Invicta Primary School

INVICTA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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INVICTA 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. Invicta Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Invicta Road London Postcode: SE3 7HE

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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: Andrew Jennings

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 07/07/1997 Invicta Primary School - 4

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Team members

27681 David Marshall Registered inspector 19322 Judy Bedawi Lay inspector 16492 Robert Lever Team inspector

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Team members

Full Circle The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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Team members

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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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Invicta 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Invicta is an average size, one-form entry primary school. There are 217 pupils on roll at present. There are 37 children in the nursery, 25 of whom are part time. Fifty-five pupils, 25 per cent of the school roll, are given extra support through additional ethnic minority achievement grant funding, which is above the national average. English is an additional language for 13 pupils. There are some refugee children on roll. There are 64 pupils eligible for free school meals, around 30 per cent, which is also above the national average. There are 62 pupils with special educational needs, 27 per cent, and six pupils who have Statements of Special Educational Need. Both figures are above the national average. The school is well thought of in the locality and the school is developing good partnerships with the local community. The school is consistently full with vacancies only in Year 6. The intake

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

into reception is always heavily oversubscribed.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Invicta Primary is a very good school that provides a happy and stimulating learning environment for its pupils. It has a very positive ethos, and staff and pupils work hard. The pupils achieve high standards in literacy and numeracy, and good standards in all other subjects. The quality of teaching is very good; pupils are suitably challenged and make good progress whatever their previous attainment. The school provides a very broad curriculum, with a wide range of additional activities. It also provides very well for the pupils’ personal and cultural development. The school is very well led by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, with very good support from all staff and the governing body. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so standards are well above average by the time they leave school. • The overall quality of teaching is very good. • The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is very good and so pupils make a very good start to their education. • The current management of the school is very good due to the care taken by the headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior management team and co-ordinators over monitoring and evaluating their performance. • The personal, social, moral and cultural development of all pupils is very good and so they behave well and create excellent relationships. They are enthusiastic, show great interest and have very good attitudes to their work. • The teachers and assistants create a very good ethos for learning through the broad curriculum, very good resources and the range of additional activities.

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What the school does well

• Staff accurately assess the pupils’ achievements and use the information very effectively to make sure of the best progress. • The support staff, school keeper and administration officer make important contributions to the effectiveness of the school.

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What could be improved

• The level of attendance is below the national average and unsatisfactory despite the efforts the school has made. Punctuality is often unsatisfactory and causes disruption to learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Invicta Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in July 1997. The improvement it has achieved since then is good overall. The headteacher and staff have very successfully raised the level of achievement in information and communication technology across the school. There is a good curriculum overview to ensure full coverage of all National Curriculum requirements at all stages. There are very good long-term plans for all subjects that provide appropriate challenge for pupils of all abilities. The school now has an effective system for assessing pupils’ progress in all subjects, which enables good records to be kept and the curriculum modified appropriately. There are now good systems in place for the headteacher, deputy headteacher and co-ordinators to monitor teaching and learning throughout the school. Although the school has implemented new systems to encourage pupils to arrive at school on time, and to ensure better attendance, this is still an area requiring improvement. The

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

staff have been very successful in maintaining the good ethos and direction of the school that made such a positive impact on the quality of education being provided at the time of the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

Science C C A A* very high well above average above average average below average well below average A* A B C D E

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schools

National tests in 2001 for pupils at the age of seven showed that standards were average in reading, and above average in writing and mathematics when compared to all schools. When compared to pupils in similar schools, based on the number of pupils claiming free school meals, their results were well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are now learning well in both the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. As the table above shows, at Key Stage 2, standards in national tests in 2001 in English, mathematics and science were consistent and pupils achieved well in these subjects. Results show that attainment in English was well above the national average, above average in mathematics and well above average in science. This standard is very high in English and science when compared to that in similar schools, and in the top five per cent of all schools. Standards are well above average in mathematics when compared to that in similar schools. Overall

