Nightingale Primary School

NIGHTINGALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 28 th June 2002

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NIGHTINGALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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NIGHTINGALE 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. Nightingale Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Ashbourne Avenue South Woodford London Postcode: E18 1PL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Cllr A Burgess

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 June 1997 Nightingale Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

1696 Mr R Sharman Registered inspector Art and design Religious education Special educational needs What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 11414 Ms A Bennett Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 21171 Ms S Handford Team inspector English Geography How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 17208 Ms G Briggs Team inspector Foundation Stage History How well is the school led and managed? 23412 Mr A Jeffs Team inspector Mathematics Music 20832 Dr M Galowalia Team inspector Science Design and technology Equal opportunities 15023 Mr A Haouas Team inspector Information and communication technology Physical education English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Bench Marque Ltd National Westminster Bank Chambers Victoria Street Burnham-on-Sea Somerset TA8 1AN

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Nightingale Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a large primary school with 576 pupils. The numbers of boys and girls are broadly the same. Just under a third of the pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds and of these, four in ten are at an early stage of learning English. This proportion is high when compared with schools nationally. There is significant mobility in the school population. This particularly involves pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, many with English as an additional language and includes a small number of refugees. When children start in the Nursery their attainment has been broadly similar to that found typically in Redbridge. Traditionally the school served South Woodford and Wanstead, but now pupils come from further afield and from a wide variety of social and economic backgrounds and attainment on entry is much more varied. Eighty-five pupils have special educational needs, a proportion that is below average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Two pupils have a statement of special educational need. Ten per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure which is in line with the national average. For several years the school has experienced difficulties in recruiting staff and has had to employ staff on a temporary basis.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Nightingale Primary School is an improving school and provides its pupils with a reasonable quality of education. Overall, pupils’ achievement, including that of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, is satisfactory. The standards attained by the eleven-year- olds in English, mathematics and science have been steadily improving and are average. The pupils learn in a supportive environment where teachers want their pupils to do well, and they in turn speak well of their school and are keen to learn. Teaching is satisfactory overall, with a significant proportion of good teaching. Relationships and personal development are good. The governors are very effective and provide a strong direction to the work of the school. The headteacher manages the school effectively but does not provide the strategic leadership necessary to meet the changing needs of the school. The

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

newly appointed deputy headteacher has already made a significant impact on the school’s development. The school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection and provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils’ personal development is good and is reflected in their good behaviour and keenness to learn. • Teaching has improved considerably and this is reflected in the steadily improving standards attained by the eleven-year-olds in English, mathematics and science. • The standards attained by the seven-year-olds are above average in religious education. • The governing body is very effective and provides good support for the school. • The care the school provides is good and this gives the pupils confidence to learn. • Parents are supportive of the school.

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What could be improved

• Standards of writing of the children by the end of the Foundation Stage and those of the seven-year- olds are below average. • Standards attained by the eleven-year-olds in art and design and geography are below average, as are the standards attained by the seven- and eleven-year-olds in design and technology. • Insufficient leadership is provided for the school’s long-term development. • The arrangements to support pupils with English as an additional language are not consistent or systematic. • The information from assessment is not used effectively enough to plan the curriculum. • Attendance is below average.

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Nightingale Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in June 1997 when it was found to be at a low ebb with several significant weaknesses. Since that time the school population has become increasingly mobile and more pupils with English as an additional language now attend the school. Recruitment of permanent staff has been problematic. Despite these difficulties, teaching has improved considerably. Overall, improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. A significant factor in this improvement has been the effective monitoring of teaching. Support for pupils with special educational needs is much better than it was. The successful implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has improved the curriculum, as has the adoption of national guidance for teaching the other subjects. A weakness in the current arrangements is that guidance is not in place for the systematic development of the necessary

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

skills in subjects such as art and design, history, geography and design and technology and standards in these subjects have fallen back. Standards of the seven-year-olds in reading and writing were maintained but standards in writing have slipped back in the last year, partly due to the increased mobility of the population and the changes in staffing. Long-term planning for the development of the school has not responded enough to these changes. Staff development is better and performance management is securely in place. Procedures for assessment have improved satisfactorily but more needs to be done with the information gathered. Provision for religious education has improved and is seen in the above average standards attained by the seven-year-olds.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English C C C C well above average above average A B mathematics C B C C average below average C D science C E C C well below average E

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STANDARDS

The standards seen in the inspection reflect these test results. The targets set by the school in English in 2001 were not met, but were met in mathematics. The considerable mobility of the school population makes target setting difficult. The proportion of eleven-year-olds that attained standards higher than those expected for pupils of this age was above the national average in English, average in science and below average in mathematics. When compared with similar schools the proportion was well above average in English and science and below average in mathematics. Overall the attainment of boys and girls is broadly similar.

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STANDARDS

The standards attained by the seven-year-olds in the 2001 national tests and in comparison with similar schools were below average in reading, average in writing and above average in mathematics. The proportion of seven-year-olds that reach standards higher than those expected was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics and above the average for similar schools. In science, the teacher assessments showed that standards were below average nationally and in comparison with similar schools. The standards seen during the inspection show below average standards in writing and average standards in reading. Standards in mathematics and science are average, an improvement on the test results in science.

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STANDARDS

The achievement of the seven- and eleven-year-olds is satisfactory overall. Pupils from minority ethnic origins who are quite fluent in speaking English attain standards similar to the majority of pupils and Nightingale Primary School - 8 their achievement is satisfactory. Pupils at the earlier stages of learning to speak English generally make satisfactory progress in Key Stages 1 and 2, but progress is unsatisfactory in the Foundation Stage as not enough emphasis is placed on developing speaking and listening skills. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress. The achievement of more able pupils is satisfactory.

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STANDARDS

The five-year-olds have attained the standards expected for children at the end of the Foundation Stage in their mathematical development, in their knowledge and understanding of the world, in their creative and physical development, and in their personal, social and emotional development. They have not reached the required standards in communication, literacy and language. Overall, their achievement is satisfactory.

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STANDARDS

The standards of the seven-year-olds in religious education are above those expected by the Redbridge Agreed Syllabus. Their standards are average in art and design, information and communication technology (ICT), geography, history, music and physical education. The eleven-year-olds attain average standards in ICT, history, music and physical education and they reach the expected standards in religious education. Their standards in art and design and geography are below average. The standards of both the seven- and eleven-year-olds are below average in design and technology.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils are keen to learn and do well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Pupils speak well of their school. They feel that they are well supported and that they are ‘getting on’. Pupils of different ethnic backgrounds work and play well together. They report that the school takes any incidents of racial discrimination very seriously. Punctuality at the start of the day is not as good as it should be.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory 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.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection and is satisfactory. Almost two thirds of the teaching was good or better. Teachers work hard and want their pupils to do well. The strengths in the teaching lie in the good management of pupils, and in the detailed and thorough planning of lessons with work that is generally satisfactorily matched to pupils’ needs. A small minority of lessons were unsatisfactory due mainly to levels of subject knowledge and the pace of pupils’ learning. The proportion of these lessons is much smaller than that reported at the last inspection. The teaching of English and mathematics is good. Overall, the teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. The specialist teaching is good, but the quality of teaching by other teachers varies considerably. Teachers and teaching assistants have made a good start in implementing the revised

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

code of practice for pupils with special educational needs who make sound progress. Nightingale Primary School - 9 Nightingale Primary School - 10

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is satisfactory. There is a good level of extra-curricular activities. The schemes of work in art and design, geography, history and design and technology do not provide enough guidance on the skills pupils should learn as they move through the school. The current timetabling arrangements reduce the time for lessons in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. There is very good management and effective teamwork between the special educational needs co-ordinator, teachers and the teaching assistants.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory overall. Good support is provided by the two specialist teachers, funded under national initiatives. Other support is not as effective as it could be as the school lacks a long-term view as to how best to support these pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall. Good provision for pupils’ social and moral development. Not enough attention is given to teaching pupils about cultures that are different from their own.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes good care of its pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has a good partnership with parents who are supportive of their children’s learning. Pupils are taught about the dangers of the misuse of drugs and the sex education policy is satisfactorily implemented. Whilst the arrangements for the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory, insufficient use is made of the information to plan the curriculum.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher manages this large school effectively on a day-by-day basis, especially the difficulties associated with staffing shortages. Not enough attention is given to the strategic development of the school, especially to the issues concerned with a mobile and changing school population. The new senior management team, including the recently appointed deputy and Key Stage 2 co-ordinator, is already beginning to have a significant impact on the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very effective.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Not enough attention is given to the systematic analysis of test results to find out how different groups of pupils are achieving.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There have been considerable staffing difficulties over recent years, resulting in the appointment of temporary staff supplied by agencies. Some of these teachers have not had training in the national Nightingale Primary School - 11 strategies for literacy and numeracy. These staffing difficulties have also led to significant changes in responsibility for the management of subjects. This partially accounts for standards slipping back in a number of subjects. The accommodation is satisfactory as are the levels of resources. Satisfactory attention is paid to the principles of obtaining best value.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children like school • Teaching is good • Children make good progress • Behaviour is good • The school is approachable • Homework • Information about how their children are getting on • The extra-curricular activities • The management of the school

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection findings confirm parents’ positive comments. Homework is set regularly but there are inconsistencies in the way in which it is marked. The information that is provided for parents, particularly about pupils’ progress, is good. There is a good range of extra curricular activities. The school is effectively managed but not enough attention is given to its long-term development. A small number of parents expressed concerns about bullying. The school has sound arrangements to deal with incidences of bullying. In conversation, most pupils were confident that the school would deal seriously with instances should they arise. Nightingale Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Overall, the pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stages 1 and 2. This is due to the satisfactory teaching and the good care the school provides. An improvement of late has been the successful implementation of the new Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs and these pupils make satisfactory progress. For example, in English they are making satisfactory progress in reading and in mathematics their progress in calculating mentally is also satisfactory. By the time they leave school the majority of pupils with English as an additional language achieve satisfactorily and make sound progress, for example in calculating in mathematics and developing skills in ICT. They achieve best when they have additional support provided by the specialist teachers from national funding arrangements. This extra support is carefully targeted to those pupils who need the most help. However,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the arrangements for supporting pupils with English as an additional language across the school as a whole are not systematic enough. At times the amount of support is thinly spread, especially in those classes where the proportion of pupils with English as an additional language at the early stages of learning to speak English is high. This is particularly the case in the Foundation Stage where insufficient emphasis is placed on developing children’s skills in speaking and listening. In these classes, children with English as an additional language do not make enough progress and their achievement is unsatisfactory. The achievement of pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 who have been identified by the school as being more able is satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The National Curriculum test results in 2001 showed that the eleven-year-olds attained average standards in English, mathematics and science. When compared with similar schools the standards were average. The proportion of eleven-year-olds that reached standards higher than those expected for pupils of this age was above average in English, average in science and below average in mathematics. When compared with similar schools the proportion was above average in English and science but below average in mathematics. The attainment of boys and girls was broadly similar. The standards seen during the inspection showed average standards in English, mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The standards attained by the seven-year-olds in the National Curriculum tests in 2001 showed that standards in reading were below average; in writing they were average and were above average in mathematics. The proportion that attained higher standards was above the national average and above the average for similar schools. Teacher assessments in science showed that standards were below average and below average when compared with similar schools. The proportion that reached higher standards was average both in comparison with the national picture and with similar schools. The attainment of girls was slightly better than that of boys in reading and writing but was not significantly different from the national picture. Girls and boys attained similarly in mathematics. The standards seen during the inspection were average in reading, but below average in writing, and showed an improvement in science. In mathematics, the standards seen were broadly average, but standards in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Year 1 show that the school is well on track to exceed these next year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Changes to the national arrangements to measure school’s performance make comparisons with the standards reported in English, mathematics and science at the last inspection a little misleading. In this school, the increasing pupil mobility makes Nightingale Primary School - 13 comparison of results from year to year less secure. For example, of the eleven-year- olds who took the tests in 2001, a third had joined the school at some time during Key Stage 2. A weakness in the leadership is that test results are not analysed sufficiently to find out how such pupils are doing and what might be done to help them even more. The targets set for the attainment of the eleven-year-olds in English were just missed but were reached in mathematics. Effective use is made of national initiatives, such as ‘booster’ classes in English and mathematics, and these enhance pupils’ achievement. Early indications of the national test results for 2002 are that the targets set in English

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The standards attained by the seven- and eleven-year-olds in speaking and listening are broadly average. Standards of reading across the school are average. Most pupils enjoy reading and respond well to the good teaching of the sounds letters make – phonics. In writing, the standards attained by the seven-year-olds are below average as a significant number of pupils have difficulty with spelling accurately and using simple punctuation correctly. The eleven-year-olds attain average standards in writing. The teaching of pupils of the same levels of attainment – setting – contributes significantly to the standards reached. Overall, standards of numeracy are satisfactory. The seven- year-olds are developing reasonable mental agility when working out answers in their head. By the age of eleven, most pupils are quite accurate and confident when they recall number facts and explain their methods of working.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. When children enter the Nursery, a significant number have below average standards in personal and social development and in communication, literacy and language. Children make good progress in the Nursery as a result of the good teaching. In Reception, their progress is satisfactory and by the end of the Foundation Stage they attain the standards set nationally in their mathematical development, in their knowledge and understanding of the world, in their creative and physical development and in their personal, social and emotional development. They do not reach the expected standards in communication, literacy and language despite making satisfactory progress overall.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The standards attained by the seven-year-olds in religious education are above average as the teaching is good and the co-ordinator ensures that planning is very closely linked to the Redbridge Agreed Syllabus. This is an improvement. The eleven-year-olds reach the expected standards in religious education. The standards attained by the seven- and eleven-year-olds in ICT, music and physical education are average as they were at the last inspection. In art and design and geography, the seven-year-olds attain average standards but standards have slipped by the end of Key Stage 2 and the standards attained by the eleven-year-olds are below average. This is mainly due to the lack of attention paid to consistently teaching the important skills that underpin these subjects. The standards of the seven- and eleven-year-olds in design and technology are below average partly due to this reason but also due to changes in the co-ordinators caused

