Richard Cobden Primary School

RICHARD COBDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 - 17 February 2000

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RICHARD COBDEN 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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RICHARD COBDEN 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. Richard Cobden - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 July 1996 Richard Cobden - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Martin Cox Registered inspector Art, Design & technology Teaching, Leadership & management

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Anne Ferguson Lay inspector Attitudes, values & personal development; Care; Partnership with parents Charanjit Ajitsingh Team inspector English; Music; special educational needs Sibani Raychaudhuri Team inspector Information technology; Geography; History; English as an additional language Urszula Basini Team inspector Science; Religious education; Equal opportunities Results & achievements

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Shirley Jones Team inspector Mathematics; Physical education; Areas of learning for children under five Curriculum

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Capital Inspections Chaucer Building Canterbury Road Morden Surrey SM4 6PX

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Richard Cobden - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Richard Cobden is a large, two-form entry primary school built in the early 20th century. It has had a nursery, recently extended, since the 1970s. The school is in the centre of Camden, surrounded by dense housing and two busy roads. Since the last inspection, the school has acquired the shared use of a substantial area of land adjacent to the school, which has been laid out as a sports area for the use of the community. The school has grown in number since the last inspection and is now a two-form entry school with 394 pupils. There are 52 full-time places in the nursery. There are 25 teachers in the school. There are 15 classes including two nursery classes. A very high percentage of the pupils are from ethnic backgrounds. Almost 20% of the pupils are refugees speaking 15 languages. Additional funding for English language acquisition supports over 273 pupils. Currently, 27 languages are spoken in the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

school. Most pupils live in the locality where social and economic circumstances are generally unfavourable. Attainment on entry to the school is very low. Approximately 222 pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Over one third of the families live in overcrowded households. Over a quarter of the pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs. There are 9 pupils with statements of special educational needs. There is a high level of mobility throughout the school, particularly in Key Stage 2, and mainly refugee families. They join the school at different points in the year, often with no English, traumatised from their experiences.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Overall, it is an effective, and rapidly improving school with some good features. It is particularly successful in creating a harmonious atmosphere in which all pupils are valued, behave well, and have positive attitudes to learning. The Early Years provision is a strength and provides a firm foundation for the pupils. The pupils progress well from very low starting points. Progress is good in the Early Years and in Key Stage 1. The school is led and managed effectively by the headteacher and his deputy. The governing body is developing its role. Owing to a large overspend, it has been particularly prudent in its budgeting and difficult financial decisions had to be made. The school will stabilise the budget shortly. It provides sound value for money.

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What the school does well

• The rigorous monitoring of the school’s performance by senior managers and the action taken to meet the school’s targets. • There is a strong, racially harmonious community where equality of opportunity is central to the very good ethos for learning. • The Early Years provision and the children’s progress from very low starting points, particularly the more able, is a strong feature of the school and provides a firm foundation for pupils as they enter Key Stage 1. • Standards are improving in English and mathematics at Key Stage 1 where attainment is close to the national average. At the end of Key Stage 2 there has been a marked improvement in mathematics. • Literacy and numeracy are well-emphasised in a broad and relevant curriculum. Pupils’ skills in speaking are well developed. Their attainment in singing, especially in assemblies and the school choir; computer capability; art and design and technology

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What the school does well

are strengths. • Overall the quality of teaching is good or better and most staff constantly strive to improve further. • The pupils have good attitudes to learning and enjoy coming to school. • Costs of running the school are high, but pupils come into the school with very low attainment and make good and sometimes rapid progress, supported by good teaching and rising standards which makes value for money at least sound

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What could be improved

• Improve standards in the core subjects and in history and geography, particularly at Key Stage 2, and religious education across the school. Support the under-achievement of Bangladeshi pupils. Improve, even further, attendance and punctuality across the school. • Links with parents should be further improved by providing more information about the curriculum, their children’s progress and the homework set, which should be more consistent and of a better quality. The revision of the school prospectus is long overdue. • The governing body fully meeting its responsibilities in ensuring that it meets its statutory duties. • More rigorous the use of time, particularly at the beginning of lessons following break and lunchtimes, and in planning for the foundation subjects. Improve pace and productivity in lessons in Key Stage 2, and where the teaching is weak in Key Stage 1. • Develop more opportunities for the pupils to be more independent in their learning, including taking on more responsibility as

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What could be improved

they move through the school, especially in Key Stage 2. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Richard Cobden - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last report found Richard Cobden to be a very good school with some outstanding features. Since then, the school has been through a turbulent period of instability at senior management level when the former headteacher was on a long period of sick leave. Academic and behavioural standards appear to have fallen rapidly. In September 1998 the current headteacher was appointed, following three attempts by the governing body to recruit. He reports that the school was very different from the school described in the previous report. Very little had been achieved by the governing body in addressing the action plan. The situation has now been stabilised and standards are improving. The parents endorse this.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made significant improvements in its performance both academically and in the behaviour of the pupils within the last two years. It continues to focus on raising standards. The national test results in 1999 for reading at age seven and in mathematics and science at age eleven were the best in four years. At the end of Key Stage 1 the pupils’ performance in reading and writing was close to the average for similar schools, and well above in mathematics. In all core subjects at both key stages the trend is upwards. Standards in design and technology have improved at Key Stage 2. The attainment and progress made by pupils learning English as an additional language are now in line with those of other pupils in the school. The more able pupils have appropriately matched work set in lessons. There is a well-developed policy for the monitoring of teaching and learning carried out internally by senior

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

staff, and regular external evaluation carried out by the LEA. The teaching, overall, is now consistent and supporting good learning across the school. The school has a scheme of work for religious education linked to the Local Agreed Syllabus. Spiritual development is evident in the assemblies, religious education lessons, and in music, art, literacy and science. The daily act of collective worship does not fully meet legal requirements. There has been very good improvement in the outdoor facilities to support games, athletics and playtimes.

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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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Key

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

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Key

Children entering the nursery demonstrate attainment well below what is expected nationally. Although achievement has improved, it is still below the expected level for pupils as they enter Key Stage 1, especially in language acquisition. The results of the 1999 Key Stage 1 national tests in reading and writing show that the standards reached by seven year olds were well below the national average. In reading and mathematics a high proportion of more able pupils achieved a level which was above the level expected for their age. There was a similar pattern in writing and science. In the national tests for 11year olds, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in English, mathematics and science was well below the national average. In mathematics and science a higher number of pupils attained Level 5 than in the previous year, but overall the percentage was below the national average. The school, compared to

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Key

schools in similar contexts, attains the national average in mathematics but is below in English and science at age eleven.

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Key

Standards have improved over the last two years in mathematics and science in line with the national trend at Key Stage 1, but at a lower level in all three core subjects at Key Stage 2. Performance in English at Key Stage 1 was less successful. These trends do not take account of the high proportion of pupils at the school who are learning English as an additional language. During the week of inspection, standards of attainment in the core subjects were not as low as the 1999 test results indicated. At Key Stage 1 pupils were attaining satisfactory standards in English, science and mathematics. Although attainment at Key Stage 2 was unsatisfactory in the three core subjects, there were good signs of improvement in pupils’ achievement.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good attitudes to school. They enjoy their lessons and are interested in the activities provided for them.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is satisfactory overall, both in classrooms and around the school. Richard Cobden - 8

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES continued

Personal development and relationships The pupils’ personal development and relationships are good. They respect the values, beliefs and feelings of others well. Attitudes to countering racism and bullying are very good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES continued

Attendance Attendance is improving and having a good impact on standards but is still unsatisfactory.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES continued

During the period of instability, which followed the last inspection, attitudes and behaviour previously reported as very good or better, deteriorated. There has been a significant improvement within the last two years and most pupils do now enjoy coming to school, behave appropriately and show enthusiasm in lessons and assemblies. Behaviour is sometimes inappropriate outside, but it is handled swiftly. Relationships are otherwise good with respect shown for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. The school’s recent initiative to improve attendance and lateness is showing commendable success.

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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

The quality of teaching in the school is good overall, ranging from excellent to unsatisfactory teaching. It was satisfactory or better in 94% of lessons observed, good or better in 72% lessons and unsatisfactory in 6%. Teaching was consistently very good in the Early Years and sometimes excellent. The teaching was good, overall, in Key Stage1 where teachers have high expectations of their pupils. In Key Stage 2 the quality of the teaching was generally good, although in some lessons the teachers’ had limited expectations of the pupils. In over one third of the lessons observed in both key stages the teaching was very good. The teachers work very hard to provide appropriately matched work for the diverse needs of many of the pupils, some of whom enter the school in Key Stage 2 with little English. The good teaching of the literacy and numeracy strategies, and of pupils learning English as an additional

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

language, is having a good effect on progress. In mathematics the targets set have been exceeded. Planning in the medium and short- term is good throughout the school and well focused on the core subjects. Long term planning for the foundation subjects does not sufficiently ensure appropriate curriculum balance. The pace of lessons and productivity in Key Stage 2, and in Key Stage 1 where the teaching is weak, is sometimes inappropriate. The teachers’ management of the pupils is almost always good and inappropriate behaviour is quickly dealt with.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a broad and relevant curriculum and has a high regard for the diverse needs and backgrounds of the pupils. The quality and range of learning opportunities in the Early Years is a strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in the Early Years and sound throughout the rest of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Provision for pupil with English as an additional language is sound. Pupils have full access to the curriculum and they make satisfactory progress. The Family Literacy initiative is a strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for the pupils’ moral and cultural development is good. Many opportunities to promote these aspects of pupils’ development are provided throughout the school. Provision for spiritual and social development is sound. Relationships between pupils are good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good procedures are in place for monitoring and promoting good attendance and behaviour. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are also good. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress, and personal development are sound. Procedures for some aspects of risk assessment are unsatisfactory. Richard Cobden - 9 Pupils have full access to the curriculum and they make satisfactory progress. The spiritual is developed through assemblies, religious education, music, art, literacy and science. There are well-planned opportunities for pupils to meet in different kinds of groupings. A policy and procedures for risk assessment are not in place and fire drills are irregular and not recorded. The health and safety policy is out-dated. The school is developing links with the parents in a number of ways, which is having a positive effect on

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Aspect Comment

the relationship between home and school. The Family Literacy initiative is a positive force in involving parents in their children’s learning and subsequently in raising standards. The governing body is well represented by four parent governors. Parents are involved in the school’s millennium project to improve the outside environment for the children. However, there is not yet a true sense of partnership and this is an area for further development acknowledged by the school. Although parents generally have positive views about the school, there is a lack of clarity about the provision of homework and they would like better information about their children’s progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and his deputy provide very effective and strong leadership, well supported by the senior management team and the chair of governors, in developing and managing the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body is not fully meeting its responsibilities regarding its statutory duties. These include policies and practices for health and safety, overseeing teacher appraisal, statutory information to parents, and ensuring the daily act of collective worship meets legal requirements. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school’s evaluation and monitoring of its performance is very good. The headteacher and his deputy are very clear about the performance of different groups within the school. However, targets set are not always sufficiently demanding to challenge the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school’s strategic use of its resources is good. The staffing and material resources are used well to achieve the school’s objectives. The use of the accommodation is adequate. However, the two halls are under-used. Specific grants for special educational needs, for teaching English as an additional language and for in-service training are used appropriately.

