Ingram Road Primary School

INGRAM ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 th - 16 th May 2002

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INGRAM ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 195075 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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INGRAM ROAD 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. Ingram Road Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, infant and junior

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Brown Lane East Holbeck Leeds

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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: Mrs E Pattison

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Ingram Road Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

16886 R S Moseley Registered inspector Science What sort of school is it?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Physical education Characteristics of the school Design and technology The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Equal opportunities How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 9652 C Herbert Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 12631 M McLean Team inspector English Music Religious education Areas of learning for children in the foundation stage 21397 I Bradbury Team inspector Mathematics How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Information and communication technology Art and design Geography History Special educational needs Ingram Road Primary School - 3 Ingram Road Primary School - 4 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Eclipse (Education) Limited 14 Enterprise House Kingsway Team Valley Gateshead NE11 OS12.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE. Ingram Road Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Ingram Road Primary School is smaller than other primary schools, with 189 pupils, consisting of 85 boys and 104 girls. Twenty six children attend the nursery on a part time basis. Sixty six per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is well above the national average. Attainment on entry to the school is well below what is typical for three and four year olds. Attainment is very variable throughout the school as a significant proportion of pupils, 53 since September, join the school from other areas. Many of these pupils are lower attainers. More than 30 per cent of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, mainly from Asia. The school has 10 pupils who have refugee status. Twenty six per cent of pupils have English as an additional language but only a proportion of these, 12 per cent are in the early stage of language acquisition. Twenty five per cent of pupils are on the school’s

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

register of special educational needs, which is above the national average. There are three pupils who have statements of special educational needs. All pupils, including those who move to the school from other areas, those with refugee status, those with special educational needs and all pupils with ethnic minority backgrounds are very well integrated into all aspects of school life.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a successful school, which is held in high esteem by its parents. It has many good and some very good features. The teaching is good. Although standards are well below the national average in English and below in mathematics and science, this represents satisfactory progress in English and good progress in science and mathematics from last year’s National Curriculum tests. There is a good climate for learning in the school and pupils have developed positive attitudes to their work. There are very good relationships in the school. The head teacher provides good leadership and has set a clear educational direction for the school, which is appropriate. The school gives good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • It provides a good climate for learning and pupils have developed good attitudes to their work. This is resulting in good progress in mathematics, science, information and communication technology and art and design. Their progress in design and technology is very good. • Teaching is good. This is having a positive effect on pupils’ learning. • The school’s provision for personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and this has resulted in good behaviour and very good relationships throughout the school. • The head teacher provides good leadership and has set an appropriate and clear educational direction for the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in the reading and writing aspects of English. • Standards in information and communication technology. • The teachers’ short-term lesson planning. • The level of attendance and the punctuality of some pupils. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Ingram Road Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1997. It has overcome most of the weaknesses noted in the last report and has made many other improvements. For example, the head teacher and governors have improved the quality of the school improvement plan by identifying what are the important needs and evaluating how successful the school has been in implementing them. In addition to the items identified at the last inspection, the head teacher and deputy head teacher regularly monitor the teaching and learning, giving detailed written and oral feedback. The curriculum for those children in the nursery and reception class is now planned well. There has been substantial investment in information and communication technology with the introduction of new computers and the computer suite, and the school has successfully introduced the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English E E* E C Well above average Above average A B mathematics E E E E Average Below average C D science E E E C Well below average Very low E E*

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STANDARDS

In the National Curriculum tests in 2001, standards in English, mathematics and science were well below average. When these results are compared to similar schools, they are better in English and science but the same in mathematics. When interpreting all these results, it must be remembered that children start term in reception well below where they should be for their age, an above average number of pupils have special educational needs and a significant minority of pupils join the school for short periods of time, many of these pupils being low attainers. Nevertheless, over the last four years, the National Curriculum results have risen at a rate above the national rates, resulting in the school receiving two DfEE School Achievement Awards.

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STANDARDS

Children in the foundation stage are beginning to make progress from their very low attainment on entry. However, the improved provision has not yet had time to raise attainment levels by the time pupils leave the reception class and it is well below average in many areas of learning. The inspection finding indicates that for this year’s pupils in Year 2 and Year 6, attainment in English is again well below what is expected for pupils’ ages but has risen to just below the expectations in mathematics and science. These improvements in mathematics are due to the successful introduction of the numeracy strategy. In science, they are due to a steady improvement in the quality of teaching. This is a good improvement in science and mathematics. These results indicate that in English, pupils are achieving soundly and in mathematics and science, they are achieving well, especially when it is remembered that a large proportion of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 have special educational needs.

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STANDARDS

Attainment in design and technology is above the levels expected at the end of Year 6 and pupils are achieving very well. In geography and history pupils’ attainment is below national expectations mainly due to weak writing skills. They are also below the expectations in information and communication Ingram Road Primary School - 8 technology. This is mainly because the new and good resources and better provision for the teaching of this subject have not yet had time to impact on levels of attainment. In all other subjects where a judgement could be made, attainment is in line with the levels expected. A judgement could not be made for religious education at the end of Year 6. Standards in literacy are well below average by the time pupils leave the school and below average in numeracy.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils are keen to learn. They are responsive and show good attitudes to all aspects of school life.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to adults.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships at all levels are very good and make a major contribution to pupils’ personal development.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance The level of attendance has improved since the last inspection but it remains poor and well below the national average. Punctuality to school is also unsatisfactory. These factors have an impact on the attainment and progress of these pupils. The school has worked hard to improve both the attendance rate and punctuality but a small minority of parents are still not fully co-operating with the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are proud of their school, care about each other and respect each other’s views.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Satisfactory Good Good

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching is largely good with a small amount of very good teaching. A good proportion of the teaching in the nursery and reception is good, although overall it is satisfactory. This is mainly because the many new and good initiatives introduced recently in the foundation stage have not yet had time to be fully consolidated within the teaching and learning process. This present level of teaching throughout the school is ensuring that learning is mainly good in many areas as pupils successfully acquire skills, knowledge and understanding in most subjects they are studying.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Particular strengths of the teaching both in the foundation stage and throughout the school are the effectiveness of the methods and ideas teachers use. These interest pupils and motivate them to the end of the lesson. The management of pupils is very good. This is significant as the school constantly receives a minority of pupils from out of the area, some of whom have behavioural difficulties. Teachers demonstrate great skill and sensitivity to manage these pupils, including those who have refugee status and integrate them well with classroom routines. This ensures good behaviour and pupils develop positive attitudes to learning. The pace of almost all lessons is very good, resulting in Ingram Road Primary School - 9 pupils making good intellectual and creative effort. The quality of teaching in design and technology is particularly strong, resulting in pupils making very good progress and attaining well by the time they

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The skills of literacy are taught soundly but there are still some areas that need further development. For instance, teachers do not put enough emphasis on the planning aspects for writing at length. Also, they do not always ensure that some pupils are able to use basic punctuation like capital letters and full stops before proceeding to more complicated areas. The skills of numeracy are generally taught well.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Although the teachers’ short term planning is broadly satisfactory, it has weaknesses. Sometimes, learning objectives are not thoroughly clarified at the start of the lesson. Also, teachers do not always evaluate what pupils have learned. This means that teachers are not always clear just what the different abilities, groups and individuals need to learn in future lessons. Also, the good assessment procedures, which have been developed in English and mathematics are not always used consistently to plan future work. These two weaknesses mean that the rate of progress of some children is uneven. The use of computers to support learning is also underdeveloped.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Teachers and support staff work closely together. All pupils are well integrated into the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. The school is working very hard to support the few pupils who need help with acquiring the English language. It is doing this well. It is liaising with the local education authority to get extra support in this area.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Within this, the provision for moral, social and cultural development is very good. That for spiritual development is good. This provision results in good behaviour and very good relationships.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. Most parents view the school as being very good. The school works hard to involve parents more in their children’s education but this meets with only limited success. The numbers of parents helping in the classroom are very few. However, some do help with extra-curricular activities and during visits out of school. This is greatly appreciated. Ingram Road Primary School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Good. The head teacher with the help of the deputy head teacher leads the school well. He is enthusiastic, committed and caring. Some subject co-ordinators are beginning to develop their roles soundly; others are aware they need to improve the effectiveness of their leadership.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors support the school well. The chair works closely with the head teacher. Some governors are very new and the chair is anxious to develop their roles further.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The head teacher and governors have a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This has enabled them to plan well for the future.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Very good. All money available to the school is used very wisely and carefully. The school applies the principles of getting best value for its pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staff are deployed soundly and are appropriately qualified. Resources are good and used very well. The accommodation is satisfactory. The staff have created a stimulating learning environment.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their child likes the school. • Their child is making good progress • The teaching is good. • They can approach the staff with any problems. • Their child is expected to work hard and do their best. • The school is well managed. • The school helps their children to become more mature and responsible. • The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. • Their child gets the right amount of work to do at home. • A very few parents felt that they were not well informed about how their child is getting on. • A very few parents felt that the school does not work closely with parents. • A very few parents felt that the school did not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons. • A very few parents felt that their child did not get the right amount of work to do at home.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

All parents’ views expressed at the parents’ meeting and in the questionnaire were brought to the attention of the head teacher.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors support parents’ positive views of the school. They also judged that information given to parents about pupils’ progress, as well as the general effectiveness of the school’s links with parents, is good. They also judge that the school does give an appropriate amount of homework and does provide a good range of activities outside lessons. Ingram Road Primary School - 11 Ingram Road Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Many children begin nursery with poorly developed skills in speaking and listening, mathematical development and personal independence. When children enter the reception class, the initial tests taken during their first few weeks indicate that attainment in speaking and listening, mathematical development and personal and social development is well below what is typical for their age. By the time they leave the reception class, children’s achievement is satisfactory although attainment is still well below what is typical for their age in most areas of learning. This is because many children have such poor speaking and listening skills which impacts on the progress they make in many areas. Children achieve well in personal, social and emotional development, and their physical development. In these two areas of learning, children reach standards that are typical for their age when they leave the reception class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 The overall standard of work seen by the time pupils leave the school is still below what is expected of 11-year olds in a majority of subjects. This, however, represents good achievement in a number of subjects from the well below attainment on entry to the school. Pupils do not achieve as well as this in English. It must also be emphasised that judgements are difficult to make as the school has a relatively high number of pupils, between one third and one-quarter, who enter the school, from other schools, in the different years. Many of these pupils are low attainers, mainly because they have moved through a number of schools. The school also welcomes a significant minority of pupils who have difficulties with the acquisition of English, as they have refugee status and English is an additional language. The school works hard to help these pupils integrate well into the school and to achieve