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

by the staffing difficulties. Although the standards of the seven- and eleven-year-olds are average in history they are not as high as they were at the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils’ personal development is good, reflecting the good provision made for their social and moral development. Pupils enjoy school; they are interested in their work and keen to learn. They speak highly of their teachers and their school, and the oldest say that their teachers make learning fun. Children in the Foundation Stage get on well with each other. They enjoy their work, for example counting games that involve them trying to click their fingers. Children concentrate hard with their eyes closed to hear how Nightingale Primary School - 14 many objects their teacher drops into a container. Pupils like to work in friendship groups, but organising themselves to do this can reduce the time available for working together on a task. Eventually they do so well, for example separate groups of seven- year-olds making seaside posters illustrating Victorian times and present day. On occasions, a pupil may be isolated, and not included. Most pupils, though, show good

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

consideration for each other’s feelings; when a pupil with a slight finger injury cried, another, without prompting, fetched a tissue. They value the after-school activities on offer, and a good number attend, whether learning new skills like weaving, or developing their ability to work together in the orchestra.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Overall, pupils’ behaviour is good, because teachers are calm and have high expectations of their pupils. This is an improvement since the time of the last inspection. In some classes, pupils find it hard to concentrate through long lessons. A small number of pupils exhibit challenging behaviour, which is usually well managed and does not disturb the learning of others in the class. Behaviour is very good in assembly. Pupils enter the hall, sit quietly and listen attentively. The younger pupils enjoy seeing their friends receive awards for their good behaviour. Older pupils watching a class of ten-year-olds take an assembly, expertly compered by a pupil, offer their suggestions when called upon to contribute. There has been a single one day exclusion for poor behaviour, which has not been repeated. There were no permanent exclusions in the past year. Children excluded from other schools have been

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

successfully integrated into this school, taking a full part in school activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils with English as an additional language mix well with their peers and are keen to participate fully in activities and school events. They are motivated, keen to learn and enjoy the attention given to them when they work in small groups. This contributes significantly to the progress they make. The few pupils whose families are refugees have settled into the school well and are fully involved in lessons and school activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils are courteous to each other and to adults. They respect each other’s artwork, volunteer apologies, and understand the concept of fairness, and that boys and girls should equally have turns in a games lesson learning cricket skills. Pupils of different ethnic backgrounds work and play well together. A five-year-old is proud of the fact that her friend can speak another language, and the playgrounds are busy places with pairs and groups talking and playing together. Pupils report a few incidents of racist name- calling but know that, should it be reported, this is taken very seriously and action is always taken. They are confident that should bullying occur it would also be taken very seriously.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships are good, and the youngest pupils care for each other when injured, accompanying them to first aid. The older pupils take good care of the younger ones escorting them to and from their lunch, and taking on a role as a play initiator in their playground. They apply for these positions in writing, and are interviewed and trained. Pupils’ opinions are sought through the school council. Members take their responsibilities seriously and contribute fully in meetings, taking notes so that they can consult their classes.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Attendance in the last school year was well below that of other schools nationally, and much worse than at the time of the last inspection. This year it has improved considerably, by 1.4 per cent, but is below the average found nationally. There is very little unauthorised absence recorded and this is well below the national average. A significant number of pupils are persistently late for the start of school in the mornings and this causes a degree of disruption. Nightingale Primary School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. Overall, the teaching is satisfactory and pupils make satisfactory gains in their learning. Almost two thirds of the teaching is good or better with only a few instances of unsatisfactory teaching and this is a considerable improvement since the last inspection, with more good teaching and far less unsatisfactory teaching. Given the difficulties the school has experienced in recruiting permanent staff, this is an achievement. Teachers are hard working and conscientious. This, together with the effective monitoring of teaching by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, has been at the heart of the improvement. Standards have not improved yet as a result of the improved teaching partly due to the frequent changes in staff and to the increased mobility of the school population.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Improvement has been particularly marked in the management of pupils’ behaviour, an area of weakness in the previous report. Teachers have good relationships with their pupils who in turn work hard and concentrate on the tasks in hand. Pupils know what is expected of them as lessons usually start briskly with the teacher clearly explaining what pupils are expected to learn. For example, in a mathematics lesson in Year 2, the teacher had carefully planned the lesson so that pupils had to feel a shape in a bag and then identify the shape. This caught their interest and they tried hard not to be caught out. In a geography lesson in Year 6, where pupils were researching information about coastal environments, the helpful introduction by the teacher enabled pupils to know what aspect of the work they were responsible for. Quickly the groups settled to their tasks, collaborating well. At times, when the behaviour of a small minority of pupils in a

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

class deteriorates, the teachers deal with this effectively and promptly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. A strength in the teaching across the school is teachers’ planning. Lessons are well organised and proceed at a satisfactory pace. Teachers’ planning is detailed and thorough and satisfactorily builds on what pupils have already learnt as most teachers have made useful notes on their planning indicating what pupils have and have not understood. In the better teaching, work is appropriately matched to pupils’ learning needs and this helps them to learn effectively and make satisfactory progress. A weakness in the planning of lessons is that at times teachers do not identify the skills pupils are to develop. This is due to the lack of guidance provided in the school’s planning arrangements for subjects other than English and mathematics and hinders pupils’ progress. An exception is in the teaching of physical education where the good attention paid to the teaching of skills results in good teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of English and mathematics are good and pupils make good progress in lessons. Teachers make effective use of the national strategies in their planning and teaching. In these lessons, teachers usually show good skills in questioning. They use questions effectively to consolidate what pupils have learnt, as well as to probe their understanding. This happened in a good English lesson in Year 1 where pupils were learning how to use non-fiction books. ‘What sort of book do you think this is?’ asked the teacher holding up a reference book. ‘What do you think I will learn if I open the book and read it?’ The pupils were very keen to tell the teacher all about the book and how to use it.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Another feature of the successful teaching of English and mathematics is the care teachers take to show or ‘model’ learning. This was very much the case in an excellent mathematics lesson in Year 5, where pupils were learning to measure angles accurately. The teacher had planned the lesson very carefully and showed the pupils how to use a protractor, effectively using a large board protractor to measure the Nightingale Primary School - 16 angles he had drawn on the board. Very good questioning enabled pupils to realise there were two scales on a protractor and the reason for this. A measure of this excellent teaching was that when the teacher drew a number of angles on the board towards the end of the lesson and asked pupils to estimate the size of the angles, most of their answers were accurate to ten degrees, some being much more accurate.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Imaginative teaching is a strength in the better teaching. For example in a very good religious education lesson in Year 6, the teacher used drama effectively to teach pupils the importance of a place of worship to people who worship there and what it would be like if it were desecrated. Good links were made to real life by including reference to a recent attack on a synagogue. In a good history lesson in Year 2, pupils were reflecting on their visit the previous day to a seaside resort and comparing it to what a Victorian seaside resort would have looked like. Effective use of photographs and reference books enhanced pupils’ learning. Teaching such as this enhances pupils’ learning and enables them to make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The few instances of unsatisfactory teaching in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 2 were due to the teachers’ lack of confidence in teaching the subject and an emphasis on supervising the pupils rather than teaching. This led to pupils not making enough progress in their learning in these lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The reliance the school has had to place on temporary teachers has meant that at times pupils are taught by competent teachers from abroad who have not had the training in the use of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. However, the effective collaborative planning in year groups, together with appropriate training, has helped to deal with this problem. Overall, teachers have a satisfactory command of the subjects they teach. The strengths lie in the teaching of English and mathematics and although no unsatisfactory lessons were seen in design and technology, this is the weakest area. The recent training in ICT has improved teachers’ confidence in this subject and consequently the teaching is good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. In the Nursery, teaching is good. The teacher and the nursery nurse work together well and have a good understanding of what the children are to learn and this enhances learning. A good balance is struck between children selecting their activities and following the adults’ directions. The planning effectively incorporates the nationally required areas of learning. Work is satisfactorily matched to most children’s learning needs. However, not enough attention is paid in the planning to meet the needs of children with English as an additional language who are at the early stages of learning English.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Overall, the teaching in Reception is satisfactory. It varies with instances of good teaching as well as instances of unsatisfactory teaching. The good teaching reflects the strengths of the teaching in the Nursery. Where the teaching is unsatisfactory, children are left to select work that is not sufficiently challenging or clearly matched to meet the needs of a wide range of abilities. Higher achieving children are not always targeted and challenged, and those with English as an additional language are sometimes left to choose activities unsupported. Although there is good practice in Reception, overall not enough attention is given to developing children’s literacy by using the structures provided by the national strategy. Consequently, although children make good progress in communication, language and literacy in the Nursery, they do not all maintain this in Reception and the majority of children do not reach the

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

standards expected nationally by the end of Reception. Nightingale Primary School - 17 24. Overall, the quality of teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. In mathematics, the setting arrangements in Years 5 and 6 provide useful support and in science the emphasis on practical work helps these pupils. The quality of teaching provided by the specialist teachers for pupils with English as an additional language is good and these pupils make good progress in their learning in these lessons. This is due to the effective partnership between the class teacher and the specialist teachers, particularly in the planning of lessons. This is well exemplified in a literacy lesson in Year 6 where the specialist teacher was fully involved in the teaching of reading to a mixed group of pupils, some with English as an additional language. Both the class teacher and the specialist teacher alternated in taking the lead role.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

During the independent group work, a pupil of Pakistani heritage, who had recently arrived from France, was paired with an appropriate partner and the specialist teacher intervened positively, using French sometimes to ensure that the pupil understood the task and writing in English as necessary to enable him to complete the task. Much of the success in this lesson hinged on both teachers devising the task in such a way as to promote collaboration between pupils and the use of talk as a means of learning which worked to the benefit of all pupils with English as an additional language.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. However, there are instances, where no specific staff support is available, and pupils’ needs are not consistently and explicitly addressed, especially with respect to the range of methods used to support pupils in coping with the language demands of the subject and the opportunities it affords for developing their spoken English. This hinders their progress. Although guidance has been given, frequent changes in staffing have hindered the development of teachers’ skills in supporting pupils with English as an additional language.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils with special educational needs who require them have well-constructed individual education plans that teachers take due account of when planning work. Of note is the good support provided by the teaching assistants who work effectively with their targeted pupils. The two pupils with statements of special educational need are given good individual support and are integrated well. The provision for pupils with special educational needs has recently been carefully reorganised to meet the requirements of the new Code of Practice. Whilst the pupils who have individual education plans are well targeted, the support for other pupils by teachers preparing work that is carefully matched to their learning needs is not as consistent. This leads to satisfactory rather than good progress. The special educational needs co-ordinator is aware of this and plans are in

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers regularly mark pupils’ work. Praise and encouragement is often given. Advice and comments about how to improve the work are less frequent. Homework is encouraged and set regularly in English and mathematics. Pupils are given ‘projects’ to complete which involve research. A number of parents were concerned that these were too time consuming. Of concern to a number of parents is the marking of homework. A scrutiny of pupils’ homework books showed that several parents had entered into a dialogue with teachers over this issue. The marking of homework is inconsistent. By and large mathematics is clearly marked, but teachers mark or note homework in a number of different ways. Overall, where the homework is completed regularly pupils’ learning is enhanced.

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PUPILS?

Nightingale Primary School - 18 28. The curriculum is broad and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum, the Foundation Stage and the requirements of the Redbridge Agreed Syllabus for religious education. However, the provision made for design and technology is weak in terms of timetabling arrangements and planning and leads to unsatisfactory progress. The curriculum satisfactorily reflects the school’s aims. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory, with strengths in the provision for moral and social development. The balance of the curriculum is reasonably satisfactory. The length of the taught time has been extended to bring it in line with that recommended nationally and this is an improvement. The timetable currently being trialed has too many long lessons, which reduces the number of lessons that can be taught. At the moment, the way time is allocated is having a detrimental effect on standards in design and

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PUPILS?

technology, art and design, geography and history.

p.18

PUPILS?

29. The school places a strong emphasis on teaching literacy and numeracy which is reflected in the time allocated to these subjects. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented successfully throughout the school. There are additional opportunities in English for pupils to develop their speaking and performance skills through the use of drama, and class presentations at school assemblies. Not enough opportunities are provided in other subjects to develop pupils’ skills in English and mathematics. This is a missed opportunity to provide extra support for pupils with English as an additional language. In order to provide for the wide range of abilities in the school, pupils in Years 5 and 6 are taught English and mathematics within ‘ability sets’, with additional ‘booster’ support in Year 6 prior to the national tests. While this successfully helps raise standards for older pupils, less consideration is given to the

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PUPILS?

provision of additional support for raising standards in English for younger pupils.

p.18

PUPILS?

30. There has been satisfactory improvement in the curriculum since the last inspection. The locally agreed syllabus provides good guidance for the teaching of religious education, so that this is well taught, particularly in Key Stage 1. National guidance on planning other subjects has been adopted. However, there is a particular weakness in planning for the systematic development of the skills that pupils need to acquire to achieve well, and this is partly responsible for the below average standards in art and design, geography and design and technology. However, skills are taught successfully in physical education. Many subject co-ordinators have been recently appointed and staff changes have slowed the pace of development. Many policies are in need of review. New co-ordinators have not had time to develop their roles so as to identify strengths and weaknesses in the subjects they manage and improve staff expertise.

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PUPILS?

Provision for ICT is satisfactory but it is not used enough in other subjects.

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PUPILS?

31. The school has begun to implement the teaching of personal, social and health education. There is as yet no scheme of work for teachers to follow or policy for the subject and teachers have received little training in the teaching of the subject. However, pupils have lessons specifically devoted to these aspects and relevant issues are tackled satisfactorily when they arise. Aspects of health education are also taught satisfactorily through science and physical education. Drugs awareness and sex education are provided satisfactorily through a series of lessons for Years 5 and 6 pupils during Health Education Week with the participation of the school nurse. Aspects of citizenship are also covered satisfactorily and junior pupils elect representatives to the school council.

p.18

PUPILS?

32. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. It is satisfactorily planned and overall the children make satisfactory progress. Planning takes due account of all the areas of learning. Although good attention is paid to helping children to make a start in reading, role-play is not used enough to enable teachers to Nightingale Primary School - 19 model language and develop children’s vocabulary. This is particularly important for children with English as an additional language who are at the early stages of learning English. The planning of the curriculum does not take enough account of the needs of this group of children. Children are not given enough opportunities to write for a wide range of purposes and this hinders their progress.

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PUPILS?

33. The school seeks to ensure that all pupils have full access to the curriculum. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Good procedures are in place for identifying pupils together with well-constructed individual education plans which teachers use satisfactorily in their planning. Although individual teachers support pupils with English as an additional language in lessons, teachers' planning does not explicitly identify any teaching strategies to make the curriculum more accessible for pupils with English as an additional language, particularly for those at the early stages of learning. Few opportunities are planned in the curriculum to develop these pupils’ linguistic skills in English. The school does not draw effectively on its own resources and those in the community to celebrate and promote their multilingualism. Overall, the needs of the more able pupils are usually met.

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PUPILS?

34. The curriculum is enriched by a good range of extra-curricular activities which make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development and learning. There are after-school clubs for ICT and weaving and for various sports, such as football and cricket. The pupils in Year 6 have the opportunity to go sailing on Fairlop Waters. The school participates in a number of league games and sporting tournaments. There is a junior school choir and orchestra that are supported by the Redbridge Music Service, and good opportunities for pupils to learn a range of musical instruments. All classes have the opportunity to take part in educational visits within the locality and further afield. As part of the geography and history curriculum, pupils in Year 2 spent the day by the seaside. As part of their English curriculum, pupils in Year 6 have visited The Globe Theatre. Exciting experiences to develop an understanding of drama and stage

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PUPILS?

production are provided for pupils in Key Stage 2 when different theatre groups visit the school and work with pupils. Visitors representing different faiths enhance the religious education curriculum and pupils visit the local church.

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PUPILS?

35. There are good links with parents and the wider community that add to the curriculum and enhance learning. The school parent teacher association (PTA) has provided a science garden which links well with the National Curriculum and is enjoyed by the many classes who visit it to learn about topics such as the environment. School assemblies and drama productions are open to parents who enjoy seeing their children perform. The school takes good advantage of local business partnerships, and this has provided, for example, some funding for the science garden, money to set up a partnership reading scheme, and opportunities for staff to attend specialised courses.

p.19

PUPILS?

36. Links with partner institutions are satisfactory. There are useful links with two of the local secondary schools which help pupils to settle into their new schools. Students from one school have helped with the construction of the science garden and students provide useful support to teachers when spending time in the school for work experience. Pupils in Year 6 are invited to the schools prior to their transfer to secondary education, and are also welcomed to special occasions at the schools. There are some links with the main local pre-school providers, and students training for work with young children undertake some of their training in the school, as do teaching students from local training institutes.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. The quality of provision the school makes for spiritual development is satisfactory. Religious education lessons provide opportunities for pupils to gain insights into the Nightingale Primary School - 20 values and faiths of the major religions. Good links are made between what is learnt and the application of these to real life, so that pupils in Year 6 have thought about religious symbolism in a study of Sikhism to produce school badges with symbols to represent various principles, such as ‘Togetherness is the way’. Similarly there is good attention to developing pupils’ ability to empathise with the feelings and emotions of the different historical and literary characters they encounter, such as when Juliet meets Romeo, ‘her heart was lighter than a feather’. There are few planned opportunities in the other subjects. However, there is a planned programme of assemblies and collective worship which promotes spirituality satisfactorily. For instance, during the

p.19

PUPILS?

week of the inspection, pupils were encouraged to think about how they could help each other. Classes participated well in the assemblies by performing plays or telling stories to illustrate the different themes, such as God keeping his promise to Noah. However, the moment for pupils to reflect on what they have learnt and to relate this to the spiritual dimension and so to gain insight is often rushed or absent in assemblies.

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PUPILS?

38. The school’s provision for moral development is good. Adults are good role models and the school is a caring community. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and there is a strong emphasis on rewarding good behaviour and hard work in ‘Good Work’ assemblies. Classes are encouraged to form their own rules. Evidence from pupils’ books shows that they are effectively encouraged to consider moral issues, for example in Year 6, where pupils present arguments why animals should not be used in circuses. There is an anti-bullying policy and comprehensive behaviour policy that makes it clear that pupils are expected to be responsible for their own behaviour. Teachers have high and consistent expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

p.20

PUPILS?

39. Provision for social development is good and has many positive features. Adults set good examples in their relationships with each other and with pupils. There are good opportunities for pupils throughout the school to work together in groups within literacy and numeracy activities, although younger pupils are not always being encouraged or taught how to collaborate and help each other. Opportunities are provided for all pupils to take responsibilities appropriate to their ages in the classrooms and pupils willingly help to give out books and resources and tidy up after lessons. Older pupils take responsibility for younger ones in the playground, for example helping them to join in games. Pupils join in with after-school clubs and socialise with each other as well as with the wider community when participating in school visits or sporting activities. They participate in social and fund-raising activities such as Comic Relief or collecting food

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PUPILS?

for harvest festival gifts and for ‘European gifts for Christmas.’ The school council is active and successful in promoting discussion between pupils and staff.

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PUPILS?

40. The school’s provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils are given a variety of good opportunities to develop an appreciation of British culture in a number of curriculum areas and through visits. The local area has been used effectively as a geography resource with pupils observing and mapping the surrounding streets. Pupils in Year 6 have studied Shakespeare, and written their own versions of different plays, such as Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night and Macbeth. In their literature lessons, pupils study a variety of texts, and learn about stories from around the world. Pupils in Year 5 research stories for homework and contribute to a class collection. There are a satisfactory number of visits to places of interest within the local area and further afield.

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PUPILS?

41. However, the school is not making full use of the diversity of cultural backgrounds represented in the school. Although pupils learn about a village in India as part of their geography studies, and the principles and practices of other faiths in religious education lessons, not enough is made of the wealth of cultural influences and languages now represented in the school. Displays around the school do not Nightingale Primary School - 21 adequately reflect this diverse society and there are missed opportunities to provide a curriculum in which this is reflected.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school takes good care of the health, welfare and safety of its pupils. For example, each day a member of the office staff checks that each of the children walking to school alone has arrived. The pastoral care of pupils is good and gives the pupils confidence to learn. Good arrangements enable children in the Foundation Stage to settle into school quickly and ensure that they feel safe and secure. Teachers make pupils new to the school welcome, especially those pupils whose parents are refugees. The school nurse makes a very useful contribution, both by teaching part of the health education curriculum, and also to individual pupils. Because she has built up very good relationships with parents, she is often able to provide referrals to other support agencies. Comprehensive policies for child protection and health and safety are fully in place and implemented effectively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Pupils who are injured or unwell receive a good level of care. The medical room, located within the school office, is a good addition since the last inspection. The number of injuries to five- to seven-year-olds is quite high. The school is aware of areas prone to producing injuries, and tries to reduce this by using older pupils to play alongside them, and by providing ‘play training’ for midday supervisors. Some of these supervisors are also classroom assistants, providing continuity of care through the day. They shepherd pupils towards the dining areas very efficiently, keeping queues short and maximising their time to play.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Merit awards are popular, and are issued by teachers and midday supervisors. The school has re-written its behaviour policy, which is on trial in four classes; it now involves tracking both good and unsatisfactory behaviour in class and at play. This has been successful and is ready to be implemented throughout the school as quickly as possible.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The anti-bullying policy is effective and in place. Considerable emphasis is placed on pupils reporting any instances of bullying. Signs around the school declare ‘We are a telling school. If you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem’. Bullying was a matter of concern to a small number of parents in the meeting prior to the inspection and in their responses to the parental questionnaire. Generally, parents show confidence in the school to deal with such incidents properly. At the time of the last inspection the school was also introducing new policies in both these areas.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Attendance has recently been improved through systematic work involving the school and the education welfare officer. However the school is unable to use its computer in the most efficient way because of shortcomings in software provided by the local education authority. There is no means of easily analysing the attendance records.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school’s arrangements for assessing and monitoring pupils’ attainment and progress have improved since the last inspection and are now satisfactory overall. They are well developed in mathematics and religious education and are satisfactory in English and science. However, procedures are much less developed in the other subjects, where insufficient reference is made to actual attainment and strategies for using the information to set improvement targets. The school now uses a satisfactory range of assessment tools, including regular assessment tasks in English and mathematics, including nationally provided optional tests. Opportunities are used to Nightingale Primary School - 22 moderate assessment and these are well used in mathematics and literacy to annotate and allocate National Curriculum levels to pieces of work, but this is not completed consistently. The school has recently reviewed assessment arrangements and is

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

planning to introduce ‘assessment weeks’ in order to adopt a common system and be in a position to use the information more systematically to plan work.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. A useful start has been made in tracking pupils’ progress from their assessment in Reception, but a coherent system is not in place to use the information strategically to identify the achievement of different groups of pupils and use the information to modify the curriculum. For instance, although test papers are analysed and strengths and weaknesses are identified, the process is not used effectively to identify changes that might positively raise standards of attainment. Equally, whilst targets are set for pupils, especially in mathematics and literacy, these are not effectively used in teaching to plan pupils' learning and ensure that pupils know how they might work towards them both on a day-to-day basis and in the long term.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Initial assessment of pupils with English as an additional language is carried out effectively by the specialist teachers and this results in profiles which document carefully gathered and salient information, including guidance for teachers about how to work with them. However this information, together with learning targets identified by the specialist English as an additional language teachers, is not always readily available to the class teachers, and consequently is not consistently used to plan the work for these pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Effective arrangements are in place to identify pupils with special educational needs. Useful plans with clear targets to aim for are drawn up in response to their individual needs. Pupils with statements of their special educational needs have detailed individual plans which are effectively used by teachers and the teaching assistants working with them. This enables them to make good progress towards their targets.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Parents remain supportive of the school, and this is reflected in the financial contributions they make to its work. The parent teacher association is very active with social events and fundraising that has resulted in much of the improvement to the grounds. A summer fete just before the inspection raised over £6000. A number of parents work in the school in a voluntary capacity, for example hearing pupils read, and good numbers attend class assemblies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Earlier this year the school consulted its parents for their opinions of the way the school is run, but chose not to feedback the results immediately. Their response rate (45 per cent) was higher than that of the pre-inspection questionnaire (36 per cent). Both are higher than at the time of the last inspection, when only a quarter of parents replied. On this occasion, almost 90 per cent of parents are satisfied with pupil behaviour in school, a substantial improvement on the last inspection when the figure was 60 per cent. This inspection confirms these findings.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. More than a third of parents who responded to the questionnaire sent prior to the inspection do not feel well informed, and quote, for example, details of their child’s homework timetable. Overall, information provided for parents is good, but patchy. Four newsletters each term give significant information such as dates of events. Parents have good opportunities to meet their child’s teacher, both formally each term at consultation evenings and informally. Parents, whose children have special educational Nightingale Primary School - 23 needs, are properly involved in their reviews. Pupils’ annual reports are now better, and those for eight- to eleven-year-olds are very good. The language used in those in the Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1 is often too technical, to be really useful for parents. Although the reports are clear about what the pupil knows, understands and can do, the targets quoted would need to be explained and so do not involve parents

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Teachers’ plans for the year are sent out to parents at the beginning of the school year, but these contain a considerable amount of jargon. They lack detailed information about literacy and numeracy. There is good practice in some year groups, where teachers occasionally send home information letters about the curriculum. Such letters to one set of parents raises expectations of curriculum information being regularly available for all. This inconsistency may explain why some parents do not think the school works closely with them.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Just under one hundred parents, almost half of those responding to the questionnaire, were dissatisfied with the range of activities outside lessons that the school provides. The inspection found that the school provides a good range, compared with that which is usually found in schools. Fifty-two parents, almost a quarter of those responding, do not think the school is well led and managed. The school now prides itself on an immediate response to parental concerns. The management of the school is effective but leadership in strategic development is a weakness identified in this inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The school arranges various ‘curriculum’ meetings, but most are not well attended. As a result, parents were consulted about more suitable times. Information given at these meetings is also usefully available in a printed format. The home-school agreement satisfactorily summarises the partnership between school and home.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school has been through difficult times, and lacked stable direction and leadership at the time of the last inspection. The management of the school has improved. Since her appointment the headteacher has worked hard with the governors, staff and pupils to develop positive relationships. The relationship between the school and the parents on a day-to-day basis has also improved. The school’s aims and values are reflected well in its work. There are closer links between the school and its community and there is a positive ethos in which pupils are valued. There is a commitment to the care and wellbeing of all the pupils which is reflected in pupils’ good personal development. The school provides satisfactory equality of access and opportunity. Discrimination is not tolerated, and pupils are confident that any instances are treated with the utmost seriousness. An area of improvement since the last inspection is that pupils who need

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

extra support now have that support in lessons rather than being withdrawn. Although the teaching broadly meets the needs of the very able pupils, a register of these pupils has not been drawn up so that their attainment and progress can be carefully monitored.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The headteacher has focused her attention on the management of the school which is now effective. However, the headteacher does not provide the necessary strategic leadership to meet the changing needs of the school. Her attention has been given to the present, especially the considerable difficulties in recruiting permanent teachers. Not enough attention is being given to looking closely at what needs to be done in response to the increasing mobility of the school population and the increasing number Nightingale Primary School - 24 of pupils with English as an additional language. This is necessary if the school is to raise levels of pupils’ attainment.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. A useful start has been made by the recently appointed deputy headteacher. In her role as assessment co-ordinator, analysis is being undertaken of the results of national tests and tests set by the school. Such analysis helps the school to identify its strengths and weakness and provides a timetable of improvement over the forthcoming year. The analysis does not focus sufficiently on the challenges that face the school; pupil mobility and an increase in the number of pupils with English as an additional language. There have been several changes in staffing which have led to the senior management team being relatively new. With the appointment of the Key Stage 2 co- ordinator, the team is now complete. Already there are indications that this team has the potential to enable the school to meet the challenges that face it and to move forward.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher have undertaken the monitoring of teaching effectively. The local education authority has provided good support. Observation of teaching has been extensive and has significantly improved the quality of teaching. There is a clear understanding of what contributes to good teaching. This considerable improvement in monitoring has not involved the subject co-ordinators very much. The substantial changes in subject co-ordination, caused by the staffing difficulties, have had a significant effect on the contribution subject co-ordinators have been able to make. One effect of this has been the adoption of nationally provided planning guidance without the school providing the necessary guidance as to the progressive development of skills. The lack of this advice has led to pupils not developing these important skills in design and technology, history, geography and art

