Queen's Park Primary School

QUEEN’S PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 15 - 18 October 2001

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QUEEN’S PARK 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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QUEEN’S PARK 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. Queen’s Park Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Councillor Tim Joiner

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13-14 December 1999 Queen’s Park Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

2153 Jane Lamb Registered inspector English Equal opportunities Provision for pupils with English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a)The school’s results and achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9405 Josephine Philbey Lay inspector How high are standards? b) 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? 25342 Maria Hannah Team inspector Information and communication technology Art Design and technology Religious education 23805 Margaret Lygoe Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Pupils with special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

21171 Sally Handford Team inspector Science Music Physical education The Foundation Stage Queen’s Park Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Queen’s Park Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7 - 11

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? 12 - 14

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Queen’s Park Primary School is situated in the northern part of Westminster and is an average sized school with 221 pupils on roll; 110 boys and 111 girls. There are also 49 part-time children in the nursery. On entry to the school many children are well below average in their speaking and understanding in English and are often well below average in mathematical development. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is particularly high at around 60 per cent. About 85 per cent of pupils have English as an additional language and many of these pupils are at a very early stage of learning English. The school has identified 65 pupils as having special educational needs, including three pupils with statements of special educational need; which is above average. The school serves an ethnically very diverse community and 29 home languages are spoken. About 21 per cent of pupils are of refugee status. The number of pupils moving into and leaving the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

each year is high. The school is part of the North Westminster Education Action Zone.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a steadily improving school with many very good and excellent features which provides well for the needs of its pupils. It benefits from very strong and effective leadership by the headteacher, senior staff and governors. It fully meets its aims and has improved well. Pupils’ standards of work are in line with national average levels in all subjects except English, mathematics and history for the older pupils at Key Stage 2. In science at Key Stage 1 and in art many pupils exceed the national average. Younger children in the Foundation Stage, and older pupils throughout the school are achieving well from their previous levels. The teaching is good with almost a half of lessons being very good or excellent and this leads to good learning by the pupils. The school provides good value for money from the budget it receives.

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What the school does well

• The leadership and management of the headteacher and chair of governors are excellent and they are particularly well supported by senior staff and governors. • Teaching is good with significant levels of very good and excellent teaching. This has a major impact on pupils’ good learning and very good enthusiasm and attitudes to school. • Standards in science at Key Stage 1 and art throughout the school are above average. • The school offers a good range of learning opportunities. • The provision for the Foundation Stage in the nursery and reception classes is a clear strength. • Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good and very well led. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Provision for pupils’ cultural development is excellent. • The building and play areas have been very attractively refurbished.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics and history are below expected levels at the end of Key Stage 2. • Lesson planning in English and mathematics does not consistently identify different learning objectives for the different attainment levels of pupils. • Policies for history, geography, religious education, design and technology and music need developing. • A policy and more consistent assessment for the Foundation Stage needs development. • The roles of the new subject coordinators now need to be extended. 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 has made good improvement from the last inspection in December 1999 when it was removed from special measures. The curriculum provision and teaching are now good throughout the school, leadership and management has improved even further, and the building, staffing and resources have been considerably enhanced. Standards have risen well in science, information and communication technology and in English and mathematics at Key Stage 1 and in Years 3 and 4. Queen’s Park Primary School - 8 Standards for older pupils at Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics have not yet improved sufficiently. Given the very strong leadership and good teaching the school is in a very good position to improve further.

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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 E E* E C Well above average above average A B

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Key

Mathematics E E* D A Average Below average C D Science E* E* D A Well below average E

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Key

At age 11, pupils’ attainment in the 2000 tests was well below the national average in English but in line with schools with similar intakes. In mathematics and science it was below the national average but well above results in similar schools. Over the last three years, results in English, mathematics and science have been well below average but improved in 2000. There is little difference between the results of boys and girls over the last three years. The school set appropriately challenging targets for pupils in 2000 and 2001 which were exceeded. The provisional test results for 2001 in science show an improvement. In mathematics the Level 4 results are close to last year’s but Level 5 results have improved. In English, Level 4 results are a bit lower than in 2000, but Level 5 results show very good improvement.

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Key

At age seven in 2000, pupils attained results below national averages in reading but well above those of similar schools. In writing results were in line with national averages and well above similar schools. In mathematics they were well below national averages but in line with the results in similar schools. Over three years results in reading, writing and mathematics have been steadily improving but have been below national averages. There is little difference between the results of boys and girls. Teachers’ assessments in science are above the national average. Provisional results in 2001 show improvement in reading, and are similar to the 2000 results in writing and mathematics. There have been good improvements, however, in Level 3 results in writing and mathematics.

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Key

Standards of work seen during the inspection show that pupils overall are close to average national standards in all areas but English, mathematics and history in Years 5 and 6. The standards seen were better than those in the previous report and there is also improvement from the results achieved in 2000 in aspects of English and mathematics and in science. Standards in art and in information and communication technology have improved well. The school supports the pupils well in their learning and teaching is skilful, ensuring that generally pupils make good progress and achieve well from their previous levels. They are well challenged and respond very well. Pupils with English as and additional language make good progress and often achieve the national expected standards. The pupils identified as having special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set for them and are well supported. Standards in art throughout the school and science at Key

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Key

Stage 1 are above average. At Key Stage 1, standards of pupils’ work in English, mathematics, information and communication technology, music, physical education, and religious education are in line with average standards. The pupils achieve well and are making good progress.

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Key

At Key Stage 2, standards are in line with the average in science, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education. In English, mathematics and history standards are average in Years 3 and 4, but below average expected levels in Years 5 and 6. Standards in geography and design and technology are not reported, due to the timetabling of the Queen’s Park Primary School - 9 subjects. The pupils have generally achieved well and have made good progress from their levels when they went into Key Stage 2.

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Key

Children in the reception class are in line to achieve the early learning goals in their personal and social development and physical development but some are unlikely to achieve them in communication, language and literacy, mathematical and creative development and knowledge and understanding of the world. This, however, represents good progress from their low attainment on entry to the nursery and good achievement.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very enthusiastic, hard working and proud of their achievements. They enjoy their time in school.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are polite, respectful, caring and considerate in lessons and generally around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils are able to be responsible, trustworthy and caring of each other and can work independently.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Well below average, some parents are still taking their children on holiday in term time. The school works very well to promote good attendance but it needs to improve further.

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Aspect Comment

The enthusiasm and responsiveness of the pupils is a particular strength. Relationships between adults and pupils are good and those between the pupils are generally good also. Lunchtime behaviour is not as good as at other times. Attendance and punctuality are very well promoted, but attendance still needs to improve.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching is consistently of good quality throughout the school, with a significant proportion of very good and some excellent teaching seen. This includes the teaching of English and mathematics. Literacy and numeracy are also well taught and well promoted. The consistency of this good teaching has a significant impact on the good learning by pupils and the steadily improving standards of their work. There was no unsatisfactory teaching seen.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teachers manage the lessons and their pupils particularly well and respond very effectively to their wide-ranging needs. They make their lessons lively and interesting and provide a good pace of learning, which motivates the pupils well and maintains their hard work and interest. Work is generally well matched to what the pupils need to do next and the teaching of pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is good or very good. Music specialists and other visiting teachers and coaches extend teaching well. The five unqualified teachers make a good contribution to the liveliness and expertise available and are well supported in teaching the National Curriculum requirements by the senior management. Partnership teaching between pairs of teachers is a particular strength. Teaching is enlivened by visits out of school and visitors into school. Skilful support staff and specialist teachers, including the senior management team, make a

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

significant contribution to the lessons. Queen’s Park Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The school offers good provision throughout and the curriculum is rich, relevant to pupils’ needs and cultures and stimulating. The Foundation Stage provision is also a clear strength.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Both teachers and support staff enable pupils to make good progress towards the targets set for them.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils with English as an additional language benefit from good or very good teaching and this provision is very well led by the enthusiastic and knowledgeable manager.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is excellent. The provision for pupils’ moral development is very good and for social development it is good. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school is caring, concerned and offers good levels of support and guidance to the pupils. Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare are good.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well with parents who are positive about their children’s education. All aspects of the curriculum meet statutory requirements and provision is good for pupils’ personal development. The school has focused well on raising standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology since the last inspection but has maintained and improved provision for other subjects at the same time. The range and diversity of the curriculum are particular strengths. The school cares consistently well for its diverse range of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The leadership of the headteacher and the chair of governors are excellent. They are very well supported by senior staff and the governing body. The school has very good educational direction and decision making.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors have high levels of expertise and are very well involved in shaping the future of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The close monitoring and evaluation and linked decision making are key factors in the school’s good improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. All resources are targeted towards school improvement and raising standards and are used effectively to give good value for money.

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Aspect Comment

The school is very well led. In particular, the headteacher and chair of governors show excellent leadership and commitment, They are very well supported by highly committed staff and governors. Staff are enthusiastic, have good expertise, are well deployed and sufficient in number. The inside accommodation is good and has been attractively refurbished. The outside areas are small and there is no grassed area or field but the space is well used and imaginatively developed. Resources have been well extended and this will continue. The school is prudent and uses the principles of best value well in its decision making in spending. Queen’s Park Primary School - 11

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The teaching is good. • They are well informed about their children. • They are comfortable approaching the school. • The school has good expectations. • The school is well led and managed. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The right amount of homework. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team fully agrees with the parents’ positive views of the school. The school is now going to review its extra-curricular activities, which currently are barely satisfactory. The inspection team found that both the provision and marking of pupils’ homework were good. Queen’s Park Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The school is steadily raising its overall standards and received the School Achievement Award for its recent improvements. Overall standards by the time the pupils leave school at age 11 are below national averages in English, mathematics and history, above them in art and close to average in the other subjects reported. At age seven, standards are above average in art and science and in line with national averages in all other subjects reported. There is no significant difference in the attainment of girls and boys in the standards of work seen during the inspection and there is little difference between the results of boys and girls over the last three years in the test results. These standards represent good achievement and progress from pupils’ well below average attainment, particularly in English and mathematics on entering the school. There is good improvement from the previous inspection in standards

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in art, information and communication technology throughout the school, science at Key Stage 1, and English and mathematics at Key Stage 2 in Years 3 and 4. Standards in English, mathematics and history in Years 4 and 5 have not yet improved sufficiently, although there has been good progress from the very low levels attained when they entered Key Stage 2. The provisional 2001 test results for eleven-year-olds in English show that although Level 4 results were just below those in 2000, the Level 5 results have increased significantly. In mathematics they are slightly lower than the 2000 results at each level, in science there is a good improvement in Level 4 and 5 results. The school set appropriately challenging targets in both 2000 and 2001 in English and mathematics for pupils at age 11 and these were exceeded in both years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. At age seven in the 2000 tests, pupils’ attainment was below the national average in reading, close to the average in writing and well below average in mathematics. Over the last three years, results in reading, writing and in mathematics have been below average. There was little difference in the attainment of boys and girls. Results of teachers’ assessments in science in 2000 are just above the national average. The inspection evidence showed little difference between the attainment of boys and girls at age seven. The provisional test results for 2001 show reading, writing and mathematics results slightly higher than in 2000, particularly in the Level 3 results in writing and mathematics, which show good improvement.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. More than 85 per cent of pupils have English as their additional language (EAL). Almost 24 per cent of these pupils are at the very earliest stages of acquiring English. In addition almost a quarter of all pupils are of refugee status. The rate of pupils leaving and entering the school is also very high. These factors present the school with considerable challenges in developing English language skills and raising the pupils’ attainment in other subjects. Standards of work seen during the inspection show that most pupils are working at the right levels, are achieving well and making good progress from their previous levels. They respond well to the good expectations of their teachers. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from a curriculum well tailored to their needs and consequently achieve well and progress well towards their targets. Those with English as an additional language often reach similar standards to other

