Wigmore Primary

WIGMORE COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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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WIGMORE COUNTY 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. Wigmore Primary School - 3 - April 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Twyford Drive Luton Bedfordshire Postcode: LU2 9TB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Lawrence Patterson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 June 1997 Wigmore Primary School - 4 - April 2002

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Heather Evans Registered inspector Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? School's results and achievements; How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? Michael Freeman Lay inspector Pupils' attitudes, values and personal development; How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Michael Lafford Team inspector English; Geography; Physical Education Anne Hogbin Team inspector Music; Foundation Stage Cynthia Messom Team inspector Mathematics; Art and design Special educational needs Carole Cressey Team inspector History; Religious Education English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Wigmore Primary School - 5 - April 2002 Vivienne Brittain Team inspector Science; Information and communication

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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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 Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Wigmore Primary School - 6 - April 2002

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Wigmore Primary school is a much larger than average primary school situated near to Luton Airport. There are 537 pupils on roll including 80 full-time places in the Reception classes. All of the pupils speak English as their first language although some are from homes where other languages are spoken. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is at 15 per cent below the national average and the number of pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs is at 13 per cent also below the national average. These children have most difficulties in language and literacy although a considerable number have problems with their emotional and behavioural development. There are four pupils with statements of special educational need. There have been many changes since the last inspection. One of the two deputy headteachers gained promotion to a headship in December 2001 and no replacement

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

has been appointed. In the past two years 12 teachers have left the school and 13 have been appointed. In September 2001, for the first time, full-time education was made available for all children who will be five before the end of the following August. Children’s attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage varies but overall it is similar to that found for children of the same age nationally.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with some very good features. The school is committed to improving standards in all that it does This is because the leadership of the headteacher, the key staff and the work of the entire management team are good. The systems that are being used to monitor the school’s performance are practical and are resulting in improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. Pupils are expected to work hard and to give of their best and the school rightly places great importance on their care and personal development. This in turn leads to good behaviour being the norm and in very successful learning taking place although a small minority of pupils still display challenging behaviour in some lessons and this then slows the pace of learning. There has been good improvement since the last inspection and overall the school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The leadership of the headteacher, the key staff and the governors is good. • Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults is very good. • The quality of teaching and the quality of work of the support staff is predominantly good. • The provision for children in the Reception classes is good. • Pupils attain above average standards in art and design, history, geography and religious education by the time they are 11. • The care of pupils is good. • The provision for pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. • The use of cross-curricular links and the review of learning to inform planning are good. • The shared commitment of all adults in the school to maintain the level of improvement is good.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The nature of the accommodation inhibits the work of the school and the learning of pupils. • There is no provision for secure outdoor play facilities for children in the Foundation Stage. • The role of the subject leaders in subjects other than English mathematics and science requires further development. • The style of communication with parents and ways of promoting home and school links in order to raise standards need to be reviewed. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in 1997. Since then it has made good improvement. The school has addressed all of the identified areas with considerable but not total success. All of the curriculum areas have been reviewed and strengthened especial art and design, music, history and information and communication technology. The making element of design and technology is much improved although Wigmore Primary School - 8 - April 2002 the school needs to enable the planned work to improve design to be completed across all classes. Assessment procedures are now good and provide useful information for teachers with which to assess progress and inform planning. The full implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, Curriculum 2000 and the introduction of full-time provision for children in the Reception classes at the Foundation Stage have made a strong impact on the school’s improvement. There has been

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improvement in the information provided for parents about curriculum issues, pupils’ progress and planned events but there remains scope for further review and improvement in this area.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: All schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Standards have been maintained in English, mathematics and science for pupils at the age of seven and 11. However, the results are erratic because some year groups have significantly more pupils with low prior attainment or special educational needs than others. At the end of Year 2 in 2001 the results of the statutory tests and assessments were similar to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. In comparison with similar schools they were average in reading, writing and mathematics. The inspection findings are that attainments in reading, writing, mathematics and science by the end of Year 2 are close to the national average. At the end of Year 6 the results of the National Curriculum tests in 2001 were average in English, mathematics and science. When compared with similar schools they were above for all of these subjects. Inspection findings are that attainment at the end of Year 6 is on course to match the national average in English, mathematics and science The

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STANDARDS

overall trend of improvement is in line with that found nationally. The school has set challenging targets for raising standards in English and mathematics and pupils’ performance during the inspection indicates that they are on course to meet these targets. Attainment in religious education matches the requirements of the Local Education Authority Agreed Syllabus at seven and exceeds it by the time pupils are 11. Standards in information and communication technology are at a satisfactory level overall and, now that the computer suite has been refurbished they are improving across the school. In all other subjects pupils make good gains in their skills, knowledge and understanding. In art and design, and geography pupils in Year 2 attain at an above average level. Pupils in Year 6 exceed the expected level in art and design, history and geography. In the Foundation Stage children make good progress in all of

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STANDARDS

the areas of learning. Now that the Foundation Stage is becoming established, giving the younger children a better start, the management team is looking to raise standards across the school over the coming years.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes to school; they want to attend and they treat the building and the learning resources with respect.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of Behaviour is good overall because pupils are usually managed well. Wigmore Primary School - 9 - April 2002 classrooms Pupils understand the system of rewards and sanctions of the behaviour policy and the few who misbehave are dealt with fairly.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships are very good; pupils demonstrate a growing understanding of the values and beliefs of others. Most pupils show good personal initiative and are taking increasing responsibility for managing their own work in most subjects.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Overall attendance rates are satisfactory. The school is making the elimination of unauthorised absence a priority. There have been no exclusions.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall 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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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching, for all groups of pupils including those with special educational needs is predominantly good although it is stronger in Years 4 - 6. Teaching was excellent in 7 lessons, very good in 28, good in 31 and satisfactory in 23 out of 90 lessons. There was just one unsatisfactory lesson. This good and very good level of teaching has a significant impact on the quality of pupils’ learning whatever their age or prior level of attainment. A strong feature is the teachers’ grasp of the National Strategies for literacy and numeracy and their skills in teaching English and mathematics. Across the school teachers communicate their enthusiasm for their own specialist subjects and in this way they inspire pupils to learn. They have high expectations for pupils and all teachers work hard to extend pupils’ vocabulary and develop their language skills. They expect behaviour to be good and teachers successfully follow the firm guidance of the behaviour policy in most lessons although there are

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

occasional difficulties. Lessons are well planned and pupils are clear about what they are expected to do and learn. Time is managed well and when work is finished teachers invariably have additional and more difficult activities ready to extend the learning of the average attaining and higher attaining pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum meets all statutory requirements. The quality and range of learning opportunities are good. The extra provision made through clubs, educational visits and by visitors to the school is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There is good provision for all of the pupils with special educational needs. Pupils are identified early and good support is given.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ personal development is very well organised and pupils’ personal skills are very well developed. There is good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares very effectively for all its pupils. The policy and procedures for Child Protection are good. Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully and information gathered is used well to promote learning. Wigmore Primary School - 10 - April 2002 The school cares for the pupils very well and no weaknesses remain in the curricular provision. Despite implementing a number of useful initiatives the school does not yet have a close positive relationship with a small but significant group of parents and this spoils what for the majority of parents is a good partnership for supporting the work of pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and his deputy are good. They have a clear vision for the school and their commitment encourages the rest of the management team, the staff and pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is knowledgeable, and is fully committed to the school providing very effective support. It is dedicated to the standing of the school in the community and is fully involved in decision making.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s awareness of its strengths and weaknesses is very good. This knowledge enables staff and governors to make good progress in addressing those areas identified for improvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The use of every part of the accommodation and of learning resources is good. Every initiative is linked successfully to the priorities listed in the school development plan.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There is a good number of qualified staff who are deployed very effectively. The school buildings are too small for the large numbers of pupils who are mostly taught in one of the many temporary classrooms throughout the spacious and attractive grounds. The school is welcoming and is maintained very well. The space required to develop the Foundation Stage has made further inroads into the already over- stretched facilities in the small main building. Learning resources across the school are satisfactory but storage space is at a premium. The governors and the management team are skilled at obtaining good value in all of their enterprises.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Their children like school. • Children are expected to work hard. • Their children are seen to make good progress. • They find all the staff very approachable. • They appreciate the quality of the teaching. • The amount and style of homework. • Extra-curricular activities. • Links with and involvement of parents. • The information provided for parents.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection team agrees with the parents about their positive views. The team considers that overall the pattern of setting and marking homework as reflected in the homework diaries seen is about right. The team does not agree with parents that there are too few activities that support learning outside lessons considering the range of clubs and the visits made by pupils to interesting places and the visitors who bring learning opportunities into school. However, the team considers that whilst the information provided for parents is satisfactory overall, there is room for improvement in the style and content of written communications. Inspectors believe that the school and parents should explore ways of working together to create a closer working partnership in order to improve learning and further raise standards. Wigmore Primary School - 11 - April 2002

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The school’s results and achievements

1. There is no Nursery and since the start of this academic year children start school in Foundation Stage in the September of the school year in which they will be five. Previously there was limited provision in the Reception class for some children and the school provided opportunities for learning in what was called the ‘four plus’ group. Many of the children have had some experience in a number of local nurseries or in pre-school play groups before starting at the school although a few come straight from home. Children in the Foundation Stage follow a programme of work leading towards the Early Learning Goals. On entry there is a spread of attainment but tests to establish children’s attainment on entry show that for the majority of children their attainment is close to that of the average child in the authority and that usually found for children of the same age nationally. The school provides a suitable range of

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The school’s results and achievements

experiences in all the areas of learning and almost all children are on course to attain the Early Learning Goals before they leave the Foundation Stage. When they start school many children have very well developed personal and social skills and are eager to learn although some have only limited linguistic skills and their numeracy skills are underdeveloped. Children enjoy school and play and work with their peers in a positive and profitable way that enables them to make good progress. There is a very good range of stimulating activities provided for children to develop skills in creativity such as painting and listening to and creating music. Children develop well physically and enjoy making models with construction toys and demonstrate a range of skills on the computers. Overall children are well prepared for the work of the National Curriculum by the time they start Year 1.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. In the National Curriculum tests in 2001 the proportion of seven-year-olds attaining the expected level 2 in reading was in line with the national average. The percentage obtaining level 3 was close to the national average. In writing, the proportion attaining the expected level was a little below average while the percentage getting level 3 was similar to the national figure. When compared to schools of a similar type pupils' performance in both reading and writing was close to the national average.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The inspection evidence indicates that the structured work in matched ability groups is proving to be a positive and successful way forward. For the last four years, overall standards have varied slightly between the different groups, depending on the differing numbers of pupils with special educational needs, but, overall, the trend over time is that standards of attainment in English have been close to the national average. When it is taken into account that at least a third of the group had very little formal education before Year 1 the results indicate that pupils are doing as well as might be expected.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Pupils aged seven to 11 extend the skills established in the infant department. In the 2001 Statutory National Curriculum tests the proportion of 11-year-olds attaining the expected level 4 was in line with the national percentage. A higher than average proportion attained the higher levels. When compared with similar schools pupils performed better than average.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Pupils listen carefully and are developing good strategies for explaining their views and sustaining a well-reasoned argument. They enjoy the literacy hour and the majority Wigmore Primary School - 12 - April 2002 read fluently and accurately. Pupils are beginning to develop pleasing personal styles in their handwriting. They write in an imaginative way in creative writing and produce concise reports that get to the heart of the matter when writing factually. The use of punctuation to enliven their text is good and pupils check their edited work carefully to eliminate spelling mistakes.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests, taken by pupils at the end of Year 2 show that the majority of pupils attain the national standard of Level 2, and almost one third attain the higher level. Overall the results are in line with the national average, but above those of schools with similar intakes. Observations of work seen in class and in pupils’ books indicate that this year results will be similar but that the trend for the future is upward.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Attainment is sustained and enhanced in Years 3-6. The results of the National Curriculum tests, taken at the end of Year 6, in 2001 show that the majority of pupils attain the nationally expected Level 4, and that nearly one third attain the higher levels. Overall the results are in line with the national average, and above those for similar schools. Work seen during the inspection indicates an upward trend in achievement that is becoming firmly established. Test results are carefully analysed by staff, so that areas where pupils achieve less well may be addressed through careful planning and target setting.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. By the time they are seven pupils know about and understand the manipulation of numbers up to and beyond 100 with increasing confidence. They calculate the change one needs from 50p or £1, when undertaking shopping tasks, using multiplication, addition and subtraction with growing accuracy and most pupils record their work carefully and readily explain the process for their calculations. This work is supported well by practical activities. They explain their reasons to the class sometimes seeking new ways to surprise their teachers. Boys and girls are learning that the process of repeated addition helps them to check simple multiplication. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils at the age of 11 are working at an overall level that is close to that expected for pupils of the same age nationally. The process for extending the learning opportunities for those pupils capable of higher attainment is working well.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The standards in English and mathematics in Years 2 and 6 were about average before the implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies These strategies have been incorporated successfully into the work of the school and, as a result, the depth of understanding and the quality of pupils’ work is improving. Individual pupils are working well towards meeting their own targets and the school is well on course to meet the targets it has set for itself. Pupils are not always sufficiently involved in setting their own individual targets although they are all sure what they need to know and do in order to attain above the expected level 4 in the Year 6 classes. Since the last inspection the overall standards of attainment have been close to the national average and have risen at a similar rate to those in most schools nationally.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. In science the 2001 teacher assessments of the attainment of seven year olds show that the percentage of pupils reaching and exceeding the national expected level was below that of most schools across the country and below the standards of similar schools. The reason for this is in part the fact that many pupils did not begin to learn any scientific facts before Year 1 and as a result were unsure how to conduct investigations or use scientific language. The National Curriculum test results for pupils at 11 were in line with the national average and better than those of similar schools. Standards at eleven have risen in line with the national trend over the past four years. Inspection findings suggest that, generally, standards for pupils in Years 2 Wigmore Primary School - 13 - April 2002 and Year 6 are the same as the national average. Teachers are concentrating on work to improve the pupils’ experiences and are providing a rich range of opportunities for

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The school’s results and achievements

practical work and for experimentation and investigation in the classroom and in the environment. This work is proving to be beneficial in raising expectations and in maintaining and improving standards. In Year 6, more pupils are attaining Level 5 each year.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 know a great deal about living things and life processes and with the support of the teachers they conduct interesting experiments about the environment. Pupils rigorously question all things presented to them as facts and apply established knowledge to new learning in experiments. This was seen to good effect in lessons where pupils set up investigations with plants where they were careful to maintain exactly the same conditions for different kinds of seeds and plants. They are confident when making predictions and they persist with their ideas until they have discovered the truth for themselves. They are developing good skills in thinking of pertinent questions and are beginning to write and answer these as part of the recording process in their books. In some lessons however pupils rely too heavily on teachers and expect the recording process to be prepared for them.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Pupils at the end of Year 6 have good recall of work undertaken previously and are able to explain about solids, gases and liquids and explain how gases and liquids can change shape to fit any containers. They build well on work in electricity begun in younger classes and construct circuits to including bells, lights and buzzers. They explain clearly what they are doing and most can explain how to solve problems if the circuit is faulty. Work to separate solids in mixtures and to recover salts from solutions is carried out in a methodical and structured way. Pupils readily relate learning in one lesson to work planned and undertaken at the next stage. When they record their work in diagrams or on charts it is usually presented well. They are good at interpreting recorded results from graphs and tables and pupils are encouraged to devise their own strategies for recording and evaluating results. This work is increasingly

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The school’s results and achievements

completed using skills learned in information and communication technology.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. Throughout the school the overall attainment levels in information and communication technology meet national requirements for pupils at seven and 11. This is an improvement since the time of the last inspection. Unfortunately the improvements have been hampered during the present year by a substantial crash of the entire system caused by an electric storm that resulted in machines and much saved work being destroyed. This difficulty has now been rectified and good progress is again being achieved. Some pupils have access to personal computers at home and for these pupils attainment is invariably above the expected level. Pupils use their skills in information and communication technology readily and confidently to support other subjects across the curriculum. Pupils quickly access menus and load and retrieve their personal work from stored files very well. A growing number of pupils manipulate

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The school’s results and achievements

spreadsheets to access stored information and older pupils are skilled at importing pictures. The use of remote controlled robots around the classrooms and on the screen enables pupils to develop skills and some display a satisfactory understanding of control technology. The great majority of pupils, between Year 1 and Year 6 make good progress in a purposeful way.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. In religious education pupils across the school follow a programme of work that enables them to match the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus by the age of seven and to exceed it by the time they are 11. They know about a range of different Christian traditions and practices and compare these sensitively with traditions from other faiths. Pupils are able to discuss faiths and traditions such as Islam, Judaism Wigmore Primary School - 14 - April 2002 Sikhism and Hinduism very sensitively and relate their ideas to experiences in the classroom and on school visits to places of worship. Pupils have a good understanding of the rights of children and about people from history that have fought for the right to hold their beliefs in different countries, sometimes in the face of oppression.

