Cricket Green School

CRICKET GREEN SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Greg Sorrell RgI’s OIN 21529

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CRICKET GREEN SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 22 nd – 23 rd January 2002

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CRICKET GREEN SCHOOL

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

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CRICKET GREEN 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. Cricket Green School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lower Green West Mitcham Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Cricket Green School Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Nick Draper

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Cricket Green School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 21529 Greg Sorrell Registered inspector 8891 Pam Goldsack Lay inspector 11239 Sue Flockton Team inspector 22391 Nick Smith Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Penta International Upperton House The Avenue Eastbourne BN21 3BY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cricket Green School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

• The overall quality of teaching is good. The teachers are very ably assisted by the role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’ learning. • The quality and range of the curriculum are very good. • The provision made for the pupils’ personal, social and moral development is very effective and promotes very good relationships between staff and pupils. This leads to the pupils having very good attitudes to school. • The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide very good leadership and a clear educational direction for the school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 16

• The use of signing and symbols by staff who teach pupils with more complex special educational needs is inconsistent and could be used more extensively. • Lesson planning sometimes needs to be clearer in its objectives for individual pupils and groups of pupils.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cricket Green School is located in Mitcham and serves mainly pupils from the London Borough of Merton, although a few come from neighbouring boroughs. At the time of the inspection, there are 123 pupils on roll of whom 84 are boys and 39 are girls. Twenty five percent of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. On entry to the school the pupils’ attainment is lower than national averages. The school provides education for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and increasingly for pupils with additional needs including emotional and behavioural difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder. All pupils have statements of special educational need. Approximately ten per cent of pupils have English as an additional language. In recent years the school has been subject to threatened closure as part of a local education authority review of special educational needs provision. This threat has now been removed pending a further review in three years. During the last academic

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

year, the school has also experienced teacher recruitment difficulties that have now been resolved. The headteacher at the time of the previous inspection has since retired and the current headteacher has been in post for one year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Cricket Green School is a good and effective school with many strengths. The pupils make good progress in relation to targets in their individual education plans. In their final year, they achieve success in a wide range of accredited courses that prepares them well for the next stage of their education. The overall quality of teaching is good and often lessons are very good. The school is very well led by a recently appointed headteacher who has embraced the strengths of the school and sought to develop them further. There is a very good ethos in the school that puts the academic and personal development needs of the pupils at its heart. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The overall quality of teaching is good. The teachers are very ably assisted by the role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’ learning. • The quality and range of the curriculum are very good. • The provision made for the pupils’ personal, social and moral development is very effective and promotes very good relationships between staff and pupils. This leads to the pupils having very good attitudes to school. • The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide very good leadership and a clear educational direction for the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The use of signing and symbols by staff who teach pupils with more complex special educational needs is inconsistent and could be used more extensively. • Lesson planning sometimes needs to be clearer in its objectives for individual pupils and groups of pupils. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the action plan prepared by the appropriate authority. Cricket Green School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Cricket Green School was last inspected in July 1997. It has made improvements in all areas identified in that report. Overall improvement since that time is good, with the most significant improvement visible in the use of specialist teachers from Key Stage 3 onwards who add much to the quality of education received by pupils. The quality of individual education plan targets has improved as a result of sustained attention and revision. Recent initiatives continue this focus. The role of subject co-ordinators has improved but further work is required to enable them to be more effective. Recently introduced procedures including performance management and “quality improvement teams” are well placed to increase the effectiveness of subject co-ordinators.

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STANDARDS

The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about how well pupils achieve in relation to their individual targets.

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STANDARDS

mathematics B B unsatisfactory D personal, social and health education B B poor E other personal targets set at annual reviews or in IEPs* B B

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STANDARDS

* IEPs are individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs.