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils and make good or very good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards of work in art throughout the school and science at Key Stage 1 are above those expected for pupils of the age group. In English, mathematics and history at Key Stage 1, science at Key Stage 2, information and communication technology, music, physical education and religious education standards throughout the school are in line with those expected nationally. Neither geography nor design and technology standards are reported due to the timetabling for these subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the time they leave the reception class, younger children are in line with the early learning goals for six-year-olds in personal, social and emotional development and in their physical development. In communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development many are still below the Early Learning Goals, although some children reach them. This represents good achievement and progress from their generally well below average attainment when they start school. Queen’s Park Primary School - 13 Children with special educational needs are identified early and well supported to catch up. Children with English as their additional language are also supported well to make good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The teaching of literacy is at least good and often very good throughout the school and has led to good achievement and progress from pupils’ previously very low attainment levels in English. This is true of both key stages and in the Foundation Stage. Pupils’ skills in literacy are consolidated well by being used in many other subject areas. Teaching and learning in numeracy are also generally good and have had a strong impact on the standards attained, which are in line with the national average at Key Stage 1 and in Years 3 and 4. Standards in both literacy and numeracy are still below average in Years 5 and 6, but they are steadily improving, particularly in the light of the very low levels these pupils attained at the end of Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is good with regard to the progress they are making towards the targets set for them in their individual educational plans. The range of support in class and by withdrawal and the consistently good teaching are factors in this. Pupils who have more specific needs have a formal statement of need. Good records are kept of the pupils’ attainment and these are used to inform the planning of work, teaching and support for pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils who have English as an additional language are making good or very good progress and are well taught, particularly by the support teacher and classroom support staff. Basic skills are well taught by all staff and the school makes lessons accessible to the pupils through support staff and teachers with good levels of expertise.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Parents are generally happy with the standards achieved by their children and feel that the progress they are making is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Throughout the school pupils’ attitudes generally are very good and their behaviour and personal development are good. The pupils are friendly, courteous and happy. Relationships between pupils and staff are good also and the school has a general sense of warmth and good order.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Parents report that pupils are happy and eager to come to school. Their attitudes to learning are positive especially when the teacher has high expectations. Most pupils want to achieve well and listen carefully to their teachers. All pupils, even the very youngest, enjoy answering questions posed in lessons and assemblies and contributing to classroom discussions. Most pupils listen to each other respectfully. An excellent example of this was seen in a Years 4 and 5 lesson, when pupils, acting as an audience, listened quietly to the Victorian playlets being performed by their fellow pupils. Most pupils concentrate well and are pleased with themselves when they have completed a task. This was seen in a Years 3 and 4 numeracy lesson when some pupils, after struggling with the intricacies of partitioning a set, were delighted when learning that their work was accurate. Pupils are most polite to visitors. They

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

never miss an opportunity to smile warmly and greet visitors in the corridors and classrooms. Parents are pleased with the school’s family atmosphere and the values that their children acquire.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ behaviour is good overall with pupils behaving particularly well when arriving at and leaving school. Most pupils are well behaved in lessons and move around the building in an orderly way. The majority of pupils play constructively at break times and use the play equipment sensibly. Some pupils, however, are over boisterous and there is the occasional incident of challenging behaviour, particularly at lunchtime in the playground. Nevertheless parents and pupils confirm that bullying is not widespread and any instances are dealt with quickly and effectively. All pupils enter the dining room in an orderly way and select their lunches sensibly. Some of the younger pupils showed poor table manners and moved from table to table at lunchtime and were insufficiently challenged to behave politely by the supervisors. Two pupils had been regularly excluded in the past year but have now left the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school. Queen’s Park Primary School - 14 13. Almost all pupils form good relationships with each other and with teachers and adults. There is a high degree of friendship and harmony between pupils from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Most pupils are sensitive and caring towards each other and have particularly good respect for the views and beliefs of others. On many occasions pupils work well in pairs and groups and discuss the tasks sensibly. A good example of this was seen in a Year 3 English lesson where pupils were working in groups discussing ideas for a story.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The pupils’ personal development is also good. They have a clear sense of responsibility and when given tasks, carry them out diligently and cheerfully. School council representatives carry out their duties assiduously. Younger pupils are anxious to help their teachers in the classrooms by putting out books, returning registers and tidying at the end of lessons. Older pupils have a variety of responsibilities and are encouraged to watch over the younger ones. Some older pupils help teachers by checking classroom computers and ensuring that they are all working properly. Pupils’ personal development is enhanced through the many opportunities given for pupils to perform in front of others. During the inspection week, Year 2 pupils gave an impressive class assembly, speaking audibly and with confidence so that even those sitting at the back of the hall could hear clearly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance rates throughout the school are poor and well below the national average. This is due mainly to extended absences where families return to their home country. Unauthorised absence is well above the national average, although this reflects the rigour with which the school follows the criteria for deciding whether an absence is authorised or not. The school has put a great deal of effort into improving attendance and punctuality, and indicates that attendance rates are slightly improving. Whilst a number of pupils still arrive late to school each morning the majority of pupils are punctual and lessons start promptly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The overall quality of teaching seen during the inspection was good, including the teaching of English and mathematics. It was satisfactory or better in all lessons and was good or better in over 80 per cent of lessons. Teaching was very good in 33 per cent of lessons and excellent in six per cent. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen. The high level of consistency of the good teaching is the main factor in pupils’ good achievement, progress and learning and shows good improvement since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The school has done well to recruit staff with very good commitment and enthusiasm over the last few years and there has been a complete change of staff. There is currently only one vacancy and the teachers show impressive and steady enthusiasm for their work and the school. Five teachers of overseas origin are unqualified in this country, but have high levels of expertise, enthusiasm and skill which enhances the quality of provision well. These teachers are given ongoing good quality support and some are seeking qualified status here.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. In the best lessons, teachers have liveliness, confidence and enthusiasm and high expectations of pupils' work and behaviour. They also have very good skills in managing the pupils and classroom management and there is a brisk pace of learning and good subject knowledge. A major strength of the best teaching is the way teachers motivate the pupils well and extend their learning so that they are making at least good progress. Relationships with pupils are good and they are well supported and extended according to their needs and previous attainment, particularly when support staff are present or teachers are working in partnership. Pupils who have English as an additional language are particularly well taught when the support teacher is present, but are also well taught at other times. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from skilful support staff and teachers who are sensitive to their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

needs. The support staff give very effective help in lessons and are well deployed. Because of uneven year groups some classes have mixed age ranges. Teachers of these mixed-age classes work well to ensure that the diverse needs of their pupils are met and some informal setting takes place across year groups. Resources, including computers, are well used to support learning in lessons. For example, writing using computers for the first draft was seen in many extended writing and literacy lessons. Queen’s Park Primary School - 15 19. Teachers plan lessons well, with clearly identified learning intentions for the class and generally with different work matched to the previous attainment and needs of the pupils. This is not consistent, however, in identifying the specific learning intentions for groups of pupils, particularly in English and mathematics. Although the teaching generally shows a good match

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of work to the pupils’ different levels of attainment, the less precise planning makes it more difficult for teachers to monitor pupils’ progress against the learning intentions for their group in order to raise standards. Currently the planning varies from teacher to teacher in this respect. Information from assessment is used well generally, particularly when setting class and pupils’ targets.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of literacy is at least good and often very good or excellent and this is having a major impact on pupils' speaking, listening, reading and writing in all subject areas. The teachers work hard to ensure that pupils are making good progress and that pupils’ learning is focused although higher expectations of pupils’ accuracy in writing are needed in Years 5 and 6. The school is successfully implementing both the literacy and numeracy strategies, which are monitored by the headteacher, deputy head, governors and coordinators.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching in English is good, with more than half of lessons being very good and with some excellent teaching seen at Key Stage 2. A strength of this is the infectious enthusiasm and vitality of teachers and their good knowledge and expertise. For example, an outstanding lesson was seen in which the literacy coordinator and Years 4 and 5 class teacher jointly led and enacted uses of dialogue in writing. The introduction of the literacy strategy has had a beneficial effect on this. The targets set for pupils are challenging and were exceeded in 2000 and 2001 and teachers develop the literacy skills of pupils well in other areas of the curriculum. In English, group objectives for different pupils are not always sufficiently clearly identified in teachers’ planning, which lags behind the good teaching practice seen.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In mathematics, teaching is good and the National Numeracy Strategy is being well utilised. This is raising further the standards of pupils’ mathematical and number skills and these are also used well in other lessons to promote further learning. Planning for lessons is good overall, but sometimes lacks sufficient precision in planning group objectives for pupils, resulting in a weak match of work for the attainment of some pupils and difficulties in monitoring progress closely.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. In all other subjects teaching is also judged to be good with some very good teaching although there is a weakness in the progressive teaching of historical skills at Key Stage 2. In the Foundation Stage for younger children, teaching is at least good and half the lessons were very good and almost a quarter excellent. Teaching was not observed in design and technology and only in one lesson was seen in geography, due to the timetabling of the subject.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is mainly good and on many occasions very good or excellent. Teachers and support assistants give well-focused support to children which ensures that they learn well. The teachers understand well what young children require in order to learn successfully. There is a good appreciation of the need to model correct vocabulary and language in order to develop the English language skills of the majority who have English as an additional language. Ongoing assessment in the nursery enables the teacher to identify the needs of individual children and plan accordingly. The procedures are not as well developed in the reception class so that although the teacher knows the children’s progress well informally, there is a need for more consistent assessment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Pupils with special educational needs are consistently well taught. Teaching plans provide relevant opportunities and support for pupils to work at the targets identified in their individual plans, although some targets need to be more focused. There is consistently good liaison between class teachers and other staff supporting in the classroom. Some pupils are also withdrawn for short periods each week, either individually or in small groups, and this provision is also well focused and of good quality. A particular strength is the use of a specialist teacher for reading recovery who supports individual Year 1 pupils well. Staffing provision is good, and includes skilful support staff who contribute well. This ensures that the range of needs, particularly for pupils with literacy and numeracy difficulties, is well met. Pupils’ records show clearly their progress over time, and observation confirmed this progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Queen’s Park Primary School - 16 26. Pupils with English as an additional language are often particularly well taught and are making good or very good progress. Teachers and support staff, have good levels of expertise in moving the early stage learners on quickly in basic English and ensuring that pupils are working according to their capabilities. Many of these pupils are achieving well in all subjects, including English.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The impact of this good and very good teaching is seen in the good quality of pupils’ learning throughout the school with very good learning seen in 25 per cent of lessons. Pupils are very enthusiastic and confident in using their previous knowledge, skills and understanding in new learning tasks. They have an appropriate understanding of their own progress for their ages. Their attitudes to work are also extremely good; pupils are lively, generally hard working and cooperative and share resources well with other pupils. They show good confidence in their use of computers and other technology to support their own learning and growing independence. The brisk pace of teaching in lessons and very good management of pupils has a good impact on the hard work and effort put in by the pupils. Pupils are learning at equally good rates of progress in most lessons. Pupils are very confident in using their developing

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

skills in English, even when they are at the very earliest stages of acquiring the language. The youngest children are also well supported early on to acquire quickly literacy and numeracy skills and good learning habits.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

28. The curriculum is broad, balanced, rich and relevant to the needs of the pupils. It reflects the school’s aims and supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Since the previous inspection the school has continued to improve the curriculum, consolidating the progress made in literacy, numeracy, science and information and communication technology (ICT), and systematically tackling other subjects. All curriculum development is very well planned, is supported by programmes of staff training, and progress is carefully monitored. Standards in ICT and science have risen following recent improvements in the school’s provision and the shortcomings identified in the previous inspection report have been addressed successfully. All classes now have weekly lessons in the computer suite and ICT is used increasingly in other subjects.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

29. The school places a strong emphasis on teaching literacy and numeracy which is reflected in the time allocated to these subjects. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented successfully throughout the school and pupils have good opportunities to use their skills in other subjects. Pupils’ confidence and their skills in speaking and listening are effectively encouraged through regular drama lessons. Provision in art is good. Pupils have access to a wide range of materials and there are strong links with other subjects.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

30. The curriculum offered by the school fully meets statutory requirements, including those for religious education and teachers make good use of national guidance to support their planning. The school has an effective overall curriculum plan, which ensures that the National Curriculum programme is covered fully. This plan is reviewed annually to check that pupils in the mixed year-group classes do not repeat work or miss aspects of the programmes of study.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

31. There are very good action plans for each subject in place to improve provision further. The school has identified the need to write policies for religious education, history, geography, design and technology and music, and to improve staff expertise and resources in these subjects. Many subject co-ordinators have been recently appointed and staff changes have slowed the pace of development somewhat. The senior management team is taking a strong lead in monitoring the curriculum and in supporting the new co-ordinators as they develop their roles. Established co-ordinators have an active role in managing their subjects and they are effective in raising standards. Through close analysis of test results, observation of teaching and scrutiny of pupils’ work, these co-ordinators are able to identify areas of strength and weakness. Good quality support and training is given to individual teachers when necessary.

p.16

TO PUPILS?

