Beormund Primary School

BEORMUND SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 10 th May 2001

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BEORMUND SCHOOL

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

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BEORMUND 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. Beormund School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Stephen Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th June 1997 Beormund School - 2

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responsibilities

22611 Helen Morgan Registered inspector Art and design Design and technology Geography History Special educational needs English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught?

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responsibilities

9406 Roy Cottington Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 22577 Margaret Hart Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Music How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

10335 Linda Redford Team inspector English Religious education Equal opportunities How good are the curriculum and other opportunities offered to pupils? 31246 Jon Sharpe Team inspector Mathematics Physical education How well does the school care for its pupils?

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Beormund School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Beormund is a mixed special school for pupils aged five to 11 who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are currently 27 pupils on roll, all boys. Although the school is designated as ‘mixed’ only one girl has been admitted since the school became a primary school eight years ago. From April 2001 the school has been funded for 35 places. All pupils have statements of special educational need. Over 55 per cent of pupils are Black of African, Caribbean or other heritage. Over 60 per cent of pupils are supported through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant but no pupils have English as an additional language. Over 67 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is a high percentage in comparison to other schools, and 68 per cent come from single parent families. The proportion of pupils from disadvantaged homes is above average. The school is part of the North Southwark Education Action Zone.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Most pupils come from within the local education authority (LEA) but some come from the neighbouring LEAs. All pupils have attended at least one mainstream primary school prior to coming to Beormund. Almost all pupils are achieving standards below national expectations. Many have learning difficulties and a few have speech and language difficulties in addition to their emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school. The quality of teaching is good and pupils make good progress in their work. The progress they make in their behaviour and personal development is excellent and by the end of Year 6 a significant number of pupils are able to return to mainstream schools. The school is well led and managed and provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is good and pupils make good progress, especially in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils’ behaviour is very good. Their attitudes towards school and their relationships with staff and each other are excellent. • The happy, trusting and caring atmosphere is immediately obvious to visitors. The hard working, committed staff give freely of their time and provide an excellent range of activities for pupils after school and at weekends. • The very strong links with parents make a very important contribution to pupils’ progress. • The accommodation is very good. The attractive manner in which teachers display pupils’ work creates a stimulating environment, which increases pupils’ confidence in their own abilities.

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What could be improved

• Pupils could make more progress in geography, information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education (RE). • The planning for subjects does not take into account that there are pupils of different ages within each class. • Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ achievement in some subjects is not sufficiently detailed. • Most subject co-ordinators have insufficient impact on raising standards in their areas of responsibility. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the action plan prepared by the appropriate authority.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1997. Since then very good progress has been made, especially in the last two years. The quality of teaching has improved considerably and pupils now achieve well. In 1997 behaviour was often poor but now it is very good. Attendance was unsatisfactory and now it is very good. Pupils’ attitudes towards learning were satisfactory and now they are excellent. The curriculum was weak and there were no extra-curricular activities. Although there are still some weaknesses in planning and assessment good improvements have been made in the curriculum, especially in the range of out of school activities. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is now very good. The building is stimulating whereas it was described as ‘drab’ in 1997. The leadership and management of the school have improved and the role of the deputy head (appointed two years ago) now makes a very

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Beormund School - 5 important contribution to whole school development. The school provides good value for money but previously it was ‘just satisfactory’.

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STANDARDS

The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about how well pupils achieve in relation to their individual targets by the time they leave the school.

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11

mathematics B unsatisfactory D personal, social and health education A poor E other personal targets set at annual reviews or in IEPs* A

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11

Overall pupils achieve well. Pupils’ progress in personal development and their progress towards behavioural targets on their individual education plans are very good. All pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been introduced and are helping to raise pupils’ standards. All pupils make good progress in design and technology, physical education (PE) and music. Older pupils make good progress in history. All pupils make satisfactory progress in art and design and younger pupils make satisfactory progress in history. Overall, pupils’ achievement in RE is just satisfactory but there are weaknesses in some aspects. Pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory in geography and ICT as teachers do not have as much confidence in these subjects, some of the required areas are not covered and planning and assessment are weak.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils really enjoy school and are fully involved in all aspects of school life. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons and during play is very good. Pupils respond well to all school staff. Personal development and relationships Excellent. There is a very happy atmosphere. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff are excellent and pupils support each other and show mutual respect for one another. Attendance Very good because pupils like coming to school and any absence is quickly followed up.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ very positive attitudes and behaviour are a result of the excellent relationships, good teaching, and the extremely caring approach shown by all staff. Beormund School - 6

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11

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

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11

The quality of teaching and learning is good for pupils throughout the school. Teaching was good or better in 87 per cent of lessons. Teachers manage pupils very well. Their thorough understanding of pupils’ needs and the excellent relationship they have with them ensures pupils are successful in their learning. The interesting and often challenging tasks motivate pupils and make them keen to learn. The very good teamwork between staff, which is especially evident in the class for younger pupils, makes a very important contribution to their progress. In the small number of lessons where teaching was satisfactory rather than good, there was too much talking by the teacher and the most able pupils were not sufficiently challenged.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 5-11

Teaching is good in English, mathematics, science, music, PE, and design and technology for all pupils and in history for older pupils. It is satisfactory in all other subjects. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. There is an appropriate emphasis on personal and social development but, in most subjects, plans that cover a year or key stage do not take into account the mixed ages in each class. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Assemblies provide an excellent opportunity for quiet reflection. Moral development is very well promoted and the provision for social development is excellent.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school is a very caring community. The right of everyone to feel safe is promoted in all aspects of school life. The only weakness lies in the taking of registers. The procedure for registration does not meet statutory requirements.

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Aspect Comment

The school has very good links with parents. The activities offered to pupils out of school hours are excellent and include residential experiences, theatre trips, sporting competitions, music clubs and a drama group. Links with the local community are very good. A well-organised programme for older pupils to attend a local primary school has recently started. Beormund School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work very well together. Their skills complement each other well and together they have had a major impact in improving the effectiveness of the school. The role of subject co- ordinators is not yet sufficiently developed. How well the appropriate authority fulfils its responsibilities Very good. The governors have a really clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and take appropriate action to improve the quality of education. The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. This has resulted in very good improvements in the provision and the standards achieved since 1997. The strategic use of resources The staff work hard to obtain additional funding and it is used well. Targets for whole school development are prioritised and estimated costs are included.

