pupils in Year 1 are able to identify where their families come from and can locate India, Mauritius and South Africa on a world map. Many are aware that the world reaches beyond their locality and the UK. In Year 2 pupils have studied their immediate locality looking at different types of housing and identifying how they can make their area safer. In Key Stage 2, pupils have devised a questionnaire to find out what residents think about Forest Gate and designed a 'Utopia' map identifying desirable services. Through studying different aspects of the school's locality in each year group, pupils develop an understanding of the development of the local area and appreciate its cultural and ethnic diversity. Postcards from a travelling bear increases the younger pupils' knowledge of places further afield and the difference between contrasting localities is made apparent through their study of Tocuro and Forest Gate. Through

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GEOGRAPHY

their study of life in Chembakoli, older pupils learn about lifestyles that are different to their own. In a very effective lesson, pupils began to understand what life is like for a tea picker as they were asked to close their eyes and imagine the sun beating down all day, the heaviness of their sack and the careful picking of each leaf. By the end of the lesson they were able to draw conclusions about the differences in work, education and homes.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Through learning about the impact that people have on the environment, pupils develop an understanding of the importance of caring for their world. Their concern is evident in their 'Save the Rain Forest' posters and the older pupils' awareness of the effects of global warming. In a lesson exploring the reasons for flooding, the older pupils used appropriate geographical terms and understood saturation point, run off, impermeable and flood plain. They were able to identify factors that exacerbate flooding and understood how flooding changes the features of places and affects people's lives. Effective links with science were evident.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. In the majority of lessons observed, pupils enjoy their work and make good progress. They listen to teacher’s explanations attentively and generally use source materials well and record their findings accurately. When required, they work together co-operatively and productively.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. In all lessons observed, except one, geography is very well taught. Teachers' planning is good with clear learning intentions, which identify what pupils are to learn within each lesson. Activities are planned in appropriate sequences to build on pupils' previous experiences and skills and good links are made with other subjects, particularly science and history. There is some imaginative whole-class teaching that captures pupils' interest and develops their geographical knowledge and understanding very well. An experiment to show the effect of flooding was a very successful way of ensuring that pupils understand flood plains and saturation points. Similarly creative teaching in a lesson where a teacher had packed her suitcase for a beach holiday only to discover that she was going camping on Mont Blanc, grabbed pupils' interest and developed their understanding of how environmental factors affect people's choices. Pupils enjoyed using a

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GEOGRAPHY

range of reference materials to identify more suitable luggage and recorded their work logically and carefully.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. The management of geography has improved since the previous inspection. The co- ordinator is enthusiastic and has produced a very detailed and helpful scheme of work that supplements government guidance and supports curriculum consistency and progression and cross-curriculum links. Visits are used effectively to extend pupils' geographical knowledge and the younger pupils are looking forward to their visit to Walton-on-the-Naze linked to their study of the seaside. Resources are adequate and used well to support pupils' geographical knowledge and skills. The development plan and subject financing indicates that learning resources will Sandringham Primary School - 44 continue to be increased as needs are identified in line with the scheme of work. Good resources to support pupils for whom English is an additional language are being developed linked to the keywords of the geography topics. The use of ICT to support geographical understanding is, at

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GEOGRAPHY

115. The co-ordinator monitors teachers' planning and has begun some scrutiny of pupils' work. A start has been made by the co-ordinator in preparing a portfolio of pupils’ geography work that is marked and matched to standards in the National Curriculum. At present this is a recognised weakness throughout the school particularly in establishing a consistent understanding of the quality and quantity of work required of each National Curriculum level. When completed this portfolio should provide a useful reference for teachers to match their own assessments and to support them in their lesson planning. Overall progress since the last inspection in geography has been good in terms of management and curriculum organisation as well as in the standards achieved.

