Woodgate Primary School

WOODGATE JUNIOR AND INFANT SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mr. Timothy R. Gill

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WOODGATE JUNIOR AND INFANT SCHOOL

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

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WOODGATE JUNIOR AND INFANT 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. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lutley Grove Bartley Green Birmingham.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. L. Franklin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22-26 September 1997 Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Timothy Gill Registered inspector Physical education What sort of school is this? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well does the school care for its pupils? -assessment. How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve? Catherine Dumbleton Lay inspector Pupils’ attitude, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Pauline Burton Team inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology Catherine Haslam Team inspector Foundation Stage History Music Eileen Leech Team inspector Mathematics and numeracy Religious education How well are the pupils taught? –needs of all pupils. How well is the school led and managed? governing body; strategic planning; best value. David Pritchard Team inspector English and literacy English as an additional language John Wright Team inspector Science

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Art and design Geography How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Equal opportunities. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Education and Library Service New Council Offices Earl Street Coventry CV1 5RS

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 6

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REPORT CONTENTS

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

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REPORT CONTENTS

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

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS? 18

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 21

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 23

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REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 24

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REPORT CONTENTS

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 27

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 33 Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 7

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Woodgate is a larger than average primary school serving an area that is socially and economically disadvantaged compared to other places nationally. It draws its pupils from backgrounds that are below the national socio-economic average. The school is bigger than most schools though the number of pupils on roll has been falling over a number of years and is now 341 pupils (156 girls and 185 boys). In some year groups there are far more boys than girls. The proportion of the pupils eligible for free school meals is 21.2% and this is slightly above the national average. The percentage of pupils speaking English as an additional language (1.4%) is a little higher than in most schools. The number of pupils identified as having special educational needs (14.9%), including those with statements, is below the national average. Seven pupils have statements of special educational need, which is above the national average. The attainment of the children on entry to

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Woodgate is an improving school. By the end of the reception year, most of the children are on target to achieve the early learning goals and a few have achieved elements of the first level of the National Curriculum in English and mathematics. Standards have risen significantly at Key Stage 1 over the last two years and standards reached by seven year olds are now at least similar to the national average and better than those found in schools serving a similar area. In Key Stage 2 standards are improving though they are still below average when the pupils leave at eleven. Teaching is satisfactory. The leadership and management of the recently appointed headteacher are effective. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What the school does well • The significant improvement in standards in English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 1, and the continued maintenance of those standards. • The good progress of pupils with special educational needs which results from the good teaching and support they receive. • The good management of pupils by members of staff which fosters good pupil behaviour in lessons and around the school. • Τ he good attitudes and personal development of pupils which helps them develop good relationships and effectively supports their learning. • The arrangements for child protection which are good and fully understood by staff. • The good provision for developing pupils’ personal, social and moral education. • Day and residential visits, together with links with the local and extended community, which enrich the pupils' learning.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What could be improved • Standards in English, mathematics, design and technology, information and communication technology and history at Key Stage 2, and of written presentation across the school. • The management and leadership roles of senior staff and teachers responsible for subjects. • The school’s monitoring of its own performance and the use of the information to increase effectiveness. • The challenge offered to the more able and the gifted and talented pupils. • The quality and consistent use of assessment in planning, setting targets, monitoring and tracking pupils. • Τ he allocation of time to parts of the curriculum in all key stages. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 8 Since the school was last inspected in September 1997 there has been satisfactory improvement. Standards in reading and writing improved well at Key Stage 1 and for seven year olds are now at least similar to those found nationally. Standards in these aspects have also improved at Key Stage 2 but the improvement has been less rapid in writing and standards by the age of 11 are unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching has improved. The amount of unsatisfactory teaching has been substantially reduced and an atmosphere that encourages learning is now evident in nearly all lessons. The use of day-to-day assessment has improved, particularly in Key Stage 1, but still needs improving in Key Stage 2. Pupils’ attendance has improved as a result of the good procedures the school effectively implements. Standards of attainment in design and technology and information and communication

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technology have improved. They are satisfactory at the age of seven, but at the age of 11 do not yet meet the required standards. In both subjects the school now follows the National Curriculum. The pupils’ cultural development is now satisfactory.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Over the last two years the performance of seven years olds has significantly improved considering that attainment was well below average in 1998. The results in 2000 were similar to those nationally in writing and mathematics and above average in reading. When compared with schools with a similar intake of pupils they were well above average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. Standards in lessons show that the improvement in performance has been maintained.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The results shown above are based on the attainment of last year’s 11 year olds. In 2000 the school’s results for the 11 year olds were not high enough. They were very low in comparison to those achieved by all schools nationally and by schools with a similar intake of pupils. Since 1998 there has been a gradual improvement in test results but less than the rate of improvement nationally so standards have not improved in comparison to those of schools nationally. Inspectors found that standards in lessons for this year’s 11 year olds were higher than those indicated by the 2000 test results. In science the work of the 11 year olds was in line with national expectations though this is not the case in English and mathematics. However, inspection evidence indicates that the results for 2001 should show a further improvement in mathematics, English and science. It also suggests, based on the current work of Years 3, 4 and 5, that this improvement should be maintained in future

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

years. The school’s statutory targets for 2001 are not challenging enough. However, the revised, unofficial targets the school has set itself of 75% in mathematics, 70% in English and 80% in science are realistic and suitably challenging.

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Attitudes to the school Good. The pupils are keen to learn. They like and respect their school. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 9 Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The pupils know the school’s rules well and respond positively to the school’s rewards and incentives. The school is orderly.

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Personal development and relationships Good. The pupils develop good relationships with each other and the staff and other adults in the school. They take on a range of responsibilities that assists the day-to-day running of the school.

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Attendance Improved but still below the national average. Effective strategies are in place that encourage attendance and follow up absences.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The pupils’ attitude to school is positive. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and taking part in school life. The school’s behaviour policy and the strategies used to ensure good behaviour are effective and evident in all aspects of school life. There have been three exclusions, none of which was permanent. From the reception class onwards the pupils have good relationships with each other and staff. Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are integrated well. Since the last inspection the school has worked hard to improve attendance with considerable success.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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

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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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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Teaching has improved overall since that last inspection with a 16 percent reduction in the amount of unsatisfactory teaching. Fifteen percent of teaching is very good, 29 percent is good, 49 percent is satisfactory and only seven percent is unsatisfactory. There was no poor teaching. The teaching of English and mathematics is good across both key stages. Teaching of art and science is good in Key Stage 2. Literacy and numeracy skills are effectively taught and the adoption of the national strategies is developing well. For most pupils the teaching is matched to their needs but there is a generally lack of a variety of planned tasks to stretch the more able and most able pupils particularly in Key Stage 2. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are met well.

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall. The curriculum is broad but lacks depth and balance in some areas. Not enough time is devoted to some parts of the curriculum at the Foundation Stage and at Key Stages 1 and 2. Visits, visitors and the use of the wider community enrich the curriculum well.

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The pupils are well supported by all staff, including an effective team of learning support assistants. The pupils make good progress.

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Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The pupils for whom English is an additional language do not require any additional support.

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Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and Good overall. Provision for moral and social development is good. Provision for spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 10 cultural development

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How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Child protection and care issues are dealt with well. Staff are caring.

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The curriculum provides the pupils with a broad range of experiences. The trying out of many new schemes of work at the start of this school year has meant that in some subjects, such as history, although the content has been covered satisfactorily there is a lack of sufficient depth and progressive development of those skills unique to the subject. Also, there is an inconsistent allocation of time to subjects. Teachers in a key stage, and sometimes within the same year group, do not allocate the same amounts of time for subjects. The use of assessment in planning the curriculum is unsatisfactory. In religious education the curriculum has not been matched with the Locally Agreed Syllabus to ensure compliance. Since the last inspection the provision for the pupils' cultural development has improved satisfactorily. The school has good links with parents and welcomes and encourages parents to help in the school and with school visits. Newsletters keep

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parents up-to-date with what is going on. The annual reports could be more informative: they lack detail about the pupils’ attainment in relation to the rest of the class and about what is required for further progress.