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STANDARDS

The school has set appropriate and challenging targets and is making good progress towards them. Due to the teachers’ appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy in all subjects, as well as in English and mathematics, the pupils make good progress in these important areas. The pupils make good progress in the targets set for them at annual reviews in English, mathematics, science and personal and social development. In IEP’s, reviewed half-termly, the pupils make good progress in a range of academic and social areas. By the age of sixteen , all pupils achieve external accreditation that prepares them well for colleges of further education. The majority of secondary aged pupils become independent travellers, which greatly assists their all-round personal and social development. Cricket Green School - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school The pupils have very positive attitudes to school and their learning

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Overall, the behaviour of the pupils is good. They have a genuine desire to work hard in lessons and behave well. Most pupils move around the school without any fuss. In the playground during breaks, pupils play well together and incidents of poor behaviour are rare.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relations are very strong between pupils and staff. The pupils trust and respect staff and are aware of the support provided when needed to sort out problems. Members of the community, including providers of work experience, talk very positively about the ability of pupils to take on responsibilities and get on with others in new situations.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory overall. The vast majority of pupils’ attend well and only very few have problems attending regularly.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: Years 1 – 6 Years 7 – 11

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching 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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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The overall quality of teaching is good. In lessons seen during the inspection over half were judged to be very good with most of these being in Key Stages 2 and 4. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. The quality of teaching in English, mathematics and science is good. In order to improve the pupils’ levels of literacy and numeracy, the teachers have taken good account of national strategies and also seek to develop these skills in all other subjects and accredited courses. Teaching in personal, social and health education is consistently good and is evident across the curriculum in subjects such as science and careers education. The teachers also increasingly use “circle time” to discuss to explore relevant issues that engage the pupils in problem solving and showing respect for the feelings and views of others. A major strength in the teaching throughout the school is the quality of relationships with pupils

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

which greatly assists the pupils’ desire to learn and meet the expectations of their teachers. The individual needs of pupils are generally effectively met, especially when the teacher is well skilled in using a range of communication strategies for pupils with additional needs. These skills could be more widely used by teachers to assist the pupils in achieving even greater access to the curriculum. The role of the support assistants makes a significant contribution both to the quality of teaching and the pupils’ learning. The pupils who have English as an additional language receive no specialist teaching. Cricket Green School - 9

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Both the quality and range of the curriculum are very good. The school places proper emphasis on literacy, numeracy and personal development and offers all subjects of the National Curriculum and a few extra curricular clubs. The curriculum provided emphasises the school’s strong view of pupils’ rights to a full curriculum at all ages. The importance attached to vocational programmes, accredited courses, careers education and work related learning, including work experience, is very good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The pupils receive no specialist provision for these pupils although class teachers’ support is satisfactory overall.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The overall quality of this provision is good. The school provides very well for the pupils’ personal, moral and social development. Relationships are strong both between pupils and between staff and pupils. This helps the pupils socially and academically and prepares them well for the next stage of education within the school or further education college.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares very well for the pupils who appreciate and understand how the staff support them. Arrangements for ensuring pupils’ health and safety are good as are the procedures for monitoring education and personal progress. Cricket Green School - 10

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership. In a short time she has established a high profile with pupils, parents and staff. She is very well supported by the deputy headteacher and experienced senior management team who work well together. They have maintained the high quality of management and this has had a positive effect upon standards achieved. There is some room for improvement in the co- ordinators role in whole school management.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the appropriate authority fulfils its responsibilities The governing body is very supportive and meets on a regular basis to ensure proper fulfilment of its responsibilities related to finance, personnel and curriculum. Several governors attend training courses to assist them in their duties. The governors were very influential in the successful campaign to keep the school open in the face of planned closure. Their monitoring role in the most recent school improvement plan is under-developed.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance This process is good and improving. Suitable attention has been taken of performance management and this is well supported by school-based “quality improvement teams” and the “joint annual review” in consultation with the local education authority.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Resources are well used on a day-to-day basis. The recent changes in deployment of support assistants is a good example of effective use of available resources. Planning for future developments, including improvements to teaching areas, are linked to the school improvement plan. The processes used to secure best value for the school budget are well established and very effective.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• The leadership and management of the school. • The ease with which they can approach the school with problems. • Their children make good progress in their work and personal development. • They feel that the teachers have high expectations for their children. • The amount and frequency of homework. • The communication between school and home. • The provision of after-school activities.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspectors agree with the very positive views of the parents. The use of homework and expectations for its completion do vary across the school and we note that there are plans to address the issue of homework within the school improvement plan. In view of the regular reports about progress to parents, the inspectors judge that communication with parents is good. Nevertheless, the school will review this whole issue of home-school communications. Inspectors acknowledge the difficulties associated with after-school activities when many pupils rely on scheduled transport between home and school. In recent years school journeys have been a welcome activity for older pupils and discussions are taking place about the possibility of future trips. Cricket Green School - 11