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Aspect Comment

Although there has been a high turn over of staff in the last two years, the staff work as a very effective team. The accommodation is very good. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor space, which is kept in good condition by the very committed school premises manager. The school gives satisfactory consideration to the principles of best value.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The way the school works closely with parents. • The activities offered to pupils in the evening and at weekends. • The good leadership and management. • The way the school helps pupils to become mature and responsible. • Homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team completely agrees with the parents’ positive comments but they found that the homework provided to pupils was satisfactory. Beormund School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The majority of pupils attain standards below national expectations in most subjects as a result of their behavioural and learning difficulties. In addition, some pupils have attended several different schools over a short space of time and this too impacts on their attainment. However, there are a few who are achieving standards in line with expectations by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in English, mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Overall pupils achieve well. They benefit from good quality teaching in a caring, happy and supportive atmosphere; this develops their self–confidence as learners and encourages good behaviour. Consequently pupils of all ages make good progress. At the time of the last inspection pupils’ progress was satisfactory overall but it was unsatisfactory or poor in some subjects. Now pupils make good progress most subject areas. Since 1998 over 40 per cent of pupils have transferred to mainstream schools at the end of Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Pupils’ achievements in English are good. The good progress they make is partly a result of the way in which the school has successfully introduced the National Literacy Strategy. Pupils make good progress towards the individual targets set for them. Almost every pupil is able to listen carefully to adults and to each other, to express their opinions and to describe what they like about the books they are reading. In the school productions pupils speak their lines clearly and expressively while performing in front of an audience. Older, more able pupils use expressive and exciting language in their stories. Pupils make good progress in handwriting and most of the older pupils write using a cursive script. The well structured handwriting programme results in good improvement. Pupils make good progress with their reading. By the age of 11 more able pupils read expressively and make use of punctuation, including speech and question marks. Above all, all the pupils are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

extremely proud of their achievements in reading and positive about themselves as learners. This has a very significant impact on their self-esteem.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Pupils’ achievements in mathematics are good. Younger pupils recognise the value of different coins and can use them correctly when giving change in the classroom shop. Older pupils calculate areas as they develop their understanding of shape, space and measure. The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy is having a positive effect in raising pupils’ standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills is emphasised well in other subjects. This contributes to their good progress. For example, in history pupils write detailed accounts of life in Victorian times and more able pupils describe the work of famous people at that time. In design and technology pupils produce bar charts and pie charts to record the results of their survey on favourite chocolate bars.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In science pupils achieve well. Teachers give pupils plenty of opportunity to carry out experiments and this motivates them and results in good progress. Pupils’ currently make unsatisfactory progress in ICT. Recently some improvements have been made. New equipment has been installed and a scheme of work adopted. Pupils generally make satisfactory progress in lessons but over time pupils’ achievements have been unsatisfactory. Pupils are working on very basic skills and there has been insufficient improvement since the last inspection. In RE pupils’ achievements are satisfactory, as they were at the time of the previous inspection. However, teachers’ knowledge in some areas of RE is weak and this hinders pupils’ progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils’ achievements in art are satisfactory overall but their progress in designing and making clay models as part of their African art project, is excellent. However, in other areas of art, such as drawing, progress has been only just satisfactory. All pupils make good progress in design and technology, especially in developing food technology skills. There has been very good improvement in this subject since the last inspection when standards were poor. Beormund School - 9 8. In geography, pupils of all ages make unsatisfactory progress. There is insufficient emphasis on geography in the curriculum; some teachers lack confidence in the subject and in addition, there are weaknesses in planning and assessment. Achievements of pupils aged five to seven in history are satisfactory and for those aged 7 to 11 they are good. Pupils’ achievements in music and PE are good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils make very good progress towards the targets on their individual education plans. Targets are clear and they are regularly reviewed. Pupils make particularly good progress in their basic skills lessons because the tasks are very closely linked to their targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. There is no distinction in the progress made by pupils’ of different race or ability. However, there are a few pupils with speech and language difficulties who make good progress in their work but would benefit further from regular input from speech and language therapists.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. From the moment they arrive at the start of the school day the pupils respond well to the friendly and warm welcome given by staff. They show genuine pleasure when entering the school building. They engage in conversation with school staff and are eager to recount their experiences since they were last in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. In lessons pupils concentrate well, try hard and listen carefully to the guidance and instructions of teaching staff. They are proud of their achievements and share their successes with teachers, fellow pupils and visitors. There are very few occasions when, because of their special needs, they lose concentration and become disruptive. However, staff deal with these situations effectively and pupils quickly return to the task in hand.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. There has been a marked improvement in the standards of behaviour. The dangerous and violent incidences highlighted in the previous report have now been eliminated. There have been no permanent exclusions in the past 12 months and only five fixed period exclusions. These figures compare well with the average for similar schools nationally. During the inspection no incidences of violent or racist behaviour were observed. The pupils show very high levels of respect for property and for the whole school environment. Staff indicate that there has been no damage or graffiti within the school over the past two years. Pupils also respond well to the trust shown by staff; being allowed unrestricted access to all parts of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The personal development of pupils is a key aim of the school. Pupils have personal targets and also have a good understanding of what is expected of them in terms of relationships with others. They fully understand the impact of inappropriate behaviour towards others. Pupils respond well to the use of “thinking time” when they are required to reflect on their behaviour and its impact on others. A significant feature is the way pupils help and support each other in lessons. For example, in a literacy lesson the more able pupils helped the less able to find alternative words using a thesaurus. They also respond well to the school’s philosophy of consulting pupils about proposed changes to the school environment. They deal with discussions in a mature and sensible manner. Overall, the relationships across the school and the respect shown to staff and visitors are excellent.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. There has been a remarkable improvement in standards of attendance since the last inspection report. Overall attendance levels are now well above the average for similar schools nationally whilst unauthorised absence is well below national averages. In and around school pupils show a concern for punctuality. They are fully aware that there are targets for their punctual return to lessons after breaks and they respond very well to these measures. Most pupils are brought to school by local authority transport. During the inspection pupils arrived on time at the start of the school day.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Overall the pupils’ attitudes, the excellent relationships with each other, staff and visitors as well as their involvement in the daily life of the school make a significant contribution to their learning and the very pleasant atmosphere in the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Beormund School - 10 17. Pupils are taught well and their learning is good. The quality of teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. In 1997 16 per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory, poor or very poor. Now all teaching is at least satisfactory. The amount of good or better teaching has increased from 59 per cent to 87 per cent. Only 9 per cent of teaching was very good in 1997 but during this inspection 28 per cent was very good, and in two lessons teaching was excellent. There is little difference between the quality of teaching for pupils of different ages. Overall, teaching for all pupils is good; consequently, their learning is successful.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The main strength of the teaching throughout the school is the way in which rules and routines are very well established and consistently applied. This, combined with the excellent relationships that exist between staff and pupils, ensures pupils feel safe and confident. As a result, the atmosphere in classrooms promotes learning and good behaviour. Pupils concentrate very well and they are keen and successful learners. The best lessons start with a clear introduction in which teachers remind pupils of their previous work and make clear the objectives for the session. Lessons are well planned and resources are prepared so that teaching can begin immediately. For example, in a design and technology lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4, a Turkish and an Indonesian puppet were used well to remind pupils about the principles of their own design. Pupils were able to start work very quickly because the three different tasks were all prepared in advance. The very effective support by