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and design and has led to a fall in standards. Most subject co-ordinators are aware of the strengths and weaknesses within their subject, and have drawn up sound action plans to develop their subjects. They write useful reports each term for the governors. A weakness is that these do not make enough reference to the standards being attained and the quality of teaching.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The governing body is very effective and meets its statutory duties very well. The chair of governors has a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and the role of the governing body within the school. The governors visit the school frequently and take very seriously their role of monitoring standards and achievement. They are fully involved in drawing up the school development plan with the headteacher. Unfortunately, this present plan covers developments up to this July and there were no plans available beyond that date. However, the governing body has drafted a very detailed and perceptive evaluation of the past year’s work and is looking to begin work on the next three years following this inspection’s recommendations. The present plan does have some weaknesses in that it does not relate closely enough to the raising of standards. Many of the criteria, against which the success of developments are to be

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

judged, are set in terms of completed action rather than improvement in standards. The governing body is keen, proactive and supportive. It rigorously challenges the work of the school. The governors have ensured that proper arrangements are in place for performance management of the teaching staff, and that the headteacher’s personal targets for development are in place.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Turbulence in staffing has been an issue for the school since the last inspection, and it has hindered improvements in standards. Seventeen teachers have left the school in the last two years, and the same number joined. Temporary teachers, some of whom have no experience of the National Curriculum, teach almost 20 per cent of classes. The newly qualified teachers feel well supported. Their induction programme has been Nightingale Primary School - 25 effective and has been valued by them. The development of this induction programme is an improvement since the time of the last inspection. The temporary teachers do not feel as well supported in their role. The headteacher has been successful in making appointments, including three newly qualified teachers, and there will be no temporary staff in September.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Staff development has been problematic with the amount of staff changes. The effective training in ICT has given teachers more confidence which is reflected in the good teaching. Many of the subject co-ordinators are relatively new in post, as are the senior management team, a further result of staff turbulence. Training is needed for them to effectively fulfil their new roles.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. More classroom assistants have been appointed since the last inspection and this is an improvement. They work effectively alongside the teachers. Training provided for the senior midday supervisor and her colleagues is seen in the improved play and behaviour on the playground. The majority of staff still need intensive training to develop their confidence in identifying and addressing the needs of pupils with English as an additional language more systematically and in monitoring and evaluating their progress.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Financial control and administration are good. The headteacher, the chair of the governing body’s finance committee and the finance officer liaise regularly and effectively to provide an efficient system for spending money within the school against a development plan that is clearly costed. This has also been confirmed by a recent local education authority audit. The finance officer, in particular, provides thorough and prompt support to all staff. This assists pupil progress and care in a number of ways. For example, many orders for classroom materials are sent by fax to enable the speediest delivery, and refurbishment and maintenance are always carried out by firms who deliver the best quality work for the best price. Overall, there is sound application of best value principles. The PTA is regularly consulted over how to spend monies raised from events such the school fete. This has been very important in developing

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

plans to enhance library provision within the school. Parents’ views have been sought in a questionnaire. In this way the school has begun to address the issues associated with best value. The governors look closely at the deployment of teachers and when necessary reallocate staff to meet new needs. The governors take due account of the school’s performance compared with that of similar schools. Good use is made of the limited technology available to office staff.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The deployment of the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) is appropriately targeted to provide for specialist staffing. The school development plan is not effectively and strategically focused on improving achievement for pupils with English as an additional language. Whilst the school has made a start in analysing and tracking pupils' progress, this does not focus enough on the attainment of pupils with English as an additional language. Not enough attention is given to enabling teachers to meet the language needs of these pupils across the whole curriculum. Since the last inspection, the school has usefully developed a set of guidelines for meeting the needs of bilingual learners but these are not consistently reflected in practice and effectively used to guide teaching. The co-ordinator for pupils with English as an additional language does not have a monitoring role. Senior managers are not directly involved in monitoring and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ensuring that provision for pupils with English as an additional language is working effectively.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The management of the support for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The arrangements for the new Code of Practice have been fully implemented by the Nightingale Primary School - 26 new special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). There has not yet been sufficient time to affect the progress these pupils make which at the moment is satisfactory. Pupils’ progress is regularly reviewed and this information is used effectively to plan work that usefully builds on what they have already learnt. The SENCO works closely with class teachers in drawing up pupils’ individual education plans to ensure that the targets set are appropriate. The management of the team of teaching assistants who work with these pupils is good. The governors keep proper oversight of the support being provided for these pupils. Effective use is made of the grant provided for pupils with special educational needs.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school has been extended since the last inspection, with new classrooms to take three classes in each year group and a nursery. Access to three of the infant classrooms is through another, which is not ideal. The new nursery is a considerable improvement that contributes to children’s learning. For the size of the school, the ICT suite is not large enough, and pupils have to read or undertake other work whilst waiting their turn. This reduces the time they have on the computers and hinders their progress. The new administration area includes a medical room that is effectively used and is an improvement. The caretaker and his cleaning staff maintain the inside of the building well. Pupils’ work is well displayed throughout the building.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The well-designed and constructed science garden enhances provision for science and contributes to pupils’ learning. The quiet areas and other facilities in the playgrounds contribute to the good behaviour shown by most pupils during playtimes. An attractive mural brightens one wall, and a renewed perimeter fence is helping to deter intruders.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Resources for learning are satisfactory overall. Information and communication technology resources have improved since the last inspection but lack the necessary equipment to teach ‘control’ technology effectively. This hampers pupils’ progress. The library shares a room with ICT and is not a good enough resource for such a large school. Resources for physical education are good. In other areas of the curriculum there are a few areas where there are a few shortages where resources have to be shared between classes. Nightingale Primary School - 27

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

71. In order to raise standards and improve the quality of education, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the standards in writing: At the end of the Foundation Stage by: - providing more planned opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills, especially in role-play; - providing a good range of opportunities for children to write for a wide range of purposes. (paragraphs 6, 74, 80) Of the seven-year-olds by: - establishing effective arrangements for the identification of those pupils who, with extra support, could attain average standards; - providing well-structured and systematic support, including the training of appropriate staff. (paragraphs 91, 96)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve standards in art and design, geography and design and technology by: - providing clear and concise guidance on the development of skills; - effectively monitoring the implementation of this guidance; - establishing simple arrangements to enable teachers to assess pupils’ progress in developing these skills; - reviewing the timetabling arrangements, particularly the length of lessons, to provide enough lessons in these subjects; - providing the necessary training for the relatively new subject co-ordinators. (paragraphs 7, 28, 29, 30, 60, 63)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the strategic planning necessary to meet the changing needs of the school by: - systematic and regular analysis of the results of national tests and tests set by the school to gauge the attainment of the different groups of pupils; - using this information to draw up the school development plan; - ensuring that the success criteria in the development plan are clearly set in terms of improvement in standards; - establishing effective and systematic monitoring of the implementation of the plan; - making effective use of information from assessment to plan the curriculum. (paragraphs 48, 58, 59, 61)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the support provided for pupils with English as an additional language by: - establishing effective systems for monitoring the attainment and progress of these pupils; - giving greater attention to these pupils in the monitoring of teaching and of the curriculum; - using this information effectively in the school development plan; - ensuring that all teachers have useful training to enable them to plan effective opportunities to develop these pupils’ language skills across the whole curriculum; - establishing a clear responsibility in the senior management team for the oversight of the education of these pupils. (paragraphs 25, 63, 66)

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Continue to improve attendance by: - raising the profile of high levels of attendance and good punctuality Nightingale Primary School - 28 using ICT effectively to monitor regularly the levels of attendance. (paragraph 46)

p.27

Other issues which should be considered by the governors

• Planning effective opportunities to develop pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy in other subjects. (paragraphs 33, 96, 107)

p.28

Other issues which should be considered by the governors

• Ensuring better use of ICT in other subjects. (paragraphs 30, 139)

p.28

Other issues which should be considered by the governors

• Improving the provision made for pupils to learn about cultures that are different to their own. (paragraph 41)

p.28

Other issues which should be considered by the governors

• Enlarging the accommodation for the teaching of ICT and purchasing the resources needed to teach ‘control’ technology effectively. (paragraphs 68, 135, 139 ) Nightingale Primary School - 29

p.28

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 42

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 21 555

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 54

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 85

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 175

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 67

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 39

p.29

Attendance

School data 6.8 School data 0.2 Nightingale Primary School - 30 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.29

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Nightingale Primary School - 31

p.30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 43 47 90

p.31

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.31

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

Boys 28 33 41 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 41 44 45

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (84) 86 (89) 96 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (85) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 29 39 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 41 43 45

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 78 (88) 91 (98) 88 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

p.31

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 40 46 86

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 27 31 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 37 32 40

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 74 (75) 73 (82) 84 (72) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.31

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.31

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

Boys 29 32 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 36 34 38

p.31

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

Percentage of pupils School 76 (76) 77 (79) 83 (72)

p.31

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Nightingale Primary School - 32

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 18 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 17 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 29 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.32

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 26.6 Financial year 2001/2002

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.5

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff YR – Y6 Total income 1,353,176

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 1,361,945

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 227 Expenditure per pupil 2,262

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 48, 718

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 39, 949

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.0

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 36

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 17

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 17

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 4

p.32

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1 Nightingale Primary School - 33 FTE means full-time equivalent. Nightingale Primary School - 34

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 36 50 13 1 1

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 34 54 5 1 6

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 23 40 26 7 5

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 36 30 7 1

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 45 39 14 2 2

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 39 42 12 4 5

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 25 39 28 5 4

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 29 37 18 7 10

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 34 50 10 0 8

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 18 26 28 19 11

p.34

Results of the survey of parents and carers

• A small number of parents were concerned about bullying • Concerns were expressed about the amount of staff changes Nightingale Primary School - 35

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. The sound provision for children’s learning in the Nursery, as well as in the Reception classes, has been maintained since the last inspection. Added to this, the lack of access to indoor and outdoor play equipment noted at that time has now been addressed successfully. The outdoor areas outside both the nursery unit and alongside the reception classrooms are providing good accommodation for children to develop a range of skills; particularly in the Nursery where physical skills’ development is now well supported through outdoor play. Overall, there has been satisfactory improvement.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. By the end of the Foundation Stage, the five-year-olds attain the nationally set standards in their mathematical development, in their knowledge and understanding of the world, in their physical and creative development and in their personal, social and emotional development. They do not attain these standards in communication, literacy and language. Overall, their achievement is satisfactory. The progress of children with English as an additional language who are learning to speak English is hindered by the lack of attention given to systematically developing speaking and listening and opportunities for writing.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. Children make good progress in the Nursery class. A significant number enter with below average skills, particularly in personal and social development and in communication language and literacy. The teacher and nursery nurse work effectively to support learning in these areas, so that by the time children enter the Reception class, attainment is on track to meet the national expectations in all six areas of learning. Children make satisfactory progress during their Reception education in five of the six areas of learning. Their progress in communication, language and literacy is unsatisfactory. Here standards have fallen back a little and this is partly caused by the changing school population and by the lack of emphasis placed on developing pupils’ skills in speaking and listening and writing.

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. The quality of teaching for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, with good teaching in the Nursery. Relationships with children are good and they are secure and happy in their work. They are keen to explain what they are doing, and are interested in what teachers are saying. Teaching is more varied in the Reception classes and is satisfactory overall. There is good teaching as well as instances of unsatisfactory teaching. Teachers are well supported by classroom assistants who are very well prepared and clear in their role. In the Nursery, the nursery nurse works very well with the children and complements the work of the nursery teacher well providing good teamwork that benefits the children. Where the teaching is good, teachers have very clear and well-focused purposes for lessons. They know exactly what they want the children to have learnt by the end of the session and these purposes are rigorous, clear

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. In Reception, at times the work provided for children to select from is not sufficiently challenging or clearly matched to the needs of a wide range of abilities. This is especially the case in the unsatisfactory teaching. Higher achieving children are not always targeted and challenged, and those with English as an additional language are sometimes left to choose activities unsupported. This was far less evident in the Nursery where informal strategies are used to integrate new children as quickly as possible. Nightingale Primary School - 36 77. The curriculum is planned to incorporate all six required areas of learning. Records of achievement are kept for each child, in which adults working with them note usefully areas for further development as well as children’s successes. The nursery nurse noted pupils’ achievement in one session, making clear ongoing statements whilst working with each child. Such good practice subsequently helped to plan the next piece

p.35

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

of work. Within the Reception classes, literacy planning was not firmly embedded in line with the National Literacy Strategy. Whilst it is expected that children at the end of the Foundation Stage should be experiencing a full session of targeted learning, this was not always happening. Many children who would benefit from this were, therefore, insufficiently challenged and progress was hindered. In the Foundation Stage, the needs of children with English as an additional language are not systematically identified and used to plan work. Children with special educational needs have good support and make satisfactory progress.

p.36

Personal, social and emotional development

78. The personal, social and emotional development of children is satisfactory in both the Nursery and the Reception classes; and standards by the end of the Foundation Stage are in line with those expected nationally. Children throughout the Foundation Stage are co-operative and get on well with each other, even when undertaking unsupervised activities. Teachers do not always provide sufficient collaborative activities, particularly in the Reception classes. Here children work individually within the group situation, rather than interacting together on a given task. Children throughout the Foundation Stage sit quietly and listen attentively to the adults. This was seen when the nursery teacher talked with them about Coco, the toy dog who is taken home by each child in turn to look after at home. Such an activity plays an important role in the children’s personal and emotional development. The teacher talked quietly and sensitively with the

p.36

Personal, social and emotional development

child who had taken Coco home last. Here relationships between the teacher and the children are good. In Reception, the teachers continue to provide for the development of independent skills, by providing activities which children select for themselves. However, in the Reception classes this sometimes leads to lack of challenge. Throughout the Foundation Stage children understand right from wrong and behaviour is good. Teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for the children to become aware of the needs and views of others, and they do not always support children’s spiritual development. Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to celebrate cultural differences, and cultivate in children a sense of awe and wonder in the world around them.