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Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The recently appointed headteacher provides effective leadership and management. He has already demonstrated clear vision, strategic thinking and planning. The roles of senior staff and many subject managers are under-developed.

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How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governors are fulfilling their statutory responsibilities and are supportive of the school. They are not involved enough in the formulation of the school’s improvement plan.

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The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. There has been no systematic review and monitoring of the school’s performance until very recently.

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The strategic use of resources Satisfactory.

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The new headteacher has made an effective start. The roles of senior staff and most subject managers do not include a systematic monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum, teaching and standards. The process of planning for school improvement and the plan itself which is a result of the process are both unsatisfactory. There is a good number of staff for the numbers of pupils; the staff are used well and generally effectively deployed. However, the number of unfilled subject managers’ posts has hindered the improvement in standards. Resources are generally satisfactory but are unsatisfactory in history, religious education and information and communication technology. Many of the library books are old and out of date. Subject managers have unsatisfactorily low budgets with which to improve resources. The allocation of time is insufficient to support the development of some subjects and is unsatisfactory. There are satisfactory procedures for ensuring

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The school is improving. • The headteacher has a high profile around • The range of extra-curricular activities for younger pupils. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 11 the school and is approachable. • The teachers are approachable. • Behaviour has improved and is good. • They are well informed about their child’s progress. • The children are proud of the school. • The level of challenge for more able children. • A closer working with parents. • More homework for their children.

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Inspection findings support the views of parents and carers on all except three of these issues. The school's reports do not give enough information about the progress and the standards which pupils have achieved; the school does work closely with parents; and homework is suitable and sufficient.

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1. Inspection evidence indicates that when the children enter school their attainment is average. The children make satisfactory progress in the reception class. Most show an understanding of ‘more’ and ‘less’, and ‘shorter’ and ‘longer’ and can count to 20. The more able securely count to 20 and can count on from a given number. They recognise patterns and most recognise shapes such as circles, squares and triangles. However, their application of number skills is less well developed. The children know a good range of initial sounds and the more able use these to build simple words. Most of the children write their name and form the letters accurately. They enjoy books and are able to use picture clues to predict events, as they did when, for example, they were following the story of Noah. Most of the children speak to adults confidently and use whole sentences when answering questions. By the end of the reception year, most of the children

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are on target to achieve the early learning goals and a few of the more able have achieved elements of level 1 of the National Curriculum in mathematics and English. Some children could achieve more in knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. They are well adjusted to the school’s routines and suitably prepared for their next class.

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2. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests the performance of the pupils aged seven was above average in reading and close to the national average in writing and mathematics. Teacher assessments in science indicated that the pupils’ attainment was above the national average. The percentage of the pupils who attained the higher level, level 3, was well above the national average in reading, above the national average in science and close to the national average in mathematics. When the overall results of pupils at the school are compared with the results of pupils in similar schools their performance was well above average in mathematics and reading and above average in writing. This good performance represents a considerable improvement in attainment over the last two years, considering that Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 12 attainment was well below average in 1998. Provisional data for 2001

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suggest that the good performance in 2000 has been broadly maintained.

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3. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests the percentage of pupils aged 11 attaining level 4 and above in English, mathematics and science was well below the national average in comparison with all schools. The picture was the same when the pupils’ performance was compared with similar schools. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher level (level 5) was also well below the national average. When the results of the pupils taking the test in 2000 are compared with the results they obtained as seven year olds in 1996, pupils’ attainment was still very low in comparison to the progress other pupils made nationally. When results are taken over the last three years, a similar picture emerges of attainment being well below the national average. However, from the very low point in 1998, there has been improvement, for example, in science results have risen by 30 percent in the last three years. In 2000 this improvement was sustained but was still

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slightly less than the improvement nationally. Information provided by the school and the inspection evidence indicate that there should be sustained and greater improvement in English and in mathematics in this year’s national tests and that standards in science are likely to be close to the national average. The statutory targets the school set for the overall performance in English and mathematics by the Year 6 pupils in 2001 are unsatisfactory and lack challenge. The revised targets are realistic and suitably challenging.

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4. In 2000 the performance of boys aged seven was better than that of boys nationally. A similar picture emerges with the performance of girls. However, the group of pupils tested was rather unusual in that, of that group of 38 pupils, there were 30 boys and only 8 girls. A comparison of the performance of girls in the school against the national picture is unreliable because of the disparity in the numbers of the pupils. By the age of 11 boys did less well than the girls and the performance of both boys and girls was below that of boys and girls in schools nationally.

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5. Lesson observations and work samples indicate that pupils aged seven are currently attaining average standards in English, mathematics and science. By the age of 11 pupils in Year 6 achieve below average standards in English and mathematics. In Years 3, 4 and 5 there is evidence that standards are improving and pupils are achieving the levels expected for their age. In these year groups the pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. The current group of Year 5 pupils appears to be on course to achieve standards that should be close to the national average. This improvement in performance in English and mathematics is in part due to the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies that have provided a much clearer structure to lessons, which move at a more suitable pace and provide greater challenge for pupils. The impact of these strategies has not been so great in Year 6 because of the difficulty of matching prior attainment to the

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expected programmes of work for 11 year olds. Overall however, achievement is satisfactory at both key stages. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 13 6. In English by the age of seven, the standards pupils achieve in lessons are in line with the national standards with some examples of good progress in reading and writing. The implementation of the literacy hour has had a good impact on developing the pupils’ understanding of how sounds form words (phonic skills) and this is evident in the improved standards of reading and their good spelling. The pupils use their phonic skills well to tackle unfamiliar words when reading. Handwriting is unsatisfactory. By the age of 11 pupils’ standards in reading, writing and spelling are below average. In Years 3, 4 and 5 standards are in line with national expectations. In these years the National Literacy Strategy is having a greater impact on the progress these

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pupils are making. In Year 6 many of the 11 year olds do not have a positive attitude to reading and this affects their progress. Also, a lack of opportunities for extended writing means these pupils are not practising, developing and refining their writing skills sufficiently to meet the required standards. Speaking and listening skills are in line with national expectations. Handwriting is unsatisfactory across Key Stage 2; the pupils have not developed a neat, joined up style. This results in the presentation of their work being unsatisfactory in other subjects.

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7. Literacy skills are used satisfactorily across the school. Poems are used to complement a science display about the weather at different seasons of the year and persuasive letters are written in history to argue against child labour. There are also other suitable examples of pupils' written work and captions to support a range of displays across the school.

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8. In mathematics by the age of seven the pupils achieve standards in lessons that are in line with national standards. Most pupils are able to recognise, count and order numbers to 100 and understand the place value of two digit numbers. They have good mental recall of adding and subtracting numbers to 20. More able pupils can confidently explain the strategies they are using for adding on 19. All pupils have a good appreciation of the pattern of number. The majority name and recognise shapes and are beginning to measure accurately. Some less able pupils are at an early stage of development in the measurement of time, length and capacity. By the age of 11, in Year 6, the standards achieved in some lessons and in their books are below average. Standards in mental calculations are average. Pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are confident in using the four operations of number and can apply these satisfactorily when solving problems. Pupils in Year 5 plot

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co-ordinates in all four quadrants, recording these well and their achievement is good. In Years 3, 4 and 5 progress is good. In Year 6 pupils reach average standards in measurement and shape and can estimate and measure well. They use decimals and percentages suitably and are secure when adding and subtracting numbers. However, many of the pupils in Year 6 cannot divide a three-digit number by a single digit. They are not confident in solving problems; some pupils still have difficulty remembering their multiplication tables. This affects the progress they make in lessons. Attainment is below average. Overall though, the pupils’ progress and achievements are satisfactory in mathematics. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 14 9. Pupils throughout the school use their numeracy and measurement skills confidently across the curriculum and this suitably enhances learning in other subjects. In science pupils accurately measure weight, capacity and

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temperature. In information and communication technology, they collect information and program this effectively to draw block graphs and pupils use their understanding of scale when studying maps in geography.