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

classroom assistants enabled pupils to make very good progress and they all had great fun as they created different hairstyles and clothes for their puppets. In most lessons a good variety of different activities is introduced, involving independent and small group work. For example, learning was very effective in a mathematics class for younger pupils because they did not spend too long on any one activity. They visited the classroom shop; in small groups they used coins to make different amounts of money and individually they worked on number bonds. Teachers give good demonstrations to pupils so that they are very clear about the tasks. For example, the premises manager, who supports in technology lessons, gave a clear demonstration of the skills needed in biscuit making; good demonstrations of the scissor jump in a PE class ensured pupils mastered the technique, and the excellent skills shown to pupils by the artist meant that everyone successfully completed their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching is good in almost all subjects. Effective use of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies contributes to the good teaching in English and mathematics for all pupils. The quality of teaching and learning is good in science, music and PE for all pupils, and in design and technology and history for older pupils. It is satisfactory in ICT, geography and RE. Most teachers tend to be less confident in these three subjects. During the inspection the teaching of art by the visiting artist was excellent. His skills, his very good relationships with pupils and staff and humorous approach to the activities resulted in excellent learning. Although personal, social and health education was not taught as a separate subject during the inspection, personal and social development is an important part of every lesson and is reinforced very well by all staff throughout all activities in school and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In the small number of lessons where teaching and learning were satisfactory rather than good there was too much talking by teacher to the whole group so that pupils’ attention began to wander and they started to lose concentration. In a few lessons there was not enough challenge for the most able pupils, or the content of lesson and vocabulary used was too difficult for some younger pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching for younger pupils is good or better in 75 per cent of lessons and very good in 25 per cent. A characteristic of this teaching is the very effective teamwork by the teacher and the two assistants. These support assistants make a very significant impact on pupils’ learning and on their behaviour and the development of their personal and social skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching for pupils aged 7 to 11 is good or better in 90 per cent of lessons and very good in 29 per cent. In two lessons, art and design and technology, teaching was excellent. The challenging task and the lively, enthusiastic approach of the teacher ensured that the staff and pupils had fun. Consequently pupils made excellent progress in mastering skills of biscuit making and adapting recipes to suit particular tastes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of basic skills lessons for all pupils is good. Pupils make good progress because work is carefully matched to their individual targets, which are clearly displayed on their desks. Beormund School - 11 Beormund School - 12

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PUPILS?

24. The quality and range of learning opportunities are good. The school provides a broad range of learning experiences that are relevant to the pupils’ emotional and behavioural difficulties and the additional learning difficulties experienced by many of the pupils. All subjects of the National Curriculum are now included, together with religious education and there is a very good programme of personal and social education that permeates the life of the school. However, not all the required areas are taught in geography and ICT and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education is not fully covered. There is a policy for sex education and this is taught well through the science curriculum.

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PUPILS?

25. Very good improvements have been made since the last inspection and most issues have been addressed. There is now an extensive programme of extra-curricular activities. Pupils now benefit from a range of after-school clubs such as swimming, drama, and guitar. They also have regular “sleep-overs” at a local centre and an annual residential school journey. All the staff, including teachers, support staff and the premises officer, show considerable enthusiasm, teamwork and commitment in making this provision. As a result they know the pupils really well and relationships are exceptionally positive across the whole school community. These activities broaden the pupils’ experiences and provide excellent opportunities for social development.

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PUPILS?

26. There is a weakness in planning in almost all subjects. Although lesson and termly plans are good, the plans that cover a year or a key stage do not take into account the mixed ages of pupils in each class. There is a risk of significant gaps occurring in pupils’ learning and of unintended repetition of topics. For example, in two of the classes for children aged between eight and 11 years, broadly similar tasks were being undertaken in both English and in religious education. The school is aware of this and has made a start in addressing this issue in greater detail and depth.

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PUPILS?

27. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are in place and being well taught. They have been adapted to reflect the needs of the pupils at the school and the small numbers of pupils in each class. The content and skills of these two areas of learning are well planned and organised both during the basic skills sessions at the start of each day, and in the separate Literacy lessons. Individual plans, based on an assessment of needs, are detailed and lead to focused individual work in literacy and numeracy. The targets in these plans are clear. Pupils know what their own targets are and the practice of displaying them on each pupil’s table is helpful. Plans appropriately include behavioural targets as well as targets for improving pupils’ basic skills.

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PUPILS?

28. During the past two years the school has developed a very good range of links with the community to enhance pupil learning. Additional funding through the Education Action Zone has paid for visits by play and music therapists and financed trips to the National Theatre. Very good links have also been established with the Variety Club. Pupils also benefit from a range of visitors who help in school. These include medical staff from the nearby major hospital and representatives from the local police, probation and fire services. Further funding has been secured to pay for an artist in residence. The school is developing good relationships with a local primary school and currently some pupils spend part of their week at this school. Overall the wide range of links, including the numerous trips to museums and places of environmental and historical interest, make a very significant and positive impact on the pupils’ academic and personal development.

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PUPILS?

29. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Provision for spiritual development is very good. Assemblies provide an oasis of calm into which pupils come in silence to listen and reflect. Music plays an important part, both in helping them listen and be peaceful but also in expressing joy in the singing of songs and hymns. The warmth and security of all the relationships in school helps pupils gain a sense of their own worth and of a world in which there are wonderful things.

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PUPILS?

30. Moral development is very well promoted. Staff show pupils how to behave and comment explicitly on right and wrong. There are clear rules which are consistently applied and which pupils understand and accept. Pupils frequently show unexpectedly good insight into their own actions and benefit from opportunities to talk about their successes and difficulties at the end of each Beormund School - 13 morning and afternoon. In addition, the very effective system of credits and rewards actively helps them to consider consequences and move away from wanting rewards immediately.

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PUPILS?

31. Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. The excellent relationships in the school provide the basis for this, and as pupils are valued and treated fairly they come to understand how they should behave towards others. Although they do not succeed all the time, the valuable opportunities they have to reflect on how their behaviour affects others, as well as themselves, help them develop respect and independence.

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PUPILS?

32. The school provides very well for pupils’ cultural development. The African art project, the range of modern and classical music to which pupils listen attentively, the stories, songs and dances from many cultures, and the visits to concerts, theatres and museums all contribute to this provision.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school has very effective measures for ensuring that pupils are safe and well cared for while at school. Child protection procedures are very good and all staff have received appropriate training. The quality of care provided by the school is excellent, the level of supervision at break and lunch times is high and staff are closely involved in the pupils’ play. The right for everyone to feel safe is an important school rule and it is reflected in all its work. The school pays good regard to health and safety issues, which reflects a significant improvement since the last inspection when several health and safety issues were identified.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The excellent procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are reflected in the pupils’ very good attendance, which has improved significantly since the time of the last inspection. Any absences are followed up with telephone calls by senior staff on the first day of absence. The attendance register is monitored to establish any patterns of absence. However, the arrangements for morning and afternoon registration are unsatisfactory. The register is not taken in the mornings until 9.30 am and is not taken in the afternoon at all so that statutory requirements are not met.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. There are excellent systems for promoting good behaviour. Pupils earn ‘goals’ for meeting targets in their behaviour in class and around the school with which they can buy toys and treats from the school tuck shop. The award of goals encourages pupils to reflect on their behaviour. They can save their goals for more valuable rewards. Saving goals makes an important contribution to the pupils’ emotional development. In lessons, teachers use praise very effectively and are quick to praise pupils who demonstrate good behaviour. It is clear that the school helps pupils to consider their behaviour and as a result even young pupils can discuss the positive changes in their behaviour since starting at Beormund and the reasons for it. There is very little bullying, the clear school rules and the excellent relationships between staff and pupils mean that pupils find it very easy to speak to staff when they are upset or worried.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The support given to pupils’ personal development is excellent. Pupils talk about how their teachers help them to become calm when they are angry. The very good programme of personal and social education that is reinforced throughout the school day helps pupils to develop self-awareness and to take responsibility for their own actions. The school meets all statutory requirements with regard to special educational needs although there is little input from speech and language therapists even though it is included in some pupils’ statements of special educational need. The school has developed a good music therapy provision which pupils are keen to attend.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures for monitoring personal development are excellent. Pupils’ progress is monitored through detailed individual education plans that include very clear targets which pupils understand and that teachers constantly reinforce. Teachers compile very comprehensive records of pupils’ achievement and it is clear that the pupils are very proud of their work and efforts. The monitoring of academic progress through the individual education plans is good in literacy and numeracy but the assessment of pupils’ academic performance in many subjects is weak. Pupils’ achievements are not referenced to National Curriculum levels and this means that assessment information is not as accurate as it could be and is of only limited use in lesson planning. Beormund School - 14