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The school’s results and achievements

15. The amount, quality and range of work in all other subjects is at least as good and is most frequently better than that described at the time of the previous report. Attainment levels in design and technology, physical education, history and music meet national requirements for pupils by the age of seven and are better than average in art and design and geography. By the age of eleven, attainments in art and design, geography and history are above the national expectations and at least match national expectations in all other subjects. In all subjects pupils benefit from the shared expertise of the teaching and support staff who maintain a fully rounded curriculum alongside new national initiatives.

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The school’s results and achievements

16. Pupils of all abilities are expected to work hard. All groups of pupils including those with special educational needs, average and above average attaining pupils learn well. Although some pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds or from different religious groups, at home all of the pupils speak English as their first language. These pupils are supported well in school and make good progress alongside their friends in all classes. During the inspection no difference was observed overall in the learning, attainment or progress of any of these groups and, although the gender balance in some classes leans heavily towards either girls or boys, no significant difference was observed in the overall learning and progress of boys and girls. This is an improvement from the time of the last inspection.

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The school’s results and achievements

17. Teachers place great demands on themselves and on all pupils. Since the last inspection all of the programmes of work have been reviewed and learning in classes is purposeful and relevant to the needs of groups and individuals. The needs of the pupils and the stated intention of maintaining the standards of attainment at the nationally expected levels and increasing the number of subjects where above average levels have been attained has been successfully achieved. Progress over time is demonstrated to be at a good level as seen in lessons and in the work in books and other collected evidence. Overall the standards of literacy and numeracy by the time pupils leave the school are at or above the national average. In turn these standards are having a positive effect on all the work of other subjects and learning throughout the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. The previous report noted that there were good attitudes, behaviour and values present throughout the school and that relationships were very good. These positive aspects have been maintained and are still strengths of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They are eager to learn, enjoy attending school and co-operate well with one another. They work hard and diligently, take a pride in their work and are interested and involved in their lessons. They respect the school buildings, equipment and grounds and there is no graffiti or litter throughout the school. The flowering shrubs in the grounds are admired and seen to be a rich resource for work in art and design and science. Pupils move around the school in a safe, calm and orderly manner. They respect the school’s aims and have regard for the ideas and opinions of others. They show how they care for others who might be feeling sad or unhappy by using the friendship bench in the grounds where lonely Wigmore Primary School - 15 - April 2002 children might go to find a friend. That this bench is usually empty and pupils of all ages play very harmoniously together indicates that a sympathetic spirit is at large

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. A further strength lies in the generally good behaviour of pupils. Most pupils are well behaved and, although there are one or two disruptive pupils in some classes, the school’s behaviour management strategies are usually effective. However, in those lessons where the lesson planning and the pace of work are less good some attention is lost and there is then an element of inappropriate behaviour by a few pupils. When this occurs the management of such behaviour is more difficult and good lessons slip to being no more than satisfactory. The school has a good, well structured agreed policy for managing behaviour and simple, mutually agreed classroom rules together with a clear and effective rewards and sanctions system contribute substantially towards the overall good behaviour of pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. Pupils’ relationships with one another and with adults are very good. The inspection team was particularly impressed by how friendly and polite the children are. This has much to do with the positive way in which behaviour is managed with the vast majority of pupils having high levels of self-esteem. In addition staff act as good models for how to respond to pupils’ needs by making themselves available for pupils outside lesson times. As a result they enjoy the confidence of the pupils in their charge.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. The school has a very successful school council, which helps to give pupils a real sense of ownership in the school. Pupils take their roles in the school council seriously because they know that the school always listens to them and often acts on their suggestions, for example following up their ideas for improving the playgrounds and looking to extend the range of after school activities. The school council is yet another example of pupils’ very positive response to the trust and respect the school shows them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

23. The school has been involved with the local Behaviour Action Zone project. During the inspection pupils were involved in an interesting dance and mime performance by the touring company ‘Box Clever ‘. This was enjoyed by all of the older pupils. In the evening members of the staff and the governing body as well as the small number of parents who accepted the invitation to attend also learned from the experience. The performance covered the themes of friendship and bullying in schools and involved the audience actively. This successfully reinforced the anti-bullying stance of the school. Both pupils and parents state that there is very little bullying in the school and that on the few instances that it does occur it is dealt with promptly and effectively. Although there are pupils in the school whose families have come to Luton from other countries there is a commendable lack of racism. Even the youngest pupils know

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

what to do should they ever feel that they have been subjected to any bullying or oppressive behaviour. The school is proving successful in its efforts to minimise instances of inappropriate behaviour and maintain its good stance on including all pupils in the range of activities that are suitable for each age group.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

24. Attendance is satisfactory overall and is improving. Most pupils enjoy school, attend regularly and arrive punctually. The attendance rate for the last school year was below the national average but this was largely due to the irregular attendance of a small number of pupils. The policy about unauthorised absence is applied very firmly. There have been no exclusions for some years, despite the presence of those few pupils who display challenging patterns of behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Wigmore Primary School - 16 - April 2002 25. Overall the picture of teaching is good across the school. Teaching was observed in 89 lessons or parts of lessons during the inspection. In all but one of the lessons seen the quality of teaching was at least satisfactory. In one quarter of lessons the teaching was satisfactory and more than seven in every ten lessons were judged to be at least good. More than a third of lessons were good, a further third very good and seven of the lessons seen were excellent. The majority of lessons in the Foundation Stage were good. The quality of teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection when only six per cent of lessons were marked as very good or excellent and one lesson in five was reported to be unsatisfactory. Since the previous inspection there have been many changes in staffing. Following training for the new staff their is improved knowledge and understanding by the teachers and, as a result, the quality of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teaching is now proving to have a positive effect on the pupils’ attitudes to learning. Pupils’ enthusiasm for every subject and their eagerness to follow teachers’ instructions is helping them to learn well and to make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The school has introduced the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and Curriculum 2000 successfully and this has helped to improve planning strategies and lift the overall quality of teaching. The training in planning and evaluating work undertaken in the preparation for the new initiatives has had a positive effect in other subjects particularly in, art and design, history religious, education and music. Few weaknesses in teaching remain although there are still isolated instances for teachers to be very protective of their pupils, to be over directive and sometimes to inhibit independent learning. This is rare and was seen mostly on the first day of the inspection. The challenge for pupils of all attainment levels to reach or exceed their targets is part of the listed strategies in all of the teachers’ planning and assessment files.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers’ secure subject knowledge forms the firm foundation for the continuing good results brought about by the imaginative work undertaken by pupils to extend their learning. All teachers have a good understanding of the Literacy and Numeracy strategies and, as a result, they help pupils to develop these skills effectively. Literacy and numeracy lessons are structured well in accordance with the recommendations of the relevant national strategies. Pupils are taught in matched attainment sets after Year 1 according to their attainment levels, so that work is closely matched to their individual needs. Teachers select from a range of methods to teach whole classes and groups in an interesting and challenging way. In Years 1 and 2 and again in Years 3-6 basic skills are taught well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers in the Foundation Stage which was developed as a full-time part of the school from the school initiated four plus group in September 2001, demonstrate good understanding of how young children learn by using a wide range of practical strategies. They involve these youngest children in the work towards attaining the Early Learning Goals systematically and effectively. Strategies to introduce these children to a modified approach to literacy and numeracy are just beginning to be implemented in preparation for the children moving into the work of the National Curriculum when they enter Year 1. Throughout the school teachers are sure of the purpose of all planned activities and explain them well to their pupils. Teachers challenge pupils in line with their individual targets in most lessons. Teachers rarely accept pupils’ completed work without pointing out areas of success and suggesting

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

how the next piece of work might be improved. These small increases are instrumental in building pupils’ self-esteem and showing how they might attain their ultimate goal, which is to beat their own best effort each time. The teachers’ knowledge, planning, control, organisation and management of pupils are Wigmore Primary School - 17 - April 2002 predominantly good and their expectations for pupils of all attainment levels are increasingly high. Most pupils readily accept the challenge and are beginning to attain good and sometimes very good standards. When the few pupils misbehave and challenge the school’s code of behaviour teachers apply the code fairly. Sometimes however this action causes the pace of the lesson to slow resulting in what would have been a good lesson to be no more than satisfactory. Across the school, teachers’ good subject knowledge, high expectations and increasing challenge are

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

enabling pupils to learn well and to extend their developing skills across a range of subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers in classes across the school explain exactly what they expect pupils to learn. In many lessons the objectives for the lesson are discussed with pupils and displayed on the board. Pupils and teachers decide what the learning intentions are and how they will know that they have achieved their aims. During lessons many teachers asked pupils to review the objectives and together they read them again. At the end they check whether they have all been accomplished. This approach focuses pupils’ thinking and attention on what they are doing and why. Pupils benefit from reflecting on the purpose of the lesson and this enables them to be sure of what they have learned and how it fits the pattern of their work in other lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. This planning for shared learning objectives between classes for pupils of the same age is a part of the best lesson preparation for all teachers. Where colleagues plan together it is an important feature to ensure equality of access for all pupils. This is especially important as classes are often some distance apart and collaboration is not an easy natural extension of all lessons and has to be planned for and worked at. The working together in preparation for teaching new and familiar work is essential with parallel classes at all age groups throughout the school and it is done well. Planning is particularly effective in English, mathematics and science but is also seen to good effect in all other subjects across the school. This extends to good use of resources in many lessons including good use of support staff and the environment. Teachers have good procedures for assessing the gains in progress that pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

make. The vast majority use the information gathered on a day-to-day basis well to help them develop the next stage of the learning programme. This assessment is tracked in their planning files and contributes to revisions in the next stage of short- term planning. Wigmore Primary School - 18 - April 2002 31. Pupils with special educational needs are identified as soon as possible in the Foundation Stage or when they transfer to the school from other schools. The teacher responsible for special educational needs and the class teacher assess the pupils and write an individual education plan for each one. Teachers work towards clear targets that are set. Short steps are essential to help pupils realise that progress is being made. Teachers work very hard and receive good assistance from all support staff. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make good gains in their knowledge, skills and understanding, particularly in literacy and numeracy. The

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

majority of pupils on the special needs register have difficulties in literacy or with emotional or behavioural difficulties. The planning of specific activities to ensure that work is sufficiently matched to the pupils’ particular learning needs is precise and this results in progress for the identified pupils being as good as for others in the class. Although children from other groups are sometimes bilingual all of the pupils consider English to be their first language. However the school is careful to check that no linguistic difficulties are the cause of learning problems.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

32. Teachers mark pupils’ work well. In most books the marked work includes praise for success and pointers for improvement. The praise for even small improvements is tracked through the pupils’ books and any tendency to slip back into less acceptable patterns is noted by teachers and even more encouragement to improve is provided. There is an effective system in place for marking that ensures that the correction of errors does not undermine pupils’ efforts and good work so causing them to lose confidence and self-esteem.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

33. The policy for setting and marking homework is satisfactory. Pupils are given tasks to perform or work to do at home compliance is checked and the work is either marked or used in following lessons. Many pupils maintain their homework diaries well but some are less meticulous and then they sometimes require to be more carefully monitored by teachers. During the week pupils are prompted about returning completed work. Pupils invariably take home books to read, words and multiplication tables to learn and, as they get older, additional work to help them revise, support or extend the work undertaken in school. Most but not all pupils are supported very well in this work by their parents.

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PUPILS?

34. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection and is now good. The school provides an interesting and stimulating curriculum for all groups of pupils, which contributes to their academic and personal, social and emotional development. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. All National Curriculum subjects now receive suitable coverage and religious education is taught following the guidance followed by most schools in Luton as seen in the locally agreed syllabus. Previous weaknesses in history, art and design, design technology and information and communication technology have been addressed ensuring that all aspects of the subjects are taught. A well-planned curriculum ensures that sufficient time is available for all subjects. Policies and schemes of work are in place, which ensure that skills, knowledge and understanding are effectively built on as pupils progress though the

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PUPILS?

school. The Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented well and provide a secure framework for teaching and learning. These strategies ensure that there is an effective framework for learning, which supports new teachers well and makes a significant contribution to teaching and learning. This ensures that most pupils achieve well and make good progress over time. The curriculum prepares Wigmore Primary School - 19 - April 2002 pupils well for the next stage of their education.

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PUPILS?

35. Strategies for teaching and learning are well thought out to provide for the needs of pupils of different levels of attainment. Pupils are taught in sets for English mathematics and science, which ensures that work, is well matched to pupils’ abilities and prior attainment. A practical range of initiatives have been implemented to ensure that lower attaining pupils receive extra support. These include booster classes, additional literacy lessons and before school reading and writing groups.

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PUPILS?

36. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is new this year. It is based on the nationally suggested Foundation Stage Curriculum and is satisfactory. The school offers an interesting range of good quality learning opportunities linked through common themes. Curriculum provision for developing children’s personal, social, and emotional development is strong. As this is the first year where children have attended Reception classes, full time for a whole year, to a certain extent the planned programme of work and the expectation of what they can achieve is evolving with them. Procedures to check curriculum effectiveness in terms of standards attained and rates of learning as children travel along the stepping-stones towards the Early Learning Goals and beyond is still being developed and teachers therefore have no secure yardstick by which to judge the effectiveness of their teaching. In this third

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PUPILS?

term children in the Reception classes have just begun to follow the national guidance that they should to be working towards the daily literacy and numeracy whole class, three part lesson, that they will have in Year 1.

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PUPILS?

37. Arrangements for pupils’ personal, social and health education have improved and are good. There are agreed policies for sex education and drug awareness education in place and time is made available within science and in personal, social and health education lessons to develop these areas in ways which are appropriate for the ages of the pupils. The school matrons play a useful role in supporting pupils in parts of this work.

p.19

PUPILS?

38. The school has a clear policy for equal opportunities and subject policies contain a statement about pupils’ equal opportunities. There is good access to all of the areas of the school and no child would be excluded because of an inability to reach a classroom or specialist facility. The school makes good provision for equality of access and opportunity for its pupils in terms of gender, ethnicity and special educational needs through the provision of appropriate teaching methods, support and materials. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum provided by the school. Strong examples are provided within the school showing men and women of many races demonstrating their wide and differing roles in the community.

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PUPILS?

39. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils with special educational needs are making good progress throughout the school, so that by the time they leave, most attain the expected levels for their age. This is due to early identification by the teachers, appropriate intervention and good teaching and support by class teachers. The special educational needs co-ordinator who is known as the SENCO, together with the skilled learning support assistants enables teachers to develop good ways of helping pupils with their work and learning. Class teachers plan carefully and modify the work in lessons to make the curriculum fully accessible to identified pupils and to make it match their individual needs. Suitable arrangements are in place to support access by pupils with identified special needs when taught in small groups and in general such pupils cover the same curriculum as other pupils

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PUPILS?

when they are withdrawn from class. Sometimes these pupils complete exactly the same work but in a very quiet environment in the nurture room. Wigmore Primary School - 20 - April 2002 40. All of the identified pupils have individual education plans that address any difficulties in a purposeful way. There is a good range of computer software designed for the purpose that is used effectively to set appropriate and clear targets for pupils. In a few cases though pupils have too many targets set to enable accurate provision and monitoring to take place. All of the support staff use these individual plans well to help pupils and incorporate the listed targets effectively into work in order to extend pupils’ attainment. Most teachers who have prepared and listed the targets use the individual education plans well when designing work to support each pupil or group. This is especially effective in literacy but occasionally, in other subjects a few teachers do not

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PUPILS?

41. The limited range of extra-curricular activities available at the last inspection has been extended and now makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal and social skills. In addition to the good range of sporting activities such as football, netball and gymnastics, the school now provides a variety of other activities to develop pupils’ interests. These include clubs for art, drama, dance, chess, computers and recorders. Activities are available at lunchtimes or before and after school to ensure that all pupils have a chance to take part. The very small hall means that opportunities cannot always be opened to pupils of all ages every night. The use of visitors and educational visits promote pupils’ interest and extend their knowledge and understanding. Museums, places of worship, local interest centres and farms are among the planned visits, which are used constructively to bring subjects, such as

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PUPILS?

history, religious education and geography alive for pupils. An understanding of what it means to belong to the European community is developed as older pupils experience a residential visit to Holland. Strong links with the community enrich pupils’ learning and develop their understanding of citizenship and being a member of a community. The school was recently part of ‘The Luton Festival of Lights’ to celebrate the rich diversity of the town’s cultures and religions. The local police, librarians, fire officers, priests from local churches and health workers are invited into school to promote positive attitudes and behaviour and to extend pupils knowledge and understanding of their locality.

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PUPILS?