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10. In science by the age of seven the standards pupils achieve in lessons are in line with national standards. The pupils make careful observations, develop a suitable scientific vocabulary and record their results suitably and make simple comparisons. By the time they are 11, pupils achieve standards in lessons that are in line with national expectations. In Year 6 the attainment and progress of boys are better than those of girls. Pupils understand the need for a healthy lifestyle and they know that a balanced diet and exercise are key factors in achieving this. At both key stages pupils have not been doing as well in the experimental or investigative aspects of their work as they have in other areas of the science curriculum. This has been a focus of recent teaching and, by the age of 11, pupils can now decide how to plan, organise, undertake and evaluate an investigation with growing confidence.

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11. By the age of seven attainment is in line with national expectations in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, information and communication technology, music, and physical education. The progress the pupils make in these subjects is satisfactory.

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12. By the age of 11, attainment is in line with the national expectations in art and design, geography, music and physical education. Progress is satisfactory in those subjects. Attainment in design and technology is unsatisfactory because pupils do not have a sufficient knowledge and understanding of materials, components and control. In history attainment is unsatisfactory because not enough time is devoted to the subject. Pupils therefore, do not develop the essential skills of research and enquiry and this limits their progress. In information and communication technology the unsatisfactory attainment is due mainly to a lack of computers and the need to enhance the teachers’ skills in some aspects of the work.

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13. In religious education at both key stages the pupils meet the standards required by the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus in those aspects they are covering, but the new scheme has not yet been fully matched against the Agreed Syllabus.

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14. The standards attained by the more able pupils and the gifted and talented do not reflect their full potential. The progress of these pupils is not effectively monitored and tracked and this results in them being set work that is not sufficiently challenging.

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15. Pupils with English as an additional language make satisfactory progress in their learning. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 15 16. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in English and mathematics at both key stages and in physical education at Key Stage 1. Their progress is satisfactory in all other subjects. Their basic skills are developing satisfactorily through the very good support they receive and the opportunities there are for them to work together in small withdrawal groups.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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17. Pupils' attitudes to their learning are good. Most pupils arrive at school in good time, often accompanied by their parents. Teachers greet their pupils warmly when they collect them from the playground. The day starts calmly and with purpose. In lessons pupils generally settle quickly and are keen to work. They show interest, listen attentively and concentrate well. They are eager to play an active part in the lesson by answering questions and engaging in a range of activities and tasks. All pupils try hard, as was the case with a group of Year 2 special educational needs pupils withdrawn for additional literacy support. They enjoyed the challenge and stimulation of the tasks and were delighted when they succeeded in identifying groups of rhyming words. Their enthusiasm was such that they were sorry when the session ends. Pupils are confident in talking to adults about their work and

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other issues. The pupils like school and their teachers and this has a positive impact on their learning.

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18. Behaviour is good throughout the school. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils are polite to each other and to adults. They are helpful to visitors. The pupils have a good awareness of the school’s expectations for good behaviour and know their classroom rules and systems of rewards and the consequences. Teachers are skilful in managing pupils’ behaviour and sensitive situations. The behaviour policy, including the use of rewards, is evident in the consistent practice across classes. Pupils try hard to win the good behaviour awards. In practical lessons such as physical education, pupils work calmly with apparatus ensuring there is no danger to themselves or others. The school buildings and site are well looked after and cared for. Pupils in all years take part in environmental projects that raise their awareness of their very pleasant surroundings. In the last school year there were no permanent exclusions. The incidence of fixed term exclusion is low

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but when this does occur, good arrangements, which fully involve parents, support the pupil’s reintegration. The parents are positive in their view of behaviour at the school.

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19. The pupils work in an atmosphere where they do not feel worried, concerned or intimidated by the behaviour of other pupils. Parents feel that the incidence of bullying is much improved. There was no evidence of bullying during the inspection. Pupils are actively encouraged to talk to an adult if they have concerns and they are confident that they will be listened to and suitable action taken. Teachers monitor their pupils effectively and do their utmost to ensure that no child is unhappy. All the staff promote positive role models. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 16 20. Pupils’ personal development is good. They relate well to adults and to other pupils in their class groups. Pupils generally like to help each other. In mathematics, mixed ability pairs help each other well in certain group activities. Other pupils support and encourage the pupils with special educational needs when they are experiencing difficulties. Pupils with

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special educational needs work well together. Some pupils play with and assist the children in the reception class. Some take on responsibility for tasks around the school, such as assisting in the dining hall at lunchtime and acting as monitors and carry out their duties effectively. These and other duties suitably assist with the day-to-day life and organisation of the school. Pupils of all ages help organise resources and clear away at the end of lessons. They handle items with care and respect. This was evident when Year 2 pupils visited the local parish church and were allowed to try on and touch vestments and other religious artefacts. Other children were also observed on visits out of school; the way in which they conducted themselves and co-operated with teachers made them very worthy ambassadors of the school. There are not enough planned times for all pupils, especially the more able pupils, to show initiative in their work and

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take a greater responsibility for planning it.

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21. Relationships amongst pupils, teachers, and other adults involved with the school are good. Pupils from other ethnic backgrounds and pupils with special educational and physical needs play and work well together. Pupils respect differences, including the feelings, values and beliefs of others. They are able to reflect satisfactorily on their actions and the impact they may have on others. For example, in the Key Stage 2 playground, a pupil voluntarily came forward to explain to the supervising teacher a misunderstanding and apologised to the other pupil involved. They listen and respect the views of others even though they may differ from their own. The way in which teachers show and encourage respect has a positive impact on the pupils’ personal development and learning.

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22. Since the last inspection, the school has significantly improved its level of overall attendance. Unauthorised absence is below the national average and lateness has improved. This has been achieved through a number of good strategies. Certificates are awarded in assembly for improved pupil attendance. Weekly class attendance is monitored and charted, and the classes with the best attendance are awarded points towards a class prize. Absences are usually followed up on the first day. Attendance data are closely analysed by the school and its education welfare officer. Although attendance is still below the national average, the school is taking good measures to improve it.

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23. Since the last inspection there has been a significant improvement in the overall quality of teaching. In 93 percent of lessons teaching is satisfactory Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 17 or better, with 15 percent of lessons judged to be very good, 29 percent good and 49 percent satisfactory. Only seven percent of teaching was unsatisfactory compared to nearly 23 percent last time. There was no poor teaching.

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24. Across the school there has been a significant number of improvements since the last inspection. Teachers now clearly identify the objectives for the lesson and explain them to the pupils. There is a suitable pace to most lessons, though in some lessons, such as a gym lesson, too much time was spent on demonstrations and this meant the quality of learning was satisfactory rather than good. There are well-established classroom routines. There is a good work ethic. The management of pupils is consistently good and has a positive impact on their learning. The school’s rules are applied in a positive way which helps the pupils to maintain their self-esteem and interest in their work and sustain their concentration. A feature of some of the very good teaching, such as in a Year 5 mathematics lesson, is the way the teacher tells the pupils about the time allowed for the tasks. This promotes concentration and a greater effort by the pupils who

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are excited and well motivated. In Year 5, pupils are given individual targets for their learning in writing. However, these last two good features are not consistently in place across the key stage.

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25. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is always satisfactory and sometimes good. Learning objectives are clear. The teachers’ knowledge and understanding are good. The children are well managed. The teachers plan a suitable range of activities to carefully meet the needs of the children. Teachers use questioning and demonstration well, involving the children suitably and supporting them in their learning. The teaching of basic skills is good. Children with special educational needs are identified at an early stage and are suitably supported. In the teachers’ planning and the allocation of time, there is too great an emphasis on literacy and numeracy; the work in these areas is also inclined to be rather formal with too few occasions for the pupils to initiate activities and to apply their knowledge and skills, thereby furthering their learning. This over-emphasis on numeracy and literacy also reduces the amount of time available for teaching other

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areas of the curriculum, such as knowledge and the understanding of the world. In creative development there are too few planned times for the children to use play as a key part of their learning experience, and an over emphasis on structure and adult direction.