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Parents’ interest in the school is reflected in the high level of completed questionnaires returned as well as the good attendance level at the parents meeting. The collective views of parents indicate a very high level of satisfaction with nearly all aspects of the school’s work. However, a few parents feel that the amount of homework the pupils are given is inappropriate.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. During the past two years links with parents have been further developed and the range of new initiatives have had a very positive impact on learning. Senior managers make considerable time available to parents who have concerns, and actively help parents to develop their own parenting skills. The school has established a parents’ club that meets regularly and some parents praised the benefits they have derived from meeting other parents. The school actively encourages parents to share any concerns, and staff treat any issues seriously and with sympathy.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Most parents live some distance from the school, which restricts their opportunity to be actively involved in school. However, a small group of parents give up their time to act as helpers during school journeys and residential trips whilst three others are members of the governing body.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school keeps parents well informed. Day-to-day communication is very effective. Class teachers use the diaries well to communicate academic and behavioural information; the diaries are checked daily. Annual academic reports are well presented and include details of pupil progress. They comply with legal requirements by showing attainment levels and what each pupil has covered but do not indicate how performance could be improved. Parents are fully involved in the annual reviews of statements of special educational needs and are encouraged to make a full contribution to the review process. The school prospectus, which is currently under review, and the governing body annual report give parents and prospective parents a good insight into the life of the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Overall, the links with parents, the good quality of information supplied, the help they receive from the school and the support they give their children all make a positive impact on pupil learning. This is an area of improvement since the last inspection.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. Leadership and management in the school are good and the headteacher and deputy head complement each other’s strengths extremely well. The headteacher plays the leading role in promoting an atmosphere of warm acceptance, trust and valuing of all pupils, while the deputy head takes the lead in developing the curriculum and making the school a stimulating and vibrant place. The governing body has an extremely clear view of the school’s strengths and the ways in which it still needs to develop, and it strongly supports the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Good leadership is reflected in the commitment, energy and teamwork of the whole staff, the calm atmosphere of the school and the very good behaviour of its pupils. The school’s aims and values are clear and firmly embedded into the everyday life of the school. Useful debriefing sessions at the end of the day allow the headteacher to remain in touch with what goes on in the classrooms and to

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

support staff with advice and reassurance.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The role of curriculum co-ordinators is still not fully developed. Some co-ordinators monitor planning and standards, often informally. However, the lack of opportunity for them to observe teaching and demonstrate expertise to their colleagues is restricting development, especially in subjects other than literacy and mathematics, in which there has been a recent strong focus on development and training. Opportunities are currently being planned for these responsibilities to be passed to co- ordinators now that they have had sufficient time to settle into the school.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school’s development planning has improved and is satisfactory. Targets for development are appropriate and they are roughly costed and prioritised for action over several years. However, costings do not extend to all curriculum area development plans. Governors take a keen interest in the school’s development and are extremely effective in their support. They also work hard to ensure that the school benefits as much as possible from additional funding, for example, Educational Action Zone funding. However, in some areas the governing body does not currently comply with statutory regulations. The school do not meet the requirements for the registration of attendance and Beormund School - 15 there are omissions in the school brochure and governors’ annual report to parents. Since the last inspection the school has taken appropriate action and achieved very good improvement in many areas, in particular, raising the standards of behaviour and teaching and improving the quality of the

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

building as a stimulating place to teach and learn.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The school’s policy on performance management is clear. Teaching is monitored by the headteacher and deputy headteacher and evaluations of lessons are discussed with staff. The school has made appropriate arrangements for staff development and the induction and support of new staff. Staff training needs are identified through management interviews, school development plan priorities, and daily debriefing sessions. These developments have had a positive impact on the quality of education and the standards which pupils achieve.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. There are sufficient numbers of teachers and support staff to meet the needs of the curriculum. There is a very good balance in terms of age, gender and experience within the teaching team. Whilst the number of staff from ethnic minority backgrounds is low, pupils benefit from the presence of good role models provided by part time staff, visiting teachers and the local beat police officer. For the most part teachers’ expertise and knowledge is good but most teachers are less confident in geography, ICT and religious education.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. There is a sufficient number of classroom assistants and there are some excellent examples of support staff working closely with teachers, for example in the class for younger pupils. However, in some classes, this joint working has not been fully developed. The premises officer is fully involved in the life of the school and of particular note is the assistance he provides during design and technology lessons. Currently the school has a vacancy for an administration officer. This situation has persisted for some time. The governors have recognised financial administration as a weakness in the past and since the beginning of this academic year have employed consultants to oversee the school’s day-to-day administration and financial management. This has been most effective and the recent audit report highlighted only minor weaknesses.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. There has been a transformation in the standard of accommodation since the last inspection. The inside of the school is now a very attractive and stimulating learning environment. Staff have worked hard, often in their spare time, to change the drab communal areas. Excellent displays of pupils’ work, imaginative murals and good quality decorative work now ensure a welcoming, exciting and pleasant building. The involvement of the pupils in much of the work has created a sense of pride and ownership by the pupils in their school. Teaching areas are adequate for the purpose and are similarly stimulating and attractive. The school is currently working on a project to improve the external environment.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Good use is made of the school’s accommodation and community resources; for example, the swimming facilities at a nearby school and visits are made to local museums and library. The school has an adequate level of good quality resources to meet the needs of the curriculum in all areas. Beormund School - 16

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

51. To further improve the standards achieved and the quality of education provided the governing body and senior management team should:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve pupils’ achievements in geography, ICT and RE (paragraphs: 24, 82, 83, 90, 103, 104);

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• develop a system of planning for all subjects, which takes into account the different age groups within each class. Ensure that all pupils are taught the full National Curriculum Programmes of Study and that units of work are not unnecessarily repeated (paragraphs: 8, 26, 59, 71, 75, 81, 85, 89, 95, 100);

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• improve the procedures for assessing pupils’ achievements in subject areas and use the information obtained to plan future lessons. (paragraphs: 8, 37, 59, 66, 70, 75, 81, 85, 89, 95, 100); and

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• develop the role of the subject co-ordinators so that they raise standards in their areas of responsibility (paragraphs: 44, 67, 71, 76, 81, 85, 89, 92, 100, 106).

