Maryland Primary School

MARYLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 11 – 15 February 2002

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MARYLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Maryland Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Gurney Road Stratford London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Email address: admin.maryland@pop3.newham.gov.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Chris Collings

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 - 12 September 1997

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Maryland Primary School - 3

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

Selwyn Ward 9271 Registered inspector What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well does the school provide for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? How good are pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development? How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further?

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

John Brasier 9736 Lay inspector How good is attendance? How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents?

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

John Drinkwater 15090 Team inspector Design technology Information and communication technology

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

Irene Green 23315 Team inspector Foundation Stage Art Music How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

Marianne Harris 23288 Team inspector Science Physical education Religious education How well does the school provide for pupils with special educational needs?

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

Caroline Robinson 21597 Team inspector English Geography History

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

Robina Scahill 27654 Team inspector Mathematics How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well does the school provide for pupils learning English as an additional language? How well does the school provide equal opportunities?

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: The Cambridgeshire Partnership Business Centre, St. Johns Court, East Street St.Ives, Cambridge PE27 5PD

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Team members Subjects 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: The Complaints Manager

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Team members Subjects Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Maryland Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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 How well the school is led and managed Other aspects of the school Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 9

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Maryland is a large, community primary school for boys and girls aged 3 – 11 years. The school currently has 474 pupils, of whom around half are white, although of these only half are of UK heritage. Just under two fifths of the pupils are black and just under a quarter are of Asian origin – mostly from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Around three quarters of the pupils in the school speak English as an additional language, with around a fifth still at an early stage of learning the language. The inspection of the school included a detailed focus on its provision for these pupils. Many children have their education interrupted by moving schools part way through their primary education, with mobility highest in the juniors, where a number of families move away to be in the catchment areas of popular secondary schools. Some children from refugee families join the school, although they are often transient. The school serves an area where there is a high level of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

social need as evidenced by the well above average number of pupils eligible for free school meals. Although over the school as a whole the number of pupils with special educational needs is a little below average, an above average number have statements of educational need. Overall, children join the school with attainment that is below average. The school has had a very high turnover of staff over the past year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Maryland is an improving school. Although the school has been through a period of instability, with a very high turnover of staff and test results have been well below the national average, the headteacher and staff team have been effective in creating over the past year a positive school ethos where children are enthusiastic learners. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are now being used well and standards of work have risen since last year’s tests. Maryland Primary provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

A. The school is well led and managed. B. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been used well to improve teaching and learning in English and mathematics. C. The school provides very well for pupils’ personal development and, as a result, pupils behave very well in most lessons and develop an enthusiasm for learning. D. Children of all ages and from different backgrounds get on very well with one another and are able to take on responsibility within the school. E. The school takes good care of its pupils. F. The school’s very good community links and its effective partnership with parents help to enrich pupils’ education.

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What could be improved

A. Standards are too low in English, mathematics and science. B. Information from assessment is not used enough to track pupils’ progress and plan their learning. C. Children do not have enough opportunities to learn history and geography.

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What could be improved

The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Maryland Primary was last inspected in September 1997. The school has been through a period of considerable change since the last inspection, including a significant turnover of staff, and standards fell after the last inspection. The headteacher and senior management team, all of whom are new to post this year, have been very effective in a short time in creating a positive learning environment which has resulted in a measurable improvement in standards over the past year. The issues identified in the last inspection have been satisfactorily addressed, although weaknesses remain in the use of assessment information. Overall, there has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Maryland Primary School - 6

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STANDARDS

The table shows the results attained at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in national tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

1999 2000 2001 2001 very high (top 5%) well above average A* A

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STANDARDS

English E E E* E above average average B C

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STANDARDS

mathematics C E* E D below average well below average D E

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STANDARDS

Schools are categorised as similar according to the number of children known to be eligible for free school meals.

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STANDARDS

The table shows that results in last year’s national tests at the end of Year 6 were well below average in mathematics and science. In English, results were among the lowest 5 per cent nationally. Results since the last inspection have not improved in line with the national trend. The standard of work seen in the current Year 6 however is substantially better than this. Although standards in English and mathematics are now below average, those in science are now in line with national expectations. This represents considerable recent improvement in all three core subjects which reflects the improved climate for learning and improvements in the quality of teaching, particularly in the older classes, although the school’s targets for improvement in English and mathematics remain unambitious. In the infants, there has been similar recent improvement, at least in English and science. Although test results last year at the end of Year 2 were well below

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STANDARDS

average in reading and writing, they have improved so that standards in reading are now close to the national average. Standards in writing are below average. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are in line with the standards expected nationally. Standards in Year 2 are below average in mathematics, whereas in last year’s tests children’s attainment was average. Throughout the school, children’s achievement is now satisfactory, in that they make satisfactory progress over time in both the infants and juniors. The school caters appropriately for children of different abilities and those with special educational needs or who are learning English as an additional language. All progress at a satisfactory rate. Other than in reading in the infants, where boys have done rather less well than girls in recent years, there is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls or of children from different ethnic groups. Results and standards in Year 6 are

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STANDARDS

depressed however by the relatively high number of children who join the school partway through their primary education. Many of those whose education is interrupted by moving schools achieve less well than others. Standards in music throughout the school are better than national expectations. In the infants, standards of work seen in science, history and geography are below average. Standards in information and communication technology, design technology, art and physical education are in line with national expectations. In the juniors, standards are below average in information and communication technology and geography, but in all other non-core subjects they are in line with national expectations. In religious education, standards in both key stages are in line with those expected in the locally agreed syllabus. In the nursery and reception classes, children make satisfactory progress but, as most join the school with below average

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STANDARDS

attainment, few are likely to attain all of the early learning goals by the time they join Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy school and are developing a real enthusiasm for learning. They settle without fuss, are attentive in lessons and work with concentration. Many take a growing pride in their school and in the work they do.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good in most lessons and around the school. Pupils appreciate and respond well to the high expectations that teachers have of good behaviour and this contributes to the progress that they make. There have been 3 temporary exclusions over the past year.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships throughout the school are consistently very good, both among pupils and between pupils and adults. Children are polite and considerate, help each other and work well together. Boys and girls of different abilities and from different backgrounds mix and get on well together and are all included in the full range of school activities.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is satisfactory overall, although too many children have their learning Maryland Primary School - 7 interrupted by being taken out of school for family holidays during term time. Most pupils arrive at school on time. Maryland Primary School - 8

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils: Nursery and Reception Years 1 - 2 Years 3 - 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching was satisfactory overall in each key stage, with around half the teaching judged to be good or better and just one lesson in fourteen judged as less than satisfactory. There was no significant difference between the quality of teaching in each key stage, although the highest proportion of very good teaching was seen in Year 6. Teaching of English and mathematics throughout the school is now good with the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies making a real contribution to improving pupils’ learning. Teachers in the school are successfully adapting the Strategies’ structured approach to teaching and learning in other subjects. Teachers plan together well and in almost all lessons, teachers explain clearly what it is the pupils are expected to learn. A notable feature of teaching in the school is the real involvement of pupils in their own learning. This is shown through opportunities for independent research and, in some classes, in

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

teachers discussing with children not merely what they have learnt, but how the children think the teacher could have done better. In the most effective lessons, teachers had good knowledge of the subjects they were teaching. They managed pupils very well and ensured that the children got a lot done. Teachers’ relationship with their pupils was very good and they had high expectations, both of pupils’ behaviour and of pupils’ academic performance. As a result, pupils put a lot of effort into their work. Work was generally well matched to pupils’ different abilities, even within the sets in English and mathematics in Year 6. English and mathematics teaching throughout the school was particularly effective because of the good emphasis on ensuring pupils learnt and built on their basic skills. There were examples seen of very good marking, helping pupils understand what they need to do to do better, and in some of the most effective lessons, teachers assessed

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

what pupils had understood and modified their teaching plans to best meet pupils’ learning needs. This was not consistently the case, however. Some marking was poor and the use of assessment to adapt lessons to best meet children’s needs is not generally established across the school. Where lessons were less effective, work was not well matched to pupils’ abilities and was sometimes unchallenging. In these lessons, pupils sometimes got bored and their concentration waned. In a few lessons, particularly in science, there were gaps in teachers’ subject knowledge. In a very small minority of lessons, teachers’ management of the pupils was weak. On occasion, teachers did not use the time available to best effect so that they ran out of time and had to curtail the opportunity planned for the end to reinforce the learning objective for the lesson. In some subjects, for example in mathematics, there has been an over-reliance on worksheets.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and senior management team provide very clear educational direction for the school and there is now a strong, shared commitment among the whole staff to creating a positive learning environment and to raising standards. Many staff are new to the school or are new to their current roles. As a result, many of those with responsibility for managing subjects have had little opportunity to have an effect on raising attainment.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are supportive and satisfactorily fulfil their legal duties but they are not sufficiently aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and this limits their effectiveness in managing the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There are satisfactory arrangements for monitoring teaching and learning. The school has begun to apply the principles of "best value" to evaluate for itself what it does well and what it needs to do to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Spending appropriately follows the priorities set out in the school’s improvement plan, as adapted in the short-term action plan.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s buildings and facilities Resources, including library facilities, are satisfactory, although there are too few computers. Accommodation is unsatisfactory despite recent improvements, including the opening of a new nursery building. One of the reception classes is located apart from the others in a temporary building, and the computer suite is located in an open area where there are too many distractions from other activities. Although there are two school halls, both act as thoroughfares so that physical education and other hall-based lessons are often interrupted. Displays are used well in classrooms to celebrate children’s work and create a stimulating learning environment. Maryland Primary School - 9 Staffing Satisfactory, although many staff are new in post and some are only on temporary contracts. Teachers’ assistants are generally used well to support pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum in nursery and reception is appropriately matched to children’s needs and throughout the school the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are used well and are beginning to raise standards. The amount of teaching time in the juniors is below the recommended minimum and insufficient time is given to teaching history and geography. There is a very good range of activities provided for pupils outside lessons and the curriculum is enriched through very good links with the local community, which include support with reading which has raised standards.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs are given appropriate support and make satisfactory progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils learning English as an additional language Pupils learning English as an additional language receive satisfactory support and as a result they make satisfactory progress both in their language development and in other subjects.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school provides very well for pupils’ personal development and they have very good opportunities to take on responsibility. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good, and this has had a positive effect on improving behaviour and relationships and creating a positive environment for learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils and uses information from assessment Teaching and other staff are caring and supportive. Children’s welfare is looked after well. There are very effective procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and attendance. The school has collected information from tests and other assessments but has not until recently made adequate use of this to plan teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school works in partnership with parents Information to parents is good and the school has worked hard to involve parents, including those who do not speak English. Reports are satisfactory but rely too heavily on standard phrases. Helpful targets for improvement are given in some reports but not in all.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

A. Their children like school B. Behaviour is good and children are helped to become mature and responsible C. The teaching is good and children make good progress D. The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best E. The school is approachable if parents have concerns F. The school is well led and managed A. There have been too many changes in teaching staff

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with most of the views expressed by parents. Teaching and the progress children make is satisfactory overall, but it is now good in English and mathematics lessons. Staff turnover has been very high and pupils’ work from last year shows that in some classes this had a disruptive effect on their learning. Maryland Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Throughout this report, references to Key Stage 1 relate to the infant years (Years 1 and 2) when pupils are aged 5 to 7 years. The junior years (from Year 3 to Year 6) are referred to as Key Stage 2 , when pupils are aged 7 to 11. Children in the nursery and reception classes, who are aged 5 and under, are considered to be in the Foundation Stage . Schools’ test results are compared with the national average, as well as against "similar schools". Schools are grouped as similar according to the proportion of children attending who are known to be eligible for free school meals. In judging standards, inspectors analysed results attained in the national standard assessment tests (SATs) taken at the end of Years 2 and 6, both in 2001 and in previous years. Inspectors looked at work currently being done in lessons and at work done throughout last year. They listened to children read and discussed children’s work with them as well as with their teachers. Whereas judgements on attainment

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The school’s results and achievements

relate to comparisons with nationally expected standards, achievement relates to the progress pupils make and compares how well children do as against their prior attainment. English, mathematics and science are referred to as core subjects , and a degree of priority was given in the inspection to looking at these subjects. Other curriculum subjects are sometimes referred to as non-core or foundation subjects .

