Donnington Primary School

DONNINGTON 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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DONNINGTON 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. Donnington Primary School – Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Uffington Road Willesden London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs K Coates

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 7-10 July 1997 Donnington Primary School – Page 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

21038 Mr G D Timms Registered inspector Science Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Physical education What sort of school is it? What should the school do to improve? The school’s results and pupils’ standards. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9958 Mr T Page 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? 23453 Mrs C Cressey Team inspector English Geography History Special educational needs English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

11419 Mrs J Underwood Team inspector Mathematics Music Religious education Foundation Stage Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PBM Inspection Services Ltd PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Donnington Primary School – Page 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? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a primary school situated in the Willesden area of the London borough of Brent. It has Beacon status and this means that teachers work closely with and offer support to other schools on a variety of projects. There are 204 full-time pupils on roll and the school is heavily over-subscribed. A further 30 pupils attend a nursery class. The pupils come largely from an area close to the school. The school community has changed in recent years resulting in a wide ethnic diversity among the pupils. There are 133 pupils with English as an additional language and 68 of them are at an early stage of learning English. The most common languages spoken other than English are Arabic, Urdu, Somali and Punjabi. The school receives extra funding to support minority ethnic groups. Twenty- three per cent of the pupils are on the register of special educational needs, four with statements specifying the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

extra provision they need. This is in line with the national average. The most common needs are moderate learning difficulties and emotional and behavioural difficulties; there are also a small number of pupils with physical difficulties. The school has 12 refugee pupils who are settled in the area but the overall level of mobility is low. Thirty-one per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals and this is above average. The pupils have a wide range of levels of attainment on entry to the school but a majority have below average levels when they start in the nursery and a significant number are still below the level expected when they start in the reception class.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school and it provides the pupils with a very good quality education. The quality of teaching is very good and this has a positive impact on standards, especially as teachers have to work extremely hard to overcome limitations of the poor accommodation. The school provides an effective and enriched curriculum and the provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. The headteacher and other key staff provide very positive leadership and a clear focus on enabling their pupils to achieve to a high level. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are excellent in English and very high in mathematics, science, history, and geography by the end of Year 6. • The headteacher provides very strong leadership, clearly focused on attaining high standards but also on enriching the curriculum where appropriate; other key staff are equally effective in providing strong leadership, priorities are very appropriate and the action taken to meet the school’s targets is excellent. • The overall quality of the teaching is very good and a significant proportion is excellent. • The pupils’ attitudes towards work are very good and this has a positive impact on their learning. • The quality and range of the curriculum provided for pupils are very good and excellent use is made of the local community. • The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • Pupils with specific needs, such as those with English as an additional language, those with special

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What the school does well

educational needs, or those who are particularly talented are all successfully included in the day-to-day work and life of the school. • The school has very good links with the parents and has an exceptionally effective Friends’ Association.

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What could be improved

• The accommodation is in poor state of repair and too small for many activities to be carried out as effectively as they might otherwise be. • The role of subject coordinators is underdeveloped, especially with regard to the monitoring of teaching and the spreading of good practice. • The pupils’ written work is often untidy and unsatisfactorily presented. • The pupils’ annual reports do not contain any information about progress or attainment in music. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in July 1997. Since then, there have been significant changes to the staff and the governing body and a new headteacher has been appointed. There has been a very good level of improvement. The previous inspection raised a number of important issues for the school to address. The financial planning has improved and the budget is more closely monitored by the governors, who have improved their role so that they can have more impact on the work of the school. The school improvement plan is now a practical instrument for guiding Donnington Primary School – Page 7 the work of the school. The school has a complete range of schemes and policies. The coordination of subjects has improved but there is further to go in developing the monitoring of teaching. Standards in both design and technology and information and communication technology have risen and are now satisfactory. Registers are

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

correctly called. In addition to these improvements, the school has introduced the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies very successfully, raised standards in English, mathematics, and science and has successfully introduced the Foundation Stage for the youngest children.

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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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Key

English A C A A* well above average above average A B Mathematics A D A A* average below average C D Science D B A* A* well below average E

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Key

Overall, the children make good, and sometimes very good, progress in the Foundation Stage. When they begin Year 1, their writing skills are still below the levels expected. In the other areas of learning, their development is broadly in line with that expected and their skills in speaking and listening show that all of them, including those with English as their second language, are developing into articulate pupils. The national test results for the Year 2 pupils in 2001 showed that in reading pupils were well above average, in writing they were average while in mathematics they were above average. The early indications are that the results of this year’s tests are equally positive with a high proportion reaching the higher levels in reading and mathematics.

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Key

The national test results for the Year 6 pupils in 2001 were very positive and continued an upward trend across all three of the core subjects, as is shown in the table above. The science result, compared to all schools, and the results in all three subjects, when compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, show that attainment is very high and in the top five per cent of school’s nationally. When the results the pupils attained when they were seven are compared with the results when they were eleven, the picture is of achievement that is well above average in English and mathematics, and in the top five per cent of schools nationally in science. The early indications from the most recent tests are that these positive standards have been maintained or further improved.

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Key

The current standards in the school, as judged from the inspection evidence, support the high standards evident in the test results. However, despite the very high standards in tests, the presentation of much of the pupils’ written work is unsatisfactory. Attainment by the end of Year 2 is above that expected in English, mathematics, science, geography, history and art and design. In information and communication technology, design and technology, and physical education, standards are broadly in line with those expected. Attainment by the end of Year 6 is excellent in English and well above that expected in mathematics, science, geography and history, and above that expected in design and technology and art and design. Standards in physical education and information and communication technology are broadly in line with those expected. There was not enough evidence in either key stage to judge standards in religious education or music. Standards in literacy and numeracy are very good. Pupils with special

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Key

educational needs and those at an early stage of learning English or who have English as an additional language, as well as those who are gifted and talented, make very good progress towards high standards, given their prior attainment. The school’s targets for English and mathematics were exceeded in 2001 and look as though they have been exceeded again this year. The process for arriving at the targets is sound and they are appropriately based on the pupils’ prior attainment. Donnington Primary School – Page 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. The children are very interested and enthusiastic and approach their tasks with a very positive attitude. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. There have been few exclusions recently and pupils behave well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Teachers provide many opportunities for collaborative and cooperative working but the poor accommodation for the library makes it difficult for staff to develop opportunities for independent learning in full. Attendance Satisfactory. The latest attendance figures show that attendance is close to the average. There is too much unauthorised absence where parents do not let the school know why their children are absent.

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Aspect Comment

The majority of the pupils enjoy being at school and their very good attitudes have a positive impact on their learning. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are very good.

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

The teaching in English, mathematics, and science is very good. The teachers are using the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies very effectively. Numeracy and literacy skills are very well taught and used effectively in other subjects. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and of those with English as an additional language is equally good, especially where they receive support from classroom assistants and the special needs staff. Higher attaining pupils are also very well taught as is indicated by the number reaching the higher levels.

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

The teaching is strong throughout the school. Where it is strongest, the following characteristics are present: • very effective questioning skills used to consolidate and assess pupils’ understanding; • very good subject knowledge and understanding of the needs of the range of pupils and their prior attainment; • very high expectations, which result in pupils responding well and working hard to improve; • clear planning based on previous work and shared objectives for the lesson so that pupils know what is expected of them.

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

Where the teaching, although satisfactory, has some weaknesses, these included: • too much work that is poorly presented and untidily completed is accepted by teachers; • in some classes, the timetabling is not rigorous enough and lessons are too long, causing the teaching to lose focus and pace; • the marking of pupils’ work does not always make clear what they have done well or how they can improve.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum provided is very effective in developing pupils’ skills and interests to a very good depth. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The extra support provided by teachers and support staff helps pupils to make very good progress. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. The teachers and support staff ensure that all pupils are fully included in all activities and these pupils make very good progress. Donnington Primary School – Page 9 Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Opportunities for improving pupils’ personal development are evident in all aspects of the school’s work.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The assessment of pupils’ learning is very good in the core subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The monitoring and promotion of attendance lacks rigour and consistency. Reports do not contain any mention of standards or coverage in music and therefore do not fully provide parents with appropriate information. The school works very effectively with the parents. The Friends’ Association is outstanding and plays a very significant role in supporting the school. The school has excellent links with the community and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning in a range of ways.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. This has a very positive effect on the very good provision and results evident throughout the school. The school is very effective at setting priorities for development and takes excellent action to meet targets.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body is effective in holding the school to account and supporting developments. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The deputy headteacher has developed very good systems for tracking pupils’ progress and the school works hard with individual pupils to help them achieve their best. The strategic use of resources Very good. Available money in the school budget is used very effectively to raise standards and provide sufficient resources for all pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The accommodation is poor, making it very difficult for staff and pupils to achieve as well as they do. It is in a poor state of repair and many classrooms are cramped and not suitable for practical work. Resources are appropriate and the staffing levels are good. The school applies the principles of best value to a very good degree.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like going to school. • The school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best. • The teaching is good. • Their children are making good progress in school. • A more interesting range of activities outside lessons. • The leadership and management of the school.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The evidence of the inspection supports the parents’ positive views about the work of the school. The pupils clearly enjoy school and they work hard, often make very good progress, and reach high standards. The teaching is very good. The inspection team considers that the school provides a very good range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities, and the leadership and management are very good. Donnington Primary School – Page 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When the children start in the nursery, many of them have skills below those normally expected for their ages. They make good, and sometimes very good, progress in the nursery but by the time they start the reception year the assessment of their attainment on entry shows that for a significant number the knowledge, skills and understanding are still below those expected nationally. However, some pupils have well above average standards and are articulate and mature. Very good progress continues through the reception year and by the time they are ready to start Year 1 the majority of the children will achieve the expected early learning goals in each area of learning apart from writing, where skills are still below those expected. A particular strength lies in the focus on speaking and listening throughout the Foundation Stage, and this has a very positive impact on all children’s understanding and ability to access the full curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The national tests for the Year 6 pupils in 2001 showed a good level of improvement over the results in 2000, and this trend appears to have been maintained in this year’s results. The results showed that when pupils are compared to all schools nationally they attained standards that were well above average in English and mathematics and that were very high, putting them in the top five per cent of schools nationally in science. When compared with schools taking pupils from similar backgrounds the results show that attainment was very high in all three subjects and in the top five per cent of similar schools. When comparing their results to the results the same pupils achieved as seven-year-olds, standards were well above average in English and mathematics. They were very high in science, again putting the school in line with the top five per cent nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The main reason for these very positive results was that a high proportion of the pupils achieved above the levels expected. For example, in English 46 per cent of the pupils gained a level above that expected compared to 28 per cent nationally. In mathematics, the percentages were very similar and one pupil achieved a level equivalent to that expected of a fourteen-year-old. In science, 71 per cent of the pupils reached the higher level compared to 34 per cent nationally. Other reasons for the very good levels of attainment are the effective use of booster groups, very effective support for the less able pupils and for those with English as an additional language, and the very good quality of teaching found on a regular basis throughout the school. Staff put as much effort into getting individuals and groups of pupils to the expected levels as they do in extending and developing the skills of the more able pupils so that they reach the higher

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

levels. There are no significant differences in standards between boys and girls or between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The trend over time shows that standards rose sharply in 2001 in English and mathematics compared to previous years. This halted a slight decline in standards in both subjects since the time of the last inspection. In science, the trend has been for steep improvement over the two years since 1999. The early evidence of the tests taken this year indicates that the improvement has been maintained and that just as many pupils are reaching the higher levels, with the number of Level 6’s being achieved, compared to the expected Level 4, growing especially in mathematics and science. The sharp improvements in standards evident over the last three years have been well above those found nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The 2001 national tests for seven-year-olds showed a good improvement in reading since 2000, a slight fall in writing and similar standards in mathematics. However, when the results are compared with those of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds writing standards were above average, mathematics standards were well above average and in reading the standards were very high and in the top five per cent of schools nationally. These results, and those in the previous two years, give a picture of continually good or very good progress from when the pupils start in Year 1. These good results are due to a high proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels. For example, in 2001 in reading, 41 per cent of pupils reached Level 3 compared to 29 per cent nationally. In mathematics, although the proportion of pupils reaching Level 3 was broadly typical, all of the children reached the expected level 2, compared to 91 per cent nationally. There are no significant differences