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schools

achievement is very good, and over time the school is improving at the same rate as most schools. By the age of 11, current attainment is above average in English and mathematics and well above average in science. In most classes, and all other subjects, pupils are achieving standards above those expected for their age. There is evidence that the pupils in one class made less than expected progress for part of this year due to changes of teacher. However, the school has made good arrangements for these pupils who are now achieving well. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to the targets set for Invicta Primary School - 8 them. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress in their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils show maturity and interest in their learning. They have very good attitudes to their work and this makes a significant contribution to the high standards achieved.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils behave very well at work and at play. They are polite and helpful and show a high level of respect for their teachers. There have been no exclusions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils benefit from the high priority given to their personal development. This results in very good relationships throughout the school and pupils are very supportive of each other.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance The level of attendance is below the national average. Pupils’ punctuality is often unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The quality of the relationships throughout the school has a very positive impact on pupils’ behaviour and attainment and makes a major contribution to the school’s happy ethos. The school’s very good provision for moral and social development ensures the quality of the pupils’ personal development.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The overall quality of teaching is a strength of the school. Teaching was judged to be at least good in all but two of the lessons seen. Over half of these were very good. No lessons were judged to be unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. Teaching in all parts of the school is generally very good. Teachers plan very well to make sure all lessons are interesting and provide activities that motivate pupils well. The teaching of English and mathematics, is particularly good because teachers are very knowledgeable and provide challenging tasks. Teachers ask questions that help pupils to understand, challenge their thinking and draw out what they already know to help them complete their set tasks. Teachers value the responses of pupils which encourages them to answer, and raises their self-esteem. Teachers adapt their lessons well to meet the needs of all pupils,

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

who enjoy learning. Pupils’ attitudes help them to learn effectively because they concentrate well, work and research independently and listen carefully to the teacher and to each other. Invicta Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is very broad and well balanced. There is a very good range of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Learning support is effective and individual education plans are good and are reviewed systematically and regularly. All pupils are enabled to take part in the full curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils with English as an additional language are given solid support and make good progress because the quality of teaching ensures their good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall, with a particular emphasis on developing very good moral and social attitudes. There is very good provision for pupils’ knowledge of their own culture, and all aspects of the pupils’ multicultural development are covered very well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There is good provision for the pupils’ health and welfare. Careful assessment procedures systematically applied mean that all staff know the pupils’ needs well and all are very caring. Behaviour and discipline policies are in place and are consistently applied by all staff.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well in partnership with parents. The quality of information provided by the school about the pupils’ progress is good. They are sent frequent newsletters and are provided with details of the curriculum so they can help their children at home. The curriculum provided by the school is very good. All subjects have a policy and a scheme of work and all areas of the curriculum meet statutory requirements. The range of extra- curricular activities provided by the school is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage-ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good overall. The head teacher provides very caring and purposeful leadership and enables the school’s aims to be achieved through her vision and careful day-to-day management. The deputy headteacher is extremely effective and with the senior teachers shares the responsibilities and gives very good support.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their responsibilities well. They visit the school regularly and understand the needs of the school well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good overall. The school takes all appropriate action to evaluate its performance and address the priorities and areas for development. Invicta Primary School - 10 The strategic use of resources The school uses all resources very well. There are good systems in place to ensure that the school acquires best value in all purchases.

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Aspect Comment

The current level of staffing is more than adequate to meet all the requirements of the National Curriculum. The school accommodation is good and enables the staff to meet the requirements of individual pupils in full. The level of resources is good and meets the needs of all pupils and the National Curriculum. Currently, the experience and expertise of teachers and support staff provide well for all pupils regardless of ability or background.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school, make good progress and achieve well. • Behaviour in the school is good. • The good quality of the teaching. • The school is approachable. • The good links with parents. • The leadership and management of the school. • Their children become mature and responsible. • Consistency of progress in all classes. • The amount and type of homework their children receive. • The range of activities available to pupils outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection evidence supports the positive views of the vast majority of parents who believe the pupils are very well behaved and make good progress in all subjects. Homework is not a weakness and is generally well organised and makes a good contribution to the progress of the pupils. The school provides a good range of additional activities that enhance the opportunities for all children well. A number of parents expressed serious concerns with regard to their children’s progress this year in a particular year group. Inspection evidence shows that some children in this class have achieved less than might have been expected earlier this year. However, current arrangements for this class are good and pupils are making good progress. Inspectors are satisfied that the organisation for this class for next year is detailed and appropriate and bodes well for them to make up any ground lost this year.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

standards are well above average by the time they leave school.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