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

79. Children’s progress in language and literacy in the Nursery class is good. In Reception, children’s progress in reading is good but is unsatisfactory in writing. Standards by the end of the Foundation Stage are below average in speaking and listening as well as writing, but are in line with expectations in reading. Children throughout the Foundation Stage enjoy reading and teachers take every opportunity to read stories and rhymes to the children as well as providing a satisfactory range of books for them to select from. The teacher in the Nursery ensures there are labels and signs around the classroom to encourage reading. In Reception classes, the children confidently read titles and instructions around the room, as well as their reading book, which they read enthusiastically. Children are keen to talk about the books they know and in one Reception class they particularly enjoyed the story of Elmer the elephant.

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

80. Whilst children listen attentively to stories and respond appropriately to instructions, teachers in both the Nursery and Reception classes do not provide sufficient well- Nightingale Primary School - 37 planned opportunities to develop speaking and listening. This particularly hinders the progress of children with English as an additional language who are at the early stages of learning English. Role-play areas throughout the Foundation Stage are not used effectively through which adults can ‘model’ language for the children and so develop confidence, imagination and the correct vocabulary. Consequently, teachers do not plan writing opportunities rigorously enough to cover the full range of skills for the majority of children. Children write their name in the Nursery, and copy over or under the teacher’s own writing. Within the Reception classes however, they are insufficiently encouraged to write independently covering the full range of styles, such as fairytales,

p.36

Communication, language and literacy

retelling stories, writing lists, instructions, letters, poetry, captions, speech bubbles and imaginative stories. Too often, in Reception, writing is confined to writing news. Teachers do, however, encourage grammar and pupils use capital letters and full stops in their writing. Most children say the first and last sound in words and write them down successfully. Children with English as an additional language who are at the early stage of acquiring English are not as confident in doing this. More able children have made a sound start in spelling words that they commonly see in their reading books with reasonable accuracy.

p.37

Mathematical development

81. Children make sound progress in their mathematical development in the Foundation Stage. The majority of children attain the standards set nationally by the end of the Reception. In the Nursery, the good teaching enables most children to make good progress. The teacher uses rhymes and stories well to develop number and other mathematical concepts. For example children count to three when learning the story of Goldilocks and the three Bears, and begin to understand concepts such as big, bigger, biggest. They are also satisfactorily comparing the weight of boxes and point to the heaviest and the lightest. These children count to five when saying an elephant rhyme. The teacher uses every opportunity to develop mathematical language. Whilst using outside apparatus, children use everyday words to describe position and movement. One nursery child, when asked why he was facing the opposite way to the other

p.37

Mathematical development

children answered “because I’m going backwards” and “I’m behind / in front of -----“. In Reception, the teachers build on this work successfully. Here children count reliably up to ten objects, and recognise numbers one to nine. Children successfully add two single-digit numbers to ten and higher attainers add the three single-digit numbers to twenty, using the appropriate language. Children count objects and dots on a dice accurately, pointing with their fingers. In Reception, teaching is satisfactory and children make satisfactory progress. Teachers provide clearly differentiated tasks when developing an awareness of shape. Higher achievers try to place smaller triangular shapes into a larger one and use names such as hexagon, as well as circle, triangle and rectangle.

p.37

Knowledge and understanding of the world

82. Children’s progress in their knowledge and understanding of the world is good in the Nursery class and satisfactory in the Reception classes. Their attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of the Foundation Stage. The satisfactory teaching provides useful opportunities for children to develop technology skills. In the Nursery, they are beginning to use the mouse confidently with simple programs on the computer. In Reception, they confidently use the mouse to select icons on the computer screen. They use a phonic program well to identify letters and a graphic program with enthusiasm to draw pictures. The children’s knowledge and understanding of simple scientific ideas is satisfactory. In Reception classes, teachers give clear expectations and demonstrate well using practical tasks, for example about Nightingale Primary School - 38 the life cycle of the butterfly. They are able to fully explain their drawings of the change

p.37

Knowledge and understanding of the world

from an egg to a butterfly. Children enjoy their topic on minibeasts. They use the magnifying glass competently to look at pictures of minibeasts, and use playdough to create the segments of a caterpillar. In geography, the nursery teacher has provided an excellent range of shells for the children to look at and explore. Children name seaside features such as shells, beach and sand.

p.38

Knowledge and understanding of the world

83. In Reception, children undertake a survey of the school and its grounds and teachers provide good opportunities for them to investigate their local environment from first hand experiences. Children also comment sensibly on the weather using appropriate language. The teacher in the Nursery provides a good range of food for children to make their pizzas in design and technology. Children learn new names, such as red and yellow pepper, and enjoy selecting their own combinations for their topping.

p.38

Physical development

84. Children make sound progress in the Foundation Stage reflecting the satisfactory teaching. They reach the expected standards by the end of the Foundation Stage. Quality of provision has improved with the new outside areas. Teachers provide a range of good quality apparatus particularly outside the Nursery class with its hard and soft areas for play. Here the children move confidently across the balancing beam and through the hoops, and they work hard to improve their ability to do set tasks. The teacher and nursery nurse encourage the children and challenge them appropriately to try more difficult balances and children make good progress. In the Nursery, children catch, throw and kick the large balls accurately. Skills in using a sound range of tools are well developed throughout the Foundation Stage. Teachers provide a satisfactory range of activities for children to use, including scissors, glue, crayons and

p.38

Physical development

paintbrushes. One boy in the Nursery had a very successful attempt, with the teacher’s help, at using a stapler when making his booklet.

p.38

Creative development

85. Children make satisfactory progress in the Nursery and in the Reception classes in their creative development. Children’s attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of the Foundation Stage. Teaching is satisfactory. Nursery children competently mix two colours to make pink and know that yellow and red make orange, and blue and red make purple. The nursery nurse supports the learning effectively and ensures the children understand what they have seen and learnt. Children explore colour and texture satisfactorily when creating the collage of an underwater scene. Throughout the Foundation Stage, children are given many opportunities to paint and use creative tools, such as paintbrushes, scissors and pencils, well. Teachers in the Nursery and the Reception classes provide useful opportunities for children to use their imagination in a range of settings. For example, the nursery children created make-

p.38

Creative development

believe situations with the small animals. However, overall creative, imaginative role- play, drama and puppet work is underdeveloped. The children in Reception enjoy singing in assembly, but percussion instruments were not seen to be used to accompany music times in the Nursery or the Reception classes. Nightingale Primary School - 39

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ENGLISH

86. The eleven-year-olds attain average standards and this is reflected in the results of the national tests in 2001. The number of pupils attaining standards higher than those expected for pupils of this age was better than the national average and reflects the effective arrangements in Year 5 and Year 6 where pupils are taught in classes according to their levels of attainment – setting. The standards of the seven-year-olds are average in reading and below average in writing. The results of the national tests in 2001 showed that standards in reading were below average and standards were average in writing. The standards of the seven-year-olds are fluctuating. This is partly explained by the wide range of abilities within Key Stage 1. The school has not carefully identified those pupils who with extra support could reach the nationally expected standards nor has use been made of a national initiative to support such pupils. A

p.39

ENGLISH

quarter of the pupils in Year 2 either have special educational needs or have English as an additional language. While support for those with special educational needs is good, a number of teachers are less sure in their knowledge and expertise to help pupils with English as an additional language to improve their English language skills.

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ENGLISH

87. A significant feature of the school is the mobility of its population, with a third of the pupils who took the national tests in 2001 joining the school in Key Stage 2. Of these, approximately four in ten had English as an additional language and were at different stages in learning English, some reasonably fluent and some at the early stages of acquiring English. This makes comparisons with standards at the time of the last inspection less reliable. At that time the eleven-year-olds attained average standards and the seven-year-olds attained above average standards in reading and average standards in writing. Although pupils often make good progress in individual lessons as a result of the good teaching, their progress as they move through the school is satisfactory. The achievement of the eleven-year-olds is satisfactory. The achievement of the seven-year-olds is satisfactory in reading but unsatisfactory in writing. Overall,

p.39

ENGLISH

the achievement of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress as do higher attainers.

p.39

ENGLISH

88. Pupils make satisfactory and often good progress in acquiring speaking and listening skills. The standards of the seven- and eleven-year-olds are average in speaking and listening. The seven-year-olds express their ideas and explain what they are doing. Teachers provide good opportunities in the introductory sessions of the literacy hour for pupils to talk and offer their ideas. Where this is done well, pupils respond with well- chosen vocabulary and speak clearly and confidently. For example, in a lesson in Year 2, pupils doing the same task read their work at the end of the lesson, and their classmates were invited to comment. In this way a pupil with English as an additional language learnt that the expression is ‘he’s on his own’, not ‘ by his own’.

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ENGLISH

89. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their speaking and listening as they move through Key Stage 2. The better teaching is where teachers ensure that all pupils are encouraged to contribute to lessons and pupils are helped to improve their speaking skills by the good emphasis on accuracy and the use of vocabulary. Where there are specialist teachers and support staff, they enable pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language to participate fully. Pupils regularly work in pairs or groups in different subjects of the curriculum, and in the best lessons they collaborate and help each other. However, this is not always a strong feature of group work, especially where the work is not of a problem-solving nature to encourage discussion. Where teachers fail to identify technical vocabulary in other subjects, pupils do not learn to use it appropriately. Older pupils are given good opportunities to perform

p.39

ENGLISH

poetry and enact plays. In a good lesson in Year 6, the teacher introduced the pupils to Nightingale Primary School - 40 two poems, one of which was a parody of the other. The pupils worked well together in groups to perform alternate lines of the main poem and the parody and use voice and gesture well to distinguish between the two styles.

p.39

ENGLISH

90. The school satisfactorily uses a number of structured reading schemes to develop the reading skills of younger pupils. ‘Guided’ reading sessions take place outside the literacy hour and are used satisfactorily to promote pupils’ reading for understanding. In these sessions pupils take part in other useful reading activities to develop their understanding of different texts and to encourage their wider reading. Less able pupils are not so sure of the different strategies they can use to read unfamiliar words. Those who are more able read fluently and expressively. They enjoy talking about the story they are reading and explaining what is happening. There are no systematic arrangements for providing additional support for pupils with identified reading difficulties. More able older readers offer their opinions about the book they are reading and discuss their reading habits and preferences confidently. Many of them are regular

p.40

ENGLISH

users of the public library. Due attention is paid to providing the necessary help to support those pupils with English as an additional language. Teachers provide a good range of reading opportunities during the literacy hour. Pupils read poetry and literature from different literary traditions, including, in Year 6, the plays of Shakespeare. Pupils are also introduced to a range of non-fiction texts, including a variety of formal writing, such as letters and persuasive texts. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s reading and the school is at an early stage of developing a partnership reading programme. Pupils’ progress in reading is carefully monitored by teachers and satisfactory records of their achievement are kept which make a helpful contribution to their learning.

p.40

ENGLISH

91. Handwriting is consistently taught, although not all seven-year-olds are forming letters correctly or presenting work well. Most eleven-year-olds write satisfactorily in joined script and the presentation of their work is good. Basic skills are taught satisfactorily throughout the school. Pupils use their knowledge of grammar satisfactorily in their own writing, but for many lower-ability pupils, spelling skills remain weak and punctuation is not always used correctly. The seven-year-olds learn to write for different purposes and readers. They compose their own effective poetry and stories. Pupils have thought carefully about the non-fiction books they are writing and how they will record the information. They choose a variety of topics and use their lists of key words successfully to write about, for example, elephants: ‘elephants are nearly extinct’, or humans, ‘first a baby is born. Now he is two years old he is a toddler’, or football, ‘the

p.40

ENGLISH

goalie is the only one who can handle the ball’. A significant minority of the seven-year- olds have difficulties with spelling accurately and using simple punctuation correctly.

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ENGLISH

92. The eleven-year-olds produce formal letters presenting different points of view and identify and reproduce different styles of poetry. They produce a good range of creative writing. Pupils write character studies, diary entries and rewrite scenes from Shakespeare. In one modern revision a pupil in Year 6 wrote a letter from Sir Toby Belch to Maria, ‘Malvi…..actually wore yellow leggings. What a DWEEB!’ In lessons where there is specialist support, pupils with special educational needs or with English as an additional language achieve well. However some of the more competent speakers of English are influenced in their spellings and their structure of sentences by their first language and this is not always dealt with effectively by their teachers.

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ENGLISH

93. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the study of appropriate texts and activities that allow pupils to explore their own feelings and values. They learn to present arguments from different perspectives, and to empathise with different characters, such as how Lady Macbeth Nightingale Primary School - 41 changes before and after the murder and why this might happen. Pupils in Year 2 have put together a book of class rules – ‘listen to the teacher and each other’. Pupils are introduced to stories from different cultural traditions, and Year 6 pupils have produced a collection of different stories from around the world. They are collaborating to produce an adventure story with each chapter written by a different group.

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ENGLISH

94. Overall, the quality of teaching is good throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 and most pupils make good progress in lessons. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. This is an improvement over the quality of teaching found in the previous inspection. Teachers are secure and confident in their use of the structure of the literacy hour. The introductory session is used well to establish what pupils know and teachers use the ‘round up’ session at the end of lessons effectively to assess learning. There is some variation in the quality of group work. Pupils are not always encouraged to work independently and to collaborate with each other, so that they interrupt the teacher to ask questions or to check spellings. This disrupts pupils’ time with the teacher and so reduces the quality of their learning in the guided group work. Group activities are adapted to meet the needs of pupils of differing abilities. This was very much the case in a very good lesson

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in Year 6 where the teacher of the ‘lower’ set understood very well the different needs of the pupils in the groups and provided appropriate support.