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in standards between pupils from different ethnic backgrounds or between boys and girls. The early indications from the most recent tests for Year 2 pupils are that these good results have been maintained this year,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The current standards in the school closely match or exceed those evident in the test results. In English, mathematics and science in Year 2 standards are above those expected. Although writing skills are less well Donnington Primary School – Page 11 developed, the pupils’ reading, speaking and listening skills are good. By the end of Year 6, standards in English are very high and there are examples of very good quality writing in a range of subjects. Standards in mathematics and science are well above those expected. This reflects the very good achievement made by pupils as they progress through the school. These standards show a very good degree of improvement since the last inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In Year 2, standards in geography, history, and art and design, are above those expected. In information and communication technology, design and technology and physical education, standards are broadly in line with those expected. By the end of Year 6, standards in history and geography are well above those expected while in design and technology and art and design they are above average. Standards in information and communication technology and in physical education are broadly in line with expectations, although in information and communication technology, the older pupils’ skills are good in the aspects of the curriculum they have been taught. However, their lack of appropriate experiences in earlier years, due to a lack of resources and teacher expertise, means that they have had to do some rapid catching up and they have missed some aspects of the appropriate curriculum. In music and religious education, it was not possible

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

during the inspection to make a secure judgement about standards from the limited evidence available.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The coordinator for special educational needs, class teachers, and learning support assistants provide high quality support for these pupils; this enables them to achieve well and make very good progress against the targets set for them in their individual education plans. A significant number of pupils with special educational needs achieve the expected standard for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. An increasing number of pupils who enter school are not fluent users of English and need additional support to access the curriculum. Most pupils make very good progress in becoming fluent in English and this has a positive impact on their attainment in all areas of the curriculum. By the age of eleven, almost all pupils with English as an additional language are achieving the expected standard for their age and many achieve the higher levels.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The standards in literacy and numeracy are very good by the end of Year 6 and the learning is good, especially in the older junior classes. The lack of an appropriately functioning library, and the still below par information and communication technology resources, means that opportunities for extending the higher attaining pupils’ independent learning skills are limited. However, good use of opportunities for extended writing in subjects such as history and geography helps develop pupils’ writing skills. Very good opportunities for using numeracy skills are found in subjects such as science and design and technology.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The vast majority of pupils display very good attitudes towards their work and this is similar to the findings of the last inspection. They are eager to come to school and settle to work quickly. Lessons are rarely interrupted and proceed at a brisk pace, and this contributes to very good learning. Pupils show great interest in all that the school has to offer and most are keen to involve themselves in the wide range of extra-curricular activities that are provided. Very good teaching and high expectations, combined with constructive and highly effective parental support, stimulate pupils' self-confidence and sustain high aspirations. In too many classes, the presentation of pupils’ work is untidy and does not reflect the pride they often show in their achievements.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour is good, overall. Most pupils are very well behaved, and are polite to adults and to each other. In one class, inappropriate behaviour sometimes leads to pupils being temporarily excluded from lessons but this happens rarely. Three short, fixed-period exclusions from school have been recorded this year due to behaviour that is described as being "out of character". It is clear that the pupils value their surroundings and treat the school with care and respect.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The school population reflects the rich mix of cultures found in the local community and pupils work and play together well with no conflict between them. Pupils respect the customs and traditions of others, and integrate well. Consequently, they contribute to a community that is free of exclusive, oppressive, or racist behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Personal development and relationships are very good. Pupils are allocated minor jobs to assist the smooth running of the school and they take on more responsibility, as they get older. They are involved in the school council from the age of seven, contribute to discussion in a disciplined and democratic manner, and have achieved a range of improvements in the school such as the provision of better playground equipment. Older pupils show concern for the well-being of younger pupils at playtime so that the combining of the infants and Donnington Primary School – Page 12 junior playgrounds has been a success. They also occasionally help in younger classes and this helps them build very good relationships and enhances their self-worth.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance in the 2000-2001 academic year was a little below the national average and was therefore unsatisfactory. Analysis of the registers identifies unauthorised and holiday absence as having a negative effect on the overall figures with Years 3 and 4 faring worst. In the current year, attendance has shown a slight improvement and is now satisfactory overall, although unauthorised absence is still high. Very few pupils are late for school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of the teaching is very good. This is reflected in lessons throughout the school, and is a major reason for the very good progress made and the standards achieved by the pupils. The very good teaching is evident not only in lessons but also through the scrutiny of pupils’ previous work and in the teachers’ planning. The amount of satisfactory or better teaching, 100 per cent, is higher than is found in most schools nationally. Eighty-five per cent of the teaching is good or better and 46 per cent very good or better. In 14 per cent of lessons, the teaching is excellent. All of these proportions are better than those found in most schools. The strongest teaching is found at the end of key stages and this has a positive impact on pupils’ standards and performance in the tests. However, all teachers provide a very wide and enriched curriculum and this enables pupils to develop well-rounded skills in a range of subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching has improved since the last inspection, when 10 per cent was unsatisfactory and only 10 per cent of lessons were very good. One reason for the improvement has been the increased monitoring of teaching by the headteacher and senior staff. In addition, teachers have been moved to classes where they are able to have more impact on standards. The introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has helped focus teachers’ planning on pupils’ needs and the development of schemes and policies in all subjects have supported more effective planning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching throughout the school has many strengths. Teachers know and understand the needs of their pupils whether they are high attaining, have special educational needs, or are at an early stage of learning English. Within the overall striving for high standards there is a clear ethos of caring and of understanding different pupils’ backgrounds. Most teachers have very high expectations and the very good relationships that exist encourage pupils to live up to those expectations. Teachers celebrate their pupils’ strengths in many ways and the ethos in the school encourages hard work and continual improvement.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teachers make good use of teaching assistants and other support staff. There is good communication between teachers and assistants and this helps ensure that lessons run smoothly and everybody is well prepared. Teachers and support staff play a full part in operating national schemes for additional literacy and numeracy to help those who are having problems with these aspects or who are close to attaining the next level and need a boost to get them there. This support is successful and results in more fulfilled pupils who have pride in their achievement.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teachers’ knowledge and understanding in weaker areas is improving. For example, training in the use of computers is being undertaken at present and this has already improved their use in different lessons. The teaching of the basic skills is very good and this is evident in the very good test results in English and mathematics by the age of eleven. Planning is based on the national strategies or on nationally accepted schemes of work. The planning is shared where possible with other teachers and subject coordinators. Most lessons have very clear and appropriate learning objectives and these are often shared with the pupils so they know what is expected of them, and returned to at the end of lessons so that progress can be assessed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Where the teaching is barely satisfactory, weaknesses need to be addressed. For example, some lessons are too long, especially in literacy and numeracy and this causes the pace of pupils’ work to fall and their concentration to slip. The marking of pupils work is not always effective in telling them what they have done well or what they need to do to improve. On too many occasions teachers accept untidily presented work as satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good and often excellent. Individual education plans show a sharp awareness of individual needs. Detailed plans include very specific strategies to support pupils’ progress towards their stated targets. Targets are reviewed very regularly and modified to match pupil’s progress. This ensures pupils are constantly challenged to improve their work and achieve the Donnington Primary School – Page 13 highest standards of which they are capable. Pupils respond very positively to the high expectations the adults have of them and this has a very positive effect on their rate of learning and the standards of work they produce. The special educational needs coordinator and class teachers ensure that the learning support assistants have a good understanding of pupils’ needs and plan their work accordingly, including a wide range

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of practical learning activities. Sensitive questions, explanations, and comments ensure pupils are clear about the learning intentions and constantly check pupils’ level of understanding. This instils confidence and assists them in settling to their tasks and achieving a feeling of success and self-esteem.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of teaching for pupils with English as an additional language is never less than good and often within classes it is very good or excellent. Class teachers, learning support staff and support teachers work effectively together to ensure that pupils have good access to the National Curriculum. Staff are well deployed to ensure pupils learning English as an additional language have effective support within the class or in small groups. This has a positive effective on the progress children make. The school’s grouping strategies provide a range of opportunities for pupils to develop effective listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Teachers and support staff are used well to explain vocabulary and concepts to those children whose level of English language limits their knowledge and understanding. Emphasis is rightly placed on supporting pupils’ development of literacy and numeracy skills but support is also available for pupils to extend fully their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

thinking and understanding in other subjects such as science.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Pupils are very well managed in all lessons, including practical ones such as science, physical education and art and design. Lessons in these subjects are hampered by the poor accommodation, especially the small size of most classrooms. Although teachers use their rooms imaginatively and with very clear rules and procedures, this inevitably has a negative impact on pupils’ learning in these subjects. The majority of the pupils’ learning is very good, and with the very good teaching, is a major factor in the high standards attained. Where learning is less secure, teachers’ subject expertise is less well developed, as is the case in information and communication technology and, to some extent, in physical education. In music, good use is made of expert subject knowledge and personal expertise in lessons and in teaching pupils how to play a range of instruments.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. Since the previous inspection the curriculum has improved further and is now very good. The school’s values and principles reflect the richness of the diverse community it serves and are very apparent throughout the school. A very good range of interesting, high quality learning opportunities very effectively meet the needs of all pupils, helping them to flourish and achieve well.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. There are policies for all subjects and, in general, the teachers use nationally recommended schemes of work and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education to help them plan lessons. They identify the knowledge and skills to be taught and this secures pupils’ continuous and progressive learning. Tasks are generally well matched to pupils’ stages of learning and assessment opportunities are clearly identified. The curriculum and the planning are carefully monitored and evaluated by the subject managers to ensure that they meet the needs of the pupils and are based on the National Curriculum programmes of study. This is a notable improvement since the last inspection and is making a significant contribution to raising pupils’ standards of attainment. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are implemented successfully and with enthusiasm and considerable skill. The many very valuable opportunities to develop literacy and numeracy

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

skills within the whole curriculum are very effective in improving standards. Considerable thought goes into ensuring that links with other subjects add interest and enrichment to pupils’ learning. For example, as part of an environmental project, pupils in Year 4 write letters of concern to their local Member of Parliament using their knowledge of the language of persuasion they have been taught in their literacy lessons.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The school has a very clear commitment to equality of opportunity and this is very obvious in the way all pupils are fully included in the teaching and learning. The specific needs of lower attaining pupils’ and those with special educational needs are recognised and all pupils’ contributions are valued. This has a positive effect on the self-esteem of all pupils and impacts on the progress they make. Booster classes and early and additional literacy lessons provide additional support for pupils who learn at a slower rate. Those pupils who are particularly gifted or more able have very rich opportunities to develop their creative, imaginative and academic skills. More able pupils receive extra support to help them reach the higher levels in their learning and talented musicians are able to use the school’s facilities to rehearse at lunchtime and break times. Donnington Primary School – Page 14