42. The school has good links with other schools and groups. Links with local playgroups and nurseries ensure children’s entry into school is a positive experience. Before pupils transfer to the secondary school information about their progress is exchanged and pupils are able to enjoy some time at their new school to familiarise themselves with routines and staff in order to ensure a happy and secure transfer. The schools’ good links with the local high schools and technology colleges enhance teachers’ skills and improves the learning for pupils.

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PUPILS?

43. The keen involvement of the school in School Centred Initial Teacher Training initiative (SCITT) strengthens the good, productive links with other local education providers, such as the local family of schools and the University of Luton. This initiative has been instrumental in maintaining a good supply of well-trained teachers for the school. Links with the community are also effective. There is a strong involvement with the local churches and the support by pupils of local charities, for example work for the local hospice. Classes regularly visit the near-by superstore to investigate the systems for selling and explore the countries of origin of the products. Regular productive contact with local business and industry, which could enhance the curriculum and embed the school more firmly into the local community has been damaged by the new restrictions at the airport and the closure of a number of

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PUPILS?

companies, who were big employers committed to the community. The school’s involvement in the local education and business partnership has enabled the school Wigmore Primary School - 21 - April 2002 to maintain limited links with local commerce and industry but, at the present time, such links are few. The group is working to extend these small partnerships because they realise how much they miss the opportunities for development.

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44. The school’s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is now good in all areas. The school’s values and principles are apparent throughout the whole school and have a positive effect on the quality of the relationships in most lessons.

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PUPILS?

45. Provision for spiritual development is good. There are planned opportunities in lessons for pupils to reflect on the wonders of science, the delights of literature and to value each other’s worthwhile contributions and successes. In Year 5 a topic on water was used very effectively to deepen pupil’s awareness of its life enriching qualities. Indian poetry stimulated pupils to produce their own written work on the beauty of streams, rivers and oceans. Displays of posters, pictures, poetry and prose prompted pupils to consider their own worth and potential to do well. Trained staff are available to share pupils concerns and problems when faced with issues such as separation, illness and death.

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PUPILS?

46. Provision for moral development is good. There is a general expectation that pupils will behave well and consider the implications of their actions on themselves and others. In assemblies, issues such as kindness, friendship and caring are taught well through stories and fables. Moral issues are discussed in subjects, such as geography, history and religious education. For example, well planned lessons make certain that pupils consider the morality of sending young Victorian children to work in factories, mines and up chimneys and provide opportunities for them to grapple with issues of pollution and poverty as part of their geography lessons.

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PUPILS?

47. Provision for social development is similarly good. The pupils are aware of their responsibilities to the school and their local community. They have good opportunities to develop responsibility and self-confidence through the routines and structures in place, such as monitors and the school council. The organisation of lessons provides opportunities for pupils to work together and to compete fairly. The school council is a very effective vehicle for developing pupils’ responsibility for the school and each other. This is evident in the range of issues included on the weekly agenda and in the results of initiatives, such as the suggestion to provide a ‘friendly bench’ for unhappy, lonely or troubled children. A sense of citizenship is developed effectively as pupils are encouraged to take part in local sport and arts festivals, to raise money to support good causes and to take part in local health and

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PUPILS?

48. Provision for cultural development has improved and is now good. Pupils have many opportunities to learn to appreciate the richness of their own and other people’s culture through assemblies and well-planned lessons in all subjects such as music, art and design, geography and history. St George’s day was celebrated with enthusiasm and interest and the whole school is planning a celebration of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and the Football World Cup. Through religious education lessons pupils study the major world religions and all pupils are made aware of important festivals, such as Christmas, Diwali, Passover, Eid and the Chinese New Year. Topics on India and Saint Lucia enrich pupils understanding of very different ways of life, developing their respect for other cultures, traditions and religions. The school ensures that there are positive images of people of other races, colours and faiths around the school. Such activities

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and experiences prepare pupils well for living in a culturally diverse society. It is Wigmore Primary School - 22 - April 2002 unfortunate that the scattered nature of the classrooms means that pupils rarely see much of the work undertaken in this aspect of work by pupils in other classes.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The previous Inspection noted the high quality of pastoral care, welfare and guidance and these were seen as strengths of the school. The present picture is just as good. There are well-organised and effective pastoral care and welfare systems with good academic and personal development monitoring in place. These are tangible strengths of the school that are greatly valued and appreciated by parents.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The procedures for child protection are well structured and effective and a senior member of staff is the nominated person for child protection within the school, with the headteacher as reserve. Both have received the full appropriate training and there has been a good measure of in-service training on child protection basics for most of the teaching staff. However, with so many staff changes in the past year not all of the school’s staff has received this basic training. Child protection records are held securely and external agencies, such as Social Services, are involved as necessary.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The register for pupils with special educational needs is up-to-date. Information gathered from all sources is available and shared at regular meetings between staff and external support agencies. Some pupils who have special educational needs are not on the register because their parents do not agree to this. This then makes it more difficult for the school to fully meet the needs of these pupils but within the constraints the staff support the needs of these pupils very well. The four pupils who have statements of special educational need are very well provided for and these pupils receive all the support required as is detailed in their statements. The school makes excellent use of all of the very good support that is available for identified pupils from the Local Education Authority and other agencies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The pastoral system is very well organised; the care of pupils and their personal development is largely supervised by the individual class teachers who know their pupils well and keep good records of their achievements and development. This enables the class teacher to monitor progress and development to a high standard and to provide good personal support, advice and guidance. Any problems that are beyond the scope of class teachers are passed on to the deputy headteacher or to the headteacher for resolution. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated into the school, and the good pastoral care has a positive effect on their attainment. Strong links are established with local schools to enable pupils who are new to the school to be integrated with the minimum of disruption, and to enable pupils to transfer from Year 6 with ease, ensuring good continuity and helping them to maintain progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. The systems in place for recording and monitoring attendance are good. Registers are marked briskly and accurately, stored securely and meet statutory requirements. The internal monitoring of registers is good and the education welfare officer also monitors registers regularly and effectively. Any absences are swiftly followed up on the first day, by one or other of the school’s matrons and this system works very well. A very firm approach is taken to minimise unacceptable behaviour and the school’s behaviour management policy is effective. There is a notable absence of racism and the school is a happy, caring and harmonious community.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Health and safety care is good; there are well-planned systems in place for safety audits and the two matrons provide very good first aid and health care. First aid Wigmore Primary School - 23 - April 2002 boxes are well stocked and appropriately located and parents are kept well informed of any accidents to their children. The trained staff within the school keeps good records of all incidents. Fire precautions are good and there are regular fire drills scheduled throughout the year. All fire equipment is checked regularly and there is an annual electrical equipment audit. These high standards of safety, health care and welfare contribute effectively towards creating a safe, harmonious learning environment throughout the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. There are well-planned and effective arrangements in place for the induction of new pupils into the Foundation Stage of the school and parents welcome this. Links with the local receiving Secondary school are good and well established there are close links through the curriculum and local projects and the induction of Year 6 pupils into the Secondary school system works efficiently, including the smooth transfer of pupils’ records between schools.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress have improved since the last inspection and are now good. School assessments, statutory and non-statutory tests are all used effectively to provide useful information about pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. These results are rigorously analysed and used effectively to set whole school targets and to identify areas of development for the school, such as weaknesses in the use of technical vocabulary in mathematics, spelling in English and any differences in the attainment of boys and girls.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. The school is successfully tracking pupil’s progress over the school years and across and between the classes. Teachers use the information gathered very well for setting National Curriculum targets. The results of assessments are also used sensitively to identify where additional support is needed in order to raise standards. As a result, pupils receive the benefit of initiatives, such as booster classes, springboard and additional literacy lessons to help them to improve. The school measures the effectiveness of its initiatives systematically and is able to identify which have been most successful. The school is less effective in using assessment information to measure the rate of individual pupils’ progress or to identify exactly what a pupil needs to do to move on to the next level of attainment. Such individual targets are set for some pupils but there are inconsistencies in their use and many pupils are unaware

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

of what they themselves should do in school or at home in order to improve their standard. This limits the overall effectiveness of the assessment procedures in the drive to raise standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. Assessment systems in other subjects are at an early stage of development although subject leaders, individual teachers and some groups of teachers have devised some useful systems. As a result of the many staff changes in the past year there is as yet no consistently used whole school system to record pupils’ progress in subjects such as art and design, design and technology, history or geography as pupils move through the school.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The previous Inspection noted some difficulties related to the school’s partnership with parents, particularly in the area of communications. The school has worked hard to remedy these difficulties with some but not total success. The partnership with parents is now, overall, satisfactory. However, there still remain a few areas of weakness where the school and parents need to work together to improve. The Wigmore Primary School - 24 - April 2002 Parent’ Questionnaire, the meeting for parents and interviews with some parents during the inspection revealed a persistent concern regarding the public relations and communications aspects of the school’s links with parents. Most parents are satisfied with the existing relationship between the school and parents but there is a small minority who feel that there are some issues and problems that are still not addressed satisfactorily by the school. They cite that there have been occasional

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

instances where parents do not feel that the school has informed them sufficiently about what has been done although they are certain that problems have been addressed successfully. One parent spoke of the ‘perceived paternalism’ of the school and of the lack of encouragement for parents to be involved with the school. The inspection team considers that the school does a great deal to meet the needs of parents as well as pupils and that the letters and information about pupils’ progress sent to parents by the school are satisfactory. Written communications are in the main informative and helpful although the style and presentation would benefit from careful review.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. The Annual Report on pupil’s progress as well as the clearly presented Mid-Year Report are well received by parents. These are informative and useful to families in gauging their children’s academic progress and personal development. The newsletters sent out each half term and letters to parents appear regularly and contain useful information. Although some advance curricular information is provided for parents it is not sent consistently for all age groups and the quality varies from class to class. Across this very large school there are difficulties about the advance notice provided about coming events and parents are concerned that too often they have insufficient time to make family arrangements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. The school’s Prospectus and the Annual Report of the Governing Body meet statutory requirements and contain good comprehensive information. The layout presents the information in a way that is not particularly easy to read and the inspection team considers that they do not present the most attractive view of this busy and successful school. The Notice Board for Parents is a good idea but it is poorly sited and, at the time of the inspection, contained very limited information about what was happening at the school. The restricted space, caused by the school teaching more than twice the number of pupils than it was planned to accommodate, means that there is a lack of meeting place for parents on the premises. The Annual Meeting of the Governing Body with parents was poorly supported although the termly parent- teacher consultation meetings are well attended and prove useful and informative.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. The occasional workshops and meetings for parents to explain issues such as the nature of the statutory testing process, the implementation of the National Literacy Hour, the Numeracy Strategy and the presentation about the local anti-bullying project are poorly supported by parents and this is dispiriting for the school staff.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

63. Parental involvement with the school generally is limited, although a very small number of parents provide valued help supporting learning in the classrooms and accompanying pupils on educational visits. Parents do not appear to be engaged with the life of the school to any great extent and the ‘Parents’ Association’ and the ‘Friends of Wigmore’ both failed to survive. Despite these difficulties parents support the school very well each year at events such as the Summer Fair and good sums of money are raised for special events organised by the school. Many parents work long hours or have several jobs; others are content not to involve themselves even though the school tries hard to solve the difficult problem of involving more parents in the life of the school. The school staff are considered to be readily accessible and are available after lessons on Wednesday afternoon each week to discuss any perceived

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Wigmore Primary School - 25 - April 2002 difficulties with parents. Those parents who returned questionnaires or spoke with team members considered the staff to be helpful. These parents said that parents’ complaints and issues are always dealt with swiftly and effectively, although there have been a few occasions where parents would have welcomed more formal or detailed feedback.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

64. The range and level of homework set is satisfactory although there appear to be occasional inconsistencies regarding the use of pupils’ homework diaries and the setting of homework. Many parents are engaged to some extent with their children’s learning and homework and the majority support them well. The Home-School Agreement has been generally well received.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the governors know their school very well and are sensitive to its good standing in the community. The school benefits from the very committed firm and effective leadership of the headteacher and the complementary skills of the deputy headteacher. With the highly committed and knowledgeable governing body they have addressed most of the key issues from the previous inspection with considerable success, especially those concerning the policies and schemes of work and ensure that assessment procedures are used to guide teachers’ planning and improve learning. The issue about positive links with parents and effective partnership in learning has been improved but the school is aware that more remains to be accomplished.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The headteacher and all members of the management team work well together. They have clearly defined roles and use their respective skills to motivate pupils and strive for higher standards. The governors’ committee structure works well and, together with the subject leaders and the senior management team, there is clear and positive educational direction for the school. The School Development Plan and the linked Management Development Plan, drawn up in consultation with staff and governors are useful documents that list priorities, track improvements and identify areas for future development. Together they present a clearly defined programme for sustained improvement and include review dates that demonstrate success criteria and also regular monitoring of progress made and reflection as to the next step forward. Careful financial management supports all of the listed educational priorities,

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for example the managed surplus that has been identified for improvement and repairs of the building and to enhance resources and maintain staffing levels.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school is successful in meeting its published aims which are reflected in all policies and which help to make this a successful community where pupils from other cultures and backgrounds are welcome. There is a positive caring atmosphere for learning that promotes increasingly high standards of personal development and behaviour. Pupils of all attainment levels are happy in the school and share its values, especially its spiritual, moral, social and cultural values. These are aspects with which parents are pleased. The school has a total commitment to all pupils being fully included in all its activities. The management team, subject managers and teachers now monitor the results of the statutory and non-statutory tests administered by the school very effectively. In response to the programme of detailed analysis of results, the governors and teachers have agreed challenging targets for pupils in the

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

present Year 6. The governors and headteacher delegate a range of management responsibilities to members of staff and the work of the subject leaders has been successful although, with many of them new to the school, they still need more time and training to be totally effective in their monitoring role. The school recognises this Wigmore Primary School - 26 - April 2002 and has plans to extend this work in the light of the early success.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The quality of curriculum planning is a great improvement when compared with the findings of the previous inspection. The headteacher and the curriculum leaders have accurately identified the strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum and standards, and have used their findings to guide their revised organisation. This has been a lengthy process and has involved many teachers some of whom who have now left the school but whose work has been invaluable. This improvement is also reflected in the lessons observed and in the analysis of pupils’ work. Where teachers have worked together with knowledgeable support from colleagues the process of collaboration has helped to improve planning both on a day-to-day basis and for longer-term changes.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The governing body provides informed support and is meeting its statutory requirements very well. Governors are alert to the strengths and weaknesses of the school and understand the issues concerning target setting and their individual and collective responsibilities in these aspects. The governors are committed to school improvement. There are named governors who play active roles in supporting pupils with special educational needs and monitor procedures for literacy, numeracy and science. These governors have attended appropriate training with the co-ordinators. Other governors are now linked to other curriculum areas although this is a relatively new initiative and the links between these governors and newly appointed subject leaders are still being developed. A shared programme of training for subject managers and governors is planned.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The headteacher and governors have made very good preparation for the introduction of appraisal and performance management. A good start has been made with the introduction of this aspect through the school. Priorities for development are determined through consultation with the headteacher, governors and staff. At present one identified weakness is that time for monitoring and evaluation of work in the classroom in other than the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, is still limited. The present observations by local advisers and members of the senior management team, determine where improvement is needed, the individual subject leaders are not sufficiently involved in this enterprise. The headteacher and the senior staff undertake most of the monitoring of teaching and this group of senior managers has readily given guidance and support where this was found to be necessary. In

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

such a large school the process is a constant challenge and still needs to be more comprehensive.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The school has taken effective steps to implement a comprehensive programme for the monitoring of English, mathematics and science following the review and analysis of the results of tests and standards in the past three years. The analysis of test results and pupils’ work revealed that there was some underachievement and a lack of challenge in some classes. This resulted in the school making strenuous efforts to identify groups and individual pupils who required support for their learning and also those who would benefit from even greater challenge. This aspect of planning for and providing additional support for pupils and teachers has been managed most effectively by the deputy headteacher and is welcomed by the class teachers.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The school uses assessment information effectively to set targets aimed at improving future performance. The targets for pupils’ performance in the statutory tests in the current year are challenging but are considered to be achievable now that pupils are given more strategic guidance and preparation for the process involved in taking these tests. The Action Plans for the academic years 2001 to 2003 are highly Wigmore Primary School - 27 - April 2002 relevant to curricular and organisational needs, especially in literacy, numeracy, science and in information and communication technology.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. Students in training and new staff are welcomed into school and the designated mentors offer good support and demonstrate a wide range of successful teaching skills together with great enthusiasm that provide good examples for newly qualified and recently appointed teachers and for students in training. The school has some excellent systems in place for contributing towards the training of students. Many of the present staff undertook their training at the school and, as a result, new teachers are regularly drawn from a pool of ‘Wigmore trained’ teachers. This has enabled the school to maintain good standards so that it only rarely has to resort to employing strangers in the school as supply staff.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The special educational needs co-ordinator makes a very effective contribution to the management of the special educational needs policy, procedures and support for pupils with identified needs. She manages a team of classroom assistants, special additional resources and the process for the early identification of pupils very well. With class teachers she plans appropriate intervention strategies to enable pupils to make progress alongside their friends. She is well qualified and regularly attends courses in order to keep up to date with new developments so as to maintain the continuing professional development by the teachers and the classroom assistants. The school is well on the way to implementing the new Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs. The designated governor is keen to support identified pupils across the school and works in the school in a voluntary capacity supporting