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

appropriately in the different subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 In the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds, in 2001, pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics were very low. In the tests for 11-year-olds, in 2001, pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science were well below the national average. When all these results are compared to similar schools, they show similar or better results in all areas. For example, they showed that in English and science they achieved average results when compared to all similar schools. There has been a steady improvement in the National Curriculum tests over the last few years. Since the last inspection, the results have improved at a rate above national rates. This has resulted in the school being awarded two DfEE School Achievement Awards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 For this year’s pupils, at the end of Year 2, attainment in reading and writing is well below what is expected for their age. It is also well below by the end of Year 6. Pupils are achieving satisfactorily considering their attainment levels on entry to the school, the numbers of pupils with special educational needs and the significant numbers of pupils joining the school in different years. In mathematics and science, pupils have improved and are now attaining levels just below the national expectation for their ages and are achieving well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 In English, the majority of pupils have poor listening skills. Teachers use good questioning skills to encourage pupils to speak. A number of pupils speak indistinctly and in short phrases, although in conversation they always speak in a polite and friendly way. By the end of Year 2, a majority of pupils still read hesitantly. By Year 6, too many pupils are still working through the school’s reading scheme well below the level expected for their ages. They do not have a specific time to read for pleasure other than registration periods. This limits their enjoyment and often their progress. In writing, by the end of Year 2, only a few pupils use vocabulary well to write sentences. For example, Ingram Road Primary School - 13 “If I had a magic dress, I would transport myself to school”. Other pupils are not yet able to use capital letters and full stops consistently. By the end of Year 6, the more able pupils make good

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

progress, using good vocabulary, such as ‘spectacular’ and ‘conversation’. They are beginning to organise their writing well. However, there is a large gap between these few pupils and the rest, where basic punctuation is not accurate. Standards in literacy are well below the expectations for pupils’ ages at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 In mathematics, attainment is just below what is expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils are beginning to achieve well. By the end of Year 2, the more able pupils understand place value and add and subtract to 100. Other pupils are less confident in problem solving and less accurate in setting out addition and subtraction sums. Most pupils are able to draw graphs and understand the meaning of ‘most frequent’ and ‘less frequent’. Pupils are beginning to have basic understanding of simple angles and shapes. By Year 6, the more able pupils are more proficient in number calculations and work accurately in both mental and written form. They understand percentages and have a good understanding of shapes and their properties. However, the large proportion of less able pupils do not have a secure understanding of number operations or multiplication tables. Many of these pupils also have low reading skills and this makes it more difficult for them to understand written problems.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Standards in numeracy are just below the expectations for pupils’ ages at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 In science, attainment has improved since the National Curriculum tests in 2001, and pupils are now attaining just below what is expected for their age at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. The more able pupils have a sound knowledge of life and living processes. For example, younger pupils in Year 2 understand the energy giving value of food. Older pupils have a good understanding of a balanced diet and can name healthy and unhealthy foods. A significant proportion of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 have only a limited understanding of aspects of science and are working at a level below the expectations for their ages. Most pupils throughout the school carry out investigation in science and the more able in Year 2 and Year 6 understand the need to make the test fair and are able to predict what might happen. For example, pupils in Year 6 are able to demonstrate how water evaporates at different rates depending on the temperature and other differing environmental conditions. Throughout

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the school, most pupils are developing a sound scientific language and although a large proportion of each class have limited writing abilities, they use scientific words correctly. The skills of literacy and numeracy are developed soundly in science lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 In information and communication technology, pupils’ attainment is below what is expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils do not achieve as they should. This is mainly because the school has only recently been able to develop the subject further. New computers and new software have only just been introduced, teachers have yet to take part in government funded training and the computers have only recently been linked to the classroom in order to use them to support learning. Nevertheless, many pupils in Year 6 use a word processing program with confidence. They are able to produce a document combining text, tables and pictures without help. Many load and operate programs to seek information. Some access the Internet unaided but others need help with this process.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 In religious education, only one lesson could be seen during the inspection and not enough evidence was available to make a judgement on the attainment of those pupils in Year 6. Standards at the end of Year 2 are in line with the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus. Pupils in Year 2 are able to name the Holy book of Christians and Muslims, they know that Christians worship in churches and Muslims in mosques. They know important events from the life of Jesus and are able to describe some of the special occasions and Christian festivals. Ingram Road Primary School - 14 10 In design and technology, pupils’ attainment is above what is expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and pupils are achieving very well. Many pupils in Year 2 recognise that their designs have to meet a range of different needs and they use tools, equipment, materials, components and techniques well. For example, pupils in Year 2 had made a range of small and large sculptures using a

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

good range of designs and materials. This followed a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The pupils’ constructions were of a good standard. Pupils in Year 6 are able to design and make model helmets suitable for climbing at high altitude on a mountain. They work from their own detailed plans, modifying them where appropriate. One of the reasons for the high standards is the help, support and guidance given by the head teacher who has had a wide experience in this subject and has worked in other schools giving advice and support.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11 In history and geography, pupils’ attainment is in line with what is expected at the end of Year 2 but is below the expectations by the end of Year 6. This is mainly because a large number of pupils have weak writing skills to record what they know, do and understand. The higher attaining pupils in Year 6 have a sound knowledge of history and geography. In music and art and design, where writing skills are not required, pupils’ attainment matches what is expected and pupils are attaining soundly. In physical education, in those areas where a judgement could be made, such as dance and games, attainment is in line with the expectations for pupils’ ages in Year 2 and Year 6. Many pupils achieve sound standards in swimming before they leave the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12 All these standards vary greatly to those attained at the time of the last inspection. Although standards have risen in design and technology and in music they have dropped in English, science, history and geography. In other subjects, they have remained the same. However, it is difficult to compare standards to what they were five years ago as the attainment of pupils attending the school has changed greatly, with a growing proportion of lower attainers, pupils speaking English as an additional language and pupils attending the school for a short period of time.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13 Pupils with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, make good progress and achieve well in relation to their previous learning. This has been maintained since the previous inspection. They are meeting the targets set in individual education plans well and these are appropriately reviewed each term. The pupils with special educational needs move up and down the stages of the register fittingly and some move off the register when making sufficiently good progress. The support given to individuals and small groups of pupils, including those with English as an additional language and refugee status, by the support staff, has a positive impact on their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 The attitudes of pupils to school and to their learning are good overall and their behaviour in and around school is also good. Pupils have improved the quality of this aspect of school life since the last inspection. Relationships between all members of the school community are very good and the initiatives and personal responsibility taken by pupils are now good. Both have improved since the last inspection. These aspects of school life are closely linked into the very good provision of moral and social development provided by the school. The majority of those parents who completed and returned the questionnaire or who attended the meeting also expressed positive views about behaviour in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 In the classroom the attitudes and behaviour of pupils were good or better. However, a very small number of pupils display inappropriate behaviour and this is noticeable when lessons are less challenging or when supervision is less effective. Standards of behaviour in the playground are generally good and sometimes very good. However, in the dining hall at lunchtime, pupils are noisy and allowed to get away with inappropriate behaviour such as shouting across the room. There was Ingram Road Primary School - 15 no indication of any unsociable or racist behaviour whatsoever during the inspection. Six pupils were excluded during the last full school year, as a result of inappropriate behaviour at lunchtime.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Pupils generally have a good understanding of right and wrong and always show respect towards all members of the school community. There was no evidence of graffiti, litter or vandalism in or around school. All pupils enjoy coming to school and they talk about it enthusiastically. They are keen to participate in class activities. For example, in a Year 6 physical education lesson an inspector commented that ‘pupils were completely dedicated to learn’. Additionally, in a Year 4/5 history lesson about the impact of motorways on the community, pupils enjoyed the discussion and listened well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17 Relationships between pupils and one another, and pupils and all adults, are very good and pupils collaborate very well in all aspects of school life and enjoy working and playing together. For example, in a Year 2 religious education lesson about the Holy books of different faiths, they listened well to each other’s contributions and enjoyed discussing aspects of Christian, Muslim and Sikh faiths. Additionally, in an art and design lesson for Year 2, pupils were helping each other to use resources to decorate their twigs and they helped each other clear away after the lesson. The high quality of these relationships has a positive impact on pupils’ learning, as they are all included in all school activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18 The opportunities for pupils to take responsibility in school are good and have improved since the last inspection. Pupils of all ages enjoy taking responsibility as class monitors, office helpers, garden club helpers and setting up the equipment for assemblies. Pupils throughout the school play an important role in the Citizens Action Team that they have set up in school. They enjoy talking about improvements that they would like to see in school and then they actually do something practical about it. Pupils are also very aware of the needs of those less fortunate than themselves and make generous donations to a variety of charities such as the Heart Foundation, African Children’s Choir and Poppy Day. To raise money for one of these charities pupils ran the equivalent distance of Leeds to Scarborough in the playground. All these activities have a very positive impact on pupils’ personal

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19 Levels of attendance have increased since the last inspection but they remain poor and well below national average. However, rates of attendance are broadly similar to those recorded in other local Leeds primary schools. Punctuality to school is unsatisfactory and there is a small minority of children who are consistently late to school. The entry of these children into assembly or class is sometimes disruptive and affects concentration and learning. The school must continue to work hard to persuade its parents that the attendance and punctuality of their children is important and has a direct impact on their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20 Children’s attitudes and behaviour in nursery and reception class is mainly good because they are very well managed. Many children enter the nursery class with immature skills in personal and social development. For example, several children do not talk to each other. By the time they leave the reception class the majority are achieving well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21 The attitudes and behaviour of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, is good; they are enthusiastic and interested in all the activities in class. However, a very small number of pupils who have social and behavioural difficulties do find it difficult at times to concentrate but the teachers encourage them to behave in a positive manner.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 In just over half the lessons, teaching is good, with a very small amount of very good teaching. The rest of the teaching is satisfactory. This level of teaching shows a good improvement since the Ingram Road Primary School - 16 last inspection where just over two in ten lessons was unsatisfactory. All teachers have worked hard to improve their teaching. They have had good support from the head teacher and deputy head teacher. The improvement in the quality of the teaching has resulted in improvements in learning in a number of subjects but particularly in mathematics, science and design and technology.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23 Teaching in the foundation stage is at least satisfactory, and good teaching was seen in both classes in personal, social and emotional development and physical development. Teachers’ planning reflects all the areas of learning but weekly planning does not match activities well enough to children’s differing learning needs. Assessments are not yet used well enough to plan what children of different abilities are expected to learn. This means that pupils are not always presented with appropriate work. There are good relationships between teachers, support staff and children. All adults working with the children use good questioning skills to encourage children to develop their language skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24 The teaching of literacy has been a major focus for the school during the last two to three years and it is now firmly established. There are still areas, however, that are in need of further development. For example, individual targets to clarify what pupils need to learn are not used consistently throughout the school. Also, teachers need to ensure pupils are regularly using capital letters and full stops before developing a wider range of punctuation skills. The time allocated to practise planning for extended writing within the literacy hour is limited. Teachers generally use the introductory and summing up sessions in each lesson well and this helps pupils to clarify what they have learned. However, this is not consistently done through the school. The teaching of numeracy has received specific attention also and a good format for lessons has been established. Teachers use challenging questions to promote thought and test out understanding. The teaching of different mental