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The school maintains an appropriate register for special educational needs, which complies with the national code of practice and meets statutory obligations . Pupils with special educational needs, including those with complex physical needs, are included in the full range of curriculum activities offered by the school. Support is provided in withdrawal groups, individual support or in class support. Detailed, individual education plans which describe the school’s strategies for supporting pupils’ progress towards clearly stated, specific and appropriate targets are drawn up for all pupils requiring them. Reviews of individual educational plans are carried out and the parents are invited to attend these and receive written confirmation of changes to targets. Challenging work based on these targets is set and this good provision has a positive impact on the pupils’ progress.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The curriculum for pupils for whom English is an additional language is very good. Emphasis is placed on developing and improving pupils’ communication skills and the acquisition of appropriate language to help them access all the subjects of the curriculum. Where necessary, pupils are given additional help and support to enable them to make progress in subjects such as science. Such support is very effective in ensuring pupils achieve at least the standards expected for their age and often the next higher level. The school is effective in developing a very harmonious atmosphere in which the pupils’ different backgrounds, home language, cultures and faiths are respected and valued. Labels, notices and welcome signs in the appropriate languages are displayed around the school.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. Arrangements for pupils’ personal, health and sex education have improved since the last inspection and are now very good and are underpinned by the school’s very caring ethos and values. There are agreed policies for health, sex and drugs education. Time is made available within lessons to develop these areas in ways that are appropriate for the ages and needs of the pupils. The development of citizenship and the responsibilities of the individual and the group are apparent throughout the curriculum and in the sensitive way the school is organised. A school council is in place and this has been effective in improving pupils’ personal development. There are opportunities for pupils to take part in a number of festivals, competitions and fund raising initiatives to develop their responsibility to their local community.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. The school enriches the statutory curriculum and further enhances personal and social skills through a very good range of extra-curricular and sporting activities. Clubs include drama, chess, football, cricket, recorders, martial arts, homework, and after-school clubs. All are very well attended and staff, parents and members of the community give very generously of their time after school, to extend pupils’ interests and skills. The use of local visitors and well-planned visits extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding well. Pupils have opportunities to visit art galleries, museums and famous landmarks. Visits to different places of worship develop pupils’ awareness of what it means to belong to a particular faith. Links with the emergency services, health workers, the armed forces, community groups and local businesses are very effective in developing pupils’ understanding of citizenship, commerce, science and research in the modern world, as well as

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

providing generous sponsorship to improve the school’s environment. Pupils in Year 5 have the opportunity to attend extended residential visits to develop their personal and social skills and enhance their understanding of the environment.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. The school has very strong links with the local secondary schools ensuring a smooth transfer between schools. Local schools share training initiatives to improve skills and competencies in order to raise the quality of teaching and learning. For example, the school is an official partner of a secondary school’s bid for college status and as a centre for sporting excellence. The curriculum prepares pupils very well for the next stage of their education.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

33. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and is a major strength of the school. It has improved greatly since the previous inspection when it was considered to be appropriate but the multicultural provision was criticised, saying more could be made of the cultural and linguistic variety within the school community. This has now been addressed successfully.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. Spirituality is promoted through assemblies where pupils are encouraged to think about how they treat each other, how to be kind and caring and to develop positive attitudes towards one another regardless of race or colour. In religious education lessons, teachers provide pupils with information about the many religions practised by those attending the school, encouraging those from different cultures to share their customs with their peers. Pupils are well known to the staff who are dedicated to promoting confidence in them as individuals and an awareness of the impact of their attitudes and behaviour on others. The pupils feel secure in the ethos created within classrooms and they are prepared to answer questions even if their response is not right. Opportunities arise during circle time for pupils to discuss relevant issues and to express their feelings and opinions. The wonders of nature are celebrated and shared as they arise. For example during

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

Donnington Primary School – Page 15 one assembly pupils were enthralled to hear their pond had been cleaned and had new life in it. The movements of a programmable robot fascinated a group of reception children. Music and art are often used as sources of awe and wonder.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

35. The provision for the pupils’ moral development is very good. It is promoted through assemblies and class rules that are devised annually by each class and through the ethos of the school. When a pupil has a problem this is talked through to help them understand the effect of their actions. There is a system of rewards that promote acceptable behaviour and all members of staff can award stickers for effort, good behaviour and kindness to others. A celebration assembly is held weekly when certificates are presented. This does not have to be just for working hard but for any thoughtfulness shown to another. There is also an annual prize giving where everyone receives something although there are some specific prizes for subjects such as science, mathematics or literacy. All this has a positive effect on pupils’ behaviour and they know what is expected of them. Staff are good role models and take every opportunity to reinforce the pupils’

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

36. The provision for pupils’ social development is also very good. Pupils are expected to look after their school and care for the environment. Each class has monitors to perform necessary jobs. The older pupils have responsibilities towards the younger pupils, helping them at playtimes and lunch times. They also set up the hall for assembly. The school council meets regularly and each class is represented. Many issues are resolved through the council, for example, playing football in the playground out of turn. During literacy and numeracy lessons, pupils are encouraged to work with minimal adult supervision and to work together in small groups. Pupils can be seen working together, helping each other and sharing resources in many areas of the curriculum. The school raises money for charity on a regular basis and pupils are encouraged to organise their own fund raising events, such as Blue Peter sales. Each week a class makes and sells cakes

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

for charity. There is quite a competition to see who can raise the most money selling their cakes. There is a range of visitors and visits, including a residential trip for Year 5 pupils. This visit helps pupils to develop a social awareness of living together. Many pupils compete in local sports activities and are often successful. These activities encourage the pupils to make a commitment and to attend practices.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

37. The provision for cultural development is very good. Pupils are very aware of the many cultures, languages and religions that can be found in their school. These are celebrated in several ways such as stories, music or art work from other countries and through festivals such as Diwali, Christmas, Easter and Eid. In addition, teachers provide for the development of understanding of western culture through work in music, history and art. In religious education pupils learn the important facts of several faiths and the similarities between them. Class assemblies often highlight a particular faith. For example, one of the nursery nurses led an assembly about Islam. In geography, they find out about life in Kenya and cook samples of the food that forms the staple diet there. Once a year, the school holds an ‘International Evening’ when all the pupils are encouraged to wear traditional costume and perform dances or songs from their country. It is a very special occasion with

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

parents providing food from all over the world. Throughout the school notices and signs are displayed in English and other languages such as Polish, French, Arabic and Italian. Parents are encouraged to tell children stories in their own language thus making them aware of how some of the other languages sound, and celebrating the fact that there are so many different languages spoken in the school. Pupils gain first hand experiences of places of worship as they visit a synagogue, mosque, church or temple. Pupils also visit local historical sites and museums. This helps to enhance their cultural development and understanding, as do visiting musicians and the vicar.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Overall, the school has good and effective procedures for ensuring pupils' safety, health and welfare, including child protection. This confirms the positive findings of the last inspection. There is good on-going monitoring of personal development by class teachers in order to manage pupils' weekly awards, and a school prize for citizenship. A good review of pupils' personal development is also included in their annual reports and this is helpful in identifying areas where improved attitudes could support higher achievement. There are, however, weaknesses in maintaining some updated policies and records, and there is insufficient rigour applied to the promotion of good attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The management of pupils' safety is good. There is a clear chain of responsibility and governors participate in termly risk assessments. The local education authority conducts an annual check and oversees the inspection of electrical and physical education equipment. The Fire Brigade has approved recent improvements made to the fire exit in the reception class. There are sufficient staff trained to administer first Donnington Primary School – Page 16 aid, and detailed accounts of incidents, and the administration of medicines, are carefully recorded. The school is part of a healthy schools initiative to provide fresh fruit for the under-sevens and hopes to extend the scheme for older pupils. The school nurse assists with the teaching of sex education. Other outside agencies help with drugs education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The monitoring of attendance and the promotion of good attendance are unsatisfactory. Although registers are carefully maintained by class teachers, reasons for absence that are notified directly to the school are not always properly recorded and this is partly responsible for the high unauthorised absence figures. Monitoring of absence follows a two-weekly cycle although pupils with a history of concern are monitored more closely.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The ethos of the school, the good relationships which pupils establish with adults, their involvement in framing classroom rules, and the self-esteem reinforced by the awards assemblies are all constituents of the school's positive approach in supporting pupils’ good behaviour. Pupils' very good personal development, the care shown to younger pupils by older ones and an appreciation of the diversity of pupils' backgrounds contribute to a caring and inclusive school that is mostly free of oppressive behaviour. As a result, the monitoring and tracking of unacceptable behaviour has become less rigorous and support relies heavily on teachers knowing their pupils well. The school is aware of this being a potential weakness in supporting pupils effectively and a new draft behaviour management policy has been presented to governors.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science are very good but for the other subjects, assessment is only satisfactory. A system for recording pupils’ test results in English, mathematics and science, and for setting individual targets, has recently been introduced and this allows teachers to track the progress of all pupils. This helps to ensure that all pupils who are not making sufficient progress are identified and supported. The results of both national and optional tests are analysed to highlight weaknesses so that the curriculum can be amended. Assessments in other areas of the curriculum are inconsistently applied and need further review and development: for example in religious education and information and communication technology. The Foundation Stage staff use a baseline assessment that gives them an idea of the pupils’ attainment on entry. The teachers and support staff observe the pupils and note

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

their progress towards the early learning goals. However, this is done informally and a more detailed written record of their progress towards achieving the early learning goals would better inform planning by showing what the child needs to do next. It would also help teachers to group children when they transfer from the nursery to the reception class. The annual reports on pupils’ progress do not meet statutory requirements as the school fails to report attainment and progress in music.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The assessment procedures for pupils with English as an additional language are good. Detailed assessments and records are maintained indicating pupils’ performance in relation to National Curriculum levels and their progress in the acquisition of English. These are used rigorously to set individual targets to move learning on and target additional support in order to improve pupils’ fluency in English and raise their attainment even further. The school’s newly implemented tracking procedure shows that pupils are making very good progress compared to their prior attainment. Staff do not as yet sufficiently monitor the progress of different ethnic groups in order to highlight any differences in attainment between the many ethnic groups in the school and further refine support.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school very effectively supports pupils with special educational needs through early well-established procedures for the identification, monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ educational needs. These procedures follow the guidance of the new code of practice. Standardised school tests, diagnostic tests, and high quality teacher assessments are used very effectively to help in the early identification of pupils with special educational needs. The progress and development of these pupils is very carefully monitored. Individual records carefully chart pupils’ progress towards their individual targets and these procedures effectively inform future learning needs. The staff’s support for pupils with special educational needs ensures that most pupils make very good progress and many successfully achieve their specific learning objectives, which enables the school to remove them from the register. The school has very good links with outside agencies and keeps

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

parents well informed throughout the process.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Parents and carers hold very positive views of the school. Teaching, learning and achievement are identified as its strongest aspects in the pre-inspection questionnaires and this is borne out by the inspection evidence. Concerns raised by a very small minority of parents include how closely the school works with parents and how well the school is led and managed. The inspection finds these concerns to be groundless; there are Donnington Primary School – Page 17 frequent and good quality communications and the pupils' very good achievement points to their education being very well managed. Just under one in five parents felt that the school did not provide an interesting range of activities outside lessons. Compared with other primary schools, the range of extra-curricular activities is very good and is very well supported by staff, parents, and friends.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. The school provides parents with good quality weekly newsletters, termly curriculum outlines, and arranges three formal meetings. Parents of pupils about to sit their statutory assessment tests are given particularly focused information to enable them to support their children and this contributes effectively to the high standards that their children achieve. Pupils' annual reports omit any reference to music but, other than that, they give a generally good account of the work pupils have covered. Most reports contain specific advice on how to do better in English and mathematics and these subjects are graded but without an explanation about what the levels mean. A clear interpretation of levels always accompanies the national test results when these are sent to parents. Information contained in the school prospectus and governors' annual report meets statutory requirements but more attention needs to be focused on providing figures on pupils' absence, the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

professional development of teaching staff, and the provision for pupils with disabilities.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that parents are full participants in reviewing the progress their children make when measured against their individual education plans. Almost all parents attend review meetings and where this does not happen parents receive written information about their child’s progress and are invited to make comments on their implementation. These reviews meet the requirements of the code of practice and ensure that good links are maintained between parents and the school. The parents of pupils with English as an additional language are kept well informed of their children’s progress. Home visits are arranged for parents of younger children beginning school for the first time but the school does not arrange visits for newly arrived children who enter school after nursery or reception.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Links with parents are very strong. Parental support has a very positive impact on the education of their children. The ‘Friends of the school association’ is not only very successful at raising large amounts of money, spent on improving facilities and enriching the curriculum, but also acts as an effective parents' forum and sounding board and provides a further avenue for communication between parents and the school. At an individual level, almost all parents sign the home-school agreements, which were drawn up after consultation, and most take an active interest in supporting their children’s education at home. Visits to the homes of prospective nursery children play an important part in introducing parents, as well as children, to the school. Four parent volunteers help in school on a regular basis, and past helpers have gone on to become employed classroom assistants. Many more parents volunteer to help with school trips and sports day, and there is