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the literacy strategy to a group of pupils every day. She is becoming familiar with all of the agreed procedures and practices, and represents issues concerning special needs at meetings of the Governors.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. Since the last inspection the school has made good progress. One strong feature has been the setting up of the support room where pupils come at various times in accordance with their individual education plans to carry out specific work. Good progress has also been made in integrating new pupils to the school. Many of these pupils come with identified behavioural difficulties because of the school’s good reputation for helping such pupils through the structured implementation of effective behaviour management strategies. Most class teachers now have good strategies for dealing with these pupils in class, although a few class teachers still need support to help them to manage these potentially disruptive pupils especially when they are trying to settle into a new class with new routines. They need help in the understanding the school’s positive strategies so that they continue to learn themselves and do not slow the pace of the lesson or disturb the learning of other

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. The school’s arrangements for financial management and control are good. The school’s administrator and the headteacher work well together to ensure that the budget is tightly controlled so that the requirements of the governing body are met and that money is available for the improvements detailed in the school’s plan for development. The school manages with great skill the allocation of expenditure for planned improvement having paid the mandatory salaries and allowances. The governing body monitors expenditure from the statements provided. The grants the school receives for supporting pupils with special educational needs are supplemented from funds within the school’s budget. They are used well to provide extra help for identified pupils and the allocation of this funding and its monitoring are well organised. Plans to provide the same good quality of care for those pupils Wigmore Primary School - 28 - April 2002

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

capable of higher attainment have been considered and the school is committed to support these needs. That more pupils are attaining at levels above national expectation each year in the National Curriculum tests indicates that this new work is proving effective. Pupils with special gifts or talents are known to the school and have been identified by most class teachers. As yet suitable strategies to support these pupils who are gifted, for example in areas such as sport, art and design or music are not formalised and are therefore less well developed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. The finance committee’s considerable experience ensures that the school seeks and secures the best value possible in its use of learning resources, the accommodation and personnel. Competitive quotations are sought when expenditure is involved. The chair of the finance committee and members of that committee are particularly well- informed and fully understand the financial implications of school management. These governors have a clear and detailed understanding of the principles of ‘best value’. This understanding is not only applied to quotations from suppliers but also to teaching and standards and, during the inspection they discussed the benefits of spending decisions on the standards now being achieved by the pupils, with a high level of understanding. They have monitored the effect of rising numbers across the school and are pleased that despite the steady increase in numbers the school has

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

been able to maintain generally above average standards.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The school’s financial procedures are efficient and effective. There are systems that readily provide accurate financial information to guide the governors in making their expenditure decisions. The most recent Auditor’s Report for the school contains some minor recommendations, all of which have been addressed successfully. The administrative staff manage the day-to-day financial procedures of the school very efficiently. In addition, well-organised systems ensure that the school runs smoothly and money is handled securely. There are very good procedures for monthly checks on expenditure and for secure cash processing with good internal controls. A separate account is kept for private funds and this is audited annually by an appropriately qualified person. Other day-to-day administrative procedures are very effective and all of the office staff work in an efficient, calm, professional and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

supportive manner. This allows classroom teaching and learning to be uninterrupted. New technology is well used for the recording of financial matters and registration. The school is very well placed to use the additional new technology now that the computer suite has been refurbished.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. There is a sufficient number of well-trained teachers to provide a suitable range of skills knowledge and experience to teach all of the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious knowledge. The teaching staff is supported effectively by skilled classroom support assistants. Together they form a strong team who are all involved in the establishment of long, medium and short-term plans so that aims and methods are agreed. The school also benefits from the support of a small but dedicated group of volunteer parents who regularly help with the learning in some classrooms.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. Overall, the school has sufficient accommodation to teach the curriculum but the scattered positions of the many temporary mobile classrooms does little to create a strong community where all pupils are able to celebrate the successes of others. This means that the pockets of excellence that are present in these buildings are not seen by everyone and therefore they do not have sufficient impact on other classes to enable the school’s community to work as a unified force. Some parents have no reason to go into the main building on a day-to-day basis after their children leave Year 1 until they are in Year 6. These mobile classrooms were hot and stuffy during the inspection and are reported to be cold and feel damp at other times of the year. Wigmore Primary School - 29 - April 2002 The available water supply for art and design and science causes difficulties that hamper pupils’ ability to become independent learners managing their own resources.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Pupils’ independent access to the library and the computer suite is far from ideal as both of these are situated in the small main building. There is no specific secure outdoor area for children in the Reception classes. They use the playground for the pupils in Years 1 and 2 when it is not in use by these classes. Despite having some use of this large playing space the ability to move in and out of an outside classroom throughout the day is not a real possibility. There is no storage for large wheeled toys or specially designed climbing facilities and this inhibits social and physical development.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. The site agent manages her staff very well and the buildings are cleaned and well- maintained to a very high standard and, to some extent, this militates against their lack of suitability for the work that is required. The site agent and the headteacher report that when it rains the main building has to have bins, cloths and buckets under sections of the roof and that work on display is frequently spoiled. There are plans to remedy this in the near future but such disruption causes pupils and teachers to feel downcast when work is damaged or destroyed in this way.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

82. The main building has as good a range of resources for the school for which it was designed. These facilities are now inadequate now that there are double that number of pupils on roll especially since the much-needed implementation of full-time education for children in the Foundation Stage has taken up more teaching and learning space. The system of having so many pupils learning and working in classrooms outside the main building detracts from the overall good atmosphere for learning, sharing and celebrating achievement. In many classes pupils have little opportunity to observe what is taking place in other classrooms for their own or another age group, this has on occasion led to duplication of work and has had an adverse effect on standards overall. Pupils can never share in a whole-school assembly and the small hall prevents parents being invited to some of the regular events that take place within the school such as special assemblies or

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

demonstrations of dance or musical achievement. This does not help the school to resolve the problem of parents feeling separated from the whole school community.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

83. The temporary classrooms are used effectively because of the management skills of the teachers using them and the predominantly good standards of pupils’ behaviour. Considerable time is lost when pupils need to walk from one building to another for lessons such as information and communication technology, work in the library or for physical education. This accumulated time takes away considerable learning opportunities over the academic year. In inclement weather pupils moving to corporate worship or to take school dinners frequently get cold and wet. The length of time that the hall is needed at lunchtime for dinners restricts its availability for physical education. The staff and governors have drawn up plans to improve this difficult situation but progress towards this has been hindered by attempts to establish a wider ranging plan for general local improvement. Each year’s delay has an unfavourable impact on the achievements of pupils working and learning in separated

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

84. The level and range of resources for learning are satisfactory overall; they are well organised and, despite the accommodation difficulties, are stored carefully and are almost always used effectively. The computer suite is well equipped and organised well. It is up-to-date and is a good learning resource for pupils. The separate Library is an attractive, if cramped, central resource. It is praiseworthy to note that a well- trained and helpful library assistant staffs this amenity for a substantial number of Wigmore Primary School - 30 - April 2002 hours each day. This provision enables effective use to be made of the resource during the school day by pupils. The school makes very good use of the local library service that supplies useful book loans and professional advice. The stock of books is in generally good condition and is well chosen. The reference stock requires careful review and updating and its range could be even broader. There is no computerised

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

catalogue, although since early in the present term there is now Internet access using the single computer in the library. The library is used well and all pupils receive training in research skills and library induction training. This is very useful for enabling pupils’ personal research skills and fostering independent learning. It is good to see a Library becoming so well integrated into the curriculum.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

85. Considering pupils’ well established levels of overall attainment the predominantly good quality of teaching and pupils’ learning, the generally good behaviour good attitudes and very good relationships, with the good management set against the average level of income per pupil, the school provides good value for money. Wigmore Primary School - 31 - April 2002

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

86. In order to raise standards and to continue making improvements the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Liaise with all of the appropriate authorities to seek all possible ways of improving the accommodation as set out in the school development plan as a matter of urgency by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) finding ways of increasing the opportunities for pupils to meet together and enable more regular use of the library facilities, the hall and the computer suite in order to drive up standards; Paragraphs: 59, 80, 82, 84, 186, 191

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(b) investigate all possible ways of enhancing facilities for outdoor play and provision for physical development for children in the Foundation Stage; Paragraphs: 89, 110

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) complete the listed work in the school development plan aimed at improving the management skills of established and new subject leaders, in order to enable more monitoring of planning and work in the classrooms so as to ensure a consistent approach to teaching and assessment so that more precise target setting will enable standards to improve; Paragraphs: 56, 67, 69, 70, 159, 160, 177, 197.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) review the procedures for informing parents about what is planned to be taught and future events and seek all possible ways of involving parents as partners in education so that when working together standards will be helped to rise. Paragraphs: 23, 33, 50, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 65, 82 Wigmore Primary School - 32 - April 2002

p.31

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.32

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.32

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 537

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 78

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 70

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 68

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 26

p.32

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Wigmore Primary School - 33 - April 2002 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Wigmore Primary School - 34 - April 2002

p.32

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 46 38 84

p.34

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.34

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

Boys 36 36 43 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 31 35 36

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (85) 85 (88) 94 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.34

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.34

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

Boys 36 41 38 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 35 35 36

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (89) 90 (90) 88 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.34

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

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

p.34

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 38 41 79

p.34

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.34

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

Boys 26 28 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 35 30 35

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 77 (83) 73 (83) 90 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.34

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.34

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

Boys 31 28 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 32 33 36

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (87) 77 (85) 85 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.34

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Wigmore Primary School - 35 - April 2002

p.34

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 7 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 5 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 44 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 24.8 Financial year 2001/02

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.8

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 1,131,419

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 21 Total expenditure 1,200,193

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 486 Expenditure per pupil 2,248

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 99,435

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A Balance carried forward to next year 30,661

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

p.35

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.35

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 13

p.35

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.35

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.35

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 Wigmore Primary School - 36 - April 2002 FTE means full-time equivalent. Wigmore Primary School - 37 - April 2002 Questionnaire return rate

p.35

Recruitment of teachers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

My child is making good progress in school. 40 50 9 1 1

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

Behaviour in the school is good. 28 52 13 4 3

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 18 53 19 2 7

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 26 47 18 8 1

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 47 41 10 2 1

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 40 52 2 2 4

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

The school works closely with parents. 18 46 25 8 3

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

The school is well led and managed. 27 48 10 6 10

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 30 56 6 1 8

p.37

Recruitment of teachers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 10 37 28 10 17 Wigmore Primary School - 38 - April 2002

p.37

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

87. At the time of the previous inspection full-time provision was not in place for children in this authority before the term in which they were five. Before September 2001 many pupils entered Year 1 after very little formal education, sometimes less than a full term. The management of the school created opportunities in what was called the ‘four plus’ class so that children younger than five had some time in school before their entry into the National Curriculum. For this reason it is not possible to make direct comparison between the earlier school initiated provision, called the nursery in the previous report, with what is now the nationally recognised Foundation Stage in the Reception classes. There is no Nursery and this is the first year that children will have started this school full time in the September following their fourth birthday and will spend a full year in the Reception classes.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

88. Children’s level of attainment at intake varies but overall attainment is similar to that found nationally for children of the same age and experience. However, many of the children still begin school with attainment that is slightly below average because they have not all experienced structured Nursery or alternative pre-school opportunities. The school offers an interesting range of good quality learning opportunities and whilst children do not follow the Reception class part of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education, there is satisfactory provision for them to learn about different faiths and beliefs. During this introductory phase, systems are being developed to enable teachers to check how well different groups of children are achieving during the Foundation Stage in relation to the Early Learning Goals. Teachers are just beginning a process of evaluation to determine how effective the initial methods within

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the organisation of the curriculum are proving to be.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

89. There is no separate secure playing space for the Reception classes and the available play area has no shade or covered area. This prevents the use of the space outside classrooms being used as an extension to the classroom learning environment for most of the year. The present arrangements for teaching and learning are that for a large part of the day worked is child initiated with only minimal teacher direction. This is interspersed by structured sessions of whole class or group learning directed by an adult. The school has plans in place to evaluate whether this is proving to be the best use of the extra time that children now spend in school to help them make systematic progress as they travel along the stepping-stones to the Early Learning Goals. The procedures to check the effectiveness of the curriculum in terms of standards attained and rates of learning over a complete year have not yet been

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

tested and teachers therefore have no secure yardstick by which to judge the effectiveness of their teaching.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

90. The provision for children with special educational needs is good. They have a suitably modified curriculum outlined in their individual educational plans and are very well supported by specialist adult help when appropriate. The vast majority of children are on course to meet the Early Learning Goals in all areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum and exceed the goals for personal, social, and emotional development by the time they will start Year 1. This is because of the good teaching they receive. In previous years, many pupils, especially those with summer birthdays, were unable to achieve these attainment levels because they had such a short time in the Reception class. Wigmore Primary School - 39 - April 2002 91. Teachers plan together well and he entire staff shares ideas and expertise about the best methods and use of resources to make their teaching interesting and stimulating for the children and to make the best use of all other adult help available to them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Teachers have very good relationships with their children and manage them very well. They give praise and encouragement, making positive suggestions, and providing plenty of stimulating activities for them to try. As a result behaviour in classrooms is very good and children develop very good attitudes towards school and learning. Teachers keep detailed observations of strengths and weaknesses in children’s behaviour and standards of work, which they use well to set half-termly targets and to report to parents. However, during this first year, because of the present structure they are not always using this specialised knowledge with sufficient precision in order to plan the teaching in their individual ‘Focus Groups’. With increased attention to such details those children capable of higher attainment might be enabled to make progress at a faster rate. Teachers make learning fun and use the many good quality

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

indoor resources very effectively. They display children’s work well, and make their classrooms into stimulating learning environments. Children respond very well to this and come to school eager to learn. The statutory testing of pupils when they are five is carried out as required.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

92. There is very close contact with the children’s families, which is beneficial to the children’s learning and is a good example of improving links being developed. Parents are invited to school before their children start in school. They learn about school routines and, when children are in school, parents receive good information through the reading diary and daily contact with teachers about how to help their child at home. This regular contact contributes positively to children settling in happily. There are many opportunities for parents to come into the classrooms to see what their children are learning. Parents support their children’s learning well. For example, during the inspection, they ensured their children brought a toy animal to school for measuring and drawing and provided used recyclable packaging to make beds for each toy so that children could develop their creative skills. They specially

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

support the Teddy Bears Picnic, which takes place on the field and are pleased to bring younger brothers and sisters to join in the fun.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

93. The lead teacher in the Foundation Stage provides strong leadership, steering a firm course for the new Foundation Stage in its first year and providing a very good model through her own teaching expertise. Her management of the team of teachers and assistants is very good and they have formed into an effective unit with a common purpose. However, she is about to leave and this has implications for the school about the many decisions that need to be made in the near future about Foundation Stage provision. The present Foundation Stage team are well equipped to make these decisions. Teachers use the suggestions contained within the strategies of the National Numeracy and Literacy strategies very well. This term the staff in the Foundation Stage has begun to prepare children for the more formal pattern of work that they will encounter as they start the National Curriculum.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Social emotional and personal development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

94. The work to promote the development of this area is very good and underpins all Foundation Stage learning. The personal, social and health education programme and the experiences in collective worship and other assemblies make good contributions to this area of development. For example, in assembly children learn about the way St. George was brave in defeating the dragon and so overcame evil by goodness and relate this to their own ability to help each other in the playground. One Wigmore Primary School - 40 - April 2002 excellent circle time, when the whole class sits quietly and each child has a turn to speak, was seen when the teacher shared her own experiences of being extremely sad when her cat went missing. This discussion stimulated the children to think about what made them really sad. They then reflected on what they could do to make people who were unhappy feel cheerful. Later pupils showed they had a good

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

understanding of body language and non-verbal communication in a game. One child left the room whilst the rest assumed a pose and facial expression to typify the mood chosen. On return, the child had three guesses to find the correct answer. The very good relationships enabled all children to speak about their inmost thoughts very confidently and to share their ideas for increasing happiness around them at home and at school. Adults speak kindly and politely and expect children to do the same, constantly promoting good manners, encouraging children to taking turns and to show respect for others.

p.40

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

95. Teaching is very good in this area. Adults manage children very well in a caring and supportive environment, praising their efforts, making them feel valued and sharing with them the joy of learning. Children respond well to the school’s philosophy of child-initiated activities, showing high levels of co-operation with one another and the ability to make sensible choices. Teachers provide good opportunities for co-operative play and developing social skills in the different practical areas such as using the class shop and building with the construction toys. Most concentrate well because they are following their interests and consequently develop very good attitudes to school and learning, but equally are very willing to leave these and join ‘Focus’ groups with teachers when called.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

96. Children have very good relationships with one another, their teachers, and other adults who work with them. They conform very well to routines, change their clothes with minimum help for playtime and physical education lessons, and take part in whole school events such as assemblies and walking to and from the hall in a quiet and orderly manner. Children listen carefully to instructions. They are very polite, helpful, and willing comply with instructions and requests. They keep the room tidy, take registers to the office, and act as milk monitors. The very good attitudes to learning and the very good pattern of behaviour enables children to achieve well, face the challenge of new learning and leads to a very happy working day.