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Although children join the school in the nursery with a wide range of attainment, taken overall their attainment when they start school is below average. They get off to a good start in the nursery class, where much of the teaching is very good, and over the course of their time in the Foundation Stage they make satisfactory progress. Because of the low starting point of most of the children, however, less than a quarter of the children are likely to meet all of the early learning goals by the time they join Year 1.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. In the national tests taken at the end of Year 2 in 2001, results were well below the national average for all schools in reading and writing, although they were average in mathematics. When compared with similar schools, reading was well below average, writing was below average and mathematics was well above average. Test results have fluctuated since the last inspection in mathematics but have been consistently well below average in English. There has certainly not been the generally improving trend seen nationally. Over the last three years, girls have done better than boys in reading tests, and by a larger margin than seen nationally, but otherwise there is no statistically significant difference in the performance of boys and girls. There is no national test in Year 2 for science, but in the assessments made by teachers, pupils were assessed as attaining standards that were well below average.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Although these results and teacher assessments indicate pupils have not in the past made enough progress, pupils’ more recent work shows that there has been significant improvement in the infants in English and science over the past year. Standards in science and in writing are now below average, compared with well below, as was the case previously. In reading, standards are close to the national average, and pupils’ speaking and listening skills are now in line with the national average. Standards in Year 2 in mathematics, however, are not as high as those attained in last year’s tests as they are currently below average. Nevertheless, current standards represent satisfactory achievement in Key Stage 1 . The school is catering for pupils’ different abilities, including the more able, those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, who are all making satisfactory

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The school’s results and achievements

progress. There is no significant difference in the achievement of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. Test results in Year 6 have been in decline since the last inspection so that there is a widening gap between attainment at the school and attainment nationally, where there has been a generally improving trend. In the 2001 tests, results in mathematics and science were well below the national average. In English, results were very low, being among the lowest 5 per cent of schools in the country. They were particularly poor in writing. When compared with similar schools, results were well below average in English and science, and below average in mathematics. There has been no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls beyond that seen nationally, but pupils whose education had been interrupted by moving schools did notably less well than those who started at the school. More than half of last year’s Year 6, for example, joined the school after the start of Year 3 and a relatively high

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The school’s results and achievements

proportion of children joined during the course of Year 6. Other children left the school during the junior years, apparently due to families relocating to be in the catchment areas of popular secondary Maryland Primary School - 11 schools. The net result of this pupil mobility meant that last year, the proportion of children in Year 6 with special educational needs was more than twice that in the school as a whole. The school’s overall test results in Year 6 have been depressed as a result of this pupil mobility.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. As in the infants, however, pupils’ work shows a considerable improvement over the past year. Standards seen were considerably better than last year’s test results in all three core subjects. Standards in Year 6 are currently below average in English and mathematics. In science, standards are in line with the national average. This improvement reflects the improved climate for learning and improvements in the quality of teaching, particularly in the older classes. Pupils now make satisfactory progress throughout their time in the juniors and they are making particularly good progress in Year 6. The school has identified and caters for more able pupils and their achievement is satisfactory, as is that of pupils of middle and lower ability, pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. There is no significant difference in the achievement of pupils from

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The school’s results and achievements

different ethnic backgrounds. Despite this improved position, targets for improved results in English and mathematics remain unambitious and are insufficiently challenging.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Standards in music in both Key Stages 1 and 2 are above national expectations. In both key stages, standards in art, physical education and design technology are in line with national expectations. There are no national standards in religious education, but standards in both key stages are in line with those expected in the locally agreed syllabus. In information and communication technology, standards are in line with national expectations in Year 2 but below those expected nationally in Year 6. In history, standards are below national expectations in Year 2 but in line with national expectations in Year 6. Standards in geography are below national expectations in both the infants and juniors.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Of the parents who returned their questionnaires, 92 per cent expressed the view that their children made good progress at school. Inspectors judged progress and achievement to be satisfactory throughout the school. Many of the parents who attended the pre-inspection parents’ meeting or who wrote in expressed concern that standards were being adversely affected by the high turnover of staff over recent years. Inspectors share this concern. In several classes, there was evidence from pupils’ past work that where they had had a succession of temporary teachers their work showed they made slower progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Children enjoy coming to school. Almost all the parents who responded to the questionnaire expressed this view, and the children themselves confirmed it. The school has set itself as a priority over the last year the creation of a positive climate for learning where pupils are encouraged to become enthusiastic learners. In this they have been very successful. Consistently throughout the school, children at Maryland Primary are taught to have a positive attitude to learning. Pupils of all abilities learn the school’s orderly routines from the time they first join the school and, as a result, they are attentive in lessons and very keen to join in. They focus well on tasks they are set, particularly where these are appropriately chosen to match their ability, as in the main they are. In several lessons, children were disappointed not to be able to carry on with the work they had been set, with many saying they

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

wanted to stay and work rather than go out at breaktime for play. When they are asked to carry out paired or group activities, they co-operate well together, working productively and taking care to ensure that they share tasks fairly. This was particularly noticeable when children shared the use of computers. The school is increasingly encouraging to take some responsibility for their own learning, through the use of personal learning targets and through inviting children to undertake research, which many pupils do with enthusiasm.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils speak with real pride about their school. They recognise the school as a safe and supportive community of which they are part. Their social development is very good. Pupils relate very well to the teachers and other adults in the school and get on very well with each other. Because pupils benefit from the school’s very good provision for their social and personal development, the school functions as a very civilised, racially harmonious community where boys and girls and pupils of different abilities and different backgrounds, including different ethnic backgrounds, mix, play and work together as friends. Pupils with special educational needs are integrated well into classes and fully participate in lessons. Their contributions are valued by all. On several occasions, children were seen showing their appreciation of others through spontaneous applause. Maryland Primary School - 12 11. Throughout the school, children are given opportunities to take responsibility and they respond

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

very well to the trust they are given. Older pupils, including those of different abilities, take on significant responsibility as monitors who, with little instruction, set up and organise the hall for assembly and who help look after younger children at dinner. In Year 5, a number of pupils have been trained as mediators, helping to sort out any problems that arise in the playground. Again, they fulfil this responsibility well. Both older and younger pupils enjoy the benefits of a “buddy” system where older children help younger ones with their reading. Pupils’ growing self-confidence, and the respect which children throughout the school show for one another and for each others’ cultures, represent very good spiritual and cultural development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. In their questionnaire responses, 92 per cent of parents described children’s behaviour as being good, with some commenting that it had improved noticeably over the last year. In the vast majority of lessons and around the school, behaviour is very good. Pupils understand and appreciate the school’s positive behaviour rules and their moral development is very good. They describe how behaviour has improved over the last year and how this has made the school a happier place. In the few lessons where behaviour was unsatisfactory, it was due to weaknesses in teachers’ management of the class, which allowed the poor behaviour of a few to disrupt their own and others’ learning. There was no evidence of bullying seen during the inspection, and pupils told inspectors that they were confident that staff would deal with any incidents that occurred. There have been just three fixed-term exclusions over the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. At the last inspection, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes were considered to be good overall. Since that inspection, as a result of the school’s improved provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, pupils’ behaviour and attitude have been further improved, as have the very good relationships between pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance is satisfactory. It is similar to the level reported in the last inspection report. A recent chickenpox outbreak hampered the effectiveness of the school’s vigorous campaign to improve attendance. Unauthorised absence is high because a number of families take their children out of school on extended holidays in term time. Punctuality is much improved since the last inspection where it was identified as a significant problem. Most pupils now arrive at school on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Part of the focus of the inspection was on literacy and numeracy, so priority was given to observing the teaching of English and mathematics. All classes were seen being taught these subjects. A good sample of lessons was also seen in the other core subject of science, as well as in physical education where it would be difficult to judge how well children were doing by looking at past work. In most cases, inspectors were able to observe full lessons and, in judging teaching, inspectors sought evidence that pupils were learning and making progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Of the parents who returned the questionnaire, almost all expressed satisfaction with the quality of teaching and almost all expressed the view that the school has high expectations of pupils. The teaching seen ranged from poor to excellent. It was satisfactory or better in 94 per cent of lessons. More than half of the teaching seen was good or better and around one lesson in five was very good or excellent. Teaching was less than satisfactory in six lessons. This represents satisfactory teaching overall, with a much higher proportion of good and very good teaching than was seen in the last inspection. There was a broadly similar profile of teaching in each of the key stages, although the highest proportion of very good teaching was seen in Year 6. The teaching of both English and mathematics throughout the school was good overall with the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies now firmly established and making a real contribution to improving pupils’ learning,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

particularly in the juniors, where this has helped raise standards sharply over the past year. Teachers in the school are successfully adapting the Strategies’ structured approach to teaching and learning in other subjects, so that many lessons followed a similar effective format involving a clear introduction, individual and group tasks and a final plenary session to review progress and learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teachers plan together well within year groups so that lessons in parallel classes were usually similar and pupils generally benefited from equal opportunities regardless of which of the two classes they were in. In almost all lessons, teachers explained very clearly to pupils at the start of the lesson what it was they were expected to learn. As a result, when children undertook individual, group or paired tasks, they knew exactly why they were doing them. This meant they learnt much better than if Maryland Primary School - 13 they had been mechanically carrying out tasks without knowing why. A notable feature of teaching in the school is the strong involvement of pupils in their own learning. This was seen through the opportunities that pupils were given for independent research as well as, in some classes, in teachers discussing with pupils not merely what they have learnt but how the children think the teacher might