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Aspect Comment

The strong and effective leadership provided by the headteacher and his deputy ensures a clear educational direction for the school. There is rigorous monitoring of the school’s performance by senior managers and the action taken to meet the school’s targets is effectively raising standards. However, some targets set are not always sufficiently demanding to challenge the pupils. All staff are constantly reflecting upon the aims and values of the school and fully involving the pupils in their development. The governors, particularly key members, are supportive of the school and are developing their role. The governing body, however, is not fully meeting its responsibilities in ensuring it meets its statutory duties. Although it monitors some of the work of the school it has no formal system for evaluating its spending decisions.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy coming to school. • The teachers’ high expectations. • The good quality of the teaching. • The school is approachable. • The school is well led and managed. • The information about children’s progress. • The amount of regular homework. • The range of activities outside lessons. • Halal prepared meat on the lunchtime menu for Moslem pupils • The poor state of the toilets

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The overall judgements of the inspection team agree with what pleases parents most about their children’s school. The team also agrees that parents should be better informed about their children’s progress, particularly in a more consistent approach in the annual written reports in explaining what children need to do to improve. The provision of homework is inconsistent. Apart from the choir that meets each week after school, and the Year 6 lunchtime homework clubs, there are no additional clubs offered to pupils in either Key Stage to enrich the whole school curriculum. Some toilet areas do smell, owing to greater demand at playtimes. They should be cleaned more frequently during the school day. Richard Cobden - 10

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How high are standards?

1. Children entering the nursery demonstrate attainment well below what is expected nationally. Good teaching and learning opportunities in the nursery and reception, plus the support of adults and bilingual support assistants ensures that, children under the age of five make good progress in all areas of the ‘Desirable Learning Outcomes’. By the time they have reached the age of five the children’s standard of attainment in all areas of learning has improved, although it is still below the expected level for pupils of this age, especially in language acquisition where the standard is well below the expected average. The baseline assessments support this judgement.

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How high are standards?

2. In 1999 Key Stage 1 National Curriculum tests results in reading and writing show that the standard reached by seven year olds were well below the national average. There was also a very wide spread of attainment with big differences. For example, 33 percent of the children attained Level 3, which is above the national average, but 38 percent of pupils did not attain Level 2, which is a high proportion. The remaining 29 percent attained Level 2. In writing 67 percent of pupils achieved Level 2 or above, which is well below the national average. Nearly 8 percent reached Level 3, which is close to the national expectation. In mathematics a similar trend emerges. A high number of pupils, 36 percent, attain Level 3, which is well above the national average. Pupils perform better in mathematics than in English. Across all aspects of science work, comparisons with national averages indicate that pupils’ attainment was well below the national average.

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How high are standards?

However, when compared with schools in similar contexts, the proportion of pupils attaining expected levels in reading and writing was close to the national average and well above in mathematics. In comparison with similar schools, performance in science is below at Level 2 and well above at Level 3.

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How high are standards?

3. Trends over time show that in 1996 the school’s performance in the national tests for seven-year-olds was below the expected national average in reading and writing, but close to the national average in mathematics. Achievement remained constant for the next year but dropped dramatically to a very low level in 1998. In literacy there was a steady decline in standards in 1997 and 1998 with an improvement in 1999. In mathematics the achievement is more consistent with national trends. Attainment at 11 in all core subjects was broadly in line with the national trend but at a lower level. These trends do not take account of the high proportion of pupils at the school learning English as an additional language.

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How high are standards?

4. The targets set for the years 2000 and 2001 are too low in mathematics and English. In mathematics the targets set for 2000 were achieved in the 1999 national tests. The pupils are in line to achieve the targets set for 2001 this year. Standards are improving at Richard Cobden School and there is potential for further improvement.

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How high are standards?

5. During the week of inspection, standards of attainment in the core subjects were not as low as the last year’s national test results indicate. At Key Stage 1 pupils were attaining satisfactory standards in English, science and mathematics. Attainment at Key Stage 2 was unsatisfactory in the three core subjects. However, there were signs of improvement in pupils learning, particularly in mathematics. Attainment for children under the age of five is poor in English and unsatisfactory in mathematics. However, progress against prior attainment for the under-fives and Key Stage 1 pupils is good. It is satisfactory at Key Stage 2.

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How high are standards?

6. Whilst the standards reached in information technology are satisfactory, pupils’ computer capability is good. Pupils make good progress, work diligently at the computers which are in use most of the time. Pupils’ attainment in music, art, design and technology, physical education and personal, social and health education is satisfactory at both key stages. In history, attainment is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and unsatisfactory at Key Stage 2. Religious education. Standards are unsatisfactory at both key stages. There was insufficient work seen in geography to make a judgement at Key Stage 1. The attainment in geography at Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory.

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How high are standards?

7. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress in relation to their prior learning. They continue to achieve the specific targets set in their individual education programmes, which are reviewed regularly. Although EAL pupils make good progress in individual lessons, their overall progress is, at best, satisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. During the period of senior management instability, which followed the last inspection, attitudes and behaviour, previously reported as very good or better, deteriorated to such an extent that one permanent and six fixed-term exclusions of boys were authorised in the year prior to the current inspection. Richard Cobden - 11 9. Discussions with parents and pupils confirm that most pupils do now enjoy coming to school and are enthusiastic about activities such as the choir and visits. They are responding well to the new 'three-stage’ discipline procedures and behaviour is now satisfactory overall. Pupils are generally well behaved in lessons or assemblies, where classroom management is firm, but still lack self discipline and can be restless and fidget where insufficient strategies are in place, for example in a Year 3 science class where noise from one lesson disrupted lessons in the adjacent room. Although most playground

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

behaviour is good-natured, there is still the occasional fight, which is disapproved of by other pupils and handled swiftly by staff. Relationships are otherwise good with respect shown for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. There are occasional instances of bullying but pupils consider that issues are managed well and they generally feel comfortable and confident in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. ‘Circle time’ and assemblies allow pupils to reflect on the impact of their actions on others. Some good examples were seen, such as where Year 5 pupils were able to empathise with another’s sadness over the death of a relative. Other occasions of giggling, or even one pupil sticking out her tongue at another in the circle, demonstrate that some pupils are still learning the rules. Opportunities for pupils to show initiative and take on responsibility, firmly established in the nursery, are still being developed further up the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Children in the nursery are given every opportunity and encouragement to develop social skills, independence in choosing activities and good personal relationships with the emphasis on fostering co-operation and taking responsibility for their own learning. The skills developed in the nursery are built on in Reception and children gain significantly in confidence and in taking responsibility for their actions as part of large and small groups.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The skills developed in the Nursery are built on in Reception and ultimately into the classes in Key Stage 1. The pupils gain significantly in confidence and in taking responsibility for their actions as part of large and small groups. Personal and social education underpins much of the teaching.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language generally have positive attitudes to work; they relate well to other pupils and teachers, show a lot of interest in school life and participate fully in school activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance is unsatisfactory, particularly in Reception and especially among Bangladeshi pupils, and the amount of lateness is still an issue. The percentage of unauthorised absence is well above the national average. The school’s recent initiative to improve these is already showing commendable success.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching was satisfactory or better in 94 percent of lessons observed, good or better in 72 percent of lessons and unsatisfactory in 6 percent. Although some good and very good teaching was seen in Years 2, 3 and 6 there was also some unsatisfactory teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching was consistently very good in the Early Years and good, overall, in Key Stage1 where teachers have high expectations of their pupils. As a result, the children’s learning is good and progress is often rapid and standards by the end of Key Stage 1 are close to the average for similar schools in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. In Key Stage 2 the quality of the teaching was generally good although in some lessons the teachers’ expectations of the pupils was only limited. The teachers work very hard to provide appropriately matched work for the diverse needs of many of the pupils, some of whom enter the school in Key Stage 2 with little English acquisition and often traumatised by their experiences. Subsequently the pupils’ learning, overall, is not as good and they make satisfactory progress. However, the good teaching of the literacy and numeracy strategies is having a good effect on progress, particularly in mathematics where

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

targets have been exceeded. The teachers’ management of the pupils is generally good and inappropriate behaviour is quickly dealt with.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The school employs good strategies for teaching literacy skills and provides opportunities for pupils to extend their reading and writing skills in additional English lessons. The National Literacy Hour is fully implemented and evaluated for effectiveness. The National Numeracy Strategy is new this year and the Local Authority has supported its implementation very well. Policies are being reviewed to embrace these initiatives. Setting has been introduced in Years five and six for literacy and numeracy since September 1999. The impact of this initiative will be evaluated after the end of year tests for Year 5 and National Tests for Year 6. There is already some data available; indicating that setting for mathematics in Year 6 has improved attainment since September. Year 2 pupils in mixed-age classes are taught as a single age group for literacy and numeracy. Other subjects are planned on a rotational basis to avoid repetition.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Planning in the medium and short-term is good throughout the school and well focused on the core subjects. However, some planned time for teaching is lost through time-tabling lessons into slots that are too long for the purpose. The additional time is not used efficiently on some occasions. Long term planning for the foundation subjects does not sufficiently ensure appropriate curriculum balance. There are often large gaps between study units, which affects continuity. The pace of lessons and productivity in Key Stage 2, and in those lessons in Key Stage 1 where the teaching is weak, is sometimes inappropriate. Overall, the planning lacked opportunities for the pupils to develop independence in their learning. Richard Cobden - 12 19. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum. The targeted support for pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language ensures that pupils are accessing the curriculum at the appropriate level in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

accordance with their needs. The curriculum is designed to take account of the interests of boys and girls.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. There is sound support provided specifically by the special needs and additional classroom assistants in classes to promote the learning of literacy and numeracy skills among pupils with special educational needs. In addition, special education assistants provide specific learning support for statemented pupils with, physical, behaviour and learning difficulties. Class teachers take into account the attainment and needs of pupils with special educational needs to support them in their lessons, but during the whole class session their participation is only as listeners. This is also the case with parent and other volunteer helpers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The overall quality of the teaching of English as an additional language is sound. There was some good teaching observed. Where the teaching was good, for example in Years 4 and 6, the teacher worked very effectively in partnership with class teachers and often led the lesson. Joint planning is good when there is a specific language focus for the subject and adapted work for targeted pupils. However, with one exception, the support teachers are part-time, working from one and a half days to three days per week. This allocation of time to a number of part-time staff makes time-tabling difficult for the optimum part of the day and poses problems for joint planning with class teachers.

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

22. The quality and range of learning opportunities are very good in the early years and satisfactory in both key stages. An appropriate statutory curriculum is in place through the school. The school provides a broad and relevant curriculum with literacy and numeracy at its core. Religious education is taught and meets the requirements of the Local Agreed Syllabus. Information and communication technology is mainly integrated within a number of other curriculum subjects. This provides a useful context for using technology. Specific skills are planned for each year and are usually taught to small groups of pupils. Every subject is allocated teaching time but foundation subjects receive a bare minimum over the year in relation to national guidelines. Personal and social education is time-tabled and ‘circle time’ has been introduced recently. Pupils receive a sound diet of health education mainly through science. Sex and drugs education is taught in Year 6 as

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

discrete subjects as well as through science. A new approach to personal and social education is at the planning stage, designed to build on good practice that exists in the school and to give all aspects of personal development a stronger profile in educating pupils for life.

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

23. The curriculum was judged to be satisfactory in the last report except for religious education which is still only allocated a minimum amount of time. There are significant strengths in the current curriculum such as the provision for Early Years, the development of information and communication technology, initiatives such as the family literacy project and the organisation of the literacy and numeracy curriculum to enable setting and booster groups to be used as strategies to improve attainment. The weaknesses are logistical and focus on minor imbalances in allocating taught time between subjects and in planning the school day so that all time available time is used efficiently.

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

24. The curriculum for the early years is an example of very good planning and practice. All areas of learning are covered and a foundation curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils is in place both in the Nursery and Reception. There is very good continuity of learning experiences between the nursery and Reception classes. New initiatives such as the development of an outside classroom to support learning demonstrates the commitment of the early year’s team to providing children with a rich and varied curriculum. Personal and social development underpins each area of learning and provides the basis for children to acquire independent learning skills at an early age.