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26. At Key Stage 1 the standard of teaching is satisfactory overall. It is good in English and satisfactory in all other subjects other than music and religious education where there was not enough evidence to make a secure judgement. When teaching is good, teachers plan with confidence, lesson objectives are used well to focus the teaching and learning, and teachers are secure in the subject knowledge they are delivering. A small amount of unsatisfactory teaching was also seen. Much of this was the result of a teacher following another teacher’s lesson planning at very short notice. This teaching lacked focus, the pupils lost interest and much time was spent Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 18 on behaviour modification rather than teaching. Other unsatisfactory teaching was due to a lack of focus and pace in the lesson. These aspects limited the pupils’ learning and the progress they made. At Key Stage 2,

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teaching is satisfactory but with a greater proportion of good features. Standards of teaching and learning overall are good in English, mathematics and science and satisfactory in all the other subjects. In a good geography lesson the teacher helped the pupils to discover key facts rather than telling them. Unsatisfactory teaching in a mathematics lesson was due to the lesson objectives not being taught with sufficient rigour. Too much time was spent on group maintenance; the pupils’ learning did not progress and the objectives of the lesson were not met. In other unsatisfactory lessons too much time was spent on managing the lessons and the pupils’ behaviour and rate of progress were not good enough. In some numeracy lessons, at both key stages, the work moves at a good pace for most of the lesson but it slows in the mental activities which, although satisfactory, could be delivered with more speed to keep the pupils actively involved.

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27. At both key stages, the work is usually suitable and meets the needs of most of the pupils including those with English as an additional language. However, with the exception of English and some aspects of mathematics teaching, there is a generally a lack of a variety of planned tasks to challenge the more able pupils. This is particularly evident at Key Stage 2, where, for example, there is a lack of planned times for the more able pupils to develop their thinking and understanding as well as showing initiative through extended pieces of writing in subjects such as, history and geography.

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28. The teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and the subjects they teach are generally satisfactory with the exception of information and communication technology and design and technology, where their knowledge and skills in some aspects of the subject are unsatisfactory. Their lack of confidence and depth of understanding in these subjects mean the teachers are unable to support the pupils’ progress as well as they might. Teachers have adopted the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies successfully and these are proving effective in raising achievement and the quality of learning, particularly in Years 3, 4 and 5. In literacy and numeracy lessons the teaching of basic skills is at least satisfactory and often good. At Key Stage 1 pupils get suitable feedback about their progress and day-to-day assessment is satisfactory. At Key Stage 2, apart from in English, mathematics and science, day-to-day

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assessment is unsatisfactory. The impact of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies can be clearly seen in the way that regular assessment is being used in an increasingly effective way to build on what pupils know when the teachers are planning lessons. Across the school the quality of marking is unsatisfactory. Although there are a few examples of good practice in which the teacher’s comments help the pupils to set targets and know how they can make further improvement, most marking is limited to correcting literacy and numeracy errors and ends with a general comment, such as, “Good.” It rarely relates to either the objectives set in the lesson or to particular aspects Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 19 of the work. Although most teachers have suitable expectations of the content of the pupils’ work not enough attention is paid to presentation and handwriting. This is unsatisfactory and results in pupils not taking pride in

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their written work. Resources are generally used suitably to support learning but the use of information and communication technology is limited, although there are examples of good practice in supporting the learning of pupils with special educational needs as well as in literacy and art. Homework is set regularly and suitably supports the pupils’ learning.

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29. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good; there is some very good teaching in the withdrawal groups. This results in good progress being made in the development of the pupils’ basic skills. The special educational needs co-ordinator is effective and knowledgeable in her understanding of both the pupils' needs and of the programmes of work to enable them to achieve their targets. Resources are accessible and support learning well. These have been meticulously prepared and every opportunity to use information and communication technology is explored. This improves learning and progress, and the pupils are motivated when using the lap-top computer. Planning both for the withdrawal groups and in lessons is effective and reflects the targets in the individual education plans. Support for pupils with special educational needs in lessons is very effective. The team of learning support assistants work closely with the special

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educational needs co-ordinator and the class teachers, to ensure that the particular needs of these pupils are catered for. Very good practice was observed across the curriculum when learning support assistants were used, for example, to reinforce the class teacher’s explanations and instructions and intervene discreetly in whole class plenary sessions during literacy and numeracy lessons. The pupils’ learning is effectively assessed, evaluated and recorded during each lesson. The outcomes are shared with the co- ordinator who then tracks pupils’ progress against the targets on the individual education plans ready for the termly reviews.

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

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30. The curriculum provides pupils with a broad range of opportunities for learning. It includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education and gives suitable emphasis to the national strategies for literacy and numeracy and these strategies are the reason for the rising trend of pupil standards in these subjects.

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31. In the Foundation Stage the amount of time given to knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development, physical development and personal, social and emotional development is not enough. Teachers in a key stage, and sometimes within the same age group, do not allocate the same amount of time for subjects each week. This means that pupils in similar classes have very different amounts of time to learn the same subject Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 20 during a year. The curriculum is therefore unbalanced and does not help the pupils to learn as much as they could.

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32. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular opportunities for older pupils, especially in the areas of sport and music but it is unsatisfactory for younger pupils.

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33. The school organises lessons in geography, design and technology and health education so that pupils to spend most of a week studying key aspects of these subjects to enable a depth of experience and understanding. In support of teaching and learning across many subjects, the school provides pupils with a variety of carefully chosen day and residential visits in the local and extended community. Teaching and learning links with the community are furthered by a range of visitors who are invited into school, often on a regular basis, to work with pupils. The school also involves pupils in local and national projects. These include links with the local Careers and Education Partnership, the Safer Routes to School Project, the Technology Tree and the nationally sponsored Valued Youth Project. All of these have been carefully chosen to support the pupils’ learning. This breadth of curriculum provision is a strength of the school and

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provides a strong sense of relevance to the pupils’ learning.

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34. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The pupils are withdrawn by the special educational needs co-ordinator each week to work individually or in small groups. These pupils benefit from a curriculum that is well designed to meet their very particular needs. The curriculum for these pupils is further enhanced through the provision of good quality resources which are used well both in withdrawal groups and in lessons. The requirements noted on the statements of special educational need are fully implemented and help these pupils to access the full curriculum more successfully.

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35. The curriculum meets statutory requirements for all subjects included in the National Curriculum. However, it does not meet the requirements for religious education where the adoption of the government’s scheme of work resulted in the school not matching the new scheme against the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus.

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36. The decision to trial the government’s schemes of work in many subjects at the beginning of this academic year has meant that teachers have had to tackle the new content of these schemes all at the same time. This has resulted in teachers covering the subject content, but sometimes not at enough depth to enable the more able pupils and the gifted and talented to realise their full potential in their learning. As yet, the skills that are unique to each subject and which the pupils need to complete their work with the best chance of success have not been progressively identified in all subjects.

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37. In many subjects the lack of planned activities for the most able pupils results in these pupils not always working to their full potential and this is a Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 21 reason why fewer pupils reach the higher standards, especially at the age 11, than is the case nationally. The school is aware of this issue and has suitable plans to address this situation as part of its strategy to raise the general level of attainment at age 11.

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38. There are good links with the local secondary school to which most pupils go after their time at Woodgate. The “Moving On Up” programme for Year 6 pupils is a good example of these links as it helps pupils to prepare for their transition to secondary education. Another example of the close links with the local secondary school is the help offered to Key Stage 2 teachers when undertaking specialist aspects of the curriculum. Pupils in Year 6 have worked with a secondary science teacher in their specialist accommodation to undertake practical work in support of their learning about electricity and this has been beneficial to their learning.

