The Shepherd's Community School

CRAWFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.1

CRAWFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Crawford Primary School ii

p.3

Aspect responsibilities

8990 David Tytler Registered inspector What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 14066 Gillian Hoggard Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes and personal development; How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 14785 Stephen Hopkins Team inspector Equal opportunities; Mathematics; Information and communication technology; Physical education. 19026 Brian Downes Team Inspector Special educational needs; Science; Geography; History. 11901 Pat Lowe Team inspector Foundation Stage; Art; Music; Design and technology. 12764 Wendy Thomas Team inspector English; English as an additional language; Religious education. How good are the learning opportunities offered? Personal development, including spiritual, moral and social development. Crawford Primary School iii The inspection contractor was:

p.4

Aspect responsibilities

Westminster Education Consultants Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD

p.5

Aspect 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:

p.5

Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.5

Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Crawford Primary School iv

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 1

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

p.6

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 6

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

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Crawford is a large primary school in the heart of Camberwell in the London borough of Southwark, with 409 pupils, who are taught in 12 single-age classes. In addition, 50 children attend the Nursery on a part-time basis and there are 59 pupils in the two Reception classes. The school caters for the needs of it pupils and is involved in the Excellence in Cities initiative. The pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds and have many different needs. About half come from the neighbouring borough of Lambeth. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above the national average and the number of pupils speaking English as an additional language is very high, with a significant number at an early stage of learning. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, including statements, is broadly in line with the national average. The percentage having a statement of special need is below the national average. A very high

p.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

proportion of pupils join or leave the school other than at the usual times. The attainment of children when they enter Reception is below what is expected for their age.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a sound standard of education for all its pupils and has many good features. The headteacher and senior staff provide clear leadership and management focusing on the raising of standards, which are beginning to go up in English and mathematics. Standards in science in Year 6 have improved dramatically this year. The personal development of pupils is satisfactory. Whilst most of the teaching is at least satisfactory, with many good examples and some excellent lessons, a significant minority is unsatisfactory. When account is taken of all these factors, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.7

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• The school provides a safe and secure learning environment for all its pupils, who have a wide variety of needs. • The headteacher, with the active support of the deputy head and governors, provides a clear educational direction for the school. • There is a wide range of learning opportunities, including many high quality out of school activities. • Pupils’ cultural development is very good. • The information provided to parents is good.

p.7

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• Standards, particularly in English and mathematics, of pupils aged seven and eleven. • The quality of teaching. • The competence of all staff to support pupils with English as an additional language. • Punctuality. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Crawford Primary School 2 The school was last inspected in June 1997. It has addressed all the key issues of the last report and has made satisfactory improvement. Standards are slowly beginning to rise in English and mathematics but remain well below the national expectations in English. Standards in mathematics remain below the national expectations for 11 year olds but match them for pupils aged seven. Standards in science have risen substantially and are in line with what is expected nationally. The school provides enough time for the teaching of mathematics, science, design and technology and information and communication technology and meets all the statutory requirements in information and communication technology and design and technology. Teachers have learning intentions for each lesson but these are not always in language understood by pupils and not always used to judge what the children have learnt. Arrangements for gathering information on what pupils know

p.8

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

and can do are good. Satisfactory use is made of the information to guide planning and to set individual targets in English, mathematics and science. More work, however, is required to ensure that the information is used to plan for individual needs. The information available to parents is good. The overall quality of teaching, however, is not as high as it was at the last inspection.

p.8

STANDARDS

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

p.8

all schools similar schools Performance

in: 1999 2000 2001 2001 English E* E E B Mathematics E* E D B Science E E E D

p.8

Key

well above average A above average B average C below average D well below average E very low E*

p.8

Key

As the table shows, the results in the year 2001 tests in English and science for 11 year olds were well below what is expected nationally for children of their age and below in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, results were above the average in English and mathematics and below in science. Standards are adversely affected by the large number of pupils who join and leave the school other than at the normal times and by poor punctuality. Whilst there has been some fluctuation over the last three years standards have been slowly rising in all three subjects. Standards in the current Year 6, however, remain well below national expectations in English and below in mathematics. Standards in science are now broadly in line with national expectations. Provisional results in science for 2002 are very much better than last year. This year and last, the school came close to meeting its realistic targets for the proportion of pupils expected to achieve the national

p.8

Key

expectations or above in English and exceeded them in mathematics, although only just this year.

p.8

Key

Results In the reading and mathematics tests for seven year olds in 2001 were well below the national average and in writing were in the bottom five per cent of school’s nationally. Over the last three years standards in reading, writing and mathematics have fallen to well below the national averages. Provisional results for 2002 are significantly higher in all three subjects although standards in English remain well below what is expected nationally for children aged seven. Standards in mathematics, match national expectations. Crawford Primary School 3 Standards in art and design and technology are above the national expectations for seven and eleven year olds. Standards in information and communication technology, music and physical education match the national expectations but are below in geography and history. Standards in religious education are below the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus.

p.8

Key

Given their low starting point, the large numbers of pupils who have English as an additional language and the high proportion who enter or leave the school other than the normal time, pupils make sound progress and their achievement is satisfactory.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Satisfactory. Most pupils have positive attitudes to their learning but a significant minority lack self-control and are unable to concentrate. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Most pupils behave well most of the time but the behaviour of a significant minority falls below the high standard expected by the school. Personal development and relationships Satisfactory. Whilst there are good relationships in many classes, a small number of pupils do not always co-operate with their teachers or classmates. Attendance Attendance is improving and is close to the national average but a large number of pupils are frequently late, which adversely affects standards.

p.9

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

Quality of teaching Good Satisfactory Satisfactory 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.

p.9

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

Most teaching observed during the inspection was at least satisfactory with many good and some very good lessons. Three lessons were outstanding. A significant minority of lessons, however, was unsatisfactory. Overall, pupils of all abilities and needs made at least satisfactory and sometimes good progress in their lessons. The good and very good lessons were characterised by a brisk pace, good subject knowledge and work which built on what pupils already knew and could do. In these lessons teachers captured the imagination of pupils, who enjoyed their learning, tried hard to succeed, made good progress and achieved well. In the unsatisfactory lessons and some of those otherwise judged to be satisfactory, teachers failed to engage pupils’ interest, the pace of learning was slow and teachers’ expectations of what children could do were either too low or unrealistic. These teachers often had gaps in their subject knowledge, did not focus enough on what children

p.9

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

were learning and the work did not build on what children had already learnt. As a result, pupils in these lessons did not make the progress they should. The teaching of English and mathematics together with the basic skills of literacy and numeracy and information and communication technology is satisfactory. As a result, pupils gain a satisfactory knowledge and understanding and use these skills in other lessons. Some pupils’ lack of fluency in English, however, does hamper learning. Crawford Primary School 4

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is enhanced through a wide range of high quality out of school activities and good links with the community. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. They make good progress when given individual support. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory, although staff need further training in how to support pupils in the early stages of learning English.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Pupils’ cultural development is very good. Their spiritual, moral and social development is good.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The care of pupils is good. Arrangements for gathering information on what pupils know and can do are good. Satisfactory use is made of the information to plan the curriculum. The information needs to be better used to plan for individual needs. How well the school works in partnership with parents The school works hard to establish and maintain an effective working partnership with parents and the information provided for them is good. A significant minority of parents are not fully involved in the life of the school.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides a clear educational direction for the school focusing on the raising of standards. She receives particularly good support from the deputy head teacher who plays a full part in the running of the school. Other senior staff have specific responsibilities and carry them out diligently. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Well. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and make an important contribution to planning future developments. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Senior staff monitor the quality of teaching to identify training needs. This has not, however, focused enough on the children’s learning. Senior managers and governors regularly monitor the school development plan and make any necessary adjustments. The strategic use of resources

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school makes satisfactory use of all the resources available and applies the principles of best value in all aspects of its work.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school is adequately staffed to meet the needs of the National Curriculum and religious education. The accommodation is good and the resources for learning are satisfactory and good in information and communication technology, design and technology, art and music. Crawford Primary School 5

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The teaching is good. • Their children are making good progress. • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. • Their children are expected to work hard. • The amount of homework. • Some parents are unhappy with the information they receive on how well their children are doing.

p.11

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agreed with the positive views of most parents although they did find that a significant minority of teaching was unsatisfactory. They also found that the information available to parents is good and that amount of homework is suitable for the age of the children. It is not, however, always set consistently. Crawford Primary School 6

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the Reception classes with standards which are below those expected nationally for children of their age. Children of all abilities, including children with special educational needs (SEN) and those having English as an additional language (EAL), make good progress and achieve well, as a result of good teaching.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. By the time they enter Year 1, almost half the children have attained the early learning goals in personal and social development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Nevertheless, overall standards are still below the national expectations for their age as many children have a low starting point as they enter the Nursery with limited or no knowledge of English.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Results In the reading and mathematics tests for seven year olds in 2001 were well below the national average; in writing they were in the bottom 5 per cent of school’s nationally. Standards in all three subjects have fallen to well below the national expectations over the last three years. Given their low starting point, however, pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2. The provisional results for this year, 2002, are higher in all three subjects. Standards in English, however, remain well below national expectations for seven year olds largely due to the high number of pupils having EAL. None, for example, attained the higher Level 3 in reading. The improvement in the mathematics’ results indicates that standards are now in line with what is expected nationally for children of their age.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. A similar picture of improvement can be seen for pupils in the current Year 6. Results in the Year 2001 tests in English and science for 11 year olds were well below what is expected nationally for children of their age. Results in mathematics were below the national expectations. However, in English and mathematics the school compares well with those having a similar intake where results were above the average. When compared with similar schools, these results were above the average in English and mathematics. Results in science were below the average.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The poor punctuality and the large number of pupils who join and leave the school other than at the normal times impede standards throughout the school. In addition, the poor language skills of many pupils, including some of whom have EAL, hampers learning in all subjects but particularly in English. Nevertheless standards have been rising slowly in English, mathematics and science over the past three years, although at the age of 11 they remain well below national expectations in English and below in mathematics. Standards in science, however, are now broadly in line with national expectations. Provisional results for the tests taken this year, 2002, show that in English the results are similar to last year. In mathematics, however, the number achieving the higher Level 5 is a significant improvement on last year. Even more improvement can be seen in science where results have risen substantially and are very much better than last year.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Pupils start in Year 1 with attainment in speaking and listening below that expected nationally for their age. The school has recognised this and is seeking ways of providing more opportunities for pupils to gain and practise their skills. Whilst pupils in Years 1 and 2 listen carefully to teachers, most lack the confidence to speak to the whole class and a significant minority cannot join in the enjoyable class discussions. They also tend to give Crawford Primary School 7 one-word answers to questions. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 continue to lack confidence in talking to large groups and most pupils do not use a wide range of vocabulary or well-constructed sentences.

p.12

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils in Year 2 regularly take books home to read. Whilst higher attaining pupils enjoy reading they do not talk readily about stories or authors. They cannot read aloud expressively and have a limited range of strategies for reading unfamiliar words. Most other pupils are at an early stage of reading. They know the difference between fiction and non- fiction books and know that an index is arranged in alphabetical order.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils in Year 6 attain average standards in reading. They enjoy reading but very few are aware of the wide range of books that is available to them. Again, pupils read with little expression and do not correct their mistakes. There are too few opportunities for these pupils to read for pleasure or to develop their reading skills in order to improve their understanding.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The need to improve standards in writing for seven and eleven year olds has been identified by the school. Pupils in Year 2 do not use joined script and many do not form their letters well. Most of the work in Years 1 and 2 is designed to help pupils develop their writing skills but they then have little chance to use these skills in independent writing.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Older pupils have developed a neat and legible handwriting style, which they use in their work across the curriculum. Pupils write for a range of purposes but again are given too few opportunities to practise. A small number of pupils in Year 6 use language well and are developing lively personal styles to suit a range of purposes.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In mathematics, pupils in the current Year 2 are attaining standards in line with national expectations. Most can multiply by counting forwards and backwards in 2s to 20 and can tell the time in hours and half-hours. By the time they leave school, most pupils, including those with SEN or having EAL, can use and apply their knowledge of number and mathematical operations. They can use calculators and higher attaining pupils understand and use factors.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. In science, most pupils are beginning to develop the basic vocabulary and an understanding of scientific concepts by the end of Year 2. They can discuss the characteristics of living things, sort materials into groups and carry out simple investigations, although most do not understand the principle of a fair test.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. Pupils continue to extend and develop their scientific knowledge as they move through the school and by Year 6 have a sound factual knowledge backed up by a range of scientific vocabulary and are beginning to understand how to conduct a fair test. They can also explain the functions of the human skeleton and name some of the major bones.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. Pupils aged seven and eleven attain standards in art and design and technology which are above national expectations for their age. In information and communication technology (ICT), music and physical education, standards match the national expectations for children of their age but are below in geography and history. Standards in religious education are below the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. Overall, most pupils make satisfactory progress in their time in school, particularly when considering the high number of pupils who have EAL and the high proportion who do not receive all their primary education in Crawford. Crawford Primary School 8 16. Children under five who have SEN achieve well. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieve satisfactory standards in relation to their prior attainment. They make satisfactory progress towards their individual targets and good progress where those targets involve improvements in behaviour. Pupils with statements of SEN make satisfactory progress in relation to their statements and their individual education plans (IEPs).