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

25. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good in the early years and satisfactory at both key stages. Provision meets the requirements of pupils with statements and individual education plans, which are used to inform planning. The Code of Practice is in place and reviews of progress are carried out.

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

26. Pupils receive an appropriate curriculum regardless of age, gender or ethnicity. The support given to pupils who have English as a second language is very good in the Early Years and continues through the school according to need. The school has introduced a family literacy project to promote language development for bi-lingual children and their parents. Even though the initial take up is small, it is a strong and positive feature of the school’s curriculum development. Higher attaining pupils do receive challenge in some lessons but there is no policy to underpin a consistent approach for such provision.

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

27. The school enriches the curriculum with visits to local places of interest such as Regents Park for science and the local Fire Service. Firefighters, police officers and a range of people visit the school to work with pupils in all age groups. Theatre groups and professional artists extend pupils’ ideas and experiences in literature and art and explore relevant social issues such as drugs education. The range of extra-curricular activities is very limited and parents registered their concern about this in their questionnaire. They were especially concerned about the lack of opportunity for competitive sport. The school is aware of this shortcoming and having gained access to additional outdoor sports facilities, is considering what options are available to improve this provision. Richard Cobden - 13 28. The overall opportunities the school provides for its pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory.

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

There are strengths in the provision for moral and cultural development.

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

29. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. The school documentation and observation of assemblies and lessons indicate that there has been an improvement in this aspect of pupils’ life since the last inspection. Assemblies offer pupils opportunities for reflection on wonder and beauty of the world. Pupils are encouraged to focus on the world as a spiritual garden. Subjects such as art, English, music, religious education and science offer pupils further opportunities for reflection; pupils reflect on the work of famous artists and poets. Music is well used to create the atmosphere for assemblies and lessons; pupils sing with enjoyment and enthusiasm. However, opportunities are not sufficiently planned or exploited across the curriculum for pupils to reflect on literature or art, or the skills and ingenuity of science and technology. The statutory requirements for collective worship are not fully met. Worship is not a consistent component in the daily

p.13

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

30. The provision for moral development is good. There is a code of conduct outlining a common set of rules, displayed in the school. Pupils are consistently reminded of the school motto, ‘Respecting, Caring, Succeeding’. The school has consistently implemented its behaviour policy well. Overall, pupils know what is expected of them and understand well what is accepted in school The school’s commitment to equal opportunities is strong and this effectively promotes racial harmony among its pupils. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds relate well to each other and the school has worked hard to assist pupils to show respect for different cultures. Pupils are encouraged to think about moral issues such as conservation of the environment and kindness and thoughtfulness for others in assemblies and circle times.

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

31. The provision for social development is a strength in the Early Years. It is satisfactory throughout the rest of the school. Relationships between staff and pupils and among pupils themselves are mostly good and make a positive contribution to their social development. The staff generally provide good role models, set good standards of courtesy and show respect for all. Pupils are encouraged to work together in pairs and small groups but the ground rules for group work have yet to be established for pupils to become self-disciplined. However, pupils co-operate well when using computers and other equipment in pairs or in small groups. There are no sports clubs and residential visits for pupils to extend their skills of social interaction. When the school council is elected later this year the pupils will have the opportunity to take part in decision making. Performing in the school choir and assemblies offers them further opportunities to develop social skills.

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

Fund raising for Red Nose Day, Barnados and the Simon Community provides pupils with opportunities to display care towards those less fortunate than themselves. They also collect harvest produce to be distributed to the homes of the elderly of pupils’ choice.

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

32. Good provision is made for pupils to appreciate cultural traditions of this country and the ethnic and cultural diversity of British society. Many areas of the curriculum, for example art, English, history and music make a positive contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Pupils read poems and paint in the style of famous artists such as Van Gogh. Opportunities are provided to visit the British Museum to study the past cultures of the Ancient Egyptians. A respect for cultural diversity is promoted through the school’s values and its emphasis on equality of opportunity. Pupils’ experiences are valued and used in lessons. The worth of many religions and cultures is celebrated, including celebrations of festivals, such as the Chinese New Year. Other faiths such as Islam are studied in religious education. In assemblies pupils sing African

p.13

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

songs and listen to Indian spiritual songs. There are greetings in different languages and displays of artifacts and images from different cultures round the school to enable pupils to become aware of a multi-cultural society they live in.

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

33. Pupils with special educational needs have full access to the whole curriculum including the National Curriculum. They receive learning support in smaller booster groups in Years 2 and 6 to facilitate their understanding and re-inforce learning in preparation for their national tests. They also take full part in school activities and take responsibility with additional support and encouragement from other pupils and staff. This helps their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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

34. By careful analysis of the school’s performance data it has been identified that some pupils from Bangladesh are underachieving. In order to ensure that these pupils are given equality of access to the curriculum a family literacy programme has been established. The aim of this initiative is to enable parents from ethnic minorities to become more involved in their children’s learning. A ten-week course is held on two mornings a week during a term, where for part of the session the children and parents work together. This is successfully increasing the self-esteem of the children who participate, giving them confidence in tackling new work in the classroom as well as improving their literacy skills. Other pupils from Bangladesh are supported in the classrooms through the English as an additional language and special needs programmes.

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

35. The school is developing links with the community, which make a sound contribution to pupils’ learning. Some, such as contact with a local theatrical customer who supplied costumes for the recent Christmas performance, are established, others will be more active when the playground development moves into its next phase. A strength is the linking with an American school via the Internet. The curriculum is also enriched by visits to museums and other local places of interest and visitors to the school, such as the visit by the fire service, colorfully displayed in the nursery, and the visiting author, fondly remembered by pupils. Richard Cobden - 14 36. The school has good links with teacher training institutions and home visits to parents of prospective nursery children are planned. The school has yet to develop significant curricular links with partner secondary schools or sporting links with

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school has a number of good measures in place to care for its pupils but there are also some weaknesses. In particular there is a need to review the school Health and Safety policy and ensure all procedures are in place, such as regular formal risk assessments and regular and documented checks on fire evacuation procedures. The school and parents are concerned about children’s safety, given the lack of a safe crossing point on the very busy adjacent road. This poses a particular hazard to unaccompanied older children walking to and from school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The toilets, the state of which particularly concern parents, are old but well cleaned every day. Whilst they are sufficient to comply with relevant guidance, those on the ground floor are inevitably over-used at break-times and become smelly. No cleaning takes place during the lunchtime in the main school or nursery, which has a separate set of afternoon children. There is inappropriate use of the area outside the Reception lavatories for storing and using classroom resources.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. There is a sound understanding of child protection procedures across the school and currently good links with the educational social workers, although there have been breaks in continuity in the past.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Very good measures are being taken to improve behaviour and attendance with a shared understanding of the emphasis on praise and the three-stage ‘colour cards’. These are beginning to have a noticeable and beneficial effect in school. Pupils feel safe and able to seek help from any member of staff, particularly class teachers and the deputy headteacher. Bullying and racial and sexual harassment is not tolerated but there is no formal central recording of incidents to report to governors.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There are sound procedures in place to assess pupils’ attainment and progress and use of assessment information in curricular planning. Assessment for children aged under five is good. Pupils are assessed in the nursery and in the reception years using Baseline Assessment. The day to day formative assessment for children under the age of five is excellent. Their needs are quickly identified resulting in appropriately planned future learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Formative assessment, which informs further planning, is inconsistent throughout both key stages, ranging from limited procedures and evidence to very good practice. The good practice is based in Years 3 and 5, where new assessment strategies for Curriculum 2000 are being trailled. This is proving to be a powerful tool in identifying pupils’ needs with resulting rapid action. Standardised testing against national averages has been introduced for some year groups, which informs the planning for the next year. However, in order to assess the impact of learning on pupils’ achievement it would be more effective to apply these methods twice yearly because of the changing nature of the school composition.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Pupils’ achievements in literacy and numeracy are well monitored through the tracking system using the ‘First Steps’ procedures. In addition to the classroom assessments the children with special educational needs and for whom English is an additional language are constantly assessed against the targets set for them in their Individual Education Plans. These are frequently reviewed with new targets set. Assessment of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also thorough. However, it does not always inform planning for specific activities for these pupils where the tendency is more summative than formative. Appropriate support is given to pupils with special educational needs and pupils who speak English as an additional language to make progress. . 44. Target setting for literacy and numeracy for every pupil although is proving to be effective as pupils have clear goals.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Likewise the recently introduced Record of Achievement is beginning to favourably impact on pupils’ perceptions of themselves and their achievements. Moderation and leveling of work has not yet taken place.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Since the appointment of the new assessment co-ordinator, initiatives in assessment of pupils have been positive in raising achievement in those classes where procedures are being trailled. There are further planned developments in assessments, which includes rewriting the outdated policy for the summer term.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. National test results as well as teacher assessment are carefully. analysed and achievement targets are set. However, the school’s target for numeracy and literacy has been underestimated. The school is on course to surpassing the targets for the year 2001. Assessment data analysed by the local education authority has identified that a large number of pupils from Bangladesh are underachieving. This has resulted in the formation of family literacy programme which have a positive effect on pupils, achievements. This is a strength of the school and could be extended further. The recently introduced homework club is also having a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes and increased achievement. This initiative could be developed further to include more teachers and support staff.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Good procedures are in place to monitor and support pupils’ academic progress, such as the setting of individual targets across the school and weekly homework review sessions in Key Stage 2. Measures to monitor and support personal development, through, for example, ‘circle time’ are sound. There is a section on personal development in the pupils’ reports to parents. Richard Cobden - 15 The school has plans to provide a more formal induction programme for the many pupils who join the school at different times of year.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Overall, the procedures for pupils who have statements of special educational needs meet statutory requirements. They relate to the targets set in the individual education programmes but sometimes the diagnostic assessment of special needs for pupils for whom English is an additional language is inaccurate. These pupils are also helped to meet the objectives in their individual education programmes through additional support provided by support agencies such as education psychologists and health professionals with whom the school maintains a very good liaison.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents are generally satisfied with the school’s educational provision. The main area for concern was the limited range of extra curricular activities, in particular the lack of an after school club to help cater for working parents. A large majority of parents consider that teaching is good, that the very good attitudes and values that the school promotes are having a positive impact on their children’s behaviour and pupils respond well to the high expectations by making good progress. There were some concerns that there was too much emphasis on Year 6 pupils’ attainment.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. A number of parents consider that they need more information about what their children are doing and how they are getting on. Curriculum information is available at the beginning of the school year with the opportunity for translation into other languages and the school has provided sessions to explain the numeracy and literacy hours but these were not well attended. Pupils’ end-of-key-stage reports contain national test result levels, together with national figures, but these are not well explained.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Parents and carers are not always involved in drawing up individual educational plans for pupils with special needs and, although encouraged, largely do not attend annual reviews. Parents are, however, kept informed and many get involved in supporting their children’s learning at school and at home in line with the individual education programme, which is signed by them and the teacher.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The school is aware that the extent of current links is unsatisfactory and has many plans to involve parents and carers more, recognising also the particular needs for families whose first language is not English. The family literacy project is a very good, externally funded, initiative which is increasing the involvement of parents and carers from the Bangladeshi community. Parent Governors are keen to develop their role in listening to and informing parents and hope to develop a parent-school association. Parents have been given details of the homework policy and a home-school agreement has been drafted but not yet issued. Currently only a few parents help in classes. More help on outings. This support is highly valued by the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The most recent annual report to parents is missing required items about the professional development of staff and implementation of the special educational need policy. The current school brochure is extremely outdated and thus inaccurate. The school indicates that it will be updated and re-issued as soon as funds permit.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide very effective and strong leadership in developing and managing the school, well supported by a recently extended senior management team, and the chair of governors. The positive leadership of the headteacher ensures a clear educational direction for the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. There is rigorous monitoring of the school’s performance by senior managers and the action taken to meet the school’s targets is effectively raising standards. However, some targets set are not always sufficiently demanding to challenge the pupils. Senior staff, as well as most teachers, are constantly reflecting upon the aims and values of the school and fully involving the pupils in their development.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The governors, particularly key members, are supportive of the school and are developing their role. The governing body, however, is not fully meeting its responsibilities in ensuring it meets its statutory duties. Although it monitors some of the work of the school it has no formal system for evaluating its spending decisions. It is providing satisfactory value for money. There is a draft special educational needs policy which is not yet agreed by the school governing body. There is a designated special needs governor but there is little contact between the governor and the special needs co-ordinator. The headteacher has regular meetings with the co-ordinator for keeping a good general oversight of the provision and for monitoring staffing arrangements and resources.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The special educational needs co-ordinator is responsible for leading a team of special needs support assistants who work with the statemented pupils. She maintains the special needs register, to which names of pupils needing support are added after assessment and from which names are taken off, when it is felt that the pupil has made good progress to be fully part the of mainstream activity. She also maintains an effective liaison with parents and outside agencies, supports teachers in writing the individual education programmes for pupils and undertakes regular reviews of pupil progress. She is given two Richard Cobden - 16 afternoons a week from her teaching commitments to manage the provision which affects a quarter of the school population many of whom also have English as an additional language.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school has a high commitment to equality of opportunity that permeates the school’s ethos. Each pupil is valued and respected. The many cultures and faiths are cherished by all which helps racial harmony. Playground space and sporting activities are available to all pupils. However, the school does not offer Halal meat at lunch times to the large number of Muslim children.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. There are sufficient, suitably qualified and experienced staff to effectively meet the demands of the National Curriculum and religious education, and the curriculum for the under-fives. All subjects are allocated a co-ordinator. Most staff provide good role models and there is a good gender balance but male members are mainly deployed in Key Stage 2. Most classroom assistants have completed Camden’s training for supporting pupils in literacy and numeracy and they are suitably deployed to provide in class support to pupils including specific support to pupils with special educational needs. Other non- teaching staff is sufficient for the needs of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Under one third of the staff have been at school for less than two years, including one newly qualified teacher and another who has been trained through the licensed teachers’ scheme. Sound arrangements are in place for the induction of the newly qualified teachers who are supported and mentored by the deputy head in the school environment. They have regular time away from class to evaluate their teaching and classroom practice with their peers, supported through the local authority, but the induction arrangements of staff new to the school are not yet in place.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The appraisal of staff has lapsed over the last few years. The head teacher has also not been appraised. Teachers and other staff make use of development opportunities to update their skills in their specialist subjects and in subjects being given priority nationally. The recent focus on literacy and numeracy training has proved beneficial and the literacy hour and numeracy session form successful parts of the school curriculum. Subject co-ordinators regularly attend local authority run courses. Staff development is primarily related directly to the school development plan. Owing to school priorities, co- ordinators are not regularly released from their classes to pursue their duties and to monitor their subject area throughout the two key stages. They do, however, use alternative strategies to get useful information about the quality of teaching, attainment and other aspects of the curriculum.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Accommodation is satisfactory for the delivery of the curriculum but some classrooms need blinds or curtains to protect from the glaring sun. Internally, the building is spacious with two large halls, storage spaces and specialist accommodation. The hall on the ground floor is used for both as a dining hall as well as for physical education. The building is warm, clean and stimulating with colourful displays. The newly developed reception area and entrance hall is pleasant and welcoming. It is well managed and the school makes efficient use of the facilities. The school does not have an access for disabled people. The children’s toilets, previously mentioned in this report, are just adequate and in satisfactory condition. The site officer and his assistants keep the school clean and tidy.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school has made very good progress in addressing the issues identified in the last inspection. Since the last inspection, there have been extensive improvements to the buildings and the outside environment in recent years. A large play/sport area has been acquired adjacent to the school, which has relieved the crowding and provided additional resources for physical education. It is double-fenced to protect it from used needles being dropped through the outer fence. The sports area has shared use with the local community including the adult college next door. External accommodation is now adequate. The playgrounds are attractive with murals designed by children, and have facilities for outdoor play.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school has a millenium project to improve the outside environment. It has made very good progress in planning the playground development using appropriate experts. Pupils have been involved in designing the playground. This improvement will support and enhance the educational provision for them.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The previous inspection found that financial resources were very carefully used and that the school provided very good value for money . Inspection evidence indicates that the school has been through and emerged from a period of ineffective management. The current headteacher inherited a significant financial deficit and a governing body, which has yet to develop sufficient awareness of the extent of their role in monitoring financial expenditure. Now, with governor support, the headteacher has taken in hand the finances and introduced appropriate controls to bring the budget back to balance. This has required cut backs in staff allocations and curriculum funding.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. A financial audit was requested and the resulting recommendations are either achieved or well underway. There is recognition that when the books are balanced and a new budget is set, the school development plan will need to be linked more clearly with the budget and have explicit monitoring and review elements, such as have been drawn up in the current action plans for specific projects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school is developing the principles of best value. Use has been made of Borough benchmarking information in making financial decisions. The school makes good use of new technology, such as Internet access, for the benefit of pupils. Richard Cobden - 17 68. The school has had a high level of success in gaining funds from sponsorship and other income sources. These are used appropriately and initiatives, such as the family literacy project or appointment of an attendance officer, are having clear educational benefits for pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Despite unfavourable socio-economic factors and the high numbers of pupils for whom English is an additional language, pupils attitudes are good and, whilst in absolute terms attainment is low, pupils make good progress. The effectiveness of the school is good. Costs are very high in relation to national figures but in line with those for other schools in Camden. The school provides sound value for money.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