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97. Overall children begin the year with skills that are slightly below those in schools where they have benefited from Nursery provision based on the Foundation Stage curriculum. They learn well and make good progress so that by the time they leave the class to start Year 1 in the National Curriculum the majority will attain or exceed the intended Early Learning Goals.

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98. The development of children’s speaking and listening skills is good and children generally communicate well with each other and the adults around them. Teaching is good. Adults provide many opportunities for children to develop their listening skills such as when reading stories and rhymes, playing music, giving instructions, and playing games. The teaching style of learning through structured play ensures that pupils talk to others regularly and imaginatively. One good example of a game that children enjoy is where there are pictures on a tray in the middle of a circle of children. Each child has to find a picture containing a given sound and then talk to others to form a group with those who have pictures that contain the same sound. This activity is also useful in developing the children’s social development. During the day each child works in a small focus group where adults work to extend language and

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Wigmore Primary School - 41 - April 2002 vocabulary systematically using well-chosen questions and prompts to develop the children’s spoken language. For example, one teacher worked with a group of children using a road track leading to a zoo with plastic animals. Children knew the name of most of the animals by the end of the session, which they had not known at the start, and could suggest different ways to visit the various sections of the zoo using directional vocabulary well. A classroom assistant working with one group planting seeds focussed well on the correct vocabulary associated with gardening tools and growing healthy plants.

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99. In reading there is a wide range of prior attainment. The majority of children are keen to read and have both sufficient vocabulary to describe the story in detail from the pictures and use the sound of the initial letters of words. Most children recognise not only their own names but those of many of their friends as well. Children are encouraged to make a good guess at what a word says if they do not already know the word by sight. More than half are starting to read full sentences fluently and make sense of what they are reading. During the inspection, one child was already reading at a level not expected until Year 2. Her teacher is responding to this well by giving books from the reading scheme at the correct level of challenge, setting questions about the content to teach more advanced skills of inference, as well as ensuring that she has extra reading books from the class library to read. A few children still have

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only a limited vocabulary and while they respond well to the activities on offer these children are not yet ready to read.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

100. In all of the Reception classes teachers and children follow the appropriate level of the National Literacy Strategy and reading skills develop satisfactorily. There is a clear structured programme of teaching the sounds of letters as well as helping children to recognise whole words. There is a good range of styles of writing on the classroom walls, such as notices, captions, and key vocabulary. The teachers constantly draw the children’s attention to this. Children and teachers share large books to develop reading skills and look for details in pictures, retell and sequence events, predict endings, and empathise with the feelings of the main characters. Teachers use questioning well to guide children’s thinking. Each week children read at least once individually to an adult using their reading scheme books. In addition to the amount of reading children engage in at school, they take books home each night with their

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home/school diary. This are good link with home and this helps parents to follow how their child is progressing and the areas to practise. In a few instances the comments in the diaries are rather harsh and list what children cannot do rather than how they might be helped to learn.

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101. Writing develops satisfactorily alongside reading. All children take pride in writing their names correctly and copying those of their friends. There are plenty of opportunities for children to write, such as when taking down telephone messages, or preparing shopping lists when working in the role-play areas. Children sometimes trace or copy words and in most cases they are beginning to develop independent writing strategies where the higher attaining children are starting to use word books and dictionaries to find out how to spell new words. Children who are less confident make their own marks combined with a few recognisable letters to represent words and usually need to explain what they mean to teachers. Many children already write most letter shapes correctly. They use the whiteboards and pens very confidently secure that any mistakes can be quickly corrected. All children have work on display with telling

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translations for grown ups who were not part of the process of composition. Some children are confident when writing short sentences. They like to use punctuation and it is almost always included but is not always in the correct places. Pencil control is good and the letter formation of most children is well formed and legible. Wigmore Primary School - 42 - April 2002 102. Teachers have a good knowledge of how to teach the basic skills and provide many interesting resources and opportunities for writing as part of each day’s activities combining how to form the letters correctly and relate them to their sounds. Teachers select from a good range of strategies that are meaningful to the children. For example, teachers put a range of objects on the table such as a drink can, a log, and a toy frog. The children handle the objects and talk about them then use their knowledge of sounds to write the name correctly.

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Mathematical Development

103. By the age of five the children’s attainment in this area is close to average and those children who are capable of managing more difficult work exceed the expected level. Children recognise numbers to five and most sequence them correctly. In one group, supported by a classroom assistant, the children took turns rolling a dice and finding the correctly numbered body part to match the number of dots on the dice. They used their understanding to race to win in a teddy bear building activity where each body part was numbered. They use and understand ‘more than’ or ‘less than’ when counting to 10. Children are encouraged to estimate when comparing the heights of their teddy bears and they do this well. They then lay the bears out alongside each other to see if their estimates were correct. They sit the teddies in the weighing buckets to see which is heaviest. Most children use the correct mathematical

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vocabulary such as ‘longer’ and ‘shorter’ or ‘heavier’ and ‘lighter’ with great confidence. Having experienced this exciting work however, very few make any effort to record their findings either pictorially or numerically. Children name two- dimensional shapes such as circle, square, rectangle and triangle very accurately and explain why and how they differ. These shapes are used successfully to create interesting pictures. The children re-enforce their knowledge of the names of these shapes by dipping them in paint and printing with them. Children are good at making continuing patterns using sticks and by threading beads. Inspection evidence shows that already a high proportion count accurately in ones to 20 and in tens to 100, count in twos and undertake simple addition and subtraction sums up to 10 with a high degree of accuracy. They clearly understand and use appropriate vocabulary such as ‘taller,’ ‘shorter’, ‘lighter’, ‘heavier’ and know which words to use in conversations

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about their work. The children enjoy the tasks set and eagerly join in the class sessions because they delight in showing adults how good they are. They work well, sharing resources and helping each other. They are interested and make good progress.

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104. The teaching is good and the adults in the classes use ideas drawn from the National Numeracy strategy effectively. The emphasis on practical and purposeful play activities, designed to develop understanding of the different concepts, helps children to really understand what they are learning. They enjoy the activities and are motivated to do them, as they are part of the integrated themes of the class. Teachers use interesting resources that make mathematics relevant and meaningful to them. Teachers keep careful individual note of what children can do such as ‘count to 20’ or explain that ‘2+2=4’ and these are used to build a profile of each child or group in order to plan for the setting of new half termly targets. However the planned programme that is being followed is not yet sufficiently flexible to enable some children to move forward through the set sequence of steps towards an agreed goal

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at a faster rate than others as is possible for reading and writing.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world. Wigmore Primary School - 43 - April 2002 105. The children’s attainment is set to be average by the time they leave the Foundation Stage. They have begun a topic about growing things. They are eager to explain how different seeds will grow into flowers or vegetables and explain that they will need water and sunshine to make them grow strong. During the inspection children were engrossed when using magnifying lenses to observe how their cress seeds had sprouted.

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106. As part of the current theme of ‘Bears’ children have created a class museum of bears of different ages that they have brought from home. The discussion about how old each bear is has enabled children to start developing a historical perspective. Children have an understanding of times past and what school was like when their grandparents were children. Children use information and communication technology at an appropriate level. For example, they use the mouse to make things happen on the computer screen. One popular game is to find a ghost by clicking the arrow on different parts of a picture to move into different locations such as a cave. Scientific knowledge about pouring and building is gained by play in the sand and water trays. Children describe very well the joy of making boats that float and of sinking them by piling on heavy objects. The range of activities available for the children gives them a

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suitable range of opportunities to find things out for themselves and they are always ready to explain what they are doing. The children learn well from the opportunities on offer and share the resources in a very friendly way. They know about how people live in other parts of the world as they have enjoyed listening to visitors from other countries, traditions and cultures. Some have travelled abroad on holiday. Children enjoy using the computer in the classroom to paint and to label their work as well as for games involving colours, words, shapes and numbers. They are confident as they explain that the mouse is easier to control than the arrow keys. Children competently use the functions on the tape recorder unaided when listening to taped stories through headphones.

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107. Children know that for different cultures festivals and special food are important. For example, they eat noodles and listen to stories about Chinese New Year. They know about the Patron Saints of the British Isles and draw the countries’ flags. Teachers use the knowledge of the cultures of children within their classes very sensitively. For example, when the school celebrated Diwali, one mother brought in coloured rice to help the children to make Rangoli patterns and led a discussion about interesting objects from India such as Diwali lamps. The children then made models of these in clay as well as cards to celebrate the festival. Recent visits by a policeman and a paramedic have extended children’s understanding of the role of people who work in the local community to help others.

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108. The quality of teaching and learning in this area is satisfactory. It is well planned to ensure that children gain a rounded development through practical activities, which link all curriculum areas through the current theme. The use of visitors and the making of visits within the local area is still being developed and is an area that the school wishes to extend.

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109. The children’s attainment in this area is at least in line with that found in most classes for children at the end of the Foundation Stage. In the classroom, children handle tools, objects, construction, and soft modelling materials safely and with increasing control, developing their smaller muscles and hand and eye co-ordination. For example, they use scissors to cut different types of boxes to make beds for their Wigmore Primary School - 44 - April 2002 teddies. Most hold pencils and crayons correctly and have good control, being able to write their names and other words with ease. They use paintbrushes with increasing skill and concentration and thread beads carefully on laces for counting games. Many can cut carefully and accurately keeping to the lines. . In outdoor play they run around taking care and finding spaces without bumping into each other. Free play and directed teaching enables children to develop satisfactory skills of catching, batting

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and throwing balls thus developing skills that they will later use in team games.

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110. There was only limited evidence of teaching and learning in this area during the inspection and this is an area within the curriculum that causes most concern amongst the Foundation Stage team. Although there is plenty of space the classes do not have a secure area for their special use and there is no grassed area where children can exercise safely. There are no safety surfaces and very few resources that are designed to develop physical agility and strength. There is a lack of challenging climbing equipment and a variety of balancing equipment suitable for the age group. The provision of large apparatus for outdoor play has been identified as a pressing need but with no available storage space this is still just an allocation of funds within the school development plan. So many pupils need to work in the small school hall that there is restricted time allocation for these youngest children. They

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are able to use the music studio on some occasions but this is a long way from the Reception classrooms and again the available time is limited. The team is not defeated by these problems and teachers’ planning shows that all children cover the basic minimum of the suggested Foundation Stage activities. For example, they move to music creating a ‘teddy bears’ dance’, take turns using the few wheeled vehicles available and take part in running and skipping games. The staff and children use the large infant playground with small apparatus such as skipping ropes, hoops, bats, and balls. This is a good provision in fine weather but there is much of the year when this is not possible. All of the children were very motivated by a visitor who came to show the school the benefits of skipping.

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111. By the end of the Foundation Stage the children’s attainment in this area is average and meets requirements. They use shapes to make pictures and carefully spread the glue on the paper. They know the names of the shapes well and often accompany their work by talking through what they are doing quietly amongst themselves. Children know the names of some of the percussion instruments and play them sensibly, explaining whether they are hit, scraped or shaken. They appreciate the difference between loud and soft sounds and how to play the instruments. The children have experimented with bubbles to make some attractive pictures. Much of their work is displayed on the wall and they like to show adults and other children what they have done. The children enjoy the creative activities and are excited when it is time for singing with other classes. They are enthusiastic about music and join in, knowing a range of nursery rhymes, which they say and sing well. Children dip

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marbles into different coloured paints and then roll them around on a piece of paper in a tray. Apart from making interesting patterns, the children were encouraged to notice how colours combined to make other colours. Another example is where children experimented with different fixing methods to put legs onto the beds made for their bears sometimes benefiting from the encouragement, support and suggestions made by the teacher. Children select their own materials and colours for creative work and to look at patterns in nature and in art and design. For example, they listened to the poem of ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth and examined real daffodils in a vase. The children then made very good observational drawings using pastels. Wigmore Primary School - 45 - April 2002 112. Teaching and learning in this area are at least satisfactory and are mostly good. There is a good mixture of direct teaching and purposeful play activities. Creative play

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to develop children’s imagination and social skills is constantly available whilst teachers are working with specific groups. Good direct teaching was seen where a visiting adult helped children with their colour mixing activities Teachers give good opportunities for children to paint and make models from imagination.

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113. In the 2001 National Curriculum tests the proportion of seven-year-olds attaining the expected level 2 in reading was in line with the national average. The percentage obtaining level 3 was close to the national average. In writing, the proportion attaining the expected level was a little below average while the percentage getting level 3 was similar to the national figure. When compared to schools of a similar type pupils' performance in both reading and writing was close to the national average.

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114. In the 2001 Statutory National Curriculum tests the proportion of 11-year-olds attaining the expected level 4 was in line with the national percentage. A higher than average proportion attained the higher levels. When compared with similar schools pupils performed better than average.

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115. Inspection observation shows that currently, pupils aged seven, at the end of Year 2, have reached the expected levels of attainment in their speaking and listening skills. This reflects the good progress they have made since entering the school. They listen attentively in class and show good understanding of what is asked of them. They are able to express themselves well orally and they have learned to wait their turn and to listen to the responses of other pupils.

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116. By the age of seven pupils' skills in reading are in line with those expected. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress from when they enter the school but particularly in Year 2. Most can identify the main characters and events in the book they are reading and they understand about authors, illustrators and publishers. The most confident readers are able to use a range of strategies to enable them to identify unfamiliar words, including letter patterns, sounds and context. They show good understanding of what they read and they use appropriate expression when they read aloud. Those pupils who are less confident readers, as well as those with special needs, are also making good progress. They are able to talk about the books they are reading and are developing effective strategies to cope with difficult words such as using letter sounds to build words, breaking a long word

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into smaller sections and using picture clues and the context to help them to understand the word.

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117. By the end of Year 2 standards of writing are also in line with national expectations. Most pupils spell common words correctly and have acquired the necessary word building skills to enable them to progress well. Most are able to use capital letters and full stops correctly while higher attainers understand and use question marks, apostrophes and speech marks. Handwriting is usually neat and well formed, indicating the success of the dedicated writing lessons. In all year groups pupils write for a variety of purposes and teachers have high expectations of them in both accuracy and quantity. For example, when children in Year 2 write at length about their holidays, their work is organised correctly into sentences and shows very good understanding of the rules of punctuation. Those in the lower attaining groups write complete sentences and spell the most common words correctly. Wigmore Primary School - 46 - April 2002

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118. By the end of Year 6, at the age of 11, pupils have satisfactory speaking and listening skills. Most show that they are able to express themselves confidently. They are keen to answer questions and to talk about their work. In discussions they listen attentively while others speak. This is not consistent across all pupils however. For example, a group of pupils with lower attainment in a Year 5 class demonstrated very immature speaking and listening skills. In this group the immature behaviour of some pupils inhibited concentration and placed severe constraints on the opportunities of others to speak at length.

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119. Standards of reading at the age of 11 are on course for pupils to reach the nationally expected level. Most pupils enjoy reading and do so with confidence, showing that they have achieved well throughout Years 3-6. Most are competent when reading a range of texts. For example, higher attaining pupils in Year 6 read a difficult passage about the circulatory system with good intonation and obvious understanding. Not only do they read with confidence and understanding but they are able to adapt the text for use by younger pupils by finding suitable synonyms and alternative phrases. Pupils in the lower attaining set in Year 6 cope well with high frequency words and they understand the key features of an explanatory text. Working in sets is enabling pupils of all attainment levels to reach their own best level and this is proving to be a useful way forward for all pupils.

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120. Pupils' attainment in writing at the end of Year 6 matches the nationally expected level. They are developing the necessary skills to write at length for a range of purposes. Most are able to spell accurately and punctuate correctly. The higher attainers organise their work into paragraphs, where appropriate. These pupils show that they have acquired a wide vocabulary and that they are competent when using dictionaries and a thesaurus. In Year 4 pupils in the higher attaining set write lively and varied descriptions of some Roald Dahl characters using a wide range of adjectives and descriptive phrases. In this detailed work their spelling and punctuation, including speech marks and is accurate. Pupils of all attainment levels in Year 6 write at length on contentious issues; the recent controversy about MMS vaccine for young children inspired a very interesting range of written work, which is on display.