Queen’s Park Primary School - 17 32. The school has begun to implement a new policy and scheme of work for personal, social and health education (PSHE). Classes have lessons specifically devoted to these aspects and relevant issues are tackled when they arise in other subjects. Aspects of health education are also taught through science and physical education. Drugs awareness and sex education are taught within the PSHE programme and the school meets the statutory requirements. Aspects of citizenship are also covered and pupils elect class representatives to the school council. Year 6 pupils also attend a locally organised Junior Citizen Day.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

33. The curriculum ensures that all elements of the early learning goals are taught and follows the recommendations of the new Foundation Stage guidance. There is a smooth transition between the nursery and reception classes so that children make good progress as they move through the Foundation Stage. The school has planned to develop a policy for the Foundation Stage of learning and to strengthen the consistency of assessment procedures following the appointment of the new coordinator, a vacancy which is currently being advertised. Children with special educational needs are well supported in the nursery, but are still in the process of being identified formally in the reception class. There is good support to assess the needs of children with English as an additional language. The teacher provided from the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant has regular sessions in the nursery and reception

p.17

TO PUPILS?

class. In addition, a bilingual support assistant gives some part-time support to the Bengali- speaking children in the nursery.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

34. Pupils with special educational needs have a good level of support and full access to the curriculum. They are supported well during the literacy and numeracy lessons. Teachers identify their pupils’ needs and devise individual education plans (IEPs) based on specific needs. There is scope for some individual targets to be more precise so that the pupils’ progress can be measured accurately. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress throughout the school, in line with other pupils, and in relation to their previous attainment.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

35. The school has a strong commitment to equal opportunities and there is equal access to the curriculum for all pupils. The school has recently produced a policy for identifying and supporting able and gifted pupils, but this initiative has yet to be fully implemented.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

36. Some parents are concerned over the range of extra-curricular activities provided by the school. At present these are limited to music and football, although the school plans to start a homework club. After-school activities are currently under review and the school intends to use external funding to increase their range.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

37. The school curriculum is, however, enriched considerably in other ways. All classes have good opportunities to take part in frequent educational visits within the locality and further afield. The school benefits from good links with the community, including a local business, which organises art workshops. As part of the religious education programme pupils visit places of worship, including the local Anglican church and the Regent’s Park Mosque. Year 6 pupils are able to take part in a residential trip to Surrey. Other exciting experiences include visits to the British Museum, the National Theatre, the Royal Academy of Music and, in the summer, a highly successful trip to the seaside for the whole school. Visitors to the school include many musicians and artists, and pupils take part in workshops linked with different countries such as Morocco and Bangladesh. Older pupils benefit from training with coaches from Queen’s Park

p.17

TO PUPILS?

38. There are satisfactory links with two of the local secondary schools to which some pupils transfer, and some links have been established with local nursery schools. Students from the Institute of Education undertake some of their training in the school and the teachers benefit from this additional professional contact.

p.17

TO PUPILS?

39. The quality of provision the school makes for spiritual development is satisfactory. The school provides an environment in which pupils are valued as individuals. Religious education lessons provide opportunities for pupils to gain insights into values and beliefs of the principal faiths. Collective worship meets statutory requirements and promotes spiritual development effectively. Pupils are provided with moments to quietly reflect. For instance the week of inspection, during an assembly, pupils were guided to think about the way we should treat each Queen’s Park Primary School - 18 other, regardless of our differences. Singing during assemblies is good; pupils sing with joy and expression. Opportunities for spiritual development are enhanced through a range of visits to local places of worship and pupils are provided with opportunities to reflect on music, literature and art. A group of Year 6 pupils recalled how pleasant it was when calming music

p.17

TO PUPILS?

was sometimes played in the classroom whilst they were settling to their written work.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

40. The school’s provision for moral development is very good. Adults are good role models and the school is a caring community in which all are valued and respected. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and all classes are encouraged to form their own rules. There is a comprehensive behaviour and anti-bullying policy. Those pupils who behave inappropriately are taken quietly to one side by a member of staff and asked to reflect on their actions. Good behaviour and positive attitudes are rewarded in the classrooms and celebrated in assemblies. The school has employed consultants to teach playground games, which support pupils’ understanding of the need for rules and fair play.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

41. Provision for social development has many good features. Adults set good examples in their relationships with each other and with the pupils. There are however, some missed opportunities when lunchtime supervisors are not guiding younger pupils on how they should behave while eating. There are good opportunities for pupils throughout the school to collaborate in subjects such as music, or in groups within literacy and science projects. Opportunities are provided for all pupils to take on responsibilities appropriate to their age in the classrooms and around the school. Pupils develop their social skills further at the lunchtime games club and during the after school activities. They socialise with others as they visit places of interest; meet with visitors to the school and participate in social and fund- raising activities, such as Comic Relief. There is a school council, which has representatives

p.18

TO PUPILS?

from the pupils, and this is active and successful in promoting contact and discussion between pupils and staff.

p.18

TO PUPILS?

42. The school’s provision for pupils’ cultural development is excellent and a strength of the school. Pupils in school come from over thirty different countries. They are given many opportunities to recognise and value essential aspects of their own culture and the culture of other people in Britain and the wider world. For instance pupils in Years 4 and 5 have studied religious buildings from different faiths including a Hindu temple and the local Christian church. Another class has learnt about a village in India. Visitors to school serve to enrich the curriculum and broaden pupils’ horizons. They have included a parent who spoke to pupils on Islam and the Mosque. Another parent from Kosovo demonstrated a national dance during an assembly. Pupils have learnt about food from around the world and enjoyed an international food tasting party. The school gives a variety of opportunities for pupils to develop an

p.18

TO PUPILS?

appreciation of British culture in a number of curriculum areas and through visits. There is an interesting display of old photographs of former school pupils and school log books dating back to the nineteenth century. The local area has been used as a geography resource with pupils observing and mapping the surrounding streets. Pupils have visited museums such as the Bethnal Green Toy Museum and the Transport Museum. A number of pupils were involved in a National Theatre project. They visited the theatre, worked with storytellers and musicians and finally performed on the theatre stage. Year 6 pupils have studied Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, writing their own scripts and performing to the school on the playground stage.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school makes good provision for the education, personal support and guidance of the pupils, and also provides a secure environment, which has a warm and friendly atmosphere, so that pupils are happy to come to school. Class teachers and other staff are sensitive to the individual needs of the pupils in their classes. When difficulties arise, pupils can, and generally do, turn to a member of staff of their choice for help and guidance.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school’s arrangements for promoting the welfare, health and safety of pupils are good overall. The headteacher is the member of staff responsible for child protection and is fully trained; she is supported well by the deputy headteacher. Effective routines and procedures have been developed to ensure that all members of staff are aware of child protection issues. There are clear policies to support health and safety in the school with a trained first-aider Queen’s Park Primary School - 19 available to care for pupils throughout the school day. Accidents and incidents are methodically recorded and parents contacted if necessary. Lunchtime supervisors keep a watchful eye on pupils in the lunch hall and playground. Whilst relationships between pupils and supervisors are good some supervisors are not aware that younger pupils need more help and guidance, particularly in the lunch hall; the headteacher is aware of this.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Pupils understand that good behaviour is expected of them. There is a clear and comprehensive behaviour policy and procedures for promoting pupils’ discipline and good behaviour are good overall. Class rules are discussed and agreed with pupils at the beginning of each term. Class teachers praise pupils for good work and behaviour and this works well. Each class has its own system of rewards and pupils enjoy receiving stamps, stars and certificates for personal effort. The Friday assembly enables pupils of all abilities to celebrate their achievements. Those pupils nominated specifically by their class teachers have their names recorded in the ‘Golden Book’, which stands in the school foyer for all to see. There are good procedures in place for dealing with poor behaviour in the classrooms, to ensure that lessons are not disturbed through unacceptable behaviour.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school works hard to eliminate bullying. Pupils and parents interviewed during the week of inspection were adamant that when a bullying incident is reported to the class teacher or headteacher, it is dealt with quickly and efficiently. Lunchtime supervisors and class teachers keep a close eye on behaviour in the playground. Incidents of bullying are formally recorded. Whilst personal social and health education is planned into the curriculum, pupils do not have regular, planned, opportunities to discuss bullying issues within their classes.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. There are very good procedures in place to monitor attendance, absence and punctuality. Registration takes place before both sessions and attendance is recorded correctly in class registers. The headteacher, administrative staff and home/school liaison officer monitor attendance and punctuality with exceptional rigour. Parents are constantly made aware of their relevant responsibility through newsletters. Certificates are presented to pupils who are punctual and have a 100 per cent attendance. Despite the time consuming work put in by the school to improve pupils’ attendance, attendance rates are still too low. There is an indication, however, of a slight improvement in attendance rates for the coming year. Punctuality has improved significantly and most pupils are now arriving at school on time.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The monitoring of and support for pupils’ personal development are good and all pupils are well supported. Class teachers keep a close eye on their personal development although this is not formally recorded. The school offers a variety of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility; older pupils are encouraged to help the younger and sometimes help in Key Stage 1 classrooms with reading. The school has recently set up a school council and a range of issues is discussed with the elected pupils. In the classrooms younger pupils are asked to help their teachers with monitoring jobs, tidying away and returning registers. Personal development is further enhanced by outside trips including a whole school visit to the seaside. Pupils are encouraged to help charitable organisations. They have taken part in sponsored walks and collected money for charities such as the Marie Curie Cancer Care Fund. The

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

school caters well for pupils with special educational needs at all levels. Targets in individual education plans are regularly reviewed and revised, but there is scope for some of these to be more precise and measurable. There are good links with outside agencies and good provision for pupils with statements of special educational need.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school assesses pupils’ work well and keeps comprehensive and informative records about how well pupils are doing academically. National test results and the results of optional tests are analysed carefully and used well to inform the school’s curriculum planning, set targets for improvement and raise standards. The good system of tracking pupils’ performance in English, mathematics and science has been a significant contributor to the raising of standards those subjects. This system has enabled the school to focus on areas of teaching and learning that needed to be improved in order to raise pupils’ attainment. The system takes into account the baseline assessment made in the reception class and follows pupils through the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets identified in their individual education plans, although these targets sometimes need to be

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

more refined. Progress is tracked very carefully for pupils for whom English is an additional language. Queen’s Park Primary School - 20

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parents’ views of the school are overwhelmingly positive. The school works hard to encourage and promote a very good partnership with parents. Parents hold the school in high regard. They confirm that their children enjoy coming to school and they are pleased with the progress they make. Parents feel that behaviour is good overall and have nothing but praise for the school’s standards of pastoral care. Parents who responded to the questionnaire, those who attended the meeting and parents interviewed on the week of inspection, were appreciative of the commitment of the headteacher and her staff and their aims and expectations for their children. These positive views are confirmed by the inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Some parents have minor concerns about the school’s performance in two areas. They feel that pupils do not always get the right amount of homework and that class teachers are not setting homework tasks for pupils in line with the school’s homework policy. Scrutiny of pupils’ homework diaries and books confirms that homework is set well and marked regularly. Activities outside lessons are limited and parents’ concerns are justified, with a significant minority believing that there is not a sufficient range of interesting activities outside lessons. Currently the school offers football training, music club and a lunchtime games club. The school intends to review this provision in the near future.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The school recognises that liaison between home and school is most important and has successfully maintained and improved the positive relationships with parents outlined previously. The appointment of a home/school liaison officer has strengthened these links. The officer has recently introduced coffee mornings for parents, held in the community room, with specialist speakers attending. The building of good relationships between parents and the school begins before children start in the nursery. The school offers home visits for intending parents and children, when parents can ask questions and are given a copy of nursery information. The headteacher is in the playground before school each morning to welcome all parents and their children. Class teachers are available each day after school for informal chats with parents if required.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The quality of information given to parents is good. The school’s prospectus and annual governors’ report for parents are both welcoming and professional documents, and clearly written for parents and pupils to understand. Parents receive regular newsletters advising them of school activities, news, events and other general school information. There is less consistent communication regarding the curriculum. Parents interviewed on the week of inspection indicated that they would welcome more information on what was going on in the classrooms and how they could help at home.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The school holds regular, well-supported, parents’ meetings to discuss pupils’ progress. Interpreters are available for parents whose English is limited. Most parents are emphatic that, should they have any concerns, the class or headteacher will see them immediately. Parents receive clear and informative annual reports. The format of the reports enables parents to see, at a glance, how their children are progressing in all subjects. The reports also include more detailed information of pupils’ progress in English, maths, science and information and communication technology, setting targets when appropriate.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Parents are actively encouraged to be involved in the life of the school and they complete a home/school agreement. Parents are encouraged to help their children at home with reading and spellings. Currently there are only a few parent helpers but they work effectively to broaden pupils’ experience in the school. They help in class with activities such as reading, physical education and general classroom assistance and they support school outings. Parents give their full support to productions, and join their children for special assemblies. On the week of inspection, many parents of children from Year 2 watched the class present their own assembly. Many of the parents had provided their children with appropriate costumes for the performance. Despite the school’s efforts many parents still choose to withdraw their children from school during term time for extended holidays and family occasions.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The overall leadership and management of the school by the headteacher, deputy head, senior staff and governors are very good; that of the headteacher and chair of governors are excellent. The vision and determination of the headteacher, very ably supported by the deputy head, senior management team and governors and the overall shared vision for constantly improving provision and standards are major strengths. This was recognised nationally when the school recently received a School Achievement Award for its work in raising standards. The headteacher is very highly focused and firmly committed to improving further all aspects of the school. The high level of expertise of many governors, led by the committed and knowledgeable chair of governors, has provided particularly good support to the school since the inspection less than two years ago, whereby the school was removed from special measures. The school has also received very good support from local authority advisers and