p.18

OTHER SPECIFIED FEATURES

• Improve the procedures for morning and afternoon registration so that they meet statutory requirements (paragraph: 34). Beormund School - 17

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 27

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 18

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

p.19

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Beormund School - 18

p.19

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 5 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 6 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.2 Financial year 99/00

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 4.4

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y1 – Y6 Total expenditure 396557

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 19828

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 152 Balance brought forward from previous year 4023

p.20

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 15457 Beormund School - 19

p.20

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 75 15 5 0 5

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 30 5 10 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 35 30 25 6 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 85 10 0 5 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 90 5 0 5 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 80 15 0 0 5

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 90 10 0 0 0

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 85 10 0 0 5

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 80 15 0 0 5

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 95 5 0 0 0 Beormund School - 20

p.21

ENGLISH

52. Pupils’ achievements in English are good and pupils make good progress. An important factor in this good achievement is the way in which the school has successfully introduced the National Literacy Strategy, with the emphasis on a structured approach to the teaching and learning of reading, writing, and speaking and listening. The majority of pupils achieve levels below national expectations but a number of pupils by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are achieving at nationally expected levels.

p.22

ENGLISH

53. By the age of seven, pupils make good progress towards the individual targets set for them. They listen carefully to the adults and to each other, only occasionally requiring some help. Pupils express their opinions and describe what they like about the books they are reading. They take part in role-play activities and speak clearly when in role. Some of the pupils can discriminate between fiction and non-fiction texts. Some pupils make use of rhyming to make families of words with similar endings. Pupils’ writing, spelling and handwriting develop well. Most pupils know how to use full stops.

p.22

ENGLISH

54. By the age of eleven, most pupils are able to express more advanced ideas. In the school productions pupils speak their lines clearly and expressively while performing in front of an audience. They write stories and paragraphs, such as in one class where a pupil used expressive and exciting language to describe the movement of a train – it “scuttled”. Older pupils are able to describe the key elements in the style of an author, drawing on their knowledge of more than two of their books. They make good progress towards their targets. They develop their writing skills and write in a variety of styles, such as letters, descriptions and some poems. Pupils in the older age classes make independent use of dictionaries and thesauruses to support their own writing and understanding.

p.22

ENGLISH

55. Pupils make good progress in handwriting and most of the older pupils write using a cursive script. There is a good programme of planned work for the improvement of pupils’ handwriting and this brings good results. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 develop a clear understanding of grammar. For example, they worked on an exciting story opening in which they identified adjectives, verbs and nouns and provided interesting examples of these.

p.22

ENGLISH

56. Some pupils have speech and communication difficulties as an aspect of their special educational needs. These pupils make good progress with their speaking and comprehension as a result of the individualised programmes of work provided for them by the teachers. However, until very recently, little guidance has been provided for teachers by speech and language therapists.

p.22

ENGLISH

57. Pupils progress well with their reading. They read to an adult everyday. They are encouraged to take books home to read to an adult or on their own. When they read aloud the younger pupils try hard to make use of the pictures and the repetition within the story to help them. The older more able pupils can read with good expression and make use of punctuation, including speech and question marks. Above all, all the pupils are extremely proud of their achievements in reading and positive about themselves as learners. This is has a very significant impact on their self-esteem.

p.22

ENGLISH

58. Teaching and learning are good because teachers plan well and have high expectations both for work and behaviour. They encourage pupils to learn more by asking exploratory questions. In one class the teacher used good questioning techniques, for example, “What could this person be thinking and feeling?” “What else could be changing?” and, as a result, moved the pupils on to higher levels of understanding and expression. Above all, teachers’ positive management of the pupils’ behaviour enables the pupils to benefit from the good teaching and to learn well. In most classes the teachers’ calm, patient and unflappable approach supports the pupils and enables them to feel confident about their learning. This is a real strength. As a result of the good teaching pupils behave well in their English and literacy lessons. They are keen to learn and to improve their skills. Pupils are able to co-operate, work in pairs and share resources. They are justifiably proud of their work and are keen

p.22

ENGLISH

Beormund School - 21 to show it and to talk about it. Pupils respond well to the known routines and to the high expectations that the adults have of them.

p.23

ENGLISH

59. The leadership and management of the subject are very effective. The emphasis on literacy and basic skills has enabled good improvements to take place in this subject. The co-ordinator monitors the quality of planning and teaching and learning. As a result there has been significant progress in English since the last inspection, most noticeably as a result of the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy. However, there are some issues raised in the last inspection report that have not yet been fully addressed. The assessment of pupils’ work is not as thorough as it could be and insufficient consideration is given to pupils’ previous learning when planning activities. Pupils’ reading ability is assessed twice yearly and useful termly samples of pupils’ writing are kept. Teachers annotate these in detail. However, there is no reference to the National Curriculum levels in teachers’ records or in their planning. This can result in the more able pupils being set the same tasks and

p.23

ENGLISH

activities as other pupils who are attaining at much lower levels. Teachers’ half-termly and lesson planning is very thorough but plans which cover years, or key stages do not yet take into account the mixed-ages of pupils in each class. In particular, there is insufficient clarity as to how pupils will progress through the subject as they get older and move up to different classes. There is a risk of significant gaps occurring in their learning and of unintended repetition.

p.23

ENGLISH

60. There is a wide and suitable selection of books and other resources both in the classrooms and in the school library. Teachers make sensitive selections of the texts they use with the pupils to ensure that the messages and meaning are as helpful to them as possible; for example, the use of a text about a gorilla who has difficulties with his self-esteem. There are very few taped-books to enable pupils to enjoy books they cannot yet read and to improve their listening skills.

p.23

MATHEMATICS

61. Overall, standards of achievement are good and much improved since the last inspection when most pupils were only making satisfactory progress. The majority of pupils are achieving levels below national expectations but a number are, by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 achieving at nationally expected levels. The school has introduced aspects of the National Numeracy Strategy and this has had a positive impact on the quality of teaching and the standards achieved. The co-ordinator has provided all staff with training in the strategy.

p.23

MATHEMATICS

62. Pupils aged five to seven years make good progress. They respond very well to the lively presentation and good pace of lessons. Pupils know that coins have different values and recognise the ones that have the most and least value. They use addition to identify which coins are needed to make given amounts of money. For example, one pupil identified that he would need a 5p, 2p and 1p to make 8p. Pupils learn enthusiastically in the classroom shop, practising adding up amounts and paying for their goods. More able pupils are able to count up to 100 in tens and fives and can recite their two times table. They can recognise odd and even number patterns.

p.23

MATHEMATICS

63. Pupils aged seven to 11 years make good progress. Teachers ensure that they are constantly given challenging activities and this maintains their interest and enthusiasm for learning. When working with shape and space pupils calculated the area of a rectangle using multiplication. They used the formula length multiplied by width, and expressed their answers using the correct notation. Pupils can draw rectangles of different given areas. They know that there are different ways of drawing rectangles with the same area. Pupils can reflect shapes in a mirror line and identify lines of symmetry in simple shapes. More able pupils can make sensible estimates of everyday metric measures and can convert millilitres to litres. When working with number, pupils have a good understanding of place value up to one thousand and can round three digit numbers to the nearest ten or hundred. Pupils can interpret frequency tables and draw pictograms.