70. In order to improve further the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Continue to improve standards in the core subjects, particularly at Key Stage 2, and for Bangladeshi pupils, and to improve even further attendance and punctuality across the school. Improve standards in history and geography at Key Stage 2 and religious education across the school.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Be more rigorous with the use of time, particularly at the beginning of lessons following break and lunchtimes. Planning for the foundation subjects to ensure appropriate balance and continuity. Improve pace and productivity in Key Stage 2 overall, and in Key Stage 1 where the teaching is weak.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Further improve the links with parents, particularly the quality and extent of the information provided about the curriculum, their children’s progress and the homework set, which is not consistent across the school. The revision of the school prospectus is long overdue.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure the governing body is fully meeting its responsibilities in the leadership and management of the school and that it meets its statutory duties. These include policies and practices for health and safety, overseeing the management of teacher appraisal, statutory information to parents, ensuring the daily act of collective worship meets legal requirements, and also in shaping the future direction of the school.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Provide more opportunities for the pupils to develop independence in their learning, including taking on more responsibility as they move through the school, especially in Key Stage 2.

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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

71. The school serves an ethnically diverse community. The population is composed of pupils from a range of ethnic groups such as Bangladeshi, Black African, Pakistani, Chinese and White. The main home languages other than English are Bengali, Somali, Arabic, Cantonese, Albanian and Urdu. Nearly 70 percent of the pupils speak English as an additional language (EAL). There are 20 percent refugee pupils speaking 15 languages. Almost 11 percent are at an early stage of English acquisition. Over 73 percent of the pupils are supported through the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG). Another 4 percent of the pupils are supported through other sources.

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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

72. The previous inspection identified that the school should focus on raising the standards more generally at Key Stage 2 for bilingual pupils. The school has made satisfactory progress in addressing this issue. The school analyses its pupils’ attainments by ethnicity to identify underachievement among its pupils. The school’s action plan for EMAG indicates that there has been underachievement from Bangladeshi pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. In order to address this, the school has introduced booster classes and homework clubs for Year 6, an early intervention through additional literacy support for Year 3, and Family literacy at Key Stage 1. The support under EMAG is targeted at pupils who are at Stage 1 and 2 on the English fluency scale.

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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

73. The school has an allocation for three full-time teachers under EMAG but this is shared between six teachers. The policy on EMAG is that Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) staff work in class with pupils who are learning EAL. There is a clear expectation that EMA staff will plan jointly with class teachers. However, the organisation and management of work under EMAG provides a major challenge to the school because, with the exception of one teacher, the rest of the five EMA staff are part-time working from one and a half days to three days per week. This allocation of time to a number of part-time staff makes time-tabling difficult and poses problems for joint planning with class teachers.

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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

74. The overall quality of teaching under EMAG is just satisfactory. There is some good practice. Where the quality of EAL teaching is good, for example in Years 4 and 6, the teacher works very effectively in partnership with class teachers and often leads the lesson. Joint planning is good with a specific language focus for the subject and adapted work for targeted pupils. The teacher also presents EAL pupils’ English language stages alongside how many terms they have spent in the school. This reveals that there are a number of pupils who have not made sufficient progress after three to four years in school. This work has not yet permeated across the school. The quality of the teaching of the rest of the EMA teachers is satisfactory. Richard Cobden - 18 They generally work with a group of targeted pupils alongside class teachers to develop EAL pupils’ English as well as their confidence. However, there are some weaknesses. The teaching sometimes lacked pace and rigour. The teachers plan

p.17

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

and teach lessons following the class teachers’ plans, which identify key vocabulary. However, the planning does not fully take account of grammar, sentence structures and types of writing needed by the target pupils to extend their learning in English.

p.18

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

75. Although EAL pupils make good progress in individual lessons, their overall progress is, at best, satisfactory. Tracking of pupils’ progress has recently begun and has yet to make impact on their achievement. Teachers assess pupils’ fluency in English twice a year but there is a weakness in the moderation of teachers’ assessment of the English language stages. This assessment is not always reliable to obtain an accurate picture of individual pupils’ stages of development in English.

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ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

76. The work of the bilingual assistant in the Reception classes is very good. She shares the same language as many of the children and provide effective support to develop their self-confidence and self-esteem. She also works closely with parents and contributes very effectively in developing Family Literacy. Richard Cobden - 19

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 44

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 47 347

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 222

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR– Y6

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 9

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 99

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 273

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 33

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 48

p.19

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.19

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Richard Cobden - 20

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 22 20 42

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 11 11 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 17 17

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 62 (61) 67 (70) 79 (73) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 60 (75) 71 (84) 69 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 86 (86)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 21 27 48

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 7 9 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 13 16

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 42 (31) 46 (17) 54 (24) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 68 (59) 78 (69)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 10 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 15 18

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 50 (34) 54 (21) 60 (21) at NC level 4 or above National 67 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Richard Cobden - 21

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 16 Black – African heritage

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 49 Other minority ethnic groups

p.21

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.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 19.4 Financial year 1998/99

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.5

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 1,049,454

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 16 Expenditure per pupil 2,760

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 184.5 Balance brought forward from previous year -49,934

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -49,934

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 2

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.5

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 89

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Richard Cobden - 22

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 55 31 9 3 2

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 59 33 1 0 7

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 38 11 5 3

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 31 10 4 4

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 30 5 0 2

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 66 26 5 0 2

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 50 34 8 1 8

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 61 28 7 0 4

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 33 7 1 7

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 27 24 15 15 19 Richard Cobden - 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. The provision for children under five is in the Nursery and two Reception classes. Children are admitted to the nursery at the age of three in September and January when older children transfer to the Reception classes. The majority of children attend the Nursery full-time, after an initial period of part-time attendance to help them settle down. Most children from the nursery progress to the Reception classes. The school is in an area of high mobility and new children receive very good support to help them settle into their classes.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