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ENGLISH

95. There is a good awareness, which is shown in the planning, of the learning needs of pupils with special educational needs. The needs of pupils with English as an additional language are not shown on the planning and there is a general lack of awareness of how these pupils can be helped to achieve better, especially those in the early stages of acquiring English. Texts are generally well chosen to stimulate and interest pupils. In the better lessons, the lesson moves along at a lively pace and the pupils are caught up by the enthusiasm of the teacher. For example, in a very good lesson in Year 2 the teacher had inspired the pupils to use their imagination and creativity to research and record information for non-fiction booklets, and at the same time, ensured that they were well prepared with the basic skills they need. ICT is not used enough to develop pupils’ literacy skills, for example through drafting and redrafting pieces of work.

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ENGLISH

96. The subject is satisfactorily managed. Overall, the improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented effectively throughout the school. However, not enough attention is given to developing pupils’ skills in English in the teaching of the other subjects. Resources are satisfactory and have been added to which increase the number of ‘big books’ for whole-class lessons, and provide more stimulating reading material. The library is not big enough for a school of this size. Parents are kept informed of initiatives and invited to regular meetings to learn about ways to improve their children’s achievement. The greatest impact is in Years 5 and 6, where the co-ordinator leads by her good practice. There are good strategies in place for raising standards, such as teaching in ability sets, and booster classes for Year 6 pupils. However, the co-ordinator has not yet made a

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ENGLISH

significant impact on raising standards across the school, because additional strategies for pupils who may be underachieving have not been organised. The school uses a satisfactory range of assessment procedures, but there needs to be greater attention to ensuring that these are used consistently. For example, there is some variation in teachers’ attention to using pupils’ individual targets to help them improve, and the samples of work used for tracking pupils’ progress are not always given a National Curriculum level, or show what pupils need to do to reach the next step.

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MATHEMATICS

Nightingale Primary School - 42 97. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and the standards attained by the seven- and eleven-year-olds are average. This is the result of good teaching and leadership in the subject. Whilst pupils make good progress in lessons in all aspects of mathematics in Key Stage 2, pupil mobility and staffing difficulties in the past have led to satisfactory rather than good progress overall. Inspection evidence from teaching and learning in Year 1 indicates that these pupils are on course to exceed these standards at the end of Year 2. The overall attainment throughout the school represents the continuation of a general upward trend in mathematics over the past four years. Although standards are broadly the same as they were at the time of the last inspection, the improvement is good given the pupil mobility and the staffing difficulties. The National Numeracy Strategy is now fully in place and is used effectively. This has contributed considerably

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MATHEMATICS

to the more effective use of time by teachers and the increased skill that all pupils show in the use of mental mathematics and their individual strategies for calculating.

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MATHEMATICS

98. All pupils make good progress in lessons. The teaching of those for whom English is an additional language means they do as well as other pupils and make satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs are effectively supported resulting from the careful matching of pupils to appropriate tasks and very effective and flexible use of ‘setting’ in Years 5 and 6. Where additional support is provided by teachers or teaching assistants, it is planned in detail, links well to the mathematics curriculum and is carefully monitored to ensure that all pupils work with materials and in groups that match their ability. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress over time. Higher attaining pupils progress well in Years 1 and 2, but their progress is only satisfactory by the age of eleven. The school is aware of this and is actively monitoring the progress of pupils in all years as the basis of developing further

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MATHEMATICS

arrangements for challenging these pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

99. By the age of seven, pupils have a lively and constructive interest in mathematics. They show confidence and enthusiasm in using basic mathematical processes mentally and in their written work. All have a clear understanding of the properties of two- and three- dimensional shapes, counting and ordering numbers up to 100; 1000 in the case of higher attaining pupils. They know the relationship between addition and subtraction and some are beginning to link multiplication and division together. Pupils’ knowledge of time and capacity is developing well and they handle data effectively in tallying and developing bar graphs and pie charts on the computer. The most impressive aspect of this progress is the very good mathematics vocabulary most pupils have, including those with English as an additional language. Thus, they understand ‘equal’, ‘edge’, ‘face’, ‘rectangle’ and ‘right angle’, while higher attaining pupils are at home with

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MATHEMATICS

technical vocabulary such as ‘pentagon’, ‘symmetry’, and ‘multiple’ and ‘standard’ and ‘non-standard’ with regard to measurement.

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MATHEMATICS

100. Work undertaken by pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 indicates the good standards that are developing. In a very good lesson in Year 2, pupils took turns to demonstrate angles and rotation by turning and jumping at the instruction of the teacher. The group work that followed saw all but three pupils demonstrating secure knowledge of right angles and rotation. The other three were able to demonstrate a basic knowledge by using plastic equipment to form one, two and three right angles.

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MATHEMATICS

101. By the age of eleven, higher attaining pupils have satisfactorily developed the skills necessary for estimation and checking, probability, matching fractions, decimals and percentages. They move between multiplication and division with ease and produce a wide range of graphs and charts. They are also beginning to understand how to decide on best value as the result of relating price to size, weight and capacity. All pupils by this stage are confident in the use of scales, rulers and protractors and most Nightingale Primary School - 43 understand the relationship between litres and pints, pounds and kilograms. Their mental calculation skills are rapid and accurate for many sums or problems. Lower attaining pupils have a good, wide recognition of two- and three-dimensional shapes, are developing their own ways of calculation and are becoming more regular in checking answers or estimates.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Pupils in an upper mathematics set responded quickly to the addition of a series of eight sets of minutes giving an overall answer in hours and minutes. They identified times in a wide range of countries, using their knowledge of British Standard Time and Greenwich Mean Time. When talking about why times were different around the world and in the British summertime, they were clear in their answers and thoughtful when applying the principles to problems.

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MATHEMATICS

103. The teaching of mathematics throughout the school is good, with only a few lessons that are only satisfactory, and many lessons, especially in Years 1 and 2, that are very good. This is one of the main contributory factors for the progress of pupils and the improvement of mathematics standards within the school. All teachers have a good understanding of mathematical concepts and make the work fun. This, in turn, encourages pupils to volunteer answers and enjoy the experience of calculation, estimation and checking. Pace is usually good and often very good. There is also a very good rapport between adults and pupils within classes and humour is used well to assist learning. Thus in a very good lesson in Year 2, a floor ‘robot’ went wrong after programming it to move in right angles. The class was in hysterics, as was the teacher. The teacher was unable to identify the reason for the fault and continued with

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MATHEMATICS

the group to work on direction and angle. Not only did the humour subside quickly and an excellent working atmosphere develop, but also the pupils had learned more from the mishap than if the robot had performed perfectly. It is this ability of teachers to use every opportunity as a teaching device that is ensuring the steady development of mathematics skills.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Similarly, it is clear that the large majority of teachers create an atmosphere that is highly supportive to learning, whatever the level of the pupil. Teachers take care to show or ’model’ learning. In many lessons pupils who have given a ‘wrong’ answer are asked a further question to turn a potential negative experience into a positive one. Thus, where a pupil answered that a jug will hold 79 cups, the teacher did not say no, but asked the pupil to remember his estimate and check it against the answer gained when he had filled the jug with water. His answer was three and he saw how far wide of the mark he was.

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MATHEMATICS

105. There are few lessons where teaching is only satisfactory. However, in these lessons, the relationship between teacher and class is not as strong, clear boundaries for behaviour are not always set and the work is not adapted for the range of abilities within the class. Although there has been monitoring of teaching, this has not yet addressed the individual needs of a few teachers who are less confident in the National Numeracy Strategy and its implications.

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MATHEMATICS

106. Another contributory factor to the good improvement in mathematics is the good management of the subject. Compared with the previous report, teaching is generally of a higher standard, pupils show greater enthusiasm for the subject and there is a more consistent approach to supporting pupils who require additional assistance. The previous and present co-ordinators are both locally recognised ‘lead’ teachers in mathematics and they set very high standards. They are beginning to use assessment data very well to identify what pupils find difficult and where teaching is not consistent. They have developed and provided training and the success of all of this is clear in the Nightingale Primary School - 44 overall high standard of teaching throughout the school. The improvement since the last inspection has been good.

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MATHEMATICS

107. There is a clear action plan for mathematics that is relevant and being addressed very well by the current co-ordinator. Inspection evidence indicates that there are still a number of areas for development. Mathematics is not used regularly enough in other subjects and ICT is not used regularly in mathematics. The collection and assessment of samples of pupils’ work, for analysis and recording progress, is not developed enough. The links between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in the development of mathematics are another area for development.

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SCIENCE

108. Pupils attain average standards by the ages of seven and eleven and their achievement is satisfactory. This was the position at the last inspection. Standards of eleven-years- olds have risen steadily during the recent years in line with the national trend except in 2000, when these dropped to well below average. In 2001, although pupils’ attainment was average, not enough pupils attained the nationally expected results in comparison with their results at the age of seven. There are three main reasons for this. There have been significant changes of staff, increased mobility of pupils and weaknesses in pupils’ writing. For some pupils, their weak skills in writing hinder their recording of learning of science. Pupils’ results during the last three years indicate that there is no significant difference between the attainment of boys and girls in the school. Pupils with special educational needs participate in science investigations as well as others and

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SCIENCE

make similar progress. They make better progress when they receive specific support. Practical work helps early stage learners of English as an additional language to acquire English and knowledge, skills and understanding of science. Overall they make satisfactory progress in science.

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SCIENCE

109. Most of the seven-year-olds name different materials correctly and explain how physical forces change their shape. They understand the effect of heat on chocolate but are not as clear on its effect on an egg which they describe as ‘runny and shaky’. They successfully name examples of animals and plants found in different habitats. Higher attaining pupils show growing awareness that their comparisons have to be fair in order to be valid. Recording of scientific enquiry, however, is weaker. By the age of eleven, the majority of pupils have above average standards in life processes and living things and materials and their properties. Their enquiry skills are relatively weak in several areas, for example recording, use of scientific vocabulary and understanding what makes comparisons fair.

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SCIENCE

110. There is good provision now in all years for pupils to learn science through ‘enquiry’. In Years 1 and 2, science investigations are even more common. Pupils observe plants and animals in different habitats and the effect of heat on various materials such as chocolate and egg. They investigate melting of ice cubes under different conditions. From their investigations on circuits, they understand that the ‘bulb lights up because it is all attached and nothing is broken’. Pupils’ learning, including the higher attainers, is constrained by weaknesses in their writing and because teachers do not consistently provide tasks that match their needs. However, overall learning is satisfactory because of satisfactory teaching.

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SCIENCE

111. Satisfactory teaching leads to satisfactory progress and achievement in Years 3 and 4. Again the teachers offer good opportunities for learning across all areas of science through scientific enquiry. Pupils’ good attitudes have a positive effect on their learning. In Years 3 and 4, pupils’ acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding is Nightingale Primary School - 45 developed soundly through their own scientific enquiry. This promotes good intellectual effort and thinking as pupils are required to make sense of the outcomes of their investigations, for example when they investigate which material will keep an ice cube frozen the longest. Although learning is overall satisfactory and sometimes good, it is hindered by pupils’ weakness in writing and by teachers not always providing support that matches their needs. Consequently, part of their recorded work remains incomplete and sometimes leads to frustration and occasional inappropriate behaviour.

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SCIENCE

The needs of higher attaining pupils are not met as fully as they could be. For example, teachers do not insist on the use of ruler or of appropriate graph paper and correct labelling of axis to help pupils draw graphs of good quality as well as improve their interpretation of them.

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SCIENCE

112. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 make good gains in developing new knowledge and make good progress in life processes and living things and materials and their properties. For example, they have a good understanding of feeding relationships between plants and animals including food chains. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to understand more complex relationships described in simple food ‘webs’. Pupils’ learning through scientific enquiry is weak. For example, they are not clear about what they need to do to ensure that when they test a rubber band for elasticity the test is a fair one. This is partly due to teaching not developing pupils’ understanding of what makes a test fair and developing language that helps pupils to see trends and patterns. A good example of this is seen in the work of a higher attaining pupil. From an investigation on shadows, the pupil concludes that, the further the object from the torch, the smaller the shadow;

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SCIENCE

the nearer the object, the longer the shadow. This is followed by a clear explanation of why it happens: ‘when the object is nearer, it blocks more light and less when away’.

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SCIENCE

113. Whilst overall teaching of science in the school is satisfactory, there are examples of good to very good teaching of the subject in the school. In general, teachers manage pupils and plan lessons effectively. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in most of the classes. In a very good lesson in Year 5, the pupils were clear as to the purpose of the lesson through a brisk effective introduction by the teacher. A thorough discussion led to pupils’ understanding of the factors that could affect germination of seeds and subsequent growth of the plant. This understanding helped pupils to plan their investigation and how they could make the comparison fair. The tailoring of worksheets to pupils’ needs in this mixed ability class and the teacher’s interventions helped all pupils to learn very well and make very good progress. Management of pupils and relationships in the class and expectations of high work ethics contributed to very

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SCIENCE

productive and purposeful atmosphere for learning. Throughout the lesson, the teacher showed great sensitivity to pupils’ ideas and made ample use of praise. This cultivated an atmosphere of respect and sensitivity. Pupils appreciated the positive atmosphere and enjoyed learning very much.

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SCIENCE

114. Leadership and management of the subject during the last 15 months have been very good. This has led to good improvement since the last inspection. The development of a very well thought out subject policy is effectively guiding several developments. Teaching and learning have been effectively monitored in Years 1 and 2 and analysis of pupils’ work has shown the need for more attention to match work to pupils’ needs. Test results have been analysed and teachers’ awareness of what needs to be done to move pupils forward has increased. Targets have been set for improving performance. The curriculum is better organised. Effective assessment procedures have been introduced in Years 1 and 2. These are being extended to Years 3 to 6 from September. An excellent science garden has been established for pupils to explore different areas of science, such as sound, friction, materials and different habitats.

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SCIENCE

Nightingale Primary School - 46 Resources are good, well organised and made accessible to teachers. The use of ICT is improving but more still needs to be done.