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

have done better. For example, in an English lesson in Year 5, the teacher invited pupils to indicate at the end with a “thumbs up” sign whether the session had worked really well for them or whether it was “so-so” . The teacher then followed this up by inviting those who had indicated to discuss what had been effective and what had not worked.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. In the most effective lessons, teachers had good knowledge of the subjects they were teaching. They managed pupils very well and organised activities so that lessons had a good pace and the children got a lot done. Questioning was used well to check that pupils understood what was being taught, often focused on specific children to ensure that all were fully involved. Teachers have very good relationships with their pupils and in some of the most effective lessons, they used humour well and directed pupils’ competitive instincts to motivate their learning. In a mathematics lesson in Year 1, for example, the teacher jokingly used the teachers’ assistant as a foil, suggesting that she’d said the children wouldn’t be able to do the work. They worked hard at the tasks set them so as to prove the teachers’ assistant wrong. In a later lesson, the teacher and teachers’ assistant changed “roles”, so that

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

it was the teacher who had to be proved wrong by the children’s efforts. Throughout the school, and in the majority of lessons, teachers had high expectations both of pupils’ behaviour and of their academic performance.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Work was generally well matched to pupils’ different abilities, even within the sets in English and mathematics in Year 6. English and mathematics teaching throughout the school was particularly effective because of the good emphasis on ensuring pupils learnt and built on their basic skills. This, coupled with the additional support given by community volunteers to help listen to readers, has contributed to the very substantial improvement in reading standards over the past year.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Examples were seen of very good marking which helped pupils understand exactly what they needed to do to do better, and, in some of the most effective lessons, teachers assessed what pupils had understood and modified their teaching plans to best meet pupils’ learning needs. This was not consistently the case, however. Some marking was poor, giving little guidance to pupils on how to improve their work, and the use of assessment to adapt lessons to best meet pupils’ learning needs is not generally established across the school. Satisfactory use is made of homework throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Where lessons were less effective, work was not well matched to pupils’ abilities and was sometimes unchallenging. In these lessons, pupils sometimes get bored and their concentration waned. In a few lessons, particularly in science, there were gaps in teachers’ subject knowledge. In a couple of lessons, teachers’ management of the pupils was weak and the poor behaviour of a few children disrupted the learning of others. On occasion, teachers did not use the time available to best effect so that they ran out of time and had to curtail the opportunity planned for the end to reinforce the learning objective for the lesson. In some subjects, for example in mathematics, there has been an over-reliance on worksheets.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Pupils with special educational needs are usually supported well in class. However, where there is insufficient support, or the class teacher has ineffective classroom management strategies, these pupils do not make enough progress and they struggle in lessons. Learning support assistants are usually deployed well and this is a significant improvement on the last inspection where the lack of support for pupils with special educational needs and the deployment of staff were identified as key issues for action. Where the teacher gives clear guidance to the learning support assistants, pupils make good learning gains. Where the teacher does not brief the learning support assistant, time is wasted in lessons and adults in class sit inactive whilst the teacher introduces the lesson. Individual education plans are specific to the pupils but are not reviewed regularly enough to ensure that the progress that

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the pupils make is adequately recorded and monitored. Pupils who have been identified as being gifted and talented are supported through the provision of special lessons that extend their reasoning skills, although they are not routinely given additional work in lessons. A teacher works as a learning mentor who supports groups of children with special educational needs and who runs an out of school club that provides puzzles and challenges for pupils who have been identified as gifted and talented.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Pupils learning English as an additional language who are at a very early stage of learning English are supported in small groups until they are confident enough to work in the classes with additional help. However, this extra support is very limited as the teacher is currently also responsible for pupils Maryland Primary School - 14 with special educational needs, although class teachers and support staff plan together effectively to extend this support. They develop pupils' language skills and vocabulary in whatever lesson the pupils are following. Class teachers take into account pupils who might have difficulty understanding. They speak slowly and clearly to them, often getting them to repeat words correctly. The good emphasis on the correct vocabulary in mathematics and science is helping to develop pupils' technical vocabulary.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

24. The school curriculum meets statutory requirements, including those for religious education. The curriculum provided for pupils in the nursery and reception classes satisfactorily follows the recommended framework for this age group. In the rest of the school, the curriculum includes all the required subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, and planning for teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection. National recommended schemes of work have been adopted and teachers in the same year groups plan together well. This ensures that pupils in the same year groups have equal access to what is taught. However, although the amount of teaching time in Key Stage 1 is above average, in Key Stage 2 , it is below the recommended minimum. This does not allow enough time for some subjects to be taught in sufficient depth. Time allocated to subjects such as geography and history is insufficient and is sometimes fragmented, with lessons interrupted by

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are well established. The considerable emphasis that has been placed on them has improved the quality of teaching and is beginning to have a positive impact on standards. The school has a register of gifted and talented pupils and has introduced setting arrangements in Year 6 for both literacy and numeracy. These arrangements are also particularly helpful for pupils learning English as an additional language. As the school has evaluated setting in Year 6 as having been successful, it is considering extending it to other year groups. The school is making appropriate provision for personal, social and health education. The visiting school nurse leads the teaching of sex education, with support from the class teachers. The drugs education officer visits the school to talk to the older pupils about the dangers of the misuse of drugs.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The school is committed to including all pupils in its work and to offering equal opportunities for all, including both boys and girls and children from different ethnic backgrounds. Pupils learning English as an additional language are included in all aspects of school life, their own culture is valued, and this in turn enriches the experience of other pupils in the school. There is provision for pupils identified as being gifted and talented through after-school clubs, but there is very little provision in lessons for extension activities for these pupils.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. There is good provision for extracurricular activities, many of which include the younger pupils. Teachers and some outside specialists are involved in running a wide variety of lunchtime and after- school clubs, some of which offer additional challenge to children who have been identified as gifted and talented. These clubs include choir, dance, French, football and basketball, art, science, computer and 'Brainteasers'. The school takes full advantage of their proximity to the centre of London to visit a wide range of museums, art galleries and concerts. Pupils in Years 4 and Year 6 make annual residential visits to outdoor activity centres, which provide good opportunities for them to extend their learning and make a significant contribution to their personal and social development. Visitors to the school also add a further dimension to the curriculum as pupils learn to appreciate the music and art of different

p.14

OFFERED TO PUPILS?

countries and cultures. The school also has very good links with secondary schools and teacher training colleges. The pupils have benefited greatly from the very good links with local businesses. These have had a significant impact on the attitudes and attainment of some pupils in reading. Each week, pupils are able to share their reading and enjoy talking about books with volunteers from a national firm. These people act as good role models for pupils and help foster good relationships and social development. As last year’s Year 2 test results confirmed, boys have not done as well as girls in reading. Links with West Ham Football Club have been productive in promoting reading, particularly helping to motivate boys to read more. Maryland Primary School - 15 28. The headteacher and staff have made it a priority to improve the ethos of the school. This is reflected in the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development which is now very

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

good and for which there has been good improvement since the last inspection. Parents appreciate this too, with almost all of those who returned their questionnaires describing the school as helping their children to become mature and responsible.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. Provision for pupils' spiritual and cultural development is very good. The school is successful in instilling pupils with a growing sense of self-esteem and respect for others, for example through religious education lessons which include opportunities for children from different backgrounds to talk about their own cultures and beliefs. Many languages in addition to English are visible in displays around the school which helps value the experiences and cultural backgrounds of the many children in the school who are learning English as an additional language and which helps broaden the perspective of others. The school has relatively few dual language books however. Pupils are given the opportunity to write reflectively, as for example in history in Year 4, where children wrote thoughtful pleas for clemency from the perspective of Ann Boleyn writing to Henry VIII. Music and art make a very positive

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

contribution to pupils’ understanding and appreciation of both Western and other cultural heritages. Year 6 pupils have, for example, studied the work of several Impressionist artists, including lesser known female artists, and have produced thoughtful work in watercolour in the Impressionist style. Younger pupils have produced displays of work expressing how they would like to be different animals or birds, although inspectors wondered about the self-esteem of the child who had written plaintively his “wish I was a human” ! It is as a result of the very good provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development that relationships throughout the school are very good and the school functions as such a harmonious community. Assemblies include a moment of reflection and meet legal requirements for collective worship.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. The school’s provision for pupils’ social and moral development is very good and this is a significant reason for the high quality of pupils’ personal development, their very good behaviour and their very positive attitude to learning. Both teaching and non-teaching staff provide very good role models. They show respect for the range of pupils’ values and beliefs, and emphasise the importance of honesty, sympathy and fairness in dealing with others. School rules, rewards and penalties are consistently applied and are therefore appreciated by pupils as being fair. Rules are clearly displayed in classes as mutual contracts between the children and their teachers so that the pupils themselves are involved in their negotiation and see rules as being codes in which they play a part rather than regulations that have been imposed upon them. This is also emphasised through the school council, where pupils from each class debate issues of concern. Although school council meetings are chaired

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

by the deputy headteacher rather than by a pupil, pupils come up with their own solutions to issues raised. For example, in a meeting during the inspection, children put forward proposals that tablecloths be introduced for lunches. Mindful of the additional cost, the children suggested that they should organise fundraising activities to pay for this rather than seek a contribution from school funds because it was something they, rather than the school, wanted. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to take responsibility and to help others. Older pupils pair up as “buddies” with younger children to help with reading, and pupils in Year 6 are given considerable opportunities to take responsibility as school monitors. In Year 5, a number of pupils have been trained to act as mediators to help sort out problems for others.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare, the monitoring of pupils’ academic performance and personal development and the educational and personal support and guidance for pupils are all good. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection. Members of staff know pupils very well and because of this Maryland Primary functions as a caring community. The school is a safe environment with all the expected safety measures in place and appropriate safety checks recorded and acted upon. Some minor health and safety concerns were noted during the inspection and reported to the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Child protection procedures are good. The headteacher is the nominated person with responsibility for child protection. She is experienced in this field, has developed good contacts with the various statutory agencies and knows the local procedures. Children who are in care or who have been identified as being at risk are carefully monitored, as are those with poor home circumstances. There are pupils with nut allergies or haemophilia who are well known to staff and the appropriate action has been the subject of staff training. In each class, details of children’s medical conditions are displayed on a Maryland Primary School - 16 chart by the board. Although this is good practice in respect of those children for whom urgent intervention might be necessary, such as a child with a nut allergy who might suffer an accidental exposure through contact with another pupil, some of the information displayed unnecessarily breaches