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

strategies at the beginning of lessons is usually done well and pupils are often fascinated with numbers, get excited about the lesson and compete vigorously to be the first with the answer. The improvements in the teaching of literacy and numeracy are resulting in a steady progress in attainment, although the weaknesses that still exist mean that standards are not always as high as they could be.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25 Particular strengths in all the teaching are the very effective class control and management arrangements. This ensures that pupils generally behave well and persevere to the end of the lesson. This is a significant strength as the school constantly receives a minority of pupils from out of the area, some of whom have behavioural difficulties. Teachers do very well to integrate these pupils into school very quickly. Teachers always use time very well and lessons proceed at a good pace. They also use resources very well to motivate and interest pupils. For example, this was seen to good effect in a history lesson for pupils in Year 5. The teacher used some very good old photographs of the local environment, which demonstrated the difference between Holbeck, before the advent of the motor car and the building of the major local motorway.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26 Another strength is the effectiveness of the methods and ideas teachers use. This interests and motivates pupils to the end of the lesson. For example, in a science lesson in Year 3, the teacher produced a large slab of ice on a tray. This was used effectively to show that the friction of a rubber over its surface is almost nil. This was compared to the friction of the rubber when pushed over a carpet. The contrast was quite dramatic and illustrated the effect of friction in moving objects very well.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27 Teachers have good knowledge of most subjects and this enables them not only to plan interesting activities, but ask questions and answer pupils’ questions at the appropriate level. However, teachers’ knowledge is less secure in information and communication technology, where they are shortly to undergo training. This should enable teachers to use the new computer facilities more effectively to support learning across a range of subjects. Also, some teachers have weaker Ingram Road Primary School - 17 knowledge and understanding in the teaching of religious education. This is mainly because there is no scheme of work to support them. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding in the teaching of design and technology.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28 A weakness in the teaching is the quality of the short term lesson planning. This is effective in the coverage of the National Curriculum but does not consistently indicate what the different abilities, groups and individuals are to learn during the lesson. Neither does it always indicate an evaluation session at the end to clarify what has been learned in order to use this information to plan future lessons. In some subjects like English and mathematics, the teachers have established some sound assessment procedures but again these records are not used consistently to plan future lessons. These weaknesses mean that the different abilities in each class do not always receive appropriate work or make progress as quickly as they might.

p.20

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29 The quality of teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good, as it was in the previous inspection. Teachers plan with the support staff according to the specific targets set for pupils in their individual education plans. These plans are used to match work, particularly in literacy and numeracy, to meet the pupils’ needs. Planning for individual pupils regularly takes place and the support staff meet weekly with the special educational needs co-ordinator. However, although the details of the pupils’ individual education plans are kept in each classroom, lesson plans are not specific about individuals or small groups. The teachers and the learning support staff know the pupils well and they work very well together to make sure that the pupils meet the targets in their individual education plans. Pupils with English as an additional language, including those with refugee status, are supported

p.20

PUPILS?

30 The school provides a satisfactory curriculum that is broad and well balanced. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught and current statutory requirements are met. The school is satisfactorily implementing the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these are taught to all classes on a daily basis. Since the last inspection the school has provided schemes of work to support pupils’ learning in all subjects. These are suitably linked to the National Curriculum and national guidance for the subjects and this is an improvement since the last inspection. The school has moved away from a topic based approach and the teachers plan each subject separately and this ensures that all areas of the subject are taught and that pupils have good equality of access and opportunity.

p.20

PUPILS?

31 The school has worked very hard to make sure that the curriculum for children in the nursery and reception class reflects all the areas of learning. Children are offered a wide range of interesting activities that provide a good start to their education.

p.20

PUPILS?

32 Provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. There are lunchtime, as well as, after school activities. These include an art club, which has produced a very good display of a three- dimensional representation of Monet’s water lilies to include the use of fabrics as well as painting. A ‘travel club’ which meets after school gives the pupils opportunities find out about the flags of different countries and to make different foods from around the world, for example, when the focus was on Greece the pupils made a small amount of a Greek yoghurt dish to taste. The range of visits and activities offered by the school are good and these enhance the curriculum and support learning opportunities. For example, a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for pupils in Years 1 and 2, which resulted in some good representations of the sculptures seen on display is school, including drawings and models. The pupils in Year 6 have visited Elvington Air Force Base and Eden prisoner of war

p.20

PUPILS?

Ingram Road Primary School - 18 camp to support history projects on World War II. A visit was made to local gardens for the youngest pupils to support their work in looking at contrasting environments in geography.

p.21

PUPILS?

33 The school provides classes for Year 6 pupils in preparation for national testing, which helps pupils and develops their confidence. The school makes satisfactory provision for personal and social education including citizenship and has adopted the local education authority’s approved scheme of work to support the pupils’ learning. It satisfactorily includes drug awareness and sex education.

p.21

PUPILS?

34 The community continues to provide a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Community visitors include representatives from the local Holbeck library, South Leeds Groundforce Trust and the local road safety team. The school has also developed two particularly strong links with Leeds United Football Club who provide excellent facilities for information and communication technology and British Telecom who provide regular support staff to hear pupils read. The school links all these activities clearly into the curriculum and they have a positive impact on pupils’ learning and development. The school has developed good links with local feeder playgroups and strong and effective links with Matthew Murray High School, the school to which most pupils transfer at 11. Additionally, the school has developed effective links with teacher training colleges and provides placements for four student teachers each year.

p.21

PUPILS?

35 Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Spiritual development is good. Moral, social and cultural development is very good. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.21

PUPILS?

36 Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. The quality of class based worship has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Daily collective worship is well planned, and pupils have good opportunities to reflect on who they are, their place in the school community and to value themselves and each other. These opportunities are based around the school’s weekly ethos statement, which during the inspection was ‘I know how to use my talents well’. These weekly statements are displayed around the school, and in all the classrooms. Teachers refer to these in their class-based assemblies and, where appropriate, in lessons. There are times when groups of pupils are withdrawn from classes by the school’s learning mentor to work on developing opportunities for them to share ideas and talk about their feelings. A small group of Year 1 pupils were learning to listen to each other and to respect what their classmates had to say. This activity promoted pupils’ moral

p.21

PUPILS?

development very well. Because the behaviour of these pupils had not matched expectations they were asked to think about “Why am I not pleased with you?” In Year 6, pupils have written their own prayers after discussing the tragedy in America last September. Pupils who are members of the Citizen Action Task group discuss ideas in their meetings that often provide further opportunities for pupils’ spiritual development. For example, they decided that the number of children permitted to enter the school garden at playtimes should be restricted, so that it could be a place where pupils could go and sit quietly. They check how many pupils are in the garden at any time, and this is a reflective place where children can escape from the hurly burly of the playground.

p.21

PUPILS?

37 Provision for moral and social development is very good. Pupils were involved in producing their own school rules during a series of whole school assemblies. As a result, these are written in a format that pupils understand. They know the consequences of their actions on other people and why rules are important. Pupils also work together with their teachers at the beginning of the year to produce rules that they think are appropriate for their class. Social development is a strength of the school. This is evident by a recently won award for ‘Team Spirit and Fair Play’. The school is the first primary school in the area to have a Citizenship Action Team consisting of elected pupils who meet weekly to discuss ideas for improvements in school and the locality. These pupils raise their own funds by selling toast at one break-time during the week. They have raised £140. One improvement Ingram Road Primary School - 19

p.21

PUPILS?

as a result of this group meeting has been a ‘friendship’ bench in the playground. Some of the group are on duty at playtimes watching out for any pupils who may be sitting on the bench feeling lonely or left out. Pupils take responsibility for organising stalls at the school’s Summer Fair. This year, Asian pupils have asked if they can make mendhi hand patterns. Throughout the year pupils in the school collect money for a variety of charities, including raising money for an African children’s choir. Where pupils are given roles of responsibility, such as taking charge of the overhead projector and tape recorder during assemblies, and looking after the library, they take these seriously.

p.22

PUPILS?

38 Cultural development is also very good. The school has made a conscious effort to raise pupils’ multicultural awareness and understanding. At Christmas the school’s Christian nativity display was joined by a Muslim display of the festival of Eid-du-fitr. An exhibition at the school ‘Travellers through their own words’ raised the self-esteem of travellers’ children in the school. One pupil proudly pointed out her relatives pictured in the display. The school plans to introduce a circus skills workshop and a gypsy music workshop. Cultural heritage is explored well through some subjects, particularly English, history and geography. Visits to places in the locality, such as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and visitors such as theatre groups, promote pupils’ understanding of the local culture.

p.22

PUPILS?

39 Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Individual education plans and targets are in place for all pupils on the register of special educational needs. The special educational needs co-ordinator works with teachers to write the plans, which the teachers then discuss with the learning support staff. These have specific measurable goals for the pupils, which clearly identify what the pupils need to learn. The learning support staff work to these plans, keeping a record of progress and samples of pupils’ work. Parents of children with special educational needs are invited into school each term to discuss the education plans with the teacher. The special educational needs co-ordinator has not yet received training on the revised Code of Practice but is confidently preparing to implement it in September 2002. All pupils with special educational needs, including the proportion

p.22

PUPILS?

of pupils who have English as an additional language and those who have high mobility, are well supported within their classes.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 The school has successfully addressed the assessment issues from the last inspection and there are now good procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ learning and how well the pupils achieve against their prior attainment. Assessment is predominantly in English and mathematics, and to a lesser extent in science. Each class has a significant number of pupils who have joined the school throughout the year and the use of assessment enables the staff to evaluate their level of attainment well.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are satisfactory overall. The teachers assess the standards of attainment, particularly in mathematics and English, twice a year through work sampling and assess the pupils’ progress. However the use of information from assessment to inform planning is inconsistent and unsatisfactory. Although all pupils have individual learning targets, these are not easily or consistently available to the pupils on a daily basis to remind them of their learning objectives, particularly in English and mathematics. Assessment of the pupils’ work does not always inform teachers’ medium and short term planning sufficiently. The results of the assessments are not used to identify what different abilities, groups or individuals need to learn during lessons. This sometimes results in pupils not receiving the correct level of work. Ingram Road Primary School - 20

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 The school has a satisfactory marking policy to guide the teachers but it is not applied consistently by all teachers and the pupils do not always receive written help and guidance they need to improve their work. However, oral feedback is often given.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43 The school now provides good care and support for its pupils and there has been an improvement in this aspect of school life since the last inspection. The school has embedded all the procedures and policies for health and safety well into school life. The school realises the importance of first day contact in the event of absence and does well to make this contact with parents as soon as possible each morning. The governing body understands its responsibility for health and safety well but it does not ensure that regular inspections take place and that they are formally recorded. The school maintains appropriate records for fire drills, accident recording, issue of bump notes and emergency contact of family and friends in case of an emergency. Staff provide very good emotional support and tender loving care to pupils whenever it is required. The procedure for child protection is effective and

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the designated teacher ensures that all members of staff have an appropriate understanding of its contents.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44 The school supervises pupils well in the playground but supervision in the dining hall is not always effective. Some pupils are allowed to get away with unsociable behaviour and opportunities are lost to make dinner an important social event in the school day.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45 The school promotes and monitors attendance well. The learning mentor works hard to track and monitor statistics and to encourage parents to ensure regular and punctual attendance at school. This has had a positive impact on attendance rates, which have improved since the last inspection. However, not all parents respond in an appropriate way to this encouragement. The school also promotes and monitors behaviour very well through the very effective provision of moral development and the way that teachers manage it. In almost all cases, standards are applied consistently and pupils have a good understanding of how the school expects them to behave.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46 The school uses good procedures for identifying pupils who have special educational needs. Teachers assess pupils’ progress, working closely with the learning support staff to assist in meeting pupils’ individual needs. Where additional help and support is needed, the school effectively liaises with outside agencies. All individual education plans are reviewed well. Pupils who are highly mobile and those who have English as an additional language, including those with refugee status, are supported very well.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47 The school promotes itself very well to its parents and the majority of those who responded to the questionnaire or who attended the meeting have very positive views about school life. These parents hold the school in high esteem. The school works very hard to involve parents in their children’s education, but this meets with only limited success and very few parents come into school to help in the classroom. However, parents are very supportive when asked to help on visits or with after school sporting activities. For example, two parents successfully negotiated sponsorship from a local store to provide an athletic strip for the school team. Parents have also responded well to training courses organised by the family link worker but the response of parents to help out in class is disappointing. Additionally, a number of parents do not always hear their children read at home on a regular basis. Although there is no formal fundraising organisation, parents are generous with their