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

17. Pupils having EAL make satisfactory progress in reading but do not do so well in writing as they make grammatical errors. The progress of these pupils in other subjects is hampered by the lack of emphasis on specific vocabulary.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils often show good attitudes towards school and most pupils behave well most of the time. Nursery children are encouraged to register themselves and be independent, and they quickly learn what is expected of them. Reception pupils in a language class, for example, behaved very well, applied themselves to their work and were keen to respond to questions and discussion. Many examples of positive attitudes and good behaviour were also seen in the main school. In a Year 5 religious education class, for example, pupils concentrated well and worked productively. Most pupils take an interest in school life and participate well in extra curricular activities such as basketball.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Sometimes however, attitudes are less good and a significant minority of pupils find it hard to become involved in learning or to stay focused on the task in hand. Poor behaviour is often linked to weak teaching, which does not challenge or interest pupils. In some cases pupils’ own immaturity and lack of self-discipline actively interfere with learning. In a physical education lesson, for example, the class teacher was unable to complete many of the activities she had planned because of interruptions and persistent disobedience.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Behaviour around school is usually good. Pupils move quietly and sensibly between classrooms, the hall and the playground and line up quietly and efficiently when required. They mix and chat freely with others at lunchtime and play enthusiastically on the outdoor equipment. There is no evidence of graffiti or damage to the buildings and personal property is safe. No bullying or oppressive behaviour was seen during the inspection and boys and girls of all ages play well together.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Children with SEN and those who speak EAL are fully integrated, and accepted by their peers. A great range of ethnic and religious backgrounds is represented amongst pupils and staff and a sense of harmony exists within the school. The recent Friends ‘R’ Us initiative, which trains pupils to help refugee children new to the school has caught children’s imagination. Parents feel that behaviour and attitudes are good and this view is largely supported by inspection findings.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. Relationships are mostly satisfactory. Pupils in a Year 6 English lesson worked well together in pairs and groups, and pupils in Year 2 in a design and technology lesson showed constructive relationships which helped them to learn. Occasionally however, there is some pushing, shoving and petty squabbles. In a religious education lesson, for example, pupils became noisy and quarrelsome.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

23. Pupils are capable of responding thoughtfully to the experiences of others. This was seen in a Year 6 lesson in personal and social education where pupils considered how to get help for different problems. Assemblies offer a pause to reflect on what they have learnt, which many are beginning to do. Some children, however, lack the maturity to co-operate and listen to others. In a Year 3 circle time discussion, for example, many found it hard to sit Crawford Primary School 9 still in the group and to make constructive suggestions.

p.14

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

24. Some opportunities are offered for pupils to develop initiative and responsibility: Year 6 pupils, for example, act as monitors to help the younger children at playtimes, and pupils take the information board to teachers at the beginning of school. Some opportunities are offered for personal study although the library is rather uninviting. Opportunities are missed to develop pupils’ independence through taking real responsibility; the school council is a beginning but many of its members report some frustration that their ideas are not always listened to.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

25. Attendance is improving and is now close to the national average. There is, however, a high level of unauthorised absence and many pupils habitually come late to school showing little sense of urgency about arriving punctually, which has had an adverse affect on progress over time. On the first two days of the inspection week, for example, about 30 pupils arrived each day after registers had closed. There was only one exclusion in the last school year.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Whilst much of the teaching seen during the inspection was at least satisfactory, a significant minority of the lessons were unsatisfactory. In these lessons, pupils' learning was limited. Conversely, pupils made rapid progress and achieved well in the many good and some very good lessons. There is no doubt that good practice exists within the school as shown by the three excellent lessons which were observed.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes was good, enabling all pupils to achieve well. Teaching was excellent in two lessons. The best lessons were characterised by teachers' good knowledge and understanding and skilful teaching of basic skills underpinned by good planning and effective teaching methods. In these lessons, teachers made their very high expectations clear to children and checked their progress regularly. These teachers manage behaviour very well and make good use of the time and resources available to them. These qualities were not found in the unsatisfactory lesson.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. In the main school, the best lessons were characterised by a brisk pace, good subject knowledge and a range of activities, which enabled teachers to build on what pupils already knew and could do. Teachers fired the imagination of their pupils, who responded to the teachers' evident enthusiasm and enjoyed their learning. Regular checks were made throughout the lesson of pupils’ understanding and learning was comprehensively reviewed at the end. Pupils showed good levels of concentration and tried hard to succeed. As a result they made rapid gains in learning and achieved well.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. In the excellent physical education lesson seen in Year 5, the teacher worked extremely well with a well-qualified basketball coach. Pupils were totally absorbed as they were consistently challenged, kept on the move and praised when they did well. At the end of the lesson, either the teacher or the coach reviewed the progress of each pupil. The well planned lesson, the very good subject knowledge and management of the pupils led to all of them, whatever their ability or needs, making rapid progress and achieving well.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. In a very good Year 6 science lesson, the teacher gave good attention to all the practical aspects of an investigation to discover how the length of a pendulum affected the time it takes to swing. As a result, all pupils understood exactly what was required and were able to work confidently, showing good levels of concentration. Groups of pupils used a computer spreadsheet to record their results, which helped them refine their mathematical Crawford Primary School 10 and information and communication technology (ICT) skills as well as their scientific knowledge.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. In a good Year 3 English lesson that challenged pupils to find small words within larger words, the teacher made her high expectations of work and behaviour clear form the outset. Clear behaviour routines were understood and applied consistently. Pupils responded well, were pleased with their successes and anxious to share them with others.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory, as is the teaching of the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT. Consequently, pupils gain satisfactory knowledge and understanding and can use these skills in other subjects. The learning of some pupils, however, is hampered by their lack of fluency in English. Whilst the use of homework is satisfactory, it is not set consistently across the school.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. Little unsatisfactory teaching was seen in English and mathematics and none in science. The underlying reason for teaching falling below acceptable standards was, in almost all cases, the failure of the teacher to focus on what the children were actually learning. There was often an over emphasis on recording learning objectives, which were laboriously written out by pupils who had limited literacy skills. As a result, this was all that some pupils managed to achieve in the lesson. In many cases too, the objectives were not used at the end of the lesson to review what pupils had learnt.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

34. Pupils' learning was also hampered by a lack of subject knowledge, which often made it difficult for teachers to give clear explanations or to answer pupils' questions accurately. In these lessons, and some which were otherwise judged to be satisfactory, the pace of learning was slow and teachers failed to engage pupils' interest. In some cases teachers' expectations of what pupils could achieve were unrealistic, but most often too low. This resulted in work being set that was either too hard for the lower attaining pupils or too easy for the more able.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

35. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is satisfactory. Teachers know their pupils well and provide good educational and personal support in the majority of lessons. There are inconsistencies in provision, particularly in mathematics, and there are lessons in which support assistants are not always fully employed. Where support assistants are deployed well, they provide very effective and caring support. Individual education plans for pupils with SEN are good and contain suitably specific targets for them. These have been revised, where necessary, in line with the new Code of Practice for SEN.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

36. Whilst the teaching of pupils having English as an additional language is satisfactory overall, there are some shortcomings. A learning support assistant has been trained and has a good understanding of the learning needs of these pupils and supports them well. Class teachers, however, do not always provide specific support for these pupils, who are sometimes grouped with lower attaining pupils. They are often supported by an additional adult who is not sufficiently aware of the specific learning needs of EAL pupils. In their lesson planning, teachers do not focus sufficiently on key vocabulary to help pupils understand what they are learning.

p.16

PUPILS?

37. The school provides a broad curriculum for pupils, offering a good range of learning opportunities. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy are well established. Whilst all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught, the curriculum for Crawford Primary School 11 religious education needs to be reviewed to meet the requirements of the new locally Agreed Syllabus. The school provides a good range of after-school activities. Teachers keep records of which pupils attend to ensure that each pupil has an opportunity to take part. The activities provided include a wildlife club, recorder clubs, basketball, football, separate girls’ football club and computer club. These activities are of high quality, and are well attended and greatly enjoyed by pupils.

p.16

PUPILS?

38. The policy for sex and relationships education has recently been updated. The school plans to involve a school nurse in the teaching, although at present the post is vacant. Aspects of sex education are taught in science and a structured programme for pupils in Year 6. Parents are invited to view the materials used. A local theatre group supports the school’s work on drugs awareness, which is taught in the context of developing a healthy lifestyle. The theatre group also ran a well-attended workshop for parents.

p.17

PUPILS?

39. The curriculum is enriched by a range of educational visits. Pupils have visited a number of galleries and museums, a local farm and churches. Pupils in Year 6 have a residential visit to an outdoor activities centre in Kent. Pupils’ learning in school is supported by a good range of visitors. This has included a children’s author who led workshops in writing and an artist in residence who led sculpture workshops. The range of activities is designed to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. The school has just started to monitor which pupils take advantage of the opportunities it provides and intends to use the information to ensure that it is fully inclusive. The school's Friends ‘R’ US programme provides training for four children in each year group from 2 to 5 to provide support for pupils who join the school with little English.

p.17

PUPILS?

40. The school has very good links with the community. Pupils in Year 6, for example, are supported by learning mentors from a large supermarket chain. The adults do not visit the school frequently but, pupils communicate with them using e-mail. Members of the emergency services visit the school to talk about safety issues and the school has good links with a community police officer. Speakers from a range of charities visit the school to talk to pupils about their work and a local community group runs the school’s breakfast and after-school clubs.

p.17

PUPILS?

41. At the age of 11 pupils transfer to a number of different secondary schools so it is not possible to maintain close links with all of them. Pupils also benefit from very good links with a local technology college. Staff are working with Year 7 teachers from the college in a number of subjects. During the inspection pupils from Year 6 visited the college to take part in design and technology lessons and mathematics master classes are arranged for able pupils in Year 6. Both schools are about to start a school-to-work programme, which involves training for students in Year 10 to work as teaching assistants three days a week in Crawford.

p.17

PUPILS?

42. Overall, the school gives good attention to ensuring that pupils have equal access to what it provides and none are excluded from any part of the curriculum. Pupils with SEN have equality of access to all areas of the school’s activities and to the same curriculum as other pupils.

p.17

Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

43. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal development and has made good progress since the last inspection in promoting pupils’ spiritual development. Acts of worship are of good quality and help pupils to reflect on their experience and that of others. During the inspection week the theme for acts of worship was ‘community’. Pupils were Crawford Primary School 12 fascinated by a visit from the school’s piano tuner who talked about how he had overcome disability. He is partially sighted and has also lost a finger from one hand. None the less he is a gifted pianist. This remarkable man was a very good role model for pupils and they were inspired by his story.

p.17

Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

44. The provision for pupils’ moral development is good. All adults in the school provide very good role models. The school is clear about what it expects from them and the code of behaviour is displayed in all classrooms. Pupils understand what is right and wrong and the majority behave well. Pupils are keen to receive behaviour certificates and lunchtime awards.

p.18

Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

45. Pupils’ social development is promoted well. Teachers provide opportunities in lessons for pupils to work together in pairs or groups. Most pupils are kind and caring to one another, regularly taking part in fundraising activities for local and national charities. The school is developing the use of “circle time” to enable pupils to discuss issues of concern to them. These times are also used to raise issues to be taken to the school council. The extra curricular activities and the residential visit also provide good opportunities for pupils’ social development.

