Coldfall Primary School

LONDON

Dates of inspection: 21 st -23 rd May, 2001

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LONDON

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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LONDON

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. Coldfall - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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LONDON

School address: Coldfall Avenue, London. Postcode: N10 1HS

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LONDON

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body.

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LONDON

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Laura Butterfield.

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LONDON

Date of previous inspection: 17 th -20 th March, 1997 Coldfall - 4

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Team members

Mrs Pat King 7853 Registered inspector Mr Robert Love 9030 Lay inspector Mr Rod Passant 2728 Team inspector Mr Tom Prosser 22669 Team inspector

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Team members

NES Education Services Ltd, Linden House, Woodland Way, Gosfield, Essex. CO9 1TH

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar, Inspection Quality Division,

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Team members

Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London. WC2B 6SE Coldfall - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 9

1 The leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good. 2 The quality of teaching is good overall and often very good or excellent. 3 The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2. 4 The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to learning and a mature sense of responsibility.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

1 The provision for information and communication technology across the curriculum. Coldfall - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Coldfall Primary has 368 pupils on roll, which is above the average size for a primary school. The number on roll has increased markedly since the last inspection in 1997. Significant building has been undertaken since that time and four additional classrooms were opened in June, 2000. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, currently 19 per cent, is broadly in line with the national average. This is lower than at the time of the last inspection when it was above the national average. The school serves an area in which there is a wide social and cultural mix, with a wide range of languages spoken. 154 pupils have English as an additional language, which is very high relative to all schools nationally. 60 pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition. Ninety pupils currently have special educational needs, which is approximately 26 per cent of the school population and is just above the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

national average. This is a marked increase since the last inspection when nine per cent of pupils were identified as having special educational needs. Seven pupils have a statement of special educational need, which is broadly in line with the national average. Attainment on entry to the school is above the national average. However, the mobility rate in Key Stage 1 is above average and a high number of pupils do not continue into Key Stage 2. Significant changes in staff have taken place in the last two years. Four teachers had joined the staff immediately prior to the inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Coldfall Primary is a very good school. The leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very effective in raising standards and in creating a strong school ethos that promotes good teaching and learning. Pupils work hard in lessons and progress at a good rate. They are enthusiastic and keen learners. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress. Pupils’ attainment by the end of Key Stage 2 is above average when compared to similar schools. The school offers good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good. • The quality of teaching is good overall and often very good or excellent. • The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2. • The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters in pupils very positive attitudes learning and a mature sense of responsibility.

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What could be improved

• The provision for information and communication technology across the curriculum.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has addressed successfully all the areas for improvement contained within the last inspection report in March, 1997. All schemes of work for the curriculum have been put in place and introduced effectively and performance management, which has replaced teacher appraisal, is implemented fully. Co-ordinators have been appointed for all subjects and in addition their roles and responsibilities have been extended. The monitoring and evaluation of the work of the school is now much more rigorous and this has had a significant impact on raising standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2 over the last four years. Coldfall - 7

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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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schools

well above average A 1998 1999 2000 2000 above average B English E A B B Average C Mathematics E C B B below average D Science E B B B well below average E

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schools

During the inspection, pupils in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 made good progress in the lessons seen. In 2000 at the end of Key Stage 1 in relation to all schools nationally, pupils’ attainment in the national tests in reading and writing was average and in mathematics was below average. At the end of Key Stage 2 in the national tests in English, mathematics and science in the same year when compared to all schools nationally, pupils’ attainment was above average. Relative to similar schools, taking account of the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals, the percentage of pupils who reached the expected level in English was high, in science it was above average and in mathematics it was average. However, in mathematics the percentage of pupils who reached the higher level was in the top five per cent nationally. The improvement in the school’s results has been faster over the last five years than the

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schools

national trend. The school has an above average percentage of pupils with special educational needs and a high proportion of pupils who are in an early stage of English language acquisition. For these pupils these results show good progress. During the inspection pupils’ attainment in the current Year 6 was above average overall in English, mathematics and science and pupils were making good progress. The statutory targets set by the school in 2000 for English and mathematics were lower than the results achieved in 1999. The actual results in 2000 exceeded expectations and showed a marked increase over 1999 in English and mathematics. The targets set for Year 6 in 2001 are more challenging and reflect the school’s improved confidence in target setting and its well-organised approach to setting targets within all year groups. This now includes a tracking procedure to monitor each pupil’s progress towards meeting