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ART AND DESIGN

115. The seven-year-olds attain average standards and their achievement is satisfactory. This is particularly due to the quality of teaching in Year 2 where the subject co- ordinator undertakes the planning for the year group. The standards attained by the eleven-year-olds are below average and their achievement is unsatisfactory. This is mainly as the result of the lack of systematic development of pupils’ skills and partly due to the low amount of time given to the teaching of art and design. Across the school as a whole, pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their skills in painting and drawing and this hinders their progress. This has been recognised by the co-ordinator in the relatively short time she has been in post and a start has been made to systematically develop pupils’ skills in mixing colour. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is similar to

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ART AND DESIGN

that of the majority of the pupils. At the last inspection the eleven-year-olds attained average standards and the attainment of the seven-year-olds was said to be ‘barely’ average. Overall, improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

116. Teachers in Year 2 provide satisfactory opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in a wide range of media. The seven-year-olds competently learn to mix colours as they illustrate their work in science about hot and cold. In history, all the pupils were involved in painting parts of a large picture showing The Great Fire of London. Although pupils learn the skills of mixing colour, they do not have enough opportunities to paint imaginatively. Pupils satisfactorily develop their skills in drawing and at times attain high standards. For example, when drawing souvenirs from the past as part of their work in history, one pupil drew a cup and saucer with great attention to detail, especially the delicate patterns that decorated the souvenir. Pupils work successfully in three dimensions as they weave and model with clay. A strength is their work with fabric where they competently use their rubbings of surfaces of buildings to print and to make

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ART AND DESIGN

117. The eleven-year-olds have not systematically developed the skills necessary to reach the standards expected nationally. The standards of their drawings in their sketchbooks showed little progress and some of the detailed drawings seen in Year 2 were of a higher standard. In painting, pupils copy the work of important artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Van Gogh, but do not make sufficient progress in painting, especially in painting imaginatively. Pupils use pastels competently as they recreate the work of LS Lowrey as part of their study of the environment. Three-dimensional work is under- represented.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. Teaching of art and design alternates in the planning of the curriculum with design and technology so that not all the classes were teaching art during the inspection. Consequently a limited number of lessons were seen. Overall, the teaching of art and design is satisfactory. The teaching in the lessons seen was good or better. In a very good lesson in Year 2, pupils were printing fabrics and making batiks from rubbings they had made from the surfaces found around the school. The teacher and teaching assistant worked very well together to support and demonstrate important skills whilst not doing the work for the pupils. The resources were of good quality and enhanced pupils’ learning. A strength in the teaching is the links teachers make with other subjects. A significant weakness is that planning does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to successfully develop important skills such as painting and drawing.

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ART AND DESIGN

Nightingale Primary School - 47 119. A long-term plan is in place for the teaching of art and design. It is based on units of work drawn from national guidance. However, guidance is lacking as to how to systematically develop important skills as pupils move through the school. This hinders pupils’ progress. Pupils’ attainment is not systematically assessed.

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ART AND DESIGN

120. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and in the few terms she has been in post has identified what needs to be done to raise standards. Resources have been reorganised and improved. Training sessions have been held with the staff to improve the planning and more are planned to develop teachers’ skills. The co-ordinator has not been able to observe lessons but looks closely at work in classrooms and around the school in order to gauge standards. Overall, the co-ordination is satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. The school’s provision for design and technology in the school is weak and barely meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. The timetabling arrangements do not allow enough time to teach the subject. Until very recently, the leadership and management of the subject have been lacking for a considerable time. The curriculum is not cohesive and teachers do not develop pupils’ skills progressively. Staffing difficulties have also compounded the situation. These factors have resulted in unsatisfactory progress and underachievement by the seven- and eleven-year-olds, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. The improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory. Pupils’ attainment at that time was average.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

122. Standards of attainment of the seven- and eleven-year-olds are below the level nationally expected for their ages. They have not sufficiently developed their skills in developing ideas, working with a good range of tools, and working out how they could improve the products they have made. The seven-year-olds satisfactorily learn to measure, cut and join components such as wheels, axles and sections of the body made of card. They decorate these to produce sound quality vehicles. However, generally their work is not of a high enough standard. The eleven-year-olds satisfactorily investigate a range of materials, design and make slippers, shelters and fairground rides. Early in Key Stage 2, pupils soundly design and make baby monsters. They investigate how to make parts, such as the tongue or the nose, to move. Pupils satisfactorily consider various materials and eventually use balloons to make the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

moving part and make it move using a plastic syringe. They investigate musical instruments and eventually develop their design plans and make these using mainly junk material. Pupils in Year 5 satisfactorily evaluate and compare colour, smell, appearance and cost of a sound range of commercially available biscuits. Then they carefully design their own, record recipe, tools and method. However, the current unsystematic approach to teaching the subject means that in lessons pupils do not systematically improve their skills in design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. No teaching and learning were observed in Key Stage 1 because of the periodic coverage of the subject where design and technology alternates with art and design. The quality of teaching and learning in the lessons observed in Key Stage 2 was satisfactory. The teachers set high expectations of the overall quality of the product. They require pupils to ensure that its parts function properly, that the structure should be stable and that it should look good. The teachers expect pupils to work together and amicably share tools and resources. A good range of resources helps pupils to investigate various materials and components, for example motors to move their fairground rides. However, the teaching does not enable the pupils to evaluate components enough as to their suitability for their products and what they have to do to Nightingale Primary School - 48 improve their products, for example how to decrease the speed of the motor for their

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

fairground rides. In some aspects, teachers’ own knowledge acts as a constraint in moving pupils forward.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. The recently deployed co-ordinator is enthusiastic. However, the co-ordinator needs to develop the necessary subject expertise as well as the role as a subject leader. Improvements since taking over responsibility have been satisfactory. The resources have been sorted out and classified for ease of access and the subject policy is being reviewed. Overall, leadership and management are unsatisfactory but improving. The long-term planning needs to ensure the systematic development of skills as well as pupils’ knowledge and understanding of areas such as evaluation of processes and products and of materials and components. Assessment procedures and the use of assessment information to improve pupils’ standards are unsatisfactory. Insufficient use is made of ICT.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Standards in geography attained by the seven-year-olds are similar to those expected nationally at this age and they achieve satisfactorily. The achievement of pupils with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs is similar to that of most of the pupils. Standards achieved by eleven-year-olds are below those expected, with significant weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of specific terminology and geographical facts. The achievement is unsatisfactory. Not enough attention is paid over time to the systematic development of geographical skills or in studying the subject in depth. Standards at the last inspection were ‘broadly average’. There has not been enough improvement since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. By the time they are aged seven, pupils have learnt about islands through studying the topic, ‘An Island Home’. They carefully draw a map of the island and mark in and label features. They know about land use and make comparisons between island life and life on the mainland. They demonstrate good understanding. One pupil writes, ‘The bike is very important if you don’t have busses and stuff’. They use the knowledge gained in Year 1 in which they develop an awareness of climate and weather to plan satisfactorily the wardrobe for James Bond Bear to take on his travels. In lessons in Year 1, pupils discuss the results of their homework traffic survey and one pupil explains ‘the traffic is busiest when mummys and daddys go to work and come home’. Pupils show that they use their local knowledge to talk about the different man-made features around the school. Higher ability pupils successfully mark these on a map.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. By the time they are aged eleven, pupils know how to draw maps and label features; however, there is little development in their skills through Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 4 learn about another country when they study a village in India. They make simple comparisons with their own locality. In Year 5, they study a map of Llandudno, but there is little recorded evidence to demonstrate how well they have understood the impact of humans and the physical processes on the lives of the inhabitants. In Year 6, they learn about water and rivers and draw the course of the River Roding, and make brief notes about pollution. In a good lesson in Year 6, pupils worked in groups to use secondary sources, such as tourist brochures and Ordnance Survey maps to plan suitable locations for different types of holidays, such as bird-watching, climbing, beach holidays and water sports. Pupils showed good research skills and they began to

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GEOGRAPHY

assemble the information they needed to produce their own brochures. They used different skills such as tracing or copying to produce maps of the area, so that there was good evidence that the teacher had built up the necessary skills well. However, the written accounts tended to be more descriptive than based on geographical fact and Nightingale Primary School - 49 this was true of the parallel lesson in the age group in which the teacher had to remind the class that this is a geography lesson and not an English lesson.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages. Teachers ensure that pupils in Years 1 and 2 build up their skills well and add to their knowledge throughout the two years. The subject is made relevant through teachers building on what pupils know about their own locality. Lessons have a clear focus that is shared with pupils so that they understand what they are doing and why. From a scrutiny of pupils’ books there is evidence that whilst the school covers all the required topics in the National Curriculum for geography, in Key Stage 2 there is insufficient depth to what is taught. Planning is based on national guidance; however the frequent staff changes led to a number of teachers being unfamiliar with the content of the ‘units’ that the lessons are based on. As a result, teachers’ planning does not identify the geographical skills pupils are to learn or the key terminology that will enable them to talk about different geographical

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GEOGRAPHY

topics. This was true of the one unsatisfactory lesson where pupils achieved little because the objectives of the lesson were not clear to the teacher. It is these weaknesses that are contributing to the below average standards at the end of the key stage. ICT is not used well enough.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. Management of the subject is unsatisfactory. The co-ordinator is newly appointed and has little experience of subject co-ordination. He has inherited the scheme of work produced by his predecessor, and has had little time to assess the effectiveness of the scheme or to review it with his colleagues or to influence planning. The subject is taught in half-term topic blocks, alternating with history. There are no procedures to assess how well pupils are achieving in the subject and to inform planning. A priority has been to audit resources, and these have been satisfactorily added to. There is a satisfactory policy that is planned for review. There is no planned programme of visits to enhance the subject although many teachers make good use of educational visits.

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HISTORY

130. By the ages of seven and eleven, all pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and they attain the standards expected nationally for pupils of these ages. The teaching ensures that pupils with English as an additional language are fully involved. Those pupils with special educational needs have appropriate support. Pupils confidently remember facts about a range of historical events and periods. However, their progress in the development of the use and understanding of historical skills is less consistently achieved. Although pupils remember facts and have produced some interesting work on periods such as the Tudors, Ancient Greeks and the Victorians, they are not as confident about chronology and how periods of history fit together, or about effective analysis of second-hand source material and interrogating accounts from the past. The subject is not a particular strength of the school as it was judged to be at the last

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HISTORY

inspection and there has not been enough improvement since then.

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HISTORY

131. Pupils remember facts well. A group of seven-year-olds were able to talk at some length about what they had learnt earlier in the year. They knew about Florence Nightingale, and could date the Great Fire of London and where it started and how it spread. They were enthusiastic about the subject and clearly enjoyed learning about historical events, especially when undertaking activities for themselves. For example, when they made balls from cork and wool and they dressed up in Victorian clothes, as well as their visit to Shoeburyness to look at changes in seaside resorts over time. History came alive in this way and they retained detailed information and could explain exactly what they did. The eleven-year-olds had enjoyed researching the life of John Nightingale Primary School - 50 Lennon and used the Internet effectively to do so. Pupils in Year 5 have successfully learnt about the Greek alphabet and language as part of their study of Ancient Greeks.

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HISTORY

132. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, and some good teaching was observed. In these lessons, teachers were clear about what they wanted the pupils to learn. In a lesson about the seaside with seven-year-olds, good use had been made of a visit to the seaside the day before. These pupils then looked at photographs of seaside scenes since the Victorian era and were able to confidently compare and contrast costume, activities and buildings with their own experience the day before. Resources used were of good quality and this helped pupils make clear comparisons. In a lesson about the Ancient Greeks in a Year 5 class, the teacher was very clear when giving explanations of how to generate their own questions in order to find out facts from books. In this way the pupils were focused in what they were trying to find out. This clearly helped pupils to develop skills in using secondary source material

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HISTORY

effectively. A weakness in some lessons was that the pupils themselves were not using these historical terms and were, therefore, not as clear about why they were undertaking the activity beyond finding out facts.

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HISTORY

133. Pupils are not always given sufficient opportunities to work together, co-operating as a group. Often pupils sit in groups but are working alone. Consequently when pupils are asked to work in this way, they are not able to organise their roles or the work being undertaken as effectively as would be expected. The use of links with other subjects is also weak. Opportunities to develop other subjects such as design and technology, music, literacy, ICT and mathematics through history are not consistently utilised.