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

specialists. The overall strategic management of the school is now extremely good. 57. Since the last inspection many good improvements have been made in the curriculum provision and monitoring throughout the school, extensive improvements to the building and school grounds, updated resources for learning, enhanced and stabilised staffing levels and ensuring that teachers’ expectations of the pupils are sufficiently high. All these have had a significant impact on the much-improved teaching, pupils’ learning and the steadily rising standards. There is a very good partnership between the headteacher, staff and governors, who are extremely supportive, interested, and well involved in the life of the school. All staff and governors have a shared vision also for the welfare and care of the pupils and work together well to promote their best interests. The very able deputy head also leads the English

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

curriculum, oversees assessment and gives very good support to teachers, including the five unqualified teachers. The senior management team also benefits from the high level of expertise of the manager for the provision for pupils with English as an additional language. The school is meeting its stated aims fully and runs smoothly, calmly and efficiently. The friendly and efficient administrative staff contribute well to this, and there are good management systems in place.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The high expectations and overview of the senior management team and governors make a major contribution to the strategies for improving standards of pupils’ work and monitoring and evaluating the work of the school, which is particularly good. A considerable number of governors visit the school regularly and some governors observe the work in classrooms to enhance their firsthand knowledge of the school. This and the reports made to the governing body by the headteacher and coordinators ensure that there is a clear overview of the provision, which informs strategic decision-making. Governors therefore have a very close understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and areas for further improvement. The statutory duties of the governors are fully met. The good school development plan covers a highly prioritised, manageable and relevant range of objectives, which are linked to the key issues identified in the post-Ofsted action plan and are clear and

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

concise. It contains an overview of future school aims, drawn up in consultation with staff and governors who are directly involved in monitoring the targets set. These fully reflect the need to improve standards throughout the school within a manageable timescale. The plan is linked well to the school’s budget and educational priorities are costed precisely.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school has used the considerably underspent budget of the past to bring about much needed improvements and strategically manages and monitors the budget well. The school is now in a position to carry forward a prudent contingency fund. It also benefits from funding from the local Education Action Zone and the Single Regeneration Budgets, which have enhanced staffing, behavioural management strategies and community provision for the school. The effect of this funding on the school’s provision has been good, for example, pupils’ behaviour has significantly improved. The bureaucratic burden of supplying information for bidding for these specific funds is however considerable on the headteacher. There is very good understanding of the different funding available to the school from different sources and the school takes good advantage of these to enhance provision. The funding for pupils with

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

special educational needs and the grant for Ethnic Minority Achievement are well managed and used to enhance the provision for these pupils. The funding is well monitored to ensure that provision gives good value and is used for the specific pupils targeted. The principles of best value are used well in spending decisions and value for money is constantly sought. The school’s systems for financial planning are good. They involve discussions at management Queen’s Park Primary School - 22 level before decisions are made and refer to the annual plan. The implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies, overall improvements and the initiative for information and communication technology have also had major budget implications for the school in recent years.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The arrangements for managing special educational needs provision are good. The governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities through the responsible governor and in the annual report to parents. The policy fully complies with the Code of Practice and this is due to be reviewed. Pupils’ special educational needs and the good progress they make are monitored well by the coordinator, teachers and support staff. The school has appointed a new special needs co- ordinator and there is appropriate understanding of how her role is to be developed. Funding is used effectively to meet individual pupils’ needs and to provide support across the school. The governing body monitor provision thoroughly.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The provision represents good value for money. The school has also identified pupils who are gifted and talented and is drawing up guidance on how their needs are to be best provided for.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The monitoring of teaching and learning by the senior management team, governors, subject coordinators and outside support teachers in the core subjects of the curriculum is very good. This provides an extensive range of assessment data and information, which is used well to set school, class and individual pupils’ targets. There has been a strong emphasis on raising standards in the core subjects and information and communication technology following the last report. Most of the coordinators of the foundation subjects are new to the post and are keen to develop their roles further. The development of the foundation subject policies, improving their assessment and the development of the roles of these new subject coordinators is an area which the school has rightly identified as a priority over the next year. The updating of the policy for the Foundation Stage and making assessment more consistent

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

is also planned, following the imminent appointment of a Foundation Stage coordinator and this is also a priority.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school is very successful in meeting its targets and these have been exceeded in the last two years in pupils’ examination results at age 11. There is also a particularly good awareness of the need to constantly improve standards and ensure that pupils are challenged to achieve the best results of which they are capable.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The resources and staffing available to the school are good overall and have been greatly improved. This has had a significant impact on the quality of provision for pupils. Resources are also effectively managed and used well to improve teaching and learning. Staffing levels are good and the school has done well to recruit staff in an inner London context with expensive local housing costs. There is only one vacancy at present covered by a long-term supply teacher. Five teachers in the school are overseas trained teachers and are unqualified in this country, although they have very good levels of professional expertise. They are well supported by the senior management team and add considerably to the expertise of the whole staff. Overall, teachers are well qualified to teach the age range. Teachers and support staff are well deployed to ensure that pupils’ needs are met, and that all pupils have full access and

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

inclusion to the curriculum. The building, which is spacious and pleasant, is in good condition and has been very sensitively improved. The outside areas have also been particularly well developed to provide an attractive play area. The accommodation is well used and the teachers and support staff work hard to ensure that attractive and informative displays and pupils’ work are used to make a stimulating learning environment. The learning resources are generally good in all subject areas and are gradually being extended. They are well used by staff. The new library, the computer suite and the outside stage area all add to the breadth of the provision and were used well to support learning during the inspection.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school’s performance compares well with that of other local schools and with schools nationally with similar intakes. There are good links with other schools and institutions. There is effective use of the resources available. The school uses the principles of best value well and offers good value for money from the budget it receives.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Queen’s Park Primary School - 23 66. The governors, headteacher ands staff need to:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and history by: • Ensuring that lesson planning in English and mathematics consistently identifies the learning objectives for the different attainment groups of pupils; (See paragraph number 19) • Focusing on more systematic development of historical skills throughout the key stage. (See paragraph number 134) (2) Develop policies for history, geography, religious education, music and design and technology. (See paragraph number 31) (3) Develop a policy for the Foundation Stage of learning and ensure that the assessment procedures consistently show children’s progression from the nursery into Year 1 . (See paragraph number 33) (4) Develop the roles of the new curriculum coordinators, particularly in supporting teaching and monitoring standards. ( See paragraph number 62) Queen’s Park Primary School - 24 In addition to the key issues above, the school needs to consider the following weaknesses

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Review the provision for pupils’ extra-curricular activities; (See paragraph number 36)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Continue the strategies to improve attendance. ( See paragraph number 47)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school has already identified the above improvements in the school development plan. Queen’s Park Primary School - 25

p.24

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.25

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 6 33 42 19 0 0 0 3 lessons were not graded for teaching. The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR - Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 220

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 130 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR - Y6

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 65

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 235

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 47

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 55

p.25

Attendance 1999/2000

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Queen’s Park Primary School - 26

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 18 12 30

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

Boys 15 18 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 11 10 12

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

Percentage of pupils School 87 (75) 93 (68) 97 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

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

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

Percentage of pupils School 90 (79) 93 (86) 93 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) 2000

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

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 12 5 17

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

Percentage of pupils School 65 (26) 71 (35) 82 (32) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

Percentage of pupils School 59 (29) 71 (35) 88 (38) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) 2000

The data for boys and girls separately has been omitted because the year group of girls is less than eleven. Queen’s Park Primary School - 27

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 27 Black – Caribbean heritage 48 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 22 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 44 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 2000/2001

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 748896

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 771157

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 90 Expenditure per pupil 2857

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 0

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year -22261

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 90

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 8.3 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 12

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 11

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1 FTE means full-time equivalent. Queen’s Park Primary School - 28

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 52 42 4 0 1

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 32 7 0 7

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 41 10 1 10

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 60 27 3 0 10

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 22 3 3 10

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 29 4 0 12

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 47 42 1 0 10

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 55 33 0 1 11

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 30 0 0 14

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 48 21 11 7 14 Queen’s Park Primary School - 29

p.28

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Children enter the reception class at age four at the start of the school year in which they are five. There are two intakes in September and January. Currently there is only one reception class with 22 children; a second class will open in January. Most children transfer from the school nursery so that the majority are already familiar with the school. The others have all had some pre-school experience.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. There are currently 43 children on roll in the nursery attending part-time, with fairly equal numbers attending morning and afternoon. Children enter the nursery at three, there is a wide range of ability and levels of maturity. Thirty per cent of the children in the nursery will transfer to a new reception class in January, whereas 40 per cent have only just started. Additionally there are four children identified with special educational needs. The majority of children in the nursery and the reception class come from homes where English is an additional language and are at the early stages of acquiring English. Additionally, a good proportion are the children of refugees or asylum seekers. At the time of the inspection, children in the reception class were completing their first half-term in school. In the reception class, one pupil has identified special educational needs, and five children are giving concern

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. The initial assessment of children on entry to the nursery is that their attainment is well below average, particularly in language and mathematical development. They are still below average when they finish their reception year and enter Year 1 in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and creative development. They are in line with the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development and physical development. Because many children will still be in the early stages of acquiring English they are unlikely to reach all the early learning goals in by the time they enter Year 1. However, children are prepared well for their next stage of education and make mainly good progress throughout the Foundation Stage. This is because the teaching of basic skills and the provision is mainly very good and the well equipped

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

outdoor area is ensuring children make particularly good progress in learning to take turns, share and cooperate, as well as to develop their physical skills.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Teaching is generally good in all areas of learning and in half the lessons seen in both the nursery and reception it is very good or excellent. This is a significant improvement from the previous inspection. The learning support assistants, who are trained in the needs of young children, very effectively support teachers and there are good working relationships between them. All the adults have very good knowledge of the ways in which young children learn. The curriculum planning is good and has been adapted to ensure that all elements of the early learning goals are being provided. Children develop good learning skills and very positive attitudes. Both the nursery and the reception classrooms provide bright lively environments in which young children can learn well. Assessment has been very effectively improved in the nursery. Very good and meticulous records are kept of children’s progress in the nursery. The

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

teacher and the two support assistants take responsibility for specific groups of children, so that there is a very effective ongoing monitoring of their progress, which informs the next steps of their learning. These procedures have not yet been adopted in the reception class and to some extent this limits the possibility for the teacher to identify specific needs of individual children. This was identified as a weakness in the previous report and still needs further improvement, which is planned.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. The school is currently advertising for the post of curriculum coordinator in the Foundation Stage and has planned to develop a new policy under the management of the new coordinator. There is good awareness that the assessment procedures need to be made more consistent to ensure good progression for children from entering the nursery to starting in Year 1. Queen’s Park Primary School - 30

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Personal social and emotional development

72. By the time they leave the reception class most children achieve the early learning goals in this area. Children’s personal, social and emotional development are taught consistently well and the adults provide good role models and have high and consistent expectations of children’s conduct. Children in the reception class have settled in well and many are very secure and confident in the routines. The older children in the nursery provide good role models for younger children. Children with special educational needs are well supported. There is good support to assess the needs of children with English as an additional language. The teacher provided from the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant has regular, useful, sessions in the nursery and reception class. In addition, a bilingual support assistant gives good part-time support to the Bengali speaking children in the nursery and helps them to

p.30

Personal social and emotional development

73. The provision of freely chosen activities is well thought out in both the reception class and the nursery. Children happily choose from a range of activities, showing a good degree of independence. In the nursery they play well and use equipment carefully and this is mostly true also in the reception class. Adults are careful in their use of English language, so that the youngest children are learning to ask for things correctly.

p.30

Personal social and emotional development

74. Children behave well and know right from wrong. They know that they need to share and take turns. The reception teacher establishes clear rules for play in the different areas and encourages children to join in and contribute. She encourages children to discuss their anxieties and to share their worries and sensitively helps them to find a solution. Children learn about the beliefs of others by sharing in festivals and celebrations.