p.23

MATHEMATICS

64. The quality of teaching is good. Only one mathematics lesson for younger pupils was seen; teaching was very good on that occasion. Overall, teaching for pupils aged seven to 11 is good. Good features of teaching throughout the school include the lively pace set by the teachers, the very well planned lessons with learning activities matched to the abilities of the pupils, the effective use of resources and, in the class for younger pupils, the very effective use of classroom assistants. Relationships between staff and pupils are very good and the pupils respond to adult praise and encouragement Beormund School - 22 very well. The teachers have a very good knowledge of pupils and they seize opportunities to reinforce their individual learning very well. For example, in a lesson for Year 5 and 6 pupils, the teacher skilfully managed a discussion at the end of a lesson to reinforce the fact that there were

p.23

MATHEMATICS

different ways of drawing rectangles with the same area. The school has adopted the lesson framework of the National Numeracy Strategy and this provides pupils with the opportunity to take part in a range of activities including practising their mental arithmetic skills in an oral warm-up to the lesson, small group work and individual activities.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

65. The use of ICT in mathematics lessons is limited but pupils use mathematics software to work on individual programmes during basic skills lessons. There are very good links between numeracy and some other subjects. For example, in design and technology pupils produced bar charts and pie charts to record findings from a survey they had completed and in food technology lessons they regularly practise measuring skills.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

66. The school has recently adopted a published scheme of work and teachers are currently incorporating the activities into their lesson planning. This scheme provides teachers with a comprehensive programme of work, accompanying resources and a framework for assessing pupils’ progress. The assessment of pupils’ progress is achieved through detailed work observations but these do not assess pupils against National Curriculum levels. The use of the mathematics software package provides a detailed analysis of pupils’ achievements but its use is still in the early stages of development.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

67. The role of the recently appointed co-ordinator is currently underdeveloped. Teaching commitments limit the opportunities he has to monitor the teaching of mathematics throughout the school and this role is undertaken by the headteacher and deputy headteacher who also monitor the weekly planning and evaluation of lessons. However, as the co-ordinator settles and becomes more aware of the routines and expectations of his responsibilities the school plans to extend his role.

p.24

SCIENCE

68. Progress and achievement in science are good. The school has maintained the standards seen in the inspection of June 1997 and a significant minority of pupils reach the standards expected nationally for their age.

p.24

SCIENCE

69. In the youngest class, pupils can construct a “buggy” and make it move using the air expelled from a balloon as motor power. They make observations about which way the air and the buggy are travelling. Pupils know that some materials will float and others sink; and they understand the basic needs of growing plants. By the age of eleven pupils are beginning to understand the apparent movement of the sun across the sky, and have some knowledge of the sizes and orbital lengths of the planets. They understand healthy diets and the use and misuse of drugs and they know about skeletons, muscles and how animals develop and reproduce.

p.24

SCIENCE

70. Teaching in science is good throughout the school. Teachers use stimulating methods and illustrations and there is good emphasis on learning through experience. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they plan and prepare lessons well so that activities proceed without interruptions or restless behaviour. Resources are used well. For example, pupils in the youngest class tested their “buggies” in the hall. This allowed them to see the long distances the devices could travel on one balloon’s worth of air. In a Year 5 and 6 lesson a model using a torch and a plastic hoop made an effective substitute for the sun on a cloudy day when a class was investigating the length of shadows. There are good links with ICT, mathematics and English, for example, the use of computer generated bar charts to illustrate information about the solar system; and the captions related to science work in the youngest class. Excellent wall displays arouse and sustain

p.24

SCIENCE

pupils’ interest, and all these factors enhance pupils’ learning and motivation and help to promote the very good behaviour seen. There is careful observation by teachers of pupils’ progress. However, the assessment of pupils’ work is not related to the National Curriculum levels of achievement, even though pupils are attaining well within the scope of such assessment.

p.24

SCIENCE

71. The co-ordination of the subject has not developed significantly since the last inspection. While science work is based on a published scheme, which contains all the necessary topics, it has not Beormund School - 23 been adapted to take account of the mixed age classes and to ensure that all pupils cover all topics at an appropriate level, without gaps or repetitions. The co-ordinator’s monitoring of planning and standards of work is informal and does not include observations of teaching, so use of her expertise is not maximised. The systems for assessment, because they are not related to the National Curriculum, are not as helpful as they should be, especially in a school which aims to return pupils to mainstream schools whenever possible.

p.24

ART AND DESIGN

72. Overall, standards of achievement are satisfactory as they were at the time of the last inspection. However, there are significant variations in pupils’ achievements in different areas of art and design. Pupils of all ages make excellent progress in developing skills of working with clay as they produce, original and interesting models of people, pots and masks. Younger pupils work largely independently in rolling and shaping clay to make pots. Pupils aged seven to 11 twist, roll and shape clay in a confident manner and pay very good attention to detail and proportion. They evaluate their own models, listen to advice and improve their work. This work makes a very important contribution to pupils’ independent working skills, to the development of their self-esteem as they master skills and produce models of which they are rightly very proud, and to their understanding of African art. This work is part of a project funded by the Ethnic Minorities Achievement Grant. An African artist

p.25

ART AND DESIGN

visits the school weekly to work with all pupils and his artistic expertise, combined with excellent relationships with pupils, contributes to their excellent progress.

p.25

ART AND DESIGN

73. Skills in other areas of art are not as well developed. Pupils aged five to seven attempt drawings of houses and sketch a design for their dog kennel. Pupils aged seven to 11 experiment with lighter and darker colours, have some opportunities to record from direct observations and some have looked at the work of famous artists. However, pupils drawing skills are weak and they have had very little recent opportunity to explore colour, line, tone and shape. Consequently progress for all pupils in these aspects has been limited.

p.25

ART AND DESIGN

74. The artist was the only person teaching art during the inspection. This teaching was excellent. The very clear demonstrations, the way in which tasks were carefully broken down into achievable steps and his humorous approach ensured pupils’ learning was excellent. Pupils clearly enjoyed the challenge the work presented. They were completely focused on the task and consequently their behaviour was excellent.

p.25

ART AND DESIGN

75. A study of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning suggests that some teachers lack confidence and expertise in teaching art. Currently there are no systems for assessing pupils’ achievements in developing artistic skills. This means that teachers are planning work without a clear understanding of pupils’ abilities and understanding. However, the way in which selected pieces of pupils’ work is displayed contributes well to the development of pupils’ self-confidence. The school plans to adapt a published scheme of work to meet the needs of the pupils. Currently planning does not take into account the mixed ages of pupils in each class. This means that it is difficult to ensure that pupils do not repeat work or that they do not miss out some areas of the curriculum. Very little ICT is used in art lessons.

p.25

ART AND DESIGN

76. The newly appointed co-ordinator has a clear understanding of the developments needed to raise standards. However, as yet, insufficient time has been allocated for him to develop his ideas or to support his colleagues. The school’s excellent art and design room is used well.