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

very good support for school performances.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The leadership demonstrated by the headteacher over the last three years has been very effective in improving standards and introducing new methods and a range of innovations. When he took on the role the school had recently been given Beacon school status and this, while providing more funds, put an emphasis on the school’s role in the local community and the positive impact it could have on other schools and early years settings in the area. This work has been effective and has had clear benefit for local schools and for staff in the school. The deputy headteacher provides strong support for the headteacher and, together, the senior management in the school has been very effective in creating the present very good provision for such a diverse range of pupils. The school has a very good capacity to maintain its strengths and continue to improve and succeed in the future.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. At the last inspection there were a number of significant weaknesses in the leadership and management. These have been very well addressed although the role of subject coordinators remains an area that can be further improved through the provision of more opportunities to monitor teaching and to spread the very good practice that exists. Coordinators have the opportunity to monitor planning and to review samples of pupils’ work. In addition, members of the senior management team have been able to observe most teachers at work and provide appropriate feedback through the good performance management policy, which has been introduced appropriately, and which has had a positive impact on the practice of some teachers. For example, the very successful nursery inclusion project, which involves story sacks for children to take home, arose from this work. There is an appropriate system for senior management and staff meetings to ensure

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

that communication within the school is effective. The work on developing assessment, recording and tracking systems introduced by the deputy headteacher has enabled teachers to be clear about the progress made by different groups in their classes and to provide appropriately targeted work to raise their standards further. For Donnington Primary School – Page 18 example, the Year 4 tests showed that a group of pupils were struggling to improve on their Year 2 scores in mathematics. They were then targeted for extra teaching and support and all have improved dramatically.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. One of the major strengths of the leadership and management of the school has been the skill shown in recognising and addressing priorities, such as the recognition of the changes to the intake of pupils and the excellent action taken to meet targets. The school’s targets are appropriate and set after sufficient thought and consultation. The school improvement plan is a practical document and is much improved since the last inspection. It covers a three-year period in sufficient detail and provides a very good basis for the development of the school, especially through the training provided for staff. Very clear links are made to available finance and the allocation of funds is based on recognised needs within the school. All staff and governors have the opportunity to feed into the planning process and the plan is regularly reviewed by senior managers and by the governing body.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The Beacon status enjoyed by the school has resulted in a number of good initiatives. Staff from the school have worked in other schools, and some senior staff have enjoyed promotion or secondments as a result. In one such successful project, the school funded a visit by a number of local early years teachers and advisers to a well-known nursery project in Italy. The result of this has been a focus on good practice in creative aspects of the Foundation Stage curriculum within the local authority, work in which the school has had a high profile. This resulted during the inspection in a very good, productive creative arts day at a local centre, involving children from a range of early years settings.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The major difficulty facing the school at present is the poor accommodation with leaking roofs and very poor windows. There are classrooms that are too small, especially for practical work. Too few opportunities are provided for whole class computer teaching because, at present, there is only space for pupils to work individually or in pairs in partially converted toilets. Inadequate staff facilities mean that the photocopier has to be moved in the rain because of leaking roofs. A well-resourced library in a temporary building is too dangerous for pupils to use and books are inaccessible. The prime reason for the present position is that a private finance initiative was due to begin in 2002 and this involved a range of building improvements. However, this fell through and the school is now relying on other support for putting a feasibility study into practice and helping finance some of the dramatic improvements needed in the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governing body has improved since the last inspection and is now very effective. It has a clear and effective structure and an appropriate set of committees with clear terms of reference. Their leadership has helped create a clear vision for the strategic development of the school over the past three years and they provide a stable influence in the school. Many of the governors visit the school, regularly undertaking a range of roles, from classroom or playgroup assistant to helping sort and organise resources. Good use is made of individual governors’ expertise and the governors have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governing body controls and monitors the budget very effectively. Appropriate use is made of the local authority support when setting the budget and very good attention is paid to the needs of the school improvement plan when allocating money for specific developments. A lot of the finance committee’s time has been spent on trying to improve the accommodation and this remains a high priority. Monies received in grants or because of the school’s Beacon status is used appropriately and effectively in raising standards and sharing expertise. This aspect of the governors’ work has clearly improved a lot since the last inspection when too much was left to the headteacher with too few checks. The governors and management team work hard to ensure that the principles of best value are successfully implemented.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. There is a designated member of staff, appointed to coordinate the provision for pupils with English as an additional language. The effective deployment of this teacher, and the classroom support workers, has a significant impact on the quality of the pupils’ learning. The school has a very clear educational direction to ensure very good provision for all pupils. Assessment is used well to help identify pupils’ needs and resources are carefully directed towards those pupils in greatest need.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The special educational needs coordinator provides very good leadership. She works very closely with class teachers and support staff to ensure the needs of pupils with special needs are met, and that resources are efficiently and effectively targeted at those pupils with the greatest needs. The provision of classroom assistants for younger pupils is particularly effective in giving those pupils a very good impetus to their learning. This has a very positive effect on the progress they make, ensuring that a significant number will reach the expected standard for their age. Administrative procedures for special educational needs are good and comply with statutory requirements. The teachers and teaching assistants who provide additional support Donnington Primary School – Page 19 for children with special educational needs are very effectively deployed and make a very positive contribution to the quality of the provision. They have a good understanding of their role and are very effective in ensuring

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

that pupils make good progress with their learning. Staff work very closely together to ensure that individual targets are met. Staff are well qualified and have undertaken additional training to improve their skills.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school has an appropriate range of resources to enable teachers to carry out their job successfully. Weaknesses are addressed as needed and coordinators are closely involved in the budgets for their subjects. The library is well resourced with a good range of modern books, but the condition of the building means that it is inaccessible to pupils. The information and communication technology resources have improved since the last inspection but are still in need of improvement. Staff are undergoing training at present and this has already enabled the teaching to make better use of the presently available resources. Good care has gone into the provision of technical help for the staff and this, together with the teachers’ improved expertise and confidence, is now having a positive effect on standards. The teaching and non-teaching staff are of sufficient number to enable good levels of provision for pupils, and for those with special educational needs, English as

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

an additional language or the higher attaining pupils to have sufficient extra support to enable them to make good or very good progress. Donnington Primary School – Page 20

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. The school has made very good improvements since the last inspection in important aspects of its work. In order to maintain the high standards and to continue improving, the headteacher, staff and governing body should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q seek ways to improve the accommodation through developing plans and putting the feasibility study into practice; ** (Paragraphs 24, 53, 84, 102, 114, 127, 131)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q develop the role of subject leaders to provide more opportunities for them to monitor teaching and to spread the very good practice that exists; ** (Paragraphs 50, 104, 109, 119, 125, 135, 146)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve the presentation of the pupils’ written work through better handwriting and improved neatness; (Paragraphs 11, 21, 91, 101)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q ensure that reports to parents meet statutory requirements by including sufficient information on progress and attainment in music. (Paragraphs 42, 134)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

** These issues have been recognised by the school as requiring improvement.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the above key issues the governing body should consider including the following minor issues in their action plan:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ improving the quality of marking of pupils’ work; (Paragraphs 21, 86, 92, 102)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ reviewing timetables to ensure lessons are not too long; (Paragraphs 21, 83)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ improving the systems for monitoring and promoting good attendance. (Paragraph 40) Donnington Primary School – Page 21

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 35

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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 two percentage points.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 30 204

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 63

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 3

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 47

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 133

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Donnington Primary School – Page 22 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 15 29

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Boys 13 11 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 13 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage of pupils School 97 (93) 83 (97) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Boys 13 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 15 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage of pupils School 90 (93) 100 (93) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 11 17 28

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Boys 10 10 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 16 17

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage of pupils School 89 (86) 93 (71) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Boys 8 10 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 16 17

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage of pupils School 79 (79) 93 (71) 100 (93) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Donnington Primary School – Page 23 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Black – Caribbean heritage 37 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Black – African heritage 28 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Any other minority ethnic group 15 Other minority ethnic groups

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Teachers and classes Financial information

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.2 Financial year 2001/2002

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.9

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 691161

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 689686

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Total aggregate hours worked per week 140 Expenditure per pupil (based on 235 pupils) 2934

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 2030

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 22205

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Total number of education support staff 2

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 4

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

FTE means full-time equivalent. Donnington Primary School – Page 24

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 59 39 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 49 41 6 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 51 41 5 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 49 44 7 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 32 7 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 37 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 51 33 12 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 39 44 12 4 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 40 3 1 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 39 12 5 7 Donnington Primary School – Page 25

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage consists of one full-time nursery class and a reception class. Children begin full-time nursery education in the September of the year in which they have their fourth birthday. However, parents are given the option of part-time education for their child, if that is their preference. At present there are 30 children in the nursery all attending full-time. The following September they are admitted to the reception class on a full-time basis. The majority of children have had pre-school experience in the playgroup that operates within the school building. Rarely do children begin in reception without any pre-school experience. Before children enter either the nursery or the reception class they receive a home visit. This is a recent innovation that has helped staff to identify any children with problems prior to admission.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. There is a well-equipped nursery room that has been attractively painted to provide a bright and cheerful environment for the children. However, the reception classroom is very small and cluttered. Despite the lack of space the teacher has created a welcoming room for the children. Outdoor facilities for nursery children are good with a range of climbing equipment and wheeled toys and the reception class also has access to its own outdoor space. Both of these are used creatively and effectively to improve the children’s physical and creative skills. The curriculum is based on the nationally agreed areas of learning and provides children with a broad and balanced range of experiences. Both the nursery and reception classes are effective in providing a wide range of challenging and focused experiences to promote pupils’ achievement. Activities are chosen to give children opportunities for language development and acquisition. All adults intervene appropriately to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

quicken and extend language development. Overall, the provision has improved since the last inspection.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The attainment of most children on entry to the nursery is below, and at times well below, that expected in early literacy and numeracy, due mainly to the fact that few speak English very well. The overall standard is falling slowly as the make-up of each cohort is changing, reflecting demographic changes. By the time they join the reception class, attainment has risen closer to, although still below, expectations. Teaching in the nursery is very good and this has a positive effect on children’s learning. Most children achieve well and by the time they move to the reception class they have made good gains in knowledge and skills. The progress of children with English as an additional language is very good despite the fact there is no specific bilingual support. The teacher and adults in the nursery provide many opportunities for language development. Teaching in the reception class is also very good overall and many of the children are on course to achieve

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the early learning goals in personal, social and emotional development, creative and physical development, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. Few will achieve the early learning goals for writing.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good overall. The adults who work with the children have a secure understanding of the early learning goals. Lesson plans and schemes are clear with appropriate learning objectives based on the early learning goals. All teachers have good knowledge of the needs of children in the early years and the curriculum meets those needs. The teaching and non-teaching staff plan together and this ensures continuity. Themes are planned on a six-term cycle to avoid repetition. All lessons are well planned with appropriate early learning objectives. There is a good range of activities to extend children’s learning and develop their language. Adults use every opportunity to intervene and extend children’s vocabulary, particularly for children with English as an additional language. The classroom assistants work closely with the teachers and provide very good support. Expectations of children’s behaviour

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

are high and they respond well to these expectations. There are some attractive displays and murals that provide a bright and interesting environment in which learning is encouraged. The variety of different languages that the children bring with them into school is celebrated and many labels in the classrooms are written in English and in another language. Also parents are encouraged to come into school to read stories to children in their language. Children are very aware of the different languages they can hear in the classroom.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. In the nursery, the adults recognise the importance of play and first-hand experience. This has a positive effect on the progress the children make towards the early learning goals and provides a firm foundation for learning in reception. Experiences are challenging and concentrate closely on what the children need to learn in relation to the national guidance. Activities are well organised, with the potential to promote communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Adults ensure specific intervention to develop children’s language skills during self-chosen activities. For example, the teacher was observed in the Donnington Primary School – Page 26 “seaside shop”, the role-play area, asking for “fish and chips” and talking about how they would be served with salt and vinegar.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. In reception, the teacher and adults provide an appropriate range of activities to encourage the children to play together and learn through play. As in the nursery class every opportunity is taken to extend children’s vocabulary and use of language. Praise and encouragement are effective in promoting positive behaviour and personal, social and emotional development. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning through sharing of story bags, in the nursery, and reading books in reception. The story bags are the result of specific funding for a particular project and are proving very popular. There are plans to make additional bags so that the reception children can take them home as well.