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Communication, language and literacy

75. The majority of children are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals in this area by the end of the Foundation Stage. This is because they need more time to develop their English language skills and are at early stages in their development. There is good focused teaching towards extending children’s language and vocabulary in the nursery and reception class through the activities provided and the very good intervention of adults. The good assessment procedures in the nursery ensure that the teacher is aware of children’s progress in speaking and understanding.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

76. Younger children in the nursery are mainly confident in communicating their needs. One child used the word ‘water’ to indicate that the clay was too dry and then when the adult’s fingers were sticky with clay, said ‘water’ again to convey that they needed washing. They can make choices; for example, to decide on which instrument they want to play in a music lesson. Adults ensure that language is taught in context; for example, children in the nursery learn the names of vegetables they are using to make lasagne. In the reception class the language is extended when children make fudge; children are encouraged to stir the mixture, fill up the cup to the top , put in four spoons of cocoa. In both classes adults model language well and encourage children to use full sentences.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

77. Children in the nursery can recognise their names. Throughout the Foundation Stage most children are enthusiastic to write. A number of children choose to spend time in the writing area, writing letters and notes. In the playground many reception children are keen to use the board to write letters and as they work they sing the alphabet song and talk about the letters in their names. There are daily modified literacy sessions in the reception class in which children learn letter sounds. In one lesson, because the teacher ensured that all the words were illustrated, a third of the children could suggest words that began with ‘f’ and the majority could identify the letter in a game of picking letter cards. Children practise their sounds and record the letters in their alphabet books. A significant minority are beginning to form letters correctly, can write their names, and form strings of letters into sentences with full stops. They know

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

that writing can be used for many purposes, and, for example, confidently set about recording how they made “fantastic fudge”.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

78. Nursery and reception children enjoy looking at books. They handle them carefully. They enjoy listening to familiar stories and join in. For example, nursery children repeat the words Queen’s Park Primary School - 31 and phrases from the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. All children in the reception class have simple pre-reading books that they take home and share with their parents and carers. The more able are confident and keen to read with an adult. They talk about the pictures that help them to remember the words.

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Mathematical development

79. By the end of the Foundation Stage the majority of children are unlikely to attain the early learning goals for mathematics although they have made a good start and progress well. Adults use every opportunity to introduce numbers; to count with children the number of jumps they can make along a track, to emphasise the number of children allowed at an activity, to count the number of children absent, to talk about how old the children are. However, very few children are able to count independently, although some can recognise numbers to 5.

p.31

Mathematical development

80. There are many good opportunities to develop mathematical awareness through the provision of good teaching and well thought out activities, especially where adult support is planned. In the nursery mathematical awareness is taught as part of other activities. Children compare the length of the pasta strips they make; they help dolly jump along the track and are encouraged to decide if she has done more or fewer jumps than them. They count the number of objects in the story illustrations. In a short numeracy session, the reception class teacher starts to make a chart of children’s birthdays which is then continued by the support assistant. This gives children focused teaching so that they learn the names of the months and learn to count how many children have birthdays in the same month. The role-play area in the reception class allows children to order and pay for fish and chips; “ I want two fish and seven chips”.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

81. Many children enter the nursery with limited knowledge and understanding of the world and are unlikely to meet the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class. This area is well taught throughout and teachers understand the need to provide children with rich experiences so that they can build up the language to talk about the world around them. They ask well-focused questions to develop children’s thinking and assess their learning. In the nursery children learn about their local area. They visit the local park and playground. They learn to identify the different shops and visit the local tyre shop to collect tyres for their outside play area.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

82. In the nursery and reception classes they learn about food and the changes in materials. The science room is used for cooking activities, and during the inspection nursery children made lasagne and reception children made fudge. These activities provide the opportunity to talk about shape and texture, to learn the names of ingredients and to give the children direct practical experiences.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

83. Nursery children use the computer to draw designs and pictures. They have good mouse control. Children in the reception class use the computer suite for lessons. They can use the keyboard with help to write their names. They can choose pictures from the clipart programme. They can draw and colour pictures, controlling the mouse well to move the cursor. Some of them know how to print their work. They practise these skills on the classroom computer.

p.31

Physical development

84. Most children are likely to meet the early learning goals in this area. In the reception and nursery classes they learn how to use pencils, paintbrushes, and to cut, stick and join. The majority of children have good control skills. Many of the children in the nursery, particularly the older ones, are satisfactorily developing their physical skills. They run around the play area taking care not to bump into others. They can throw and kick footballs to each other with some accuracy. They can follow instructions to jump, run, tiptoe and hop.

p.31

Physical development

85. In the reception class they develop these skills well. Children enjoy being in the outside play area where they can run and climb and slide and use the wheeled vehicles. There are regular weekly sessions in the school hall where they use a range of apparatus. Children follow the Queen’s Park Primary School - 32 teacher’s instructions very well during the warm-up session to stretch and balance. They listen very carefully to how they are to move round the circuit. They try very hard as they roll, crawl, balance and swing over and through the equipment. They remember to bend their knees when jumping and to use two hands on the rope. They work with imagination and vary their movements and throughout the session their learning is outstanding.

p.31

Creative development

86. There is a good emphasis on and good teaching of creative development in the planning of reception and nursery activities because many of the children have limited experiences before entering the nursery. Many children are still unlikely to meet the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. The children experiment with colour mixing and merging paints to make different shades of green. In both the nursery and reception classes they explore a range of media. They can cut out shapes using plasticine and play dough. In the nursery they make stick puppets, cutting, sticking and joining material. They take the puppets into the outside play area and use them to play imaginatively. Children’s work is valued and their artwork is well displayed.

p.32

Creative development

87. In both the reception and nursery classes the adults provide good opportunities for imaginative play. Children act as staff and customers in the fish and chip shop. They sit down to eat their meals and pay for their goods. In both classes, children set up imaginative games using the train tracks, construction blocks, dolls and soft toys. They enjoy singing and in the nursery they work with the support assistant to beat out the rhythm of the songs with percussion instruments.

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ENGLISH

88. The proportion of pupils reaching the level expected for eleven-year-olds in the 2000 national tests (Level 4) was well below average in English. The number of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 was also well below average. When results are compared with those of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, however, overall they are close to average. They are above the average for similar schools at Level 4 but well below average at Level 5. Over the last three years, the results at age eleven have been well below the national average for both girls and boys. The school set appropriate targets in English for pupils and in 2000 and 2001, these were exceeded. There has been a gradual improvement in results from the 1999 tests. The provisional results in English for eleven-year-olds in 2001 show that results at Level 4 are slightly below the 2000 results but at Level 5 there has been a significant improvement. Test

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ENGLISH

results in reading were higher than those in writing in the 2001 provisional results; with more girls than boys reaching the higher Level 5 in writing. This year group had a much higher than average number of pupils with English as an additional language and high levels of pupils with special educational needs, particularly boys, including four pupils with statements of special educational need.

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ENGLISH

89. For seven-year-olds in the 2000 tests, the proportion of pupils reaching the national average level was below average in reading but in line with the average in writing. In reading, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 was below average, but in writing it was close to the average. In comparison with schools with similar intakes, results were, however, well above average in both reading and writing at both levels. Over the last three years, results in reading and writing have fallen below the national average for both girls and boys but the results in 2000 show an improvement from the 1999 results, particularly in writing. The provisional test results for 2001 show a slight improvement at Level 2 in both reading and writing and substantial improvement in the number of pupils achieving Level 3 in writing.

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ENGLISH

90. The previous inspection found that pupils’ attainment at Key Stage 1, by seven-year-olds, was generally in line with that expected nationally but at Key Stage 2, by the age of eleven, attainment in English was below average. The current inspection findings show some improvement, particularly in the pupils’ written work and the quality of teaching. Pupils at Key Stage 1 are in line overall with the expectations for their ages in most aspects of English although their speaking skills are not as strong as other aspects of English. They are achieving Queen’s Park Primary School - 33 well for their abilities, making good progress and are well extended to do their best. Their standards of literacy are satisfactory and well used in other subjects.

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ENGLISH

91. Standards at Key Stage 2 show improvement in standards in reading and handwriting throughout the key stage since the last inspection, in particular in Years 3 and 4 where standards of pupils’ work are now in line with national average levels. In Years 5 and 6 standards are still below expected levels and, although pupils’ accuracy in writing and their spelling skills are improving steadily, they are still below the national expected levels by eleven. Taking into account the pupils’ previous very low attainment when they were seven, however, they have made good progress and often achieve well. For example, in the current Year 6, 50 per cent of pupils are identified as having special educational needs, including 33 per cent of pupils with high levels of need and two statemented pupils and 80 percent of pupils have English as their additional language. The attainment seen during the inspection represents good achievement and improvement for these pupils, who work particularly hard.

p.33

ENGLISH

The standards in handwriting throughout the school are often good and reflect the school’s emphasis on raising standards in writing and the impact of the literacy strategy.

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ENGLISH

92. The school has more than 85 per cent of pupils with English as their additional language (EAL) Almost 24 per cent of these pupils are at the very earliest stages of acquiring English. In addition almost a quarter of all pupils are of refugee status. The rate of pupils leaving and entering the school is also high. These factors present the school with considerable challenges in developing basic English language skills and raising the pupils’ attainment. The school responds well to this and promotes the teaching of English as a very high priority in many ways, this results in the pupils achieving well in relation to their previous attainment levels when they started school, which were generally well below average. In this context, the importance of early and good quality support for pupils to quickly acquire English is a high priority; the school recognises this fully and basic literacy is well taught.

p.33

ENGLISH

93. By the age of seven, attainment in speaking is just below expected levels due to the pupils’ developing vocabularies and language structures. Their listening skills are often good and pupils are given good opportunities to speak and listen. Attainment in reading is in line with expected levels; pupils are interested readers who understand well and are able to read with good expression and satisfactory fluency. Pupils learn to read using well-structured reading schemes and by learning to recognise familiar words and sound out unfamiliar ones. The higher attainers are able to explain simple plots and their favourite parts of a story. Attainment in writing by the end of the key stage is in line with national expected levels, particularly in the good range of writing activities and pupils‘ expressive work. For example, Year 2 pupils were writing clear and useful instructions for making fruit kebabs. They are using cursive

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ENGLISH

handwriting and the school is focusing on improving standards in spelling, which is also raising attainment. No significant differences were seen in the attainment of girls and boys during the inspection. Computers are used for writing in a variety of forms and pupils’ skills are now satisfactory which is a good improvement from the last inspection. They are also used well for researching and information gathering.

p.33

ENGLISH

94. Year 3 and 4 pupils are now achieving in line with expected levels. They are reading and speaking with confidence, and writing with some accuracy and good expression for a variety of purposes; for example, when pupils were writing lively articles for a class newspaper. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 are achieving well but are attaining standards which are still below expected levels, particularly in their speaking, higher levels of understanding in reading and in their accuracy in writing. In reading and writing they often make good progress but from well below average standards previously. They are developing confidence in speaking for a variety of audiences and in expressing their viewpoints and ideas. Standards in reading, including comprehension skills, are often satisfactory for the majority of pupils, particularly in Years 3 and 4, but a considerable minority are at lower levels, including some special needs pupils and

p.33

ENGLISH

early stage English language learners. They read a good range of literature, are able to read for information and have a good enthusiasm for literature. A particular strength of the reading is the lively expression shown. Their expressive written work is often imaginative but older pupils’ accuracy and ability to constantly self-correct their work is often below average. The school is well aware of these weaknesses and teachers are encouraging pupils to improve their own expectations. Computers are used appropriately to develop word processing in many Queen’s Park Primary School - 34 subjects and the pupils are achieving satisfactory standards, which is a good improvement from the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

95. Pupils’ learning and progress in English is generally good for pupils of each level of previous attainment throughout the school, due to the high proportion of good and very good teaching in the subject. In lessons pupils are given tasks which are well matched to their abilities, including the more able pupils who are challenged and extended in their learning. The planning for English lessons, however, does not always reflect the good extension of pupils’ abilities seen in the teaching observed and needs to be more precise in its objectives for groups of pupils and needs to be more consistent. This is important to enable teachers to monitor the progress of groups of pupils very closely. Pupils with English as an additional language make good or very good progress and some achieve the national average by the time they are eleven. Pupils who have special educational needs are well supported to make

p.34

ENGLISH

good progress towards the targets set for them. Support staff including classroom assistants, make a significant contribution to the good learning and progress of pupils. Pupils are able to consolidate and practise their existing skills and are able to extend them in their new work. Pupils’ literacy skills are satisfactory in Years 3 and 4 but are still below average by age eleven although steadily improving. These skills are well developed in other subjects, such as science, history and geography.

p.34

ENGLISH

96. The National Literacy Strategy is now being well implemented by the school and there is a good range of resources for the subject, including an attractive library, which is well used and contains well organised fiction and non-fiction books, which are easily accessible to the pupils. Pupils are given good opportunities for taking home reading and other books and parents are appropriately involved in supporting their children at home through the appropriate levels of homework set. A few parents also give their time as volunteers in school. Computer provision is good in the classrooms and in the computer suite and this resource is well used. The school uses the local library well and the new school library is well stocked and ready to be timetabled for use by all classes. Another particular strength is the use of a specialist teacher for reading recovery who supports individual Year 1 pupils well.