p.18

Personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

46. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ cultural development. Art and music make a strong contribution to this. The school has had an artist in residence and pupils are regularly taken to art galleries. They study art and music from a range of styles and cultures. Books and resources reflect the multi-cultural nature of the school. The school has been fortunate in being able to recruit teachers and support staff from different ethnic backgrounds. These serve as good role models for pupils. The school makes good provision in the history curriculum to promote cultural development, for example by celebrating Black History Month each year. This represents an improvement since the last inspection.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school is a warm and caring community in which staff know individual children well. It offers a respite and haven from sometimes turbulent home lives. A range of sensible policies underpins behaviour, health and safety and social inclusion. Arrangements for pupils’ welfare are satisfactory with adequate numbers of staff with first aid training. Sick children are brought to the office until parents can be contacted and all incidents, minor and major, are logged in accident books. Toilets and eating arrangements are reasonable but the dining area for Years 3 to 6 is somewhat cramped.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Arrangements for child protection are satisfactory. The headteacher is the designated officer and works closely with the learning mentor, a trained social worker. About half the pupils come from the neighbouring borough of Lambeth and the school has had limited support when it has raised concerns about child protection and attendance of these pupils. New staff are informed about the school’s procedures and the staff is vigilant. Close and caring relationships between staff and pupils ensure that concerns are quickly noticed and acted upon. Pupils who arrive at school hungry, for example, are quietly given something to eat.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Sensible and efficient procedures ensure good behaviour. Extensive consultation between parents, pupils, staff and governors led to the new behaviour management policy. A clearly understood system of rewards and sanctions is, however, not always effective. Regular celebration assemblies help to reinforce positive attitudes to work and behaviour, Crawford Primary School 13 such as the recently introduced ‘ACE pupil’ (Achievement, Courtesy, and Effort). Children with special educational needs (SEN) and those who speak English as an additional language (EAL) are treated with respect and integrated into the life of the school. All races and religions work and play together in harmony.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is in its infancy and is not yet taught consistently well across the school. More concerted attention to techniques such as circle time would help pupils to mature and ensure smoother and more productive working relationships. Health education is dealt with satisfactorily.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school handles practical procedures for registers and latecomers adequately but too many pupils are still arriving late. The computerised system can produce sophisticated data analysis to show, for example, exactly how much learning time individual pupils have lost in a week. Clear evidence shows that persistent lateness is depressing standards. The school needs to make a concerted effort to raise the profile of punctuality throughout the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Assessment procedures in English, mathematics and science are well established. They are good in English and science and satisfactory in mathematics. The school has procedures in place for tracking pupils’ progress through the school. The results of national tests are analysed rigorously to identify any variations in pupils’ progress by ethnicity or gender. The information gained enables the school to compare the results of pupils who have joined the school at other than the usual time with those who have spent all their time at the school. The impact of this analysis is not yet apparent in teachers’ long and medium term planning.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. At the beginning of each half term, teachers discuss pupils’ progress with them and set targets for English, mathematics and science. These targets are recorded on cards kept in pupils’ books and they are regularly reviewed. Pupils’ progress in the foundation subjects is assessed each half term, although this is not done effectively in religious education.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Teachers adhere to a well-established calendar for assessment and use the information to guide their planning. This could, however, be used more rigorously to adapt daily plans to meet pupils’ learning needs. The school monitors attainment to ensure that specific groups of pupils are not being disadvantaged. It uses this information to identify priorities for improvement. Individual pupils, who are underachieving due to personal difficulties, are given good support by a learning mentor. The programme for gifted and talented pupils ensures that the school meets the needs of its most able pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. Good procedures are in place for assessing attainment and progress for pupils with SEN. Support assistants and teachers make regular assessments of pupils’ progress and this provides sufficient information to allow new targets to be set where appropriate. Arrangements for pupils having a statement of special need are satisfactory. The school uses guidance from the local education authority (LEA) to assess pupils’ competence in English and the deputy headteacher reviews pupils’ progress with the learning support assistant and class teachers.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. The school provides good support for its pupils, particularly those who need extra help to fit into school life. The learning mentor does sterling work in liaising with parents, listening to pupils’ problems, helping them with their learning and improving their self-esteem. Enrichment activities, such as master classes in mathematics, are provided for the pupils who have been identified as gifted and talented. A trained counsellor and art therapist attend regularly. Crawford Primary School 14 57. The recently opened Sybil Phoenix centre has begun to provide sensitive and effective help for pupils with educational and behavioural difficulties. At their leaving ceremony during the inspection their pride in their achievements and their self-esteem were very evident. Breakfast and after-school clubs offer safe and interesting places for pupils to spend time. Staff know their pupils well and take an active interest in their progress, development and

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

welfare. Parents praise this aspect of school life, and inspection findings confirm that the standards found at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. The school now has effective links with parents and carers, an improvement since the last inspection. They have positive views of the school and are often supportive of it. Nearly all say their children like school, that they are making good progress that teaching is good and expectations are high. Parents and carers also feel the school is open, approachable and very willing to listen to their complaints and suggestions. Most importantly, they feel that standards, especially in reading and writing, are improving. This view is confirmed by inspection findings.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. About a quarter of those who responded, however, were unhappy about homework. While the inspection found that this has improved, it is still used inconsistently and is not always matched to pupils’ needs. Sixteen per cent of parents and carers do not feel well informed and the inspection found some evidence to suggest that annual reports are still not easily understandable by parents.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. Other information provided by the school is now good. The Nursery gives an informative handbook to new parents. The prospectus is well presented and informative. The governors’ annual report to parents is well-structured and easy to read, but lacks minor statutory information such as an agenda for the annual parents’ meeting. Annual reports to parents are largely composed from pupil assessments and are difficult for non-specialists to understand. Not all contain targets for improvement or any reference to National Curriculum Levels. Parents’ meetings are held once a term and parents feel free to contact teachers at other times. The ‘parent wall’ in the corridor has an interesting display of work, achievements and information, which is translated into a number of community languages.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. Parents and carers have been enthusiastic in attending curriculum events and workshops to improve their own literacy and numeracy. They have been consulted over the behaviour management policy. An annual multicultural evening is enthusiastically attended and the school provides a ‘drop in’ service for parents and carers concerned about behaviour. Parents and carers support the work of the school, for example helping on trips to the swimming pool and coming in for assemblies, such as the one in which pupils in the Friends ‘R’ Us group presented themselves and their work. The links between school and parents are mostly good despite the fact that there is no parent-teacher association. The school makes a great effort to involve parents, but not all of them respond actively enough, for example by getting their children to school on time or attending meetings with the learning mentor.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. There are satisfactory formal and informal contacts with parents of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN). The school reports that a number of parents do not willingly attend reviews of progress for pupils with SEN. A number of initiatives have been tried with varying success. In accordance with the new Code of Practice, the school is working at involving parents and pupils in reviews of pupils’ progress and in setting new targets. Each year the headteacher meets with parents, in ethnic groups, to discuss how the school can be more inclusive. The school also provides family language classes for Crawford Primary School 15 parents who want to improve their English.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The friendly, approachable but determined headteacher, with the active support of the deputy head and governors, provides a clear educational direction for the school aimed at raising standards. Whilst more work needs to be done, standards are beginning to rise, particularly in mathematics and science.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school has specific aims for the academic and personal development of pupils. It is very successful in providing a welcoming and safe learning environment, which stimulates and supports pupils’ learning and each child is given equal opportunity to achieve their full potential. It is very largely meeting its aims for pupils’ personal development but is still to meet them for their academic achievement.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The headteacher has a very good working relationship with the deputy headteacher, who gives her particularly good support and plays a full part in the running of the school. Other senior staff have specific responsibilities and carry them out diligently. With the exception of English, subject leadership is at least satisfactory and is good in a number of areas.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. With the exception of some minor omissions in the annual report to parents, governors fulfil their statutory duties and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They not only give their full support to the school and its staff but also make an important contribution to planning future developments.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Senior staff monitor the quality of teaching to identify training needs and those with responsibilities for performance management ensure that staff are put on suitable courses to meet professional and whole school needs. Classroom monitoring, however, has not paid sufficient attention to what it is that pupils are learning. Senior managers and governors regularly monitor the school development plan and make any necessary adjustments. All involved in the school have a shared commitment to succeed and given recent improvements are well placed to do so.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school has clear priorities for development, which include improving the attainment and achievement of girls and pupils of African descent; improving pupils’ performance in writing throughout the school; improving attainment for Years 1 and 2 particularly in English and science; and improving the teaching of writing skills throughout the school. The school development plan has clear priorities, timings, responsibilities, costings and success criteria. It is a useful working document with progress towards meeting the targets clearly recorded.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The school analyses all available data, including the impact of high pupil turnover, and adjusts its teaching methods accordingly. This year and last, the school came close to meeting its realistic targets for the proportion of pupils expected to achieve the national expectations or above in English and exceeded them in mathematics.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The co-ordinator for special educational needs (SENCO) has shown good leadership and management in preparing individual education plans and ensuring that good procedures are in place for learning support, based on realistic priorities. All staff have been briefed about the implications of the new Code of Practice. There is a link governor for special educational needs (SEN) who provides effective support and advice. Statutory Crawford Primary School 16 requirements are fully met. The management of provision for pupils having English as an additional language (EAL) is effective. The deputy headteacher works closely with the trained learning support assistant and has introduced an effective programme for the induction of new pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The budget is well managed and carefully used to meet educational priorities although more formal methods should be introduced for governors to monitor the cost effectiveness of its decisions. Good use is made of new technology in all areas of the school’s work and it makes good use of all the grants and monies made available to it.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. Good arrangements are made for the induction of new staff and to mentor newly qualified teachers. Arrangements for performance management are satisfactory. The school has enough staff to teach the subjects of the National Curriculum satisfactorily, and between them they have a range of experience from newly qualified to several years in teaching. Although there are sufficient learning support assistants, they lack the specialist training to deal effectively with those pupils who speak EAL.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. Accommodation is good. Junior classrooms are large and spacious, and there are specialist rooms for music, information and communication technology (ICT) and shortly, science. The hall is large and pleasant, offering a useful space for physical education and assemblies. Despite its age the junior building is kept in a very high state of cleanliness and decorative order, thanks to the hard work of the Facilities Manager. The infants’ building is more crowded but makes very good use of various nooks and crannies. A specialist centre caters for pupils with educational and behavioural difficulties. The school has a large outdoor playground, with some pleasant garden areas containing picnic tables. Security is taken very seriously. Resources for learning are mostly satisfactory, with particular strengths in art, design and technology, music, maths and ICT.

p.22

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

74. The school has a large number of pupils for whom EAL. Only about 30 per cent of these pupils, however, are at the early stages of learning English, and 30 pupils currently receive support in small withdrawal groups. In September 2001 the school appointed a teacher to support pupils having EAL, but the appointment was not taken up. Pupils at the early stages of learning English are well supported by a skilled learning support assistant, who is currently studying for a teaching qualification. The school has increased the level of learning support assistants in classes to support pupils with EAL. Whilst additional support in class is valuable for these pupils, the staff are not knowledgeable about their specific learning needs, which means that their progress in learning English is slower than it could be.

p.22

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

75. Attainment in English of these pupils is well below average, as is the attainment of most pupils in the school. They make satisfactory progress in learning English and quickly become confident in using it in social situations. Few pupils in the school have well- developed speaking skills and this is also true of pupils with EAL. Pupils with EAL make satisfactory progress in reading but make grammatical errors in their writing that are characteristic of bilingual pupils. In other subjects, pupils’ progress is hampered by the lack of emphasis on specific vocabulary. When pupils know the terms used, their understanding is good, but they lack the writing skills to record their work.

p.22

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

76. Pupils show positive attitudes to their work. They try hard, even when they are not well supported. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. The support assistant has a good understanding of the learning needs of pupils with EAL and supports them well. In Crawford Primary School 17 class lessons, however, teachers do not provide specific support for these pupils and they are usually grouped with lower attaining pupils. This is often inappropriate, for example, some teachers do not take account of assessments in mathematics and science to group pupils appropriately, relying only on pupils’ levels of fluency in English. These groups are often supported by an additional adult, but the adults are not sufficiently aware of their specific learning needs. The school has a small number of bilingual staff, who use their home languages to support pupils. In their lesson planning, teachers do not focus

p.22

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

sufficiently on key vocabulary and learning objectives for the lesson to help pupils understand what they are learning. Despite some staff development in teaching pupils with EAL, staff are not fully aware of their learning needs and more training is needed.

p.23

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

77. The school uses guidance from the local education authority (LEA) to assess pupils’ competence in English. A small number of pupils with EAL are identified as having special educational needs (SEN). This only happens after considered observation and when pupils are not making progress. Otherwise the range of assessments is the same as for other pupils. The school analyses assessment data in terms of language competence. Results of this show that pupils who are more competent in English make progress at the same rate as their English-speaking peers.

p.23

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

78. Pupils with EAL have the same access to extra-curricular activities as others. However, in some lessons, when pupils are not grouped appropriately their access to the curriculum is restricted and they do not achieve as well as they should. The provision for their personal development is good. The school works well with parents and makes every effort to support them. Family language classes are run by a visiting teacher from the LEA. The school plans to develop these further.

p.23

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

79. The management of provision for pupils with EAL is effective. The school has not been able to implement its original plans for the year due to recruitment difficulties. However, the limited specialist expertise available to support pupils with EAL is used well. The deputy headteacher works well with the learning support assistant and has drawn up an effective induction programme for newly arrived pupils. She also reviews pupils’ progress with the learning support assistant and class teachers. The school recognises that more support is needed for pupils with EAL. A teacher has been appointed from September 2002 to work in literacy lessons to support pupils from Years 1 to 6 who are at an early stage of learning the language.

p.23

PROVISION FOR PUPILS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

80. At the time of the previous inspection, the proportion of pupils with EAL was very much smaller. The provision for those pupils was described as good. Given that the number of pupils with EAL has increased substantially, the school has responded satisfactorily to their needs. Given the limited resources currently available to the school and the actions taken to strengthen provision for the next academic year, provision for pupils with EAL is satisfactory. Crawford Primary School 18