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pupils’ privacy. Inhalers are well controlled. Healthy living is promoted in lessons. A breakfast club is available locally and an after-school care club is provided on two afternoons. Pupils with special educational needs all have individual education plans that are specific to their needs, although these are not reviewed regularly enough to ensure that the progress that the pupils make is adequately recorded and monitored.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Procedures for the promotion of attendance are very good. They include telephoning the homes of selected pupils on the first day of absence and rewards for full attendance, though the main effort has been in the campaign by the headteacher to convince parents of the harm they can do to their children’s education by taking extended holidays or allowing them to stay away from school when they are not ill. The school works well with the local authority education welfare officer, who visits weekly and directs her work at the worst offending families. The parallel campaign against lateness is also led by the headteacher, who leaves parents in no doubt about the importance of their children getting to school on time.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Procedures for promoting good behaviour are very good. The emphasis here is on the strict application of ‘assertive discipline’ , in other words the creation of a society in which the outcome of any transgression is clearly known and where there is little chance of it being overlooked. This is accompanied by a great emphasis on rewarding good behaviour, the climax of which is the weekly rewards assembly. In practice, the staff are all committed to the disciplinary and reward systems and there is consistency and clarity about what is expected. This was confirmed through discussions with pupils. Lunchtime supervisors are well integrated into the disciplinary system. New and existing staff are given a good grounding in what is expected. Parents have been briefed on assertive discipline. This is accompanied by a light touch: at Christmas, pupils report that there was a good teacher assembly, and teachers were rewarded with a bag of chocolate money. The behaviour system does not

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. There are very good procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour, through assemblies, Circle Time – where pupils have an opportunity to discuss and share any worries or concerns – and making a point of listening to pupils to hear their concerns and experiences. Much effort goes into raising awareness of the routes that oppressive behaviour can take and staff are trained in conflict resolution. Pupil mediation, with volunteers from Year 5 trained to help other pupils, contributes to the elimination of oppressive behaviour.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. They are informal but effective because, despite the fact that many of the teachers are relatively new to the school, teachers know the pupils well and because of the school’s awareness of the developmental needs of the children. This is a strong feature of the pastoral care provided by the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Improving assessment was a key issue identified in the last inspection report. Considerable work was initiated through the post-inspection Action Plan to address this issue and this work was continued in later school development plans. As a result, the school has developed sound strategies for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress. This includes a recording system for all subjects with more comprehensive assessments for the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. The latter were used to set individual targets in reading, writing and mathematics, although these have not been consistently applied. In non-core subjects, teachers recorded assessments against key objectives in units of work. However, these satisfactory procedures for assessing attainment and progress do not consistently guide curriculum planning because the system for recording had become cumbersome and time-consuming for teachers.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. With the appointment this term of a new deputy headteacher with responsibility for assessment, the school is refining the assessment procedures. The school had already identified the need to review pupil tracking and assessment systems in order to reflect fully the use of its schemes of work in science, information and communication technology and other foundation subjects. In a very short space of time, the deputy has rightly begun to streamline aspects of assessment in order to reduce the bureaucratic burden for teachers. A straightforward system of lesson assessment to annotate weekly plans has been initiated. The strength of this system is that brief evaluation, on a daily basis, is used to plan learning for the next day. This new approach has not yet been implemented fully across the school, although, during the inspection, some teachers were already using it effectively, modifying their lesson

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

plans to take account of what children had learnt or had struggled with and so focussing teaching on Maryland Primary School - 17 the most important points for learning. Similarly, there has been insufficient time for the deputy to implement her plans for a cumulative assessment sheet to better track progress in the core subjects.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school has used the local education authority to help process assessment and other data. This assists the school to monitor the results of its assessments, linking this appropriately with data on pupils learning English as an additional language. The school looks at the results of assessment to identify the achievements of different ethnic groups, pupils of different ability and by gender. The school has its own plans to introduce a computer-based system to make its own analysis of assessment data. The deputy headteacher has identified the need for staff training in order to make the best use of this system to monitor pupils’ progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Parents are highly supportive of the school. In their questionnaire responses, they expressed strongly positive views on many aspects of the school, with 95 per cent describing the school as approachable. There were no significant parental concerns, although several parents expressed their worries about the detrimental effect on their children’s work of the high rate of staff turnover in recent years.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The quality of information provided for parents is satisfactory. Curriculum information is regularly sent out, as are newsletters. School reports are inconsistent between classes, but generally describe what pupils can do. The computer-generated comments are bland and some of the written reports contain technical terms that many parents are likely to have to struggle to decode. Some of the best reports include good targets for improvement, but these are the exception rather than the rule. The school prospectus does not provide parents with comparative data to help them understand the results of the national Standard Assessment Tests. This information is presented in the annual report of the governors, although in last year’s report the results for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 were transposed.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The three evenings each year when pupils’ progress is discussed are well attended. The school makes good provision for involving parents through family numeracy, literacy and information technology sessions. Parents of pupils with special educational needs who have individual education plans are invited to discuss them once a term and the school tries to ensure that all parents of pupils with statements of educational need attend the annual review of the statements. Where behaviour problems arise, the school appropriately involves parents at an early stage.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. At meetings for parents, translators are provided for those parents who are not conversant with English, and staff who are fluent in other languages are generous with their time in supporting parents. A few letters are provided in various languages, and the school has come up with imaginative solutions to the need to communicate in languages other than English. The governors’ annual report has been recorded on tape in Urdu and the headteacher has plans to provide her welcome talk to new parents on tape in a variety of languages.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The contribution of parents to their children’s learning at school and at home is good. Parents help with reading and make comments in reading records. They help with other homework. Parents support occasional assemblies, sports activity days and a few parents help in the classroom, for example by hearing readers. Parents run the parent-teacher association, which holds social events and raises considerable sums of money for the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school is well led and managed, and the headteacher, who was appointed at the start of this year, has already established a clear educational direction for the future which is shared by all members of the school community. She shows a determination to succeed in raising standards in all areas of the curriculum, and her commitment to improvement is reflected in action already taken and in future plans. For example, the improved provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development which followed the priority given to changing the ethos of the school has resulted in greatly improved behaviour, and the calm atmosphere in the school together with improved punctuality, have had a measurable impact in raising standards in several subjects. All staff share the aims and values established by the headteacher, and are thoroughly committed to creating a climate where all pupils and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Maryland Primary School - 18 staff are valued and appreciated, and children want to learn. This is demonstrated by pupils’ very good attitudes to all aspects of school life. These attitudes are encouraged by staff through very attractive and meaningful displays of pupils’ work around the school, and the recognition of achievement through praise and rewards.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Procedures for monitoring, evaluating and developing teaching have been seriously impeded by the very high turnover of teachers in recent years. Delegation of management responsibilities has been almost impossible until very recently. In addition to the headteacher being new to her post this year, both the deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher joined the school only at the start of this term. For this reason, external consultants were asked to identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching, and some effective action was taken as a result of their findings. However, the school does not currently have an overview of the quality of teaching and learning and this has contributed to some unsatisfactory teaching. Most subject co-ordinators are new to their responsibilities and have had little time to monitor their subjects fully. However, standards in subjects such as English, music and art have

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

risen significantly in the past six months. Despite these difficulties, systems for performance management and appraisal are in place, although they are not yet integrated into school monitoring procedures.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The current special educational needs co-ordinator has recently taken over the post on a temporary basis and has not yet identified the strengths and weaknesses in provision. She is awaiting training and the appointment of a permanent co-ordinator. There is currently insufficient monitoring of pupils’ individual education plans to ensure that their progress is adequately recorded and monitored. Although pupils with special educational needs generally make satisfactory progress, their rate of learning is not sufficiently checked to ensure that they make the best progress which would, in turn, raise the standards overall within the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The governing body is supportive of the school and meets its statutory requirements, but does not play a particularly pro-active part in strategic planning for the school or in monitoring standards. Some governors are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, but the governing body overall relies heavily on the guidance of the headteacher to either build on strengths or to tackle weaknesses.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The school has very clear educational priorities for development, and these are addressed well in a short-term action plan written by the headteacher. The school improvement plan that was previously in place was not a useful tool for development and did not identify the most urgent priorities, one of which was re-establishing a code of acceptable behaviour for pupils. This has been achieved well, but some other issues from the last inspection have not been addressed with such effectiveness, for example, the use of assessment to guide curriculum planning. Action taken to meet targets such as improving achievement in literacy has had some recent success, for example, by the introduction of setting pupils by ability in Year 6, and by improving punctuality. The school has very good capacity to succeed in improving further, with a stable staff and both parental and governor support.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Educational priorities are now soundly supported through the school’s financial planning, although the previous school improvement plan did not always reflect the most pressing needs. For example, a large sum of money was earmarked for the nursery building works but the budget for supply teachers had been completely used within the first four months of the plan. All grants are used appropriately. For example, money has been used well for the gifted and talented pupils who attend the art club, which provides stimulating education for these pupils. The headteacher understands the principles of best value , comparing with other schools how well Maryland is doing, and is committed to achieving the highest possible standards with the resources available to the school. The office is run efficiently, and makes satisfactory use of technology, for example, electronic registration. A computer program to better track assessment data has just been introduced but is not yet in operation.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Although the school has a teacher for every class at present, at least a third of them are on temporary contracts. About half the teaching staff joined the school in January. Only a quarter of the current teaching staff were in the school a year ago. This has brought considerable difficulties in terms of school development. With such a high turnover of staff, a great deal of time has been spent on interviewing and settling-in procedures. Although this turbulence was partly caused by specific circumstances in the school, it also reflects a common situation in the area. New teaching staff are supported well through a programme of observation and mentoring. Newly-qualified teachers are given appropriate non-contact time to attend borough courses and meetings or to work in school. There are generally sufficient non-teaching staff to support pupils’ learning, but there is insufficient initial support for the increasing numbers of pupils coming into the school in the middle of the school year.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

The quality of the work of support staff is variable as they are not always deployed to best effect. Maryland Primary School - 19 52. Accommodation is unsatisfactory overall. Most classrooms are of an adequate size for the number of pupils, but one reception class is situated in an outside hut which is old and rather smelly and at a considerable distance from other reception classes. By contrast, the new nursery building, designed with the full involvement of the school, is bright, spacious and attractive. Access to different parts of the school is extremely difficult because all routes interrupt activities in the halls, particularly physical education. The computer suite is placed in the only available space but, because it is effectively in a corridor area, lessons are often disturbed by noisy activities making concentration difficult. There is a rolling programme to improve lighting in classrooms. The provision of learning resources is satisfactory

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

for most subjects. There is no library, as the computer suite has been sited where this used to be, but the various book areas in classrooms and around the school are attractive and adequately stocked. Computers are in need of upgrading and there are too few of them. There are no computers, for example, in Year 6 classrooms.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

53. Provision for pupils who are learning English as an additional language is satisfactory. However, as at the time of the last report, there is only one teacher, who now has responsibility for more than twice the number of pupils than were identified at that time as needing additional learning support.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

54. Rather more than half the pupils in the school speak English as an additional language and 81 pupils have been identified as being at early stages of learning English. This is a high proportion compared with schools nationally. The most common languages are Bengali, Urdu, Yoruba and Panjabi, followed by Twi and Gujerati. In all, 40 languages are spoken. A number of pupils with very little English, and some with no previous experience of schooling, enter the school each year, some being from refugee families. The effect of this is particularly significant when pupils arrive in Years 5 and 6, and last year it certainly contributed to depressing the school’s overall results. However, Year 6 pupils speaking English as an additional language who have been in the school since the reception class have made at least satisfactory progress as they have moved up the school. Those pupils who remain at the