78. The nursery has doubled in size since the last inspection and a second reception class opens in January for the younger rising- fives. Individual pupil profiles indicate that the vast majority of children who enter the nursery have very poor language skills. This is similar to the last inspection. The school has a very high percentage of pupils with English as an additional language and this is reflected in the nursery. Some children have no knowledge of English on admission to the Nursery. All children complete the Local Authority’s baseline assessment on entry to the reception classes, which shows attainment is well below average in English, especially in reading and writing. Skills in mathematics are also below average, but social and personal skills are closer to average in relation to other children in the Local Authority.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79. Children in the nursery are given every opportunity and encouragement to develop social skills, independence in choosing activities and good personal relationships. The emphasis is on fostering co-operation and taking responsibility for their own learning. Simple rules encourage good behaviour and children are happy to be in school. A group of pupils, from the nursery and Reception classes, were interviewed and were unanimous that they were most sad when they couldn’t come to school. Children in Reception take their turn at being ‘Special People’ and have a number of tasks to perform that day. This is seen as very important and is an excellent strategy for raising self-esteem. Children observed were well behaved, polite and very sociable both towards adults and their peers. Nursery children who stay for lunch learn how to eat with their peers, take turns and behave well when dining.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. The skills developed in the Nursery are built on in the Reception classes. The pupils gain significantly in confidence and in taking responsibility for their actions as part of large and small groups. Children were observed guiding a friend, who had been blindfolded, safely around the room as part of work on developing the senses. They also learn to be kind to one another and to apologise if they upset anyone. Tidying up is done willingly and with minimal supervision. Personal and social education underpins all teaching for children under five and, with very few exceptions, attainment meets the desirable outcomes for learning.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81. Very good teaching was observed in sessions with a language focus and all staff demonstrated considerable knowledge and skills in the teaching of language development through play, guided activities and literacy work. The quality of support given to bi-lingual children in both the Nursery and Reception classes was very good. All children made good progress in speaking and listening skills as a result of this high quality teaching. Children were observed in the Nursery setting up their own role-play situations in the home corner, the hospital and the very popular ‘Spooky’ corner. Staff used their expertise to build on this independent learning and encourage both new and wider vocabularies to develop.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

82. By the age of five children in Reception are using their limited speaking skills with confidence. Though a significant minority of children are attaining below the level of the national identified desirable learning outcomes for five year olds in speaking and listening, they make good progress in relation to their very low skill levels on entry. Reading skills by the age of five are well below the desirable learning outcomes for five-year-olds. More able children are beginning to read and develop a range of strategies such as phonics to build new words. The majority of children can share a book and some can identify the letters of their names in other words. Low achieving children can turn pages and follow the general idea of the story from pictures but have little interest in print. They enjoy talking about themselves and what they do in school and at home. Writing skills are well below expectations by the age of five. The most able are writing their names clearly and are

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

beginning to write groups of words that are recognisable. Most pupils work hard to form letters and with support use their early writing skills to begin to record their ideas. They have many opportunities to develop early writing skills both through guided learning and independently. There is evidence of good progress being made in reading and writing, by all groups of children in relation to their very low starting levels. As children gain confidence in reading and writing they make rapid progress, especially in reading. Overall attainment in English is well below expectations by the age of five but all children benefit from the very good provision for language development in both the nursery and Reception and progress is good overall.

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

83. The quality of teaching and the provision for mathematics are good. Every opportunity is taken in the Nursery to develop children’s understanding of number and mathematical concepts. They can use words such as ‘full’ and ‘empty’ when playing in water and sand. They count to five and beyond and more able children can order the numbers one to five when matching numbered cars to numbered parking bays in the garage game. Children make rapid progress in mathematics by the age of five and although, overall, they are below expectations for their age in relation to desirable learning outcomes. They understand ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ ten and can show how many more or less they need using counters and sets. The basic strategies of numeracy teaching are used to good effect in helping children to develop oral and mental skills in Richard Cobden - 24 mathematics and bi-lingual support is integrated sensitively into whole class and group work. Most children can name basic

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

shapes and know that coins of different sizes and colours have different values. A significant minority have difficulty recording their work and a few find counting difficult without support.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

84. Most children enter the nursery with a very limited knowledge and understanding of their world. Provision for extending their experiences is excellent and children are taken shopping, visit local places of interest and receive visitors, such as fire fighters, with enthusiasm. Children are encouraged to use the computers independently and with guidance. They are confident with technology and some children can print out their own compositions using ‘Colour Magic’. Children were observed in the nursery unscrewing parts from electrical and mechanical appliances such as irons and radios, and were intrigued by the contents they discovered. Other children were playing with magnets and experimenting with objects they could carry about with the magnet. They grow seeds and make observational drawings of a range of plants and animals. Most children have a sense of change over time and were observed looking at themselves in a mirror and comparing

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

themselves now with photographs of themselves as babies. Careful questioning helped them to identify what had changed and they were beginning to use phrases such as ‘in the past’, ‘used to’ and ‘now I can’. . In Reception classes, the teachers help pupils to develop a sense of chronology using a time-line of their own lives. They learn to use words such as yesterday, today and tomorrow and ‘now’ and ‘then’. Pupils learn with interest and enthusiasm and acquire skills of historical enquiry and concepts of the past satisfactorily.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85. Children make very good progress in developing simple language to express their ideas and respond well to the good quality support they receive. Construction skills are good but children’s ability to talk about the structures they make are still very limited by the time they are five. Attainment overall is below expectations for five year olds in explaining what they understand and know, but their practical skills in building and manipulating tools are closer to that expected for their age. Very good teaching ensures that they make good progress in relation to their very poor level of experience on entry.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

86. The provision for physical development is very good and some excellent teaching was observed in encouraging improvement in fine motor skills, in the nursery. Children have access to the school hall and those in the nursery have continuous access to a large, secure outdoor play area. They have good co-ordination and ride and steer wheeled vehicles, in the nursery play area with considerable skill. Reception children enjoy a comprehensive programme of physical education that challenges them and use movement in different ways. Fine motor skills are less well developed and pencil control is weak. Attainment meets expectations for their age and progress is good in co-operative play and the development of spatial awareness.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

87. Creative and aesthetic development is well provided for through a range of activities and good quality teaching enables children to gain confidence in painting, singing, modeling and role-play. A wide range of materials is available to encourage independence in choosing and work is valued and discussed. Children are able to mix colours and can often name the colours they have made. They are sure about choosing a favourite colour, picture or book but are often vague about the reasons for their preferences. Their drawings increase in detail with experience but reflect the limited skills of so many of these children on entry. Printing and collage work were on display and children were anxious to show their work to adults. They sing with enthusiasm and enjoy using instruments. Attainment is close to desirable learning outcomes especially in their ability to choose materials and work with confidence in art and music.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

88. The teaching of children under five has many strengths. Team planning is very good and reflects the commitment to providing a totally relevant and exciting curriculum for these young children. The quality of teamwork and the use of observation and assessment to meet the needs of each child are excellent. There is very good continuity of method between the nursery and Reception and all staff use their impressive range of knowledge and teaching skills to enable all groups of pupils to make good progress in all areas of learning. The new early years manager has a clear vision for the development of this area and is a very effective team leader. The guidelines for the foundation curriculum are being implemented and the concept of an outside classroom to support learning is being developed. Resources are good and every effort is being made to foster strong links between the nursery and Reception in spite of the nursery

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

being accommodated in a separate building. Parents are encouraged to participate in their children’s school life and learning. There have been many significant curriculum developments since the last report, which have been modified to support learning for children under five. The rapid growth in numbers has been well managed.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

89. The last report referred to the nursery providing a sound education. This has improved since the last inspection and is judged to be very good. The bi-lingual support continues to be of good quality and children make good progress in relation to their very poor range of skills on entry. This is and improvement since the last inspection when progress was judged to be sound. The current provision for children under five is very good and provides them with a firm foundation on which to build their future learning. Richard Cobden - 25

p.24

ENGLISH

90. Standards of attainment in English are below the national average at Key Stage 2 and close to the national average at Key Stage 1. Since the last inspection in 1996 the school’s national results in Key Stage 1 have shown continuous improvement except for a dip in 1998. At Key Stage 2 there has been an improving trend until 1998, when there were low results. In 1999 the school regained the same standard as in 1997 and is continuing to improve.

p.25

ENGLISH

91. The results of the national tests for seven-year-olds show that pupils are achieving standards in reading and writing at levels below the national average but in line with similar schools. Inspection evidence based on a wider range of literacy tasks than the tests, indicate that attainment in speaking and listening, and in reading is close to the national average. It is still below average in writing.

p.25

ENGLISH

92. The number of eleven-year-olds reaching the national average in 1999 was well below the national average, and below the average for pupils in similar schools. Observation of pupils in lessons, looking at their work and hearing them read shows that they continue to achieve below the national level and that standards in speaking and listening and in reading are better than standards in writing.

p.25

ENGLISH

93. Standards in speaking and listening are sound at the end of both key stages and speaking is better than listening. On entry to the Reception pupil’s attainment is well below national expectations for their ages. At Key Stage 1, pupils can sustain concentration as expected at this age. They usually listen to their teachers and respond to questions in short phrases and sometimes in sentences. They can understand and talk about the story they have heard or read with the teacher. In one of the lessons observed, after reading together with their teacher, ‘Why Flies Buzz’, and pupils retold the story by taking on the roles of characters and presenting their work to the class audience. They can predict ‘what happens next?’. They are beginning to show a good understanding of the structure of a sentence and the use of capital letter, comma, question mark and full stop.

p.25

ENGLISH

94. The attainment of pupils in the current Year 6 is below average but standards in speaking and listening are sound. Pupils read the arguments for and against vivisection as a whole class. They can examine the different points of view and weighed up the arguments in order to establish a balanced view. Most can recount stories, make comparisons and express preferences. Most can find information using the contents and index pages of the book.

p.25

ENGLISH

95. Most pupils like reading and can talk confidently about the books they read in class or on their own. Some, who find reading difficult on their own, are clearly improving their phonic skills through shared reading and additional help in classes. Older pupils are developing an understanding of different types of stories, including myth, fairy tale and adventure stories. All pupils are developing understanding of the language and structures of poetry. They are also increasing their knowledge of basic grammar.

p.25

ENGLISH

96. Work seen across all year groups shows that pupils can write for an increasing range of purposes, from captions, phrases to explain the sequence to story, letter writing and writing poetry in Key Stage 1 to writing persuasively for improving their environment, writing dialogues and reports in Key Stage 2. In Years 5 and 6, most pupils have some knowledge of how to draft, revise and edit their work and present it in an acceptable manner, but there are significant variations across the year groups and the standards of handwriting and the quality and quantity of work are quite limited, particularly extended writing and book reviews.

p.25

ENGLISH

97. Progress in relation to prior attainment is satisfactory overall and good in lessons. Pupils identified as having special educational needs make sound gains in attainment in relation to their prior attainment. Tasks set for pupils with higher attainment do not always contain sufficient challenge to enable these pupils to progress at their level.

p.25

ENGLISH

98. The teaching of English is mainly good and most teachers have secure subject knowledge. Planning is clear and generally purposeful, both across the year groups and within them. Teachers plan their lessons well; organising activities and tasks taking into account the needs and abilities of pupils. They are supportive and provide opportunities for all pupils to contribute to the lesson, including those with special needs and who have English as an additional language. Teachers manage pupils well and do it in a friendly way. Their support of pupils, and their informal assessments as they work, is usually good. Pupils undertaking writing exercises are appropriately supported by the teachers In most classes the teachers create a purposeful working atmosphere in which pupils contribute fully to the flow of the lesson. Some teachers set imaginative and stimulating task for pupils. In classes, tasks are largely derived from texts and guidance from the literacy

p.25

ENGLISH

hour framework. Where weak teaching occurred, it was related to insufficient planning and poor pupil management.