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HISTORY

116. The standard of work seen by the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 is in line with national standards overall with some of the oldest pupils achieving above national expectations. This represents an improvement on the previous inspection in terms of pupils progress and the standards attained at the end of Key Stage 2

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HISTORY

117. The younger pupils are developing a sense of past and present through learning about and playing the games of long ago, contrasting them with their own games. They are able to sort toys into old and new, identify the oldest doll and order pictures of transport accurately. They gather information from pictures and artefacts and begin to draw sensible conclusions. In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to develop a sense of chronology and a knowledge of life in different times. They have reported the Viking invasion in the 'Lindisfarne Times' and used secondary source material to research and then create effective Viking jewellery.

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HISTORY

118. In their work on the Industrial Revolution, pupils explored the different situations of rich and poor and are beginning to understand what it is like to be poor in Victorian England. In an effective lesson, they used census material to find out about population and employment in the local area in the nineteenth century. Through their study of Ancient Greece, the oldest pupils were able to identify the differences between the societies of Athens and Sparta and discuss whether the Elgin marbles should remain in Britain or return to Greece. Through studying the 1930s, pupils investigated the reasons for the Depression and used a range of source materials to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of evacuation. In a very well taught lesson, Year 6 pupils clearly understood the reason for rationing and were able to change a modern-day recipe into a war-time recipe by adjusting the nature and amount of the ingredients.

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HISTORY

119. Teaching is mostly satisfactory to good and the teaching of the oldest pupils is very good. Teachers' explanations in the best lessons are lively and interesting and resources are used well to support and extend pupils' understanding. The contents of a ration box clearly conveyed to pupils the stringency of rationing which was made even more apparent when the only egg broke! ICT is used effectively to extend pupils' historical knowledge in two of the lessons.

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HISTORY

120. Pupils enjoy their history lessons, work well and, generally, make good progress. At the end of a very hot day, when given the choice of continuing their history or listening to a story, the class unanimously voted to carry on working at their census activity. Sandringham Primary School - 45 121. History topics are supported by some good quality primary and secondary resource material and pupils visit places related to their focus of study. A visit to the Maritime Museum developed pupils' understanding of what life would have been like for a Tudor explorer and touching a 'real dead rat' obviously made an impact. In connection with their work on World War Two, Year 6 attended a theatre presentation and walked around Blackfriars to identify areas of bomb damage. Good links with art are evident in decorative Aztec head-dresses, Viking jewellery and sketches of the architectural features of local buildings.

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HISTORY

122. The co-ordinator is fairly new in post and is developing additional curriculum material to support the Government scheme of work. The medium term plans identify learning intentions with related activities, which support curriculum consistency and progression. Some teachers are linking assessment to the learning intentions, as outlined in the history policy, but this is not yet consistent across the school.

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HISTORY

123. Overall, standards in history have been maintained and improved in some respects since the previous inspection. Curriculum planning is now more secure and all aspects of National Curriculum history are taught. Improved resources have enabled pupils to develop their research skills more effectively.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. The previous inspection found pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) to be below average and progress in the subject unsatisfactory. Since then ICT has become a major focus for the school in line with the national developments. The school has made many significant improvements to its provision over the past year. Attainment of many pupils at the end of Year 2 is broadly in line with expectations, but attainment is still below that found nationally at the end of Year 6. All the direct teaching of ICT that was seen, took place in the recently established suite which has sixteen computers, and an interactive white board for class teaching purposes. A major improvement in resourcing since the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. There have been some significant positive developments in the breadth of ICT content, subject planning and the quality of teaching and learning. Standards of attainment have improved rapidly since the IT suite opened. All the indications are that pupils are making good progress. By the end of Year 2 pupils use the controls competently when they do word processing. They compose their sentences quickly and accurately, use capital letters and full stops. They have well developed word processing skills. They are able to edit by deleting, select fonts and change their size, and then save and print out their own work. By the end of Year 6, pupils can word process with confidence, although their typing skills are sometimes insufficiently developed to enable them to input text as fast as they would wish. The lessons observed focused on pupils’ data handling and word processing skills and their ability to find different ways