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ENGLISH

97. Teaching of English is consistently at least good and half of the lessons seen were very good with one excellent lesson. It is well supported by classroom assistants who are skilful and well deployed. Strengths of the teaching include good subject expertise and confidence, very lively and interesting lessons, good lesson organisation and management of pupils and good emphasis on the teaching of basic skills. Higher ability pupils are well supported, enabling them to achieve well. Teachers have good expectations of pupils and work hard to extend the opportunities for learning in English. The use of questioning to promote discussion and extend learning is good. Excellent use was seen of this in a Year 4 and 5 lesson about the use of dialogue in dramatic writing, taken by the class teacher and English coordinator together. Another particular strength of the teaching is the use of drama to extend pupils’ confidence in

p.34

ENGLISH

speaking and their imaginative work. This enlivens the curriculum, extends pupils’ use of a wide variety of styles of speaking and impacts on their written work, as when Year 4 and 5 pupils were working on scripts using lively dialogue. Computers are also used well to support learning.

p.34

ENGLISH

98. The teachers are very well supported by the deputy headteacher as coordinator and there is a good policy, which is due for further revision. Planning work for pupils’ is generally good but it is not yet consistent in the lesson planning throughout the school. Pupils’ achievement is well assessed and analysed. Information from assessment is used to plan future work but is not yet used sufficiently precisely in identifying lesson group objectives for pupils of different abilities, including the most able. In this sense the planning lags behind the good practice seen in teaching. Assessment information is, however, well used to set class objectives and individual and school targets. The monitoring of teaching and standards in the subject by the coordinator in order to improve performance is particularly good.

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ENGLISH

99. The overall provision for English, including literacy, is good and permeates the whole curriculum. There are many interesting, lively, well-planned and relevant opportunities for learning. There has been good improvement in teaching, assessment, the use of computers and in the breadth of the curriculum provision since the previous inspection. Improvement in standards of work is more varied: there is consistent and steady improvement at Key Stage 1, Queen’s Park Primary School - 35 and in the younger classes at Key Stage 2 but only satisfactory improvement at the end of Key Stage 2. The trend as pupils move through the school is for pupils’ work in year groups to steadily improve as the good teaching impacts on standards and pupils’ progress.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The percentage of pupils reaching the Level 2 expected for seven-year-olds in the 2000 national tests, based on the average points scored, was well below average. The results are average, however, when compared with the test results of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Provisional results in mathematics for 2001 indicate that there has been a good improvement in the number of pupils attaining at the higher Level 3. Inspection findings indicate that this improvement has been maintained and that standards in the current Year 2 are similar to those found nationally. The main factor in this improvement is the consistent implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and the school’s thorough systems of monitoring and supporting teachers.

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MATHEMATICS

101. In 2000, pupils’ overall achievement by age 11 in the national tests, was below average but these results are well above average when compared with similar schools. When compared with the results achieved by the same pupils at the age of seven, the progress over four years is also well above average. Provisional results for 2001 are similar to those in 2000. The school has exceeded its targets, but the rate of improvement has slowed. School analysis shows that there were significant factors affecting attainment in the 2001 tests. For example, the number of pupils with special educational needs was well above average. This is also the case in the current Year 6 where standards are below average. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in Years 3 to 4 are, however, nearer to the level expected, and that pupils’ achievement in mathematics is generally good.

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MATHEMATICS

102. There are no significant differences between the standards reached by boys and girls. Pupils who have special educational needs are supported well to make good progress. Teachers are aware of the needs of pupils with English as an additional language and their teaching methods ensure that all pupils have full access to the curriculum. For example, explanations are clear and are supported well by practical examples. Specialist support for pupils at the early stages of learning English is very good and promotes confidence and good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

103. By the age of seven, most pupils recognise and use numbers to 100. They add and subtract to 100 and learn how to record their answers to money calculations correctly using the pounds sign and decimal point. Work is neatly presented, and pupils begin to develop a range of strategies for tackling simple problems. They find lines of symmetry by folding shapes and begin to measure in metres and centimetres.

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MATHEMATICS

104. By the time they are 11, pupils are developing an increasingly secure understanding of the number system. They multiply and divide numbers by 10 and 100 mentally and understand how to “round” numbers to the nearest 100. Although some pupils have a secure understanding of number facts including tables, many older pupils do not, and this limits their ability to produce accurate answers quickly. They begin to interpret block and line graphs, although some need guidance in drawing conclusions from these. Although teachers work hard to develop pupils’ problem solving skills, this remains an aspect which many find difficult.

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MATHEMATICS

105. The quality of teaching is good overall and this results in good learning and good achievement compared with previous attainment. Good teaching was seen across the school, and a scrutiny of pupils’ books reflects good expectations in most classes. Some teaching is very good. Marking is almost always careful and thorough and most teachers expect and obtain good standards of presentation. Work is usually matched well to the needs of different groups of pupils, although occasionally lower attaining pupils are given work that is too hard. Teachers always explain the general aim of each lesson at the beginning, but planning does not always sufficiently clarify the specific targets for the different ability groups and particularly for those attaining at the lower levels. This makes it difficult to monitor what is being learned and to plan future work. All lessons are planned to start with a session of mental work but this

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MATHEMATICS

is not used effectively in all classes. In the best lessons mental work is brisk and challenging and encourages pupils to develop a speedy recall of number facts. In some other lessons this Queen’s Park Primary School - 36 part of the lesson is undemanding, and opportunities are missed for pupils to practise and consolidate their factual knowledge.

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MATHEMATICS

106. Teachers generally explain work very clearly and they ensure that correct subject vocabulary is clarified and constantly repeated. Pupils are often motivated by the teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject. One Year 2 pupil confided, “I love this work!” as he set off with a metre ruler to measure objects in the classroom. Pupils benefit from a good level of adult support in most lessons and this promotes good levels of learning. When pupils with special educational needs are given specific support their learning is good. Additional explanations from the support teacher enabled pupils in a Year 5 and 6 group to understand the terms mode, median and range in relation to a set of numbers. Time is used well in lessons. Once the tasks have been set pupils generally settle down to work quickly and in most cases quietly. There is an increasing use of information and communication technology, although this is an area still

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MATHEMATICS

needing further development in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

107. The leadership of the subject by the experienced coordinator is very good. The co-ordinator monitors the quality of teaching well and gives teachers valuable written feedback to ensure that standards are raised. Very good support is given to inexperienced teachers and to those whose subject knowledge is insecure. Assessment procedures are generally very good, and the co-ordinator analyses annual test results in detail to identify strengths and weaknesses.

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MATHEMATICS

108. There has been good improvement since the last inspection when there were weaknesses in teaching. The school has actively addressed issues related to teachers’ subject knowledge. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen, and teaching was good in four lessons out of ten, and very good in a further two out of ten. The subject is represented well in good wall displays in the classrooms and corridors.

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SCIENCE

109. Pupils’ results in science in the tests at age eleven in 2000 were a very good improvement over results achieved in previous years. The results were close to the national average and well above those achieved by similar schools. The percentage of pupils achieving at the higher Level 5 was close to the national average. In the tests for 2001, there was a good improvement in the number of pupils achieving the expected Level 4, with a slightly lower number of pupils achieving Level 5. In the teachers’ assessment of the performance of seven-year-olds in 2000, results were close to the national average in terms of those achieving the expected level and for those achieving the higher Level 3. In the 2001 assessment, the number of pupils achieving Level 3 increased, so that it is likely that the overall results will be at least as good as for 2000.

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SCIENCE

110. Although there was a significant difference in the results of boys and girls in the 2001 results, with girls doing less well, this was not seen during the inspection. This can be explained by the admission of three girls to the Year 6 class who were in the early stages of acquiring English. The current inspection findings show that the good standards for seven-year-olds have been maintained and are above expected levels for the age group. By the time they are eleven, pupils are attaining standards in line with the expectations for the age group.

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SCIENCE

111. The improved results in science at both key stages over the past two years is a reflection of the good quality of teaching, the quality of the curriculum and the impact of the good leadership shown by the science coordinator. Standards at Key Stage 2 are a good improvement over the weak attainment seen in the previous inspection. Factors that influence this are the increased emphasis on enquiry-based learning and the improvements in the quality of recording findings. There is evidence of good support for those pupils of lower attainment, pupils in the early stages of acquiring English and those with special educational needs.

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SCIENCE

112. Across the school, teachers plan for a good balance between all aspects of the science curriculum, and the scheme of work shows that scientific knowledge is progressively built on throughout the school. Teachers develop pupils’ scientific enquiry skills well through well- planned investigations. By the age of eleven most pupils understand the principles of fair testing. Pupils in Year 2 set up ramps to find out whether the height of the ramp will affect the Queen’s Park Primary School - 37 distance a toy vehicle travels. They predict the outcome and think of ways to solve problems. They experiment to discover that one of the cars is heavier than the others and this makes it go further regardless of the ramp height. Pupils in Year 6 compare the different conditions of plant growth, and maintain a diary of their observations. They note that for the test to be fair, they need to “always measure from the top”.

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SCIENCE

113. By the age of seven pupils have a good understanding of science. Pupils know that humans are similar to each other in some ways and different in others; they explore their senses and investigate the flavours of crisps; they learn about what humans, animals and plants need for healthy growth. They experiment with forces, observing how far a balloon will travel when filled with different amounts of air. They explore and classify different materials and learn about which everyday appliances use electricity.

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SCIENCE

114. By the age of eleven pupils have a sound understanding of life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical processes. They learn about the effect of diet and exercise on their bodies. In Year 6 they research information in order to construct food chains. Pupils bring their personal knowledge to the lesson: “The greenfly and blue-tit are herbivores”; “Hawks don’t eat others like them because they are related”. They learn about materials and forces; for example, pupils in Year 3 experiment to find out how far elastic bands can be stretched. They decide on which of the activities they engage in demonstrate pushing or pulling actions and their diagrams show a good understanding. By the end of Year 6 pupils have constructed simple and more complex electrical circuits, they know the main properties of solids, liquids and gases, and they learn about the relationship between the Earth, Moon and

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SCIENCE

115. Pupils learning and progress is good throughout the school. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 make particularly good progress to attain satisfactory standards against the low standards achieved in their tests at seven. Pupils with special educational needs achieve results which match their previous attainment and make good progress overall. Pupils in the early stages of acquiring English achieve satisfactorily and make good progress, especially where they are supported.

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SCIENCE

116. Pupils’ attitudes to science are mainly good. They enjoy the challenge provided by teachers and the opportunity to experiment. They are given good opportunities to contribute their own ideas and the majority are confident to do so. They are attentive when watching the teacher demonstrate an experiment and follow instructions very carefully. They work hard and older pupils show a good level of motivation and work well independently. The majority behave very well, although in one class a very small minority of pupils tried to disrupt the work of others. Usually work is well presented and well organised, with experiments recorded through appropriate diagrams, graphs and charts.