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schools

the national expectation by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to school are very good; they enjoy learning and play times. They are well motivated, know what they are working to achieve in lessons and concentrate to complete the tasks set.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good in the playground and around the school. Pupils know and understand the school rules and abide by them. In lessons pupils’ behaviour is good overall and often very good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships between pupils are very good. They work well together within groups and benefit from sharing their ideas. They accept responsibility very maturely, such as being members of the School Council, and are generally aware of the impact that their actions may have on others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is below the national average, although the school has good strategies for promoting regular attendance. Coldfall - 8

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

Lessons seen overall Very 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 of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years Aged 7-11 years

Most lessons observed were literacy and numeracy but art and design, science and music were also included. The quality of teaching was good in half the lessons observed. In almost a quarter of all lessons, the quality of teaching was very good or excellent. In other lessons the teaching was satisfactory except for one lesson in which it was unsatisfactory. This overall good quality teaching was achieved despite four teachers having started teaching in the school at the start of the term, four weeks prior to the inspection. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good overall, although in a few numeracy lessons the pace of work is not fast enough. Teachers teach the basic skills systematically and pupils make good progress in their knowledge and understanding in these lessons. The management of pupils is very good, which results in pupils having very good attitudes to learning and acquiring skills, knowledge and

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

understanding at a good rate. Teachers provide work that interests and motivates pupils so that they are keen to learn. They make very good use of the information from assessment to plan lessons in which pupils are appropriately challenged. They explain very clearly to pupils what they are expected to achieve in lessons and what they need to do to improve their work. Teachers and teaching assistants work very well together to ensure that pupils are supported very effectively within groups or individually.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good in range and quality and meets statutory requirements. The experiences offered to the pupils are interesting and relevant. In particular, good use is made of visits and visitors to enrich pupils’ learning. The range of extra-curricular activities is very good. The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills, which has a positive impact on pupils’ progress. It also promotes the creative aspects of art and design, music and drama well. Insufficient emphasis is given to information and communication technology within the curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. It promotes good progress overall for these pupils. Pupils with special educational needs share the curricular experiences of all pupils and take a full part in the social

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Aspect Comment

life of the school. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is good and, as a result, they make good progress overall in their learning. Teachers plan appropriately for their individual needs in lessons so that they participate fully in the activities provided. The additional support given to these pupils, both within lessons and withdrawal groups, is good. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The school promotes the sharing and valuing of different cultural traditions and customs very effectively through assemblies, the curriculum and the life of the school. How well the school cares for its pupils Members of staff know pupils’ individual learning and personal and social needs very well and use this information to provide a very caring and

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Aspect Comment

supportive environment for learning. Health and safety and child protection procedures are good. Coldfall - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manag ment by the headteacher a other key staff The headteacher’s leadership is very good. She ensures that all members staff have a consistent approach in their roles and responsibilities and commitment to promoting high standards and to effective teaching and learnin The senior management team works closely with the headteacher to plan for t longer-term development of the school and to create a strong ethos that plac emphasis on valuing pupils, staff and diversity. How well the governors ful their responsibilities The governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities very well. They monitor t work of the school closely and keep themselves very well informed so that th can plan and evaluate school priorities for improvement. The school’s evaluation of i performance The school has very good strategies in place for monitoring teaching, learni and standards within the school. The information gained is used ve

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Aspect Comment

effectively to set whole-school areas for development and to plan to meet t pupils’ learning needs. The strategic use of resources The school’s financial planning is good and expenditure is matched carefully agreed priorities for school improvement. The governors apply the principles best value appropriately when making financial decisions.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The leadership and management; • The school expects pupils to work hard; • Very good promotion of pupils’ attitudes and values; • Good target setting that helps pupils to make progress; • The marked improvement in behaviour and standards in school since the last inspection; • The support given for pupils with special educational needs. • The amount of homework, mainly too much in Key Stage 1; • The frequency of changes in teachers; • The information provided for parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

At the pre-inspection meeting, the parents agreed that the school is very good. The inspection team endorses the parents’ positive views of the school expressed in their response to the pre- inspection questionnaire and at the pre-inspection parents’ meeting. Overall it does not support their perceptions of aspects in need of improvement. Homework given to pupils is in line with government recommendations. Teachers generally use this well to support work in lessons and to involve parents in their children’s learning. The range of information provided for parents is very similar to that found in most primary schools. The school has an open evening for parents in the autumn term that outlines teachers’ expectations for the year ahead. Three parents’ evenings are arranged each year to give parents an opportunity to discuss their children’s progress. A very strong aspect of the information provided for parents is the sharing of pupils’