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

school for all their schooling achieve well in developing their spoken English and no longer need extra support by the time they reach Year 6. Seven pupils who speak English as an additional language are on the school’s register of gifted and talented pupils.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

55. Pupils who come into the school part way through their education are supported in small groups by the co-ordinator until they are confident enough to work in the classes with additional help. However, this extra support is very limited as the teacher is currently also responsible for pupils with special educational needs. Class teachers, teachers' assistants and learning support assistants plan together to extend this support. They develop pupils' language skills and vocabulary in whatever lesson the pupils are following. For example, in one personal, social and health education lesson, the teacher quietly gave instructions to one pupil to enable her to join in. Class teachers take into account pupils who might have difficulty understanding. They speak slowly and clearly to them, often getting them to repeat words correctly. The good emphasis on the correct vocabulary in mathematics and science is helping pupils' develop their technical vocabulary.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

56. Pupils learning English as an additional language relate well to each other and behave well in lessons. Pupils who are more fluent in English help others who have difficulty in understanding. In one lesson, a pupil very ably supported the learning of a child who was new to the school and who spoke almost no English. The pupil giving support explained the task to the new pupil and then got on with her own work, taking care at the end to show and explain to the new pupil what she had done. Pupils are very positive about their learning and are proud of their achievements. The school encourages pupils to be proud of their own languages. This is illustrated by the ' I can speak……' posters in each class. Other posters and displays are labelled in different languages. However, there are not enough dual language books and tapes around the school.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

57. The school has satisfactory systems for monitoring pupils' progress. Assessment procedures for pupils learning English as an additional language are used to keep track of their progress as they become increasingly proficient in English and, as a result, teachers are informed about the stages of progress of the pupils in their classes. However, this information is not always used systematically to focus the teaching on individual targets and specific areas for improvement, particularly for pupils who Maryland Primary School - 20 join the school after the start of the school year. Formal assessments are carried out twice a year and show that the majority of pupils make satisfactory progress.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

58. The school has good systems in place for communicating with parents. Translators are used on initial visits and parents are given a welcome pack. The school has a bank of regularly needed letters in a range of languages to aid communication with parents. Some teachers and teachers' assistants speak several different languages, and translations are provided wherever possible to keep the parents informed. The school has also taken the initiative of recording minority language audio-tape versions of documents such as the governors’ annual report.

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AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE?

59. The leadership and management of the provision for teaching pupils who are learning English as an additional language are satisfactory. The co-ordinator gives appropriate support to her colleagues. There is, however, insufficient initial support for the increasing numbers of pupils coming into the school in the middle of the school year. There are not enough resources and books to motivate and interest the older pupils and games and tapes are not easily available. Accommodation is unsatisfactory for teaching pupils in groups outside the classrooms as there are distractions in teaching in corridors and pupils are unable to benefit from ready access to equipment and vocabulary cards. Nevertheless, attractive displays and welcome posters in many languages around the school provide a stimulating environment. Maryland Primary School - 21

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

60. Inspectors have identified the following interrelated and overlapping key issues for action. In order to improve the standard of education provided to pupils, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science by A. providing more opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy and literacy skills in other subjects, for example through more extended writing and recording work B. providing more opportunities for pupils to use their information and communication technology skills, including data handling in subjects such as mathematics and science C. ensuring that teachers benefit from training where there are gaps in their subject knowledge D. reducing the dependence on worksheets E. considering the extension of setting from Year 6 to earlier year groups F. ensuring that marking gives pupils clear guidance on what it is they need to do to improve their work G. making more consistent use of individual learning targets for pupils H. setting more challenging targets for improved test results I. monitoring more closely the progress of pupils who join the school partway through their

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

education and focusing support to ensure they achieve as well as other pupils J. ensuring greater continuity of teaching by working to create more stable staffing and reducing the disruptive effect of changes of teacher on pupils’ learning (paras 3-6, 20-23, 25, 37, 51, 55, 57, 62, 70, 73-75, 77-78, 81-82, 84-85, 87, 95-96, 99, 101, 110)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Make more effective use of assessment information to track pupils progress and plan their learning by A. implementing the review currently under way into the use of assessment in the school B. ensuring that teachers evaluate pupils’ learning and adapt their subsequent lesson plans to address any gaps in pupils’ understanding C. ensuring that marking gives pupils clear guidance on what it is they need to do to improve their work D. improve the tracking of pupils’ progress as they move through the school E. making more consistent use of individual learning targets for pupils F. monitoring more closely the progress of pupils who join the school partway through their education and focusing support to ensure they achieve as well as other pupils (paras 20, 32, 37-39, 47, 50, 57, 74, 77, 82, 87, 91, 110)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the curriculum offered to pupils by A. increasing the amount of teaching time B. ensuring that all subjects, including science, art and geography, are taught frequently enough and in sufficient depth C. providing more opportunities for writing and recording work in all subjects D. extending opportunities for pupils to use their computer skills in other subjects (paras 24, 73, 75, 82, 85, 95-97, 99, 101)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the following less important weaknesses should be considered for inclusion in the governors’ action plan. (Paragraph references are in brackets)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

A. Put in place more permanent arrangements for co-ordinating provision for pupils with special educational needs which do not detract from provision for children learning English as an additional language (paras 23, 47) B. Increase the number of computers and review the location of the computer suite (para 52) C. Continue to discourage parents from interrupting their children’s education by taking them on holiday in term time (paras 14, 33) D. Improve the quality of reports to parents (para 41) E. Broaden the involvement of governors so that all are more fully able to take part in monitoring the effectiveness of the school and in the setting of school priorities (para 48) F. Review the practice of displaying children’s medical histories in classrooms (para 32) G. Develop plans to remedy weaknesses in the accommodation (paras 52, 59, 61, 100, 108) Maryland Primary School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage pointFigures may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 406

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 151

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 8

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 83

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils learning English as an additional language 260

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 15

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for2001, which is the most recent year for which national comparative data is available. Maryland Primary School - 23

p.22

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 24 35 59

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 13 12 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 30 30

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 69 (76) 71 (81) 92 (83) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 13 21 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 29 29

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 69 (73) 85 (80) 78 (68) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.23

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

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

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 29 24 53

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 11 19 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 15 17

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 43 (57) 64 (43) 75 (63) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 5 17 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 14

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 30 (57) 53 (60) 49 (60) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.23

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Maryland Primary School - 24

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 53 Black – Caribbean heritage 2 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 90 Black – African heritage 1 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 43 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.24

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.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.5 Financial year 2000/01

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 983,788

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Total expenditure 933,383

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 444 Expenditure per pupil 2,083

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 48,556

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 98,961

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 51

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 132

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 10

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 4

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Maryland Primary School - 25

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 54 38 3 1 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 35 3 4 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 43 13 5 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 31 11 5 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 22 3 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 78 20 1 0 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 45 42 11 2 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 67 29 1 1 1

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 59 39 1 1 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 45 34 13 4 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

(figures may not sum to 100 due to rounding)

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Parents at the meeting and in letters expressed appreciation for the changes achieved by the current headteacher since taking up the post at the start of the year. Their principal concern was over the high turnover of staff in recent years which many blame for a fall in standards. Maryland Primary School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

1. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage (nursery and reception classes) is satisfactory overall. There has been recent improvement in planning, and the two-year cycle of work is now based on the Early Learning Goals and the “Stepping Stones” towards them. However, this planning is not firmly established yet, and the amount of paperwork for short-term plans is burdensome and sometimes ineffective. It does not always ensure purposeful activity for the children. Staff are reviewing their systems to address this. Assessment procedures are thorough but time-consuming and are not always sufficiently used to plan children’s learning. For example, in a session on shapes , it was clear that about a third of the class had already achieved the learning objectives for the lesson and did not need to spend so much time consolidating their knowledge. An attractive well-furbished new building now provides very good facilities for children in the nursery, although at the time of the inspection not all

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

works, including to the outside area, had been complete. Accommodation for the reception classes is a weakness however. In particular, the shortage of space in the school means that one reception class has had to be based in a temporary building, which is less than satisfactory.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

2. Nursery and reception teachers work well as a team and the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall for each of the areas of learning. However, this includes both very good teaching in the nursery and some unsatisfactory teaching in reception in roughly the same proportions. In the best taught sessions, teachers and support staff are clear about what children are intended to learn and organise activities to achieve this. For example, they recognise children’s limited concentration span and use effective strategies to refocus children on different tasks. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, independent and group activities either lack sufficient challenge or they are over-directed by adults. In these lessons, support staff are not deployed well and expectations of children are too low.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

3. Children enter nursery at the age of three with generally very low social and communication skills. They transfer to reception classes in either September or January depending on their age. There are some helpful induction arrangements in place to ease this transition. For example, children visit classes and get to know their teacher beforehand. Children’s attainment when they enter reception is below average overall, and all children, including those with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress through the year. Less than a quarter of these children, however, are likely to achieve all the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave reception. There is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls or pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

4. Appropriate emphasis is given to children’s development in this area throughout their time in nursery and reception. Children who have few social skills when they enter nursery are given very effective help to establish boundaries for acceptable behaviour through very good interaction by staff, for example, in role-play. Teachers in both nursery and reception have adopted the strategy of singing to children when they want to calm them down or ensure that they are listening to instructions. Children respond well to this. Relationships between adults and children are very good, and this helps to promote children’s self-esteem and confidence. For example, small group discussions are organised with good adult support and all children are encouraged to participate. Children show respect for each others’ needs and views, and this is promoted well through activities which celebrate other cultures, for

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

example, Chinese New Year. Children have made dragons and money purses, and have talked about their significance. Children generally behave well, but when problems do occur in reception classes, this is usually due to frustration at not having clear enough structure and purpose in their activity.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

5. Spontaneous communication does not come naturally to many children in the nursery. Some children in reception speak to adults and each other in sentences but others use isolated words and are not particularly interested in the response that they receive. Staff in nursery and reception take every Maryland Primary School - 27 opportunity to encourage children to extend their language. A very successful activity of making snakes and worms with playdough in the nursery, for example, resulted in children being able to respond to the adult with a full sentence, such as ‘I’m making a snake’ . Stimulating events, such as the visit during the inspection week of a troupe of Asian musicians, enthuse children and encourage them to make contributions to discussions. However, it is more difficult to promote speaking and listening in large groups because children have quite a short concentration span and become distracted fairly

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

quickly. Children enjoy stories and handle books appropriately but their early reading skills are weak. “Jolly Phonics” sessions are helping children to identify initial sounds of words, but only about half the children in reception are confident to do this independently. Staff plan good opportunities for simple word recognition with many reinforcement activities, and more able children are beginning to recognise words to help them get started on the school’s reading scheme. Despite strenuous efforts by adults in both nursery and reception, for example by encouraging children to ‘write’ their names and messages in role-play, many children show little interest in writing either on their own or in adult-led writing activities. In reception, an appealing writing activity based on teddy bears brought disappointing results. Some children wrote over the teacher’s letters for a few minutes but then lost

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

interest. Where children did show interest, the teacher was careful to monitor correct letter formation and establish good writing habits. About a quarter of the children in reception can write their name in a recognisable way unaided. Others use name cards or persuade an adult to do it for them.

p.27

Mathematical development

6. Appropriate emphasis is given to developing mathematical language and knowledge of number. Opportunities are taken for counting in all activities, for example, the number of words on the page or beads on a string. Although most children count to ten by rote, they are not always able to apply this to counting objects or ordering these numbers in a number line. When asked to stick five coloured squares on pictures of Elmer the elephant, most children got confused. However, some obviously remembered the story and decided that Elmer had lots of coloured squares, and proceeded to cover him with colour. Nearly all children name simple two-dimensional shapes and some talk about corners and sides . A particularly successful activity in reception involved children choosing, naming and eating a suitably shaped chocolate each. This helped to ensure that children were fully focused and increased their concentration span. There was great anticipation for their turn, and the teacher used this

p.27

Mathematical development

opportunity to extend their knowledge to oval and semi-circle . Practical experience is given a high priority and children are not expected to record their learning in inappropriate ways, such as meaningless worksheets. For example, to learn about length, children made three-dimensional snakes of varying length and were encouraged to describe them according to longest or as long as .