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39. The breadth of the curriculum is further enhanced through its good provision for personal, social and moral education which is delivered through specific lessons in some classes and through circle time in others. Statutory requirements relating to sex and relationship education, and drugs education are met. These are incorporated into health education to provide curriculum richness. This helps pupils develop a healthy, safer lifestyle, especially at Key Stage 2. Effective use is made of the school nurse when teaching relevant aspects in these important areas.

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40. The structured personal, social and moral education programme is also helping pupils at both key stages to develop confidence in making the most of their abilities. Effective teaching helps pupils to recognise their achievements, but the practice of helping pupils to set personal targets is not consistently developed across all classes. This programme also helps pupils begin to understand their role as a citizen. The school does much to involve pupils in the immediate community, whilst understanding that this is part of the wider national and international community. Pupils realise that they have a responsibility to the local community and demonstrate this well with work for charity and by endeavouring to keep the school environment attractive and in good order.

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41. Even the youngest pupils understand the difference between right and wrong. All pupils know and understand the school’s behaviour code and its expectations and appreciate why they need to follow this code for the benefit of all.

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42. An issue from the last inspection report was that the cultural education of the pupils was under-developed. This is no longer the case, and pupils are introduced to a range of past and present cultures through their work in history, geography, art, music, dance and religious education. Much of this effective work is further enhanced by the biennial European and world weeks when classes study a country in depth which is different to their own. At this time, the reception class focuses on Great Britain and becomes a little more aware of what is outside of the immediate locality. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 22 43. The pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Teachers use special events to help pupils to focus on the value and importance of such events, and the beliefs that support them. Older pupils are actively learning about such ideas in more structured ways, especially in religious education.

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Collective worship is held daily and meets the requirements for such occasions by providing pupils with well planned opportunities to reflect on carefully chosen and relevant themes. The use of carefully selected visitors and the provision of time to celebrate the pupils’ individual and group achievement add to the value of such occasions.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

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44. The school’s care for its pupils is good. Teachers know the pupils well. Through the curriculum and more informal occasions, the pupils are encouraged and supported to become increasingly independent in caring for themselves and making the right choices. The pupils are effectively supervised throughout the day and on visits out of school. Parents are positive about how the school cares for their children.

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45. The school meets the statutory requirements in its provision for special educational needs. This is good and a strength of the school. Contacts with external agencies are good. The designated teacher from the Local Education Authority Pupil and School Support Services visits weekly and has a good overview of the needs of the school. Visiting teachers also give effective support. Good procedures are in place to ensure the early identification of pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans and the targets are clear. The school has also been part of the Bartley Green Intervention Project and the good additional support received by a group of pupils resulted in an improvement in reading ages of over two years by some pupils.

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46. Day-to-day practices to ensure pupils’ welfare are good. Pupils feeling unwell are well monitored and cared for. Suitable care is taken in practical lessons to ensure pupils’ safety and raise awareness of their personal safety. Other areas of the curriculum are also effectively used to reinforce key safety points. For example, in a Year 4 science lesson the dangers of mains electricity were explored and structured discussion showed that the pupils had understood the key safety points about using electricity in the home. Out of school visits are also well and effectively used to consolidate the “rules of the road” for younger pupils.

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47. Arrangements for the protection of children are good. Where necessary the school works closely with other agencies. Staff at all levels are aware of the school’s procedures.

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48. The school’s measures to promote attendance are good. The school secretary who is responsible for the electronic processing of data Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 23 conscientiously monitors attendance. The data is analysed by the headteacher and much time and effort is put into following up unexplained absences. The education welfare officer visits the school regularly and gives effective support. A good range of strategies is used to encourage pupils’ attendance. These include published charts, weekly awards for the best classes, letters to parents recognising improved attendance and individual certificates each half term. Incidences of lateness are monitored and suitably followed up. Some teachers do not follow the procedures promptly for the completion of absence sheets. This results in the electronic system automatically generating and producing letters to parents when not needed.

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49. The school has good ways of promoting good behaviour. Suitable classroom rules are negotiated with pupils. Pupils fully understand how they are expected to behave. In all years they place great value on the rewards and sanctions that are consistently and fairly applied by teachers. Teachers handle occasional instances of challenging behaviour skilfully and the potential for disruption in lessons is minimised. The assertive discipline programme has recently been effectively reviewed to make it more meaningful to those pupils who wish to put it to the test. The school is intolerant of all forms of harassment. There are suitable procedures for recording and following up any incidents. Parents rightly feel that incidents of bullying are dealt with promptly.

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50. The school has a well developed assessment policy but it is not fully implemented. In practice, the overall monitoring of pupils’ academic performance is unsatisfactory . Although there is good practice developing in literacy and numeracy, where assessment is clearly informing planning, it is not systematically developed in other subjects. Just how powerful a tool this can be is evident in Year 6 where, over the last two terms, the effective assessment of pupils’ learning in science and the resulting carefully planned, targeted work has produced a considerable improvement in standards. Where testing goes on annually at Key Stage 2, the results and their use have been mainly confined to within the class that did the tests. The results have been used generally as an aid in deciding pupil groupings within the class and to help report writing. No systematic use has been made of the records to monitor and track pupils’ performance through the year, across

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the years and across the key stages. A similar picture is evident at Key Stage 1. For example, pupils’ assessment records when they enter school make predictions about their performance at the age of seven. However, this information has not been used to either monitor the pupils’ progress through Key Stage 1 or at the end of the key stage. It has not been used either to improve teachers’ planning to ensure all pupils reach their potential, or to identify trends over time.

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51. The school has not used the statutory test results at the end of Key Stage 1 either to predict and track pupils’ performance into Key Stage 2 or to focus on particular groups of pupils who have the potential to succeed with better focused teaching and suitably differentiated work. Consequently, teachers do not have a clear view of what individual pupils have achieved over time Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 24 and are not identifying the more able pupils effectively to ensure they reach the standards of which they are capable. This is clearly evident in the small number of pupils who achieved the higher level, 5, at the end of Key Stage 2, for the last three years. The new headteacher is aware of these weaknesses and is in the process of putting a number of suitable measures in place. These include the development of individual pupil profiles that will identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and what they need to learn next.

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52. Although work is marked regularly, comments do not consistently focus on where the pupils have succeeded and what the pupils need to do to improve, nor on the setting of targets for the next piece of work.

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53. The annual reports to parents lack detail about their child’s performance in relation to other pupils in the class and give insufficient detail about progress. It is therefore not as useful as it could be. The well established system of teacher, parent and pupil target setting evenings are of considerable value in agreeing general targets for improvement and of involving parents in their children’s progress. Plans to make the targets more specific to the individual pupils are a sound development .

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

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54. Parents are positive about the work of the school and their contacts with the school. Parents rightly see the school as improving. They find teachers approachable and helpful. Their overall level of satisfaction is good.

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55. The school has established good links with parents. The school values its parents and the contribution they make to the school and their children’s learning. The school offers day-to-day opportunities for informal discussion in addition to the more formal occasions. Parents of infant and junior school children can wait with their child in the playground before the start of school. It is often at this time that parents take the opportunity to impart information about their child. Relationships are relaxed and where necessary, teachers offer reassurance. Teachers are available at the end of each school day for more lengthy discussions. The school welcomes and encourages parents to act as classroom helpers and to assist in out of school visits. Staff are highly supportive of the work of the hardworking Friends and Parents of Woodgate School Association and are grateful for their generous contributions to the

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school, such as bicycles for reception. Since his arrival the new headteacher has sought the views of parents through meetings held on the same day at different times in order to provide greater opportunities for parents to attend.

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56. Parents’ impact on the work of the school is good. Parents value the target setting evening which takes place each year. Early contact is made with parents when concerns arise and the parents are closely involved if a behaviour contract has to be drawn up. Unfortunately, some parents do not Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 25 ensure that their child attends school regularly and this hinders the progress of their child.

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57. Parents of pupils with special educational are involved very effectively in the identification of the provision and support needed for their children. Parents have open access to the co-ordinator and are encouraged to contribute to the pupil’s review whenever possible. Progress is also discussed at the three parents’ evenings each year.