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

individual targets for improvement in their learning. The annual pupil Coldfall - 10 reports provided for parents are informative and helpful. Parents who do not have English as a first language are encouraged to bring someone to meetings if they need help with interpretation. The weekly meetings in the community room are helping these parents to become more informed about the work and life of the school. The governors have appropriate procedures for the recruitment and retention of staff and the headteacher has good procedures for ensuring continuity in teaching with the result that, despite staff changes, the quality of teaching is good. Coldfall - 11

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

1 The headteacher’s leadership is very effective in promoting a very strong school ethos that has a very positive impact on the life and work of the school. It is evident in the very caring community that exists in which pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. It has a positive impact on the pupils’ conscientious and enthusiastic approach to their work and on the very good relationships that pervade the school. The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction to the planning and promotion of school developments, which involves the governing body, all staff, parents and pupils in working closely as a team. All those who work in, or with, the school have a commitment to promoting high standards, high quality teaching and learning and a community in which individuals are valued and respected. The headteacher provides well-structured procedures such as teachers within year

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

groups sharing curriculum planning that ensure that all staff have a consistent approach within their various roles and responsibilities. The impact of her well-organised leadership is evident in the improved quality of teaching since the last inspection, despite increased numbers on roll and staff changes.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

2 The governors keep themselves very well informed about the life and work of the school through regular meetings, visits, links with year groups and curriculum co-ordinators. They are involved appropriately in discussions about priorities for school development and monitor standards closely through discussions about national test results. Their financial planning and management are good and are linked to school development planning. For example, priorities for expenditure have been, and continue to be, the provision for pupils with special educational needs and for pupils with English as an additional language. The governors are able to evaluate the impact of this expenditure on these pupils’ progress and are knowledgeable about the effectiveness of the provision for them.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

3 The senior management team works closely with the headteacher to create a vision for the school and to ensure that the vision is translated into practice. Members of the team are involved in the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning and procedures for this are very good. The headteacher observes all teachers in the classroom regularly and has a very clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching. This information is used to support the professional development of individual teachers. The co-ordinators for English, mathematics and science have undertaken a good range of monitoring and evaluation activities, such as scrutiny of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work and observation of teaching. As a result of their involvement, the English and mathematics co-ordinators have helped to ensure the successful implementation of the literacy and numeracy hours. The co- ordinators for special educational needs and for English as an additional language are very effective in

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

working alongside other teachers to develop teaching approaches, such as the recently introduced accelerated learning and in offering additional support to individual or groups of pupils. They monitor the progress of these pupils very carefully through the use of well-prepared individual education plans, where appropriate.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

4 There is a well-defined focus on accountability. The governors, headteacher and subject co- ordinators analyse the national test results to identify gender issues, trends over time and strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ attainment. They use the information gained effectively to identify areas for improvement, such as pupils’ writing. Statutory targets set for 2000 for Year 6 in the national tests were exceeded in English and mathematics. The targets set for Year 6 in 2001 are more challenging and reflect the school’s improved confidence in target setting and its well organised approach to setting targets within all year groups. This now includes a tracking procedure to monitor each pupil’s progress towards meeting the national expectation by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Coldfall - 12 The quality of teaching is good overall and often very good or excellent.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

5 Most lesson observations were made of literacy and numeracy but art and design, science and music were also included. The quality of teaching was good in half the lessons observed. In almost a quarter of all lessons the quality of teaching was very good or excellent. In other lessons the teaching was satisfactory except for one lesson in which it was unsatisfactory. This quality of teaching was achieved despite four teachers having started teaching in the school at the start of the term, four weeks prior to the inspection.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

6 A strength of the teaching is the teachers’ very good management of pupils. The approach used emphasises recognition of appropriate pupils’ responses through use of praise and valuing what they say and do. This results in a calm atmosphere for learning in which pupils show sustained concentration and application to the tasks set. Pupils are confident and willing to learn from their mistakes. These positive attitudes, which the teachers promote, are a very significant factor in the progress that pupils make.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