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• The overall quality of teaching is good. The teachers are very ably assisted by the

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

1. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good and is frequently very good in Key Stages 2 and 4. Examples of very good teaching were seen in English, mathematics and science. All teachers give proper emphasis to the teaching of literacy in the subjects they teach and this has a very positive effect upon the progress pupils make.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

2. The teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ work and behaviour. These high expectations, combined with good subject knowledge, result in the pupils making good progress and achieving well. Teachers use a range of strategies to enable the pupils to learn effectively. In the best lessons, clear introductions which include the lesson’s objectives, gave the pupils a good idea about what they are expected to do.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

3. Regular opportunities are given for practical experiences. Examples include, visiting the local community, making sounds and exploring vibrations in science, making calendars to reinforce the concept of time in Year 6, or while on work experience in Year 11. These reinforce pupils’ understanding of concepts. Occasionally, staff do too much for pupils and opportunities for first hand experience are missed. For example, in one lesson, a member of staff took digital photographs of the pupils instead of giving them the responsibility.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

4. Time at the end of lessons is frequently used to aid the assessment of learning. For example, a few minutes is used for the pupils to talk about what they have learned, which also helps to develop their speaking and listening skills. In the majority of cases, these sessions work extremely well and they also assist in the pupils’ personal development as they are encouraged to listen to the views and achievements of others with respect.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

5. Teachers’ subject knowledge is a strong feature throughout the school. In this, the teachers have been well supported by a very good programme of professional development that has many relevant issues including curriculum development and performance management. Subject specialisms in the secondary phase have enabled teachers to focus upon increasing their subject expertise alongside the whole school in-service training related to teaching and learning styles. Primary teachers have made very good use of recent national strategies for literacy and numeracy. For example, they now group pupils for different activities followed by a whole class summary at the end of the lesson.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

6. Relationships with pupils are consistently very good. The pupils receive regular praise and encouragement, which motivates them to achieve their best. The manner in which older pupils are taught is typically age-appropriate and recognises their maturity. Humour is well used and appeals to the pupils’ own sense of fun. This approach prepares them well for the world of work and further education.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

7. The recently revised role of learning support assistants has a very positive impact upon the effectiveness of teaching and consequently pupils’ learning. In their new extended role, the learning support staff are closely involved with lesson planning and departmental developments. They work with groups of pupils according to needs and add to the teachers’ knowledge of individual pupils’ progress. In the best examples, the learning support assistants have a very clear idea of the lesson’s objectives and know the pupils’ individual Cricket Green School - 12 needs well. They use to best advantage their very good relationships with the pupils who show them considerable respect. Some recent training in information and communication technology (ICT) has also given them more confidence to support the pupils’ use of computers.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

8. In a similar way to the increased specialisation of some teachers, a number of support staff are able to develop particular skills which support the teachers and pupils very well. For example, the complete re-organisation of the school’s resources assists the teachers in planning for practical lessons. Whereas, another support assistant works very closely with the speech and language therapist and has gained considerable knowledge and skill in maintaining pupils’ programmes during the recent absence of a specialist.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

9. The teachers’ management of the support assistants is also effective. Notably where they are given specific tasks such as monitoring and recording pupils’ behaviour and interaction for a given period. Teachers direct them well and have a very good working relationship which enables good use to be made of the time available to support the pupils’ learning.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