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

support of school events, such as the Christmas or summer fairs, where they raise approximately £1500 each year for school resources. The school values all this support and it has a satisfactory impact on pupils’ learning. Ingram Road Primary School - 21 48 The school works closely with the new children in the nursery and reception class and home/school liaison is good. The information produced by the school for its parents is good overall and they consider that they are well informed about the progress of their children. Pupils’ reports contain personalised developmental information, which enables parents to recognise their own children and help them progress in their learning. For example, they contain target comments such as ‘to practise telling the time’ and ‘to use information and communication technology in data recording’.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49 Parents of pupils with special educational needs are invited to meet with the teachers on a termly basis and know the targets set for their children. They are kept well informed about their children’s progress towards their individual targets. Annual reviews of statements of educational needs are held appropriately and the parents are invited to these reviews in addition to the termly meetings.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50 Leadership and management are good. This is a very good improvement since the last inspection.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51 The head teacher gives good leadership. He has developed a successful school, which is highly regarded by many parents. He has provided a clear vision, a distinct educational direction for the school and has been successful in encouraging all staff to develop an agreed sense of purpose. Most of the key issues from the last inspection have been resolved and he has introduced many other improvements. He is well supported by the deputy head teacher and the senior management team. He has ensured that the school’s priorities for development are very appropriate. The monitoring of the teaching to improve its quality has been a high priority, with an emphasis on class management skills. This has been effective and has had an impact on the raising of standards and achievement in a number of subjects.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52 The effectiveness of the governing body in fulfilling its responsibilities is good. A small proportion of governors are new and have not been able yet to develop their role. The chair of the governors is fully committed to the school. Together with the vice-chair, she is involved in the life of the school, visits often and engages in professional dialogue with the head teacher. A number of other governors visit the school and give their support. However, the chair is anxious to develop the supportive role of the new governors in order to make the governing body even more effective. The support from the governor with a responsibility for special educational needs is particularly good. She is aware of school developments in this area and works closely with the co-ordinator for special educational needs. The governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are involved in the production and the evaluation of the yearly improvement plan. The

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

governors fulfil their statutory duties well. This is an improvement from the last inspection where a number of items did not meet statutory requirements.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The head teacher and deputy head teacher have been involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the teaching. There has been an agreed timetable of observation for all teachers, set against an established range of criteria. Written feedback has been provided and the outcomes of the observations discussed with the teachers. The guidance has been successful as the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. However, teachers’ short term planning and an analysis of pupils’ work has not been monitored and evaluated on a regular basis.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 The role of the curriculum co-ordinators is only partly developed. The school has concentrated on the introduction of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy and the further development of information and communication technology. In these areas, some monitoring and Ingram Road Primary School - 22 support has been undertaken by the subject co-ordinators but very little classroom observation or monitoring of teachers’ short term planning has been done by other subject co-ordinators. This means that some subject co-ordinators will not be fully aware of all that is happening in their subject.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The aims of the school, set out in its mission statement, its values and policies, are implemented well, although the policy for marking is not implemented consistently. The head teacher has developed a good ethos in the school by his enthusiasm and guidance. Pupils have developed good attitudes to their work. There are very good relationships and a commitment by the leadership to raise educational standards for all and provide equal opportunities within a climate of including all pupils within all aspects of school life. This includes the pupils with high mobility, pupils with special educational needs, pupils with English as an additional language and all pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 The yearly school improvement plan effectively supports management. This was not the case in the last inspection. It is now carefully costed. Funding is well linked to educational priorities. It is regularly discussed and evaluated both in school and at governors’ meetings.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 The quality and quantity of the learning resources are mainly good and very good for English and design and technology. The resources for information and communication technology have improved since the last inspection. The new computer suite is a good resource with a satisfactory range of software to support learning in different areas of the curriculum, particularly English, mathematics and art.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 The number, qualifications and experience of the staff are suitably matched to pupils’ needs. There are sufficient teachers, and support staff are effectively deployed. Teachers and support staff work closely together and this ensures that extra support is focused where it is needed most. This has a good impact on pupils’ learning, especially for those pupils with English as an additional language, special educational need and those pupils who are very new to the school.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 Teachers’ responsibilities are as closely matched as possible to the needs of the school, and the posts of key stage co-ordinators have been clarified since the last inspection. However, subject co-ordinator job descriptions are sometimes inconsistent. For example, not all subjects include responsibility for checking on how well the subject is being taught or on standards. There is a clear policy for the induction of staff new to the school.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60 The adequacy of accommodation is satisfactory overall. There is a good library and the computer suite is also good and it supports pupils’ learning well. The lack of a playing field limits games but staff utilise the hard play area well. The school is very clean and well maintained due to the hard work of the site superintendent and cleaning staff. The displays around school provide a welcoming and stimulating environment for pupils and visitors alike.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61 The leadership of special educational needs is good. The school effectively identifies pupils at an early stage if they are experiencing difficulties. There is good involvement with other agencies, particularly the team for the Visually Impaired, as well as the School Support team, who bring their expertise into the school to support staff and individual pupils. This ensures that pupils with statements of special educational needs are meeting their targets set out in individual education plans and take part fully in school activities. The good quality support provided by the special educational needs co- ordinator for the class teachers and learning support assistants makes a good contribution to the progress these pupils make. The leadership also makes good provision for pupils who have English as an additional language and those with refugee status. Ingram Road Primary School - 23 62 Careful financial planning supports educational development very well and the school uses any

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

specific grant or money it gets very well. For example, spending on computers and a new computer suite is beginning to raise pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology, as well as developing a great deal of enthusiasm for the subject. The school uses the money at its disposal very wisely and carefully. Records show that at the end of the 2000-2001 financial year there was only a very small amount to carry forward to the next financial year. The head teacher, chair of governors and school administrator are well aware of the need to get the best value for pupils. In this they are effective and the quality of financial control is very good. School administration by the new school secretary/administrator is very good. She has introduced a number of new successful procedures since her appointment in December.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 The management systems now in place, including the good leadership of the head teacher, dedicated team of teachers, support staff and governors, have ensured a large number of improvements since the last inspection. As the subject co-ordinators and new governors develop their role further, the management of the school has a very good capacity to maintain an effective school, continue to give good value for money and introduce further improvements. Ingram Road Primary School - 24

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

64 To maintain the quality of education and promote further development, the governing body, head teacher and staff should:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise attainment in all subjects and in the foundation stage through improving the effectiveness of teachers’ lesson planning by:-

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• clearly and consistently identifying what different abilities, groups and individuals need to learn; • evaluating at the end of the lesson how well this has been achieved; • using this information and the evidence that is available from assessment records, to plan future lessons; • monitoring this planning for consistency. (Paragraph numbers 23, 28, 68, 80, 86, 87, 90 and 99)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• regularly planning and monitoring opportunities for guided reading outside the literacy hour and recording pupils’ progress; • providing timetabled time for sustained silent reading for pleasure; • ensuring pupils reach their targets to use capital letters and full stops before teaching a wider range of punctuation; • practising planning for extended writing tasks. (Paragraph numbers 5, 24, 83, 84 and 86)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Raise attainment in information and communication technology by:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• fully implementing the planned programme of provision and skills development; • planning more opportunities for computers to be used to support learning across a wide range of subjects; • further development of teachers’ own confidence in using computers. (Paragraph numbers 8, 94, 99, 113, 114, 116 and 121)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Continue to implement the good procedures already in place to improve attendance rates and punctuality of the few children to whom this applies. (Paragraph numbers 19 and 45)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ISSUES THREE AND FOUR ABOVE HAVE ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE SCHOOL AS AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65 In addition to the above issues, the following more minor weaknesses should be considered for inclusion in the Action Plan.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Continue to encourage more parents to help with homework and in the classroom. • Further development of the leadership role of the subject co-ordinators to monitor and evaluate their subjects. • Develop some teachers’ knowledge and understanding of religious education. • Apply the marking policy more consistently. • Improve supervision in the dining hall. Ingram Road Primary School - 25 • Increase the amount of work on data handling within mathematics teaching. (Paragraph numbers 47, 54, 95, 95, 103, 107, 117, 121 and 134) Ingram Road Primary School - 26

p.27

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 163

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 99 99

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 41

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 43

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 41

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 21

p.29

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Ingram Road Primary School - 27 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Ingram Road Primary School - 28

p.29

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 - - 16

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.31

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls - - -

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 56% (48%) 31% (45%) 56% (65%) at NC level 2 or above National 84% (83%) 86% (84%) 91% (90%)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls - - -

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 69% (58%) 69% (65%) 56% (71%) at NC level 2 or above National 85% (84%) 89% (88%) 89% (88%)

p.31

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where the number of boys or girls is 10 or less, figures are omitted.

p.31

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 12 14 26

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 - 11

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 62% (59%) 46% (52%) 77% (76%) at NC level 4 or above National 75% (75%) 71% (72%) 87% (85%)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls - - -

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 54% (63%) 65% (53%) 73% (53%) at NC level 4 or above National 72% (70%) 74% (72%) 82% (79%) Ingram Road Primary School - 29 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Where the number of boys or girls is 10 or less, figures are omitted. Ingram Road Primary School - 30

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 9 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 501,472

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 515,260

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 192.5 Expenditure per pupil 3,067.02

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 7,650

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.5 Balance carried forward to next year 500

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 17.5

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.5 Ingram Road Primary School - 31 FTE means full-time equivalent. Ingram Road Primary School - 32

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 61 33 3 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 30 12 0 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 27 15 9 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 58 27 12 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 24 3 0 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 70 27 3 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 58 30 9 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 61 21 9 3 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 34 0 3 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 55 18 3 12 12 Ingram Road Primary School - 33

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66 The school has worked very hard to make sure that the provision for children in the nursery and reception class reflects all the areas of learning identified in the foundation stage curriculum. Children are offered a wide range of interesting activities that provide a good start to their education. The outdoor area in the nursery has been greatly improved since the last inspection. It is organised well, providing a wide range of learning opportunities. These have a positive impact on children’s achievement in their personal and social development and their physical development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67 Many children begin nursery with poorly developed skills in speaking and listening, mathematical development and personal independence. When children enter the reception class, the initial tests taken during their first few weeks indicate that attainment in speaking and listening, mathematical development and personal and social development is well below what is typical for their age. By the time they leave the reception class, children’s achievement is satisfactory, although attainment is still well below what is typical for their age in most areas of learning. This is because many children have such poor speaking and listening skills, which affects the progress they make in many areas. Children achieve well in personal, social and emotional development and their physical development. In these two areas of learning, children reach standards that are typical for their age when they leave the reception class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68 There are several reasons why attainment is so low. A number of children enter the reception class at different times during the year from other schools and initial tests show that their attainment is also well below what is typical for their ages. A higher percentage of children than usual do not reach their fifth birthday until after the end of this school year. Teaching is satisfactory as a whole and some good teaching was seen in both classes. Children’s behaviour and attitudes to learning are often good because they are very well managed and kept busy. However, assessment records are not targeted closely enough to the small steps in learning identified in the foundation stage curriculum. As a result, teachers’ weekly planning does not match activities well enough to children’s differing learning needs.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69 An improvement since the last inspection is the good link between staff in both classes. The nursery nurse works in the nursery, which is only open in the mornings, and works alongside the reception teacher in the afternoons. This ensures a smooth transition for children from the nursery to the reception class.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70 Children who have special educational needs or English as an additional language are identified early. The school has effective liaison with external agencies and, as a result, children with any learning difficulties have their needs met particularly early. These children are well provided for, and they make progress at the same rate as their classmates.