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HISTORY

134. Whilst the subject co-ordinator has spent a considerable amount of time developing helpful resource boxes, which are kept centrally, time has not been used effectively to review the curriculum being provided. This has led to not enough attention being paid to the systematic development of skills in the scheme of work. Some periods of history are spread over different year groups which adversely affects pupils’ understanding of the passage of time. Also, there are times in a year when pupils do not study the subject for nearly six months – from March until September. Added to this, there is no plan in the long-term framework for older pupils to undertake a local history study. Arrangements for assessment are unsatisfactory. The co-ordinator has not had professional guidance in reviewing provision and has not had the opportunity to evaluate the scheme of work and lead teachers effectively in delivering the topics being

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HISTORY

studied. The management and co-ordination of this subject is unsatisfactory as teachers are making decisions about how they teach the subject without a school wide view and direction.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. The seven- and eleven-year-olds attain average standards. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory overall. Pupils across the school achieve well in individual lessons. The predominantly good teaching provides the necessary support for pupils with English as an additional language and for those with special educational needs. This is reflected in the confidence pupils show in learning new skills and in the increasing sophistication of software they use. However, due to pupil mobility and the degree of staff turnover pupils’ progress is satisfactory rather than good. In addition, many are not as confident as they should be in using ICT to make things happen. Although the planning of the curriculum ensures that the requirements of the National Curriculum are met, this lack of confidence is mainly due to the scarce amount of resources available for this aspect of ICT. Since the last inspection where standards were average, a great deal of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

planning has taken place with a scheme of work now in place. Considerable staff Nightingale Primary School - 51 training has now been undertaken and has resulted in teachers’ increasing confidence and improved teaching. Overall, there has been good progress since the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136. Seven-year-olds show sound skills in finding things out and developing their ideas when they retrieve information they have stored. They use images and sounds within a graphic package successfully, together with a range of tools including CD Roms, for example, to find information about animals in their work in science. Younger pupils are gaining confidence and have a good knowledge of basic operations when using a computer. Pupils in Year 1 know how to sequence events when using a tape recorder, understand the order in which each step is to be carried out and what happens at each stage. Pupils’ understanding is consolidated because they are asked to carry out each step in turn, saying first what they have to do. They apply these sequencing skills when typing rhyming words and changing the size, font or colour of the text. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve on a par with their peers because they are

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

appropriately paired with them, especially where skills can be modelled and shared.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. The eleven-year-olds draw effectively on their previous learning to design multimedia pages. They demonstrate good skills in logging on to access the appropriate program and make good use of their teachers’ demonstrations, for example, when designing fairground rides. They confidently exercise choices in the way they use slide transitions, sounds and animation to make their presentation effective. Pupils satisfactorily handle data. Most pupils in Year 4 show a clear understanding of how to send and read e-mail and how to deal with attachments. They show flexibility when the server does not work and, guided by the teacher, they access the Internet, using a search engine to look for a tutorial on the use of e-mail. Pupils' knowledge and skills are enhanced by the effective demonstration of the activity by the teacher which enables all pupils, including those with English as an additional language and those with special

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

needs, to consolidate their learning. Higher attaining pupils use the task well to ask their own questions. Pupils particularly make gains in their learning as they are exposed to a range of skills and programs, which are demonstrated in the ICT suite, with opportunities for pupils to practise and experiment in pairs. Pupils’ positive attitudes and interest in ICT contributes to the progress they make. They listen attentively during presentations, collaborate well when working in pairs and are proud of demonstrating their ability. They respond positively to requests of help from their peers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. The quality of teaching is good overall. Most of the lessons seen during the week of inspection were taught in the ICT suite. They are well structured and have clear learning objectives. Demonstration of new skills is effectively conveyed. Skilful questioning is used to focus pupils on the key learning points and effective interventions and support for individuals enable all pupils to have equal access to the activities and make good gains. Where teaching is less effective, this is due to the lack of challenge for the highest attainers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. The use of ICT across the curriculum is underdeveloped and few examples were seen of its use in other subjects. Its best use is in mathematics, although, even here, the lack of appropriate software and teachers' confidence in using ICT are significant limitations. The school is aware of this and the subject leader has started to identify potential links with subjects. The management of the subject is satisfactory. Staff development has been good. Monitoring has been limited and much of the co- ordinator’s non-contact time is taken up with technical matters as not enough provision is made for technical support. The subject co-ordinator has good subject knowledge and has a clear overview of how the subject needs to be developed. Overall resources are adequate, but more are needed to enable pupils to ‘make things happen’. The Nightingale Primary School - 52 accommodation in the suite is limited and often pupils have to spend half their time

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

allocated to ICT using books while they wait their turn. Plans are in hand to install more machines and eventually relocate the library to create more space. There are some good features in assessment with pupils encouraged to evaluate their work but procedures are not well developed to assess pupils against National Curriculum levels of attainment and use this to set them targets for improvement.

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MUSIC

140. All pupils achieve satisfactorily in music and the seven- and eleven-year-olds attain average standards. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language also achieve satisfactorily, largely as the result of the inclusive approach adopted within music lessons and the strong emphasis upon pupil involvement and performance. Higher attaining pupils have the opportunity to work with visiting music specialists and the after-school orchestra provides good opportunities for those with more formal skills in music. Standards are similar to those reported at the last inspection. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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MUSIC

141. All pupils make satisfactory progress. They sing in tune and with real enjoyment in both assemblies and class lessons. They are keen to participate in performances to parents at times such as Christmas and also to demonstrate their compositions in individual lessons. Teaching varies in both confidence and competence and this means that pupils tend to perform, and behave, better in some lessons than in others. In general they do not have enough opportunities to comment on and evaluate their own work and the work of others.

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MUSIC

142. The seven-year-olds work satisfactorily with untuned percussion to perform music, for example as they work with the teacher to make music to describe the weather and play a ’raindrop sonata’. Similarly, in a very short lesson in Year 1, pupils demonstrated a good knowledge of musical terminology. They were clear about beat, the dynamics of loud and soft, how different types of instruments sounded and what they evoked in terms of feelings and emotions. They listened intently to short pieces of music and justified which types of weather they felt these conjured up. When asked to make wind sounds by blowing, they showed good control of breathing which allowed effective movement from loud to soft. In the use of a small range of instruments, pupils showed a really good understanding of how, for example, a glockenspiel can be used to evoke breezes or a tambourine to provide rain sounds. Comments from all pupils were

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MUSIC

sensible and relevant, showing a good level of interest in music and good development in the understanding of its relation to moods.

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MUSIC

143. The eleven-year-olds sing tunefully, for example as they sing ‘Let it be’ as part of their work about John Lennon in history. They competently use notation and design their own as they compose their own phrases. In a very good lesson in Year 5, pupils sang the Jewish song ‘Shalom’ with enthusiasm and accuracy. At first the pitch of voices was not successful and pupils were happy to accept the advice of the teacher to sing more accurately and in unison. As the lesson developed into two-, three- and four-part music, pupils showed good application in listening to the beat for appropriate entry times and took very seriously the need for accuracy to ensure that instruments and voices began and ended at appropriate times. The whole lesson was one in which pupils demonstrated a real joy in singing and a strong wish to succeed in performance, vocally and instrumentally.

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MUSIC

144. The school’s new music curriculum is at an early stage of development, but it is clear from teachers’ planning that the newly purchased scheme of work is being Nightingale Primary School - 53 implemented well and should provide a sound basis for a broad and balanced musical education. Outside of the classroom, assemblies and performances provide other opportunities to develop skills, especially in the area of singing. The use of world music, in particular, in assemblies and within class lessons is good and provides pupils with a wide and rich experience of different cultures and musical traditions. Thus, an upper school assembly uses ‘Bollywood’ songs; a Year 6 class plays ’switch’ with different drumming patterns.

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MUSIC

145. Teaching is satisfactory. The quality varies throughout the school with some good teaching and no unsatisfactory teaching. This is an improvement since the last inspection. A lesson in Year 6 exemplifies the good teaching. The lesson started promptly and effectively with a recap of earlier work on note values. The pace was good and the teacher had a clear understanding of both what was to be taught and, more importantly, why. The lesson moved into group work where pupils used their own notation to write a bar of music. The teacher supported pupils in this task with humour, but also with accuracy. There were clear, unspoken, boundaries that identified what good behaviour is and how groups and pairs should work. At the end of the session the pupils were quite happy to use their bar of music for the class to perform. The planning had been linked to a very adult relationship with the class and a very real enjoyment of

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MUSIC

music on the part of the teacher. Pupils did not have time to misbehave, while the class teacher had provided a good role model in terms of musical expertise, enjoyment and how to work and perform in a mature way.

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MUSIC

146. However, in some other lessons, teaching is less assured and the teachers rely too much on the content of the lesson, without clearly understanding the skills that are being developed and the need for pupils to work and think independently. This tends to result in a slower pace, an emphasis on questioning which does not provide opportunities for pupils to share their ideas, and inconsistent approaches to behaviour. As a result, pupils approach the lesson as something to be worked through rather than an enjoyable communal experience and an opportunity to express themselves. Behaviour and progress deteriorate as a result. Where staff have not had additional support in the teaching of music or are providing cover for a class teacher, progress in music tends to be only satisfactory in the important aspects of skills and attitude development.

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MUSIC

147. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership in this subject. The quality of what she does is good, but the opportunities are limited. She has wisely provided staff with a good published music scheme which colleagues find both imaginative and confidence boosting. Teaching in the Foundation Stage, she has been able to have more impact on teachers and pupils in this stage and in Key Stage 1. She provides effective advice and has a good range of ideas for the development of the subject when given the opportunity. Key areas for development within music include a greater coherence of teaching across all years and within year groups. ICT in the form of electronic instruments, use of the Internet for musical knowledge and software for composition work is not used enough. More work is still needed to support teachers less confident in music and the introduction of effective activities to assess pupils’ musical development.

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MUSIC

Overall, there has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. Pupils’ attainment in physical education is in line with what is nationally expected of seven- and eleven-year-olds. Since the last inspection pupils' achievement, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, has improved and is now good in the areas of physical education seen during the Nightingale Primary School - 54 inspection. This is mainly the result of the importance teachers place on the development of skills and teachers' useful interventions to evaluate and improve pupils’ performance. The considerable mobility of the school population affects the standards attained and has hindered their rise.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. The seven-year-olds show good understanding of what happens when they warm up and describe what happens to muscles, the increase in breathing and the heart beating faster. They show a high level of awareness for the need to exercise all parts of the body and under the teacher's guidance proceed to warm up from the head down. They show a fair degree of control and co-ordination when throwing and catching a ball and the majority apply these skills well when playing rounders. In Year 3, in preparation for sports day, pupils consolidate effectively their skills in skipping. They use good examples of other pupils' performance to practise and improve their own skills and the teacher's guidance to tailor the style of skipping to their ability. In Year 5, in games, pupils successfully develop a broad range of skills in attacking and defending. They demonstrate sound skills in shielding the ball and practise tactics of marking opponents

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and passing the ball. They observe others and evaluate their performance and suggest improvements. In Year 6, in cricket, pupils show a sound understanding of skills involved and a fair degree of accuracy in catching and batting and show improvement in overarm bowling.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. The quality of teaching is good overall and occasionally very good and pupils make good progress in these lessons in their learning, especially of skills. This is a good improvement. At the last inspection not enough attention was paid to the teaching of skills and there were instances of unsatisfactory teaching. Consequently pupils are motivated, keen to participate in lessons and understand the importance of listening and following instructions, especially those related to safety. They work well individually and with a partner and help willingly when asked to carry equipment at the end of sessions. In the best teaching, clear objectives are identified and used to evaluate pupils’ achievement. Teachers brief pupils about the skills to be practised and use effective demonstrations and interventions to enable them to improve their performance. This was clearly demonstrated in a games lesson in Year 5 where the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

teacher paused occasionally to invite pupils to observe the skills of defending and attacking being demonstrated and to comment on ‘what was wrong with what he was doing’. A distinctive strength in teaching is also the careful and thoughtful use of warming up to raise pupils' awareness about it and the way it is used to exercise different parts of the body. Effective management skills often result in well-behaved pupils who respond well to instructions.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. The physical education curriculum is enhanced by a number of extra-curricular sporting activities, including football, netball, athletics, dance, cricket and sailing. All these activities are open to both boys and girls. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in a range of competitive games in conjunction with other schools. Appropriate provision is made for pupils to swim, with the majority achieving well and a high proportion of pupils swimming further than the nationally expected 25 metres. Assessment procedures in the subject are underdeveloped but plans are in hand to develop them. Leadership in the subject is effective because the co-ordinator shows great enthusiasm, has good subject knowledge and uses this well to provide effective guidance to her colleagues. Time has not been put aside to enable observation of lessons. However, the improvement since the last inspection has been good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Nightingale Primary School - 55 152. The achievement of the seven-year-olds is good and they attain standards higher than those expected by the Redbridge Agreed Syllabus. The standards attained by the eleven-year-olds are in line with those expected and their achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs have sound support and their achievement is in line with that of most pupils. Good use is made of the religious experiences of many of the pupils with English as an additional language and this enables them to achieve similarly to most pupils. These standards are an improvement since the last inspection. The co-ordinator has effectively implemented the new agreed syllabus and provides teachers with useful guidance for the planning of lessons. This has already begun to have a beneficial effect on standards in Key Stage 1. A strength in pupils’ attainment in Key Stage 1, and to a lesser extent in Key Stage 2, is their knowledge about religions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Improvement since the last inspection has been good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. Teachers’ planning has enabled the seven-year-olds to satisfactorily understand what something special is and they know that the Bible is special to Christians, the Torah is special to Jews and that the Qu’ran is the special book for Muslims. Pupils readily talk about their experiences of these books. In a lesson in Year 2 where pupils were finding out about the Torah, the Muslim pupils readily explained that the Qu’ran is written in Arabic and that was written from right to left just like the Hebrew they were looking at. Pupils have a sound understanding of the ways Christians use a church. They are beginning to have an understanding of the important stories Christ told and retell them using their own words and recount the important events of Easter.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154. The eleven-year-olds have a sound knowledge of religions. They know about important aspects of Sikhism and Islam. They imaginatively try to design a multi-faith place of worship. Teachers use religious artefacts well in their teaching and this enables the pupils to gain a sound understanding of the importance of religious symbols. Pupils are confident in expressing their views, for example as they write about making choices on how to live based on beliefs and values. This makes a significant contribution to their personal development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. Teaching in Key Stage 1 is good and this enables all pupils to make good progress. The strengths in the teaching lie in the planning, the effective use of religious artefacts and teachers’ interest in the subject. ‘What is special to you?’ asked a teacher in Year 2 at the start of a lesson about the Torah being a special book. Pupils were keen to answer. ‘My Turkish football shirt’ replied one pupil. The teacher’s response was good and effectively emphasised what being special meant. In another similar lesson in Year 2, the teacher made good use of the Torah and this caught the pupils’ interest. The teaching also underlined the respect that should be paid to religious artefacts. Teaching like this enhances pupils’ learning and they make good progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. In Key Stage 2, the teaching is satisfactory overall and all pupils make satisfactory progress. A number of teachers use drama effectively in their lessons, for example to role-play an interview with Mother Theresa as part of a study of religious leaders. In a very good lesson in Year 6, drama was used very effectively to help pupils understand how the teaching of Christ influences Christians. After reading the text in which Christ cleansed the temple, pupils were carefully led into a role-play as to how they would feel if their special place was desecrated. Good links were made with similar events that have occurred in London. Pupils enjoyed the lesson and their comments showed that their learning had been considerably enhanced.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. The subject is well managed by the co-ordinator who provides good support for teachers in their planning and ensures that resources such as religious artefacts are provided to go with the planning. An effective system has been put into place to track Nightingale Primary School - 56 pupils’ progress. Teachers regularly sample pupils’ work highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Useful opportunities are provided for pupils to visit places of worship and for religious leaders to visit the school. The co-ordinator keeps an oversight of this in order to gauge the standards being attained. Time is not available at the moment for her to observe lessons. Resources are satisfactory with a good emphasis on religious artefacts.

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