1. The pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science in their National Curriculum tests. This means by the time they leave the school they are well above the average when their results are compared with those of pupils at similar schools. The pupils’ achievements throughout the school in other subjects are also above average.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

2. The language development of most pupils is above average when they enter the reception class due to the good start they make in the school nursery. Many children are already able to read and write a few words, and most can hold and use a pencil well. Most pupils talk with confidence about things that interest them and many can count up to ten. The children make good progress as the teacher assesses their ability carefully and builds on what they already know. Particular emphasis is placed on discussion and pupils are encouraged to review their work from an early age; for example, in a literacy lesson in the reception class, the children were happy to talk about their work, and keen to finish before going out to play. This carefully planned opportunity for discussion helped them to extend their vocabulary as well as to reflect on what they already knew.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

3. The range of activities that the school provides through the framework of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies is appropriately varied. The teachers are now aware of how to modify the literacy hour to meet the priorities they have outlined. Because writing is the focus of the school development plan, all teachers are making this an integral part of every lesson. Through monitoring their lessons the school now has a programme for English that is carefully planned and meets the needs of all pupils. This is evident in the range of work completed by Year 6 this year. In the first few weeks of the year the pupils were able to write good descriptions with simple, but effective, vocabulary. After two terms, where they have concentrated on many different genres and language forms, they were writing powerful and effective descriptions in well-organised sentences.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

4. Pupils quickly learn to read, and by the age of seven, most have good strategies for tackling unfamiliar words and show a good awareness of how to read aloud, with expression, in order to help others to understand the meaning of a book or story. For example, older pupils in Year 5 read very confidently from a range of different sources when considering the different gases and their uses in a science lesson. When interviewed, these pupils talked about how much they enjoy reading and commented knowledgeably about the fiction they have read, and how they used the library to discover the information they needed in their history and religious education lessons. Throughout the school pupils take the opportunities for researching information and using reference books with great enthusiasm and growing skill.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

5. Writing skills develop well across the school and are well above average by the end of Key Stage 2, in English and in other areas of the curriculum. Pupils learn to organise their work into coherent paragraphs, and in Year 6 spelling and punctuation are accurate. All pupils quickly learn to appreciate the purpose of narrative and non- narrative forms of writing and experiment with different grammatical structures. In Year 6 work on journal entries, the teacher’s careful planning that preceded a writing Invicta Primary School - 12 project to compare poems, demonstrated the insights that earlier tasks had enabled. Teachers are always careful to make sure pupils are using words at their appropriate level, and in this Year 6 lesson words and phrases such as “connective”, “convention”, “technique” and “main hook” were being used easily by the pupils. In a Year 2 lesson, less able groups of pupils were given work that was appropriate and in

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

keeping with the rest of the class. They created parts of a nonsense poem that meant they were able to take part in the plenary session with the rest of the class. All Year 5 and 6 pupils write neatly in ink, with well formed, joined letters. Pupils take great care with the presentation of their work throughout the school.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

6. In every class, the requirements of the numeracy strategy have been adopted with enthusiasm. Pupils relish the challenge of mental arithmetic “quick fire” questions to start the lesson. In a Year 2 lesson the teacher encouraged the pupils to set their own examples after carefully outlining the learning objectives of the lesson. This meant that once the more able pupils had completed the basic tasks they were able to set each other some very challenging examples and stretch their own ability without being prompted by the teacher. Pupils answer questions confidently from an early age, and share ideas and strategies for solving problems building on previous work and methods. This means that by the time they reach Years 5 and 6 the teachers are able to concentrate on enhancing the pupils’ ability to use and apply their mathematical skills in an advanced way.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

7. In science, the majority of lessons are based on pupils’ investigations, set initially by the teacher and then from their own research. A good example was in a Year 5 topic on gases. Pupils in their different groups conducted their research with great care. They all had a good understanding of what makes a fair test and interpreted and evaluated their findings well, knowing what elements in the investigation to change and when. The way that pupils were then able to use mathematical ideas to record their findings, unprompted by the teacher, was very good.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