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

81. In order to raise standards, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise standards in English** by: (Paragraphs: 6, 7, 9, 106, 108 to 110 and 114)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

∗ providing more opportunities for independent writing in all subjects of the curriculum; ∗ providing opportunities in all lessons to develop speaking and listening; ∗ providing a wider range of challenging texts for higher attaining pupils in order to foster a love of literature; ∗ ensuring that pupils in Years 3 to 6 have regular guided reading sessions which focus on teaching reading and developing pupils’ skills.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise standards in mathematics**, particularly in Years 3 to 6, by: (Paragraphs: 123 and 125)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

∗ providing direct teaching to pupils with special educational needs (SEN) which meets their learning needs; ∗ developing the use of individual pupil targets.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the quality of teaching** by: (Paragraphs: 27, 33, 34 and 54)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

∗ ensuring that lesson plans are based on clear assessments of what individual pupils already know and can do; ∗ making more use of the plenary sessions to review progress and achievement; ∗ ensuring that all teachers have realistic but high enough expectations of what pupils can do in order to provide challenging work for pupils of all abilities; ∗ focusing more closely on what pupils are actually learning; ∗ addressing weaknesses in teachers’ subject knowledge; ∗ providing learning objectives for each ability group and seeking ways of ensuring that pupils of all abilities meet them; ∗ making greater use of assessment information to adapt curricular planning to help pupils build on their previous learning; ∗ ensuring that all teachers are skilled in behaviour management. Crawford Primary School 19 • Improve the support available to pupils having English as an additional language (EAL) by: (Paragraphs: 74, 76 and 110)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

∗ providing opportunities for further professional development for all staff, so that pupils are given support according to their stages of learning English; ∗ ensuring that teachers plan for the specific needs of pupils with EAL in their lessons.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve punctuality by: (Paragraphs: 25 and 51)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

∗ giving it a much higher profile throughout the life of the school; ∗ strengthen home/school links to inform and encourage parents to co- operate with the school in ensuring that their children arrive on time.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

82. The governors should also consider ways of:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Providing opportunities for pupils to exercise self-discipline. (Paragraphs: 19, 24 and 61)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving outdoor equipment in the Reception area. (Paragraphs: 87 and 99)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

**The school has already identified these as priorities for development. Crawford Primary School 20

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 85 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 40

p.26

Poor

Number 3 9 23 40 10 0 0 Percentage 4 11 27 47 12 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.26

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 409 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 178 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.26

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 115

p.26

pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 225

p.26

pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 50 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 53

p.26

% %

School data 4.7 School data 2.5 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting Year. Crawford Primary School 21

p.26

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final Year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year: 2001 29 29 58

p.27

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 21 18 23 Girls 17 16 24 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Total 38 34 47 School 66 (75) 59 (69) 81 (95) Percentage of pupils at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.27

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 21 23 23 Girls 19 20 21 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Total 40 43 44 School 69 (75) 74 (85) 76 (88) Percentage of pupils at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) Percentages in brackets refer to the Year before the latest reporting Year.

p.27

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final Year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year: 2001 29 24 53

p.27

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 19 22 21 Girls 13 12 16 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Total 32 34 37 School 60 (62) 64 (54) 69 (67) Percentage of pupils at NC Level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.27

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 18 22 22 Girls 12 12 18 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Total 30 34 40 School 56 (52) 64 (50) 75 (58) Percentage of pupils at NC Level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the Year before the latest reporting Year. Crawford Primary School 22

p.27

Permanent

Black – Caribbean heritage 106 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.28

Permanent

Black – African heritage 102 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.28

Permanent

Black – other 1 Black – other 3 1 Indian 4 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 3 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 5 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 4 Chinese 0 0 White 73 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 161 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.28

Permanent

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. Not all parents choose to identify the ethnicity of their children. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.28

YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13 Financial Year 2001-2002

p.28

YR – Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 31.5

p.28

YR – Y6

Total number of education support staff 21 Total expenditure 1414786.00

p.28

YR – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 176 Expenditure per pupil 3245.00

p.28

Nursery

Balance brought forward from previous Year 79130.00

p.28

Nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next Year 89341.00

p.28

Nursery

Number of pupils per qualified teacher Total number of education support staff Total aggregate hours worked per week Number of pupils per FTE adult 8.3

p.28

Nursery

FTE means full-time equivalent. Crawford Primary School 23

p.28

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two Years 6

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two Years 6

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 4

p.29

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Crawford Primary School 24

p.29

Questionnaire return rate

Number of questionnaires sent out 409 Number of questionnaires returned 151

p.30

know

My child is making good progress in school. 51 41 7 1 0

p.30

know

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 41 6 1 4

p.30

know

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 34 19 7 3

p.30

know

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 36 9 5 0

p.30

know

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 29 8 1 3

p.30

know

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 66 24 7 1 3

p.30

know

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

p.30

know

The school is well led and managed. 52 35 3 1 9

p.30

know

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 39 1 1 7

p.30

know

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 38 3 3 15 Crawford Primary School 25

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

83. Provision in the Nursery and Reception (Foundation Stage) is good under the developing leadership of a new co-ordinator, who has a clear sense of educational direction and a determination to raise standards. Children enter Reception with standards which are below those expected nationally for their age. They make a good start to their learning in an enriched and supportive learning environment. All children, including children with special educational needs (SEN) and those for whom English is an additional language (EAL), make good progress and achieve well, as a result of good teaching.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

84. In the lessons observed during the inspection, teaching was excellent in two, very good in two, good in four lessons, satisfactory in three and unsatisfactory in one. As a result of the generally good teaching, all children make good progress and achieve well. The characteristics of the good and better teaching included teachers’ good knowledge and understanding of the needs of children in the Foundation Stage, their skilful teaching of basic skills, good planning, effective teaching methods, very high expectations and the good quality and use of ongoing assessment. The class management of these teachers is also very good and time and resources are used well. These qualities were not to be found in some of the other lessons judged to be satisfactory.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85. All staff work as a team and make a very good contribution to children’s personal and academic development. Children’s attainment improves considerably, as a result of their time in the Foundation Stage. By the time that they leave Reception, almost half the children have attained the early learning goals in personal and social development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Nevertheless, they are still below the national expectations for their age, due to the fact that many pupils enter the Nursery, with limited knowledge or no knowledge of English. Seventeen different languages are spoken by children in the Nursery. One fifth of the children are in the very early stages of learning English, whilst a quarter has limited English. All staff in the Foundation Stage make every effort to help children to develop their language skills. Children are encouraged to

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

become independent learners, through first-hand experience in all areas of learning.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

86. The quality and range of learning opportunities is good. The new curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage has been implemented well. Adults work closely together in planning a rich curriculum, which is detailed for each area of learning and is linked to the Early Learning Goals. It centres on specific topics for each half term and all activities have a clear focus. Independence and some freedom of choice are encouraged within well established routines. Good links are made between the six areas of learning.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

87. Parents are helped to prepare their children for school through visits before they start and given written guidance in their mother tongue if required. The attainment of children is assessed when they enter Reception. Good records of pupils’ personal and academic progress are used well to plan future work. These records are discussed with parents and their new class teachers. Adults ensure that girls and boys and children of all abilities and varying levels of English are given equal attention and encouragement and additional support where necessary. Crawford Primary School 26 88. The Foundation Stage has well-equipped classrooms but it is difficult to use the outside areas as extensions of the classrooms. The outdoor area for the Nursery would benefit from the provision of a grassed area and the replacement of the cobbles with a soft play surface. Further equipment is needed to teach all six areas of learning in the outside area.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Reception also lacks outdoors equipment for the physical development of pupils.

p.32

Personal, social and emotional development

89. Personal, social and emotional development is planned for in all areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum. All children make good progress and achieve well. They settle quickly into the routines of school as they take part in carefully planned indoor and outdoor activities. Their enthusiasm for school and their interest and involvement in activities together with their good behaviour leads to good learning. Children who show signs of having SEN are carefully monitored and given good support. All children are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves, each other and resources. Good relationships are gradually built between adults and other children.

p.32

Personal, social and emotional development

90. Foundation Stage staff use every opportunity to reinforce language and behaviour. Children are expected to listen to what others have to say, to work with others in groups, to share resources and take turns. Through learning about festivals, such as Christmas and Diwali, children begin to develop some understanding of the different cultures and beliefs within the class and the community. They learn the difference between right and wrong, what is considered to be fair and unfair as they develop their understanding of the need for a common code of behaviour and agreed values. Children are encouraged to carry out small tasks and they gradually learn to choose and sustain interest in activities and develop a positive approach to new experiences. They show a range of feelings when observing new life and growth and learn to respect the needs of living things.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

91. Planned opportunities are used to develop language skills in every area of the curriculum. The early emphasis on phonics and word building skills in the Nursery is crucial to children’s language development. During the inspection, in a lesson related to a story, The Shopping Basket , each child chose a fruit and put it in the teacher’s shopping basket, as the teacher sang a song, emphasising initial phonemes. Together, they made a shopping list of fruits as each child identified a fruit, sounded it out and gave a child’s name beginning with the same letter. As a result they developed their knowledge of letters and letter sounds. Reception Class children successfully identified sounds at the end of a word and located rhyming words within the book, One, two, three, off to the sea, demonstrating their understanding of features of the book, the characters and sequence of events.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

92. Children are encouraged to communicate and enjoy conversations and come to understand that communication takes place in a number of ways. All children enjoy books and learn that they can be informative. Their ideas are expressed through the making of marks and through drawing and painting. Gradually, they ascribe meaning to marks, learning to express ideas, talk about significant events, discuss stories and relate them to their own experience. A good balance is maintained between practical activities and direct teaching in introducing and consolidating phonic knowledge and early reading and writing skills. Crawford Primary School 27 93. Children are encouraged to ask simple questions, initiate conversation, express ideas and recount significant events in sequence. They plan activities with others, taking turns in conversation and using language to imagine and create roles and experiences. Most

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

children recognise and know letter sounds and names and use phonic knowledge to write their names and simple words and sentences. They make good progress in reading and take their reading books home. Not all pupils, however, are given support in their reading at home.

p.33

Mathematical development

94. All children make good progress and achieve well. Nursery children can count up to five reliably with half the class counting to ten. Links were made with literacy as the teacher took items out of her shopping bag that the children had remembered from the story The Shopping Basket . Children kept very quiet, ‘in case the animals came to take the food’. They counted the items accurately and participated fully in the story. The numeracy strategy is introduced well in Reception. The majority of children can say and use number names in order, in familiar contexts, and can order a given set of numbers. They make quick responses to questions, such as nine take away one. Most children have a good understanding of two-dimensional shapes and some three dimensional shapes, such as a cone and cylinder. They talk about, and look at, examples of repeated patterns and create patterns of their own, using simple shapes. Most children recognise, count, read, write and

p.33

Mathematical development

order numerals 1 to 10 and are beginning to write numerals to 20.

p.33

Mathematical development

95. They are able to select two groups of objects to make a given total and are beginning to find out how many have been removed from a number of objects by counting on from a number. Children’s understanding is supported through planned opportunities for practical and creative activities and interactive displays. They gain some knowledge of capacity and weight through practical experience with sand and water. In measuring how many containers of water it will need to fill a larger one, they make simple predictions. The teaching of mathematical concepts is well supported through resources such as books and puzzles related to shape, weighing activities and computer programs. Work is well matched to pupils’ prior learning and adults encourage children to explain what they have learned.

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

96. Children in the Nursery become familiar with the school environment and explore the school grounds and the local area, learning about people in the community who help them. They visit a nearby park through the seasons and note the different plants and wildlife. They plant seeds and bulbs and monitor their progress. At Christmas and Diwali, they learn about colour and sources of light and investigate objects and materials, such as burning candles. They develop their understanding of the immediate past as they talk about their families and study old toys. An understanding of changes in materials develops as they make cakes and biscuits. Children in Reception develop their scientific knowledge as they study habitats, water-plants and observe growth. They predict which objects will float or sink and gain a simple understanding of forces through investigation.