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. Standards are in line with those expected in the nursery and the majority of children are on course to achieve the early learning goals by the end of their reception year. Teaching is very good. Children enjoy coming to school and respond well to rules and routines of the nursery and school life. They are eager to learn new skills and, when activities are stimulating and exciting, put effort and concentration into their task. Emphasis is put on helping children understand the consequences of their actions. They are encouraged to consider the feelings of other children and to wait patiently for their turn. This is developed during circle time and also in physical education when children have to wait their turn for catching and throwing the ball. Children, particularly in the reception class are learning to share and work together in a variety of situations, such as role-play in the ‘Chocolatier’, or when helping each other complete a number jigsaw. There are also

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Personal, social and emotional development

opportunities for children to develop a sensitivity and awareness of other people, their different religions, customs and ways of life through religious education and celebration of festivals.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. Progress for many children in this area is very good and most are on course to achieve the early learning goals for speaking and listening, despite many entering the nursery with little or no English. However, few children are likely to achieve the early learning goals in writing. Children are encouraged to become good listeners and to enjoy stories, rhymes and songs. Teachers provide many opportunities for children to talk and share their thoughts. By the time children enter the reception class, many are beginning to express themselves in English with confidence. The quality of teaching is very good. Teachers use questions effectively to encourage children to respond and develop an understanding of English. Every opportunity is taken to develop the language. In the reception class children have a great time in the ‘Chocolatier’ making chocolates and talking about how they are going to decorate them, and deciding how much they should cost.

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Communication, language and literacy

68. Children in the nursery are beginning to be aware that writing is a form of communication. The majority cannot write their name but a few can write recognisable letters. All enjoy making “books” about a variety of self- chosen topics. They demonstrate a limited understanding of initial letter sounds and a few can find words beginning with a specific letter, such as “s”. The children are given a range of activities to encourage them to develop their writing skills including letter patterns, books and cards. In reception, children are beginning to write more legibly and the higher attaining pupils can write the initial letters of the word in their sentences but the lower attainers are still struggling to copy under the teacher’s writing and letters are poorly formed.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. In the nursery, children are introduced to stories and books and enjoy listening to stories, particularly those told by a regular visitor, who brings in a puppet to help him. They know how to handle books and turn the pages but do not recognise many words. Some children like to make up stories and draw pictures to illustrate them. However, children can recognise their names as they self-register daily by placing the appropriate card in the “post box”. In the reception class children struggle to achieve the early learning goals for reading as even the higher attaining children only recognise a small number of words, although they are more secure with initial letter sounds. The lower attaining children find it difficult to recognise sounds but point to letters that are found in their names. Only the higher attaining children are confident when retelling a fairy story without prompting or reciting a nursery rhyme. None of the children are very confident readers although they

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Communication, language and literacy

enjoy reading and sharing books. Parents are encouraged to listen to their children read.

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Mathematical development

70. The teaching in both the nursery and reception classes is very good, with a range of practical activities to support the children’s learning in this area. Most are on course to achieve the expected early learning goals. Children in the nursery are beginning to recognise numbers, match the correct number of objects to a number Donnington Primary School – Page 27 or playing bingo with adult support. They are beginning to recognise two-dimensional shapes and make patterns. In reception, these number skills are built on so that children become more confident and learn to add and subtract numbers to 10, understanding one more than and one less than. They enjoy using number fans to show their answers during the first part of the lesson. Children know how to use a bar chart to find information. They demonstrated this when compiling a graph about the colour of sweets in a pack, knowing which colour was most popular because most squares were coloured in. Rhymes and action songs are use

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Mathematical development

to help children remember numbers. Teachers use appropriate vocabulary such as next to, near, under, over, heavier or lighter.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. The teaching in this area is very good. Most children are likely to achieve the expected early learning goals. Children in the nursery are introduced to the school grounds and looking at what seeds need to grow; they grow cress seeds for themselves. This was developed further in reception when children grew beans and measured them to see how tall they were. A class graph was made of this information. A visit from the fire brigade was a big hit with the children as they learned about how people help us. Other visitors have included the police, RSPCA, a puppet theatre and the vicar. Children are beginning to appreciate the culture of others in their classes as they celebrate festivals such as Eid, Diwali or Christmas. Computer skills are taught from the nursery and by the time children are in reception they are becoming quite adept at using the computer with good mouse control. They use a good range of software and also have opportunities to program a robot

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Physical development

72. The quality of teaching in this area is satisfactory and most children are on course to achieve the expected early learning goals. In the nursery, children enjoy using the climbing frames and the wheeled toys. They use the limited space in the classroom well for movement to music. The reception children are developing spatial awareness and good body control as they walk, run, hop, jump and skip around the hall. Ball control is improving as children practise throwing and catching. In the one lesson seen, the adults worked with children in two groups, throwing the ball to each child in turn. The groups were too big and children grew restless and less focused on the task. Nursery children use pencils, paintbrushes and scissors with a developing skill, which is further improved in the reception class. Here children can control their pencils as they write recognisable letters, can cut and colour carefully within lines. Many opportunities are provided to help children

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Physical development

in both classes to develop their manipulative skills through cutting activities, handwriting patterns, building with small construction equipment, and colouring tasks.

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Creative development

73. The quality of teaching in this area is good and many children are on course to achieve the expected early learning goals by the end of the reception year. They enjoy a range of experiences in music, art, story and imaginative play. There are opportunities to experiment with colour mixing, collage, printing, and using a variety of media. The nursery and reception children have been part of a project based on nursery provision in Italy and partially funded by the school as part of its Beacon activities in the local authority. During the inspection they participated in a creative workshop ending in a whole day event and exhibition illustrating how well creative activities can address the learning in other parts of the Foundation Stage curriculum. The school provided the children with specific resources for them to use on a daily basis. The purpose of these resources was to allow children the freedom to make or paint as they choose and not be told by an adult what they

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Creative development

must do or make. The children really enjoyed this as did the staff and parents who accompanied them. The role-play areas in both classrooms are changed regularly to fit in with the class topics. They have been an office, a hospital and a “seaside shop”. Children in both the nursery and reception enjoy rhymes and action songs that help them to develop their language and number skills. During a combined music session children played a range of percussion instruments and acted out the rhymes. They also experienced first-hand music making when visiting musicians ran a workshop for them. Donnington Primary School – Page 28

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ENGLISH

74. Since the previous inspection attainment at the age of seven and eleven has improved significantly. By the age of seven, attainment is above that expected nationally and by the age of eleven it is very high. This level of attainment was reflected in the 2001 national test results and the recent 2002 test results indicate a similarly high level of attainment. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make very good progress and achieve very well in relation to their prior attainment. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls.

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ENGLISH

75. Over the last four years, standards have risen at a similar rate to those nationally and the school has been very successful in exceeding its targets. Areas of weakness highlighted at the last inspection have been addressed well. The school has enthusiastically implemented the National Literacy Strategy and this has had a very positive impact on the improved quality of teaching and learning. Literacy is given a very high priority throughout the school and the school builds well on the effective foundation for learning provided for children in the nursery and reception classes. The school continues to give considerable focus to ensuring pupils use their literacy skills in other subjects, for example, when recording science experiments on evaporation or instructional text when describing how to make origami boxes in design and technology. This approach has been particularly effective in raising standards of writing across the school. The school has also implemented

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ENGLISH

an additional literacy scheme and booster classes to provide additional support for those pupils needing extra help to reach the expected standard.

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ENGLISH

76. The pupils with special educational needs receive very good support and as a result a significant number achieve the expected standards. The additional support that children with special educational needs receive is particularly effective in ensuring that children make significant gains in their literacy skills. Pupils with English as an additional language make very good progress and achieve similar standards to their peers.

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ENGLISH

77. Pupils in the infants and juniors make very good progress in their speaking and listening skills. Throughout the school, the emphasis is on encouraging pupils to think about their work and to express themselves well using interesting, technical and grammatically accurate language. In assemblies, pupils listen attentively to music, drama and story, joining in when it is appropriate. In lessons, pupils have good opportunities to express and develop their ideas and opinions, confident that they will be listened to and their contributions taken seriously. They listen carefully to their teachers and appreciate the contribution other pupils make to the lessons. As part of a geography lesson, pupils in Year 5 were able to put forward the advantages and disadvantages of having a new secondary school built adjacent to their own school. Arguments were well thought out and very confidently delivered using appropriate vocabulary and persuasive sentence

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ENGLISH

constructions. By the age of eleven the pupils are very confident speakers, eager to answer questions and to talk and evaluate their work. They express ideas clearly and use interesting and grammatically accurate language.

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ENGLISH

78. Pupils make very good progress in developing their reading skills. They are encouraged to read for a wide variety of purposes including information and pleasure. Books are very well matched to pupils’ attainment and interest levels and pupils are very enthusiastic readers of a wide range of texts. Reading is seen as an enjoyable pastime and a source of exciting information, detail and interest. The youngest pupils in the infant classes are aware of authors and illustrators and are able to identify the main characters and events in their favourite books. By the age of seven higher attaining pupils are secure in their understanding of fiction and non-fiction and can locate information about a given topic, such as finding out about pets.

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ENGLISH

79. Throughout the school very effective strategies are used to develop a very secure understanding of phonics, word families and spellings. This gives pupils considerable confidence in tackling unfamiliar words and this has a very positive effect on the good progress they make in becoming fluent and confident readers. Below average pupils and those with special educational needs are able to recognise many of the letter blends that make up words and use these well to read unfamiliar words. Higher attaining pupils in Year 2 read aloud with considerable confidence and use punctuation to add expression to their reading. Pupils take books home regularly and family members are encouraged to hear their children read in order to improve their progress in reading.

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ENGLISH

80. In the junior classes, pupils continue to make very good progress. In Year 5, pupils are encouraged to read challenging texts to improve their confidence in performing. They read newspapers to help them improve their knowledge and understanding of words with a particular sound. In Year 6, higher attaining and average attaining pupils understand plot, setting and characterisation. They show a mature understanding of different writers’ styles and accounts and are able to make deductions and inferences from their reading. Considerable Donnington Primary School – Page 29 guidance and enthusiasm from their teachers encourages pupils to read very challenging texts, such as ‘Wild Swans’ by Jung Chang. Discussions with pupils indicate a very mature approach to reading. Pupils are developing independent research skills as they use dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopaedias and CD-ROMs although the lack of easy access to the library hinders this work.

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ENGLISH

81. Pupils make very good progress in writing. From Year 1 pupils are encouraged to write for a variety of purposes, such as recording the growth of their beans in a science experiment. By the age of seven pupils write interesting sentences, observing the rules of punctuation and using full stops and capital letters accurately. They spell common words correctly and make good attempts to spell more complex words. Higher attaining pupils use appropriate layout, interesting vocabulary and connectives to grasp the reader’s interest. In formal handwriting lessons pupils are taught to join their letters together. However, they are not encouraged to do so in independent writing and skills of presentation are not always as high as they should be.

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ENGLISH

82. In the junior classes, pupils progressively develop their ability to write for different purposes using a wide range of styles. Work shows an acute awareness of the need for different presentation skills, vocabulary and style and a very good use of well-chosen vocabulary to capture the imagination of the reader. Pupils produce diagrams and posters to support their work in other subjects. They write poems, letters and scientific, geographic and historical accounts. Writing is very well organised. Higher attaining pupils use paragraphs, correct punctuation, complex grammatical structures and rich appropriate vocabulary to enliven their writing. Pupils are very aware of how the precise use of particular vocabulary or grammar adds considerable interest and quality to their work. For example, a piece of imaginary autobiographical writing as an historical character experiencing the ‘Blitz’ was of a very high standard. In this work, pupils used vocabulary and parts of speech

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ENGLISH

such as adverbs, adjectives and prepositions exceptionally well to create mood and provide detail that captured the interest and imagination of the reader.