7 Teachers plan their lessons very carefully so that they are very clear what pupils are to gain in knowledge, understanding and skills. These objectives are generally shared with pupils at the beginning of lessons and often reinforced as the session progresses. For example, in one literacy lesson, when the pupils were starting their independent writing, the teacher reminded the pupils that they needed to concentrate on the relationships between characters when writing play scripts and on capital letters and full stops. As a result, the pupils made good progress in those aspects of their work. Teachers make very good use of assessment during and at the end of lessons to plan appropriate future work to build on pupils’ prior learning. This enables teachers to provide targets for pupils in literacy and numeracy, which are well matched to their needs. Teachers select activities that interest and motivate pupils so that they are

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

keen to learn. For example, in the nursery the children were digging for insects in the outdoor area and using large pictures as reference material and in role play were becoming dog trainers to develop the vocabulary of giving simple instructions.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

8 Teachers use effective methods that are closely linked to the understanding of pupils’ individual needs and this is supported by the recently introduced teaching approach that is known as ‘accelerated learning’. Teachers listen very carefully to the pupils and ask them to concentrate and think very carefully. They often say to pupils, ‘think about this very carefully in your head’. They use visual and auditory cues very successfully to ensure that pupils learn through the use of all their senses, such as when pupils were making angry and sad initial letter sounds in the Reception year. They often play music to set the atmosphere, such as quiet music to aid concentration or bustling tunes for clearing up. This was very effective in Key Stage 1 when pupils tidied up after a range of activities with independence and enthusiasm. Teachers promote a high level of discussion and expect pupils to respond to their questions

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

as fully as possible to extend pupils’ thinking. They mainly ensure that lessons move forward at a good pace so that pupils make good progress in the time available but in a few numeracy lessons the pace was too slow.

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Leadership and management of the headteacher, governors and senior staff are very good

9 The teaching approaches used benefit those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. For example, the use of pictures showing the characters and actions related to a story being read by the teacher helps pupils’ understanding of the text. Teachers know the needs of these pupils well because they have well-focused individual education plans, which they use both within class lessons and when pupils are withdrawn for individual support. They are aware of their needs in whole- class introduction to lessons and pose well-chosen questions to ensure that they increase their understanding. They usually plan specifically for these pupils within lessons so that they have equal access to all the activities and generally make good progress. For example, in one lesson the teacher placed pupils carefully in pairs to support discussion and written skills. Coldfall - 13

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The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English,

mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2.

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The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English,

10 In 1996, in the last national test results prior to the inspection in March, 1997, pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 when compared to all schools was well below the national average in English, below in science and average in mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2 in the national tests in English, mathematics and science in 2000, when compared to all schools nationally pupils’ attainment was above average. Relative to similar schools, taking account of the percentage of pupils eligible for free school, the percentage of pupils who reached the expected level in English was high, in science it was above average and in mathematics it was average. However, in mathematics the percentage of pupils who reached the higher level was in the top five per cent nationally. The improvement in the school’s results has been faster over the last five years than the national trend. Over the last three years, boys have

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The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English,

outperformed girls overall when taking account of English, mathematics and science. Whilst the attainment of both gender groups has shown significant improvement relative to the national average during that period, the improvement in girls’ attainment has been more marked. The school has an above average percentage of pupils with special educational needs and a high proportion of pupils who are at an early stage of English language acquisition. For these pupils these results show good progress.

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The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English,

11 Since the inspection the school has increased significantly in size and this has enabled the headteacher and governors when appointing staff to provide a wider range of subject expertise. In particular, the school has been able to provide a special educational needs co-ordinator without a full- time class responsibility. She focuses on early identification of pupils with special educational needs and offers carefully planned support to class teachers and pupils. This is evident in the effective additional support that is given in Key Stage 2 to pupils in literacy. The governors and headteacher have also recognised the value of having a full-time teacher for pupils from ethnic minority groups. She has successfully worked alongside class teachers in planning and teaching lessons. This has provided the teachers with very good professional development and the pupils with activities sharply focused on their

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The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English,

12 Central to the drive to raise standards has been the development of teachers working together to plan schemes of work and lessons within year groups to ensure that pupils build appropriately on their learning as they move through the school. The numeracy and literacy hours have been introduced and are implemented to a good quality overall. Closely linked to developments in curriculum planning and delivery have been marked improvements in assessment. The school has very effective systems for assessing pupils’ progress that give teachers and pupils a clear picture of what they know, understand and can do and of the next steps in their learning. This information has been used to direct the work of the learning support assistants to those pupils who have either short- or long-term needs. It also informs teachers so that they are able to plan carefully for pupils’ individual needs at all levels of achievement.