p.25

ENGLISH

99. The scheme of work for English closely supports the requirements of the National Curriculum and the National Literacy Strategy. The two literacy co-ordinators have enabled curricular initiatives to be introduced to the work of the school and have provided additional resources. The literacy hour is firmly in place and is beginning to improve standards. Assessment procedures are sound but are not consistently applied to inform planning. Richard Cobden - 26 100. The work of the support staff and of parents in the classroom is not planned consistently by the teachers. The range of books and other resources is good, serving the demands of the curriculum and the needs of the pupils. There is a central literacy resource room available to staff. There is also a library for use by pupils, which was not in use during the inspection. Classroom libraries are adequately resourced throughout the school. School made resources are well

p.25

ENGLISH

deployed. Homework is set regularly and the involvement of parents, where available, helps to enhance the language skills of pupils. For example, family literacy sessions and the volunteer readers scheme are initiatives which encourage development of literacy skills for pupils.

p.26

ENGLISH

101. The response of pupils to their work and lessons is good. They show keen interest in books and particularly in fiction. They contribute with enthusiasm to the whole class session in the literacy hour and maintain good levels of concentration, even when some tasks lack a high degree of interest. Most relate well to adults and other pupils. Where opportunities allow, they work well on their own, in pairs and in groups making choices and take responsibilities for their work and decisions. They show respect for the feelings, opinions and efforts of others.

p.26

ENGLISH

102. Issues raised in the last inspection have been addressed. The quality of teaching and learning has improved and is now more consistent and generally of a good quality.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

103. Attainment at Key Stage 1 is in-line with the national average but is below the national average at Key Stage 2. The majority of children have below average skills in mathematics at the age of five. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 reflects levels attained in 1999 but there was significant evidence during the inspection that the proportion of pupils achieving Level 2 has increased. This is due to the impact of introducing the national numeracy strategy and to better assessment procedures linked to planning. The 1999 results were well above those achieved in similar schools. At Key Stage 2 in 1999 attainment was well below national averages, but was an improvement from 1998 when results were very poor. The current cohort are attaining closer to the national average than in 1999 which, while being partly due to the implementation of the national numeracy strategy, is also the impact of the introduction of setting in Years 5 and 6 and of booster classes for

p.26

MATHEMATICS

less able and border-line pupils. Attainment at Key stage 2 in 1999 was in-line with that achieved by similar schools. Though there has been a slump in standards since the last inspection there is evidence of improvement in 1999 and in the current cohort.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

104. A carefully planned curriculum ensures that all pupils at Key stage 1 have equal access to all activities in mathematics. The small group of Year 2 pupils in mixed age classes is taught separately for mathematics and work on the same topics as their peers. Many pupils in Year 2 are able to count and manipulate numbers to a hundred and beyond in oral mathematics, such as adding on and taking away four while increasing numbers in multiples of ten. The scrutiny of work showed that all groups of pupils were working at levels appropriate for their abilities and were producing good quality work, especially in demonstrating their understanding of numeracy through number stories. More able pupils are working at a secure level 3 in all aspects of mathematics. The majority of pupils were able to recognise the relationship between a right angle and a quarter turn when exploring changes of direction in the hall. They were able to apply this knowledge to a treasure hunt

p.26

MATHEMATICS

when recording their work, with more able pupils being introduced to simple co-ordinates as a means of indicating location in space. Pupils in Year 2 build on work in Year 1. They were observed exploring pathways with partners using the terms forwards, backwards and sideways. Pupils in Key Stage 2 were working at the appropriate levels in numeracy in each year, although there was an insufficient level of challenge for the most able pupils in Year 3. Pupils in Year 4 have skills that are below expectation for their age but higher than expected in relation to their poor results in national tests at the end of Year 2. All pupils are challenged but some have difficulty in concentrating for more than a short period.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

105. Less able pupils need considerable support to complete tasks. More able pupils were confident in calculating perimeters using their numeracy skills. Overall, they were working at Level 3 though less able pupils are well below expectations for their age in other key stage year groups. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 are benefiting from being taught in ability groups for mathematics. This enables teachers to target their work with more accuracy to challenge pupils appropriately. Pupils in Year 5 were observed solving the problem of multiplying one two-digit number with another using partitioning. The more able pupils are working at level 4 and were able to provide the solution in writing. Less able pupils in Year 5 receive support and are working at levels appropriately for their ability. The majority are working at Level 3 in numeracy. Some challenging work on angles was observed in Year 6 and some pupils are working at Level 5 in their understanding of the

p.26

MATHEMATICS

characteristics of angles. The majority of pupils are working at a secure level 3 in all aspects of the National Curriculum for mathematics with the majority of Level 4 work evident in number.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

106. Progress is good in Key Stage 1 and pupils build positively on the skills they gained in the Early Years. The impact of the national numeracy strategy is evident in their progress in numeracy and they benefit from the many opportunities they have to apply this knowledge to solving mathematical problems with the aid of control technology where relevant. The scrutiny of work showed that all pupils make good progress through the key stage and recording skills develop rapidly in Year 2. The emphasis in Year 1 is on practical approaches to the teaching of mathematics and pupils are given carefully targeted support to meet their language and learning needs. All groups of pupils make good progress against prior attainment and individual targets. Progress in Key Stage 2 is slow in Year 3 for more able pupils in numeracy but the scrutiny showed Richard Cobden - 27 some good progress in work on shapes earlier in the year. However the skills gained in Key Stage 1 tend to be consolidated

p.26

MATHEMATICS

in Year 3 rather than extended. Pupils in Year 4 make good progress against targets set but a significant minority find learning difficult and have poor concentration. They do respond to continual reinforcement and their numeracy skills are improving as confidence grows. Progress accelerates in years five and six for more able pupils especially in problem- solving. Less able pupils make good progress because they receive well-targeted support. The impact of setting on progress is evident in the assessments for the current Years 5 and 6 as some pupils have raised their attainment by two levels since September and the majority by one level.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

107. Pupils have a positive attitude to mathematics and enjoy oral mathematics in numeracy sessions. Behaviour is good and pupils respond well to strategies used by teachers to make mathematics enjoyable and stimulating. Any examples of unsatisfactory behaviour or response were linked to inappropriate teaching strategies or work that did not match the abilities of the pupils. There were very few examples of unsatisfactory behaviour and the majority of pupils gain confidence through oral mathematics and take pride in achieving accuracy in recorded work. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are very supportive of each other in practical lessons and are very anxious to participate in group and individual work. Some pupils in years three and four find independent work difficult and need to be given very clear instructions. Pupils in Year 6 were a delight to observe and met the challenges set with determination.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

108. The quality of teaching is good overall though there are weaknesses in Key Stage 2. Teachers have good plans and share learning objectives with their pupils. Their subject knowledge is generally good and has benefited from the recent, intensive training in numeracy. Teaching observed in Key Stage 1 was good with some very good strategies seen in the teaching of direction and angles of turn, through practical activities. The scrutiny of work showed that work is matched to pupils’ ability and that teachers have high expectations of both the quantity and quality of recorded work. All pupils have equal access to the full curriculum and have the opportunity to achieve Level 2 by the age of seven. Pupils with special needs and those with limited knowledge of English were well supported in lessons and good team teaching was observed in group work. Some teaching in Key Stage 2 lacked challenge for more able pupils in numeracy. The vast majority of teaching

p.27

MATHEMATICS

observed was vibrant and very good use was made of question and answer techniques to encourage speed and accuracy in mental calculations. Small steps were planned for less able pupils to give them confidence as they learnt. Assessment is used positively to identify need and good quality marking helps pupils to understand their mistakes in recorded work. Resources were well used in lessons observed and homework was developed from the topics covered to either reinforce learning or extend ideas.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

109. Curriculum development has been rapid with the implementation of the national numeracy strategy. The Local Authority has been very supportive of teachers in this new initiative. The introduction of setting in Years 5 and 6 has resulted in the finer differentiation of tasks within each ability group. Booster groups enable less able pupils work to realistic targets while covering all curriculum topics. The emphasis is on what pupils learn and evaluation is a crucial part of curriculum development in this subject. The subject is well managed by two co-ordinators who work as a team and bring different but compiementary skills to the role. Support staff have clear roles in the majority of lessons and are well briefed for supporting specific pupils with individual needs.

p.27

MATHEMATICS

110. There have been many changes to the content, organisation and delivery of the mathematics curriculum since the last inspection. Though attainment is lower strategies are in place to raise standards and enable pupils to achieve their best.

p.27

SCIENCE

111. Pupils’ attainment in science is satisfactory at the end of Key Stage 1 and unsatisfactory at the end of Key Stage 2. The attainment is in line to achieve standards that are broadly equivalent to the national average at Key Stage 1. In Year 2 pupils have good knowledge of, and can name the parts of growing plants. They know what makes them grow and can observe them carefully. The pupils understand the necessity for fair testing, when investigating the distance travelled by cars on ramps of different surfaces. They are able to follow their teachers’ instructions during investigations. The oral and practical work is superior to the written and recorded work. An analysis of pupils’ work revealed that there was insufficient recording of their investigations or other work. The few entries in exercise books showed very simple ways of presenting work, which did not do justice to their oral abilities nor did it represent the learning that had taken place. Learning

p.27

SCIENCE

opportunities at Key Stage 1 are good enabling pupils to make good progress. Year 1 pupils especially make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of what make plants grow and how plants reproduce.

p.27

SCIENCE

112. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils attain standards of work which are unsatisfactory, below what is expected at this age. Although they are working at the expected level, their knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts is under- developed. This is a result of uncertainties in staffing in previous years, resulting in the national tests plummeting to a very low level in 1998. In the turbulent years since the last inspection the expectations of these pupils has been too low. Consequently the current Year 6 pupils approach science hesitantly, lacking the expected self-confidence needed for scientific investigation. However, pupils can set up and conduct a range of investigations prepared by the teachers. Limited opportunities are provided for pupils, particularly the high attainers, to use their skills independently in organising their own investigations. During the inspection Year 6 pupils were investigating different ways of separating solids and

p.27

SCIENCE

liquids. They were developing sound skills of prediction, hypothesis and experimentation. Most groups were able to separate three different types of materials by filtration, evaporation and sieving. They were able to explain their methods Richard Cobden - 28 simply but had difficulty in using the appropriate scientific vocabulary, which should have been learned earlier in the key stage. The sound practical work is not extended to the presentation of their work, which is laborious and untidy.

p.27

SCIENCE

113. The good progress at Key Stage 1 does not extend into Key Stage 2. Throughout this key stage progress is inconsistent. The building on previous learning is not clearly defined or sequenced. This is particularly evident in the youngest classes of the key stage. In one Year 3 class pupils were studying plants at a lower level than the previous year. Little evidence of scientific recording is seen in Years 3 and 4. Pupils’ learning lacks appropriate rigour. However, in Year 5 classes, learning becomes more structured and specific. Pupils are taught through well sequenced, investigative methods. In these classes pupils investigated materials that would be the most sound proofed. They were able to make suggestions on how the experiments could be conducted and which resources to use. They carried out this work confidently and were able to explain clearly if their test had been fair. One class explained a variety of ways in which their data could be recorded.

p.28

SCIENCE

Some pupils recorded data in tabular form on the computer. Overall greater attention should be applied to the presentation of work in all year groups throughout the school.

p.28

SCIENCE

114. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. In Year 6 an extra booster class ensures that pupils have equal access to the science curriculum at the appropriate level. Targeted support is available for those pupils who speak English as an additional language. Both groups make sound progress in relation to their prior attainment.

p.28

SCIENCE

115. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 in science is good, and often very good. Teachers are secure in their subject knowledge, plan lessons effectively, make good use of the questioning technique, prepare stimulating activities and interest the pupils. Pupil management at Key Stage 1 is good. A weakness at Key Stage 1 is that little opportunity is given for pupils to record what they have learned in a variety of ways, especially their investigations. The many strengths of the teaching have produced improvement to the results of science national tests. The support for pupils with special educational needs and those speak English as an additional language is broadly satisfactory. However, more could be done to effectively plan the activities jointly with the class teacher to ensure that the activities match the abilities and language needs of pupils, considering that there are a high percentage of pupils with such needs.