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Personal, social and emotional development

71 Nearly all the children enter the nursery class with immature skills in personal and social development. For example, several children do not talk with other children, and are content to be bystanders watching what other groups of children are doing. By the time they leave the reception class, the majority of children have achieved well, and standards are typical for their age. This reflects the good teaching in both classes. The nursery staff have established very good working relationships and they are good role models for the children to copy. In both classes, children are expected to tidy up after activities. At the start of the day, nursery children collect their own name labels, which they Ingram Road Primary School - 34 hang on their milk cartons before sitting on the carpet. Children in the reception class know the teacher’s high expectations of behaviour. When a visitor from British Telecom came into the class to

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Personal, social and emotional development

support a group of children with reading activities, they all said “Good morning” without any prompting from their teacher. In the reception class, children share resources and take turns. They know the special rules. When two children were sharing books in the quiet reading area, and a third child arrived, she was told “You’re not allowed in here, because there’s two of us”.

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Communication, language and literacy

72 Speaking and listening skills develop satisfactorily considering the very low starting point of many children when they enter the nursery. A number of children’s speech is very weak. Several children do not talk to other children, and they work alone. By the time children leave the reception class, standards are still well below those typical for their age. Whilst teaching is satisfactory, assessments are not used well enough to plan what children of different abilities are expected to learn in lessons. This holds back the overall progress that some children make. In the reception class, children have poor listening skills. Because of their teacher’s good management, they know her expectations and do not shout out. Teachers and support staff, use good questioning skills to encourage children to talk about their learning, but too many children speak indistinctly in short phrases, and the majority are not eager to answer questions.

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Communication, language and literacy

73 Reading skills are promoted well. In both classes there are good homework opportunities. Copies of the ‘nursery rhyme of the week’ are available in the nursery for parents and carers to take home and share with their child. In the reception class, children are encouraged to learn letter sounds and new words at home. Children enjoy hearing stories, but many have low concentration spans and quickly become fidgety. Only a few more able children recognise a small vocabulary of words in simple books. When given a book they have not read before, even these children are hesitant and look constantly at the pictures. Children learn the sounds of letters of the alphabet but often have difficulty reading the whole word, such as ‘p-u-t’. Less able children enjoy turning the pages of books, but they talk in short phrases about these, such as “It’s about dogs”. Reading records are well maintained and

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Communication, language and literacy

track the progress of individual children. Children develop good attitudes to reading. When passing through the reception class, inspectors noted that there were nearly always one or two children sharing books in the quiet area. The regular visits from British Telecom support learning well. A group of children played a game with the visitor, practising naming letters and words beginning with that initial letter. There were very good relationships with the adult, and the children were interested.

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Communication, language and literacy

74 Early writing skills are developed very well in the nursery. This is an improvement since the last inspection. There is very good provision for children to practise mark making in both the classroom and the outdoor area. Two children were making marks on a clip-board at the outdoor ‘Police Station’ where they had taken the wolf (from the story of the Three Little Pigs) for “being bad”! In the reception class, children are taught the basic skills of forming letters. More able children write their own names and practise writing letters and words they know. Other children under write from their dictated sentences and less able children are still tracing over letters in their own names because their pencil control is very poor for their age.

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Mathematical development

75 In the nursery, many children join in number songs and action rhymes. When making ‘little pig’ faces with the nursery nurse, she used good questioning to encourage children to name some common shapes and to recognise the difference between large and small. Only a few children recognised a circle shape, and one child named a triangle. Children practise counting to three, linked well to this week’s story the Three Little Pigs. By the time children leave the reception, standards are Ingram Road Primary School - 35 still well below those typical for their age. Teaching is satisfactory, but the results of assessments are not used well enough to plan what children of different abilities are expected to learn. In the reception class, a few more able children count to ten confidently and they write and count numbers up to 7 in different ways. Less able children have very limited number recognition, although they count in a

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Mathematical development

sequence to 5. These pupils do not remember the names of the four common shapes.

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

76 Many children come into the nursery with very limited experiences of their world. As a result, by the time they leave the reception class standards are well below those typical for their age. Teaching is satisfactory. Teachers in both classes provide a wide range of learning experiences for the children. In the nursery, children are growing beans and sunflowers. The teacher has recorded children’s answers to her questions about minibeasts on a display. For example, “Caterpillars are spikey” with that child’s name printed alongside the sentence. This is good evidence of children’s learning. Children learn to develop their knowledge and understanding through good role-play opportunities. In the nursery, children learn the names of common fruits and vegetables in the ‘Supermarket’. They use a range of construction resources to build houses using ideas from the story the Three Little Pigs. In the reception class, children role-play what happens to babies at the ‘Holbeck

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Baby Clinic’, and babies were regularly being given injections throughout the inspection! Children use the computer, and they practise ‘dragging’ pictures from one part of the screen to another. A group of children were enthralled when the teacher taught them how to program the turtle roamer. They learnt how to move the roamer forwards and backwards. Children use magnifying glasses to look at, and talk about, the cress seeds they are going to grow. A few children suggested that the seeds needed water to grow, but several children were unsure whether they would need light.

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Physical development

77 The imaginative use of the outdoor area in the nursery class is a major factor in helping children to achieve well in the development of their physical skills. They run, jump, balance and climb using the range of equipment available. Children show awareness of the needs of others when riding tricycles. By the time they leave the reception class, standards are typical for children of this age. This reflects the good teaching in both classes. Children have many opportunities to handle construction equipment, and to use play dough to roll and cut out. Children have used their skills well to make clay pots for their cress seeds. In the school hall, children follow instructions and use the large space well. They move confidently and with safety. A few children are confident, demonstrating their ability to move in different ways. Children are developing an awareness that exercise makes their heart beat faster.

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Creative development

78 Children start in the nursery with low creative skills. Teaching is satisfactory and children experience a range of activities including painting, role-play and choosing materials to make collage pictures. By the time the children leave the reception class, standards are below those typical for their age. A few more able children achieve standards that are typical for their age in painting activities, but the majority of children have poor control of tools and this limits the standards they reach. More able children in the reception class mix colours such as blue and yellow to make green when painting flowers. They use the computer program ‘Splosh’ to draw coloured flowers. Musical activities are enjoyed daily by children in both classes, and the majority join in singing well known rhymes enthusiastically. Children in both classes practise singing and music making together with the support

p.38

Creative development

of a specialist music teacher who regularly comes into school. Children in the nursery sometimes join Ingram Road Primary School - 36 in clapping rhythms spontaneously. More able children in the reception class accompany singing by playing instruments such as drums, scrapers and bells with gusto!

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Creative development

79 Resources in the nursery and reception classes are good. They are well matched to the planned activities and have a positive impact on learning. Ingram Road Primary School - 37

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ENGLISH

80 Standards in English for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, have improved marginally since the last inspection, but continue to be well below the level expected for pupils’ ages by the end of Years 2 and 6. The school has received Schools’ Achievement awards regularly since 1997 because the level of attainment has increased faster than the national trend. The school is also rightly proud that last year in the tests for 11-year-olds, a few pupils reached the higher level for the first time. This reflects the school’s emphasis on improving writing since the last inspection. Assessment is now used well to identify the support for pupils who are not expected to reach the expected levels at the end of Years 2 and 6. Assessment is also used well to set targets for pupils for the end of each year. However, these assessment records are not always used consistently to plan future lessons.

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ENGLISH

81 Standards are not high enough for several reasons. The school now has a higher percentage of pupils with special educational needs and some pupils for whom English is an additional language and who are in an early stage of language acquisition. More importantly, the school regularly receives pupils into the school during the school year into most classes. These include refugees and travellers’ children. Many of these pupils are low attainers. Only a few pupils are more able and reach the expected level for their age. Then there is a large gap with average ability pupils often working at levels well below what is expected for their age, however, because teachers do not use the results of assessments well enough to plan what pupils of different abilities are expected to learn in lessons. As a result, whilst pupils including those with special educational needs and English as an additional

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ENGLISH

language make satisfactory progress, this is too often reliant on the effective support of class teachers and teaching assistants.

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ENGLISH

82 Throughout the school the majority of pupils have poor listening skills. Because so many children enter the school with very low speaking and listening skills, they never catch up to reach the standards expected for their ages by the end of Years 2 and 6. Teachers manage pupils very well in lessons so it sometimes appears as though pupils listen well. However, when talking to them about what they are expected to do, it is apparent they have not fully understood instructions. Teachers use good questioning skills in lessons to encourage pupils’ speaking skills, but too frequently they rely on answers only from those pupils with their hands up. When talking to inspectors, many pupils whilst, being pleasant and friendly, spoke indistinctly and in short phrases.

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ENGLISH

83 Standards in reading are low. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils read hesitantly, and they guess new words such as reading ‘dragons’ for ‘dangerous’. They have difficulty remembering new words when they come across them again in the same book. More able pupils choose books by the picture on the front. They recognise the author, but need to turn the pages to look at pictures to talk about what they have read. Less able pupils read known words, but do not read using punctuation well. For example, reading, “Look. My box is a boat” as “Look at my box”. In Year 3, pupils often read carelessly. Even more able pupils carry on reading after missing out complete lines! In Year 4, pupils know the difference between story books and books of information. They know how to use the index pages to find information. In Year 5, more able pupils whilst being confident readers, often still use their finger as a guide to what they are reading. Less able pupils still guess many words for

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ENGLISH

example reading, ‘she said’ instead of ‘asked’. By the end of Year 6, too many pupils are still moving through the school’s reading scheme at levels well below what is expected for their age. Only a few pupils are completely independent readers, reading with good expression and confidence. Less able pupils still do not read punctuation, and misread many words, such as ‘trodded’ for ‘trotted’. They still look for picture clues to help them read. Only more able pupils know the purpose of a glossary. There is no time set aside for pupils to read for pleasure other than during registration periods. Home and school reading records are not used consistently in all classes. Teachers’ records indicate that the Ingram Road Primary School - 38 school perseveres in trying to encourage parents to support their child’s reading at home. For the last 18 months, visitors from British Telecom have regularly come into school, and they effectively support

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ENGLISH

pupils’ reading in all the classes. Pupils know these visitors very well, and look forward to reading to them.