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58. The school provides parents with a suitable range of information. Parents and carers are regularly consulted about matters relating to the curriculum. Each term they receive a newsletter containing useful information about work in all subjects to help them to support their children. The school prospectus is a well produced booklet which provides a comprehensive range of helpful and reassuring information for new parents. A range of helpful letters and other communications tell parents about the life of the school and forthcoming events. Information evenings have been held on standard attainment tests and numeracy as well as parents’ evenings and the annual target setting meeting. Written reports on progress include the date of the parents’ evening when the report can be discussed. The progress reports provide good information about what pupils can do, but do not include subject specific targets for improvement or information about how

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well their children are doing in relation to the average for their class.

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59. Parents make a good contribution to their child’s learning at school and at home. They support homework and hear their child read at home. Many parents purchase books to encourage their child’s interest in reading and some take their child to the local library. Parents’ evenings are well attended and great value is placed on the target setting evening. A small number of parents regularly help in school but others assist with out of school visits. There is a very hardworking committee, the Friends and Parents of Woodgate School, which organises an extensive range of social and fundraising events that receive good support from parents. This year the school has benefited from new books, tables and benches, bicycles for reception children and an over-head projector for each hall.

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60. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The headteacher has only been in post for two terms but during this period of time he has shown his leadership and management to be effective. His initial analysis of the needs of the school is good. He monitors standards and has already taken effective action to improve the standards in Year 6, together with his proposals and action in developing the roles of the key members of staff and the subject managers, show clear vision and strategic thinking and planning. The staff, governors and parents have confidence in him. There is a good shared commitment to improve and they have the capacity to do so. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 26 61. The management team and subject managers are keen, enthusiastic and knowledgeable but their roles are under-developed and unsatisfactory overall. The management team has not had a delegated role in the

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systematic monitoring of trends, standards and teaching. Consequently, they have not had enough impact on raising standards. Although most subject managers have varying degrees of involvement in looking at other teachers’ planning their effectiveness in offering subject guidance is limited as little time is made available to do this. Most subject managers do not monitor the implementation of planning, standards and teaching in their curriculum area. The increasingly effective role of the subject managers in numeracy and literacy provides a good model for future developments. The failure to fill vacant subject manager posts, such as in history, religious education and the Key Stage 2 manager for physical education, has hindered the improvement in standards and the development of these subjects. However, this will shortly be addressed by the headteacher following his review of teachers’ roles and responsibilities as part of

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62. The management of special educational needs is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator is very effective and she has achieved much to ensure that there has been considerable improvement since the last inspection. Over the last three years she has ensured that the statementing of pupils is achieved in the shortest possible time. She has also ensured that the school has developed good relationships with other agencies and that the resources to support the teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs are satisfactory. As a result of her hard work, the number of pupils on the special educational needs register has steadily decreased. Training for teachers and learning support assistants has been extensive and effective. This includes the use of information and communication technology and developing phonological awareness to aid the teaching of reading. As a result, the team of support assistants is knowledgeable and

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confident. They work together very well as a team. Each teacher is appropriately released from his or her class responsibility for forty-five minutes each term to review the progress of their pupils with special educational needs and to update the pupil’s individual education plans. This ensures that both the teacher and the co-ordinator have a good, shared perception of the needs of the pupils and of their targets.

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63. The support for pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. The school complies with equal opportunities requirements and the pupils enjoy equality of access to the curriculum. However, provision for the most able and the gifted and talented pupils is underdeveloped and unsatisfactory.

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64. The 2001 statutory targets the school has set for 55 percent of 11 year olds to achieve the expected level or above in English and mathematics are not challenging enough. They are not based on a realistic assessment of what Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 27 the pupils are capable. Until recently, the analysis of what the pupils could do on entry to school and the percentage attaining the higher level 2 or above at the end of Key Stage 1, had not been used to monitor or measure progress or set targets for those pupils at Key Stage 2. No systematic analysis had taken place to review the performance of groups who may be under-achieving, such as the more able pupils. Until last term, the information from previous standard attainment tests at the end of Key Stage 2 had not been analysed to see why the pupils were consistently failing and how this could be put right. Since then the gaps in Year 6 pupils’ knowledge

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and understanding have been clearly identified and taught to. The pupils have been better prepared for the examination conditions. The unofficial targets for 2001 the school has set itself, 75 percent in mathematics, 70 percent in English and 80 percent in science are realistic and suitably challenging.

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65. The school’s aims are wide and whilst placing due emphasis on personal development they do not focus enough on pupils’ achievement. The current school development plan is wide ranging but lacks clear measurable success criteria and how those success criteria will improve standards. It also lacks costings and the deployment of the necessary resources. It is not an effective improvement plan. The governors are not involved enough in the process of improvement planning. The chair of governors and the new headteacher accept the need to improve this aspect of the management of the school. Plans are already in place to ensure that the governors are consulted about the school’s priorities so that they are able to contribute to the process of action planning.

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66. The governors are fulfilling their statutory responsibilities effectively and are supportive of the school. The chair of governors is experienced and she gives good leadership in meetings, which are effectively managed. The governors’ committee structure is satisfactory and terms of reference are clear. Most governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and they accept that there is an urgent need to monitor and raise standards in English, mathematics and science especially at Key Stage 2. The link governor for literacy and numeracy is well informed and has attended training with subject managers on the implementation of the national strategies. He has observed some literacy and numeracy lessons in the school and has helped evaluate them with the teachers.

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67. The finance committee has managed the school resources suitably in the context of falling rolls at the school and is aware of the need to be more proactive in committing expenditure to support the school’s priorities. Systems for monitoring the outcomes of expenditure are also under- developed and there has been no evaluation of spending in relation to the standards attained by the pupils. The governing body is aware of the principles of best value. Formal tenders are invited for building maintenance and are carefully analysed by both the premises and finance committees. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 28 68. Additional grants and donations to the school are allocated suitably to support the work of the school. Funding for pupils with special educational needs is used effectively to enhance teaching and learning by the use of the very effective additional learning support assistants. The link governor who

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works well with the school co-ordinator monitors the provision for pupils with special educational needs effectively.

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69. The day-to-day management of resources is effective. The systems for financial control are very good and the school has responded to all of the recommendations in the last financial audit. The administrative assistants have very good practice in financial management and there are effective procedures in place for the purchase, payment and control of stock. The school manages its own bank account and all statements are properly reconciled with expenditure. The unofficial school funds are properly maintained and independently verified.

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70. The school has a suitable match of staff and expertise to the demands of the curriculum but, the lack of some subject manages for some subjects has a negative effect on pupil standards. There is a comprehensive staff handbook that outlines expectations and procedures for key elements of the school’s organisation and management. Most staff have been supported in their teaching through professional development. Increasingly good use is being made of such opportunities and they are now being targeted more suitably towards the priorities of school improvement plan. The induction of newly qualified teachers is good.

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71. Although the premises are well maintained and spacious, and generally support the teaching and learning satisfactorily, the lack of running water is limiting certain essential activities. This can also create a hazard when water is spilt between the tap and the classroom, especially on well-polished floors. There is no specialist accommodation for music and as a result resources have to be moved around the school making it difficult to monitor and maintain them. The governors’ premises committee is currently working effectively to secure the installation of additional computers for the school to enhance opportunities for teaching and learning.

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72. The accommodation is generally well maintained and decorated. It is kept very clean by an attentive cleaning staff. The school grounds are also kept in good order, are litter free, and they have benefited from the development of the climbing and play apparatus at Key Stage 1 and the trim trail at Key Stage 2. Displays in the school are used well to celebrate pupil achievement, set standards, provide essential reference material and inspire the pupils.