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

97. Children carry out a range of activities to increase their understanding and use of their senses. They are beginning to understand the importance of healthy living, good food and the need for hygiene, when handing out snacks. A knowledge of directional language is gained, as they draw a map of their journey to school. They use their imagination to produce a picture postcard, as a preparation for postcard writing in the literacy hour. Crawford Primary School 28 98. Computer skills are developed progressively and children use a range of software to support the development of reading, phonics, number, sorting, matching, sequencing and repeating patterns. Word processing skills are developed through the writing of pupils’ names and simple words and sentences. During the inspection, they demonstrated their ability to control a programmable toy and move it in the required direction. They also learned

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

to use a paint program to paint a house. One higher attaining pupil showed smoke coming out of the chimney. Children construct with a purpose in mind, using a range of materials and trying out a range of tools and techniques safely.

p.34

Physical development

99. Children progressively develop their ability to move with confidence, imagination, control and co-ordination, in safety. Regular daily use is made of the outdoor area and the school hall. Children develop their social skills as they practise their rolling, throwing and catching skills. During one lesson, however, children did not take account of what they had been taught about showing awareness of space, themselves and others and failed to develop their skills. Children in the Nursery and Reception progressively develop their skills in using a range of small and large equipment and travel around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment. They climb on to apparatus, balance and jump off safely and use large apparatus to perfect the skills taught. Children in the Nursery develop control and awareness of others, as they ride their bicycles and other wheeled vehicles, in the outdoor

p.34

Physical development

area. Most children apply a good level of physical and creative effort to their work.

p.34

Physical development

100. The physical development of pupils in the Reception class is limited by the lack of outdoor equipment. Children watch each other perform and make positive comments about the performance. They learn about the importance of exercise and a healthy diet and recognise changes that happen to their bodies, when they are active during the ‘warm up’ and ‘warm down’ sessions. Physical skills in the classroom are taught well. Adults ensure that equipment and tools are used safely. Children demonstrate increasing skill and control in handling tools, objects and malleable materials safely. They engage in activities requiring hand-eye co-ordination. They learn to use a pencil to form recognisable letters, to use a paint brush confidently and to develop their cutting out skills.

p.34

Creative development

101. Children’s creativity is developed within a stimulating learning environment, in which learning areas are well organised and resourced. Good displays focus on the topics that children are exploring and on children’s own work. Children in the Nursery create a collage of people who help them. Following a walk around the area, children paint houses, shops, trees, bees and butterflies. In the ‘Garden Centre’ and ‘Florists’, they make flowers, plants and wrapping paper, using pastels, chalks, tissue and pasta. They talk about and create simple patterns and make repeated patterns. The focus is on colour, shape and space, as they create their own version of a Kandinsky painting, using circles and squares. Children develop their understanding of other cultures, as they create Rangoli and Mehndi patterns. They are encouraged to use their imaginations and a variety of media, such as tissue paper,

p.34

Creative development

102. Children in Reception explore what happens when they mix primary colours, and experiment to create different textures. They cut, tear and glue a variety of materials to create collages, for example, One Day in the Jungle , linked with literacy. Close observations of melons and flowers, in chalk, pencil and pastels and a class collage of sunflowers, painted in the style of Van Gogh are of a high standard. Different types of Crawford Primary School 29 weather are expressed in paintings. Children make links with literacy, as they create collages of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Snail . They examine The Snail by Henri Matisse, making their own version by cutting out and tearing coloured tissue paper and using glue to stick it on to paper. Self-portraits become more accurate through the use of mirrors to examine their features more closely.

p.34

Creative development

103. Children learn to work collaboratively on a task, negotiating plans and ideas and selecting the correct resources. As adults work alongside children, they talk to them about their work and introduce new subject vocabulary. Children are encouraged to choose their own resources and try out their own ideas, using their developing skills. The making of three dimensional transport models is linked with role-play in the ‘Travel Agents’ and with travel songs.

p.35

Creative development

104. All children enjoy music. They sing with increasing control, tap out repeated rhythms and make up their own. Children in the Nursery develop their ability to play in time to the beat, to control instruments and to identify ‘hidden’ instruments. Children in Reception recognise and explore how sounds can be changed. Adults encourage them to use their imaginations and communicate their ideas through music. Children identify a number of musical instruments, explore their different sounds and describe how they are played. Their imagination develops as they dramatise stories, participate in role-play and match movement to music.

p.35

ENGLISH

105. Standards in English are well below average for pupils aged seven and eleven when compared with standards attained by pupils nationally. Results in the 2001 national tests for seven year olds were below average in reading and well below average in writing. Compared with the results attained by pupils in schools having a similar intake, the results were below average. Results for 11 year olds in the national tests for English were well below average. The performance of boys in English was significantly better than that of girls. In comparison with similar schools, the results matched the average. The provisional results in the 2002 national tests show some improvement for seven year olds but are still well below national expectations for pupils aged 11.

p.35

ENGLISH

106. The school has a high proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL). A significant number of pupils joined the school during Years 3 to 6. The school also has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN). All these factors have an impact on pupils’ attainment. A small number of pupils new to the school are refugees and there are also pupils living in temporary accommodation. The learning experiences of these pupils have been disrupted. As a result their attainment is lower than that of their peers.

p.35

ENGLISH

107. When pupils start in Year 1, their attainment in speaking and listening is below what is expected nationally for their age. Teachers have recognised this and are developing opportunities to promote pupils’ skills. However, not all teachers provide pupils with opportunities to discuss their work in pairs or in small groups. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 listen well to their teachers. They respond to instructions and try hard to do as they are asked, but most are not confident in speaking to the class. Pupils enjoy discussing the book they are reading together but not all are able to join in. Some teachers do not direct questions Crawford Primary School 30 carefully enough to include all pupils and ensure that they take part. When answering questions in assemblies, pupils tend to give one-word answers. In Years 3 to 6, pupils still lack confidence in talking to large groups, for example when presenting their work in

p.35

ENGLISH

assemblies. Most pupils do not use a wide range of vocabulary or construct their sentences well.

p.36

ENGLISH

108. The provisional results in the reading tests for seven year olds show that pupils attained average standards but that none attained the higher Level 3 in reading. Pupils regularly take books home to read with an adult although their reading records tend to list the books they have read rather than commenting on how well they are reading. The higher attaining pupils say that they enjoy reading at home, but they do not talk readily about the stories or authors they enjoy when reading individually. They do not read aloud with good expression and have a limited range of strategies for reading unfamiliar words. Most pupils are developing a good knowledge of letter sounds but are not all able to blend these together in their reading. They know the difference between fiction and non-fiction books and can describe some of the features of a non-fiction book such as an index and contents page. They know that an index is arranged in alphabetical order.

p.36

ENGLISH

109. Pupils in the current Year 6 attain average standards in reading. They enjoy a range of popular children’s fiction but very few are aware of the rich range of literature available to them. A small number of higher attainers enjoy reading complex texts such as Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings but have usually been introduced to these at home. When reading aloud, average and lower attaining pupils do not read with good expression. They do not check that their reading makes sense, or correct their mistakes by using the context. In Year 6, pupils do not have enough opportunities to read for pleasure or to develop the reading skills which would enable them to attain the higher levels. They are not being introduced to a wide range of challenging texts which would foster a love of literature. Older pupils confidently use dictionaries and reference books to find information for their topics.

p.36

ENGLISH

110. The school has identified the need to improve standards in writing for pupils aged seven and eleven. Teachers are confident in the skills required by the national literacy strategy but recognise that that pupils need further opportunities to develop the skills of creative and extended writing. The provisional tests for seven year olds in 2002 showed that no pupils attained the higher Level 3 in writing. Pupils in Year 2 are not yet using joined script and many pupils do not form their letters well. Many still mix upper and lower case letters in their writing. Most of the work in Years 1 and 2 consists of exercises to develop the skills needed for writing. However, pupils are then not given tasks to help them use the skills they learn in independent writing. This means that they do not have enough opportunities to structure their own writing, or to adapt it, thinking about the reader. They also use a limited

p.36

ENGLISH

111. Older pupils have developed a neat and legible handwriting style, which they use in their work across the curriculum. Handwriting is particularly good in one Year 5 class. Pupils cover the range of work expected by the National Literacy Strategy but are not given enough opportunities to practise the skills they learn in their independent writing. A small number of pupils in Year 6 achieve well in writing. There are some examples of descriptive writing in which pupils use language well and are developing a lively personal style. They write diary accounts showing mature thoughts and responses. Pupils had written some letters to the local council suggesting that cycle lanes be introduced to encourage people not to use cars and thus reduce pollution. They had also practised writing play scripts. There is evidence in a few pupils’ books that they sometimes evaluate their work and try to improve it,

p.36

ENGLISH

but this area of English needs improving. Pupils are not developing the ability to sustain their ideas in writing and organise their thoughts effectively. The average and lower attaining pupils use only a limited range of vocabulary in their independent work. Crawford Primary School 31 112. During the inspection the teaching of English was satisfactory overall. Of the 11 lessons seen during the inspection, four were good, six were satisfactory and one was unsatisfactory. Teachers are secure in their understanding of the basic skills of literacy and teach them satisfactorily. In the better lessons, teachers make their expectations of work and behaviour very clear to pupils, who respond well. Teachers make good use of open- ended questions that challenge pupils’ thinking. At the end of lessons they review learning well which enables pupils to understand their work and make progress. These lessons are

p.36

ENGLISH

well paced and enable pupils to achieve. The majority of teaching was satisfactory. However, there were some features that did not support the learning of all pupils. Teachers planned their lessons satisfactorily but did not provide separate activities for pupils with different learning needs. Pupils with SEN and those at the early stages of learning English were often supported in lessons by learning support assistants. Whilst this was helpful to pupils, the teachers had not modified tasks to match pupils’ individual education plans. There is one learning support assistant who has received specific training in supporting pupils with EAL. Her support to these pupils is effective. However the other learning supports assistants have not yet received enough training in the specific needs of pupils at the early stages of learning English and are not able to meet the very specific needs of these pupils.

p.37

ENGLISH

113. In most lessons the teachers’ introductions were well focused and effective. In group and independent work, teachers tended to set tasks for pupils and then generally supervise rather than work intensively with different groups. In the lesson where teaching was ineffective, the slow pace meant that pupils were easily distracted and found it difficult to maintain concentration. In the lesson judged to be unsatisfactory, there was insufficient focus on the learning objectives for the lesson, which meant that pupils were not clear about what they were learning . The pace was slow which meant that pupils were easily distracted and found it difficult to maintain concentration. Time and resources were not used well and the task was the same for all groups. This meant that pupils with special educational needs and those at the early stages of learning English were not well supported and the higher

p.37

ENGLISH

attaining pupils did not make the progress of which they are capable.

p.37

ENGLISH

114. As at the time of the last inspection, the management of English is unsatisfactory. In the summer term, the subject leader was supported by a leading literacy teacher. There has been some monitoring of pupils’ work in books but this has not happened frequently. As a result the impact of this is weak. The school uses medium term planning provided by the local education authority (LEA), but teachers do not make enough use of the information gained from assessment to adapt these plans to the specific needs of the pupils in their classes. The subject leader has not monitored colleagues’ individual plans.

p.37

ENGLISH

115. In the national tests for seven year olds for 2002, the teacher assessments for writing did not match pupils’ actual results. Teachers had assessed some pupils as reaching the higher Level 3 in writing but in practice no pupil attained this level. The school has decided to teach guided reading outside the literacy hour but the impact of this has not yet been monitored. This is a new development. However, arrangements observed during the inspection do not support pupils well in developing a good range of reading strategies, or in introducing them to a good range of texts.

p.37

ENGLISH

116. For the older pupils there is insufficient focus on the teaching of reading skills to enable them to read more challenging texts and attain the higher levels. The progress of lower attaining pupils is also affected by the lack of structured teaching of reading skills. Teachers regularly assess pupils’ attainment and progress in English by using the optional tests in English in Years 3, 4 and 5. The subject leader is also working with the consultant to develop a portfolio of pupils’ work that shows standards at each level. The school has Crawford Primary School 32 begun to use these assessments to track pupils’ progress in English and to set group and individual targets. Analysis of these results shows that 11 year olds who attended the school during Years 3 to 6 made good progress. Taking these factors into account the school has made satisfactory progress in English since the last inspection.

p.37

MATHEMATICS

117. Pupils enter the school with below average levels of attainment. In the national tests for seven year olds in 2001, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected Level 2 or above was well below the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 was also very low. When compared with similar schools results were also low. Evidence based on pupils' work, lessons seen, and the provisional 2002 national test results, however, indicates that standards have improved and are now in line with national expectations. The provisional results for 2002 show that boys performed better than girls. The significant improvement in standards is a result of the school’s effective implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

118. In the national tests for 11 year olds in 2001 the results were well below the national average. Standards have been rising over the last three years, and whilst results remained below the national average, they were above the average for similar schools. Evidence based on pupils’ work, lessons seen, and the provisional test results for 2002 indicates that standards are now below rather than well below national expectations. This represents a good improvement in standards.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

119. When judging standards for 11 year olds, account should be taken of the very high number of pupils who join the school other than at the usual time, which has an adverse effect on standards achieved. By the age of 11, pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and having English as an additional language (EAL), make satisfactory progress. Pupils’ progress in Years 3 and 4, however, is slower, particularly for the higher attainers and those having SEN.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

120. By the end of Year 2, pupils can multiply by counting forwards and backwards in 2s to 20. They can tell the time in hours and half-hours using analogue clocks. Higher attainers can tell the time using minutes to and minutes past the hour. By the end of Year 6, pupils can use and apply their knowledge of number and mathematical operations to arrive at a target number by only using 7 and 10 as, for example, finding the number 1 through 7+7+7- 10-10. They know and use terms such as number sequences, number bonds and inverse proportion. They can use calculators effectively to solve number problems. Higher attaining pupils can understand and use factors.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