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SCIENCE

117. In the majority of lessons seen, teaching was good, with one very good lesson, so that teaching and learning in science are good. Teaching has a number of strengths and teachers’ subject knowledge is good, in particular the use of clear demonstration and the attention given to teaching correct scientific vocabulary. This focus is particularly beneficial as the majority of pupils have English as an additional language. Resources are well prepared and demonstration is used well by all teachers. In the Year 2 and Years 1 and 2 classes pupils observe how the experiment to vary the height of ramps is set up so that they can later experiment independently. Good questioning checks pupils’ understanding. In Years 1 and 2, the teacher varied the experiment to prove that a pupil was not pushing the car down the ramp. In this way, the pupils identified the “magic” car and realised it was different from the others

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SCIENCE

and because of this many understood the test wasn’t “fair”. The clear introduction and repetition of key vocabulary so that it can be understood within a context, ensured that pupils learnt well.

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SCIENCE

118. There is similarly good questioning in the lessons seen at Key Stage 2. The lessons are well planned and well structured with a good emphasis on checking on what pupils have learnt and remembered from the previous lessons. The work provided for pupils is adapted to match their level of ability. Teachers give effective support to pupils so that they are clear about what they have to do. In the very good lesson in Year 6, the teacher used praise well to boost pupils’ self-esteem and challenged and inspired them to use their research to help build up their food chains. A good opportunity was taken when pupils were feeding back their results to Queen’s Park Primary School - 38 get them to consider the ecological implications of failure in the food chain, and to urge them to do their own research. Teachers and other adults give good support to pupils with special educational needs and those in the early stages of acquiring English. Marking in pupils’ books

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SCIENCE

is helpful and outline frameworks are used at both key stages to help pupils organise their work well.

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SCIENCE

119. Literacy is taught well through science. Teachers make sure pupils understand vocabulary, and provide key words so that pupils can record and spell new vocabulary correctly. Most work is presented well and neatly and key vocabulary is used correctly. There are good opportunities for reading and researching using books, extracts and information found on the Internet and through specific science programmes. ICT is used well to store and process information, for example in Year 5 pupils use the ‘Excel’ programme very effectively to produce a variety of graphs on the effects of exercise on the heart. Graphs, charts and diagrams contribute well to pupils’ numeracy skills.

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SCIENCE

120. The leadership and management of the subject is good and standards and teaching are well monitored to raise attainment further. The transition to a scheme of work based on national guidance has been managed well, and resources are appropriate and accessible. The procedures for assessment are based on a test at the end of a unit of work and pupils’ individual records of achievement provide good evidence of standards in science. These records and the analyses of the test results enable to coordinator to prioritise areas for improvement. The identification of the need to teach key vocabulary is already having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. There are good opportunities for visits to the Science Museum and the local science based centre. The school has adapted a room to provide a “laboratory” space, which gives pupils more room to work and allows for safe experiments with heat, for example. The school has made very good improvement over the last two years.

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ART AND DESIGN

121. Standards in art by the age of 11 are better than those usually attained nationally by pupils of this age and have shown good improvement over the last two years. The standards reached by seven-year-olds are above average also and better than those usually found nationally at this age. This also represents a good improvement in the last two years.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. The many and varied displays of pupils’ work in the school show the good progress pupils make as they develop their skills through the school. It is evident that pupils experience the use of a range of materials and techniques successfully in their art lessons including drawing, painting and collage work with much of the work being linked to other subjects. Year 1 pupils have used a variety of materials to create three-dimensional mini-beasts and their habitats as part of a science topic on living things. Pupils use a range of techniques, for example, Year 2 pupils make effective use of colour, tone and shade to depict landscapes in Bangladesh using inks and colour washes. They have produced good work using three-dimensional materials, such as clay, to create a model of a Bengali village to accompany the display of landscapes.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. There are effective links with history; for example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 have studied the costumes worn in Tudor times and produced their own detailed Tudor costumes using a range of textiles and collage materials. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 have used a range of artistic techniques to produce detailed and accurate portraits of Queen Victoria, using paint and pastels. A vibrant display of moving figures overlapping show that pupils in Years 5 and 6 have gained an appreciation of the style of the artist Fernand Léger and applied the artist’s ideas to their own work.

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ART AND DESIGN

124. The quality of teaching is good and this leads to good standards and good learning. Judgements are based on the three lessons observed which were taught well and the examination of work throughout the school. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding and this helps them to stimulate and motivate pupils and set high standards. There is also good emphasis on the direct teaching of skills such as when Year 6 pupils were developing their drawing, painting and compositional skills to design a monochrome plate depicting everyday life in Ancient Greece. The teachers plan carefully and create a positive atmosphere. This enables pupils to concentrate well and produce their best efforts. Pupils have Queen’s Park Primary School - 39 good attitudes in lessons and are appreciative of each other’s efforts. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are well supported.

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ART AND DESIGN

The teachers use computer programs where appropriate to extend pupils’ experience and design skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

125. The recently appointed coordinator has a clear vision of how the subject should be developed. She keeps well up to date by attending relevant meetings and courses. She has identified areas for development and has devised an action plan to address them. The school has planned to develop a policy and improve assessment procedures. Assessment and recording procedures are in place and a portfolio of pupils’ work is being developed which will record good quality work across the school. Standards of pupils’ work are monitored satisfactorily to raise attainment. There is a good range of resources to support teaching and these are well organised and readily accessible. Visitors to the school include the Bengali Art Project. An exhibition in the school of paintings and photographs by Kosovan artists further enhances provision.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. There is insufficient evidence for a secure judgement to be made about either standards or teaching in the subject. No lessons were seen during the week of inspection as curriculum time is shared with art alternating on a half termly basis.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. There is photographic evidence of some very good work in Years 4 and 5. Pupils develop a range of techniques, skills and knowledge in designing and making a fence to protect a herb garden in an allotment. They produce step-by-step plans and are able to choose their materials carefully and evaluate their decisions. The same pupils are able to develop designs that show awareness of constraints in designing and making a chair from newspaper. They think about strategies to improve the design of the chair in order to make it stronger and more reliable. They are able to evaluate, modify and refine their end product. They work collaboratively to plan and evaluate their results.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

128. Scrutiny of teachers’ future planning and the curriculum map indicate that provision for the subject covers the requirements of the National Curriculum. The national scheme of work provides helpful guidance for teachers as it contains an overview of coverage and the concepts and knowledge to be developed from reception to Year 6. There is a good range of resources centrally stored to make teaching of the subject effective and interesting.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. There is no policy in place at present, although this is planned for development. The newly appointed co-ordinator has a sound understanding of his role in relation to the development and monitoring of the subject and has prepared an appropriate action plan to move the subject forward.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. The organisation of the curriculum is such that geography is taught in alternate half terms, with classes studying history during the remaining time. Geography was planned for just two classes during the first half of the autumn term and it was only possible to observe one lesson. Very little written work was available from the previous year, and consequently it was not possible to make secure judgements on overall teaching and attainment by the ages of seven and eleven.

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GEOGRAPHY

131. The school has adopted the national scheme of work to guide teachers in their planning and the overall curriculum plan indicates that the full programme of study is to be covered and that National Curriculum requirements are met.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. In the one lesson seen, Year 3 pupils showed a satisfactory understanding of how the local area is affected by traffic. When they looked at old photographs of the locality pupils could identify some of the changes, particularly in terms of transport. Most showed an emerging awareness of the pollution caused by heavy motor traffic. The lesson was adequately planned and prepared and built well on previous work. The teacher’s questioning moved the pupils’ Queen’s Park Primary School - 40 learning forward appropriately and she was careful to ensure that pupils of all abilities were involved in the lesson.

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GEOGRAPHY

133. The subject co-ordinator is newly appointed and is keen to develop the subject. At present he is working alongside the headteacher and deputy head as he develops the co-ordinator role and the subject and standards of work are appropriately monitored in this way. This is valuable support. A good action plan is in place and a new policy is due to be written this school year. Assessment procedures have yet to be developed further although satisfactory end-of-unit assessment is in place. The school has increased relevant information technology resources and CD-ROMs are available in the classrooms and ICT suite.

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HISTORY

134. Standards in history by the time the pupils reach the age of seven are similar to those expected nationally at this age. Standards achieved by age eleven are currently below average, with significant weaknesses in pupils’ understanding of chronology. Although there is some good teaching in Years 3 to 6, not enough attention is paid, over time, to the systematic development of historical skills.

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HISTORY

135. By the time they are seven, pupils have a satisfactory factual knowledge of the lives of a number of famous people. They learn about notable characters from the distant past, for example Boudicca and Tutankhamun, and significant characters such as Martin Luther King from more recent times. In a very good lesson in Year 2, pupils showed an emerging understanding of the variety of sources from which they could find information about the Ancient Egyptians. They know that archaeologists dig carefully in case they damage the evidence.

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HISTORY

136. By the age of eleven most pupils recognise that past time is divided into periods, although many have little understanding of how long ago it was that the Victorians, Tudors or the Ancient Greeks lived. The pupils have some factual knowledge of the present topic on Ancient Greeks, but very little recall of work covered in previous years. The only character who is remembered in any detail is Henry VIII. Pupils know that the Ancient Greeks worshipped many different gods and they have some understanding of different aspects of the Greek way of life. They have good opportunities to practise their literacy skills when they undertake research, and when they write their own versions of Greek myths.

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HISTORY

137. The overall quality of teaching is good. In Year 2, very good teaching is the main factor in ensuring that pupils reach average standards. In spite of working in uncomfortable conditions on a hot afternoon, the teacher developed a real enthusiasm and interest among the pupils. She explained relevant subject vocabulary clearly, and through skilful questioning about the Ancient Egyptians she guided pupils to think about the sources of evidence. Imaginative teaching in the Year 4 and 5 class linked history, literacy and drama very effectively. At the end of their topic on Victorians, pupils confidently performed short plays they had written. The plays illustrated that the pupils had gained a satisfactory understanding of some aspects of Victorian childhood. Not all activities are as imaginative. Work set for the Years 3 and 4 class offered less scope to those capable of average and above average attainment, and was at

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HISTORY

best a reinforcement of an aspect covered previously. Teachers’ planning does not identify sufficiently the historical skills to be developed, and planning is occasionally very sketchy. Teachers in most lessons are aware of the needs of pupils whose first language is not English and generally ensure that they understand new vocabulary and can take a full part in the lesson. Pupils with special educational needs are given good support and make similar progress to others in the same class. Activities are well matched to their needs. Satisfactory use is made of ICT to research different periods and for completing pieces of extended writing.

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HISTORY

138. The subject co-ordinator is enthusiastic and eager to develop the subject. A very good action plan has been prepared and a new policy is to be written this year. Most teachers already establish relevant links between history and other subjects such as art and literacy. An imaginative class assembly gave pupils an excellent opportunity to show off their factual knowledge of notable historical figures. The school is due to increase history resources to support the scheme of work. Assessment procedures have yet to be fully developed as they Queen’s Park Primary School - 41 are currently limited to end-of-unit assessment. The monitoring of the subject to improve standards is currently satisfactory but needs extension. Improvement over the last two years has been only satisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are in line with those expected of pupils of seven and eleven years of age at the end of each key stage. This represents a good improvement in standards over the last two years assisted by the provision of the new computer suite and the greater use pupils make of computers in other subjects throughout the curriculum. They are able to use the computer confidently for word processing and data handling, linking their work to other subjects such as literacy, mathematics, science and history.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. Pupils’ progress and achievement from their previous attainment levels in all year groups is good. Throughout the school pupils undertake a variety of tasks that enable them to learn and practise their skills through activities in other subjects. Regular lessons in the newly opened computer suite are having a positive impact on the standards pupils achieve and upon their progress. Pupils at both key stages, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress in all aspects of the ICT curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. The youngest pupils use a paint program to control the mouse in order to change tools and colours. By the time they are seven, pupils can operate the computer mouse and keyboard well. They can follow instructions and move images effectively, write simple text, and save and print their work. This was evident in a Year 2 lesson when pupils successfully developed their keyboard skills by confidently using the mouse to highlight, underline, and change the font and colour of sections of poetry text in connection with their work in literacy. Year 3 pupils can confidently access the ‘Excel’ program to produce graphs and bar charts that clearly show how the pulse slows down after exercise. Pupils in Year 6 are able to download pictures from the Internet as part of a multi media presentation incorporating both text and graphics to produce a travel brochure about Ancient Greece.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. The teaching seen at both stages is overall good and sometimes very good. Teachers give clear explanations of the skills to be learned and the tasks to be accomplished. Expectations are high, subject knowledge is good and help is given quickly to pupils. Pupils listen well to the teachers’ instructions and this has a positive impact on their learning. Pupils are thoughtfully managed and relationships are good; teachers are patient and encouraging and pupils respond well to questions and are keen to find out more. Many worthwhile activities are planned that link closely with work in other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. Pupils’ response to ICT is good and is demonstrated by their involvement and enjoyment. They are enthusiastic about using ICT facilities, particularly in the computer suite. They work well on their own or in pairs. They discuss their work with others, supporting each other and waiting their turn to use the mouse or printer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

144. Considerable improvement in computer facilities has been made in the setting up of the computer suite. The network facilities have greatly improved the pupils’ experiences; each class now has a regular time slot for using the computer suite. Computers in the classrooms are being used well to support work in other subjects. The school’s displays provide good evidence of pupils using the computer through data handling to communicate information. For example, Years 5 and 6 pupils have produced graphs and bar charts which show the diversity of languages spoken by pupils in their class.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

145. Resources for the subject are good. There is a ten station network with sophisticated facilities for demonstrations to the whole class and to oversee individual pupils’ work, which teachers use to good effect. This is a good motivating factor for pupils to do their best without wasting any time. There is also a good range of software to teach the full curriculum. Queen’s Park Primary School - 42 146. The Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 subject coordinators are enthusiastic and knowledgeable and with support from the local ICT support service have established successfully the computer suite and network. They have raised staff confidence and competence in teaching the subject. They effectively support teachers, providing a valuable resource for the school. An external consultant is currently helping the school to develop a portfolio of pupils’ assessed work. There is a clear and appropriate action plan to move the subject forward and it is

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

appropriately monitored. Pupils’ work is assessed to inform future planning.