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ENGLISH

84 The school has placed an emphasis on improving standards in writing in response to the key issue in the previous inspection. Pupils are supported well in their writing by using simple word books, dictionaries and thesaurus. In a lesson in Year 1, nearly all the pupils used their own dictionaries to help them spell words. In the Year 4/5 class, pupils were supported well in their writing by displays, which they used well. Older pupils draft much of their written work, and self-correct their errors before producing the final copy. However, teachers spend too much time on the end product of pupils’ writing, with insufficient attention being paid to how well pupils plan what they intend to write. There has been an improvement since the last inspection in pupils writing for different purposes. Displayed work includes letters, instructions, reports and limericks, as well as examples of imaginative writing.

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ENGLISH

However, standards in writing are still not high enough. Pupils are not building on what they have previously learnt in sufficiently small steps. Too often pupils have not mastered using capital letters and full stops before they are attempting a wider range of punctuation, including speech marks. By the end of Year 2, only a few pupils use vocabulary well to write sentences such as “If I had a magic dress I would transport myself to school”. However, even these pupils sometimes write capital letters in the middle of words. Other pupils are not yet using capital letters and full stops. This inconsistent use of basic punctuation continues into Years 3, 4 and 5. By the end of Year 6, even more able pupils incorrectly shorten words such as ‘haven’t’ and speech marks are not used correctly. A few more able pupils make good progress and by this term, these pupils are using good vocabulary, such as

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ENGLISH

‘spectacular’ and ‘conversation’. They are beginning to organise their writing well. However, there is a large gap between these few pupils and the remainder of the class. Basic punctuation is not always accurate and, although handwriting is joined, it is sometimes careless and spelling is inconsistent. Too often, pupils join sentences with the word ‘and’.

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ENGLISH

85 Teaching has improved since the last inspection. It is not as variable and no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Teaching is satisfactory as a whole, and some good teaching was seen in lessons in both key stages. Teachers plan their lessons with a good understanding of the Literacy Strategy. They use good questioning skills in the whole class sessions of the literacy hour, and use resources well to support pupils’ learning. Where teaching is good, pupils are questioned even if they do not have their hand up. Their responses are used well to assess how well they are learning. Teachers plan carefully with teaching assistants supporting in lessons. This support is effective, particularly for pupils with special educational needs. Work is often adapted to make it accessible to all pupils, for example, with the use of Braille. Pupils behave well in lessons, which reflects teachers’ good management.

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ENGLISH

When asked to work with partners, or in small groups, pupils often support each other well in their learning.

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ENGLISH

86 Planning for lessons is not focused well enough on what pupils of different abilities are expected to learn. Teachers seldom use the end part of lessons well enough to check how well pupils have learnt. As a result, very few teachers amend their weekly planning from day to day. Planning does not indicate how pupils will use information and communication technology in lessons, although pupils regularly use timetabled sessions in the computer suite to word process some of their written work. Targets are set for individual pupils, but pupils’ work is seldom marked against these targets. The quality of marking is very variable from class to class, and occasionally work is not marked at all. Teaching reading to small groups of pupils of similar abilities is not undertaken during the literacy hour. This aspect of teaching reading is inconsistently planned from class to class and not regularly timetabled. Records of the progress pupils make in these activities are also very variable.

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ENGLISH

Ingram Road Primary School - 39 87 English has been managed soundly since the last inspection by the co-ordinator. As a result, good progress has been made towards dealing with the key issues of the last report. The results of a range of assessments are carefully analysed and used well to identify pupils needing specific support in developing their literacy skills. This information is not always used in teachers’ planning. Also, checking for consistency in teachers’ planning and the marking of pupils’ work is not undertaken sufficiently well.

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ENGLISH

88 Resources are very good. All reading schemes and library books are in good condition, well organised and accessible to pupils and teachers. The library is attractive and used regularly by many pupils. Some Year 6 pupils have responsibility for organising loans of books when the library remains open after school twice a week. These pupils are also responsible for keeping the shelves tidy in the library and in corridors where reading scheme books are kept. They take this responsibility very seriously. Throughout the inspection, all books were neatly shelved.

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MATHEMATICS

89 By the end of Year 2 standards are below the national average; however, pupils’ achievements are good from a low starting point. Through good teaching and the implementation of the Numeracy Strategy, standards are now rising in Years 1 and 2. By end of Year 6 standards remain below the national average, however, half the pupils in the class have joined the school since the end of Year 2 and eight pupils are new to the school this year. Nine of the Year 6 pupils have special educational needs and several have English as an additional language. This movement of pupils and the significant number having additional educational needs has an impact on the standards of mathematics. Standards remain similar to those in the previous report. The major cause of this is the movement of pupils into the school and the low level of attainment on entry. Throughout the school, the support for pupils with special educational needs enables them to make good progress. All pupils

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MATHEMATICS

have equal access to mathematics and work is adapted to make it accessible to all pupils, for example, with the use of Braille.

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MATHEMATICS

90 The Numeracy Strategy introduced since the time of the last inspection, means that the range of the curriculum is now more well balanced. There is more emphasis on all aspects of mathematics; however, there is insufficient work on handling data throughout the school. Assessment is now good. This is a significant improvement and regular assessment of pupils’ work enables teachers to monitor their progress. Planning is comprehensive and reflects the national strategy but the teachers do not use assessment sufficiently to inform their planning, particularly medium term plans, and this is unsatisfactory. Very few examples of planning showed evaluations of what the pupils had learned or areas of mathematics in which the pupils needed more teaching or support. All the pupils have targets for learning in mathematics but, in the majority of classes, targets are not readily available as reminders to pupils. The pupils with special educational needs work well with the learning support staff towards

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MATHEMATICS

the mathematics targets in their individual education plans and staff keep samples of the pupils’ work in order that progress is recorded over a period of time.

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MATHEMATICS

91 By Year 2, pupils that are more able understand place value and can add and subtract to 100 and are beginning to understand the value of each digit in a number. They are able to measure using standard and non-standard units of measurement. The pupils are beginning to understand and use division and are able to use the correct methods to solve mathematical problems, for example, there are 10 cakes, how many will I and Sam have each? Average attaining pupils are less confident in problem solving and less accurate in setting out their addition and subtraction sums. The less able pupils can add and subtract up to 10, find missing numbers, for example, 3 + ? = 7 but work on graphs and data handling is less accurate and reflects a lack of understanding. The pupils’ work is marked well with helpful comment to help the pupils to learn and develop understanding. Ingram Road Primary School - 40 92 The younger pupils work hard and concentrate well in activities encouraged by the teacher’s

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MATHEMATICS

clear explanation and practical demonstration of how to make a graph. The majority of the pupils learned to understand the terms, ‘most frequent’ and ‘less frequent’ because of the careful explanation by the teacher. The older pupils concentrate well in the mental arithmetic session and are able to use number fans to show the answer of doubling numbers. The teachers focus questions well to different pupils in the class, asking questions, which extend the more able pupils and reinforce understanding for the less able pupils and this has a positive impact on their learning. The confidence with which the teacher asks questions of the pupils, enabling assessment of the pupil’s level of understanding, indicates good subject knowledge. Good examples to explain, for example, a clock at quarter past the hour, develops the pupils’ understanding of right angles. At the end of the lessons, the teachers check

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MATHEMATICS

the pupils’ understanding carefully about the work they have been doing, for example, clockwise and anti-clockwise, by asking them to turn in the direction called out. This has a positive impact in helping the pupils to understand the beginnings of rotation and reinforces learning in space and shape. The pace of the lessons is good giving the pupils enough time to complete the tasks and to sustain concentration.

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MATHEMATICS

93 By Year 6, the more able pupils are more proficient in numerical calculations and work accurately in both mental and written form. They understand percentages, they have learned to apply good strategies to work them out and do so accurately. The pupils have a good understanding of shapes, are able to work out areas and understand co-ordinates. In a lesson on symmetry, the effective use of what they had learned about co-ordinates supported their understanding in revision for national tests. Average and more able pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of fractions (including decimals), area, more complex shapes and long division and multiplication. They are able to apply their knowledge to solving problems by applying appropriate number operations. The less able pupils do not have a secure understanding of number operations or multiplication tables. Combined with their low levels of reading skills making problem solving difficult for them to complete, this delays their progress.

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MATHEMATICS

Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, for example, in being helped to understanding that mirrors or the use of tracing paper are ways of testing for a shape or diagram for symmetry.

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MATHEMATICS

94 Teaching and learning are satisfactory for all pupils. Throughout the school, there were examples of good and very good teaching. Teachers use the format of the National Numeracy Strategy and use it satisfactorily to manage the different parts of the numeracy lessons. The teachers use the mathematical vocabulary well and encourage the pupils to do so accurately. The teachers introduce the lessons well, making the learning objectives clear so that pupils know what they are. Where teaching is good the teacher develops the pupils’ enthusiasm for numbers and makes the lessons fun. In a good lesson on reflections and symmetry the teacher used tin foil (as a mirror) to show a reflection of pupils and to help them to understand what a reflection is. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is good for the younger pupils and satisfactory for the majority of the other year groups but it is not consistent with the school’s marking policy for the older pupils. This does not help the

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MATHEMATICS

older pupils to understand what they need to do to improve or where they need help in understanding particular problems. In Year 5, pupils have their individual mathematics targets written in the front of their exercise books and these change over time, indicating good progress. However, this good practise does not occur obviously in other classes or groups, and the pupils have no reminder about their learning targets. There is insufficient planning for the use of information and communication technology to support the pupils’ learning in the subject and this is unsatisfactory.

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MATHEMATICS

95 The mathematics co-ordinator leads and manages the subject satisfactorily and has supported the staff during the introduction of the National Strategy. However, the co-ordinator does not monitor teaching and learning in the classrooms and does not look at planning on a regular basis. This means Ingram Road Primary School - 41 she gets little opportunity to ensure consistency throughout the school. Resources are satisfactory and the teachers use them well to support pupils’ learning through practical work. The co-ordinator looks at the work in the pupils’ books from each class to assess the pupils’ progress on a regular basis, which is a satisfactory process. This has rightly identified the need to develop pupils’ skills in solving written problems, because of the difficulties many pupils have in reading and data handling, as areas for development. Ingram Road Primary School - 42

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SCIENCE

96 Standards of attainment in science are below those expected for pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. However, in the light of the level of attainment on entry to the school and the high proportion of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 who have special educational needs, most pupils, including those with special educational needs, are achieving well. At the time of the last inspection, attainment was above that expected in Year 2 and below expectations in Year 6. However, comparisons are difficult to make as the school now has a higher proportion of special educational needs and pupils who are very mobile and enter and leave the school after a short time. The present level of attainment is, however, an improvement on the National Curriculum tests in 2001 where the results in Year 2 were very low and in Year 6, well below average. These improvements are mainly due to a steady improvement in the quality of the teaching and a good focus on experimental and investigational

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SCIENCE

97 By the end of Year 2, the higher attaining pupils have a sound knowledge of all aspects of science. For example, they study the properties of different materials and know some are suitable for some purposes whilst others would be completely unsuitable. They classify materials well and know that material such as clay will change when heated. Pupils understand simple forces, such as pushing and pulling, stretching and squeezing and that some materials change shape if a large enough force is applied. Pupils with lower ability have less understanding of these things but nevertheless are achieving in line with their abilities. By the end of Year 6, the higher attaining pupils have a sound knowledge of physical properties, materials and their properties and life processes and living things. For example, pupils can name the many different parts of a flower and have a basic understanding of pollination, fertilisation and seed disposal and seed germination.