8. The parents, at their meeting prior to the inspection and in their questionnaire returns, expressed great concern over the standards achieved by the pupils in Year 5. The headteacher agrees that the arrangements for this class this year have been less than satisfactory due to the many changes of teacher, but clearly this has largely been for reasons outside the school’s control. From the lessons observed during the inspection, scrutiny of completed work and discussions with pupils it is apparent that some, but not all, pupils have made less progress this year than could have been expected. It is important, however, to note that the current arrangements for this class are good. There were many examples of pupils achieving well with the current teacher. The standards of behaviour and interest shown were as high as elsewhere in the school. The senior management team of the school has very clear plans for

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

this class next year, including being taken as a class by the deputy headteacher, which should ensure they continue the good progress they are currently making.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

The overall quality of teaching is very good.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

9. The overall quality of teaching is a strength. Almost all of the teaching observed in the inspection was at least good, and half was very good or excellent. Teachers’ planning is very thorough with every possible detail covered. They plan together now, with the good curriculum overview, to ensure consistency of what is taught and this helps to maintain the high standards achieved throughout most of the school. Lessons are carefully sequenced to ensure full coverage of a topic or programme of study. Plans outline clear learning objectives for each lesson, and teachers always tell the pupils exactly what they are going to learn. Grouping is considered very carefully and Invicta Primary School - 13 teachers ensure that activities are always planned to match the attainment level of all pupils. A good recap at the beginning was a feature of every lesson observed which prompted pupils’ memories and allowed some useful assessments to be made. For

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

example, in a Year 6 English lesson on journal entries, the teacher drew from the pupils’ own experiences to place the lesson in context before embarking on the text they were to study. This had the effect of making the pupils aware of the plot, setting and characters before they tackled the main focus of the lesson and which words they were to look for in the text.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

10. Teachers have very good skills in managing classroom activities and pupils’ behaviour. They create a very positive atmosphere by giving plenty of praise and always valuing their pupils’ responses. This very supportive, encouraging approach gives pupils great confidence and enhances their self-esteem. During a Year 4 English lesson the teacher managed the lesson very well and pupils showed great confidence in speaking. Her encouragement made sure that every pupil took part.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

11. Throughout the school, teachers have very good subject knowledge and understanding that means they do not miss any opportunity to extend the scope of lessons or the experiences of the pupils. This leads to good cross-curricular links that makes pupils’ learning particularly meaningful. This was evident in a Year 1 English lesson when the teacher used a fluffy toy to refocus pupils’ attention on the words that they were seeing for the first time. These words had emerged from the explanatory texts he had introduced at the beginning and were connected with their science topic. The good use of information and communication technology, especially word processing in Year 6, to write-up topics in history, geography and science is a significant improvement since the last inspection.

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

12. All lessons observed during the inspection proceeded at a brisk pace with a variety of activities that engaged and challenged pupils throughout. For example in a Year 5 science lesson, the teacher’s enthusiasm as she intervened to share their ideas enthused the whole class. The questions were carefully planned so pupils of all abilities were part of the opening session and were challenged well. Teachers also understand the need for time for reflection, which was particularly evident in a Year 6 personal and social education lesson. The teacher quickly and effectively drew out pupils’ responses and related them to ideas they had already studied. When pupils began to talk about their own feelings the teacher gave them time to compose their responses, using periods of quiet and reflection on what other pupils had said earlier. The fact that the teacher with the Year 4 class could focus on and use pupils’

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Pupils do well in all subjects, especially in English, mathematics and science, and so

sequences of moves in a physical education lesson so quickly was very impressive and motivated the pupils even further.

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The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is very good and so pupils make a

13. Two lessons were observed in the nursery and two in the reception class during the inspection by different inspectors. In every case the teaching was judged to be good or very good, and the progress the children made was very good. The teachers, nursery nurse and classroom assistants are always calm and achieve very good control with the minimum of fuss. Teachers are both very demanding of the pupils and gentle and supportive at the same time. At all times the lessons proceed at a very good pace with lots of different activities to keep the children’s interest high. The very good organisation means that there is always an ideal balance between directed activities and pupils’ own choice. The constant awareness of the opportunities available was exemplary. This was apparent in the reception class when pupils were Invicta Primary School - 14 involved in role play and the teachers knew precisely when to intervene to provide

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The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is very good and so pupils make a

further encouragement. 14. The nursery is organised very well with different areas for main activities, including a quiet area and a good outdoor play area. Each of these is well resourced. The common tasks of reading, modelling, collage and painting are made stimulating by the very wide range of materials provided, and by teachers’ and assistants’ thoughtful interventions. A good example of this in a lesson observed was the way the teacher concentrated on targeting individual children with her questions to provide them with opportunities to use new words and talk to her. Children were asked questions that precisely fitted their current level of language development and so they were all being appropriately challenged.