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

of presenting and interrogating the information. Older pupils use the Internet to research topics linked with their work in history and geography but their skills in refining the research are at an early stage of development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Throughout the school, pupils show a good understanding of the uses of ICT in the world and its impact in our daily lives. They understand and use the correct terminology when discussing their work with adults and each other. There is equal access for boys and girls and for pupils with special educational needs. Both EAL and SEN pupils are fully engaged and make good progress. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 who have recently joined the school and have English as an additional language, are given allocated time each day to work in the suite with sensitive adult help. Higher attaining pupils show suitable independence in using information technology, and many average and lower attaining pupils are given the confidence to proceed without guidance. Sandringham Primary School - 46 Pupils are familiar with the use of e-mail and have access to selected sites on the Internet, which is available in all the classrooms.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work in ICT. They are well motivated, confident and make good progress in the subject. They apply themselves well and do not waste their time when using computers. They are very co-operative when it is necessary to share computer facilities and freely help each other without prompting. During the periods they were observed, pupils enjoyed the activities and worked well together. They eagerly pass on their knowledge to others when explaining their work. They handle equipment carefully. Pupils are proud of their output and like to see it on display. Older pupils use word processing to present examples of work, and many pupils turn to computers with a sense of familiarity as a means of improving the quality and presentation of their writing.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. In the lessons observed, the quality of teaching was mainly good in Key Stage 2 with one example of very good teaching. Most teachers are gaining in knowledge and confidence in teaching the subject with large groups. The support they receive from the skilled information technology (IT) co-ordinator has undoubtedly helped the staff to gain confidence in this regard. Introductions to tasks, and to new ways of using ICT are clear and direct. As a result, pupils make rapid progress. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ ability to co-operate well and work at a good pace, often independently or with another child. They ensure that confident and skilled pupils work with the more hesitant or younger pupils in the class. This has a positive effect on all the pupils’ learning. Staff are also aware of the need to allow the higher attainers to work at a more rapid pace and the need to present them with challenges and extension work. This was

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

seen in all the Key Stage 2 classes when some pupils having completed their work, selected new tasks to suit their levels of working. All teachers place appropriate emphasis on sharing learning objectives with the pupils and then reviewing how much they have learned at the end of a session. The quality of teachers’ lesson planning is good. They are aware that ICT should be used to support teaching and learning successfully in other subjects such as mathematics, history and geography. Major aspects of the subject such as data handling, using spreadsheets, desktop publishing and the use of power point and digital cameras are being gradually introduced and developed. However, no evidence of work using computer simulations was seen during the inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. There is a very good scheme of work for information technology, which has been recently reviewed to take account of Government backed guidance. The policy and scheme ensures that pupils are able to make progress in a continuous and progressive way at a pace suited to their needs. The subject co-ordinator gives very good support to colleagues and takes charge of ordering and maintaining appropriate software but as yet has no allocated time to support and monitor the work in classrooms or the IT suite. The co-ordinator also organises in- service training for all members of staff, which is a present priority in the school development plan. This is having a major, positive impact on pupils’ standards of work. The IT suite provides a valuable resource for teaching and learning in the school. However, the room gets very hot during the summer. The number of computers available is below the national average with 14

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pupils per computer. This is just adequate, but those computers located in classrooms are not used as fully as they could be. The school is acquiring an appropriate range of software for teaching the National Curriculum. Overall progress since the last inspection has been good.

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MUSIC

130. Attainment in music at the end of each key stage and across the school in general is below national expectations. Although teaching was satisfactory in the small number of lessons seen during the inspection, and pupils generally have positive attitudes in music lessons, the majority of pupils are attaining below the standard expected for pupils at the end of Key Stage 1. The abilities of pupils to pitch the correct note, sing in tune and to show expression when they Sandringham Primary School - 47 sing or perform is below expectation. Many pupils are unable to maintain a steady rhythm whist performing or to clap at a steady pulse. There is little evidence that pupils have regular opportunities for performing and composing music. The use of the correct musical terms by both teachers and by pupils to demonstrate and extend knowledge of musical vocabulary is limited. By the end of Year 2 pupils can identify changes in the speed of music they listen to, in a piece