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The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English,

Target-setting for pupils has developed significantly and is now a strong feature of the teaching across the school. Teachers and pupils have a very clear view of the intended learning objectives for lessons. All class teachers set class targets each week for pupils in literacy, numeracy and personal and social development and these are shared with pupils during lessons so that they know what they are working to improve. Many pupils also have additional individual targets. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting stated that they valued the target-setting procedure as it helped them to know how to support their children.

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The school has been successful in raising pupils’ attainment in the national tests in English,

13 The introduction of rigorous and regular monitoring of teaching, learning and the analysis of standards has enabled the school to identify aspects of teaching and learning in need of improvement within its school development. These priorities for improvement have been addressed as planned and this systematic approach has been very effective in raising standards. Coldfall - 14

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

learning and a mature sense of responsibility.

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

14 The school creates very successfully a community where adults and pupils are united in a common purpose of learning and working together. This sense of community is carefully created by the consistent emphasis given to cultivating pupils’ personal development.

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

15 Underpinning the work of the school is the care and attention given to pupils and the fostering of their confidence and above all their sense of value and self-esteem. The school displays pupils’ work and photographs of them working not as decoration but to value their contributions. All adults act as very good role models. In the dining hall, the catering assistants listen carefully and patiently as the pupils make their choice of food. In lessons, teachers model courtesy both to pupils and other adults. Pupils are encouraged to listen and value what other people have to say and, as a result, learn from a very early age to respect another’s point of view. Whilst spiritual development is fostered most obviously within the school assemblies and religious education lessons, nevertheless this consistent reinforcement of pupils’ sense of self is a spiritual foundation throughout the school. It provides the basis for pupils to reflect

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

seriously and meaningfully on significant issues, such as their aspirations for a world where there is peace.

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

16 The development of pupils’ sense of self and their spiritual development is very closely inter- twined with the cultivation of pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. The successful School Council reflects the fact that the school listens carefully to pupils’ views, particularly over such issues as contributing to the design of the playground space. It is reflected too in the responsibilities that pupils take on in classrooms towards themselves and each other. The fact that teachers explain to pupils why they are undertaking a particular piece of work, shows the emphasis placed on pupils gradually taking responsibility for their learning and developing their independence. The ‘bus-stop’, a place for pupils to wait in the playground if they have no friends to play with, is an example of how members of staff encourage kindness towards others and have a genuine appreciation of what it feels like to feel lonely.

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

Pupils have a very good understanding of the school rules and, perhaps as importantly, why they are there. At break times they play very harmoniously with very little need for adult intervention. Lunchtime in the dining hall is a very pleasant social occasion when pupils relate well to each other to develop their social skills. They know what is expected of them and behave responsibly.

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

17 The diversity of languages and the ability to speak in more than one is valued. Subjects such as art and design, drama and music are valued in the school because they provide pupils with rich opportunities to develop their imaginative and creative skills and to gain insights into other cultures. In assembly and in music lessons, pupils sing songs in a range of languages and play instruments from different cultures. Resources are selected carefully across the curriculum, such as in literacy, when stories shared with the pupils, for example ‘Grace and Family’, are chosen to represent ethnic minority groups. The strength of the school’s approach lies in the value that it places on all pupils’ contributions in lessons or in the life of the school. As a result of these approaches and careful planning, a very inclusive atmosphere is created in classrooms and in the corridors and playground whereby all pupils, regardless of

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

their ethnic heritage, or whether they find learning easy or difficult, play and work together happily. The school works hard to give parents for whom English is an additional language, the skills to foster and support their children’s learning through the weekly meetings in the community room.

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

18 The success of the school’s commitment to valuing the individual contribution of all pupils is reflected in the pupils’ keenness to come to school and in their enjoyment of learning. A group of pupils said that ‘school is brilliant; it is a friendly place; teachers are kind; there’s lots of room, art is very good; we enjoy mathematics.’ The very youngest children enjoy practical work and were highly motivated when using the outdoor environment. They were able to explore large climbing equipment and a range of role-play activities with a high level of independence for their age. In the Reception Year children showed enjoyment of ‘jolly phonics’ and made sad, happy and angry initial sounds very enthusiastically. In Year 2 pupils were confident when asked to express their ideas within a class group as part of listening to the teacher reading riddles. In the subsequent independent work, they were well motivated to write