121. In Year 3 pupils know that subtraction is the inverse of addition, and that multiplication is the inverse of division. They can mentally subtract one and two digit numbers from two digit numbers, for example, 20-5, 23-7 and 50-42. They can describe the mental strategies they used to arrive at their answers. Pupils draw number lines to support their use of counting as a subtraction strategy, for example, 50-32 as, 32+8=40+10 = 50, 8+10=18. The presentation of pupils’ work is good in Years 5 and 6 and better than in Years 3 and 4. This has a direct impact on pupils’ learning and progress. For example, it affects pupils’ understanding of place value because two and three digit numbers are not set out in clear columns.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

122. By the end of Year 6, pupils, including those with EAL, can multiply and divide whole numbers by 10 and 100, using their understanding of place value. They can use written methods of addition and subtraction and of short multiplication and division. They can add Crawford Primary School 33 and subtract decimals to two places and can construct and interpret line graphs. Higher attaining pupils can use all four number operations with decimals to two places, can reduce a fraction to its simplest form and are able to understand and use probability. Lower attaining pupils can add and subtract numbers with two digits mentally and with three digits using written methods. They use mental recall of the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 multiplication tables.

p.38

MATHEMATICS

123. Of the 14 lessons seen, teaching was good in five, satisfactory in seven and unsatisfactory in two. When account is taken of these lessons and the work of pupils in the last year, teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Teachers are using the structure of the National Numeracy Strategy and generally teach it well. The final review session, however, is not currently being used as effectively as it could. In a significant number of lessons, too little time was allowed for reviewing work to check, for example, to what extent lesson objectives had been achieved by different groups of pupils, and to set the scene for future lessons. Speaking and listening abilities are developed well in whole-class question and answer sessions. In the majority of lessons, the first part, which is devoted to oral and mental work, is taught well. The pace is brisk and the teaching lively.

p.39

MATHEMATICS

124. In the unsatisfactory lessons and in some which were otherwise judged to be satisfactory, some work is too demanding for lower attainers and pupils with SEN. Consequently the learning needs of these pupils are not being met and they become restless and inattentive. Most teachers use questions effectively to challenge pupils and to keep them actively engaged. Most, however, rely on pupil volunteers to answer questions rather than directing questions at individuals. This prevents questioning being used as a way of ensuring the attention and engagement of all pupils and limits its use in assessing what all pupils know and can do.

p.39

MATHEMATICS

125. In the majority of lessons pupils are involved in a range of learning activities using good quality resources, which support their learning well. Pupils are encouraged to use different ways to do calculations and to solve number problems. This has a positive impact on the development of pupils’ understanding. In the majority of lessons teachers manage pupils well so that pupils' learning is enhanced because they are attentive to what they are being taught and the tasks they have to complete. The resulting good behaviour and attitudes to learning enable teachers to give more attention to groups and individual pupils to help to extend their learning. In some lessons, pupils are slow to respond to their teacher’s directions and are sometimes not attentive to what the teacher is saying.

p.39

MATHEMATICS

126. Pupils are taught in prior attainment groups in Years 5 and 6 and generally tasks are well matched to pupils' needs. In Years 3 and 4 pupils are taught in all ability classes. In these year groups, the pupils are sometimes not challenged sufficiently or the work is too demanding for some pupils, who require more adult help. In most of the lessons seen, pupils with SEN worked on group tasks with a learning support assistant and did not receive any direct teaching from a teacher. In one lesson the teacher concentrated on teaching these pupils and as a result they made good progress. In Years 3 and 4, pupils with SEN have a very insecure knowledge of number bonds to 10, which leads to slow progress in the work they are doing in number lessons. The school has recognised the need for more direct and targeted teaching in mathematics for these pupils. The use of assessment to inform the planning of individual lessons and of the activities for different attainment groups is

p.39

MATHEMATICS

127. Planning lacks consistency across the school. Too often the lesson objectives are unclear and do not take enough account of the differing needs of all pupils. Good practice was seen in one mathematics lesson where learning objectives were set for each ability group. Homework is well used to support learning in lessons. Work in books is marked Crawford Primary School 34 regularly but few comments are aimed specifically at helping pupils to improve their work. The use of assessment information in future planning is satisfactory but the use of individual pupil targets is inconsistent across the school and day-to-day assessment is unsatisfactory.

p.39

MATHEMATICS

128. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. The subject is well managed by the co-ordinator and pupils receive direct teaching. Standards are systematically monitored. The co-ordinator monitors teaching and provides support for teachers through demonstration lessons and advice on planning and teaching methods. Thorough assessment and analysis of pupils' skills in mathematics are undertaken during Years 5 and 6. The results are used to guide teaching and to track the pupils’ progress. This is having a positive impact on standards.

p.40

MATHEMATICS

129. The co-ordinator, in conjunction with a local secondary school, runs a programme of mathematics master classes for pupils who are mathematically gifted. Resources are good and the use and development of pupils' numeracy skills in other subjects are satisfactory. The co-ordinator plans to increase the range of computer programs that pupils can use to support their mathematics learning and to develop the school's provision for teaching pupils with SEN.

p.40

SCIENCE

130. Teacher assessments of seven year olds in 2001 were well below the national averages. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 were well below the national average and below the average for similar schools. Provisional results for the 2002 tests at the end of Year 6 show a very substantial improvement, mainly due to improvements in teaching especially in Year 6.

p.40

SCIENCE

131. Pupils’ enter the school with below average attainment. A high number of pupils coming to and leaving the school at other than the usual times also hampers attainment. Inspection evidence indicates that standards are below national expectations for seven year olds and in line with those expected for 11 year olds. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) receive effective support in class and make good progress towards their individual targets. Pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) achieve well. There are now good levels of scientific enquiry, an improvement since the last inspection.

p.40

SCIENCE

132. By the end of Year 2, most pupils are beginning to develop the basic vocabulary and understanding of scientific concepts. They can, for example, discuss the characteristics of living things. Pupils understand that living things grow and reproduce. They understand that similarities and differences exist between animals. They can sort materials into groups such as those that are hard and soft, or rough and smooth. Pupils carry out simple investigations such as those seen in Year 2 when pupils examine the relationship between their height and the span of their hands. Most can make sensible predictions about what they think the results will be and can express their ideas about finding solutions to problems. Pupils are able to recognise the five senses and can appreciate that sound may have various uses such as warning of danger or communicating information. The majority of pupils are not yet familiar with the principle of a fair test and do not regularly assess the

p.40

SCIENCE

results of their investigations to say whether they were as expected and why.

p.40

SCIENCE

133. By the end of Year 6, most pupils develop a sound factual knowledge and a range of scientific vocabulary. Pupils in Year 3, for example, can talk about herbivores and carnivores and understand terms such as habitat and food chain. Most pupils recognise the need for fair tests, can describe the most important features and explain which features need to change to ensure that tests are fair. They are able to explain what happens if one Crawford Primary School 35 variable in a test is altered such as adding extra weight to a pendulum when testing for how long pendulums of various lengths will swing. They understand the need for repeat measurements in some tests. Most can explain the functions of the human skeleton and name some of the major bones. In general, pupils have limited opportunities to select and use equipment themselves when conducting tests or to explain how different environments

p.40

SCIENCE

give rise to the wide variety of organisms found. Limited evidence was seen during the inspection of pupils being able to describe and explain the reasons for physical features such as the effects of the earth’s movement or the apparent movement of the sun.

p.41

SCIENCE

134. Science makes a good contribution to pupils’ literacy and numeracy development. Older pupils usually write up results of tests for themselves and are encouraged to develop their own writing style. In some lessons in Years 1 and 2 too much use is made of worksheets, which are often the same for all pupils. As a result, the writing development of higher attaining pupils in particular is restricted. Lower attaining pupils, especially the younger ones, are often given extra support with writing to help their literacy development. Pupils routinely use measurements of different types in science and present evidence on a range of graphs and tables. This makes a good contribution to numeracy. The use of computers to produce graphs and to refine, edit and produce written work is satisfactory and science makes the required contribution to information and communication technology (ICT) development.

p.41

SCIENCE

135. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6. Of the nine lessons seen, one was very good, three were good and five were satisfactory. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. Teachers have good class control that is achieved with quiet authority. The majority of pupils respond well and behaviour is good in lessons. Pupils show interest in science, have good attitudes to learning and work well together in groups. Pupils’ work is marked and corrected and homework is set regularly.

p.41

SCIENCE

136. Where teaching is very good, lesson objectives are explained to pupils so that they have some knowledge of how well they have learned during the lesson. Work is carefully planned to give pupils clear instructions to do the tasks but also to leave them with independent thinking to do to complete them. All aspects of classroom management and health and safety are carefully thought through. As a result pupils are clear about what to do and no time is lost during the lesson. In a number of lessons where teaching is satisfactory rather than good, the teacher does not plan the work well enough to cater for the wide range of attainment found in classes. This is especially so for lower attaining pupils, those who speak EAL and pupils having SEN. Teachers have a tendency to set the same work for all pupils and to rely on classroom assistants to support pupils rather than set work to meet individual needs.

p.41

SCIENCE

137. Good procedures are in place to track pupils’ attainment and progress. These have been developed since the previous inspection when assessment was not well established. Good use is made of the data provided to check that the curriculum is suitable. At the time of the previous inspection, there was no adequate scheme of work. The school is now using a national scheme which enables pupils to build on what they have learnt as they move through the school.

p.41

SCIENCE

138. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to study, and reflect upon, the wonders of the scientific world and the environment. This makes a good contribution to their spiritual development. Lessons often have a good moral dimension and pupils are taught right from wrong. In discussions, pupils learn to listen to the views of others, thus developing their social skills as well as those of speaking and listening. Social development is further Crawford Primary School 36 enhanced by opportunities to work together, share and take turns. Pupils have opportunities to take responsibility by organising equipment and tidying up after lessons. Cultural development is good, but could be further improved by a greater recognition of the wide range of traditions from which scientific thinking comes.

p.41

SCIENCE

139. The management of the school has shown good leadership in addressing those issues raised in the previous report and in improving teaching. Taking into account these improvements and the rise in standards this year, the subject has made good progress since the previous inspection.

p.42

ART AND DESIGN

140. At the ages of seven and eleven, the attainment of pupils in art and design is above the standards expected. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection, when attainment matched national expectations. The improvement in teaching and learning, from satisfactory to good, has been influential in raising standards. Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and those for whom English is an additional language (EAL) progress as well as their peers through the use of visual images, which override language and academic difficulties. All pupils achieve well. The value placed on high standards of work and on pupil achievement is reflected in the high quality of work displayed around the school.

p.42

ART AND DESIGN

141. By the age of seven, pupils use a variety of media, such as pastels, collage, textiles and clay, and develop a wide range of techniques. Their proficiency in mixing colours can be seen in their light and dark cityscapes. In their history work on homes past and present, pupils have designed some imaginative homes for the future. The study of textile designs and the work of great artists such as Paul Klee help them to create patterns of their own. Good use is made of information and communication technology to generate, amend and repeat shapes. Pupils’ mathematical knowledge of shape and space is developed through work in two and three dimensions. Close observational drawings of flowers and plants in science show attention to detail. Pupils develop their printing skills, using a variety of different textures. Their speaking and listening skills are developed, as they discuss their ideas, work together in small groups and create collages based on stories, such as The

p.42

ART AND DESIGN

Gingerbread Man and T he Fish Who Could Wish.

p.42

ART AND DESIGN

142. The range of topics and pupils’ skills and techniques are further developed in Years 3 to 6. Sketchbooks are used well. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ still life pictures, of flowering plants, trees, fruit and artefacts, in pencil, chalk and oil pastels, are of high quality. Their understanding of horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, and of reflection and symmetry, is revealed in their Rangoli patterns and other designs. Landscape collages show good texture, tone, colour and layering. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used to research the work of great artists.

p.42

ART AND DESIGN

143. Pupils’ spiritual development is enhanced through the appreciation of works of art and the expression of their own feelings through art. Year 6 pupils show understanding of colour, pattern, texture and shape, in the creation of natural environments and cityscapes. A study of Van Gogh’s painting of Une Rue a Auvers - sur-Oise develops their understanding of depth, shadow and perspective. Pupils try to incorporate some of his techniques, as they enlarge the pencil drawings that they have made of the school and colour them with pastels. Crawford Primary School 37 144. Teaching and learning are good. Teaching was satisfactory in two of the four lessons observed in Years 3 to 6 and very good in two. It was not possible to observe any lessons in Years 1 and 2, but the quality of pupils’ work, over time, shows that teaching and learning are good. In the best lessons observed, teachers show good subject knowledge and planning.