• The quality and range of the curriculum are very good.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

10. In being an all-age school with an increasingly complex intake, Cricket Green faces up to the curricular challenge very well. The quality and range of learning opportunities offered to all pupils are very good. A lot of thought has gone into the organisation of the curriculum to make it relevant and age-appropriate. For example, the primary phase of the school curriculum is largely delivered on a class basis, where the same teacher teaches most lessons to the same class. This has clear benefits for both the teachers’ knowledge of the pupils and the pupils’ learning within a secure and familiar environment. A well-planned programme of transition is in place for Year 6 and Year 7 pupils to make the adjustment to a more subject specialist secondary phase curriculum.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

11. The curriculum is relevant to the pupils’ needs and has successfully drawn on guidance from national strategies to promote literacy and numeracy. Lessons other than English and mathematics also include regular opportunities to develop these key skills. For example, in information and communication technology and science, the pupils are required to read texts, collect data and talk about their results.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

12. Although appropriate priority is given to literacy and numeracy, the curriculum has a wide breadth that gives the pupils rich and challenging experiences. All subjects of the national curriculum are provided, as are opportunities for accreditation for the oldest pupils and a good programme of personal, social and health education. The recent inclusion of “circle time” gives pupils the chance to explore issues of the day in an informal and supportive atmosphere with their teachers and peers.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

13. The quality of curriculum documentation is good overall, although some policies are in need of review as they have been overtaken by curriculum developments and school practice.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

14. Good use is made of the time available for pupils to achieve their targets and a small range of clubs extends the school day. For example, a football club after school and a daily “breakfast club” provides pupils with good opportunities to socialise and prepare for the day ahead. Similarly, the teachers make effective use of the local environment, for example, the local shops and adventure playground by primary aged pupils to further afield for secondary pupils such as colleges of further education and work experience with local employers. Cricket Green School - 13 15. The curriculum is enriched by the school’s links with other schools, colleges and the local community. Careers education and the work related curriculum is also very good. There is regular input from the careers’ service and a good collection of resources is available in the careers library area. All pupils in their final two years participate in a wide

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

variety of work-related activities, including off-site work placements. These experiences, including a “World of Work” week for all secondary aged pupils, are helped considerably by a very good partnership with local employers and an education-business partnership that holds the school in high regard. The pupils’ personal development is most positively affected by the vocational provision and is strength of the school.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

16. There is well-developed integration programme whereby some pupils attend local mainstream schools on a part-time basis dependant upon their social and educational needs. These links are increasing the school’s capacity to provide appropriate support to its pupils. Similarly, the school enjoys a good reputation with other schools that it supports via part-time placements of pupils at Cricket Green or the provision of advice to colleagues about special educational needs.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

• The provision made for the pupils’ personal, social and moral development is very effective and encourages very good relationships between staff and pupils. This leads to the pupils having very good attitudes to school.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

17. Cricket Green is successful in meeting its stated aim to “develop the pupils into independent and confident young people so that they make successful transitions into the adult world.” Whilst offering a broad and relevant curriculum, the school provides very well for the pupils’ personal development. The positive ethos and stimulating learning environment is evident throughout the school. Very good relationships exist between pupils and staff which stem from the ethos of valuing the school and the people in it.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

18. As an all-age school, the issues of inclusion and meeting the distinct needs of different age groups have been addressed well. There are increased opportunities for choice, which culminate in the selection of work experience and further education college in the final year. In younger age groups, the pupils are given responsibilities around the school which increase their sense of independence and responsibility. From Year 5 upwards, all pupils attend their annual reviews and have the opportunity to give their opinions on what their needs are. As the pupils mature, they play an increasingly proactive part in their own education and recognise the role they have in their own personal development.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

19. There are many ways in which the school successfully promotes the pupils’ moral development. Issues are discussed during “circle time”, the ethos of the school is very much one of respect for oneself and one’s peers. The moral code is held to be very important and any pupils who act against it are very well managed collectively and individually. Many teachers are very skilled in discussing where boundaries lay and how the pupils can use mistakes constructively in order to move on. Consequently, the pupils develop positive attitudes to their education, their peers and teachers that assist them to learn more effectively. Good use is also made of the school’s educational psychologist who has provided courses for Key Stage 3 pupils in anger management.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