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MUSIC

about a train, for example, and respond by moving to the music and suggesting descriptive words. They learn songs by listening to recorded performances and often sing with enthusiasm but are not enabled to refine their performance. Many Year 4 pupils have difficulty in clapping on the strong or weak beats in a simple song. By the end of Year 6 many pupils still find it difficult to maintain a steady pulse. Pupils learning the song ‘Thank you for the music’ sang with enjoyment but many still found it difficult to sing in tune or showing expression is the words and music showing standards to be below average

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MUSIC

131. The co-ordinator has developed units of work, with clear learning objectives and a structure for each lesson, which provides good support for teachers, particularly those who have less confidence in teaching music. Teachers’ evaluations of the scheme have been very positive. The role of the co-ordinator does not yet include monitoring through working in classrooms but this is planned as the next step. It is important that this aspect of the role of the co-ordinator is developed to provide a clear overview of music across the school, which is currently a weakness.

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MUSIC

132. Pupils have opportunities to hear a range of music in lessons and in assemblies, however, music played in assemblies is often not identified or referred to. The published scheme used across the school is limited in its scope and should be reviewed or supplemented with a wider range of songs and music for listening, particularly at Key Stage 1. The level of participation in extra-curricular musical activities is low. A relatively small number of pupils take part in performances such as a Christmas concert and a few pupils play musical instruments. There are recorder groups and plans to introduce Asian singing. Visiting musicians and teachers sometimes give performances in the school. However, music is not contributing to pupils’ cultural development as effectively as it should. Progress in music since the last inspection is unsatisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Pupil attainment in PE at least matches and, at times, exceeds national standards in both key stages. In gymnastics, games and dance lessons observed, pupils made at least satisfactory and, at times, good progress. The Year 4 pupils who go swimming become confident in the water and a number are able to swim unaided by the end of the programme. A good range of extra-curricular activities gives pupils opportunities to progress even further, particularly in sporting activities. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when attainment was judged to be generally in line with national standards and progress was satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. In gymnastics, the younger pupils are able to produce imaginative movement sequences working well with a partner and older pupils are able to plan and perform more complex sequences involving travelling, balancing, jumping and turning. In games, younger pupils develop their ball skills, learning to throw well in order to play an effective part in team games as they progress through the school. In both key stages, pupils are able to organise themselves into groups and work well together, discussing and agreeing on their sequence or game. They understand the need for rules and the importance of fair play.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Teaching is at least satisfactory and, on occasions, good and very good. This is an improvement since the last inspection when teaching varied from good to poor. In the best lessons, pupils are taught skills and given sufficient opportunity to practise, evaluate and improve their performance. In a particularly successful lesson in Key Stage 1, pupils were taught how to Sandringham Primary School - 48 use their bodies to improve their throwing skills and encouraged to evaluate their own and others' performance. By the end of a short lesson, many were able to throw powerfully and with direction. In a number of lessons, teacher and pupil demonstrations are used effectively and activities carefully planned to build on pupils' previous learning. Good pace maintains pupils' interest and a high level of physical activity. Pupils are often made aware of the importance of keeping fit and, in a Year 6 lesson for example pupils were encouraged to think about how