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

7. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is developed through an appropriate range of topics. Children are given opportunities to investigate and explore objects using mirrors, magnifying glasses and magnets, as well as by more directed teaching about their environment. For example, they construct maps of their journeys to school. Reclaimed materials as well as commercial kits are freely available for constructions. Strong priority is given to children’s use of technology both in free activity and directed activities. Children in reception use an electronic keyboard to compose music, and operate tape recorders independently. They have regular sessions in the computer suite, accompanied by older pupils. These sessions are successful when learning objectives are clear, but are unsatisfactory when there is insufficient planning and direction. At these times, children do not develop their skills

p.27

Physical development

8. Long-term plans indicate a varied programme for large muscle development and manipulative skills, but there is currently no large climbing apparatus in the nursery. Other equipment is provided for balancing and tunnelling, and children use wheeled toys both inside the nursery and in the outdoor area. Nursery children use a variety of tools and equipment, and are encouraged to dance, often at tidying-up time. Reception children’s cutting skills are developing well, as seen when cutting spirals to make paper dragons. They also show confidence when using glue and joining materials. They are less confident when using climbing apparatus in the school hall. Some children need lots of encouragement to attempt the physical activity described by the teacher. Maryland Primary School - 28

p.27

Creative development

9. Children have good opportunities for self-expression through art and music. Nursery children enjoy drawing, painting and creating pictures. Reception children have used their imagination to paint pictures reflecting how music makes them feel. They were inspired by African music and compositions by Debussy. All children have regular opportunities to make three-dimensional models. Role-play areas are adequate but not always inspiring in reception. Children often choose to play in these areas but run out of ideas quite quickly. They need adult interaction to help them extend their stories. The children enjoy musical activities, and their enthusiasm for singing can be attributed to very well chosen songs and good encouragement to play percussion instruments.

p.28

ENGLISH

10. Results in the national 2001 tests at the end of Year 6 were among the lowest 5 per cent nationally. Writing was particularly poor. Very few pupils attained higher levels and there are significantly more pupils at the lower level than seen nationally. When compared with similar schools, results were well below average. Results since the last inspection have not improved with the national trend. Results in the national 2001 tests at the end of Year 2 were well below national average in both reading and writing. They were also well below average when compared to similar schools. Few pupils attained higher levels. Since the last inspection there has been a downward trend in results which does not compare well with the improving national trend. Nevertheless, inspection evidence indicates that standards in English are now improving and achievement is satisfactory for pupils of all abilities and those from different ethnic

p.28

ENGLISH

backgrounds. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills in both the infants and juniors are in line with standards expected nationally. Standards in reading in both Year 2 and Year 6 are close to the national average. Standards in writing are below average.

p.28

ENGLISH

11. Pupils of all ages are given the opportunity to talk about their work. Opportunities for thought and reflection through paired work are a regular feature of lessons. In some classes, very good examples of the development of speaking and listening skills were seen. In a Circle Time based on rules, Year 2 pupils worked in pairs and went into role as parent and child to develop an argument. In a Year 6 class, pupils discussed and developed their own ideas for describing life as an evacuee during the Second World War. Pupils listened carefully to each other and responded to the opinions of other members of the class. Teachers and other adults successfully take opportunities to develop and extend pupils’ vocabulary.

p.28

ENGLISH

12. Based on the evidence of lesson observations, discussion with pupils and hearing pupils read, standards in reading are improving throughout the school. At the end of Year 2, pupils read confidently with understanding and expression. They know and use a number of strategies, such as phonic, contextual and graphic clues, in reading unfamiliar words and establishing meaning. In Year 6, pupils read widely for enjoyment and for independent research. They show understanding of ideas, themes and characters. All pupils have a regular opportunity to read quietly in school and they enjoy reading. Pupils regularly take books home to read. All classes listen to a story or novel on a regular basis. Literature has a high profile in the school and this is a significant factor in the improvement in standards. There are attractive book corners in each classroom, a good reading area for both the infants and the juniors, and stimulating book displays. They feature favourite authors, stories and book

p.28

ENGLISH

reviews written by pupils. The school uses paired reading widely, with older pupils regularly supporting the younger ones. Reading is also supported through community links with the Cazenove Bank reading volunteers and with the West Ham Study Support Centre who also help with reading. The link with the local premiere division football club has given additional motivation to boys to focus on reading. This is of particular importance given the relatively low reading scores attained by boys in last year’s Year 2 tests.

p.28

ENGLISH

13. Writing skills are satisfactorily developed as pupils move through the school. In Years 1 and 2, pupils develop their skills in writing through a variety of tasks, including cutting up stories and sorting them to correct sequence, writing captions to pictures, and making up their own stories. They learn the correct terminology for parts of speech and are encouraged to use the correct terms when referring to phonemes and syllables. The skills are further developed in the juniors where pupils are given sound support structures to develop their writing. The National Literacy Strategy is in place and there is evidence in the lesson plans and the pupils’ work of all of the elements of the Strategy being taught. Maryland Primary School - 29 However, pupils do not write in sufficient depth, and writing is not of the quality and standard seen nationally.

p.28

ENGLISH

14. The overall quality of handwriting in pupils’ books is untidy. In most classes, pupils have a book for handwriting. In these books the handwriting is generally neat, well formed and joined. The dates on the work indicate that handwriting exercises are now taking place regularly. There is some evidence of a systematic approach to the teaching of spelling. Marking is too variable. In some cases it provides good guidance for pupils to improve but it is not yet consistently applied across the school, with some marking offering too little help to pupils in improving their work..

p.29

ENGLISH

15. The National Literacy Strategy in combination with the setting in Year 6 is helping to improve the structure of lessons and to raise standards. Opportunities to teach literacy through other subjects are beginning to develop. A good example was seen in Year 2, where the literacy session was used to consolidate pupils’ knowledge of the life cycle of a butterfly. During the inspection, computers were not used in classrooms to support learning, although pupils use the computer suite for some lessons. One good example of word processing for a class story about monsters was seen in Year 2.

p.29

ENGLISH

16. The quality of teaching and learning seen during the inspection was good in both key stages. Effective lessons had a good pace and pupils knew what was required of them and what they were expected to learn. Teachers use good questioning strategies to move pupils forward in learning. In the majority of lessons, the work set was appropriately matched to the needs of the pupils - particularly those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. Pupils’ involvement in their own learning is a regular feature of many lessons. Pupils undertake independent research, discuss how their work could be improved and develop knowledge and understanding of the main features of a satisfactory piece of writing. In Year 1, pupils understood about sentence construction, capital letters, full stops and speech marks. They can order words in simple sentences. Teaching and learning was well supported by good use of displays to extend pupils’ vocabulary, and

p.29

ENGLISH

group writing targets that were accessible and understood by all pupils. In Year 3, an example of an appropriately structured lesson was seen on instructional writing. Pupils learnt how to write a sequence of instructions to make a jam sandwich. The teacher supported the less able group in the practical activity of making a sandwich. The teacher took opportunities to extend and develop understanding through related vocabulary. An example of very good teaching for the lower ability pupils was seen in the Year 6 sets. The work on persuasive texts had been modified to meet the learning needs of pupils learning English as an additional language through a well supported word search and pupils with special educational needs were able to achieve the objective of the lesson by producing their own posters and magazine covers using writing aimed at persuading the reader.

p.29

ENGLISH

17. The co-ordinator is new in post and has a clear idea of the direction the work must take to raise standards. He is working closely with the local education authority literacy consultant and schools development officer. He is aware of the lack of opportunity for extended writing and the need for staff training to further develop the use of individual learning targets for pupils. As a result, the school has introduced a conferencing week that will allow teachers to have more meaningful discussions with pupils about their writing. The school has a satisfactory range of resources for the teaching of English, and these are being added to on a planned basis.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

18. Results in national tests at the end of Year 6 have fluctuated from year to year since the last inspection. In 2001, they remained well below the national average and below average when compared with similar schools, although they had improved since the dip in 2000. Results at the end of Year 6 are depressed by the proportion of pupils who enter and leave the school during their primary education. Only 22 out of the 53 pupils who took the national tests at the end of Year 6 were in the school in Year 2. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 2 are lower than they were at the time of the last inspection. However, they were better than they have been for the last three years. In 2001, results were in line with the national average and well above those of similar schools. Boys performed better than girls in 2001, although over time there is no significant difference in the relative performance of boys

p.29

MATHEMATICS

compared with girls at either Year 2 or Year 6.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

19. Pupils enter Year 1 with attainment that is below national expectations in their number skills. They make steady progress and their achievement over time is satisfactory. They count in twos up to ten and the more able count confidently up to twenty. They know the names of simple shapes but some find it Maryland Primary School - 30 difficult to create repeating patterns. By Year 2, pupils add and subtract numbers to ten confidently. The majority have a good understanding of place value, odd and even numbers and count on and back in twos and threes. More able pupils add and subtract numbers to 100 and multiply and divide by 10 and use what they have learned to solve word problems. Pupils learn to name and describe two-dimensional shapes. They collect data and record it on simple block graphs Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress in lessons because

p.29

MATHEMATICS

they are given appropriate help through the good focus on learning mathematical vocabulary. Taking the year group as a whole, and reflecting the number of low attaining pupils in the year, standards in Year 2 are currently below average, although pupils of different abilities, including the more able, achieve satisfactorily.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