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121. The quality of teaching in classes across the school is predominantly good and none of the lessons observed was judged to be unsatisfactory. In Years 1 and 2 and from Year 3 to Year 6 the teaching in one third of lessons was judged to be very good. Teachers' planning contributes strongly to the good progress pupils make. This is because teachers are very competent in their implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and because work is carefully matched to previous learning. Lessons move at a brisk pace. This ensures that good use is made of the time available and that pupils are kept on task. Teachers have responded well to the challenge of comparatively high mobility among pupils by ensuring that they integrate quickly and consequently learn well. In the minority of lessons, those that are only satisfactory, sometimes too much of the teachers' time is taken up by having to manage challenging behaviour from one or two pupils. This has a detrimental effect on the

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pace of a lesson and on the pupils' speaking and listening skills. Only a small number of pupils are responsible for this and the positive attitudes and motivation of the majority ensure that learning continues to take place and overall is still satisfactory. Teachers generally have a very good understanding of their pupils' capabilities and prior attainment and have high expectations about what they will achieve. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils are required to understand the characteristics of an explanatory text and explain the main features to the class. In a set of higher attaining pupils from Year 5, pupils examined texts expressing views on fox hunting and were required to distinguish between emotive and factual writing. They accomplished this taxing work very well. In matched ability sets from Year 2 to Year 6, Wigmore Primary School - 47 - April 2002 lower attaining pupils and those with special needs learn well because lessons are

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well matched to their needs and because of the strong support and guidance they receive from teachers and classroom assistants. Pupils' learning is enhanced by a high level of motivation and great enthusiasm. They behave well and relationships between teachers and pupils, and between the pupils themselves, are very good and conducive to a good leaning atmosphere.

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122. Teachers make very effective use of other subject areas to support pupils' literacy skills. In a Year 2 geography lesson pupils’ design a poster, with snappy captions, advertising a seaside resort. They then write postcards as though on a seaside holiday. Most write accurately and they describe their activities and hotels as well as the weather. In science pupils in a Year 4 class successfully use a range of books to find information about the classification of animals. They understand how to use the index and glossary. In geography pupils in Year 6 compose a letter of complaint about a proposed building development while in music, the texts used in the literacy lessons are used as an aid to composition. In history pupils write about leisure activities in post war England. The use of information and communication technology in literacy is limited, although pupils' support their work using spelling programs and some work is

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word-processed enabling effective drafting and editing to be undertaken.

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123. The subject has good management and leadership. The subject manager gives strong support to other members of staff and has become active in monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and planning. A comprehensive scheme of work is in place, based on the National Literacy Strategy. Pupils' attainment is assessed regularly and the information obtained is used to identify and initiate remedies for any identified areas of underachievement in the school. The quality and range of resources available for the teaching of literacy are good and they are centrally stored. The library is small but the stock of books is of good quality and pupils use them well.

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ENGLISH

124. Since the last inspection there have been improvements in a number of areas. There are more opportunities for speaking and listening in lessons and these skills have consequently improved. There has been a noticeable improvement in the quality of writing. The school makes better provision for those pupils capable of higher attainment especially in Years 3-6. The introduction since September 2001 of opportunities for full-time education in the Foundation Stage is enabling the school to give pupils a better grounding and preparation for more formal learning before they begin their work within the National Literacy Strategy in Year 1.

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125. The results of the 2001 national tests, taken by pupils at the end of Year 2 show that the majority of pupils attain the national standard of Level 2, and almost one third attain the higher level.

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126. Overall the results are in line with the national average, but above those of schools with similar intakes. This standard had been maintained despite a considerable increase in the number of pupils coming to the school because of its reputation for getting good results with pupils who were making only limited progress in other schools. Observations of work seen in class and in pupils’ books indicate that this year results will be similar but that the trend for the future is upward.

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127. Attainment is sustained and enhanced in Years 3-6. The results of the National Curriculum tests, taken at the end of Year 6 in 2001 show that the majority of pupils attain the nationally expected Level 4, and that nearly one third attain the higher levels. Wigmore Primary School - 48 - April 2002 Overall the results are in line with the national average, and above those for similar schools. Work seen during the inspection indicates an upward trend in achievement that is likely to be reflected in improved test scores over the next three to four years. An upward trend has been firmly established. Test results are carefully analysed by staff, so that areas where pupils achieve less well may be addressed through careful planning and target setting.

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MATHEMATICS

128. Test results at the end of Year 2 are confirmed by lesson observations, scrutiny of work, and conversations with pupils. Most pupils attain at least average standards, and some attain above. Most achieve their highest potential.

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MATHEMATICS

129. Pupils make good progress in lessons about number, shape and measure. They learn how to apply number to short problems in money. Pupils learn how to collect information and how to illustrate it. For example, one class showed the height of sunflowers in a colourful bar chart. By the end of Year 2, most pupils confidently count to 100 with a good level of accuracy and use mental recall of addition and subtraction facts to 20. They understand simple fractions such as ½, ¼ and ¾ and can round numbers to the nearest 10, and work out simple algebraic equations such as 2 + ? = 5. They respond well to mental arithmetic and are eager to show that they know multiplication tables for 2, 5 and 10. Pupils apply their knowledge satisfactorily and calculate change from 10, 20 and 50 pence. Pupils tell the time on the hour, and the half and quarter hours, and know the names of many 2 and 3-dimensional shapes

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and accurately describe their properties. Pupils know millimetres and centimetres, and can estimate the length of everyday items in the classroom and compare them with the actual measurement. Pupils use the language of mathematics well and can form number statements such as 5 + 10 = 15.

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MATHEMATICS

130. Test results across classes 3-6 but especially in Year 6 are confirmed by observations in lessons, scrutiny of work and conversations with pupils. Most pupils attain at least average standards, and a significant number attain above. Pupils continue to make good progress in all of the areas of mathematics and they achieve well.

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MATHEMATICS

131. The majority of pupils has a secure grasp of place value and the four operations of number (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). They understand reflective symmetry and can identify the axes, copying a series of shapes across the lines of symmetry with accuracy. They can find the area of compound shapes by counting squares and using formulae. Most pupils are able to express themselves in mathematical language, and to explain what they are doing.

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MATHEMATICS

132. Pupils with special educational needs are given good support in acquiring basic number skills. The skilful use of mathematical equipment by teachers often helps to overcome learning difficulties, and pupils gain skills and self-esteem rapidly. Progress is less good in those lessons where teachers are less secure or are inconsistent in their use of the school’s strategies for managing challenging behaviour.

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MATHEMATICS

133. Numeracy skills are used well in other subjects. For example, in history, pupils use a time chart to record historical events, and in geography they use their knowledge of co-ordinates to plot their way from place to place as they read maps. In music, pupils beat time, and count out the number of beats in a bar and, in science, they use Venn diagrams and graphs to show how they classify living things and to clearly demonstrate their interpretation of the results of experiments. Pupils use their skills in information and communication technology well to record collected data in class and Wigmore Primary School - 49 - April 2002 when using the computer suite. Work to use skills with co-ordinates was reinforced very well using an imaginative computer program.

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MATHEMATICS

134. The quality of teaching is good overall, and demonstrates effective planning and a shared commitment to raise standards. There is an above average occurrence of very good and excellent teaching. This is seen when teachers’ work is meticulously planned and the work for each pupil is set at exactly the correct level, the demands made of pupils are precise and management of pupils’ behaviour is good. In these lessons the pace is brisk, purposeful and business-like. Teachers then have very high expectations of pupils learning and behaviour, and continuously assess what the pupils know, understand and can do, in order to move them on to the next step in their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

135. Generally, pupils are well managed in mathematics lessons, and clear targets are set, against which teachers measure their progress. At present, in most classes individual pupils are insufficiently involved in this process although they have a generally understanding of what their group needs to do in order to improve the overall performance and increase the level of attainment.

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MATHEMATICS

136. Help is always at hand in the lesson from the teacher or learning support assistant, so that individuals and groups of pupils may progress at their own rate. Teaching is sequential and tasks are a precise match to pupils’ needs. Pupils are clear about what they have to do, and this helps their confidence and self-esteem. The learning environment is good and the setting arrangements help the teachers focus the work more closely to the needs of the pupils, ensuring faster progress. All pupils are keen to contribute to answering questions, and they obviously enjoy their mathematics lessons. The atmosphere in all sets is positive but the opportunities for pupils in the lower attaining sets to shine enables them to believe very strongly in their own ability to achieve their best possible standard.

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MATHEMATICS

137. Good emphasis is placed on the use of key mathematical words, and this helps understanding. Relationships are very good and are based on mutual respect. Lessons generally proceed at a stimulating pace, so that the pupils do not become bored. Attainable targets are set and progress towards them is monitored very carefully.

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MATHEMATICS

138. A relatively new subject leader who has a clear vision for its development manages the subject very well. There is a revised action plan that is helping teachers to check that the goals set are being achieved. Plans about what teachers and pupils will do and the programmes of work that they will follow are detailed and effective, and regular assessments are carried out.

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MATHEMATICS

139. Teaching is monitored regularly and good practice is shared. Teachers are well versed in the requirements for the daily mathematics lesson, and training is on-going. The required work for the National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented effectively. Resources are good and a wide range of suitable mathematical equipment is used to aid pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Resources such as computer programs and books in the library enable pupils to develop their own research skills very well. Class teachers and support staff have established a strong and positive learning environment where ongoing and completed work is carefully monitored. Evidence during the inspection indicates that this groundwork is now being rewarded and all pupils within the National Curriculum are achieving higher levels of attainment. Wigmore Primary School - 50 - April 2002

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140. The 2001 teacher assessments of the attainment of seven year olds show that the percentage of pupils reaching and exceeding the national expected level was below that of most schools across the country and below the standards of similar schools. National Curriculum test results for pupils at 11 were in line with the national average and above those of similar schools. Standards at eleven have risen in line with the national trend over the past four years. Inspection findings suggest that, generally, standards for pupils in Year 2 and Year 4 are the same as the national average. This shows an improvement for younger pupils when compared to the attainment of Year 2 pupils last year. Pupils’ knowledge of the biological processes is stronger than that in other areas and often pupils are working at above the expected level. However, although all pupils carry out investigations regularly in all year groups, there is no

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systematic development of science skills and by Year 6 these are only average. Older pupils have few opportunities to use their own ideas when planning investigations.

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SCIENCE

141. Most pupils in Year 2 are developing a secure knowledge about the world around them and how it functions. They know the names of common materials and described them by their properties, using correct scientific terminology such as ‘flexible’, ‘rigid’ and ‘opaque’. When appropriate, pupils develop their knowledge and understanding through investigation. By carrying out tests pupils have found out about reversible and irreversible processes such as water turning to ice and chocolate melting. With support they can carry out a test to see if a car would travel further down a tiled or a carpeted ramp. Some pupils are beginning to make predictions based on their everyday experiences, for example that the carpet is ‘bumpy’, and they can use their results to explain what happened.

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SCIENCE

142. By Year 6 almost all pupils have at least a satisfactory understanding of the different areas of science they have studied. They have acquired a good scientific vocabulary, which the majority use accurately in appropriate contexts, for example when explaining how a point is reached when further added solute will not dissolve in a solvent. Most pupils can explain how forces exerted on an object, measured by a Newton meter, change when in or out of water; higher attaining pupils explain how the forces keep an object floating. Investigative skills are not as well developed as could be expected because of a lack of a whole school policy as to how they should be taught. For example, before testing, pupils do not always predict what might happen and older pupils are not always encouraged to attempt to explain their predictions. There is no common format to show pupils how to plan and record their investigations

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SCIENCE

although in the classes for older pupils, most are expected to try to explain their results. In Year 6 classes pupils know that they must consider variables which have to be controlled or changed when planning a test to find out the best conditions for plant growth. In the lower attaining sets some pupils need support when using their knowledge to plan a fair test.

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SCIENCE

143. Teaching is good overall, based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work from this year and from the lessons, which were observed. Teaching is stronger in Years 4 to 6 than in younger age groups: almost all the lessons seen in the former group were very good or better and two were excellent. For pupils aged five to seven teaching ranged from satisfactory to very good. This shows good improvement since the last inspection, partly as a result of recent staff changes; many of the teachers new to the school show very good knowledge and understanding of science. However their influence has not yet fed through to the National Curriculum tests in Year 6. The rate of pupils’ learning in lessons is directly related to the quality of the teaching. Lessons in all age groups covered the life processes of plants and animals and almost all teachers Wigmore Primary School - 51 - April 2002 show confident subject knowledge in this area. Most lessons were planned in good

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SCIENCE

detail and the learning intentions were shared with pupils so that they knew what they had to learn. Many teachers evaluate learning from the previous lesson and use this to clarify understanding before moving pupils on. In a very good lesson in Year 4 the teacher realised there was some confusion when classifying animals according to their characteristics and skilfully posed questions that successfully enabled the pupils to arrive at a viable means of classification. Pupils were thus able to sort statements such as ‘lays eggs in water ‘ and ‘body temperature changes’. Teaching methods are well chosen and effective, enabling pupils to be active in their own learning. Pupils in Year 5 made very good gains in learning about the reproductive parts of a plant when they carefully dissected a flower. They were able to find the ovary inside the carpel and discover the pollen on the stamen. A well-chosen section of a video used in a

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SCIENCE

Year 2 class was very useful in helping pupils to understand why some animals need to live in or near water. However in another Year 2 lesson learning was judged to be only satisfactory because the selected pictorial resources were not sufficiently good to enable successful development of pupils’ interest and understanding of trees as habitats. In many lessons questioning was used well to challenge pupils’ thinking and to extend their understanding. In an excellent lesson in Year 4 the teacher skilfully changed the style and nature of each question to cater for the range of attainment of the individuals in the class. The quality of revision lessons in Year 6 is high and they are providing good preparation for the National Curriculum tests. Teachers know which areas need extra input and they use a variety of interesting methods, including role-play, to teach them. As a result pupils remain interested and are thoroughly

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SCIENCE

involved. Other factors in the most successful lessons were a good pace, good classroom relationships and very good class management; pupils want to learn and participate fully in activities.

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SCIENCE

144. Good cross-curricular links have been made with other subjects. Science is used well to consolidate writing skills because pupils in all classes record their own work. Good use is made of CD-ROM’s and the World Wide Web for pupils to carry out research; pupils in Year 5 have collected information to produce their own planet books. Pupils use mathematical skills regularly for measuring and for recording their results using appropriate charts, tables and graphs. In Year 4 pupils use information and communication technology well to create branching databases on animals but there is little evidence of its regular use for graphical representation in other year groups. Pupils readily use collections of books from the local library service to enrich their learning and demonstrate good research skills cross-referencing findings and extending the scope of the available information.

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SCIENCE

145. Planning for science is thorough. Since the last inspection a new plan of intended work has been put in place, based on national guidelines, and this has improved the provision for investigative science for younger pupils. However, teachers recognise the need for further guidance that will help pupils to develop their science skills systematically and improve the standards of investigation. Joint planning is undertaken now in year groups and this is helping those teachers who are less confident in teaching science. In classes that are not organised in sets according to pupils’ prior attainment, work is set with appropriate challenge for higher attaining pupils. As the previous work plan is being replaced by the newly agreed programme of work there remains some overlap in coverage between some year groups. Examples of this are seen during investigations on the properties of materials carried out in Years 2 and 3 and pupils in Years 5 and 6 have both investigated pulse rates

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SCIENCE

before and after exercise. The subject leader has noted this and teachers are beginning to work to the new plan and such confusion is unlikely to take place in the future. A good assessment system is in place but is not yet used well enough to have Wigmore Primary School - 52 - April 2002 eliminated these overlaps. It is good at showing what individual pupils know and understand.

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SCIENCE

146. The co-ordination of science is good. Although the subject leader has been in place only since September she has a good grasp of what is needed to raise standards further and has begun to implement changes. The monitoring of planning and of pupils’ work has led to the identification of the overlap in coverage. The results of pupils’ attainment in the national science test papers for pupils at 11 have been analysed and the findings used to enable the Year 6 teacher to target revision on areas identified as needing improvement. Targets for science attainment are set for all pupils at the beginning of each year and are reviewed at the end. Resources are satisfactory and are sufficient in quantity for each unit of work; they are well organised and easily accessible. Wigmore Primary School - 53 - April 2002

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ART AND DESIGN

147. Only three lessons of art and design were observed during the inspection, so judgements are based on talking with pupils, examining their work, photographic evidence, discussions with teachers and looking at their plans.