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The school promotes a strong sense of community that fosters very positive pupil attitudes to

Coldfall - 15 their own riddles and concentrated to complete the task. In the upper part of the school pupils collaborate effectively within groups to learn from each other. They plan together and listen to each other’s opinions and views. For example in Year 3, pupils when writing play scripts worked collaboratively within mixed ability and mixed gender groups. In the final part of the lesson, they were keen to dramatise their scripts for the rest of the class and to evaluate sensitively and critically the work of other pupils. Pupils enjoy singing and this was evident in whole-school singing in assembly and in a music lesson in Year 2 when pupils participated fully as large groups, well led by the teacher. Across the school pupils generally settle quickly to tasks, concentrate well and are clear about what they are intending to improve in their work. They are enthusiastic and confident learners.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

19 The school has an appropriate policy and scheme of work for information and communication technology. Members of staff are currently involved in an intensive course of training and are gaining confidence in the use of information and communication technology. The school has plans to establish an information and communication technology room so that computers can be stored centrally to facilitate the teaching of skills to whole-class groups. At present the computers are available in classrooms and pupils work in small groups for short periods of time throughout the day. The activities that they undertake are often used effectively to support their progress in other subjects. However, there is insufficient direct teaching of information and communication technology skills. Teachers do not have a system for recording the progress that pupils make in the required information and communication

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

technology skills to enable them to ensure appropriate coverage and to build progressively on pupils’ learning. The school is aware of the need to develop information and communication technology and it is a priority in the school development plan for 2001/2.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

20 In order to improve the school further the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ improve the opportunities that pupils have for information and communication technology by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that information and communication technology is addressed more fully across the curriculum; • maximising the use of the resources available; • proceeding as quickly as possible with the planned establishment of an information and communication technology suite; • developing a record that enables teachers to build progressively on pupils’ information and communication technology skills as they move through the school. Coldfall - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 20 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 10 15 50 20 5 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 19 349 Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 70 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR–Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 7 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 90

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 154

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 50 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 47

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 5.4 School data 0.9 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Coldfall - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for the latest reporting year 2000 [99] 28 [32] 30 [19] 51 [58]

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Number of pupils at Boys 22 [28] 25 [25] 24 [27] NC level 2 and above Girls 27 [16] 27 [14] 27 [16] Total 49 [44] 52 [39] 51 [43] Percentage of pupils School 86 [86] 90 [76] 88 [ 84] at NC level 2 or above National 83 [82] 84 [83] 90 [87]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at Boys 23 [22] 24 [28] 23 [26] NC level 2 and above Girls 27 [16] 26 [17] 27 [16] Total 50 [38] 50 [45] 50 [42] Percentage of pupils School 86 [75] 86 [88] 86 [82] at NC level 2 or above National 84 [82] 88 [86] 88 [87] Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest report year. Year Boys Girls Total

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at Boys 13 [14] 9 [12] 12 [12] NC level 4 and above Girls 14 [12] 14 [10] 16 [11] Total 27 [26] 23 [22] 28 [23] Percentage of pupils School 90 [87] 77 [73] 93 [77] at NC level 4 or above National 75 [71] 72 [69] 85 [78]

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils at Boys 11 [13] 11 [13] 11 [15] NC level 4 and above Girls 12 [11] 13 [8] 14 [12] Total 23 [24] 24 [21] 25 [27] Percentage of pupils School 79 [80] 82 [70] 86 [90] at NC level 4 or above National 70 [68] 72 [69] 79 [75] Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Coldfall - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 12 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 10 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 35 Black – other 0 0 Indian 5 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 1 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 3 Chinese 0 0 White 207 White 2 0 Any other minority ethnic group 18 Other minority ethnic groups

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14.4 Financial year 2000/2001 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.2 Average class size 29.0 £ Total income 708,494

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 724,542 Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 2,170 Total aggregate hours worked per week 213 Balance brought forward from previous year 58, 563

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 42,515

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26 Total number of education support staff 1 Total aggregate hours worked per week 36 Number of pupils per FTE adult 13

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Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

FTE means full-time equivalent. Coldfall - 19

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly a gree Tend to a gree Tend to di sagree Strongly disagree Do not know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress 55 40 3 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets right amount of work 40 43 11 5 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I feel comfortable approaching the school 61 33 5 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard 61 37 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents 54 36 9 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed 68 29 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature 55 42 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Activities outside of school are interesting 53 38 5 3 1

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