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73. Resources are generally satisfactory in terms of quality and sufficiency for all subjects at both key stages with the exception of history, religious education, and information and communication technology. Resources in English are very good and are used well to support the National Literacy Strategy. The libraries at both key stages have benefited from refurbishment. They are Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 29 inviting areas which are well organised but as yet there is little evidence of their effectiveness in terms of the impact on pupils’ independent learning. The library stock of fiction and non-fiction books is sufficient in terms of the number of books available but many of the books are out of date and in need of replacement. Some curriculum subjects are under-represented and this low stock level does not support the development of the pupils’ independent research skills. Neither library has a computer and therefore does not make

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use of the potential that the Internet has for supporting independent research by pupils at both key stages. Good use is made of the local Schools’ Library Service project collections to support teaching and learning. The current provision for outdoor play in the Foundation Stage is not of a good standard. The hard play area is barely adequate and is uneven. There is also a lack of suitable storage for large play apparatus.

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74. Overall, the achievements of the pupils are satisfactory and there is good evidence that standards are improving in English, mathematics and science at Key Stage 2. All pupils have good attitudes to their learning. Teaching has improved since the last inspection and most pupils are making the progress expected in their learning. The curriculum is appropriate and all pupils are able to access this through good quality support and sound teaching. The school has made some improvement since its last inspection and provides satisfactory value for money.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

75. In order to improve the pupils’ attainment and progress the governors, headteacher and staff should: raise standards: • at Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics, design and technology, information and communication technology and history so that they are at least in line with those nationally; (paras. 6, 8, 91, 94, 109, 142, 160, 166) • of written presentation throughout the school. (paras. 6, 95, 118, 127, 153, 160)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

improve the quality of management and leadership by developing: • the roles of the senior managers, especially in the areas of monitoring and evaluation of attainment to better identify trends, strengths and weaknesses to improve the school’s effectiveness and raise standards; (para. 61) • the roles and effectiveness of subject managers in the monitoring and evaluation of teachers’ planning, pupils’ work, standards, teaching; (paras. 61, 139, 149, 157, 165, 174, 191, 199) • the process and quality of school improvement planning to ensure that priorities are better supported through the school’s financial planning and that success criteria are more clearly focused and measurable; (para. 65) Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 30 enhance the quality of learning and teaching by: • improving differentiation in lessons to identify and provide suitable work for all pupils, including the more able and gifted and talented;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paras. 6, 14, 28, 36, 37, 153, 160, 161, 197) • identifying good practice and ensuring its adoption across the school; (paras. 24, 124, 148, 155) • ensuring a sufficient and consistent allocation of time for each subject in the Foundation Stage, within year groups and across key stages; (paras. 12, 31, 78, 164, 182, 193, 197)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

improve the quality of assessment to ensure that: • appropriate and sufficiently challenging targets are set for all pupils; (paras. 51, 58, 64) • the outcomes of assessment are used consistently to inform teachers’ planning across all subjects; (paras. 50, 132, 163, 170) • pupils’ progress is tracked systematically throughout the school. (paras. 14, 51)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition the governors should consider the following weaknesses for inclusion in their action plan; • improve the quality and usefulness of marking; (paras. 28, 52, 131) • ensure the new scheme for religious education is fully matched to the Locally Agreed Syllabus; (paras. 13, 35, 194) • provide suitable staff training to ensure the better implementation of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority schemes; (paras. 36, 141, 146, 171) • improve the outdoor facilities for physical activities for pupils in the Foundation Stage; (paras. 73, 88) • improve the range and quality of books in the library; (para. 73, 100, 164) • continue to improve learning resources in subjects where there are weaknesses; (paras. 73, 166, 185, 197) • provide running water for all classes. (para. 71) Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 31

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 43

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

0 15 29 49 7 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 341

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 73

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 51

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 28

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 39

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 32 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 30 8 38

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 26 26 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 8

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 89 (78 ) 89 ( 76) 95 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 ( 83 ) 90 (87)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 26 28 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 8

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 89 (80 ) 95 (84) 95 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 26 33 59

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 13 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 18 24

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 53 (49) 53 (47) 71 (52) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 11 13 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 22 18 24

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 56 (56) 58 (57) 71 (61) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 33 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 4 Black – Caribbean heritage

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Any other minority ethnic group 19 Other minority ethnic groups 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.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18 Financial year 2001

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.9

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: Y R – Y6 Total expenditure 790327

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 2297.5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 169 Balance brought forward from previous year

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 9982 Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 34 Results of the survey of parents and carers

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of responses in each category

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child is making good progress in school. 62 38 0 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 42 5 1 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 42 13 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 38 8 1 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 28 4 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 26 3 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school works closely with parents. 49 39 11 1 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is well led and managed. 59 32 4 2 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 55 37 5 3 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 51 31 0 4 14

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is improving. The parents are supportive of the school and what it is doing. There is support for, and an understanding of the school’s behaviour policy. Behaviour has significantly improved and good behaviour is now rewarded. The pupils have pride in their school and like going to school. The teachers are accessible and always helpful and problems are acted upon. The headteacher has a high profile around the school and is approachable. There was a general feeling that, although there was a good range of after school activities for older pupils, there was a lack of activities for younger pupils. It was also felt that more able pupils could be ‘pushed’ more. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 35

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

76. Most children have had some pre-school experience before they enter the reception class, but it is often limited. There are satisfactory links with the playgroup and a useful transfer of relevant information takes place, for example in relation to special educational needs.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

77. Children enter reception with broadly average levels of attainment. They make satisfactory progress throughout the reception year.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

78. By the end of reception, almost all children attain the early learning goals in communication, language and literacy, and mathematical development. The more able children exceed these goals. In knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development, physical development and personal, social and emotional development the majority of children attain these early learning goals but some children could achieve more. This is because although the curriculum covers all the required areas of learning there is too great an emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Consequently, the amount of time given to knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development, physical development and personal, social and emotional development is not enough to ensure that all the stepping stones in the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage are covered in sufficient depth. As a result, some of the children do not achieve as much as they

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

79. The children are assessed during the first half term they are in school. This is repeated at the end of the year and children's progress is regularly reviewed during the course of the year. Good records of achievement and progress are available to support the children’s transition to Year1. Children with special educational needs are identified at an early stage, are well supported and make satisfactory progress.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

80. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is always satisfactory and sometimes good. There are clearly established routines to which the children readily respond. Teachers question, explain and demonstrate well, involving children and supporting them in their learning. Learning objectives are clear. They are shared with the children and teachers evaluate progress satisfactorily during plenary sessions so that children have a clear idea what they have learnt and what the next steps in learning will be.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

81. Support staff have clear roles in lessons and are very much part of the Foundation Stage team. They make a valuable contribution to teaching and Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 36 learning. The classrooms are well organised with interesting displays and materials which help to promote the children’s learning satisfactorily. However, there is not enough space for some activities, such as using large plastic bricks to build dens or to experiment making shapes and for sand and water play.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

82. Children's behaviour and attitudes to their learning are good. The school's code of conduct is well established during the reception year. There are very positive relationships between all adults and children.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

83. Relationships with parents are good. There is a suitable system of induction for all new pupils. The termly topic letter provides parents with good information about the curriculum and how they can support their children. The good weekly homework tasks further support the home-school partnership.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

84. Since the last inspection, there has been good development in the role of support staff. They now have clearly defined roles in sessions, for example, in observing and recording children's contributions. There has been an increase in the amount of outdoor play equipment available. The Foundation Stage has a newly appointed leader, who is enthusiastic and keen to develop the Foundation Stage. There is now an action plan for the Foundation Stage that effectively addresses other areas in need of development. These areas include outdoor opportunities, the indoor environment and planning in line with the National Curriculum guidance.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

85. Literacy skills are being well developed. Children enjoy books and understand their structure. They know how to handle them and treat them with care. Children listen well to stories. They are fully engaged when adults tell stories, and enjoy listening to story tapes. Phonic skills are being developed in a progressive way, with good use being made of the Jolly Phonics scheme. Children know a good range of initial letter sounds and the more able can use these to build simple words. The most able pupils can recognise familiar words in simple texts; they have a sight vocabulary of many key words and understand sentences and how full stops are used. Most children have a good pencil grip and writing and presentation skills are being well developed. Most children can write their name with confidence and can form letters accurately. Children have regular opportunities to familiarise themselves with the library and its use. There are some good opportunities