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The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is very good and so pupils make a

15. In the nursery and reception classes, the interaction between teachers, nursery nurses, support assistants and parents is excellent. Their level of rapport is built on a high level of understanding of the individual needs of the pupils. There were times during every lesson observed when the children moved from one activity to another with apparently no signal or direction. The change in activities was always at the best possible time and achieved with the minimum of effort or fuss on everyone’s part.

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they behave well and create excellent relationships. Pupils are enthusiastic, show

great interest and have very good attitudes to their work.

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they behave well and create excellent relationships. Pupils are enthusiastic, show

16. Pupils’ attitudes to school and their behaviour are very good. The youngest children are happy, settle well to school routines and have good attitudes to learning. Many become very involved in the wide range of activities provided for them, such as role play in the “home corner”. Children learn to share toys and equipment and they become aware of others’ needs and feelings. The very good quality of relationships in the school has a positive effect on the children’s acceptance of good manners, such as the gentle reminders they receive about appropriate behaviour. The children’s personal and social skills are developing well. For example, two children were observed comforting another child who was feeling unwell.

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they behave well and create excellent relationships. Pupils are enthusiastic, show

17. As they move up the school, pupils show increasing maturity and interest in learning, with very good attitudes to work. They are eager to learn and have very good sustained concentration and perseverance. For example, two younger pupils applied themselves admirably for a whole lesson while working enthusiastically on models made from everyday materials. The oldest pupils maintained great concentration during a personal, social and health education lesson that was concerned with resolving conflict. Pupils are co-operative and work very well collaboratively, being very supportive in paired reading. The oldest pupils are able to work independently very well.

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they behave well and create excellent relationships. Pupils are enthusiastic, show

18. The behaviour of pupils is very good at work and play. They make sure that their play does not intrude on others’ activities at break-times. They are polite and helpful and behave well in class showing a high level of respect for their teachers.

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they behave well and create excellent relationships. Pupils are enthusiastic, show

19. Personal development is given a high priority. Pupils show an excellent awareness of the importance and value of the individual. For example, in a Year 4 physical education lesson they all enjoyed, and learnt from, the efforts of those chosen to demonstrate. They also made sure that all pupils, even those less able or with specific difficulties, were supported and encouraged throughout. Again, when a pupil sniggered at an incorrect response to a question in a lesson, other pupils responded quickly and positively to support the pupil involved. The quality of relationships in the Invicta Primary School - 15 school is excellent with mutual respect central to the ethos of the school. This has a significant effect on pupils’ learning. Boys and girls mix easily together and there is social and racial harmony.

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they behave well and create excellent relationships. Pupils are enthusiastic, show

20. The school council plays an important part in the life of the school. Pupils’ views are listened to and acted upon when appropriate. For example, following pupils’ suggestions, all pupils now eat their lunch together. The majority of parents are very pleased with the behaviour and attitudes in school.

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headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior management team and co-ordinators over

monitoring and evaluating their performance.

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headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior management team and co-ordinators over

21. The overall leadership and management of the school are very good. The headteacher provides a strong direction for the school. Since the last inspection she has created a good senior management team by delegating responsibilities appropriately to the deputy headteacher and curriculum co-ordinators. When being interviewed, these teachers stated that they feel empowered to take a leading role in the future direction of the school, and are clear about their own priorities through the appraisal opportunities they have been given.

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headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior management team and co-ordinators over

22. Over the last three years the curriculum co-ordinators have monitored planning, teaching and standards in their subjects. The monitoring of all teaching, especially in literacy, is well recorded and has led to greater consistency in planning and delivery of lessons. Co-ordinators are given appropriate non-contact time to up-date their policies and schemes of work. This again contributes to continuity and progression in pupils’ learning in all subjects. The good cross-curricular links that are a feature of the lessons are well documented.