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ART AND DESIGN

148. This collected evidence indicates that the attainment of pupils in the school is above the national expectations when pupils are seven and, by the time pupils leave the school at 11. Pupils experience a broad range of work in art and design, including two and three-dimensional work, and have experimented with a good range of appropriate media, including poster paints, water colours, pastels, coloured pencils and crayons, a range of drawing pencils, collage, print making and sculpture. There has been good progress in the development of art in the school since the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

149. A particularly strong aspect of art and design in the school is the opportunities that pupils are given to study the work of famous artists to examine their techniques and to respond to their ideas in their own work in the subject. Good links with other subjects were seen in aspects of this work. For example, when making their own string prints to depict calm and stormy seas, pupils were encouraged to listen to real sea sounds and music. When they examine two contrasting works of art by Monet and Van Gogh, they talk about their thoughts and feelings as they look carefully at the paintings, and listen to the music. Linking the work in art and design with work in other subjects results in work of high quality being produced. Other examples were paper plates designed in the style of Clarice Clift, pointillism paintings in the style of Seurat, and abstracts in the style of Wassily Kandinsky.

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ART AND DESIGN

150. Another strong feature of art and design in the school is the integration of the subject into every other aspect of the curriculum. This results in the pupils developing their art and design skills well, (particularly drawing), and in giving an added dimension to the other subjects. For example, in science pupils made detailed drawings of plants and animals, and in history they illustrated Britain since 1930, and made models of Roman houses using paint and card. Geography work included drawings of a range of habitats, and the wide range of people and transport to be found at Luton Airport. Work in information and communication technology produced a range of graphics and computer art in the style of Jackson Pollack. Work in religious education stimulated a vibrant collage of Grace Darling rescuing people at sea. In music pupils listened to the ‘Carnival of the Animals’ by Saen-Saens and depicted the aquarian music by

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ART AND DESIGN

creating a sea collage using a variety of paper including a range of colours, foil and different textures. Pupils enjoyed making a large colourful stuffed paper fish to hang in their block and made a string print to represent the sea. Links with literacy and history, using coloured pencils and calligraphy pens, produced personalised illuminated letters in the style of Anglo-Saxon monks. Art and design techniques that are particularly well taught in the school include water colour painting of still life and colour-mixing in classes across the school. Pupils in older classes made fabric patterns using fabric pens, pastels and paint.

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ART AND DESIGN

151. The curriculum for art and design is wide and varied and is very well enhanced by the imaginative way that the teachers present it. The pupils have a wide range of opportunities to extend and enrich their experiences in art and design, including working with a local sculptor, visits to art exhibitions and an after-school art club. Art and design work is well displayed in classrooms and around the school, often very imaginatively. There is great attention to detail and the care taken shows how much pupils’ work is valued and appreciated. Wigmore Primary School - 54 - April 2002 152. Teaching in art and design is invariably good and is sometimes excellent. Teachers obviously enjoy teaching this subject. They are technically competent at the techniques that they select and imaginative in the way they deliver the subject. The lesson planning is good and is based partly on a nationally agreed pattern of what is

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ART AND DESIGN

to be taught and partly on a local planning. There is a strong programme of teaching a range of techniques within creative opportunities. Resources are good, readily available and well managed. There is a good range of interesting books in the library that support pupils’ studies and the confident use of computers to access the Internet extends pupils’ knowledge to a level far above that seen at the time of the last inspection. Health and safety aspects when using equipment are emphasised and, as a result, pupils are careful with paint and scissors. Some of the teaching seen was inspiring, indicating the teachers’ obvious love of the subject and resulting in high standards of work being produced.

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ART AND DESIGN

153. Pupils are well behaved in lessons, listen and watch with interest to demonstrations, and are both careful and creative in their work. They show an obvious enjoyment of the subject. The school places a strong emphasis on the spiritual and emotional development of pupils and this was clearly seen within the art and design curriculum, where pupils were encouraged to reflect on their own work in art and design and to appreciate the work of famous artists. Cultural development is fostered in the wide style of work from a range of cultures that pupils study.

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ART AND DESIGN

154. The school has two subject leaders both of whom are relatively new to the job. Art and design in the school is in a strong position, and the many new ideas that these subject managers have for further developing the subject such as collecting portfolios of work, photographing displays and holding an ‘Art Week’ are set to enable the school to continue to improve standards.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

155. Standards generally are at expected levels for pupils aged seven and 11 and are the same as at the last inspection. Pupils’ design skills particularly are still not being developed sufficiently systematically across the school and, overall, are weaker than their making skills. Pupils are now taught the full design and technology process from an early age but teachers’ confidence in teaching this subject varies considerably and this sometimes affects the standards achieved.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

156. In Year 1 pupils have learned how to use simple levers and sliding mechanisms to create movement in greeting cards. Pupils in Year 2 have investigated how wheels and axles are fixed to the chassis of toy vehicles. They produced designs for their own cars, some of which were clearly labelled, itemising the materials they would need.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

157. Older pupils develop their skills and, by Year 5, some of their designs for musical instruments show good detail and creativity. Good use was made of an aboriginal rainmaker to encourage pupils to think about how they could create similar sounds. By trial and error one girl found that, by attaching cocktail sticks horizontally across a narrow cylinder, the fall of the objects within the cylinder would be slowed down and create the desired sound effect. Year 6 pupils have constructed shelters and their basic frames show satisfactory woodworking and measuring skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

158. In the few lessons which were seen the quality of teaching varied from very good to satisfactory. However, based on the scrutiny of pupils’ work, it is satisfactory overall. Wigmore Primary School - 55 - April 2002 Some teachers are still insecure in their understanding of the design process. As a result pupils’ designs vary considerably and, in some cases, they are little more than a drawing of an object. Teachers now ask pupils to evaluate their finished products with great regularity but this process is inconsistent between classes and pupils are not all learning how to evaluate critically. Lesson planning is thorough with well- organised activities to enable pupils to achieve well. Some teachers, however, are insecure when another year group teacher carries out the planning and this affects pupils’ learning. Pupils made only satisfactory progress in a lesson on weaving where the teacher lacked security in her own subject knowledge and understanding and the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

task was over-prescriptive so that the pupils had little opportunity to plan their own work. In a very good lesson in Year 6 the teachers’ secure subject knowledge and skilful questioning techniques enabled pupils to gain a very good understanding of the manufacture of slippers, one of which had been disassembled. As a result pupils were successful when working in pairs to investigate other slippers. A well-planned task enabled pupils to evaluate them in terms of design, construction and fitness for purpose. Correct technical vocabulary was explained and pupils used this. In a previous lesson the teacher had identified the pupils’ lack of knowledge of the names of different fabrics; for this lesson she had provided a sample fabric chart to help them. In all lessons good support was provided as pupils worked on their task and this enabled pupils with special educational needs to achieve as well as other pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Good relationships and positive class management were both factors in the good and very good lessons. Pupils clearly enjoy their lessons and show good attitudes to the subject and this has a positive effect on their learning. Some cross-curricular links have been identified and used to good effect, for example, in Year 5 when they were making musical instruments at the same time as studying sound in science. There is satisfactory consolidation for learning in other subjects, notably literacy, mathematics and art and design but information and communication technology is not yet used regularly for research or design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

159. The curriculum for design and technology is identified as a priority for review and such a shared revision is one of the factors, which might well help to raise standards. At present staff are using a mixture of two schemes of work and this does not ensure that pupils are developing skills systematically or working with a sufficiently wide variety of materials and tools in all classes. The curriculum for food technology has been improved and is now good. Pupils have regular experiences throughout the school and the subject leader has provided staff with good guidance. There is no whole school strategy to ensure that the way that pupils’ designs and evaluations are recorded is consistent although some good procedures are being used. As a result, pupils progress from year to year is not a smooth continuous process. The school’s system for recording what pupils know and can do lacks consistency so that the skills

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

attained and the knowledge developed is not always built on systematically.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

160. The subject leadership of the co-ordinator is satisfactory. It has been hindered by the low profile of the subject until very recently because of other subject priorities for whole school development. The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and has attended courses for leaders in design and technology. By monitoring teachers’ planning and pupils’ work, she has a clear understanding of what needs to be done to improve standards. This includes introducing a whole school scheme of work and assessment system and shared staff training to improve the consistency in teaching. No time has been allocated until the autumn term for her to implement her ideas and improve provision. She has given informal training to staff in one year group so far and this has enabled them to use pneumatics to create movement in models. She has also made examples of finished products to show the quality of work expected.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Resources are satisfactory and are well organised for accessibility. The stock of Wigmore Primary School - 56 - April 2002 books to support this work in the library is not extensive but block loans from the local library service are helping teachers to encourage and enable pupils' learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

161. By the ages of seven and 11 pupils reach above expected levels in geography. By seven they readily name and locate the countries of the United Kingdom and on a map of England they correctly locate seaside resorts. They draw plans of the local area showing houses and shops in relation to the school. In doing this they develop a good understanding of the concept of scale. They appreciate the variations presented by the seasons and they understand that the weather has an important effect on leisure activities. In a Year 2 lesson pupils showed that they know about the features of a seaside resort.

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GEOGRAPHY

162. By the age of 11 pupils are very keen to interpret maps of different scales and can calculate and estimate distances. They have good appreciation of map symbols and use grid references accurately. Pupils develop a good understanding of physical processes such as the stages of a river, erosion, transportation and deposition. They successfully compare different settlements and traditions within communities. Their studies contribute strongly to their understanding of other cultures when Year 4 pupils compare life in a village in India with their own environment. They are skilled at using information gained about the village to further their learning of map symbols and co- ordinates. In a Year 6 lesson pupils show that they have good understanding of the human effect on landscapes when they consider the impact of tourism in the French Alps. Most pupils are able to draw and interpret bar charts and line graphs to

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GEOGRAPHY

compare, for example, temperature and rainfall. Pupils’ interest, positive attitudes and good behaviour enhance learning in geography in lessons. This is because they get down to tasks very quickly and are enthusiastic learners. In the lessons observed pupils co-operate well in group work so that such sessions are very productive.

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GEOGRAPHY

163. The quality of teaching in geography is good. Teachers' careful planning and good classroom management ensure that pupils learn well. They acquire sound factual knowledge while skilful questioning encourages geographical enquiry. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils because they require them to use and understand appropriate geographical terms and to compare the locations they are studying with their own. Teachers ensure that there is appropriate emphasis on environmental issues so that pupils learn to consider the effects of tourism, traffic and pollution. A strength of the subject is its contribution to pupils' literacy skills. For example, pupils in Year 2 write postcards as though from a seaside holiday. They are accurate and varied in content. When Year 6 pupils learn about the effect that human beings have had on the landscape they write compelling letters to complain about a proposed

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GEOGRAPHY

industrial development. Teachers usually ensure that lessons move at a brisk pace so that good use is made of the time available. They give good support to pupils who have special educational needs so that they are able to learn well. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology to support learning in geography. Pupils use CD-ROM and books from the library for personal study and to support their research in a number of topics.

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GEOGRAPHY

164. The curriculum in geography is presents a good range of learning opportunities and the subject is well managed. The schemes of work ensure that there is continuity across the year groups and that there are sufficient opportunities to assess pupils' attainment. Good use is made of the local area for investigative fieldwork. The quality and range of learning resources are satisfactory. Wigmore Primary School - 57 - April 2002

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HISTORY

165. Due to the timing of the inspection and the school’s teaching arrangements for the subject, only a limited number of lessons were observed. Judgements are made on pupils’ work, discussions with staff and pupils and an analysis of teachers’ planning.

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HISTORY

166. Standards have improved much since the previous inspection and are now good. This is due to the improved management and leadership of the subject that ensures a well-structured curriculum is implemented across the school. A particular strength in history lessons is the way that teachers encourage the pupils to use their literacy skills to write imaginatively. They also encourage pupils to think about dates and calculate periods of history through the effective use of timelines. By the end of Year 2 the pupils attain standards that are similar to those expected for their ages. This good start is built on well in the juniors and by the end of Year 6 standards are above those expected for their ages. The pupils, including those with special educational needs and the more able, make good progress. Boys and girls achieve equally well.

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HISTORY

167. The curriculum for history is imaginative and well planned in order to motivate pupils’ interest in people and events of the past. As pupils move through the school they are encouraged to think of themselves as historians as they consider the authenticity of evidence and use a range of artefacts, photographs, the Internet and books to gain knowledge and understanding of past times and characters. The pupils’ factual knowledge and ability to recall dates and place events and periods of history in order is good. Pupils have a good understanding of history and know the significance and contribution of key periods, people and events. Younger pupils learn about the great fire of London and the gunpowder plot. Older pupils in the juniors study Anglo Saxons, Greeks, Romans, Tudors, Stuarts and Victorians. Effective teaching encourages pupils to get under the skin of characters from the past and to imagine

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HISTORY

what life was really like for an Anglo-Saxon, a Roman soldier, or a child in Victorian England. Older pupils consider the impact of Henry the Eighths divorces on the monarchy and religion. Older pupils show considerable maturity as they discuss the moral, social and cultural issues surrounding immigration in post war Britain. They are keen to explore new ideas and exchange these with each other when working in small groups or pairs. A study of significant people such as Grace Darling, Robert Stephenson, Alexander Bell and Neil Armstrong help to reinforce pupils understanding of the contribution previous generations have made to the present.

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HISTORY

168. Skills of historical enquiry have improved since the last inspection and are now good. Pupils have very good opportunities to organise their own work and record their findings in their own words using a range of styles such as posters, newspaper reports, diaries and letters. These techniques add interest to pupils work and reinforce the skills they are learning in literacy. Tasks are particularly well planned and matched to the differing levels of attainment. This ensures that pupils have challenging tasks, which move learning on at a good pace and ensure high standards. Higher attaining pupils are expected to add detail to their work, to make links with other periods in history and to realise that there can be different accounts and views of the same historical events. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and a very good understanding of the subject. Teaching is particularly strong in Years 4 and 6.

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HISTORY

Here pupils have a wide range of very interesting and stimulating activities to deepen their understanding of historical events and significant people. Pupils develop an understanding of archaeology as they study the legacy of the Anglo Saxons and Romans. They prepare a newspaper account of an imagined trip to a chariot race or devise a menu for a Roman feast. Older pupils’ imagination is enhanced as they watch the film ‘Ben Hur’ and then write very imaginatively of what it might have been Wigmore Primary School - 58 - April 2002 like to have been a Roman gladiator. As a result standards rise dramatically.

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HISTORY

169. History is very effectively managed and makes an important contribution to the aims of the school. The plans for pupils’ learning that are now in place effectively ensure that pupils learn systematically building up their knowledge and understanding across the school, taking into account the needs of the different attainment levels within each class. This continuous learning process helps teachers to provide pupils with good opportunities to extend their historical knowledge and understanding and to develop their skills of investigation and research. The new procedures recently introduced and now being developed help teachers to assess the level of pupils learning in order to improve standards even further.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

170. Standards for all pupils are at nationally expected levels and have been maintained since the last inspection. Pupils are making satisfactory progress despite the fact that the computer suite has been out of action this year for six months, due to a lightning strike that caused the whole system to collapse.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

171. In Year 1 pupils have learned about the various forms of communication such as CD ROM, tape recorders, text and photographs. They have begun to use the computer for word processing, using the mouse confidently, and easily find their way around the keyboard. They enjoy using paint programmes to draw and fill shapes with colour. By Year 2 pupils are very secure using word processing to plan work and write stories. Most can log on and open the appropriate program for themselves and are then able to save their work and log off. They have begun to use the Internet to find information using a search engine and are now learning how to copy and paste pictures into a Word document. At present pupils have had few experiences in controlling the movement of remote controlled robots by entering instructions but teachers’ plans show that this work is to be undertaken later this term.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

172. Older pupils build on these experiences. Year 3 pupils have inserted pictures into text to illustrate their own stories. In Year 4 pupils have collected information and inserted it into spreadsheets before collating it. They have presented the information in block graphs and pie charts, which they then use to answer questions. By Year 6 pupils use their understanding of the ‘Publisher’ program to create and edit a presentation about themselves using ‘Power Point’. They can create slides and successfully apply design and transition effects to their text slides. They have designed layouts for advertisements and newspaper reports for the ‘Wigmore News’. They use spreadsheets confidently to display what they have found out about the nutritional values of breakfast cereals. In control technology pupils’ skills are less developed because of the lack of sufficient appropriate software. Most pupils willingly write

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

instructions to create geometric shapes. Older pupils have regular access to the Internet and they are learning how to refine their searches to find the relevant information quickly.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

173. The use of information and communication technology across the curriculum is stronger than at the time of the last inspection. Teachers’ planning for other subjects often identifies opportunities for its use. Literacy skills are improved by the pupils’ growing proficiency in word processing and by the use of programs to improve their skills in reading and spelling. Some pupils’ recorded work is of high quality. In Year 6 advertisements for a school Bring and Buy sale are enhanced by the use of graphics and by decorative effects. In mathematics lessons information and communication Wigmore Primary School - 59 - April 2002 technology is used regularly, for example Year 4 pupils are using a program to consolidate their understanding of co-ordinates. It is also used well to collect and present data, although there is less evidence of this in science lessons. Pupils regularly use CD ROM and the Internet for personal research, particularly in history,