20. Pupils in Year 6 have built up a good knowledge of basic number facts and of a variety of ways of solving number problems mentally. Frequent changes of staff have affected their progress in previous years. Standards vary, but are below those expected for the age of the pupils. However, pupils in the juniors are now making satisfactory progress, with brisk oral starts to the lessons and well-planned activities to reinforce multiplication and division facts. Pupils are becoming increasingly confident in explaining their work. Good teaching in Year 6 has led to many of the older pupils working at the expected level for their age. Older pupils are achieving well in lessons because they concentrate and work hard. Year 6 pupils have a good understanding of the formal methods of calculation. They use their understanding of positive and negative numbers to solve problems and interpret graphs. They have a good understanding of the relationship between fractions, percentages and decimals.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

21. The quality of teaching and learning in mathematics is good overall, and in half the lessons seen it was very good. Teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject and of the pupils' needs. Lessons are well planned and pupils of different abilities are well catered for in both the questioning and the written activities. Lessons follow the recommendations of the National Numeracy Strategy . The pupils are keen to answer the brisk and challenging mental questions at the beginning of each lesson. Teachers have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and, as a result, pupils are attentive and well behaved. This ensures that time is used well. Teachers have very good relationships with the pupils. In most lessons, explanations are clear and relate well to what the pupils have learned in previous lessons. In lessons where pupils make the most progress, activities are clearly explained and

p.30

MATHEMATICS

pupils are encouraged to be responsible for their own learning. For example, in a Year 6 class, pupils were asked to work in teams to solve problems. They co-operated well and worked hard on their chosen tasks to arrive at a joint solution. They remained motivated and interested for the whole lesson. In a lesson where teaching and learning was less successful, pupils were asked to work from unclear worksheets where the questions were inappropriate. In another lesson, pupils were not given the opportunity to use equipment to help them understand comparative weights.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

22. There is a suitable emphasis on teaching the correct mathematical vocabulary throughout the school. Learning support assistants work closely with the teachers and are effective in supporting pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. However, there are times when pupils are without this support and on these occasions they make less progress. Time is used well at the end of the lessons to reinforce what has been learned. In some classes there is an overemphasis on published worksheets that do not completely relate to what should be learned in the lesson. This limits pupils' mathematical understanding. Marking is not always consistent from class to class. Worksheets are marked but there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to correct their work. In exercise books, comments to the pupils are both positive and encouraging. The most effective marking

p.30

MATHEMATICS

shows pupils how they can improve and develop their work. Pupils are given homework which appropriately reinforces the work they have been doing in class. Numeracy is promoted satisfactorily in other subjects. Information and communication technology is used to support learning but opportunities for this are limited as there are no computers in some classes.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

23. The curriculum is well organised and teachers in the same year groups plan together well to ensure that pupils in classes of the same age group are taught the same curriculum. The management of the subject and its improvement since the last inspection are good. The co-ordinator has monitored planning and observed teaching. Staff are supported with the help of the local education authority numeracy consultant. The procedures for assessing pupils are satisfactory. Test results have been analysed and weaknesses identified. Newly introduced procedures are being put into place to better track pupils’ progress as they move through the school. Mathematically gifted and talented pupils have been identified and the school runs a club for the benefit of these children. Maryland Primary School - 31

p.30

SCIENCE

24. In the 2001 national tests for science, pupils in Year 6 attained standards that were well below both those seen nationally and those of similar schools. The number of pupils who attained higher standards was well below that seen nationally. This represents a drop in standards since the last inspection. In part, this is due to the number of pupils with special educational needs who took the tests last year and were not expected to attain the average level, although their achievement was in line with what could be expected for their ability. The school has also experienced a high degree of mobility with pupils joining the school part way through the juniors which disrupts their education. There are no national tests for science in Year 2 and attainment is judged by teachers. These assessments were well below the national average. However, inspectors judged the current standard of work in Year 2 to be below rather than well

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SCIENCE

below average, with standards in Year 6 currently in line with national expectations. This is due mainly to the very good teaching of science in Year 6 which has resulted in pupils of all abilities making rapid progress in the subject during their last year in the school. 25. The teaching of science is satisfactory overall, and it is very good in Year 6. By the time they are eleven, pupils learn how to set up investigations, making predictions about what they think will happen, and interpreting the results accurately. Teachers set high expectations for pupils in Year 6 to achieve well. Teachers have good subject knowledge and give very careful explanations so that pupils can understand what they are expected to learn. The teachers plan together effectively to enable all pupils to have equal access to the curriculum. Very good use is made of teachers’ assistants so that pupils are well supported. However, science is not so well taught in Year 3. Some teachers lack the necessary

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SCIENCE

subject knowledge to ensure that the pupils make enough progress, and standards of work are below those expected. Insufficient time is allocated to the teaching of science so that pupils do not experience sufficient science to ensure that standards are raised. There are times when teachers’ lesson plans are adequate but the teacher does not teach to these plans and this leads to unsatisfactory lessons. 26. In Key Stage 1 , the teaching of science is satisfactory. Pupils in Year 1 learn about materials and apply this knowledge to making reflective bands for use in the dark. In Year 2, pupils carry out investigations into how far cars will travel on a variety of surfaces. Teachers use the time and resources well, especially in Year 2 where pupils work in ability groups carrying out their investigations with appropriate adult help, ensuring they make satisfactory progress. Learning support assistants work with

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SCIENCE

pupils with special educational needs and, as a result, these pupils also make sound progress. 27. During science lessons pupils work together well in mixed gender and ethnic groups. Teachers expect pupils to co-operate and help each other. Behaviour in lessons is very good. In the last inspection, the pupils’ presentation of their work was identified as a weakness. This has been addressed effectively by the school as presentation, especially by the end of Year 6, is good. Pupils take pride in their work and, through marking, teachers give credit for neat and accurate work, as well as giving guidance for further improvement. However, marking is inconsistent and some does not give pupils an indication of how they can improve their work. 28. The science co-ordinator is very new in post and has worked hard to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the subject. He has clear plans for further development and monitoring. Resources are

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SCIENCE

sufficient for teaching the subject and they are readily accessible to teachers. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. Presentation of work has improved significantly, although results have been through a period of decline. However, the school is now in a good position to raise standards at the end of both key stages.

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ART AND DESIGN

29. By Year 6, pupils attain standards that are in line with national expectations. Attainment in Year 2 is also in line with national expectations. Pupils of all abilities and from different backgrounds achieve well during their time in school. Pupils in Year 6 know the names of famous artists and facts about their lives and work. This is reflected in their study of male and female Impressionists and creating their own paintings in this style using watercolours. Pupils have also used a set of colours effectively to portray feelings, such as shades of blue to reflect “cold” atmospheres and emotions. They use and understand terminology such as blend , shade , light and bold , and use sketchbooks regularly and usefully. Pupils in Year 2 have looked closely at local buildings, with a particular focus on pattern. They have recorded their findings in their sketchbooks, showing close observation of what they saw.

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ART AND DESIGN

30. In the lessons seen during the inspection, all teaching and learning was satisfactory or better. Where teaching was good, pupils were given helpful direction and instruction, and the opportunities to Maryland Primary School - 32 discuss with others the strengths and weaknesses of their work. They were able to constructively criticise each other’s work, and applaud the effort of some pupils who had found the task very difficult at the beginning of the lesson. Careful preparation by the teacher helped pupils to succeed, for example, by covering the transparent plate on which the fruit for the still life was placed so that the plate would not cause a problem and pupils would be able to concentrate and focus on the fruit. In lessons which, although satisfactory, were relatively less successful, pupils were not given enough instruction or structured tasks to help them improve, although all pupils made a good effort to complete their pictures.

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ART AND DESIGN

31. The subject is managed well, and resources are adequate. Pupils experience an appropriate range of activities and techniques, and clearly enjoy the subject. The co-ordinator has monitored the subject effectively in a short time and has a good understanding of strengths and weaknesses in the subject. For example, in identifying that assessment procedures are insufficient to record pupils’ progress in art. There are strong cross-curricular links, and these are evident, for example, in school productions. Gifted and talented pupils in Key Stage 2 attend Art Club, which is organised and run by the co-ordinator, and have been involved in making scenery and props for the school’s Christmas production.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

32. Few lessons were observed, but inspectors had the opportunity to look at the work produced by children over the past year and to discuss pupils’ work with them. Standards in design and technology have improved significantly since the last inspection. Standards are now in line with national expectations by the end of both key stages. This compares very favourably with the last inspection when standards were judged to be well below national expectations, and it represents good achievement for pupils in both key stages. 33. Year 2 pupils spoke with confidence about the pop-up cards they had made for Christmas cards. They understood how to make the necessary mechanisms. They showed a good awareness for hygiene when making “gingerbread men” and clearly understood that the gingerbread men would have tasted better with less ginger: an appropriate evaluation. This is an improvement since the last inspection when

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

pupils in both key stages had few opportunities to make their own judgements. By Year 6, pupils have a good understanding of the processes involved in design and technology. In their work designing and making slippers, pupils had carefully considered materials to be used and produced good, annotated sketches of their initial designs. They made prototypes from paper and amended their designs before making the final products. They amended their designs when they seemed to be too ambitious for the time available. For instance, they were generally unable to add their planned decorations to the slippers. In their evaluations, they found the stitching hard and identified, for instance, that the slippers would have been more comfortable if a softer material had been used for the innersole. 34. In all year groups there is evidence that pupils are taught the importance of initial design, then modification and improvement and, finally, evaluation of their work. For instance, in Year 6, pupils talked

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

in detail about how they could improve structures to be used to make shelters. There are only a few instances when written evaluations were lacking. In some cases, where pupils find writing difficult, teachers assist with the evaluation. This helps to ensure that pupils across the ability range, and those learning English as an additional language, are fully involved. Pupils talked of good opportunities provided for them to plan their work and could explain how they assemble and join a range of appropriate components and materials. Teachers encourage all pupils to try things out for themselves. In all year groups, teachers provide pupils with appropriate frameworks for recording their design and technology work. The subject is well led and managed, and there are good resources available to support pupils’ work.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

35. Only a small number of history and geography lessons were seen but, in addition, inspectors took the opportunity to look at children’s work and to meet with groups of pupils to discuss their work with them. By Year 2, standards in geography are below those expected nationally. There was very little evidence to indicate that pupils had acquired the knowledge, skills or understanding of a local area or places beyond their own environment. They do not have knowledge of appropriate geographical vocabulary. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment in geography remains below the expected standard. Pupils make insufficient progress because they have not covered the requirements of the National Maryland Primary School - 33 Curriculum in sufficient depth to have gained the level of understanding expected for their age. They do not have sufficient knowledge of a range of places and localities and cannot communicate using