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ENGLISH

83. In English lessons, behaviour is invariably good and often very good. Pupils show very favourable attitudes to learning and enjoy very positive relationships with their teachers. This makes a considerable contribution to their rate of progress and the high standards of attainment achieved. Pupils are very eager to learn, stay on task and show very good levels of independence and concentration. Opportunities to work collaboratively and to develop personal skills are well used. Pupils enjoy English lessons and respond very well to the structure of the National Literacy Strategy, although there are times when these sessions are too long.

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ENGLISH

84. Teaching is almost always good and is frequently very good and occasionally excellent. The spread of good and very good teaching across the school ensures that all pupils make good progress. All teachers are confidently implementing the National Literacy Strategy. Teaching is very carefully structured and well planned to meet the needs of pupils of all attainment levels. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are given a particularly high priority and pupils’ are encouraged to use their knowledge and understanding of basic skills in their extended writing and when writing in other subjects. Very good opportunities for extended writing are made within the curriculum to ensure that progress in this aspect of English is maintained. Teachers are very aware of the need to engage the interest of both boys and girls to ensure they reach the standards of which they are capable. Books and topics for writing are carefully planned to capture the imagination of both sexes

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ENGLISH

85. Teachers use praise, comments and questions very effectively to check understanding and extend thinking. Expectations are very high and the teachers’ enthusiasm, clear explanations and secure knowledge have a very positive effect on attainment and progress. Displays and prompts remind pupils of the strategies and techniques they need to improve their work; correct spelling and punctuation; and precise grammar and structures. Plenary sessions check that pupils have understood the lesson and also extend their thinking, pushing them just that bit further. Teachers encourage pupils to discuss their work and to explain what they have learned during lessons. In particularly high quality lessons, learning is a shared experience and there is an added expectation that all pupils will be actively involved in the lessons. Clear, precise explanations provide pupils with strategies to be successful and ensure they make rapid progress in acquiring new skills

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ENGLISH

and understanding. Question and answer sessions are very challenging and pupils are helped to arrive at the right answer by very sensitive support. They are encouraged to ‘have a go’, to be responsible for their own learning and to have an understanding that ‘making a mistake’ is seen as an acceptable and essential part of learning. Relationships are very good and teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ behaviour and attainment resulting in very good discipline and high standards.

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ENGLISH

86. Assessment and record keeping are good. National Curriculum Tests and school tests are used effectively to track individual progress in order to raise standards and to identify areas for school development. There are Donnington Primary School – Page 30 examples of very effective marking, which helps pupils improve their work. However, much of the marking is too general and does not provide pupils with helpful comments that will ensure that they are able to move on to the next level of work. Homework is set to extend work done in lessons and to check that pupils have fully understood new learning. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. The coordinator is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the subject and is very effective in further improving standards through the monitoring of the planning and pupils’ work. There is, however, little time for the coordinator to monitor the teaching or help to spread good practice.

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MATHEMATICS

87. Current standards in Year 6 are well above the national average. The unconfirmed results of the National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds in 2002 support this picture. The number of pupils who achieved the expected level or above is slightly fewer than last year, 86 per cent compared to 93 per cent in 2001. However this is still above last year’s national average. Pupils who have English as an additional language generally achieve in line with their year group. There is no evidence of any difference in attainment between boys and girls. Overall standards at the end of Year 6 have risen since the previous inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Current standards in Key Stage 1 are above the national average. The results of the National Curriculum tests for seven year olds in 2002 support this picture although the number of pupils achieving the expected level or above is 90 per cent which is slightly fewer than last when all pupils achieved the expected level or above. However, this year the number of pupils achieving higher levels has increased. A significant proportion of the pupils who have not reached the expected level have special educational needs. Standards in the infant classes have risen since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Infant age pupils make good progress building on the skills learnt in the reception class. Those in Years 1 and 2 make very good progress developing their mathematical concepts and understanding. Pupils in Year 2 have a good understanding of number and place value up to 100. They know the difference between odd and even numbers: “because for even numbers you can put them in pairs and none are left”. When the teacher writes 39 and asks whether the number is odd or even pupils know it is odd because the unit is 9 and 9 is an odd number. They double and halve numbers with little difficulty and can explain how they reached their answer. Pupils use graphs to obtain and interpret information. They recognise the properties of two- dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. They have used non-standard and standard measurements, comparing objects that are longer, shorter or the same length as a metre and measuring accurately in

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MATHEMATICS

centimetres. They know how to manipulate money and can give accurate change. All pupils are taught the relevant vocabulary and are confident to explain what they are doing and why.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The work of the current Year 6 shows good coverage of all areas of the subject. The majority of pupils in Year 6 are confident and capable. They are secure working in four digit numbers and in using multiplication tables. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils demonstrated the depth of their understanding of factors by solving some complex problems relating to multiplication of very large numbers. The speed at which a small minority of pupils found the answers was amazing. Pupils can use decimals with ease. For example, in the problem ‘if the area of a rectangle is 48 square centimetres what is the length of each side?’ as well as the obvious factors pupils came up with 96x0.5, 192x0.25 and even 0.048x1000. The majority understand the commutative law of multiplication and what factors are. From the work scrutiny it is evident that pupils can use coordinates, know the properties of three-dimensional shapes and their lines of symmetry. They are beginning to use brackets to

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MATHEMATICS

91. Pupils enjoy the subject, particularly the oral and mental sessions at the start of each lesson. They are well motivated and keen to succeed, especially when the lessons move at a good pace and the work set is appropriately challenging. The majority of pupils remain on task with little or no adult intervention. They help each other, share resources and collaborate well. They are confident and happy to explain their answers even if they are unsure of the correctness of the answer. The majority of pupils are well behaved, focused on the task in hand and enthusiastic. The presentation of work varies and is not consistently neat. This is an area that could be improved.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The quality of teaching overall across the school is very good although there were examples where the teaching was just satisfactory. Where lessons are good or better, teachers are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and often inspiring; this creates a good working atmosphere and motivates the pupils to succeed. They have high expectations that all pupils will do well. The quick-fire oral and mental sessions at the start of each lesson are used effectively and pupils respond and participate fully. Teachers use questions to encourage Donnington Primary School – Page 31 pupils to explain how they found their answers. Because teachers have such good relationships with their classes, most pupils have enough confidence to offer an explanation of their methods even if they are incorrect. Lessons are well planned with appropriate tasks that match the needs of the pupils. However, not all of the teachers ensure consistently that all pupils are suitably challenged and that extension work is

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MATHEMATICS

always available. Plenary sessions are well used to reinforce or extend pupils’ understanding. Where support staff are used they are effective, particularly during group work but they could be used more effectively during the whole class session. Effective marking is not used consistently across the school and this is another area for improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

93. The National Numeracy Strategy has been successfully implemented and the teachers have clear ideas of the more effective ways of teaching the various elements, using a published scheme. The benefits of the improved mental recall and systematic development of knowledge, understanding and vocabulary can be seen in pupils’ approach to the subject. The guidance provided by the numeracy strategy is now supporting most teachers in their planning and is leading to better defined learning objectives. The Year 6 teacher is piloting a new planning system.

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MATHEMATICS

94. The coordinator is temporary until the present post holder returns to school. However, he is very knowledgeable and has already introduced a tracking system to ascertain how each pupil is progressing. This helps to identify pupils who are not making sufficient progress so they can receive additional support. From this information each pupil has a specific target to aim for. Lesson objectives are shared with the pupils and are written at the top of each piece of work. All data from both national and optional tests and other standardised tests is analysed and used to inform planning. The coordinator has a clear overview of the priorities for the future development of mathematics.

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SCIENCE

95. Standards are well above average by the end of Year 6. The 2001 test results put the school in the top five per cent of schools nationally and this is largely due to the high proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels, including Level 6. The early indications are that this year’s results are equally as positive and reflect the very good quality teaching, especially in Years 5 and 6. Standards are higher than they were at the time of last inspection.

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SCIENCE

96. The teacher assessments made at the end of Year 2 in 2001 showed that all of the pupils reached the expected level and a well above average proportion reached a higher than expected level. This good performance was consistent across all aspects of the subject, including the investigative and experimental work. The most recent assessments made this year show a similar level of attainment with over half of the Year 2 pupils reaching the level expected at the end of Year 4.

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SCIENCE

97. The evidence of the inspection indicates that standards by the end of Year 2 are above average, and that continuing very good progress and teaching ensures that by the end of Year 6, standards are well above those expected for pupils of that age. The scrutiny of their work over the past year shows that at least good and often very good progress is made and the pupils’ levels of knowledge and understanding about a range of scientific topics grows each year.

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SCIENCE

98. In Year 6, the trend in standards has been one of sharp improvement since 1999, especially with regard to the growing proportion reaching the higher levels. The results are very high when they are compared with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, and also when the same pupils’ results are compared with those they achieved at the end of Year 2. There are no significant gender differences in the results or in the work observed during the inspection. The pupils with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, make equally good progress as their peers, especially in those lessons where the teaching assistants are able to provide them with extra support, enabling them to take a full part in activities.

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SCIENCE

99. One of the reasons for the very good standards is the way the curriculum is planned to make it exciting and meaningful to pupils with very good enrichment through practical activities. This is evident in Year 1 where pupils have sown and grown beans, which they are now observing and measuring as they grow. They are genuinely excited by their observations and demonstrate wonder at the way nature works. In addition, they are able to name the parts of the plants and make sensible suggestions as to why some grow stronger than others. Pupils have a good understanding of how we can eat different parts of plants and they are developing a good knowledge of foods that are healthy such as fruit and vegetables. The evidence of other work shows that they understand how toys can be moved using push or pull forces and they are able to measure the effects of Donnington Primary School – Page 32 these forces. Year 2 pupils have a good understanding of life cycles, such as those of butterflies, chickens

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SCIENCE

and frogs, and of how human beings grow and develop over time. They are able to discuss the concepts at a high level, confidently using terms such as reproduction. Earlier work shows pupils can draw a simple circuit accurately, can distinguish between man-made and natural materials and explain how materials can change, such as through the melting of ice.

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SCIENCE

100. Year 3 pupils are able to test materials to assess whether they are translucent, transparent or opaque. They have a good understanding of the terms and of how shadows are formed. Earlier work and teacher assessments show good knowledge of ways of looking after our teeth and skin, and which foods are bad or good for us. They have a good understanding of magnetic forces and the properties of different materials. In Year 4, pupils have a good knowledge of how salt and sugar dissolve. They are able to test solubility and record their work in a range of ways. For example, one pupil raises the possibility of using a ‘key’ for their diagram. They can measure forces using newtons and they understand some of the affects of air resistance and gravity. In some very good experiments, they tested materials for effective thermal insulation properties. Year 5 pupils have a good understanding of how sound travels and they can set up walkie-talkies using string

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SCIENCE

and plastic cups. This work enables pupils to make very good gains in their learning about scientific enquiry and how to create a fair test. They can describe the differences between gases, solids and liquids and have a clear understanding of how the heart and the muscles work. Year 6 pupils extend their understanding of air resistance by creating a variety of spinners and parachutes and testing the speed of their fall. The scrutiny of earlier work shows a detailed study of plants such as dandelions and parsnips. They have studied soil composition and are able to test for acidity.

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SCIENCE

101. The pupils have very good attitudes towards their work. However, too often the poor presentation of written experiments, the untidy completion of worksheets or the lack of care taken over drawings and diagrams does not accurately reflect the extent of their knowledge and understanding. Very good use of numeracy skills is made in, for example, the measuring of how long spinners take to fall or how tall beans have grown. In practical lessons, pupils work well together in pairs or small groups. They are well-behaved and able to share and collaborate effectively and this has a positive impact on their learning and the successful outcomes of the experiments.