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SCIENCE

98 Pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have an appropriate knowledge of investigational science. Work seen in their books indicates that most pupils of all abilities understand the need to make an investigation fair and are capable of trying to predict what might happen. For example, pupils in Year 6 set up an experiment to show that water will evaporate at different rates if environmental factors change, such as the temperature. The written work showed that pupils kept some factors the same whilst changing other things in order to make the test fair. Generally, pupils enjoy investigational work and reach valuable conclusions. However, because of weaker writing skills, their ability to write up experiments in a clear logical manner is not as strong.

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SCIENCE

99 The quality of teaching and learning is mainly satisfactory with a small amount of good teaching. Particular strengths in the teaching are to be found in the good class management techniques used by most teachers. This ensures that pupils work hard and persevere well to the end of the lesson. Also, most teachers have devised some good ideas, which interest and motivate pupils. For example, pupils in Year 3 were investigating friction. The teacher brought in a large slab of ice and compared the movement of a rubber on the surface to how it moved on a carpet. The contrast was very obvious. This fascinated the pupils and interested them well to the end of the lesson, motivating them to investigate the movement of toy car on other surfaces. Teachers also take every opportunity to introduce scientific vocabulary. This gives a sound link to the teaching of literacy. Although teachers’ short term lesson planning is mainly satisfactory, covering aspects of the science

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SCIENCE

curriculum, it often fails to identify the precise learning objective for the different groups and individuals in the class. Teachers also do not evaluate what has been learned at the end of the lesson. This means that future planning does not always focus on what is required to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding further. This can have the effect of slowing learning and limiting standards for some pupils. The use of information and communication technology to support teaching and learning in science is underdeveloped. This means that pupils miss opportunities to use computers to record the results of their investigations or do individual research into aspects of science. Ingram Road Primary School - 43 100 The co-ordinator for science has had little opportunity in the last year to monitor aspects of science. He has been heavily involved in supporting the development of information and

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SCIENCE

communication technology in the school. However, he is aware that many pupils need support in writing up their investigations and is devising structures to help this. He has also ensured that resources in science are good. There is a sound policy and scheme of work. The subject is enhanced by a number of visits out of school to such places as local science museums and the museum of photography in Leeds. Some pupils have visited a local pizza outlet to look at food hygiene. A section of the school grounds is being developed as a resource for learning and has a new ecological pond and wild plant area.

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ART AND DESIGN

101 During the inspection, it was possible to observe only one art and design lesson and therefore not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching. Examples of pupils’ work were examined, along with displays of pupils’ artwork and a discussion held with the subject co-ordinator. The standards of work seen were in line with those expected nationally for pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 and pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well. There are good displays throughout the school, for example, a display of portraits in Years 3 and 4, some in the style of Van Gogh, and good quality still life of flowers done in watercolours in Years 4 and 5. Year 6 pupils take care in producing watercolour pictures to support their work on plants in science, which the work on with care and accuracy. The school has maintained the standards of work found in the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

102 By the end of Year 2, pupils are able to mix primary colours, draw, and paint from direct observations. They illustrate their history project on the Victorians with care. They are able to work with natural material to decorate small branches and create an arrangement. In the lesson seen, praise from the teacher for the pupils’ work and very good relationships created a happy learning environment for the pupils to succeed. The choices of materials available for the pupils to work with were good which helped their personal development in making decisions about what they should use. The teacher challenged the pupils to work at a good rate and they responded appropriately. The planning was sound with clear learning objectives, which the pupils understood. A health and safety issue occurred which the teacher suitably took as an opportunity for the pupils to learn about the dangers of walking around with scissors. By the end of Year 6, the pupils confidently work with a

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ART AND DESIGN

wide range of materials, including watercolours, plaster of Paris, pencils, fabrics and paints. A good example is the representation of Monet’s water lilies, which include the effective use of fabrics and paints to produce a three-dimensional display, created by older pupils at art club.

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ART AND DESIGN

103 Teachers’ long term planning is good and resources and visits support the pupils’ work and development of skills. For example, the older pupils use resources, such as musical instruments from around the world well to inspire accurate drawings. A range of puppets made by the pupils, include the imaginative use of fabrics, which supports pupils’ learning about using different materials in design and technology. The co-ordinator regularly monitors the teachers’ planning and advises staff appropriately on materials and techniques. Resources are satisfactory as a whole, but there are insufficient books or photographs available about art for the pupils to see a good range of famous artists’ work and art styles. The co-ordinator recognises this as an area for development. Portfolios of pupils’ work are collected each year but there is no indication that it is used meaningfully to compare and evaluate standards. The role of the co-ordinator is satisfactory but there is insufficient

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ART AND DESIGN

time to monitor progress and the pupils’ learning in the classroom.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Ingram Road Primary School - 44 104 The attainment of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 is above the national expectation for pupils’ ages and all pupils, including those with special educational needs are achieving very well. This is a good improvement from the last inspection where standards were average. The improvement is due, not only to an improvement in the quality of teaching, but also to the guidance from the co-ordinator and the head teacher. The head teacher is well qualified in this area and has worked with a wide range of schools as an adviser in design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105 Pupils make a wide range of constructions after first planning and designing them well. For example, pupils in Year 2 have designed and made sculptures, using a wide range of materials. Their work followed a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Their work ranged from small individual models, which combined metal and wooden objects sprayed with silver, to a large class-based model of a robot. The constructions and the designs that went with them are of a good quality. Older pupils use a good range of tools and materials. Those seen show that pupils measure, cut and joined together wood and cardboard well. Pupils recognise how well they have done and as their work progresses, they evaluate both their designs and the products, which leads to improvements. For example, pupils in Year 4 had produced working box models with a turning motion worked by cams and axles. The boxes portrayed an undersea theme with a movable wooden fish. The constructions were very

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

imaginative, showing individual differences. The display also showed a record of the original designs and the process of modification and improvement.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106 Only two lessons of design and technology were seen but an examination of pupils’ work, a discussion with the co-ordinator and an inspection of teachers’ planning, indicated that the quality of teaching is mainly good. In a lesson for pupils in Year 6, the teacher had introduced the idea of designing and making a helmet suitable for wearing on a mountain. This was linked very well to the class history topic of Mallory and Irving and the 1933 Everest attempt. The teacher had collected a range of helmets of different types for different occupations. These were evaluated and used to inspire pupils to consider the nature and purpose of their mountain helmet. A strength of the teaching is the way teachers allow the pupils to choose their own design and materials with only a minimum of guidance, building on the pupils’ own experiences and skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107 The co-ordinator leads the subject soundly, although he has had little chance recently to moderate and evaluate the work throughout the school. He is also the co-ordinator for science and information and communication technology and has been heavily involved in setting up the new computer suite. However, he also has the support of the head teacher. A good range of tools and materials enhances the subject. Pupils’ work and their design diagrams are tastefully displayed throughout the school. The skills of the pupils in Year 6 are used well to design, build and paint scenery for the annual school production.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

108 It was only possible during the inspection to see one lesson of geography and three lessons of history. However, evidence was available through analysis of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, the evaluation of classroom displays and discussions with pupils and teachers. The evidence indicates that by the end of Year 2, pupils are working at a level expected for pupils of their age in both subjects. By the end of Year 6, pupils are working below the level expected for pupils of their age in both subjects. During the last inspection, pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 were working in line with national expectations in both subjects. At the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is therefore similar to the last inspection but not at the end of Year 6. However, there is now a higher proportion of pupils with special educational need and pupils with English as an additional language. Their poor writing skills

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

mean that they do not write fluently about either history or geography. There is very little written work Ingram Road Primary School - 45 that reflects a real understanding of historical periods or physical geographical features. All pupils are making satisfactory progress, including pupils with special educational needs, taking into account the level of their attainment on entry into the school and the high proportion of pupils of lower ability in each class.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

109 In history, pupils in Year 2 understand the difference between past and present and are able to discuss what it must have been like for Victorian children who had to work in a factory. The pupils were able to remember the work they had done on Victorian streets supported by good questioning by the teacher. They compared and contrasted life now and then. The teachers’ expressive reading about a boy working long hours in a factory bought a gasp of horror. They are able to compare the boy’s diet with their own and produce satisfactory writing because they concentrated on their work well. By Year 6, the pupils are able to write about people in history, for example, John Lennon but are not able to put their writing into the history of the day and explain the broader historical issues. Pupils in Year 5 are able to discuss changes and improvements, for example, slum clearance, well and to identify things that had not improved. Excellent photographs, to support the pupils’ learning about the

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

changes in the local area over time were provided in order to help them compare and contrast. The pupils have a sound knowledge of then and now and can explain the differences. Pupils do show an understanding of aspects of the past, know some of the main events, such as the Blitz in World War II, but their sources of information are simple observations and the result of good adult support rather than through independent research.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

110 In geography, pupils in Year 1 are able to identify different types of transport used to move people around a fictional island, based on the real Island of Coll in Scotland. In Year 2, the pupils are aware of different countries and use the travels of ‘Barnaby Bear’ to different places to learn about the locations of the countries Barnaby ‘visits’. They know their addresses, are able to say who lives farthest away from school, and develop a sense of distance. They are able to draw simple maps of their routes to school; the pupils are able to name the roads and use simple symbols for houses and this develops their geographical skills. The map work of pupils in Year 6 is unsatisfactory. Also, there is no evidence of them comparing and contrasting locations. Map work, even for the most able pupils is untidy. However, pupils in Year 5 have an understanding of the differences between the Earth and

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

other planets and the importance of water. They are able to use simple outline maps to name the continents and some geographical features such as rainforests and deserts.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

111 The teaching and learning in geography and history are satisfactory. The teachers use resources well in both subjects to support pupils’ learning. The teachers’ lesson planning is satisfactory and the teachers have a secure knowledge about what they teach. In all the lessons observed the teachers’ management of the lesson and the management of the pupils was good. The pupils are well motivated to learn by the resources used, for example, video film of the Blitz in London and the opportunities to use the computer for research. Tasks and activities are set to interest and involve pupils and as a result, pupils enjoy learning. However, the quality of the presentation of the work of the older and more able pupils is unsatisfactory and the teachers’ expectations of presentation are not sufficiently high.