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headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior management team and co-ordinators over

23. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior staff have rewritten the school development plan through careful consultation with all other staff. This identifies relevant priorities in all areas including the curriculum, organisation, management and premises with expenditure identified. The full monitoring and evaluation opportunities that are built into the plan mean the school takes all appropriate steps to evaluate how it is performing across all aspects.

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headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior management team and co-ordinators over

24. The school’s governing body is very well informed about the school and governors take their responsibilities seriously. They work very well in committees and monitor the provision across the school carefully. It is evident from the minutes of their meetings that they are now operating as the necessary “critical friend” to the school.

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Staff accurately assess the pupils’ achievements and use the information very

effectively to make sure of the best progress.

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Staff accurately assess the pupils’ achievements and use the information very

25. The baseline assessment used after the pupils have completed their nursery year is very carefully administered and analysed. This means that lessons in the reception class are appropriately challenging and effective. The lesson plans contain ways in which all pupils can be enabled to make good progress. During the year in all classes a number of assessed activities are carried out and pupils’ progress mapped. This process is carried out every year. The results of the assessed work have been used to create a portfolio of work that teachers agree represent the various levels of achievement. This moderated work is checked each term by the appropriate curriculum co-ordinator and shared with all other teachers at a staff meeting. This work enables all teachers to plan suitably for all pupils and know that their lessons are Invicta Primary School - 16 an appropriate challenge. This aspect of the school’s provision is very well managed

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Staff accurately assess the pupils’ achievements and use the information very

26. Throughout the school careful assessments are used to provide appropriate lessons regardless of the pupils’ age and ability and this means the provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher, acting as special educational needs co-ordinators, know the individual pupils’ needs well, which ensures they receive the support they require. There is a comprehensive policy, covering all the statutory requirements.

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Staff accurately assess the pupils’ achievements and use the information very

27. The individual education plans are appropriate and reviewed regularly. The targets are appropriate to the pupil concerned and represent sensible, small steps forward that are understood by all concerned. The parents are very well involved with the individual plans and are enabled to make a good contribution to their children’s progress.

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The teachers and assistants create a very good ethos for learning through the broad

curriculum, excellent resources and the very good range of additional activities.

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The teachers and assistants create a very good ethos for learning through the broad

28. The school’s ethos is very positive, and is valued and promoted by all staff, parents, pupils and governors. The ethos promotes individual success together with respect and caring for others. The two acts of collective worship observed during the inspection were very good. The Merit Assembly showed that pupils are rewarded for a range of different accomplishments, and also how much they appreciate being told of their success. The way the other pupils responded to the achievements of their peers showed how aware they are of others’ feelings and how mature they become during their time at the school.

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The teachers and assistants create a very good ethos for learning through the broad

29. The school offers a very broad and well balanced curriculum which provides opportunities for pupils to make very good progress in their academic work but also in their all round personal and social education. One major strength is teachers’ awareness of cross-curricular possibilities in lessons. These are developed very well within the high quality planning which ensures consistency across the parallel classes. Thus, pupils will use information technology in an English lesson to record their feelings about a story, while the findings from a science session are the basis of a lesson on compiling databases, the literacy opportunities are explored in religious education lessons.

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The teachers and assistants create a very good ethos for learning through the broad

30. The headteacher and governors are constantly trying to improve the accommodation and site to enable the very wide range of activities. Pupils feel comfortable, confident and happy to be at school. One reason is the way that their written and creative work are so attractively displayed in classrooms and other areas of the school, which give pupils a sense of pride in their achievements. Another reason is the quality and range of the extra-curricular activities that add to the opportunities pupils have to enhance their individual skills and interest. The pupils’ enthusiasm for the activities was huge, and the list is very impressive - and include netball, football, rugby, rounders, athletics, cricket, glass painting, drama, computers, choir, recorders, orchestra, dance, chess, science, line dancing and gardening.

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The support staff, school keeper and administration officer make important

contributions to the effectiveness of the school.