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SCIENCE

102. The overall quality of teaching is very good and this is characterised by teachers having high expectations of the standards pupils will achieve. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject, as well as their skills in using the correct methods for different aspects of pupils’ learning, has improved since the last inspection and now has a very positive impact on progress. Lessons are well planned and the teachers work hard to overcome the limitations of the poor accommodation. The teachers regularly ensure that the written work expected of pupils is matched to their prior attainment, so that they are challenged at an appropriate level by the tasks they are given. The teaching puts an appropriate emphasis on key vocabulary and pupils are confident using scientific words. Where the teaching was strongest, tasks were set that were very challenging but interesting and the pupils were encouraged to think creatively. For example, in one excellent

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SCIENCE

lesson in Year 5 problems posed about how messages can travel through string needed pupils to discuss and test different types of string and whether it needed to be straight or not. The marking of work does not always make clear what pupils have done correctly or how they can improve their work in the future. However, assessment of pupils’ progress is good and is used effectively when planning. The majority of the teachers have very good relationships with the pupils. They are able to keep them involved and interested through well- planned and interesting activities, very well-paced teaching and appropriate use of humour. Homework is used appropriately. Plenary sessions at the end of lessons are well used to consolidate the progress made during the lesson and to extend the activities through anticipation of the next stage.

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SCIENCE

103. Very effective use is made of booster classes and extra support for individual pupils, especially leading up to the national tests. For example, a part-time teacher with bilingual teaching skills but who also has expertise in science is very well deployed to teach the subject to older pupils and to work with groups of pupils who appear to be underachieving, thus bringing them up to a higher level. In addition, her work with less able pupils results in more of them achieving the expected level than might otherwise be the case. The use of computers is growing and there are times when pupils present information in graph form using a spreadsheet. In one lesson, Year 3 pupils used computers to research useful information about light and shade and how the Earth moves around the sun.

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SCIENCE

104. The subject coordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject. The scheme of work followed ensures full coverage of the curriculum and appropriate development of further knowledge and skills when topics are revisited. Resources are satisfactory and in the process of being re-organised for easier accessibility. The coordinator has control of a budget for the subject and this is spent appropriately to keep Donnington Primary School – Page 33 resources at an appropriate level. She has had opportunities to monitor pupils’ work but no time to monitor teaching. Teachers use her as an informal consultant when they are planning but more time to observe and work alongside colleagues would provide better opportunities to monitor and spread good practice.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. Standards are above those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This represents a good improvement over those found at the last inspection when they were broadly in line with those found nationally. A strength in the subject is the way skills developed through the subject are used effectively in subjects such as design and technology, where skills are used in finishing models, and in history, where drawing skills are used in producing representations of artefacts or aspects of life in other times.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. The use of computers is developing and in most classes pupils have good opportunities to create patterns and pictures using common art software. The school does not have a structured system of sketchbook use and this denies pupils the chance to collect their experiments with a range of media or examples of interesting work by other artists. In a very good community project linked to a musical production, pupils worked with visiting artists to create some effective animal masks using a mixture of card, paint and other materials. These were used in a final production. Work on other cultures and faiths included some very complex Islamic patterns in a very good display linking work in the nursery class with that done by Year 4.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. In a very good link with history Year 4 pupils created portraits of well-known Tudor figures in the style of the time. This work combined paint and collages with a range of materials and resulted in some very effective final work. In a link with their work in geography, pupils created some good wax crayon pictures of Kenyan women working in the fields, using a reproduction of a picture as a starting point. In Year 5, pupils draw very good pencil sketches of Victorian figures or artefacts. These show very good skills in creating the effect of depth and shape using shading. Very good collages of monsters followed work on myths in literacy lessons. In Year 6 pupils used tracing paper to create very complex symmetrical patterns as part of a mathematics topic.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. It was only possible to observe one lesson during the inspection. This makes it impossible to securely judge the quality of teaching overall. However, the lesson observed contained some excellent teaching of mark making skills with very good resources and appropriate tasks to extend and develop pupils’ skills and knowledge of the work of Van Gogh. The teacher had an excellent level of knowledge and understanding and had high expectations of the pupils, indicated by the way he used the appropriate technical vocabulary. The lesson provided very good opportunities for pupils to experiment in making different marks. It was well resourced with good quality drawing pencils of different types.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. The subject planning is closely linked to design and technology and most classes work on a rotation system between the two subjects. The subject coordinator has only held the responsibility for a short time and her attention has necessarily been on other of her responsibilities. There has been little monitoring of teaching and few opportunities to spread good practice. The previous coordinator had specific expertise in the subject and this meant that the subject had a high profile and a good range of activities was available for pupils. She organised a very good exhibition of pupils’ work for parents at the end of the last full school year.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. It was only possible to observe one lesson in each key stage during the inspection, but it is possible to make secure judgements about standards and progress from displays and samples of pupils’ work. Standards are in line with those expected at the end of Year 2 and above those normally expected for pupils at the end of Year 6. This represents a very good level of improvement since the last inspection when standards were below those expected. A scheme of work is now in place and this is ensuring the full coverage of the curriculum. Cross-curricular links have improved, particularly with information and communication technology and with science.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. Year 1 pupils have had good opportunities to work with Year 5 pupils on making moving mechanisms. In Year 2, pupils are able to design and make wheeled vehicles from a variety of materials including card and wood. The designs they have created are labelled to show the different parts of their models and their purposes, but the presentation of these designs is very untidy and does not promote an ethos of care in the work. They are able to join parts of their models using a range of methods. During the inspection, the models Donnington Primary School – Page 34 were nearing completion and one of the strengths of the work in the school is the emphasis on producing models that are appropriately finished. Earlier work shows that they have designed and cut out coats of many colours for Joseph in a good link with religious education.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. Year 3 pupils have created very effective monsters with moving parts using pneumatic systems. In Year 5 pupils use a range of different materials to make some imaginative percussion instruments. They create instruments that can be scraped, hit, plucked and shaken and in many cases combinations of these in one model. They have also studied the commercial production of biscuits and have then made their own. In Year 6 pupils have investigated how slippers are made and have then designed and made their own pairs of slippers using various soft materials. The finished products are of good quality and are clearly the result of a lengthy and complex designing and making process.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. The pupils are well behaved and their attitudes towards the work are very good. They enjoy creating models and show real pride in them. They work well together sharing and collaborating with materials and tools. The quality of teaching observed was very good and this is reflected in the overall quality of the work displayed around the school. Teachers set appropriate tasks and they ensure that the lessons are well resourced and planned to make the best use of the space available.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. The teaching is hampered by the accommodation because the classrooms are very small for the safe organisation of practical activities. Teachers manage this well and where appropriate make good use of areas outside classrooms. Resources are adequate to enable the appropriate coverage of the curriculum. The subject coordinator has not had opportunities to monitor teaching or spread good practice but has very good personal expertise and subject knowledge and this is having a very positive impact on standards.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Standards have improved since the previous inspection. By the end of Year 2, pupils attain standards that are above those expected for their ages. This good start is built on well in the junior classes and by the end of Year 6 standards are well above those expected. The pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make good progress. Boys and girls achieve equally well.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. A particular strength of the teaching is the way the pupils’ own experiences, backgrounds and heritages are used to enhance their geographical understanding and enrich the learning for all pupils. By the age of seven, pupils’ skills with, and knowledge of, maps and keys are good. The pupils know that maps and plans represent a locality and they use these skills very well to develop their geographical knowledge and understanding. Pupils plot their journeys of the class bear on his visits to Legoland, Ireland, restaurants and a family wedding. They can identify the different weather, food, transport, religions and sports in countries as diverse as India, Canada, Italy and Jamaica.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. By the age of eleven, pupils have acquired a very good geographical understanding of their own locality and that of distant ones, such as India and Africa. They can name significant countries of the world, identifying mountain ranges, rivers and capital cities. Through an in-depth study of Kenya, pupils in Year 4 have a good understanding of how the lives of people in other countries are different from their own. Their knowledge of their own area and the experiences of pupils whose families live in Kenya were used very effectively to develop a better understanding of the difference between two contrasting areas. In Year 5, the pupils develop their ideas of sustainable development and their responsibility for the environment. Probing questions challenged pupils to consider how the building of a new secondary school adjacent to their school could impact on the quality of their lives. Pupils discussed the appropriateness of planning applications, noise pollution and traffic,

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GEOGRAPHY

weighing up the advantages and disadvantages over time. In Year 6, the pupils develop further their geographical skills and vocabulary as they study rivers across the world. They identify the effects of water on the landscape and people’s lives and use specific vocabulary such as ‘source’, ‘meander’, ‘confluence’ and ‘erosion’. A power point presentation demonstrated the wide range of knowledge and skills pupils had acquired during their study and gave an added dimension to the quality of their learning as they used their information and communication technology skills to good effect. Pupils have many very good opportunities to consolidate and extend their study skills through field trips, the use of maps, atlases, CD-ROMs and the Internet.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. The teaching is very good and often excellent. Teachers use very effective strategies for managing lessons and organising pupils. Links with other subjects, such as mathematics and science, deepen pupils’ Donnington Primary School – Page 35 understanding and reinforce their learning. Teachers’ planning and pupils’ work indicates that teachers have a good understanding of the subject. The teaching is enthusiastic and this has a positive effect on the quality of learning. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very good. They particularly enjoy lessons that challenge them to think and actively involve them in exploring ideas and using their own experiences.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. The subject is effectively coordinated and the work makes an important contribution to the aims of the school. The schemes in place effectively ensure there is progress and continuity across the school, taking into account the needs of the different age groups within each class. This helps teachers to provide pupils with good opportunities to extend their geographical skills, knowledge, and understanding. The school follows the national guidelines for assessing pupils’ work and the coordinator collects samples of work to ensure that teaching is well matched to pupils’ levels of attainment. The coordinator does not have sufficient time to monitor the teaching but the well-established informal links have a very positive influence on the high standards pupils attain.

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HISTORY

120. By the end of Year 2, pupils attain standards that are above those expected for their ages. This good start is built on well in the junior classes and by the end of Year 6 standards are well above those expected. The pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make good progress and there are no gender differences in pupils’ achievement. Standards have improved since the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

121. A particular strength in the teaching of the subject is the way that teachers provide opportunities for pupils to use their literacy skills to write about events and people from the past. The curriculum is imaginative and well planned in order to motivate pupils’ interest in people and events of the past. Resources have improved since the last inspection and they are used effectively to enhance the teaching and learning and bring the subject alive for pupils.

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HISTORY

122. Pupils develop a good understanding of history and know the significance and contribution of key periods, people and events. Younger pupils in Years 1 and 2 study the Great Fire of London and are aware of the impact of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole on the lives of soldiers in the Crimean War. Older pupils in the juniors study an appropriate range of topics. Effective teaching encourages them to learn in detail about key figures from the past and to reconstruct what life at different times was like. For example, they write very good accounts and letters detailing life for a boy on one of Drake’s ships in Tudor times or as an evacuee during the Second World War.

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HISTORY

123. Skills of historical enquiry are very good. As pupils get older they are encouraged to think of themselves as historians as they consider the authenticity of evidence and use a range of artefacts, photographs, the Internet and other ICT resources, first-hand experiences and books to gain knowledge and understanding of past times and characters. Pupils have opportunities to organise their own work and record their findings in their own words using a range of styles such as posters, newspaper reports, diaries and letters. Pupils in Year 2 listen with great interest to a school governor and the site manager talk about their holidays in the 1950’s. Through careful questioning they discover the differences in travel, food and entertainment between then and now. Older pupils are expected to add detail to their work, to make links with other periods in history and to realise that there can be different accounts and views of the same historical events. In one high quality

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HISTORY

lesson Year 5 pupils became ‘historical detectives’ as they searched for more and more information about Egyptian scribes and the language of hieroglyphics. Pupils were encouraged to hypothesis and to make deductions about the importance of the scribes in communicating information.

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HISTORY

124. Teaching is very good and occasionally excellent. Teachers are very enthusiastic and have a very good understanding of the subject. They use a variety of exciting replicas of artefacts, such as Egyptian papyrus, and archaeological finds, to grasp pupils’ interests and kindle curiosity in events, people and places in the past. There is an expectation that pupils will work independently to research the past. Very skilled questions build on previous learning and motivate pupils into wanting to learn more about the different periods in history.