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SCIENCE

116. Teaching at Key Stage 2 is more variable, ranging from unsatisfactory to very good. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory. The best teaching was observed in the upper years of the key stage. In the majority of these classes the planning is detailed with very clear intentions which are shared with the pupils. Teachers’ knowledge of the subject is generally good with lessons made interesting. Appropriate use is made of assessments to inform further planning. Pupils are well managed; they are keen and respond well to their teachers, which urges them forward in their learning. No lessons were observed in Year 3 classes as they went on a trip to Regents Park to explore a variety of habitats. Planning for this visit and the Year 4 visit to Camden Lock lacked the specificity of learning objectives necessary to indicate what learning would actually occur, and how the pupils would be organised. Although planning and assessments were good at Year 3,

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SCIENCE

lack of subject knowledge and pupil management did not impact favourably on pupils’ learning. Throughout this key stage insufficient attention, is given to pupils’ recording and presentation of their work. Pupils do not find recording easy, often taking far too long to settle down to recording their work, remaining on task, and taking too long to produce a small amount of work. The pace at this stage becomes slow.

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SCIENCE

117. Since the last report there has been a drop in standards. An improvement occurred in the last year’s statutory tests for 11- year-olds, even though current standards are still below the national average. The introduction of a new scheme of work for science has had a positive impact on pupils’ standards of achievement. Assessment of the pupils’ attainment against the learning objectives is becoming a more established feature at Key Stage 2.

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SCIENCE

118. Since the arrival of the new science co-ordinator this year, there has been greater emphasis put on science to ensure that there is coverage of the statutory curriculum, appropriate sequencing of pupils’ learning and greater matching of task to level of ability and language needs. This important area still needs to be developed further. Some monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning has occurred but the current changes have been too recent to see dramatic changes. However there is improvement in standards. The data from previous national test results has been carefully analysed revealing that pupils are not achieving well in AT2 Life and Living Processes’ at Key Stage 1. Consequently greater concentration has been put on this attainment target.

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ART

119. Owing to timetable arrangements for the week of the inspection no art lessons were observed in Key Stage 2 and only two lessons in Key Stage 1. Evidence gathered from discussions with the co-ordinator and pupils and through an analysis of work samples and work on display indicates that the pupils attain at least satisfactory standards. There is evidence of some good standards of work across the key stages. The pupils make satisfactory progress in all aspects of the art curriculum. This is an improvement since the last inspection. In the few lessons seen, the pupils showed good attitudes to art and behaved well. Richard Cobden - 29 120. Pupils work with a range of materials and equipment to create a variety of sound quality compositions, often to support other areas of the curriculum. For example, illustrations and diagrams are carefully executed and show a developing maturity as

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ART

the pupils move through the school. All pupils have been involved in the design and production of the millennium tapestry, along with pupils from other schools in Camden and from across the country. This is now touring the country for all to see.

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ART

121. In Key Stage 1 pupils in Year 1 have a developing knowledge and understanding of art vocabulary. They explore colour, texture, shape and pattern through direct experience. They were investigating, using their senses, the fruits in a basket provided by the teacher, as they listened to an African story entitled ‘Handa’s Surprise’. These pupils showed good observational skills and subsequently produced a good variety of outcomes including paintings; drawings, pastels, collage and computer assisted compositions. The printing by pupils in a Year 2 class was well-developed and showed appropriate accuracy and care for their ages. In Key Stage 2 examples of charcoal drawings relating to a history project in Year 5 showed good skills in perspective and appropriate shading techniques. Sound work in the style of Van Gogh was also evident in Key Stage 2 using pastels and collage. Art contributes well to the pupils’ cultural development.

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ART

122. From the evidence available, the quality of teaching is at least sound and often good. In the lessons seen in Key Stage 1 the teaching was good. From the work seen in the excellent displays throughout the school, the teachers have good subject knowledge and expertise. The co-ordinator is aware of a great deal of experience amongst the teachers. Teachers and other adults collaborate to enable pupils to produce large-scale murals, such as the excellent playground murals, and scenery for school productions. This brings relevance to the art curriculum. Teachers’ planning is thorough in the medium and short-term. However, long-term planning is weakened by imbalances in the allocation of taught time between study units and subjects especially in Key Stage 2. Planning to support the pupils’ spiritual development is limited, and although the art programme provides, indirectly, for reflection, awe and wonder, there are missed opportunities to enhance this aspect of

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ART

learning. There is a useful art policy but there is no detailed scheme of work for each year group. The procedures for assessment are unsatisfactory. A limited assessment procedure linked to the pupil’s records of achievement is in place. There are no individual sketchbooks to support the assessment of progress.

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ART

123. Resources are plentiful, in good condition and well used. The locality is well used to support the art curriculum. Visits are made to galleries, museums and places of interest such as, during the inspection week, the local fire station, Camden Lock and Regent’s Park Zoo. Visiting artists, including a local potter and voluntary helpers working on the playground murals, further enrich the art provision. However, expertise amongst the parent body is generally untapped.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. Owing to timetable arrangements during the week of the inspection, no lessons in design and technology were observed. Evidence gathered from discussions with the co-ordinator and pupils and through an analysis of work samples, portfolios, photographic evidence and work on display indicates that the pupils attain at least satisfactory standards. There is evidence of some good standards of work both in design and making across the key stages and the pupils make sound progress. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. In Key Stage 1 pupils can construct simple models using cutting, folding and gluing techniques. They are introduced to levers by way of constructing animals, which move by pushing and pulling. Older pupils in the key stage have made boats, from their own designs, investigating the properties of different materials that float. The work is closely linked to the science curriculum. In Key Stage 2 the pupils knowledge and understanding of design and technology process is further developed through interviewing potential clients. For example, Year 4 pupils engaged in designing pull-along toys for five- year-olds had first talked to children in the Reception classes to ascertain their likes and dislikes. Year 3 had used a similar approach in designing and making their working clocks. This approach introduces the important element of market research and further enriches the subject provision. The Year 5 funfair models displayed in the classroom showed evidence of

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

appropriate progression from previous learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. The current co-ordinator was not available during the inspection. From discussions with the previous co-ordinator, it is evident that a great deal of work has gone into providing an appropriate curriculum provision since the last inspection. She has provided training for staff, support and guidance, brought in experts and taken classes on visits to places of interest. As a result the teachers’ subject knowledge and teaching techniques have improved considerably since the last inspection. From the evidence available the quality of teaching is at least sound throughout the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. The current co-ordinator is monitoring the teaching and learning with a view to revising the scheme of work based on the new programmes of study for design and technology. The school acknowledges control technology as being an area that needs further development. A limited assessment procedure linked to the pupil’s records of achievement is in place. Teachers’ planning is thorough in the medium and short-term. However, long-term planning is weakened by imbalances in the allocation of taught time between study units and subjects especially in Key Stage 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

128. The school is well resourced for design and technology. The materials and equipment are well organised in the central resource room and an efficient checking in-and-out system is in operation. Richard Cobden - 30

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GEOGRAPHY

129. Geography was not taught during the inspection and there was very little recorded work available across the key stages. Judgements on standards and progress in geography made are based on an analysis of teachers’ plans and discussions with pupils and the curriculum co-ordinator. There is insufficient evidence of work on which to base sound judgements about standards of attainment at the end of Key Stage 1.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. Standards of attainment are unsatisfactory at the end of Key Stage 2. The pupils have not developed map reading skills and knowledge and understanding of places as expected for their age. Although the pupils in Year 6 can use symbols and co- ordinates in finding places they do not have skills to use four-figure grid references. They have little knowledge of physical geography or contrasting localities.

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GEOGRAPHY

131. The previous inspection found the standards of attainment high at the end of Key Stage 1 and average to high at the end of Key Stage 2. These standards have not been maintained.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. In the Reception classes pupils make satisfactory progress in learning about their immediate environment. They walk round the school and get to know the school building. They develop a sense of direction using vocabulary such as up and down. The pupils look at the High Street in Camden and record their observations in photographs. They also have a sense of distance and places beyond the school. They know about far away places and how to travel there as many have visited distant places. Teachers’ planning indicates that pupils’ awareness of distant places is also developed in Year 2 where they gain familiarity with globes and maps and learn to compare and contrast places. In Key Stage 2 pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory. Pupils do not build and extend their knowledge and skills in the subject adequately, and do not retain what they learn in lessons.

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GEOGRAPHY

133. No judgements can be made about the teaching of geography in class. It is evident from teachers’ plans and the curriculum planning that the coverage of geography is adequate over the year. In the current year, geography was taught in Years 1/2, 2, 3 and 4 in the autumn term, and it will be taught in Years 3, 5 and 6 in the second half of the spring term or in the summer term. The plans for Year 6 cover investigating rivers and Camden as a settlement and the pupils in Year 5 will look at an environmental issue, ‘Should High Street be closed to traffic?’ The procedures for assessment are unsatisfactory. A limited assessment procedure linked to the pupil’s records of achievement is in place.

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GEOGRAPHY

134. The provision for geography is just satisfactory. The school follows the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s schemes of work but the available resources are not adequate to support the units included in the schemes. Although most classes have globes, other resources such as books, atlases and study packs need updating.

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HISTORY

135. During the inspection, history lessons were observed mainly in Key Stage 2 and in only one class in Key Stage 1. Further judgements on the quality of provision, standards and progress are based on an analysis of teachers’ plans, pupils’ work, displays, and discussions with pupils and the co-ordinator. There is insufficient evidence of work on which to base sound judgements about standards of attainment at the end of Key Stage 1. There was very little recorded work available.

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HISTORY

136. The overall standards of work at the end of Key Stage 2 are below national expectations as pupils’ written work in history is restricted by their competence in language and literacy. Writings, pictures and discussions indicate that the pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 are acquiring knowledge and understanding of some important periods of British history such as the Tudors and the Victorians. They have knowledge of the Second World War and can engage very imaginatively with the past and show empathy with people in the past. A good example of such work in Year 6 where pupils pretend to be an evacuee in the Second World War and write about it. The pupils show satisfactory skills of investigation. They are able learn about the past using documents, pictures and artifacts. They are able to represent the past in a range of ways through drawing, painting and model making but their written records and factual knowledge are unsatisfactory for their age.

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HISTORY

137. The previous inspection found standards in line with national expectations at the end of each key stage. Many pupils had good subject knowledge in history. This is no longer the case with the present Year 6 where pupils’ knowledge of some of the main events and changes in history are below the expected level.

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HISTORY

138. The overall quality of teaching was generally good but there was one unsatisfactory lesson out of the seven lessons observed. The best lessons are those where suitable activities are planned to inspire and motivate pupils. Learning objectives are specific and pupils are aware of these, as well as key words that need to be learned. In these lessons teachers manage the classes effectively so that pupils can learn and make progress. The main weakness of the unsatisfactory lesson was the lack of skills in managing pupils that resulted in a slow pace due to frequent teacher interventions. Teachers generally have a secure subject knowledge and know how to integrate history with other subjects of the curriculum such as art, design and technology and English. There are many good examples of this integration: the pupils in Year 4 paint Tudor portraits; the pupils in Year 5 make a Victorian dolls’ house. Teaching in both key stages puts an emphasis on learning from evidence

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HISTORY

using visits, artifacts and pictures. For example, the pupils in Years 1 and 2 visit the fire station in Euston prior to their study of the Great Fire of London. The pupils in these classes are encouraged to look at a range of Victorian toys and Richard Cobden - 31 compare them with modern ones. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make good progress in historical skills but only satisfactory progress in written work in history. The procedures for assessment are unsatisfactory. A limited assessment procedure linked to the pupil’s records of achievement is in place.