p.25

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

77. Overall, standards of achievement are good for all pupils. Very significant improvements have been made since the last inspection when pupils’ progress was poor. Pupils, especially those aged seven to 11, make very good progress in developing the skills needed in food technology. Older pupils follow recipes, weigh ingredients, use utensils carefully and pay good attention to health and safety issues as they design and make their biscuits. They taste their products and are thoughtful in their evaluations of them. Pupils thoroughly enjoy these sessions. They are eager to begin, they discuss their choice of ingredients with others, and their relationships with the teacher and technology Beormund School - 24 assistant (who is the premises manager) are excellent. Pupils’ excellent attitudes contribute to their very good progress.

p.25

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

78. In other areas of the subject younger pupils design their own houses as part of their topic work and some use the computer to generate their design. As part of their science work they piece together a skeleton with movable parts and build a buggy from a construction kit. Older pupils develop cutting and measuring skills as they design and make wind-up toys. They carry out research to inform their judgements about the taste and design of a chocolate bar. Pupils study types of puppets from different countries and they demonstrated very good perseverance as they used painting, gluing and sewing skills to make their own Indonesian rod puppet. Some pupils use sketchbooks to record their design ideas and these show that pupils’ drawing skills are not as well developed as their making skills.

p.26

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

79. Currently there is little use of ICT but there is a very good emphasis on developing literacy and mathematical skills through design. For example, pupils produced bar charts and pie charts to record findings from their survey; they write out the ingredients for their recipes and the most able describe the methods used; they weigh and measure ingredients and in all lessons they are encouraged to talk about what they have made and what they think of it. One older pupil described the taste of his biscuits as ‘fantastic’.

p.26

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

80. Only a small amount of teaching was observed and this was at least very good. No teaching of younger pupils was seen. The very well prepared resources, the challenging tasks, very good relationships between staff and pupils, and the way in which activities are structured so that all pupils can achieve some success, ensures that pupils’ learning is very good. In a food technology lesson the teaching was excellent because explanations were very clear, pupils were challenged in each step of the lesson and the staff ensured that pupils had fun throughout.

p.26

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

81. The newly appointed co-ordinator has had little time to develop the subject. However, he is aware that the current system for assessment does not provide teachers with enough information about pupils’ standards and achievements. The scheme of work is also weak, as it does not take into account the range of age groups in each class. The art and design/food technology room is an excellent facility and allows the school to offer a broad curriculum to all the pupils.

p.26

GEOGRAPHY

82. Pupils’ standards of achievement are unsatisfactory. Standards have fallen since the last inspection when pupils’ progress was satisfactory. Pupils of all ages make unsatisfactory progress because teachers lack expertise in the subject, insufficient time is allocated to it, and there are weaknesses in planning and in the assessment of pupils’ achievements.

p.26

GEOGRAPHY

83. Pupils aged five to seven develop an awareness of their immediate surroundings. Most pupils know where they live. They look at a large scale map of the local area and, with support, locate familiar buildings. In their topic on ‘homes’ they consider types of homes in other countries. However, there is little emphasis on areas outside their own locality, the use of geographical vocabulary, and the development of geographical skills. Older pupils are beginning to understand the basic principles of the water cycle. They understand and use specific vocabulary to describe the processes involved. Pupils develop a basic understanding of world geography as they shade and name the continents and major rivers of the world on an outline map. Through their history topic they become familiar with the importance of the River Nile to the people of Egypt. Pupils’ work and teachers’ records show that there has been very little emphasis on geography. Consequently too little work has been covered.

p.26

GEOGRAPHY

Pupils have had very few opportunities to develop their skills of enquiry, to become familiar with places in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world and to develop their geographical knowledge and understanding through fieldwork. There is insufficient use of ICT in any unit of work.

p.26

GEOGRAPHY

84. Overall the quality of teaching in the lessons seen was satisfactory. Teachers manage pupils well and in the class for younger pupils the excellent teamwork between staff contributes to pupils’ calm behaviour and to their learning. Lesson planning is detailed, explanations are clear and the good challenge presented to pupils in Year 5 and 6 ensured they made good progress in investigating what happened to water in the school playground. The way in which pupils carried out their work Beormund School - 25 demonstrated their good abilities to work independently. Sometimes pupils, especially younger pupils, start to lose interest when whole group sessions are too long and the teacher talks too much. Samples of work completed during the autumn term indicate that some pupils spent much of their time cutting and sticking information from worksheets. Since then there have been improvements, especially in the emphasis on literacy skills.

p.26

GEOGRAPHY

85. Currently the co-ordination of geography is unsatisfactory because there is no clear indication of the developments needed to raise standards. However, very little time is made available for the co- ordinator to carry out her responsibilities. Planning is incomplete and does not take into consideration the mixed ages of pupils in each class. Very little assessment of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding takes place which means that teachers have insufficient information to help them plan activities which challenge all pupils, especially the most able. Visits to famous landmarks in London and an annual residential holiday in Gloucestershire enhance the curriculum and give pupils some opportunities to develop their geographical skills as well as their personal and social skills.

p.27

HISTORY

86. Standards of achievement for pupils aged five to seven are satisfactory and for those aged seven to 11 they are good. There have been good improvements since the last inspection when progress for all pupils was satisfactory. Throughout the school there are very attractive and stimulating displays of pupils’ work which contribute to their learning and make pupils very proud of their achievements. Year 3 and 4 pupils were particularly keen to show inspectors their displayed work on Ancient Egyptians and they spoke with real enthusiasm about what they had learnt.

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HISTORY

87. Younger pupils have developed an understanding of the past by visiting several historical buildings in London. As part of their topic work they have studied homes in the past. Their work included a visit to a local pump house and this helped them to develop an understanding of buildings and furniture in the past. Pupils are just beginning to learn about London at the time of the Great Fire and to understand the causes of it. Pupils aged seven to 11 make good progress because a strong emphasis is placed on history. By the age of 11 pupils have an understanding of chronology and draw their own timelines to show important points in their own lives. They have a good understanding of different periods in British history. For example, they compare the lives of children in the Victorian times to their own lives. Most able pupils write detailed accounts as they imagine themselves as children in Victorian times and describe how difficult their life was. Pupils have a clear understanding

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HISTORY

of the impact of the Second World War on the people of Britain. Their written accounts demonstrate an understanding of children’s feelings when they were evacuated. Year 5 and 6 pupils know that information from the past can be obtained from a variety of sources. However, they have very few opportunities to use sources such as the Internet to research their topics.

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HISTORY

88. No teaching for younger pupils was seen but the quality of teaching for pupils aged seven to 11 is at least good. Lesson planning is detailed and questioning is used well to make pupils think carefully about their ideas. Where learning was most effective good resources were used, such as the Ancient Greeks clothing, and pupils were encouraged to work with others in developing their ideas. Historical vocabulary is reinforced well but at times the teacher talks for too long and even though pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good, they start to lose some interest. The relationships between staff and pupils are very positive and this has a significant impact on pupils’ behaviour and learning.