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HISTORY

125. History is very effectively coordinated and makes an important contribution to the aims of the school. The schemes in place effectively ensure there is progress and continuity across the school, taking into account the needs of the different attainment levels within each class. Visits to the War Museum, a Victorian School and the Florence Nightingale Museum are well planned and coordinated to enrich pupils’ learning. The Donnington Primary School – Page 36 coordinator collects samples of work to ensure that teaching is well matched to pupils’ levels of attainment. The coordinator does not have sufficient time to monitor the teaching and learning or to spread good practice.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Standards have improved since the last inspection when they were below those expected and they are now broadly in line with those expected at the end of Years 2 and 6. Resources have been improved and teachers are undergoing training in the use of new hard- and software. This is evident in the developing use of programmable robots and the combining of text, sound and pictures to create presentations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Since the last inspection computers have been updated, software has been improved and Internet access introduced. The accommodation has required the school to use part of the old converted toilets and cloakrooms as an area where a workstation can be placed. These are outside classrooms and this makes it difficult to supervise pupils adequately. Classrooms also have at least one computer and teachers use these to demonstrate new activities. The school has purchased a very effective ‘smart-board’ and projector so that larger displays and presentations are possible but this is not yet used fully by all staff. The school has plans, as part of a larger plan for the improvement of the school buildings, to develop a computer suite and this would enable much more access to computers for all pupils. The computers are used very effectively to enable the pupils with special educational needs to work at an appropriate level for them, and for those with

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

physical difficulties to access the normal class work through adapted computer controls and special software.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Year 1 pupils use a screen turtle drawing program to create patterns using a range of coloured lines. They do this confidently and show a satisfactory ability to control the mouse and change the direction of movement. The higher attaining pupils are able to print their work by clicking on the appropriate icons and following instructions. Year 2 pupils are able to edit a text using a word-processing package, for example, to put commas into the correct places on a list. They can move the cursor around accurately using the mouse and to add and delete characters as necessary. Pupils have a sound understanding of which household items are programmable and this shows an appreciation of how technology works in the real world. They can click and drag to create weather charts or to move items around on the screen when sequencing the dressing of a bear. In another good link to literacy, they can replace the word ‘said’ in a text with more interesting and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

adventurous vocabulary. Year 2 pupils have also used a data-handling package to create a pie chart showing favourite fruits in work linked to mathematics. Higher attaining pupils use computer software to work on their rounding-up and rounding-down skills. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are at a very early stage in learning to use robots. They are able to make the robot move forwards and backwards and turn a right angle. Most remember the need to clear the memory before re-programming the robot and higher attaining pupils can explain why this is needed.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. In Year 3, pupils are able to use a word processor to change fonts and to set out speech appropriately, in work well linked to literacy lessons. Pupils design and create effective party invitation cards using a range of skills. They merge text and art work and use different fonts, shapes and colours. In a science lesson, pupils used the Internet to research the movement of the planets and the Earth round the sun, and the effect this has on light. In a literacy lesson, they research the work and life of authors such as Dick King-Smith and are able to log on to the computers and access the Internet quickly and efficiently. Year 5 pupils are using the programmable robots, at a similar level to those in Year 2, but they are trying to develop this work into the creation of models they can control. They are aware of how information and communication technology is used to control events in the world outside school, such as traffic lights and television sets.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. In Year 6, pupils have used a wide range of skills to create very good presentations about the world’s rivers. They have researched the information in geography lessons and then in pairs decided what information to include as part of the presentation. They can create text using a range of fonts, colours and sizes, and create different effects such as moving the text on the screen. They can incorporate sound and import photographs gathered from the Internet and other sources into their presentations. This work has gone a long way towards making up for the shortfalls due to lack of earlier experiences in the subject and is preparing them well for activities they are likely to meet at secondary school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. The quality of teaching observed was largely good and teachers’ own skills and knowledge are developing rapidly. Teachers are planning the use of computers into other lessons more efficiently and effectively. For example, in Year 3 a well-designed work sheet focused pupils’ Internet research on important issues and this stopped pupils wasting time in areas they did not need. Where teachers’ knowledge is of a high level this helps extend the pupils’ learning effectively. For example, in Year 6 while reviewing the presentations, the Donnington Primary School – Page 37 teacher used the opportunity to teach the new skill of creating hyperlinks. The teaching of the control of programmable robots is limited by the poor accommodation. This makes demonstrations difficult and provides little space for using the robots. In one good session in Year 2, the teacher made a very good link to other non-verbal communication such as signs and the instructions talked about in a recent assembly. In a good

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Year 1 lesson, the teacher showed how important accurate instructions were by demonstrating using pupils as robots. The assessing and recording of pupils’ progress in under-developed and the school has recognised that this needs to be a focus of future development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. The school benefits from a knowledgeable and involved governor who has a good understanding of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses. The coordinator is new to the role but is enthusiastic and has sufficient expertise and experience to support other members of staff. For example, she communicates new developments well through an internal newsletter. She has produced a very good action plan that provides an appropriate way forward for the successful development of the subject and she has presented this to the curriculum committee of the governing body. At present she has sufficient time to carry out her consultant role but has yet to monitor teaching. Recent developments in resources, staff training and the use of a new system for technical support are having a positive impact on the use of information and communication technology in the school and on the progress made by pupils.

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MUSIC

133. During the inspection, little music was observed so is not possible to make a secure judgement about the standards in all aspects of the subject. Two music specialists visit the school on a weekly basis; one teaches recorders to Year 3 and the other teaches the music curriculum to all classes. Due to illness the lessons observed were carried out by the headteacher to illustrate what the pupils can do. However, this only covered singing in a junior class. The quality of the singing is in line with that expected for pupils by the age of eleven. The pupils playing recorders are expected to read music and play simple tunes. Many of them can do this. By the age of seven, pupils’ performing skills are in line with expectations. They can copy a rhythm pattern and have the confidence to make up their own patterns for their peers to copy and can sing a simple two-part round unaccompanied. There was no singing in assembly during the inspection week. Progress is

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MUSIC

satisfactory as pupils develop their understanding of music and their ability to sing in tune. There is no significant difference between the progress made by pupils with special educational needs or those with English as an additional language and their peers.

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MUSIC

134. Across the school pupils enjoy music and participate with enthusiasm. They are keen to respond to questions and are confident to clap rhythms for others to copy. They listen carefully and are well behaved. The quality of teaching seen was satisfactory, except where a specialist teacher taught the class to play the recorder. This was a good lesson and showed how the pupils had worked hard to play some simple tunes. All teachers have good relationships with the classes and where the lesson is good pupils are well motivated to learn and respond positively. Where the teaching is satisfactory teachers are not secure in their knowledge or confident in their approach to the subject and the pupils are less well motivated to achieve. The pace of the lesson is slower and there is less challenge for the pupils. The school does not report to parents on attainment and progress in the annual reports.

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MUSIC

135. There is no coordinator at present although the specialist teacher has developed a scheme of work based on a published scheme and written a policy. The school has benefited from the use of specialist teachers although this was not evident during the inspection. Instrumental lessons are available and pupils can learn violin, guitars, flute and piano. There are also opportunities for the pupils to perform at Christmas, Easter, class assemblies, the leavers’ concert at the end of the summer term and the annual ‘International Evening’, which celebrates music from different cultures. Visiting musicians perform for the school. All these experiences help to enhance the music curriculum and develop the pupils’ interest and enthusiasm.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Standards are broadly in line with those expected by the end of both key stages. These standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Swimming is a major strength with all junior pupils swimming on a weekly basis and this results in all pupils achieving or exceeding the expected standard by the end of Year 6. All pupils, including those with physical difficulties or with English as an additional language, are fully included in lessons. Donnington Primary School – Page 38 137. In Year 1, pupils have ball skills that are below those expected for their ages. They use bats and balls and practise their bouncing and catching skills. A lack of direct teaching of skills means that many pupils do not make sufficient progress during the lesson. By the end of Year 2, most pupils have developed sound ball skills. They can throw and catch accurately and sensibly on their own and with a partner.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. Year 4 pupils have satisfactory skills in a range of team games activities and they demonstrate appropriate coordination. They can skip, dribble a hockey ball, and take part in standing long jumping and a range of balancing and agility activities. Year 5 pupils used and extended their batting and fielding skills in a series of small side games in one very good lesson. Year 6 pupils develop further the same skills into larger side cricket activities and demonstrate some good fielding skills. One higher attaining pupil demonstrated a very good bowling technique.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. There is a good range of out-of-school sports activities. Teams are run in football to play matches against other schools and other clubs include cricket and martial arts. Pupils’ attitudes towards the subject are largely good although a number are careless about remembering to bring appropriate kit on the correct day. When they work in small groups or pairs they work together well, remaining on task even when not directly supervised. They listen well when teachers are explaining activities and this helps ensure activities are safe.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The quality of teaching is good, overall. In some classes teachers do not do enough direct coaching of skills to secure improvements in the pupils’ skills, and progress is slow. However, in most lessons skills are well taught and very good teaching points are made. For example, in Year 6 the reasons and method of running a cricket bat into the crease along the ground was clearly understood by the majority of the pupils. Lessons are well planned and resourced, although a shortage of tennis balls hampered the progress of one lesson. Most teachers reinforce the need for warming up before taking part in activities and pupils understand the effects of exercise on their bodies. For example, in Year 2 pupils were asked to feel their heart beats before and after the warm-up and to recognise the difference.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. Children change and wear suitable clothing for lessons but the school needs to ensure that all staff taking part in lessons are appropriately dressed, so they provide good role models and also comply with good practice for health and safety reasons. There is an annual sports day, which provides all pupils in the school with opportunities to take part in some competitive activities. The school uses a nationally accepted scheme of work and this provides teachers with a good basis from which to plan their lessons and ensures that all appropriate activities are taught in the school. The weakest area is recognised to be dance and this requires further training for staff to ensure there are sufficient opportunities for pupils to reach high standards in this area. Resources are largely satisfactory but the accommodation suffers from the lack of a grassed playing field, although the school has made good use of nearby facilities in the past. The hall is sufficiently large for

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

gymnastics and games and the playground has recently been resurfaced and improved. Good adventure play apparatus has been installed and this encourages pupils to experiment with a range of climbing and balancing skills during play times.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. During the inspection week it was only possible to observe one lesson so evidence of attainment was obtained from planning, work scrutiny, interviewing the coordinator and talking to a group of pupils. However, as there was little work recorded by pupils at the end of each key stage, it is not possible to make a judgement about standards.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. In Years 3 and 4, a wide variety of recorded work provided evidence that standards were broadly in line with those expected for the ages of the pupils. Planning showed an appropriate range of themes based on the locally agreed syllabus. Talking to the pupils revealed that although they have learnt about the main world faiths, they are not very secure in their understanding and knowledge. However, they are very aware of the different faiths and cultures within the school and of the various festivals that were celebrated, such as Diwali, Christmas, Easter and Eid.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. Because of the lack of recorded work it was not possible to judge progress. Much of the lesson time is spent discussing relevant themes and often pupils do not record the outcome. From talking to pupils it is clear that they enjoy learning about other faiths and cultures and in sharing their personal experiences with their peers. Donnington Primary School – Page 39 145. As only one lesson was observed, no overall judgement can be made about the standard of teaching. However, not enough written work is produced to support and consolidate the oral work done in lessons. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to record their thoughts and feelings following discussion. In the one lesson observed the teaching was good. The pupils were preparing for a visit to a Hindu temple and the teacher made good use of a newspaper article about the temple to raise their interest and enthusiasm.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. The coordinator has only recently taken on the role and has had little time to develop monitoring or observing the teaching of the subject. However the scheme of work has been reviewed and developed to meet the needs of the school and is based closely on the locally agreed syllabus. A list of appropriate priorities for the subject’s development has been drawn up for future reference. Visiting different places of worship has given the pupils first hand experiences of being inside a church, mosque, temple and synagogue and has enhanced and enriched the curriculum offered to them.

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