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HISTORY

139. Pupils show positive attitudes to the subject. They generally behave well and work hard and contribute to lessons. The school offers pupils valuable experiences in gaining knowledge about the past through visits and first-hand enquiries. They visit the British Museum and learn about Ancient Egypt and Tutenkhamun by looking at jewelry, pottery and mummies; they identify the Victorian features of Camden Town and draw black and white sketches of them.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

140. It was only possible to observe two lessons in which discrete teaching of information technology (IT) skills was the main focus. However, computers were often seen to be in use during other lessons as IT is delivered as a cross-curricular subject. Further evidence was obtained from work on display, discussions with pupils, an analysis of teachers’ planning and an overview discussion with the co-ordinator. This evidence shows that IT is a strong feature of the school. It has been generally implemented well across the school.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Standards of attainment at the end of both key stages are close to national expectations. Pupils in reception classes can use the mouse and cursor keys to control objects on the screen. Pupils in Key Stage 1 know how to save and retrieve their work. Most pupils can name the parts of the computer and explain what they are doing. They are able to use computers to develop their reading and spelling skills and writing skills through word processing. These pupils are also aware of many uses of IT in their every day lives. By Year 6, most pupils are able to work independently with confidence. They are aware of the audience for their work in creating a leaflet for the school. They are able to consider layout, colour and font size from Clip Art. These skills are evident in their work such as the “Save the Grove” leaflet. They also know that the Internet is a possible source of information and E-mail can be used as a method of communication. It is evident in their

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

display work on “Communication 2000”. They have also successfully established a link with a school in Ohio in the United States of America.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

142. At the time of the previous inspection, attainment in information technology (IT) was average or above at the end of both key stages. Pupils in Reception classes operated computers themselves and used them for a range of work. Pupils used computer programmes to develop basic skills in mathematics and reading. At Key Stage 2 pupils were successfully developing complex computer skills such as word processing and data-handling. The present Year 6 pupils are also successfully developing these complex computer skills but their standards of attainment are only moving towards the requirements of Level 4 and not beyond.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

143. The teaching of the two lessons observed was good. The lessons were carefully planned with secure subject knowledge and suitable activities. In each case the teacher checked whether pupils knew what had to be done. In a lesson Year 5, the teacher used questions skillfully to draw out pupils’ understanding and supported their work effectively. It was clear that the pupils were making good progress in using spreadsheets for calculating running costs. They were acquiring knowledge and understanding computer language well. In a Year 6 class, the teacher helped pupils to consolidate their learning through a review of what they had achieved with examples of their work. During the lesson the pupils demonstrated sound progress in how to open up programs using Wizard, how to insert pictures using Clip Art or how to move and resize a picture. In both these lessons, the teachers knew their pupils’ capabilities and managed them well. In Years 1, 2, 3 and 4

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

pupils’ progress is at least sound in word processing and in the use of IT for spelling and reading. In Years 4 and 5 pupils are also gaining familiarity with the Internet. The pupils with special educational needs and pupils who are learning English as an additional language make satisfactory progress throughout the school. The procedures for assessment are unsatisfactory. A limited assessment procedure linked to the pupil’s records of achievement is in place.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

144. Pupils are enthusiastic about IT and its use in learning. They like the subject; they listen attentively when instructions are given to them. When working with the computers in pairs or in small groups they co-operate with each other, sharing tasks and equipment. The subject makes an effective contribution to pupils’ social development.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

145. There are displays in some classrooms and round the school which make a useful contribution to learning. For example, a number of classes have clear instructions on the use of the cursor, arrows and the mouse. One of the Year 5 classes has very good displays of pupils’ work using word processing and spreadsheets. Teaching staff is generally competent in how to use IT in their teaching and resources are adequate but need updating.

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MUSIC

146. Pupils achieve standards that are in line with those expected nationally at the end of both key stages. The quality of their singing is very good and this is a strength of the school. All pupils combine for music assemblies that are taken by the music co-ordinator who is supported by another teacher. In these sessions the quality of approximately 400 pupils singing together is of a high standard. They sing with great enthusiasm, use clear diction and hold a melody. A feature of the school is the high number of pupils participating in the school choir on Mondays after school and there is a waiting list to join Richard Cobden - 32 it. 50 pupils attend the choir and the talents of these pupils are used well in assemblies to the benefits of all pupils. Pupils are taught to listen intently and this has a positive effect on their learning in other subjects and for pupils who have special

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MUSIC

educational needs and who have English as an additional language. Instrumental tuition is provided for the teaching of recorders on a rota basis and currently for Key Stage 1 pupils. In the last inspection, music was identified as the notable strength of the school. With the onset of the literacy hour and numeracy strategy, weekly hour-long music lessons for each class have been reduced. Music is now being taught to classes for 40 minutes on a termly rotation.

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MUSIC

147. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers use their knowledge and talents well to keep pupils interested and involved in a variety of activities. They insist on high standards of performance and that pupils use correct music vocabulary. The use of team teaching in the assembly and the choir is particularly effective.

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MUSIC

148. Pupils respond to music generally with interest and all pupils including those with special needs and English as an additional language make sound progress. Music has very positive effect on the moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Teachers select music from a wide variety of cultures, including African, European and Indian and create opportunities for pupils to use their talents. Pupils participate in the Borough music festivals and are exposed to concerts and opera through organised visits.

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MUSIC

149. The music curriculum broadly meets statutory requirements but there is limited teaching of composing music. Music is co- ordinated by an effective music specialist. Resources for the subject such as musical instruments of different types and cultures are good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. Pupils’ attainment in physical education is satisfactory and they make good progress in both key stages and build on the firm foundation of physical skills they acquire in their early years. Pupils in Year 1 demonstrate a range of skills in movement and games. By the end of Year 2 they are able to provide imaginative responses to tasks and are beginning to link movements into simple sequences. They have good co-ordination and spatial awareness and are beginning to evaluate their work. The majority learn well from observation and everyone is anxious to demonstrate to their peers. Key Stage 2 pupils were demonstrating a level of skill in games appropriate for their ages. They made good progress in team games and improved their performance during the lessons observed. They have a sound knowledge of movement and can describe what they have learnt using appropriate vocabulary.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. The school arranges appropriate provision for swimming by purchasing the services of the Local Authority. Pupils have swimming lessons throughout Year 3 and are transported to the swimming baths by bus, once a week. One lesson was observed during the inspection. Appropriately qualified and experienced coaches in two groups teach them. There are two pools available and beginners benefit from having a shallow teaching pool in which to gain confidence in the water. Once pupils can swim ten metres they transfer to the main pool where they work in the shallow end to improve their basic swimming skills. Though the vast majority of these pupils will begin to swim this year, a significant minority will not attain the National Curriculum standard by age eleven. The school does not provide any additional opportunity for those who do not reach the desired standard during the year. Class teachers keep records of attendance and of each pupil’s progress on a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

weekly basis. Swimming is very popular and pupils are anxious to participate. Pupils are taught basic water safety and simple survival techniques as part of the swimming curriculum.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. Pupils really enjoy physical education and can be very boisterous in lessons. They respond to clear instructions and pupils in Year 4 worked very hard to exercise self-control when playing small team games. The subject makes a positive contribution to pupils’ moral development as they learn how to keep simple rules and to demonstrate good sportsmanship. They are quick to acknowledge their peers’ successes when they observe good work being demonstrated. They learn to take responsibility for their actions such as remembering to do exercises out of school to keep fit. Pupils have limited opportunities to participate in competitive sport. An annual sports day is organised each Summer.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. The quality of teaching observed was always satisfactory and often good. Teachers use their considerable skills and good knowledge of their pupils to make physical education lessons good learning opportunities. There is a strong emphasis on enjoyment and participation alongside achievement. Teachers’ knowledge of the subject is good at Key Stage 1 but less secure at Key Stage 2. The school has signed up to participate in Top Sport and Top Play in order to increase teachers’ expertise in this subject. The subject has two new and enthusiastic co-ordinators. They have a clear plan for building on the strengths in the school and have identified areas for development in a realistic plan of action. Assessment procedures are unsatisfactory. There are no formal procedures for assessing progress in physical education, except in swimming where there are clear targets fore achievement.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. The previous report was critical of the accommodation for outdoor games. The school has worked with the Local Authority to develop a large area of land adjacent to the school, into a sports facility. Pupils use this pitch everyday for playtimes as well as for outdoor lessons. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection. The subject is not well supported by extra-curricular activities and the parents expressed their concern about this deficiency, especially in the lack of opportunity to play competitive games. Richard Cobden - 33

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. Only three religious education lessons were observed at Key Stage 2, therefore judgements are based on evidence from an analysis of pupils’ work, the school’s documentation, discussion with the co-ordinator and pupils from Years 2 and 6. Standards of attainment at both key stages are below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Time for religious education is inconsistent throughout the school. It sometimes alternates with personal and social education lessons. In one class it did not appear on the timetable at all during the week of inspection. For some classes the placing of religious education on Friday afternoon suggests a lack of appropriate importance dedicated to this subject. At both key stages there is little evidence of work in pupils’ exercise books.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. Pupils at Key Stage 1 were familiar with the religion to which they belonged, but were unsure of other religions. They were also confused with the large number of festivals celebrated. The strongest knowledge was about Islam and the Christian festivals celebrated at school. Key Stage 2 pupils have an awareness of the world’s major faiths and can give limited examples of the features of some of them. The use of stories from holy books is minimal. Assemblies miss the opportunities to read stories from different religions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. A range of religious education opportunities has not yet become an established feature for all the classes. Consequently pupils’ progress at both key stages is unsatisfactory. Religious education is not taught in sufficient depth, pupils’ learning becomes superficial with not enough reinforcement. No assessment strategies have been developed to ascertain what the pupils have learned. Where the teacher’s planning is good, sufficient time devoted to the subject and teachers secure in the subject knowledge the pupils make satisfactory progress, as was seen in the three lessons observed.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

158. Pupils’ response to religious education is positive. They enjoy learning about different beliefs and learning how to value and respect them. They answer questions sensibly. However, in none of the lessons observed, were pupils given opportunities to ask questions about the religion that was being studied which is one weakness in the teaching. The many attractive displays around the school contribute positively to pupils’ learning about different religions and boost their confidence and esteem about their own faith.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

159. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The teaching observed in the three lessons was good indicating that there is some security in the subject matter. In these lessons teachers presented a confident approach and were secure in their subject knowledge. The planning was good and the pupils generally well managed but, there limited strategies to keep pupils on task. The good practice should now percolate down to the other teachers.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

160. At the last inspection religious education was identified as an area for further development. Very little happened for two years until the appointment of the new headteacher. Since then, some emphasis has been put on this subject but more attention is needed to meet statutory requirements. A new scheme of work has been produced based on the locally agreed syllabus. This is accompanied by suggestions for activities to accompany the units of work. Advice has been sought from the Camden religious education consultant and as a result an action plan has been drafted. Time out of the classroom has been negotiated for the co-ordinator to work with teachers in the spring term. The school has reached the stage where the systems are now broadly in place so that religious education teaching and learning can develop confidently and become more successful.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

161. The co-ordinator has worked hard to formulate the schemes of work and is keen and enthusiastic to develop the subject further. Good support has been given for her to do this by the current senior management. Assessment, monitoring and evaluation have not yet taken place. A staff training session has been planned for the near future to develop teacher confidence. The time is now ripe for renewed action in this subject. Overall developments since the last inspection are satisfactory,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

162. Resources have been centralised and are now more accessible to teachers but they are inadequate to meet the needs of the agreed syllabus. There are insufficient artefacts to teach the range of faiths represented. More funding is necessary for the purchasing of resources especially pictures, artifacts, videos and holy books.

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