p.42

ART AND DESIGN

Basic skills are taught well, leading to the progressive development of pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills. Teachers’ high expectations inspire pupils to apply creative effort to their work and they engage pupils’ interest, attention and concentration.

p.43

ART AND DESIGN

145. Pupils are clear about what they have to do and are encouraged to assess their work. They reveal a good knowledge of their own learning and show respect for the ideas and work of others. Ongoing assessment is good and is used constructively to facilitate learning. In lessons judged to be satisfactory, the pace was often slow.

p.43

ART AND DESIGN

146. The new scheme of work based on national guidance has led to improved standards. Good procedures are used to assess pupils’ attainment and for using assessment to inform curriculum planning. The curriculum is enriched through museum visits, art weeks and visiting artists.

p.43

ART AND DESIGN

147. The subject is well managed. The subject leader is enthusiastic and knowledgeable and has a clear sense of educational direction. She monitors planning and pupils’ work but has not yet monitored teaching and learning. The subject is well resourced. Realistic plans for development include increased monitoring and the incorporation of pottery into the scheme of work.

p.43

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

148. Standards in design and technology at the ages of seven and eleven are above national expectations. This marks a good improvement since the last inspection when standards were below national expectations and a key issue required the school to meet the full statutory requirement of design and technology. The improvement is due to staff training, the monitoring of teaching and learning, improved resources and the introduction of a new scheme of work, based on national guidance, which enables teachers to identify the skills to be taught. A recent design and technology exhibition has helped to raise the profile of the subject. Equality of access and opportunity is good. Visual images and practical support enable the difficulties faced by some pupils to be largely overcome. All pupils make good progress and achieve well. The school’s commitment to raising standards is evident in the high quality of the work displayed throughout the school.

p.43

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

149. By the age of seven, pupils are able to generate ideas, and to design and make simple models. A consistent approach to planning, designing, making and evaluating products results in finished products of a high standard. Pupils design and make moving pictures operated by a sliding mechanism, and their understanding of mechanisms is developed through the designing and making of winding mechanisms and wheeled vehicles. They build on their knowledge of structures, gained through the use of construction kits, to design houses and playgrounds. They develop sewing skills as they make puppets, joining two pieces of material together, paying careful attention to cutting, stitching and decoration. Literacy skills are developed as pupils engage in discussion and complete their design sheets. The grouping of pupils and collaborative work contribute to pupils’ social development. Accurate measuring at the making stage develops pupils’ mathematical skills.

p.43

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Crawford Primary School 38 150. By the age of 11, pupils demonstrate a growing ability to evaluate, adapt and improve their work. In evaluating the moving monsters controlled by a pneumatic system that they had made in Year 3, pupils analysed whether they had been successful in following the design process, by checking their investigation and design and making modifications, as required. In an assembly, pupils in Year 6 demonstrated how they made shelters, linked with their work in geography, in hardwood, softwood and corrugated card. A second group displayed a quilt of exceptionally high quality that they had worked on collaboratively, designing and decorating a square each, which they then joined together. Each week, a small group of pupils from Year 6 extend their design and technology skills during a morning visit to a neighbouring secondary school.

p.44

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

151. All pupils in Year 6 have designed and made slippers. Many of these are of a quality seldom achieved by pupils of their age. They drew on their mathematical skills to measure and produce a prototype. The recent purchase of a food technology trolley, with a cooker incorporated, has facilitated the making of sandwich meals in Year 3 and bread in Year 6. Pupils drew on their literacy skills to write instructions. Their cultural knowledge and information technology skills were developed as they researched the making of bread throughout the world.

p.44

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

152. Pupils in Year 6 have contributed to the inclusive nature of the school, by designing high quality mouse mats to carry a message they have taken to heart since taking part in the Metropolitan Police Youth Diversity Scheme. As a result, pupils understand that there are more similarities between people from varying cultures and backgrounds than differences, and that difference is also a personal and positive fact.

p.44

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

153. Teaching and learning were satisfactory in one of the three lessons observed, good in another and very good in the third. In lessons which are good or better, teachers show good knowledge and understanding, and designing and making skills are taught well, ensuring that pupils’ acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding is good. Lesson planning is good. Teachers have high expectations and ensure that all pupils understand what they have to do and what they are expected to achieve. Pupils are managed well.

p.44

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

154. Pupils’ enthusiasm for the subject and their good behaviour and relationships promote learning. Good use is made of time and resources, and ongoing assessment ensures the active involvement of all pupils. Pupils are expected to evaluate their products and identify and carry out improvements. They have a good self-knowledge of their learning as a result. Most pupils show a concern for quality. In lessons where teaching is satisfactory, teachers put less emphasis on quality, adaptation and improvement.

p.44

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

155. The management of the subject is good. The subject leader demonstrates clear educational direction and monitors pupils’ work and teachers’ plans. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good and the information is used well to inform curriculum planning. Learning resources, including the use of information technology for planning and designing, are used well. The action taken to meet the school’s targets is good, as are the school’s priorities for development. These include the continued monitoring of teaching and learning and a focus on mechanisms.

p.44

GEOGRAPHY

156. Timetabling arrangements meant that it was only possible to see two lessons during the inspection. The evidence of these lessons, together with a scrutiny of the work carried out during the year, a review of lesson planning and conversations with the co-ordinator, shows that standards are below those expected nationally for children aged seven and Crawford Primary School 39 eleven. Most pupils enter the school with below average attainment and the majority achieve satisfactorily over their time in school. This is not the case for pupils who join the school at various stages of their education and their attainment is lower than it should be.

p.44

GEOGRAPHY

157. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a basic knowledge of where they live and their place in Europe and the world. They are able to understand the geographical definition of an island and draw a map of an island as a basic feature. This work is not always used to enable pupils to learn how to use symbols, keys or directional signs, or to help them distinguish between physical and human features. Pupils have limited knowledge of environmental aspects of geography and of carrying out individual research into questions they have posed.

p.45

GEOGRAPHY

158. By the end of Year 6, pupils have extended their knowledge and can identify many of the world’s longest rivers. They are able to describe the stages of river development and features found in the various stages such as waterfalls and potholes. Pupils in Year 6 can also make links between physical features and human activity, such as skiing and abseiling in mountains. They understand the positive and negative effects of human activity on environments such as mountainous areas. Evidence of studies to establish geographical patterns on a worldwide scale is limited. In general, pupils do not develop the more sophisticated skills of posing their own questions to study or of using a range of sources to find the answers to them.

p.45

GEOGRAPHY

159. Geography makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ literacy development, although this is not systematically planned into the curriculum. Pupils have opportunities to write at length and pupils in one Year 6 class described the development of waterfalls and how erosion works in river valleys. Pupils copy text word for word from textbooks sometimes without understanding what they have written. Pupils use graphs and tables to present information and this makes a satisfactory contribution to numeracy. The use of computers to produce graphs, to edit work and present pictorial information is satisfactory.

p.45

GEOGRAPHY

160. Inspection evidence shows that the quality of teaching and learning overall is satisfactory. One of the two lessons seen was satisfactory, the other unsatisfactory. Pupils generally have satisfactory attitudes to their work and take care with their presentation. Overall, teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge, but at times on specific issues this is unsatisfactory, as clearly seen in one class where definitions about river valley development were inaccurate. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and corrected but there are few comments from teachers on what pupils need to do to improve. Few teachers use National Curriculum Levels to show pupils how well they are doing. In the unsatisfactory lesson the work did not challenge pupils and they became bored.

p.45

GEOGRAPHY

161. Geography makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are given opportunities to study the world and its wonders and to reflect on the environment. The school encourages a strong moral dimension and pupils are taught right from wrong and to listen when others are speaking. Pupils have opportunities to work together and this enhances their social development. Satisfactory procedures are in place for tracking pupils’ attainment and progress. These are now being developed to identify where weaknesses occur in the curriculum. This is a considerable improvement in assessment methods since the previous inspection. Some parents expressed the view that there was a lack of time for geography. Although time allocation is shorter than for many schools, inspection evidence indicates that it is not having an adverse effect on standards. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory and it has made satisfactory

p.45

GEOGRAPHY

progress since the previous inspection. Crawford Primary School 40

p.45

HISTORY

162. It was not possible to observe any history lessons in Years 1 and 2. Three lessons were seen in Years 3 to 6. Evidence, based on an analysis of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and discussions with teachers, shows that standards are below what is expected nationally of pupils aged seven and eleven. Pupils achieve satisfactorily over their time in school. Attainment is affected also by the fact that many pupils leave or join the school at other than the usual times.

p.46

HISTORY

163. By the end of Year 2, pupils can distinguish between past and present. They are developing a sense of chronology and pupils in Year 2 can, for example, place events in their own lives into a time line. They know something of important historical characters such as Florence Nightingale and can explain differences over time such as those found between nursing in her lifetime and in the present day. Pupils are also taught about more recent important figures, such as Nelson Mandela. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that they have limited understanding of why people in the past acted as they did or of why different people represent the past in different ways. Higher attaining pupils are not always developing the more advanced skills of using a range of historical sources to answer questions about the past.

p.46

HISTORY

164. By the end of Year 6, pupils have developed an understanding of a number of periods in history, including ancient Greece, the Indus Valley Civilisation and the Victorians. Pupils have a satisfactory factual knowledge of the periods they study. Pupils in Year 6, for example, can describe the main farming activities in the Indus Valley Civilisation and give details of what the towns may have looked like. Pupils develop independent learning skills in a number of lessons. Pupils in Year 4, for example, raised questions to answer about the ancient Egyptians such as: how did they wash their clothes? If they wore perfume, how was it made? Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 produce good individual projects on the life of Sojourner Truth and aspects of slavery and freedom. These projects provide good opportunities for pupils to write at length and contributes to pupils’ literacy development.

p.46

HISTORY

165. When pupils use sources of information, they are usually supplied by the teacher and are in the form of individual sheets containing information. Pupils use a limited range of sources, although they are now beginning to use websites as sources of information and this makes a contribution to the development of their information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Pupils do not frequently study the value of sources for historical information or interpret the many ways in which the past is represented. It is these more subtle areas of history that lead to higher attainment.

p.46

HISTORY

166. Of the three lessons seen in Years 3 to 6, teaching was good in one and satisfactory in two. Although no lessons were observed in Years 1 and 2, it is possible to identify some features of the teaching that are common to all classes and conclude that teaching and learning are satisfactory over all. The analysis of pupils’ work indicates that teachers have satisfactory knowledge of the periods studied. Teachers’ planning provides good continuity over classes and years so that pupils do not repeat work. Pupils’ work is marked and corrected. The use of National Curriculum Levels to indicate pupils’ attainment and to set targets for improvement is under-developed.

p.46

HISTORY

167. In the lessons seen a strong feature of the teaching was good class control, which resulted in good behaviour. Where teaching is good, the teacher has high expectations of what pupils can achieve, and these are constantly made clear so that pupils know exactly what is expected from them. The teacher makes good use of question and answer sessions to focus on the main points to be learned. Lesson planning focuses on what pupils are going to learn and the methods needed to achieve the desired learning. This Crawford Primary School 41 was clearly seen, for example, in a Year 4 lesson where pupils were working on clothes and jewellery worn by ancient Egyptians. The teacher’s clear introduction gave enough information for pupils to do the work, but left enough open for pupils to think for themselves and develop their ideas.

p.46

HISTORY

168. Consistent procedures are used to check pupils’ attainment and progress, an improvement since the last inspection. Parents expressed concern about the curriculum for history and the time allowed for the subject. Although the time allocated is below that of many other schools, inspection evidence indicates that this has not had an adverse effect on standards and that the subject is given sufficient time overall. The school has adopted a national scheme of work and this enables pupils to build on their knowledge as they move through the school.

p.47

HISTORY

169. History makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development by enabling them to learn about their heritage and the heritage of people from other parts of the world. Work in Black History Month and in studies of the Indus Valley Civilisation makes a particularly strong contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Visitors to the school and visits to places of historical importance further enhance the social and cultural impact of history. The school has successfully addressed the issues raised in the last inspection and the management of the subject is satisfactory.

p.47

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

170. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 attain the standards expected nationally for their age in ICT. Work in lessons, displays and the scrutiny of pupils’ work throughout the year shows that pupils of all abilities and needs make satisfactory progress across the school. Pupils use ICT with developing confidence and independence, and with increasing understanding of the characteristics of equipment, software and the Internet.

p.47

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

171. As they work individually or in pairs, children in Years 1and 2 develop fluency in basic operations using the keyboard and mouse. They acquire skills in using menus, in positioning the cursor when editing text, and in entering information into a database to produce graphs of favourite foods. Pupils in Years 3-6 continue to improve their skills and can save their work in their own computer files for later amendment and editing. They learn how to send e-mail invitations to a party and how to use Logo to write commands to draw shapes. In mathematics lessons they learn how to use spreadsheets to calculate the price of shop items with different sale reductions. They develop their word processing skills and are able to create a range of visual impacts by varying the shape, size, colour and layout of text.