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

112 The curriculum for both subjects is satisfactory as are the leadership and management. The planning in both subjects is satisfactory and careful consideration is given to how much time each subject is given to enable pupils to learn across the range of skills. In Years 1 and 2, geography and history are taught over a two year period ensuring that sufficient time is devoted to each subject. This means that pupils have the opportunity to spend longer periods each week on one subject and to consolidate their learning, knowledge and understanding. For the older pupils, because of the mixed aged classes in Years 3, 4 and 5, planning is over a four year cycle to ensure that pupils do not repeat topics but access them at a level which is appropriate to their abilities. Planning linked to the national Ingram Road Primary School - 46 guidance for both subjects ensures that the pupils build upon their previous experience and skills. The

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HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

teachers use the local environment well to support pupils’ learning in both subjects to give them first hand experience, for example, Year 6 visit Eden Camp to help them understand what it must have been like to be a prisoner of war. Local people are invited into the school to recount their experiences of Great Britain since the 1930s and the changes that have taken place locally which gives the pupils the opportunity to ask questions and learn from people who have had first-hand experiences. Resources for both subjects are satisfactory and displays, which support the pupils’ learning in both subjects, are good. Ingram Road Primary School - 47

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113 By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils achieve standards that are below the levels expected in information and communication technology. In the last inspection, standards were also below national expectations. It was only possible to see two lessons of information and communication technology. Given the level of attainment to school and the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs, this indicates that pupils are achieving well. All pupils have appropriate access to information and communication technology and they make good progress from a low level of skills on entry to the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because they receive good support from the learning support staff. There is planning for all strands of the information and communication technology curriculum and this is an improvement since the last inspection. There is a planned programme of provision and skills development for all the pupils but this is yet to have an

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

impact on pupils’ attainment. Opportunities for the use of computer programs and software to support pupils’ learning across a wider range of subjects is unsatisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114 The teaching is satisfactory on balance and teachers plan to teach the different aspects of the subject satisfactorily. At the end of Year 2, pupils can log onto the computers and access the main menu, although not all are confident in doing this. They use the mouse and keyboard to move around the menu and to drag and drop pictures in to a frame. They are able to save, enter and retrieve their work and use the drawing programs creatively. In a good lesson for younger pupils, they learned to load a commercial program and worked in pairs very well. They matched shapes, did simple addition and subtraction sums, matched adult and baby animals and practised reading simple words, which gave them good practise in moving objects around a screen and making choices. The majority of the pupils learned to move onto the next screen and were confident in using the mouse to drag and drop pictures. The less able pupils and pupils with special educational needs had focused additional support during the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

lesson enabling them to access the program and succeed in completing the task. Pupils are very enthusiastic, well motivated and focused on their work, which enables them to learn well. All the staff constantly check the pairs of pupils and support them when necessary, especially during the logging off procedure. Although the majority of pupils log off confidently, some need guidance. At the end of Year 2, pupils’ use of information and communication technology to organise and classify information and present findings is below expected levels as is their use of tables, images and sounds to share ideas. Their understanding of the use of information and communication technology in the world around them is not secure.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115 At the end of Year 6, the pupils use a word processing program with confidence and are able to locate their own files. The more able pupils are in line with national expectations in the use of word processing. They can produce a document combining text, tables and pictures without help. They are able to load and interrogate programs for information and change the size, density and style of fonts satisfactorily. A number of pupils can access the Internet, but the less able pupils need help with this process. In one lesson pupils learned to use and classify data using a branching database. The lesson was well organised with support for different ability groups by the teacher and learning support assistant. Information for pupils to enter into the database reflected the differing needs of the pupils. Pupils worked hard to put their information on the database, shared with, and supported each other

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

well. They used the program well although they found it difficult to create questions to activate the database, which reflects their low attainment in reading. The pupils were enthusiastic and worked well, concentrating on the task and learned satisfactorily.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116 The leadership and management of information and communication technology are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has carried out a comprehensive audit of staff skills and confidence in the use of information and communication technology to focus training. The teachers have yet to take part in the government-funded training. The co-ordinator has checked all the work the pupils have Ingram Road Primary School - 48 done and the experiences gained in using information and communication technology, which has given a clear picture of areas for the development of pupils’ learning. The resources for information and communication technology are good. The new computer suite is good and is a good resource for pupils to learn specific skills. The good variety of programs, recently purchased, will support pupils’ learning well, both in the computer suite and in the classroom as they are now networked together.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

This will give the pupils suitable opportunities to continue to use the programs to support their learning in all areas of the curriculum.

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MUSIC

117 Few music lessons were seen during the inspection, but there was sufficient evidence from teachers’ planning, observations of assemblies, and the teaching of music specialists to make judgements. Standards have improved since the last inspection and the majority of pupils reach standards that are expected for their age by the end of Years 2 and 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are achieving well. Those pupils who receive instrumental tuition achieve particularly well. Assemblies are used well to teach pupils about composers, famous singers and music from other cultures. In a whole school assembly pupils sat quietly listening to Lesley Garrett singing ‘Simple Gifts’. When asked what instruments accompanied the singing many pupils named instruments, such as the clarinet and flute.

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MUSIC

118 In Year 2, pupils sing with appropriate attention to the tune. They choose from a selection of instruments, to improvise characters in some of the songs they sing. They listen and follow instructions to improve producing a musical effect in their singing. They are taught breathing techniques and are learning to control the volume of their singing, recognising when they should sing softly.

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MUSIC

119 By Year 6, pupils know some musical terms, such as ‘ostinato’. Those pupils learning to play musical instruments read musical notation well. In one lesson, some pupils playing violins to accompany pupils’ singing, practised controlling the volume of their playing. They recognised the need to create a balanced sound of singing and accompaniment. During hymn practise, some pupils in Year 6 demonstrated their ability to maintain their own part when singing in rounds.

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MUSIC

120 Teaching is satisfactory as a whole, with good teaching by music specialists. Teachers are improving their subject knowledge by working alongside a specialist. Two pupils, learning to play the cornet, were taught well by a teacher from Leeds music support service. These pupils were challenged well through very good questioning, such as “What am I doing with my lips to play the higher notes?” Pupils then had a good understanding of what they needed to do, and this questioning impacted well on their learning. Pupils are managed very well in all music activities. They behave well and enjoy singing and playing instruments.

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MUSIC

121 Management of the subject is satisfactory. Teachers have received help with planning and teaching a range of musical skills in their lessons. However, checking how well pupils are progressing is not undertaken sufficiently well. Information and communication technology is not used well to support music.

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MUSIC

122 There is an annual musical production in the summer term. Last year, pupils performed “Grease”. This gives them a good opportunity to work together practising to improve their performance for an audience, and raises their self-esteem. Ingram Road Primary School - 49

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123 It was not possible to observe lessons in all aspects of physical education. However, teachers’ plans indicate that the full range of activities takes place and the statutory programmes of study are taught. A broad and balanced programme has been devised that meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124 Only three lessons could be observed and none in Years 1 and 2, so a judgement on attainment could not be made for these two years. One lesson of games, one in dance and one in swimming was observed for pupils in Years 3 to 6. In all these, pupils’ standards are in line with those expected nationally for pupils’ ages. As children leave the reception class with standards in physical development which are average, this indicates that pupils, including those with special educational needs, are achieving soundly by the time they leave the school. This is an improvement from the time of the last inspection where they were below expectations.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125 In dance, pupils in Year 4 are able to create and perform activities using a range of movement patterns. They were seen developing the theme of City, street and supermarket. The pupils used their imagination well as they interpreted their role as a shopper, a person pushing a pram or a sad and lonely person just sitting. In games, pupils in Year 5 were seen developing tactics to pass the ball to a team member during unihoc practise. Pupils are able to link skills, techniques and ideas and apply them accurately and appropriately. Many in the class handled the unihoc stick and ball with precision, control and fluency. In swimming, teachers’ records indicate that over 75 per cent of pupils are able to swim the expected 25 metres. This is a sound standard of achievement for this school as a significant minority of pupils enter the school from other areas often with no swimming skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126 The teaching seen was good. Teachers have very good class management skills, they inspire pupils to give of their best and improve their performance. Teachers are also able to demonstrate techniques well. For example, this was seen to good effect in a swimming lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6. Although the teacher was not in the water, nevertheless, he was able to demonstrate improvements in arm and leg movements, which inspired pupils to raise their levels of competency. In the lessons seen, the planning was sound with clear learning objectives. Many opportunities were planned for pupils to demonstrate their skills to others. Each lesson has an appropriate warming up activity with a good warming down activity at the end.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127 The co-ordinator has ensured that the subject has a good policy and is working to upgrade the scheme of work in line with a recognised national scheme. She is well qualified. However, she has had little opportunity to monitor the teaching in physical education and does not inspect teachers’ planning to ensure a consistent approach across the school. She has, however, ensured that some in- service training for teachers has taken place in baseball, dance and gymnastics. Visiting coaches from the city of Leeds enhance the subject. For example, the pupils have benefited from coaching support in tennis, athletics, hockey, football and cricket. Money for the development of this has come from a sports credit scheme and a local benefactor, who has also given financial support. Pupils have competed against other schools in local competitions and in a swimming gala.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128 Only one lesson was seen during the inspection. However, teachers’ planning, pupils’ previous work, and talking to teachers and pupils provided enough evidence to judge standards at the end of Year 2, but not by the end of Year 6. Standards at the end of Year 2 remain as they were in the last inspection and match what is expected in the guidance from the local education authority. The pupils, including those with special educational needs, are achieving well. Ingram Road Primary School - 50 129 An action plan aimed at raising standards has only very recently been produced. This includes a local policy for the subject, which has already been written by the co-ordinator. The need for supportive guidance, to help those teachers who lack subject knowledge, has been prioritised. It is intended to produce assessment procedures so that teachers know how well pupils are attaining against the locally Agreed Syllabus requirements.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130 Pupils learn about Christianity and Islam in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 pupils continue to learn about these two faiths as well as Judaism. This reflects the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus. Displays of artefacts and posters in some classrooms support this planning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131 In Year 2, pupils name the Holy book of Christians and Muslims, and they know that Christians worship in churches and Muslims worship in mosques. They know the important events in the life of Jesus and what happened at Christmas and Easter. Pupils describe some special occasions and how they are celebrated.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132 In Years 3 and 4, pupils understand the events of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, retell the story of Moses, and know the significance of the special food on the Seder plate at Passover. In Years 4 and 5, pupils know the sequence of the Christian creation story and retell several stories from the Old Testament. They understand that the wise men arrived in Bethlehem after the birth of Christ. They know why the menorah is so important to Jews, and explain some important symbolism of Easter. By the end of Year 6, pupils discuss a series of moral issues. The importance of not stealing was discussed following a recent theft in the class. After the tragedy in America in September, pupils reflected on events and wrote their own prayers. The teacher planned carefully to sensitively promote the impact of good overcoming evil as a result of this event, without stereotyping any religious or ethnic groups. This was particularly appropriate in a class consisting of a religious mix of pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

However, there is very little recorded written work in this class, and this is a missed opportunity to promote pupils’ writing skills across the curriculum.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133 Teaching is good in Years 1 and 2. Teachers plan well together to ensure that pupils are building on what they previously learn. In the lesson seen, resources were used well to support learning. The teacher very sensitively valued the contribution of a Muslim pupil. Pupils behaved very well and there were very good relationships between the teacher and pupils. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about teaching and learning in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. No lessons were seen. The quality of teachers’ planning and the quantity of pupils’ previous work is variable from class to class.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134 The subject co-ordinator has good subject knowledge, and is committed to raising standards now there is a clear action plan for improvements. However, this action is not prioritised in the school’s improvement plan. Checking the effectiveness of teachers’ planning and the quality of pupils’ work is unsatisfactory and this is resulting in the wide variation in the quality of this planning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135 Resources are generally unsatisfactory, although the school does borrow some artefacts from the local authority’s loans service. Members of a local Evangelical church visit the school annually, and work with pupils throughout the school on a Christian theme such as the life of Saint Paul. Pupils are involved in activities throughout the day, including tasting food and dressing up. These visits make a positive contribution to the subject.

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