20. The teachers and support staff offer very good role models by showing good working relationships between themselves and affording respect for pupils’ views. Interviews with pupils show very clearly they feel valued and secure within the school, which is sometimes in marked contrast to their previous educational experiences.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

21. The school’s attention to pupils’ social development is also very good and has a positive impact upon the pupils’ achievements and attitudes. For example, regular promotion Cricket Green School - 14 of “togetherness” during assemblies where achievements of pupils are valued. Similarly, the local community is used very well to enrich the pupils’ education. Many pupils become independent travellers as a result of carefully programmed activities that enable them to be confident users of public transport. A number of older pupils enjoyed contributing to the community by way of an art exhibition that displayed their artwork to the public in a local library. Visits to the exhibition by pupils, parents and staff confirmed their evident sense of pride and achievement. Regular support for international communities, including, Bosnia, Kosovo and a South African orphanage enable the pupils to become aware of the wider

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

22. On a day to day basis, the pupils show respect for staff and visitors. They are happy to talk about their work and understand that their ability to work with others helps the school to be the pleasant place they like so much. Occasionally, a minority of pupils behave in less sociable ways, in many cases, it is the pupils themselves who point out the error and help their peers to resolve such difficulties.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

• The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide very good leadership and a clear educational direction for the school.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

23. Since the last inspection, Cricket Green School has been presented with several potential barriers to school improvement. These include, threatened school closure, the retirement of a very effective and experienced headteacher and periods of acute staff shortage. As a result of very good leadership, from the previous headteacher, acting headteacher and current headteacher, the adverse effects of these difficulties have been minimised and the school has continued to thrive.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

24. At the time of the last inspection, Cricket Green was judged to be a good school. The strengths that were evident then have been maintained. The new headteacher recognises those strengths and has sought to build upon the firm foundations laid by the previous headteacher and senior management team. Significant in the transition between headteachers, has been the very effective role of the deputy headteacher who also served as acting headteacher. She has ensured that the change in leadership has been made as smoothly as possible, with little adverse impact upon the school’s development.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

25. The new headteacher has a positive view of the school, its community and future role in meeting the needs of its pupils. She is viewed most positively by the parents and plays an active role in all aspects of the school. For example, she makes regular visits to classrooms and is available to see pupils and their work at first hand which help her to form a view of pupils’ standards and needs.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

26. Difficulties in teacher recruitment and resultant shortages in full-time staff have been properly recognised as a serious challenge to the school. Since the governors appointed four new members of staff during the last summer term, the deputy headteacher has implemented a new induction programme that assists the staff to integrate quickly and consequently enhance pupils’ standards. New members of staff speak well of the way in which they have been familiarised with procedures and welcomed to the school.

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

27. The school has a strong history of self-review which has enabled it to make good progress since the last inspection. Regular reviews that involve all staff, governors and the local education authority enable the school to focus upon what is important. The current school improvement plan is relevant to the needs of the school, although the structure of the plan could be improved by combining some of the elements into more manageable projects. Additionally, increased references to the role of governors would more accurately reflect the role they have in shaping the direction of the school. Cricket Green School - 15 28. Recent management initiatives have included re-organisation of departmental teams with a new co-ordinator system, performance management for all staff, new roles for support assistants, and quality improvement teams to review specific areas of the school’s work. Inevitably, when systems are new they take some time to become fully effective as staff look

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role of support assistants. This has a most positive effect upon the pupils’

to work within new management structures. For example, subject co-ordinators’ whole school overview of assessment and standards is not always comprehensive across key stages where they don’t teach. Nevertheless, these developments show a strong commitment to raising standards and achieving best value when deploying resources. Cricket Green School - 16