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

muscles work through hip and head rotation. Supportive adult/pupil relationships encourage all pupils to succeed and those with specific needs are sensitively supported. Pupils use space well and rarely encroach on the space of others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, there is insufficient emphasis on pupils' evaluating and improving their movements and, consequently, they make limited progress in developing their skills and improving their performance. A similar criticism was made in the last inspection. In all lessons, teachers are alert to safety issues and pupils use apparatus responsibly and work carefully.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Pupils enjoy lessons and generally participate with energy and enthusiasm. They work well in teams and small groups and some very effective partner work was observed in a Key Stage 1 lesson where pupils mirrored each other's sequences and adapted ideas from each other to incorporate into their own work. Consequently, they produced some complex and creative movement sequences of high quality.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The school's PE programme complies with National Curriculum requirements. All pupils experience gymnastics, games, athletics and dance, Year 4 pupils go swimming and Year 6 pupils take part in adventurous and outdoor activities during their residential visit.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. A good range of extra-curricular activities now enriches and extends the PE curriculum, particularly at Key Stage 2, and the greater involvement of pupils in activities is due to the co- ordinator's enthusiasm and the commitment of a number of staff who volunteer to run clubs. Some professional coaching is also available and particularly talented pupils have the opportunity to attend trials for local teams. Pupil progress and achievement is further supported through the school's involvement in local and national initiatives. Through the 'Active Sports' project, specialist teachers from a nearby secondary school work with teachers and pupils to raise standards and the co-ordinator's response to this initiative has been acknowledged as good practice nation-wide. The school's involvement in the National Fruit Scheme is contributing to pupils' health education.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. Pupils represent the school in a number of competitive sporting activities and, although the PE policy that 'taking part is more important than winning' is clearly promoted, pupils are becoming increasingly successful, particularly during the recent Newham Sports Festival. In addition, the school takes part in the Borough swimming gala and has had some success in netball and rugby tournaments. Both girls and boys have taken part in the Newham football league and athletics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. PE is well led and managed by an enthusiastic, well-organised co-ordinator who takes every advantage of national and local initiatives and is proactive in securing additional funding to support the development of PE and raise standards. Good progress has been made in addressing areas of concern identified in the previous inspection. As a result of an audit of staff needs, a published scheme of work now supports curriculum consistency and progression and is a useful guide for non-specialists and teachers new to the English education system. Additional resources have been purchased to support the scheme. Although both indoor and outdoor accommodation is not generous, teachers use available space well. Apparatus is well maintained and there is a good range of small equipment. The co-ordinator is concerned to develop a manageable and useful system for assessing pupils' progress. At present, progress is recorded

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Sandringham Primary School - 49 in annual reports to parents and the award of a weekly medal in each class recognises significant achievement in the subject. Overall progress since the last inspection is good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Religious educational (RE) is a strength in the school. It has a high profile, is coherently planned across the school and pupils enjoy it. Standards of attainment in RE are at least in line with the expectations by the end of Year 6 and they are inline with expectations be the end of Year 2. Pupils show good understanding of what it means to belong to a religion. The youngest pupils listen well and talk about what matters to them. They responded thoughtfully to being shown a wasps’ nest and, prompted by sensitive teacher questioning, talked about how it was made and the possible role of a divine being in its creation. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding develops well as they move through the school and Year 2 pupils showed a good understanding of the need to respect the beliefs and values of others when they drew up a list of rules for visitors to a mosque. They showed a good knowledge of what would be expected and could

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

explain the reasons why. Pupils are often confident to talk about their own beliefs.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. Pupils in Year 4 who had visited places of worship in the local area constructed a board game, which required players to answer a range of questions about the beliefs and practices of the religions represented in the area. They showed a good understanding of symbols, holy books and places of worship and talked very confidently and respectfully about them. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of the key beliefs and practices of the major world faiths. They are able to draw on this and can make meaningful comparisons between, for example, an initiation ceremony in Hinduism and the celebration of a Bar Mitvah in Judaism. Some very thoughtful, high quality work on ‘my perfect world’ stemmed from an in- depth study of creation stories from different religious traditions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. Teaching is good and this, together with the very positive attitudes which pupils bring to the subject, supports their progress very well. Questions are well focused and build well on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. The tasks set are varied, interesting and appropriately challenging, maintaining pupils’ interest and enabling their learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. The subject co-ordinator carries out her role very effectively. Planning is very good. New units of work have been written in line with the locally agreed syllabus and learning intentions are clear. The planning provides a very good supportive framework for teachers to teach RE across the school. Relevant links are made with other curriculum areas. Further development of the co-ordinator’s role should include opportunities to monitor RE across the school by observing and working with teachers in classrooms, sampling pupils’ work and providing training for staff as further units of work are developed. The school is building up an appropriate range of resources to support the new schemes of work. RE makes a very effective contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The overall progress in RE since the last inspection is good.

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