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

geography and science. In Year 6 good use was made of an information and communication technology lesson to enable pupils to use search engines to seek out information to help in their revision for the forthcoming science national tests. Paint and draw programs are used regularly from an early age and are developed across the school. Year 1 pupils were very successful in producing paintings in the style of Mondrian. Paintings in Year 5 show how pupils have experimented with the tools of a paint programme, improving their skills with the spray tool to create the background for landscape pictures.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

174. Teaching is never less than satisfactory, with half of the lessons judged to be very good. This has a positive effect on the standards achieved. Good use is made of the computer suite where teachers can give clear demonstrations and guidance by modelling tasks on a whiteboard that shows the computer screen. This ensures that pupils make a good start on their own tasks. When this is used well there is a good balance between teacher exposition and the development of skills.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

175. In good and very good lessons pupils benefit from the good subject knowledge and confident delivery of the teachers. Lessons are planned with clear, well-focused objectives, which are built on previous learning experiences. This enables pupils to make at least satisfactory and, most often, very good progress. In a very good lesson well chosen activities enabled Year 4 pupils to develop their understanding of branching databases and the information about animals was chosen to consolidate learning in science. Year 5 pupils were helped to improve their graphical modelling skills by a useful evaluation session in which the teacher and pupils critically discussed their imaginary classrooms. In all classes the use of teaching assistants is rightly focused on helping pupils with special educational needs. As a result these pupils make equal progress with others. Where teachers have less confidence and

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

less secure subject knowledge learning is then only satisfactory. In one satisfactory lesson, time was lost because of difficulties with the management of a small number of pupils who misbehaved. Pupils did not listen well to the initial instructions given by the teacher and consequently this group needed additional support before they could begin their tasks. Almost all pupils are keen to learn; the vast majority listen attentively during the teacher instruction and show their understanding by their eagerness to answer questions or demonstrate their skills. This contributes to their progress when working on the computers. Working in pairs, pupils showed support, understanding and good co-operative skills until it was their turn to use the keyboard.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

176. Since the last inspection a new planning format has been put in place and this has improved the coverage required by the National Curriculum, although aspects such as modelling and control still have less time allocated when compared to other areas in which some teachers feel more confident. Formal assessment procedures are not yet in place and no formalised records are kept across the school although in many classes individual teachers maintain clear records of pupils’ developing skills.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

177. The leadership and management of information and communication technology are satisfactory. There have been no recent initiatives due to the systems crashing and the lack of a subject leader for six months. The present co-ordinator has been in school for only two months but has already identified areas for development. He has written an action plan, which includes formalising procedures for assessing, and recording attainment, reviewing training needs for staff and establishing an additional Wigmore Primary School - 60 - April 2002 small computer suite outside the Year 6 classrooms. He intends that developments should help to increase provision and help to raise standards. Resources are good and are used well. All classes use the information and communication technology suite regularly and there are computers in all of the classrooms, which are used appropriately. Software has been ordered to extend the teaching of modelling and

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MUSIC

178. There has been a good improvement in the provision of music since the previous inspection. However there are still areas that need strengthening which the school has identified in its action plan. A clear action plan is in place designed to remedy all of these areas. This includes the further development of the appreciation and performance of music from different world cultures and the introduction of information and communication technology within the music curriculum for the younger pupils. The school plans to develop a more detailed programme of study in order to increase pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding systematically year by year throughout all classes.

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MUSIC

179. The standards attained by pupils at the ages of seven and 11 match the standards expected nationally. This is an improvement from the previous inspection when standards were below the nationally expected levels when pupils had little expertise in composing their own music. Pupils now have an appropriate level of expertise in performing, composing and appraising music from their own and other cultures.

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MUSIC

180. Pupils in Year 2 show their appreciation of the beat and tempo of music through moving to it, for example, when marching to ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’. They listen and respond to the works of different composers such as the ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’ or ‘Peter and the Wolf’, often interpreting their feelings through drawing and painting. Pupils compose and conduct their own simple scores, deciding which percussion instruments and tempo they wish to use. They take part in percussion bands, playing a variety of instruments, following the teacher as conductor and keeping in time to taped songs such as ’My Grandfather’s Clock’. The higher attaining pupils clap examples to explain the difference between pulse and rhythm. All pupils know a good range of songs and hymns, which they practise regularly to improve phrasing and ensure that all words are learnt by heart correctly and sung tunefully.

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MUSIC

This is often in readiness for performing for larger audiences and community events. For example, last year pupils learnt a variety of animal songs, which they performed as part of a workshop with other local schools. Pupils who choose to be in the choir, guitar or recorder groups have extra expertise in reading music and performing. The use of computer programs within their music and a greater appreciation of music from other cultures and traditions around the world are areas identified for improvement.

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MUSIC

181. At the end of Year 6 pupils perform African music using the school’s African percussion instruments and are starting to appreciate the musical traditions of India. However, in common with the younger pupils, an appreciation of music from other than western cultures is an area of expertise that would benefit from more rigorous study. Pupils have a good knowledge of music from the different decades of the last century, appreciating how music changed from the ‘Big Band’ swing tunes through ‘Rock and Roll’ and the songs of the War Years to music of more recent groups such as that of the ‘Spice Girls’. They know the names of the major artists and songs and are good critical listeners saying what the music makes them feel as well as deciding how well the composers have used the techniques of tempo, rhythm, choice of Wigmore Primary School - 61 - April 2002 instruments and words. They appreciate that live music is performed to create moods

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in audiences during drama productions, such as during the inspection when a visiting drama group portraying messages about recognising and dealing with bullying, used drums, trumpets, whistles and didgeridoos to very good effect. Pupils are starting to develop this skill themselves, for example, by looking at an extract from Roald Dahl’s ‘Cinderella’ and writing and performing a musical percussion score to enhance the reading of the story. Most pupils know the names of the notes and can place these correctly on a stave. They use a computer program to compose music and to identify different instruments of the orchestra. Pupils who take part in the choirs or who have private individual or group tuition for musical instruments reach a much higher level of expertise because they have more focussed teaching and practice of music than is possible in class.

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MUSIC

182. Pupils’ achievement in music is satisfactory, including that of pupils with special educational needs. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when it was unsatisfactory. However, the weaknesses within the programme of study have limited pupils’ progress over time. This was highlighted in the previous report and whilst improvement has been made, the problem has not been totally resolved. Achievement in lessons is generally good and, where the teaching is very good then so is pupils’ achievement.

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MUSIC

183. Pupils have very good attitudes towards their music. In lessons both boys and girls participate enthusiastically, concentrate very well and work hard to improve. Pupils behave well because they are interested and stimulated by the good teaching methods and resources used in lessons. There are a very few occasions where pupils' attitudes and behaviour are unsatisfactory. Sometimes their eagerness and over enthusiasm for playing the instruments for sheer enjoyment rather than to a prescribed purpose spoils parts of lessons. However this is easily outweighed by the times where it is very good or excellent because of skilful and captivating teaching. Pupils co-operate very well with each other in small groups and when playing as a class band, eager to take on the responsibility for being a conductor. They confidently express their feelings about the effect the music has on them, showing insight to their

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spirit. This is because of the good relationships they have with their teachers who always value their answers and it makes a good contribution to their personal and social development. The large numbers of pupils who elect to join the choirs, clubs and have individual musical instrument lessons shows that many greatly enjoy their music.

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MUSIC

184. Teaching is good which is an improvement since the previous inspection. There is now a high level of musical expertise and enthusiasm amongst staff throughout the school. Of the nine lessons seen during the inspection teaching was good in three, very good in three and in one it was excellent. In the one unsatisfactory lesson, there was too little attention given at the planning stage to incorporate a sufficient variety of different activities to cater for pupils with a limited concentration span. The behaviour management skills were not sufficiently strong in this lesson resulting in a small group of disinterested, disruptive and uncooperative pupils who did not learn enough. The best teaching occurs where confident and knowledgeable teachers, using detailed planning teach lessons with a brisk pace that enables pupils to build quickly on their previous knowledge and understanding. The enthusiasm and enjoyment of music

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displayed by teachers in these lessons is transmitted to the pupils. Consequently their interest is captured and maintained. This was particularly apparent in the excellent teaching in a lesson at Year 5 where pupils were learning about different styles of twentieth century music, identifying different moods and tempos. The teacher became so engrossed himself in the subject that he interspersed pupils' listening with Wigmore Primary School - 62 - April 2002 asides of information, reaching for different instruments to illustrate points he wished to make and unconsciously showing through his expression and movements that he was totally engrossed in the subject. At the end of the lesson all present felt they had attended a ‘master class’. Pupils learnt a great deal and were keen to continue next time. In general, planning is good as teachers do this together with their year group partners, sharing expertise and ideas. They manage pupils well and ensure that all

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pupils take an active part in making music. Teaching in choirs and extra curricular music groups is of a high standard and pupils respond very well to this by producing high quality music. Very high calibre specialist individual and small group teaching is provided for those pupils wishing to play a musical instrument from Year 3 upwards and to encourage this the school does not charge for these lessons.

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MUSIC

185. Many improvements since the last inspection are due to the work of the previous teacher with responsibility for music, for example ensuring the full National Curriculum programme of study is being taught, developing a music studio, building up resources and starting after school choirs and clubs. The current subject leader has only been in post for a short time, but already has a clear vision of what needs to be done to improve music further and has started on the process. She is beginning to develop a whole school programme of study to ensure pupils knowledge understanding and the development of skills build steadily to the nationally expected level. The school is beginning to incorporate the use of information and communication technology in Years 1 and 2 and is working to increase pupils’ knowledge of music from other than western traditions. At the moment the lack of detailed information about what pupils

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have learned in other years hampers both teachers’ planning and pupils' learning. For example, it has become apparent that pupils appraise Peter and the Wolf in both years 2 and 3 as teachers unwittingly use the same music twice and similar examples are found in other areas of the curriculum.

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MUSIC

186. This problem has been caused in part by staff changes which have had an adverse effect on planning, the changes in the order of teaching the subject as curriculum 2000 has been introduced alongside other work and also by the wide separation of classrooms. This is made more difficult by the inability for pupils to meet together to make music across the school. The music studio is under-utilised because of the time it takes to get pupils there enable them to settle and then return to their classrooms at the end of the lesson. This is especially true for pupils and classes from the other end of the campus, which can take up to ten minutes from teaching time. However this facility is valuable for individual tuition and when teachers want a larger space for playing musical instruments although because of the involvement of peripatetic music specialists some new teachers are not certain when it is free for

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their use. This means that subject leaders need sufficient time to monitor planning and teaching as set out in the school development plan.

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MUSIC

187. The choir, which had dwindling numbers due to conflicting interests after school, now takes place within the school day. Such high numbers of both girls and boys want to attend that three choirs have been formed, catering for different age groups. A recorder group and a guitar club have been started and an orchestra is planned, as are opportunities for those who learn individual instruments to perform in assemblies and concerts. The school is well set for further improvements and raising of standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

188. By the end of Year 2 pupils reach expected standards in physical education. They are developing appropriate skills; good co-ordination and they understand the need to Wigmore Primary School - 63 - April 2002 warm up before activity. In a Year 2 lesson pupils show that they respond well to the teacher's instructions and that they have learned the importance of making good use of space. Most show that they can throw and catch a ball over increasing distances and with varying trajectories with reasonable accuracy. They are beginning to evaluate their own performance and suggest ways in which they might improve.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

189. By the end of Year 6 at the age of 11 pupils attain standards which are in line with those expected nationally. In games most have acquired satisfactory basic skills and can use these effectively when competing with other schools. At the early morning, gymnastics club, pupils from the Year 3 classes enjoy working to improve a wide range of movements and show that they have developed good control. In a Year 5 dance lesson pupils demonstrate how they can work imaginatively with others. They plan a sequence of movements based on the 'Dreamcatcher' story and perform these very well, refining them as the lesson progresses. They watch attentively while other groups demonstrate their well-linked and imaginative sequences. In an athletics lesson in a Year 6 class pupils show that they have acquired appropriate skills in long jump and the triple jump. They have sound knowledge of how to prepare for an

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activity. Pupils' strong motivation and their ability to work with others contribute well to learning in this subject.

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190. The quality of teaching in physical education is good. Teachers plan tasks that motivate pupils and allow them to achieve well. In most lessons teachers use a variety of methods to sustain the interest of pupils and they make effective use of intervention and demonstration by pupils to improve the overall performance. This also helps to keep up the brisk pace of lessons. Teachers enhance learning by giving good individual encouragement and support to pupils of all levels of attainment. Pupils are given some opportunities to evaluate their own performance and that of others. Teachers manage their classes well and require high standards of behaviour although, in one lesson in Year 5 the quality of learning was inhibited by a very small number of uncooperative pupils. Most members of the class showed clear determination not to allow them to spoil the lesson and persisted with their own good performance. Teachers stress the importance of warming up before activity and are

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

191. The co-ordinator for physical education has been in post for only a short time but she has a clear vision of how the subject should develop. The curriculum provides an interesting range of learning opportunities that fully meet requirements but the indoor accommodation is unsatisfactory for the number of pupils with a hall that is used for so many other activities. The hall, which is also used as a dining room, is used by all classes. This means that lessons are often too short and satisfactory learning is achieved only through very careful planning and extraordinary co-operation between teachers. Facilities for outdoor activities are good. Pupils' learning is supported by visiting coaches in netball, football and tennis and by lunchtime and after school activities, which enable them to apply and improve their skills in football, netball and gymnastics. There are sufficient resources for physical education to be taught

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effectively but facilities for the storage of these are unsatisfactory. Since the last inspection satisfactory standards have been maintained but the difficulties presented by the paucity of indoor accommodation and storage space have not been addressed to a satisfactory level although the management team and all the teachers have done their best.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Wigmore Primary School - 64 - April 2002 192. Standards have improved greatly since the previous inspection because of the improvement in teachers’ knowledge and understanding and the improved use of resources including visits and specialist visitors. By the end of Year 2 the pupils attain standards which are similar to those expected in the locally agreed syllabus. This good start is built on well and by the end of Year 6, the pupil’s achieve standards that are above those found in most schools for pupils of the same age.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

193. The pupils make good progress and benefit from effective teaching. All pupils take part in religious education lessons and show good levels of enjoyment. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and enjoy learning about different beliefs. The more able also make good progress in exploring similarities and differences in some of the major religions. Boys and girls show much interest in religious education and achieve equally well. The teachers make good links between skills learned in literacy lessons and work done in religious education and this enables the pupils to explore religious ideas in their writing using sensitive phrases and vocabulary.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

194. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop a good understanding of the beliefs and traditions of Christianity and other major world religions. The importance of celebrations, homes and family, friendship to themselves and different faiths and cultures are developed well. Pupils' own experiences are built on effectively to develop a deeper understanding of Bible stories. For example, in Year 2 the story of Joseph and his exile into Egypt was used very effectively to develop pupils understanding of their own feelings of jealousy. As pupils learn about the creation story they begin to understand that as part of a relationship with God they have a responsibility to care for the world.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

195. By the age of 11 pupils’ understanding of other religions and faiths is good. They know about the customs, symbols, festivals, holy books and buildings of major religions. Important festivals such as Eid, Diwali, Hanukah and Christmas all play an important part in helping pupils to develop their understanding of the different traditions and religions. Visits, visitors and relevant artefacts bring the subject alive for pupils and develop a mature respect for Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism. More able pupils make comparisons and contrasts between aspects of the different faiths and traditions. In Year 4 pupils explore the significance of fasting and shared meals to the major religions. This is developed well as teachers challenge pupils’ thinking and develop their ideas of morality and social responsibility as issues of poverty and starvation are linked with the work of charities, such as Oxfam. As in Years 1 and 2

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pupils own interests and experiences are used very effectively to develop an understanding of deeper religious ideas. A very good lesson in Year 6 helped pupils to express their feelings and emotions about belonging to a group. Pupils explored membership of the cubs, scouts and St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Learning was extended well as pupils who belonged to different faith communities shared with their classmates what it meant to belong to a particular religion. Pupils are encouraged to consider the effect that religion can have on people’s lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

196. Insufficient lessons were seen in Years 1 and 2 to make a judgement on teaching. Teaching in Years 3-6 is good. A scrutiny of work and discussions with pupils and staff indicate that there is a systematic approach in the teaching which ensures that pupils’ knowledge and understanding is developed well across the school. Pupils are challenged to consider the effect that religion might have on their own or other people's lives. There are good opportunities to compare different world religions and to gain a deeper insight through quality resources, visits and visitors. Whole school assemblies make a sound contribution to pupils’ religious education. Pupils show interest and enthusiasm for their work in religious education and at both key stages Wigmore Primary School - 65 - April 2002 the discussions and reflections on religious issues makes a very important contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

197. The subject leader is committed to the achievement of high standards and in making the subject one that staff enjoy teaching and pupils enjoy learning. However, although some teachers have developed useful assessment strategies there are still only limited consistently used procedures in place to assess the level of pupils’ learning and to improve standards even further.

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