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

appropriate geographical vocabulary. Work seen was skimpy. Much work was unmarked and unfinished and was generally at a low level, such as colouring maps and work sheets. There is very little evidence of any understanding or description of physical and human processes. 36. In history, standards in Year 2 are below national expectations. Pupils have not acquired a sound knowledge of aspects of the past and there is an absence of recorded work of the quality or quantity normally seen for their age. Activities are planned to develop an understanding of chronology and all classes have a relevant time line on display. Teachers plan work to encourage discussion and reflection upon what has been learnt, but miss opportunities to develop pupils’ literacy skill consistently through history, particularly in writing, and there is an over-reliance on photocopied worksheets. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 2 so that by the end of Year 6, standards are broadly in line with

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

national expectations. Through themes such as Victorian Britain , the wives of Henry VIII and Britain in the Second World War , they have the opportunity to find out about events using a range of sources of information, including the internet, books and television. They have opportunity to visit museums and places of interest such as the Ragged School and speak confidently and make comparisons about school life in Stratford and Victorian England. Pupils can write from their own ideas and are able to research about people living in the past. Good examples were seen of letters as written from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn and letters written from the point of view of an evacuee in the war. These activities require pupils to think, reflect and make judgements on life in the past, and this empathetic writing contributes also to pupils’ spiritual development. 37. The co-ordinator for geography and history has only recently taken on this responsibility and has not

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

yet had an opportunity to have impact on raising standards. Resources are satisfactory, and topics such as the wives of Henry VIII and Britain in The Second World War are well supported by artefacts, photographs and themed displays and work areas. Insufficient time is given to teaching geography and history. This has particularly affected standards in geography where pupils do not have the opportunity to develop their knowledge to the standard expected nationally. Although in history, standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved since the last inspection, they have not improved in Key Stage 1 . Standards in geography in both key stages are not as good as those reported in the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

38. No information and communication technology lessons were seen in Year 2. However, analysis of Year 2 pupils’ work and discussions with them show that these pupils are attaining average standards and their achievement is good in Key Stage 1 across the ability range. Pupils in Year 2 talk confidently about how to use the keyboard, showing familiarity with the space bar and enter key. They understand how to scroll up and down the screen and how to type capital letters. They explained how they make pictures. For instance, when describing “night pictures” they explained how they had selected the colour black and used the fill button to create a dark sky before adding fireworks and stars. They could also explain how to cut, paste and save documents, and their use of editing skills when producing shared writing is above average. The Year 2 pupils are beginning to give instructions to a programmable toy. They also know that technology is a useful tool outside school, giving as an example the use of the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

internet to find out about famous people.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

39. By Year 6, pupils of all abilities have continued to grow in confidence in their use of the keyboard and mouse. In work on World War II, for example, they were able to log onto the computers, and their ability to search the internet for information is in line with national expectations. For instance, they know how to refine the use of words in order to increase the likelihood of a successful search. The word processing skills used to produce play scripts for the “Secret Garden” is again in line with national expectation. In discussions, they show appropriate knowledge of the use of computers outside school and gave as an example of one of their concerns about technology that there are some things on the internet “that are not very nice to see”. Progress in these aspects of information and communication technology is satisfactory in Key Stage 2 . There are, however, weaknesses in Year 6 pupils’ knowledge

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

and understanding. Currently, they make little use of email to exchange ideas with others, although the school plans to join the London Grid for Learning to address this weakness. Pupils know little about using information and communication technology systems to control events and to sense physical data. Similarly, there is insufficient evidence of using information and communication technology-based models and simulations to explore patterns and relationships. Consequently, progress in these aspects Maryland Primary School - 34 of information and communication technology is unsatisfactory and standards overall are below national expectations at the end of the juniors.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

40. Teaching of information and communication technology was only observed in Key Stage 2 , and it was generally satisfactory. Common strengths of satisfactory lessons were the sharing of clear learning objectives with the class so that pupils knew exactly what was expected of them, and effective use of questioning to tease out and assess understanding. Teachers gave clear explanations and have appropriate subject expertise, making effective suggestions, for example, about alternative internet search engines as well as making effective use of technical language. The weakness in satisfactorily taught lessons stemmed from accommodation problems. Most of the teaching of information and communication technology takes place in the computer suite, which is situated on a corridor just off the hall that is used as a dining area. The noise from the hall, in physical education and music lessons, carries into the computer suite and makes it difficult for pupils to hear their teachers. This is particularly

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

true when dining tables are being stacked. The corridor is a thoroughfare and banging doors are not uncommon. In addition, a number of computers crash because they have insufficient memory, an issue that the school has in hand to address. All these factors have a detrimental impact upon learning and standards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

41. Where information and communication technology is linked to other subjects it is usually as a research tool, such as research into World War II in history. However, its use across the curriculum, to support other subjects is a weakness. For instance, the use of information and communication technology to support data handling, including graphs and tables, is not common in subjects such as mathematics, science or geography. The fact that some classes do not have a computer in their classroom further compounds this problem.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

42. The subject is well managed, and improvement since the last inspection has been good. The lack of assessment was identified as a particular weakness in the last inspection. Although the school does now maintain record sheets, these focus principally in keeping track of what has been taught rather than the progress pupils are making. The school has popular family information technology workshops that help parents support their children’s learning.

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MUSIC

43. Standards in music are above national expectations for pupils in Years 2 and 6 and pupils of all abilities and from different ethnic backgrounds, as well as those learning English as an additional language, achieve well. Pupils in Key Stage 2 sing enthusiastically, clearly and with good expression. Their performance of ‘Zion me wan go home’ was particularly moving and reflected the mood of sadness very effectively. Pupils in Year 6 understand terminology such as rhythm , beat , pulse and dynamics , and apply them when composing their own music. Pupils in Year 5 showed sensitivity and thought in their music-making on the theme of weather. Their compositions were carefully constructed, conveying the chosen mood. Pupils in Year 2 have a good sense of rhythm, and can lead and copy quite complicated rhythms. They confidently clap rhythm and pulse sequences, sustaining each part accurately.

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MUSIC

44. Only a few lessons were seen during the inspection. The quality of teaching and learning in all of them was good or better. Teachers showed confidence with the subject, and ensured that sessions moved at a brisk pace with very clear learning objectives which were shared with the children at the start of the lesson. As a result, pupils were fully engaged at all times, and knew precisely what was expected of them. They clearly enjoyed the sessions, and showed very positive attitudes to their learning.

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MUSIC

45. The co-ordinator has worked hard and effectively to ensure that music is an integral part of school life. Pupils are taught all elements of the curriculum and the school is justifiably proud of their productions, visiting musicians, and participation in external events. A visit by five Asian musicians, oddly referring to themselves as a quartet, was thoroughly enjoyed by all and made an excellent contribution to pupils’ cultural development, albeit contributing rather less to their numeracy. The school choir is thriving and inspires other pupils to sing well. The co-ordinator shares her musical expertise with other teachers who are less confident, and this is reflected in the good improvement that there has been in music since the last inspection. Maryland Primary School - 35

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

46. Pupils at both key stages attain standards in physical education that are broadly in line with national expectations. By the end of Year 2, pupils have experienced all elements of the statutory curriculum, including dance and games. They are able to throw and catch a ball, play simple games and move in a co-ordinated manner to music. By the end of Year 6, pupils can play a wide range of simple games, including basketball and hockey. They work together well in lessons to produce quite complex dance sequences based on musical ideas. All pupils in Years 3 to 6 have swimming and most can swim 25 metres by the time they are eleven years old. Many of the pupils can swim further and have gained awards for their swimming. There is no significant difference in the progress made by boys or girls or by different groups of children. Attitudes to physical education are good. Pupils are keen to work together

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

in mixed gender and ethnic groups. They concentrate well in lessons and listen attentively to the teacher. Pupils behave well and many attend the after school clubs for a variety of sports and they enter local competitions, achieving much success.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

47. Teaching and learning across the school is satisfactory. Physical education lessons are usually well planned with clear objectives that are shared with the pupils. Teachers have good relationships with the pupils and expect a high standard of behaviour. In the best lessons, pupils are able to measure for themselves the progress that they make. For example, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils began by standing five paces apart and this progressed until they were ten paces apart. This enabled them to increase their skill in throwing and catching accurately. However, there were examples when teachers spent too much time explaining activities so pupils were insufficiently active during the lesson to maintain the beneficial effects of exercise.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

48. Physical education is well led and managed across the school. The co-ordinator is both keen and knowledgeable. She is fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject and has worked hard to use the expertise within the school to maintain the standards in physical education and to increase the learning opportunities for the pupils. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. There are many opportunities for the pupils to enter local competitions and success is celebrated. Local initiatives are also used well to raise standards in many aspects of physical education. Pupils’ involvement in after-school team sports contributes to their social development. Resources for physical education are sufficient and enable the subject to be taught appropriately. However, the accommodation is unsatisfactory for teaching gymnastics and dance and this inhibits the progress that

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

pupils are `able to make. The school halls are used as a thoroughfare and this means that lessons often have to be stopped while a class or individual children walk through during a lesson.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

49. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 attain standards in religious education that are broadly in line with those expected in the locally agreed syllabus and published guidelines. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand about the need for rules. They learn about other faiths and can make comparisons between them, for example when presents are given during religious festivals. By the end of Year 6, pupils have developed their knowledge sufficiently and understand about various practices in religious observance, such as the use of prayer mats by Muslims. They learn about religious leaders and their significance today. Pupils of all ages learn to be kind to one another and to respect beliefs that are different from their own. Pupils have a very positive attitude in religious education lessons and demonstrate that they are able to ask very mature questions of their friends who have different religious beliefs. This was

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

especially clear in a Year 5 religious education lesson where some of the pupils had brought in prayer beads and the pupils were sufficiently confident to ask relevant and appropriate questions of their classmates to deepen their own understanding.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

50. Overall, teaching and learning in religious education are satisfactory, with many good features. Teachers have good subject knowledge and ensure that the pupils are fully involved in the lessons. In the best lessons, the learning intentions are shared with the pupils and all are involved in the activities. Lessons are based on past work and teachers remind pupils of previous learning. In Year 6, literacy skills are reinforced when pupils are expected to write in a variety of styles. There are a few examples when teachers’ subject knowledge is insufficient and this hinders progress in religious education. For example, some pupils were unsure of the difference between a crucifix and a cross. Marking of children’s work is weak and does not give pupils any indication of what they could do to improve their work. Maryland Primary School - 36 51. The current co-ordinator for religious education has only been in post for a few weeks and is covering

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the subject until a permanent co-ordinator can be appointed. Nevertheless, she has a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject. Resources for teaching Year 6 have, for example, already been identified as needing replenishing. Collective worship and religious education make a significant contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils. The school provides many opportunities for children to explore the beliefs and cultures of others, and particularly the diverse range of heritages represented among pupils. It sets high expectations for pupils to understand and accept the differences and similarities of these beliefs and value the contribution made by everyone. Displays around the school are used well to reinforce knowledge and understanding and visitors, like the local minister, enrich the curriculum and the learning opportunities for all of the pupils. There has

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.

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