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HISTORY

89. The co-ordinator has insufficient time to carry out all her responsibilities but she has a good understanding of what needs to be done to improve standards further. Lesson planning is good but the plans that cover a whole year or key stage do not take into account the different ages of pupils in each class. The assessment of pupils’ achievement is not yet very effective in helping teachers to plan future lessons. In each unit of work literacy skills are well emphasised and the visits to different museums and houses play an important part in pupils’ social and cultural development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Beormund School - 26 90. Progress was good in the lessons seen but pupils have made unsatisfactory progress over time. Recently the school has prioritised the development of ICT and made a fresh start with new equipment and a new scheme of work but there has been too little sustained improvement in standards since the last inspection. However, the school now appears to be moving forward and levels of achievement are improving. All pupils are working on very basic skills. By the age of seven, pupils can, with support, log on to the computer and select from menus. They highlight text and change its colour and size. They use a mouse to select items in educational games. By the age of 11, pupils add pictures to text and enter numbers into a table to generate a bar chart, but they require significant support in these tasks.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

91. Teaching was good in the small number of lessons seen. Teachers’ and support assistants’ knowledge of ICT is satisfactory. In the most successful lessons, teachers made good use of equipment, for example, the large screen and laser pen made the teacher’s demonstration very clear. They use suitable aids, such as dummy keyboards, to help teach skills. However, none of the teachers has sufficient awareness of correct positioning for equipment, and they allow pupils to work with screens at the wrong height or angle, with trailing cables, or with the mouse and keyboard in the wrong place. Nevertheless, pupils enjoy using computers, work hard and treat equipment with respect.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

92. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and supportive of colleagues and has made good progress in acquiring improved equipment, in organising training, writing a policy and establishing a scheme of work. The recording and assessment of pupils’ work are developing but are not yet fully effective. The curriculum is still lacking in work on control technology, as it was at the time of the last inspection. The school has insufficient technical support to assist teachers in day-to-day preparation and trouble-shooting.

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MUSIC

93. Progress and achievement in music are good throughout the school and standards have been maintained since the last inspection. By the age of seven pupils can sing with a growing awareness of the quality of the sound. In pairs they invent and copy rhythm patterns and, with support, they follow picture symbols and use percussion instruments when it is their turn to play. By the age of 11 pupils sing folk songs and accompany their singing with percussion instruments. They understand symbols for different rhythm patterns and can improvise patterns and write them down. In more informal singing sessions, pupils enjoy singing two part arrangements of songs, holding their part well, and individual pupils demonstrate skill on guitars. There is also good hymn singing in assemblies, and good opportunities for pupils to listen to, and reflect on, a range of recorded music.

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MUSIC

94. Teaching and learning are good. A specialist teacher gives each class a weekly lesson and supports the school in clubs and performances. He has very good subject knowledge and uses appropriately stimulating and motivating methods, although sometimes written material is not very visually attractive. The teacher maintains good pace and includes a variety of activities. This helps pupils stay on task and try hard, and they enjoy their lessons. The school’s very good resources are used well. The system of assessment for charting each pupil’s response and skills is effective. The use of information technology to support music is not fully developed.

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MUSIC

95. The new co-ordinator has very good expertise and supports music very well in clubs, assemblies and informal singing. Some pupils benefit from music therapy. Nevertheless, the music provision is currently somewhat fragmented with insufficient contact between the specialist and other staff. Mixed age classes make it difficult to ensure that all pupils cover the curriculum satisfactorily and assessment is not related to National Curriculum levels of attainment. The school uses visiting performers well, and school performances, such as the Christmas pantomimes, contribute to pupils’ achievements and are enjoyable for staff, pupils and parents.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

96. Pupils’ achievement is good throughout the school. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection when progress was unsatisfactory in all areas except swimming. The school has Beormund School - 27 prioritised its spending on PE and there are now satisfactory resources for the teaching of the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

97. In dance lessons pupils aged five to seven demonstrate the ability to remember and perform sequences of steps and actions while responding to music. They follow instructions and work well together in pairs. They take part in, and enjoy, effective warm up activities. The majority of pupils aged seven are unable to swim but by the age of 11 many pupils can swim up to 25 metres, which is in line with national expectations. More able pupils demonstrate a good backstroke technique and are confident in the water. Pupils aged seven to 11 can explain the importance of warming up and stretching properly before exercise. In athletics lessons these pupils demonstrate the scissor technique in high jump.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

98. The quality of teaching is good overall and has improved well since the last inspection, when it was unsatisfactory. In lessons, practices are well sequenced so that they become progressively more difficult and pupils can develop their skills. The management of pupils’ behaviour is effective and the classroom assistants provide good support for individuals. Warm ups are well planned and enjoyed by all. Although staff wear appropriate footwear they do not wear PE kit which does not set a good example to pupils. Lessons for older pupils are well structured to enable pupils to make improvements in their basic swimming skills. They benefit from the expertise of a swimming instructor. Teachers plan their lessons very well making good use of resources. There is an appropriate emphasis on developing literacy skills through PE lessons, for example, older pupils read instructions about the exercise they had to perform at each point, then completed the exercise

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

before they moved on to the next station. Teachers provide clear demonstrations that help the pupils to make good progress. For example, in athletics a good demonstration of the scissor high jump technique enabled pupils to develop their own skills well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

99. The range of activities taught is wider than it was at the time of the last inspection. In addition to PE lessons all pupils have the opportunity to attend an excellent range of extra-curricular activities, which includes ice skating, trampolining, swimming and an annual school journey where pupils take part in outdoor adventurous activities. There football club run by coaches from Millwall Football Club is very popular.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

100. The role of the subject co-ordinator is currently under developed. He has few opportunities to monitor the quality of teaching. The school has adopted a published scheme of work and teachers are adapting this to meet the needs of the pupils. This process is not complete and does not yet take into account the mixed age groups in each class. Currently systems for assessing pupils’ achievements are weak and little use is made of assessment information in planning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

101. All staff have had training in teaching PE, which is a major improvement since 1997. The inside and outside areas are a good size but the acoustics in the hall are poor which makes teaching difficult, especially when music is used.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

102. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. The younger pupils are developing a greater understanding of the meaning of religious celebrations. Pupils acted out a Christian wedding in the local church and the priest explained the meaning of the rituals. Pupils really enjoyed dressing up and taking on their various roles. They asked the priest and their teachers some interesting questions about marriage. Some of the older pupils are familiar with some of the Old Testament Bible stories. Others are learning about the importance of sacred texts to major faiths. They have considered the Bible and the Qur’an. Some pupils are developing an understanding of Hindu celebrations. The themes covered in assemblies contribute to all pupils’ understanding of a range of faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

103. Only a few lessons were observed but these, together with a scrutiny of teachers’ plans, show that teaching and learning is satisfactory. A published scheme of work assists teachers in their planning but they do not make use of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Teachers do not always have sufficient knowledge about the non-Christian religions which they are teaching. Although pupils do make some significant gains in their learning in relation to learning about religions, there is limited work carried out in relation to learning from religions. However, teachers’ Beormund School - 28 very good management of pupils’ behaviour and the positive relationships in classroom result in pupils making satisfactory progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

104. The new co-ordinator has had little opportunity to develop the subject and to raise standards. However, as he settles in and gets to know the school, his responsibilities will be extended. Resources are adequate, well organised and accessible.

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