p.47

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

172. By the end of Year 6, pupils can use and communicate information using their word processing and information retrieval skills. They can combine text, drawings and sound in their work, as when they use PowerPoint to create sophisticated presentations of their history work about the Indus Valley civilization. They can use the Internet to access information to support their work in science and history. They are able to cut and paste photographs and drawings, which they incorporate into presentations. Pupils use their ICT skills to support their science work by using spreadsheets to analyse the results of investigations

p.47

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

173. Of the six lessons seen, one was very good, three were satisfactory and two were unsatisfactory. When account is taken of these lessons and other work seen during the inspection, the quality of teaching is satisfactory over all. In the very good lesson, the teacher had high expectations of what the pupils could achieve and built on what the pupils Crawford Primary School 42 already knew and could do. She managed the class very well to ensure that all pupils paid attention as she showed clearly what she expected them to achieve and how to achieve it. When the pupils worked in pairs, the teacher gave advice but also challenged pupils to think for themselves. Consequently, pupils were actively engaged in challenging work, were well behaved and able to achieve well.

p.47

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

174. In the unsatisfactory lessons pupils were not challenged and the teachers were unable to ensure that all pupils used their time productively. The teachers also had insufficient control of the class, which resulted in unsatisfactory behaviour and consequently unsatisfactory learning and achievement.

p.48

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

175. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their work. They behave well and concentrate well in most lessons and generally work co-operatively in pairs, helping each other overcome the difficulties they encounter. A pupil at an early stage in learning English, for example, was able to achieve well as a result of the help he received from his computer partner. In a few lessons, however, pupils were not engaged by the teacher, became restless and lacked concentration.

p.48

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

176. Classroom displays and files of work kept by teachers show that pupils use ICT in a wide range of subjects including English and mathematics. Years 1 and 2 use ICT to create drawings and patterns in art and shapes in mathematics. Pupils in Years 3-6 use ICT to process and present their results from science investigations. The ICT curriculum and the allocation of time devoted to the subject ensure that all pupils have planned opportunities to develop their skills. Pupils in the early stages of learning English are able to attend an after school computer club run by the co-ordinator.

p.48

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

177. Improvements since the last inspection have been very good. The school now meets the statutory requirements for teaching the subject. The co-ordinator manages the subject well and has plans to develop the curriculum further by ensuring clear links between the skills learnt in ICT lessons and those applied in other subjects. Plans are in hand to provide more opportunities for older pupils to develop and apply skills in using control technology and sensors in science and geography. The progress pupils make is being assessed and the quality of teaching is being monitored.

p.48

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

178. The co-ordinator is committed to the use of information technology in raising standards across the school and provides good leadership in its development. The school now has an ICT suite that is well equipped with workstations and laptop computers. In addition, each class has its own computer with access to a variety of software The school also has a digital projector which is used very effectively to teach pupils how to operate software programs.

p.48

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

179. The school has plans to increase resources further and to open the suite to parents after school. The training of teachers and learning support assistants has had a positive impact on standards of teaching and learning.

p.48

MUSIC

180. The attainment of pupils in music at the ages of both seven and eleven matches the standards expected nationally, as it did at the last inspection. Nevertheless, school records show that some good improvement has taken place more recently, following the temporary appointment of a specialist music teacher, who teaches all classes. Standards are rising Crawford Primary School 43 throughout the school as a result, and the active involvement of class teachers alongside the specialist teacher is increasing teachers’ confidence in the teaching of music. Most pupils make satisfactory and sometimes good, progress in lessons. All pupils achieve satisfactorily and a significant number of pupils are beginning to achieve well.

p.48

MUSIC

181. By the age of seven, pupils sing songs from memory, with developing control of breathing, dynamics, pitch and rhythm. Their listening skills and aural memory are developing well and they are learning to control expressive elements in singing. They explore duration with voices and instruments, identify pulse when the tempo changes, and use pulse and rhythm to create an accompaniment. During the inspection, pupils in Year 2 explored timbre, tempo and dynamics and chose instruments to represent different types of weather. For example, they used claves, triangles and tambourines to reflect rain. They successfully produced a class composition, which they then performed.

p.49

MUSIC

182. By the age of 11, pupils are aware of the musical structures in songs, and they compose their own short songs. In their singing sessions, they are encouraged to improve tone, diction, rhythm, pulse, phrasing and pitch. They understand what these terms mean. Rounds are sung in two parts and pupils internalise short melodies and play them on pitched instruments. They identify how moods are created by music and lyrics and perform, record and evaluate rhythmic patterns.

p.49

MUSIC

183. Pupils compose lyrics to well-known tunes and songs from, for example, The Sound of Music and evaluate and improve them. Different effects are created, as they use combinations of pitched sounds, change sounds using a tape recorder and use information and communication technology (ICT) to manipulate sounds. During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 composed a tune and used a rhythmic pattern to accompany it, using xylophones and glockenspiels. They performed confidently and demonstrated sound musical knowledge as they evaluated their recorded compositions.

p.49

MUSIC

184. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good. It has improved since the last inspection, when it was satisfactory. A combination of good subject knowledge, high expectations, effective planning and good teaching of basic skills leads to good learning on the part of all pupils. The school recognises that music, as a universal language, overrides language and academic difficulties and builds pupils’ self-esteem. Management of pupils is good and time, support staff and resources are used effectively. Pupils’ attitudes to music are positive but they sometimes find it difficult to restrain their enthusiasm. Their acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding is good. Most pupils are becoming increasingly skilled at evaluating their work and have a good knowledge of their own learning. Homework is used to support learning.

p.49

MUSIC

185. The quality and range of learning opportunities is good. Pupils’ experience is broadened through additional opportunities outside the curriculum. Multicultural workshops enable pupils to work together and experience music from around the world, such as Nigerian drumming. Three recorder clubs attract about 15 pupils each. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils played Handel’s Largo at assembly, accompanied by the piano. They gave a high standard of performance. Elderly residents in the locality enjoy visits from singing and recorder groups. Year 2 pupils have had additional percussion lessons and pupils in Year 5 have attended a percussion club.

p.49

MUSIC

186. Music contributes to pupils’ literacy development through the words of songs, musical terms, repetition and rhythm and opportunities to perform. Mathematical skills are developed through composing, notation, visual patterns and scales, such as the pentatonic scale. Music contributes to pupils’ spiritual development through the appreciation of music of great composers and the expression of pupils’ feelings through singing, composing and Crawford Primary School 44 performing. Moral development is enhanced through inclusion, respect for rules and the values and contribution of others. Pupils develop socially through working in groups, school performances, such as Follow that Star , community performances and attendance at clubs. Their cultural development is enhanced through listening to, singing, and playing music from other countries such as The Banyan Tree from Jamaica and The Talking Drum from Africa.

p.49

MUSIC

187. The subject is managed well by an enthusiastic subject leader, ably supported by the specialist music teacher. They both have a clear sense of educational direction and are committed to raising standards. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good, with ongoing assessment of pupils’ composing, performing and appraising skills. Assessment is used well to inform curriculum planning. The subject is well resourced. The school recognises the need to provide increased opportunities for teachers and pupils to use ICT during music lessons, either within the music room or in the ICT suite.

p.50

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

188. During their time at the school pupils make satisfactory progress in physical education and achieve standards which are in line with those expected nationally for children of their age. By the time they are 11, pupils develop skills in controlling and passing a rugby ball leading to scoring tries. They acquire skills in moving quickly, bouncing a basketball, passing the ball to a partner and adopting the correct posture to shoot successfully at the net. Pupils work well together in pairs or groups and show good teamwork skills.

p.50

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

189. Teaching is good overall. Of the five lessons seen, one was outstanding, two were good and two were satisfactory. Pupils achieve best when teaching incorporates demonstration by the teacher and pupils, and when they are given opportunities to appraise their performance using technical vocabulary. In the outstanding lesson, the class teacher and a professionally qualified coach ensured that all pupils were challenged to achieve their best and reviewed the performance of individual pupils.

p.50

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

190. Teachers' planning is detailed and includes good warm-up and cool-down exercises. Lessons incorporate sequences of individual, pair and group activities that help pupils to build up their skills and then to use these in a game. Pupils are encouraged to review their own performance. Pupils having special educational needs (SEN) or having English as an additional language (EAL) learn best when supported by a learning support assistant. In one lesson a learning support assistant provided support for pupils in their home language. Pupils respond well to clear routines to establish and maintain good behaviour. The only weaknesses in lessons otherwise judged to be satisfactory were the occasional slowing in pace as pupils waited for equipment to be set up or when the teacher was demonstrating to another group.

p.50

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

191. In the majority of lessons, pupils were keen to do their best and improve their skills. Pupils enjoy physical education, work particularly hard and achieve well when they are engaged by enthusiastic and lively teaching which challenges them to improve their performance. Year 6 pupils were delighted with their success in basketball when they acquired shooting skills and responded enthusiastically to the physical demands of the rugby skills lesson. Year 1 pupils enjoyed building up their skills in accurately rolling a ball along the ground to hit a target. In a less successful lesson, pupils did not listen to the teacher and their poor behaviour resulted in unsatisfactory learning. Crawford Primary School 45 192. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. A balance of activities covering athletics, dance, games and swimming is provided for pupils. Curriculum planning ensures that pupils' physical skills build steadily in all aspects of the subject and provides clear

p.50

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

learning objectives so that teaching can be well targeted and pupils’ progress suitably assessed.

p.51

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

193. The subject is well led and managed by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic co- ordinator. A specialist teacher teaches all classes for one of the two weekly lessons. Coaches are also used as part of the teaching of basketball, football and rugby. A programme is in place to develop further the teaching skills of all teachers. The school has a clear policy to ensure that all pupils bring their kit to school so that they can do physical education. The policy is implemented consistently across the school. Pupils who are unable to do physical education do other work linked to the subject. The resources are satisfactory and the co-ordinator has plans to develop these further. There are opportunities for all pupils in Years 3 to 6 to participate in after-school football, basketball and dance clubs and for boys to take part in inter-school competitive football.

p.51

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

194. During the last inspection standards for pupils aged seven and eleven were good, but this is no longer the case. In most of the lessons observed, pupils’ attainment was unsatisfactory. Attainment was satisfactory in two lessons. The work in religious education is not well structured and this results in a lack of progression over time.

p.51

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

195. Several classes had recently visited local Christian churches and their work focused on the visits. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils did not remember very much about their visit despite being prompted with photographs. Pupils in Year 2 are aware that some people are Muslim and worship in mosques. They can say that the Jewish place of worship is a synagogue and that Hindus worship in a temple. They showed good recall of what they had seen and learned in the local Baptist church. They were interested in the baptism pool and remembered what the minister had told them about people making their own baptism promises.

p.51

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

196. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils listened to the story of Harriet Tubman and considered how her strong Christian faith affected her life. Pupils were thoughtful in their responses to the story but did not really understand the link between Harriet’s faith and her actions. In Year 4, pupils were asked to use the information gained from their visits to the local Baptist church to formulate questions for a questionnaire to be answered by a person from a faith community. Although pupils recalled their visits well their questions focused on physical features of the church, rather than the worship and beliefs of the community.

p.51

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

197. In a good Year 5 lesson, pupils focused on the concept of forgiveness. Pupils were interested and well motivated. They asked interesting questions, for example, “What does it mean to forgive from your heart?” The teacher explained this well using the pupils’ own experience of disagreements. Pupils gave very good examples of how they know they have been forgiven, by smiles and hugs. The very good relationships in this class gave pupils the confidence to discuss sensitive issues and made a strong contribution to their knowledge and understanding in religious education. In Year 6, pupils compared two Christian churches they had visited. They were able to talk about the different physical features of the churches but did not show an appreciation of the differences in worship style or traditions of the churches. Crawford Primary School 46 198. Lessons in religious education were observed in each year group. Of the eight

p.51

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

lessons seen, teaching was good in one, satisfactory in five and unsatisfactory in one. When account is taken of these lessons and the work carried out by pupils during the year, teaching in religious education can be judged as satisfactory overall. Only two of the teachers observed seemed able to develop pupils’ understanding of how a personal commitment to faith affects the lives of believing communities. Other teachers tended to concentrate on the factual aspects of learning about religions. Some teachers lacked confidence and subject knowledge. This was evident in one lesson where the teacher was unable to answer pupils’ questions. Where teaching was unsatisfactory, the pace of learning was slow and several pupils did little more than copy the learning intentions into their books.

p.52

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

199. The co-ordinator has only recently assumed responsibility for the subject. She has carried out an audit of resources and has monitored some teaching with the headteacher. Resources for the subject are satisfactory and the school is able to borrow resources from local loan collections. The school is currently using national guidance for religious education but this is not suitably adapted to meet the needs of the locally Agreed Syllabus. The local education authority (LEA) has recently updated its Agreed Syllabus and the school recognises the need to review its provision in the light of this. Progress since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

p.52