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

• The use of signing and symbols by staff who teach pupils with more complex special educational needs is inconsistent and could be used more extensively.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29. In recent years, appropriate in-service training on a range of issues has been provided including curriculum development and behaviour management. There has also been some training in augmentative communication, which includes the use of symbols and signing to aid pupils who find text and verbal communication difficult. For example, some teachers have looked at systems such as Makaton and the Picture Exchange Communication System. (PECS)

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

30. The impact of augmentative communication training, which can involve the use of pictures, symbols and signing is yet to be fully utilised by all staff who need to use it. The lack of implementation is a combination of training requirements and lack of confidence by teachers and learning support staff. Occasionally, this results in a few pupils being frustrated by their inability to communicate and lose concentration. Where teachers have additional skills of communication, the pupils with more complex needs are enabled to access the curriculum more easily. For example, the pupils are more likely to understand initial instructions for a lesson if they are presented with familiar symbols and pictures rather than speech that can contain quite complex language.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31. Some teachers use the computer to produce symbol-supported text. This enables these teachers to produce meaningful displays and visual aids to reinforce learning. As a result the pupils enrich their vocabulary and develop improved communication skills. In a few classes, the pupils can produce written work assisted in this way which has a positive impact upon their learning and presentation of work. Where this is not happening, the pupils who need such support for their written work do not yet receive it.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

§ Lesson planning sometimes needs to be clearer in its objectives for individual pupils and groups of pupils.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32. The school’s curriculum is well planned to ensure teachers know the material they will cover with specific groups over forthcoming terms. These medium term plans are well developed. However, at present, there is no consistent format for lesson planning, so that expected learning outcomes for individuals or small groups of pupils are not always clear. Some staff are using a suggested strategy of providing different expected lesson outcomes for the pupils, depending upon ability. Essentially, three levels of outcomes are planned into the lesson. These are set for all pupils, most pupils and some pupils. For example, “all pupils will be made aware of the skills required for the world of employment; most pupils will identify skills to specific jobs and some pupils will research jobs within school linking known skills and qualities to each.” Where this is in place, teachers have a clearer basis for planning the

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

lesson’s activities. They are also able to assess pupils against the specific outcomes, enabling them to see the progress which pupils are making and plan the next lesson’s objectives accordingly. The best objectives relate directly to those with the scheme of work or accredited course.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

33. Where this is not happening the learning objectives for individuals are not always sufficiently clear to enable teachers to gauge whether progress has been made and thereby effectively plan for the next step. This can lead to assessments of pupils’ progress being made without sufficient reference to national curriculum level descriptors or account of what has happened in lessons. Cricket Green School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Enable all staff to develop appropriate augmentative communication skills to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the pupils, and where appropriate use ICT to support this development. (2) Introduce a consistent lesson planning format that enables teachers to include appropriate learning objectives for the pupils. Cricket Green School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 123

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 43

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cricket Green School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 8 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 10 Black – African heritage 1 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: Y1 – Y11

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13 Financial year 2000/1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 9.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Total income 789,773

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y[ ] – Y[ ] Total expenditure 763,253

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 16 Expenditure per pupil 6,413

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 432 Balance brought forward from previous year 69,858

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 37,362

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Cricket Green School - 20

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 65 25 5 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 49 36 9 2 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 33 16 5 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 75 18 7 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 78 16 2 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 25 2 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 67 24 4 2 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 80 16 2 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 73 24 9 2 16

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 44 29 9 2 16

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The inspectors agree with the positive views of the parents. The use of homework by teachers does vary across the school as does expectations for its completion: there are plans to address the issue of homework within the school improvement plan. In view of the regular reports about progress to parents, the inspectors judge that communication with parents is satisfactory. Nevertheless, the school will review this whole issue of home-school communications. Inspectors acknowledge the difficulties associated with after-school activities when many pupils rely of scheduled transport between home and school. In recent years school journeys have been a welcome activity for older pupils and discussions are taking place about the possibility of future trips. Parents welcome the opportunity to attend the Cricket Green School - 21 end of year assemblies to celebrate achievement and have expressed their wish to be invited

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