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The support staff, school keeper and administration officer make important

31. The parents are very appreciative of the care and helpfulness of the support staff and school secretary. The teaching assistants work extremely hard and make an Invicta Primary School - 17 important contribution the overall effectiveness of the school. Their involvement in initiatives such as Additional Language Support, Early Literacy Support, Springboard and Phonological Awareness Training are a valuable source of additional support to a number of pupils and ensures their increased progress. Parents say that nothing is ever too much trouble for the school administration officer and all problems are dealt with sympathetically. Both she and the teaching assistants know every pupil and their parents well. The parents feel reassured when contacted by staff that they are given accurate and sensible information.

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The support staff, school keeper and administration officer make important

32. The school keeper, who has been working in the school for a long time, and cleaners take great care over every aspect of their work and are much appreciated by all. The school is very well cared for internally and always clean. One daily routine the school keeper performs is to use a cape thrown over a large model pig to show the children whether they need to wear coats or not at break. Through this they learn to check independently and make their own decisions. This involvement and efficiency are an object lesson to the children and help to reinforce the messages that the headteacher and staff are making in their lessons and day-to-day organisation.

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The level of attendance is below the national average despite the efforts the school

has made, and punctuality of pupils is often unsatisfactory.

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The level of attendance is below the national average despite the efforts the school

33. Pupils’ attendance is unsatisfactory. It is well below that of most primary schools, nationally. Registers show some very low daily attendance. Unauthorised absence is very high, largely because some parents do not value the importance of regular attendance and keep their children off school without genuine reason. Pupils’ punctuality is a most significant concern. Far too many parents do not make the effort to get their children to school on time and late arrivals cause significant disruption to learning. An increasing number of families of all nationalities are taking holidays during school time, sometimes for well over two weeks. In addition, the school provides holiday work at parent request, but on return, the work has often not been done.

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The level of attendance is below the national average despite the efforts the school

34. The school’s monitoring procedures are satisfactory. The education welfare officer visits the school half-termly, monitoring and visiting the families with the most serious ongoing pupils’ attendance problems. However, registers do not comply because some pupils’ marks are missed, some entries are made in pencil and not all teachers complete the daily absence totals. This hinders the school’s effectiveness in monitoring absence. Latecomers have to sign in at the office and provide reasons. The school sends out letters if there is any unexpected or unexplained absence, with a response slip to record reasons. Parents are required to write and request permission if they are considering a holiday in term time. Permission is not automatically granted. Newsletters regularly remind parents about attendance and punctuality; there is particularly good practice seen in the reminders included in class

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The level of attendance is below the national average despite the efforts the school

newsletters. Pupils who achieve 100 per cent annual attendance receive awards.

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The level of attendance is below the national average despite the efforts the school

35. Despite all the school’s efforts, many parents are not meeting their legal responsibilities to ensure that their children attend regularly and on time. As a result, pupils miss vital lessons including literacy and numeracy. This affects the progress that all pupils make in learning because missed work has to be repeated. Not all parents are playing their part by supporting the school in its efforts to improve attendance and punctuality and thereby maintain the current high standards. Invicta Primary School - 18

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

36. In order to continue to raise the overall standards of pupils’ attainment in all aspects of the curriculum, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Build on the current procedures to make further concerted efforts to improve pupils’ attendance and punctuality, which currently are unsatisfactory. Make sure registers are completed in accordance with statutory regulations, to improve the monitoring of absence. Invicta Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 7

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 192

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 64

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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 1 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 58

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 17

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 20

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Attendance

School data 5.8 School data 1.6 Invicta Primary School - 20 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Invicta Primary School - 21

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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 14 16 30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 12 12 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 16 16

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (84) 93 (77) 100 (87) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 12 12 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 15 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 93 (81) 90 (87) 87 (90) 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.

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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 13 17 30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 13 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 10 17

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

Percentage of pupils School 90 (80) 77 (60) 100 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 13 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 14 17

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

Percentage of pupils School 97 (63) 90 (52) 100 (67) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Invicta Primary School - 22

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 3 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 7 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 33 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 622,268

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 13 Total expenditure 584,116

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 126 Expenditure per pupil 2,551

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 43,820

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 81,972

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 45

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Invicta Primary School - 23 FTE means full-time equivalent. Invicta Primary School - 24

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 38 51 4 4 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 49 38 7 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 38 18 9 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 45 5 13 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 33 0 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44 38 4 4 9

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 38 45 11 5 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 42 42 4 4 9

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 36 4 4 9

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 24 36 16 7 16

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