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MUSIC

147. Standards in music are satisfactory throughout the school and in line with those expected for the pupils’ ages. There is good evidence from the scheme of work that the required elements of the music curriculum are taught throughout the school. A group of specialist music teachers, provide additional musical experiences and work with each year group for a half term, so that all pupils benefit. There is good improvement over the last two years.

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MUSIC

148. Younger pupils in Key Stage 1 learn about sound and rhythm and experiment with different percussion instruments. They improve their singing skills, concentrating on pitch and tempo. They extend their repertoire of songs in regular “singing” assemblies. They sing with enthusiasm and accompany their singing with actions. Key Stage 2 pupils learn a variety of songs from different cultural backgrounds. During the Key Stage 2 “Singing Assembly” Year 3 pupils learnt a new song from Canada and picked up the tune quickly, so that they join in well when the song is sung in three parts. All pupils maintained the rhythm of a song from Africa, swaying in time to the beat.

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MUSIC

149. The knowledge and skills gained in Key Stage 1 are developed satisfactorily through Key Stage 2 so that by the time they are eleven pupils have improved their singing. They learn to appreciate different styles of music, and to compose pieces of music using symbols and notation using a variety of mainly percussion instruments. Pupils in Year 6 and Years 5 and 6 were observed successfully bringing together these skills in the final session of their lessons with the specialist teachers. In the five previous sessions they have composed their own song; composed the melody; worked out the phrasing and how best to combine their voices; listened to and decided on the best instruments for accompaniment. In the observed session they performed their song very effectively and decided on how the pianist could most effectively accompany them. The final performance demonstrated their clear diction and ability to vary

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MUSIC

their pitch for emotional effect. They followed the guidance of the conductor successfully.

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MUSIC

150. Overall teaching in music is good. Teaching by the outside music specialists is very good and they are given good support by the class teachers who join in and help the pupils improve and refine their performance. The teachers, particularly the Year 6 teacher, demonstrate that they have sound musical knowledge. Pupils responded well to the high expectations. They worked well together as a group, listening to and respecting each other’s opinions.

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MUSIC

151. The post of music coordinator is currently vacant; the school is seeking to secure an experienced specialist. The curriculum is broad and well balanced and based on national guidance and all pupils have a weekly music lesson. There has been some training for staff. The contribution of the outside specialists provides pupils with a wider range of skills and gives them the opportunity to appreciate live musical performances. There is a good and appropriate focus on music from different cultures and information technology is used when appropriate. There are some opportunities for performance at celebrations and school productions and pupils have the opportunity to join the school choir. The outside music specialists run a project-based after-school club to enable pupils to build up their performance skills. The subject is appropriately monitored by the senior management team to improve standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. Standards in physical education are similar to those found nationally at the ages of seven and eleven. All the required elements of the National Curriculum are planned for, including outdoor Queen’s Park Primary School - 43 and adventurous activities and swimming. Most pupils can swim 25 metres by the time they leave school at the age of eleven. The subject has shown good improvement over the last two years.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. The seven-year-olds work hard at their gymnastics lessons. They show good body control and work together well in their pairs to put together a sequence of balancing and rolling movements. The majority think carefully how they will complete the sequence, finishing together with arms outstretched. They achieve good standards in this lesson. Younger pupils develop an understanding of team games; the need to take turns and to watch team mates carefully in order to follow their lead. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 develop their games skills well. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 worked with a football coach from the local team of Queen’s Park Rangers. They worked hard to improve their passing and stopping skills. They listened carefully to the coach and class teacher and achieved well at controlling the ball. These skills improve so that Year 6 pupils develop their throwing and receiving skills successfully. An

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

appropriate “feely” ball was provided for a pupil with special educational needs so that he achieved very well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. In all lessons the majority of pupils work hard and with enthusiasm. They persevere to improve their skills. They listen carefully to instructions and the majority obey staff promptly and show a good awareness of space and each other’s safety. In Year 2, pupils showed a good level of imagination and originality in developing their sequence of movements. The Year 6 lesson provided pupils with a good opportunity to organise themselves independently and to develop their skills of cooperation. All pupils understand the need to warm up and cool down.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. The quality of teaching is mainly good and in half the lessons it is very good. A particular strength of the teaching is the good warm-up session, in which pupils of all ages learn to follow a sequence of movements designed to stretch their muscles. Planning is satisfactory and provides for good skills development. All teachers and support assistants join in the lessons and give good demonstrations of the skills to be practised. This was a particularly strong element of the Year 2 lesson, where the teacher and support assistant demonstrated how to work together as a pair to make up a sequence of movements. Sometimes, however, there are missed opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their skills in order that other pupils can evaluate them. Clear instructions ensure that pupils know what is expected of them and this is particularly helpful for pupils in the early stages of acquiring English. Teachers ensure that

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils are appropriately dressed and pay good attention to safety. They mainly have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. The leadership and management of the subject is satisfactory and the subject is appropriately monitored to improve standards. The curriculum is based on national guidance. The coordinator is newly appointed and is keen to develop the subject, especially the range of out- of-school games opportunities. Currently only football matches are arranged through the local team coach. There is no grassed football pitch, and matches are played in a local recreation ground. Outdoor and adventurous activities are provided on the residential visits undertaken by Key Stage 2 pupils. The two school halls and the outside playgrounds are only just satisfactory for the numbers of pupils. They are used effectively because teachers plan very carefully for the activities. There are some arrangements for orienteering in the local park.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection, one in each key stage. Evidence from these observations, the contribution of school assemblies and looking at pupils’ work indicate that standards in religious education reached by pupils aged seven and eleven are in line with those outlined in the locally Agreed Syllabus. Pupils at both key stages make good progress and achieve well. The curriculum reflects the locally Agreed Syllabus and the topics for each term provide suitable content for the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Improvement over the last two years has been generally good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158. Pupils of all ages, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress in acquiring knowledge of the practices and beliefs of major world religions. In Year 2, pupils have a sound knowledge of the religions Queen’s Park Primary School - 44 followed in the local community. For example, they can talk about church leaders and the places of worship of Christians, Muslims and Hindus. They express feelings about the human need for special places and discuss the special places for worship by people of different faiths.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

159. In Key Stage 2, pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of key ideas in religious education. For example, Year 4 pupils have looked in more detail at places of worship and the significance of the symbols associated with them. They can compare features of Holy books such as the Bible and the Qur’an. In Year 5 pupils have explored celebrations such as a Christening and a Bar Mitzvah. Their writing shows that they are provided with opportunities to consider the plight of others by exploring the work of such organisations as Christian Aid and Islamic Relief in helping suffering people. Years 5 and 6 pupils display knowledge of Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Jewish and Buddhist faiths; they are able to empathise with religions other than their own and talk about them and their believers with respect. Visits to a church and a mosque provide pupils with first hand experience. Computers are used appropriately for information

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

160. Pupils have good attitudes to the subject because the content of the curriculum is made interesting and lessons are well prepared. This has a positive effect on their motivation and learning. The older pupils listen to each other’s views respectfully and the younger ones are confident when expressing their feelings. Overall the subject contributes well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

161. The quality of teaching is good overall in the lessons seen. Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subject and they plan lessons well. They also make good use of questions to challenge and clarify pupils’ understanding and make them think and reflect. Their caring and sensitive approach builds up pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. Teachers make sure that all cultures and faiths are valued and make effective use of pupils’ own cultures to enrich the understanding of others. For example, in a very good Year 5 and 6 lesson the teacher used the experiences of Muslim pupils to enhance a study of Islamic calligraphy and its importance in the Muslim faith. Consequently pupils responded with a high level of interest and enthusiasm and made good progress.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

162. The recently appointed coordinator has a good understanding of how the subject should be developed. She is planning to attend relevant training and develop a policy to support the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus. The school has a good collection of multicultural pictures, books and artefacts. These are centrally stored and easily accessible. Visits to local places of worship such as the Mosque and St Mary Magdalene’s Church and visitors to the school from a local religious organisation, further enhance provision.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

163. The school benefits from the high level of expertise, commitment and enthusiasm of the specialist teacher for pupils with English as an additional language. The overall provision for these pupils is good with some very good features. Pupils are particularly well supported and taught by the specialist teacher and class teachers and other staff also offer generally good support. Pupils therefore learn well and achieve well and are making good or very good progress, particularly when they are supported in lessons or in small groups by specialist staff. There is some good improvement from the previous inspection, particularly in the systems in place for support and the pupils’ standards of work.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

164. The school has more than 85 per cent of pupils with English as their additional language. Almost a quarter of these pupils are at the very earliest stages of acquiring English. In addition almost a fifth of all pupils are of refugee status. The rate of pupils leaving and entering the school is also high. In this context, the importance of early and good quality support for pupils to quickly acquire English is a high priority: the school recognises this fully and the specialist teacher works very closely with other staff to ensure that targets are appropriately set for these pupils. She also directly teaches a high proportion of pupils, including supporting in the nursery. Training for staff in teaching these pupils is quite appropriately ongoing and needs to Queen’s Park Primary School - 45 support the wide range of staff expertise, including some less experienced and unqualified teachers.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

165. The quality of teaching seen in lessons taken by the specialist teacher is consistently very good. Teaching by support staff and class teachers is also generally good and pupils’ work is appropriately targeted, assessed and monitored to ensure that they are making sufficient progress. Teachers use the Stages of English Acquisition to assess, record and monitor pupils’ progress and they are also tracked well through the stages of the National Curriculum. Some pupils are making very rapid progress and meet the national expectations in English and other subjects, by the time they leave the school.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

166. The pupils respond very well to this provision and their learning is often very good, particularly when they receive good support. They are enthusiastic, hard working and able to utilise their existing skills with confidence to tackle new learning. They show good levels of confidence in using their developing language skills for communication and learning. Pupils learn best when they have specific support, particularly those who are at an early stage of acquiring English. Pupils use computers appropriately, particularly as they acquire more advanced skills in English. Children in the nursery progress quickly and are very well supported by all staff, including a part-time bilingual assistant.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

167. Attainment for many of these pupils is often below the national expectations in English, but they are often making swift progress and are achieving well in terms of their initial knowledge.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

168. The school provides well for these pupils and regards their support as a high priority. There is a useful draft policy for pupils with English as their additional language, and other policies such as English provide good support. The school also provides some help for parents in acquiring English, which is very well appreciated, and which parents would like to see extended. Some parents would like also to see more support for helping them to help their children with homework. Translation and interpretation is well used to communicate with pupils and their parents. Relationships with parents and the local community are good.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

169. There are many strengths in the provision, the teaching and the progress made by these pupils. There are also some areas which would benefit from further development. The teaching for pupils at the earliest stages of acquiring English is best when there is a member of the support staff or the specialist teacher working with them, particularly in literacy lessons when some specific support other than from the class teacher is needed. The levels of non-teaching support in a few lessons needs to be improved.

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