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

for language development provided in the role-play area, where children engage in good discussions in the grocer's shop. There are also opportunities for children to develop their own writing in a designated area. However, there is too great an emphasis on literacy and work is inclined to be rather formal. There are too few planned times for children to have access to more open- ended activities and to apply their knowledge and skills in imaginative ways, which would reinforce their understanding and promote further learning. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 37 Mathematical development.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

86. Mathematical development is well established. There are regular activities for the reinforcement of counting and matching skills. There is good use of mathematical language. Key vocabulary is used appropriately and explained carefully so that children understand and can use it as they explore concepts and ideas. Most children understand concepts such as more/less, longer/shorter, and have strategies to test out these ideas. Most children can count securely to 20, and can count on from a given number. The most able can estimate numbers to 20 and check, and record their answers. They can count in 10s and add to 10. Most children know colours and can recognise patterns. They can compare objects and use the correct words. However, there is too great an emphasis on numeracy and work is inclined to be rather formal. There are too few opportunities for children to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills in more open-ended ways to test out

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

practical mathematical problems. Relationships between the staff and children during the group activities are good and the conversations and targeted help enable the children to learn effectively.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

Knowledge and understanding of the world.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

87. Children show a lively interest in the world around them. They benefit from a range of experiences, such as planting seeds, designing gardens and exploring their environment. They enjoy using their senses to learn, for example during a mini-beast hunt in the school grounds and they can use magnifying lenses to observe the creatures they find. They know that these lenses will make the creatures look larger. Children use a range of materials to build and create, for example they have designed and made their own gardens. They are becoming familiar with computers and use them with confidence, however there is a limited range of programmes and programmable equipment available to fully develop their skills. The curriculum for this area of learning is currently too limited, as is the range of resources.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

88. The range of outdoor play equipment has been enhanced to include a good range of bicycles, cars, ropes etc., and children are satisfactorily developing their gross motor skills and awareness of space through their use. However, the provision for outdoor play is unsatisfactory. Resources are limited. The outside area is under-developed and the hard surfaced area is barely adequate and is uneven. There is not enough safe storage for large outdoor equipment. This limits the activities that can be planned. There are suitable opportunities to develop fine motor skills, for example through regular activities to practise using scissors and threading beads. Most of the children can carefully control the amount of glue and paint they use. The children achieve good levels of skill in this area.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

Creative development. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 38 89. Children enjoy painting and expressing themselves through this medium. They paint ladybirds satisfactorily, drawing on their experience in the mini- beast hunt. However, there is little evidence of the teaching of specific skills such as observation to support children's understanding. Children enjoy singing and know a good range of songs and rhymes. They have some opportunities to play instruments. However, there are limited opportunities for them to respond to music, for example in movement and dance. Imaginative play is encouraged through use of the role-play area and this enables children to develop their use of language. Play is not used enough as a way through which children learn and there is an over-emphasis on structure and adult direction.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

Personal, social and emotional development.

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THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

90. There are daily sessions when children have their drink and biscuits and when they engage in social interaction. The code of conduct is implemented well. Children have a clear understanding of right and wrong. Co-operation is developing well with most children able to share resources and many able to work as part of a group. The children help one another, for example, fastening each other’s aprons in preparation for painting. Most children are well behaved and relate well to adults and to one another. They are polite and show consideration for others. Most children concentrate well and persevere with given tasks and activities. They have developed skills of independence and look after their own belongings sensibly and organise and care for school equipment well.

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ENGLISH

91. Standards of attainment across the school are variable. At the age of seven most pupils are in line with national averages. There has been a rise in standards since the previous inspection with significant improvement in reading and writing skills, particularly by boys. The task and test results for 2000 indicate that attainment in these aspects of English is above that of similar schools and this is confirmed by inspection evidence and provisional test results for the current year.

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92. Standards of 11 year olds are generally below national expectations. On the evidence of pupils’ performance in the English tests in 2000 there has been little improvement since the previous inspection. Attainment on these tests is well below both the national averages and the results achieved by similar schools. Standards have remained stable over the last five years whilst the average attainment nationally and in similar schools has increased significantly. Results for the current year's statutory tests are not yet known but inspection evidence would suggest an improvement in standards over previous years. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 39 93. At both key stages the quality of speaking and listening is in line with national expectations. Pupils are eager to answer questions and contribute their ideas and do so sensibly. They listen attentively to the contributions of others. They discuss ideas in the literacy hour and in drama lessons and this

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improves their confidence and the standard of their oral skills.

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94. Standards in reading are improving at both key stages. The improvement is most significant at Key Stage 1 where reading was judged to be unsatisfactory at the time of the previous inspection and is now good at the end of the key stage. Pupils heard reading had a good grasp of phonic skills, particularly initial letter sounds, and used this knowledge and clues in the text to tackle unfamiliar words. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and, in particular, the word and sentence work has provided a good framework for pupils to develop their phonic skills and this is evident in the standard of reading now being demonstrated. Standards are below average for 11 year olds though they have improved since the last inspection. Standards are in line with national expectations in Years 3, 4 and 5. A wider range of books has been made available using texts which help in motivating boys to become good and willing readers. However, in Year 6 many pupils do

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not have a positive attitude to reading either for pleasure or to support research and referencing skills. This hinders their progress and is holding back standards.

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ENGLISH

95. Standards of writing at the age of seven are good. Spelling is good and reflects the secure understanding of phonics built up through word work in the literacy hour. The work in pupils’ books shows them developing skills in narrative writing and completing grammatical exercises often linked to the shared text. In a Year 2 lesson on synonyms, for example, the task used the story title “Fangs” as an example of a synonym for teeth. However, handwriting is often poor and lacking in fluency. This is attributable in part to the poor pencil grips many children have. At Key Stage 2 the range of writing is good and reflects the programmes of study in the National Literacy Strategy. Pupils’ books contain an appropriate range of chronological and non-chronological writing such as diaries, instructions, letters for a variety of purposes including complaints and requests for information. Standards are in

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line with national expectations in Years 3, 4 and 5. In Year 6 many of the pupils lack fluency in their written work, spelling is generally unsatisfactory and they do not produce examples of sustained writing in which to develop and refine their writing skills. Consequently, the standards they achieve are unsatisfactory. The quality of handwriting and general presentation continues to be unsatisfactory across the key stage. Pupils do not use word-processing enough for research, drafting or presentation of final work.

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96. Pupils’ make satisfactory progress at Key Stage 1 and in Years 3, 4 and 5 at Key Stage 2. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy is effective in terms of developing continuity of learning across key stages and the literacy hour provides a structure which pupils appreciate. Pupils with special needs make good progress and those with statements of special need receive effective individual support. Group activities in the literacy hour Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 40 provide differentiated tasks, which enable all pupils, including the gifted and talented, to make satisfactory progress.

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97. Very few pupils have English as an additional language and they do not require additional funding or support. Their bilingual skills are an asset rather than presenting a learning difficulty.

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98. The quality of teaching is good overall and is an improvement since the previous inspection. Teachers have good subject knowledge. Where teachers encourage paired discussion and collaborative group work as preparation for writing tasks, this helps to raise the standard of pupils’ written work . At times however, teachers are keen to maintain the pace of the literacy hour and do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to make extended and more thoughtful responses. Drama is used effectively to enable pupils to develop their communication skills and, notably in one Year 6 lesson, to explore how conflicts arise and how they might be resolved. The teachers implement the National Literacy Strategy, plan with confidence and make good use of resources such as big books and other shared texts to capture pupils’ interest. Examining these texts provides a basis for developing vocabulary (including phonics) grammar, punctuation, literacy

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style and the effect of a text on the reader. Lessons usually begin with a clear indication of the learning objective and often include a reference to previous lessons. This helps pupils to focus on the purpose of the lesson. However, in a few lessons the aim is insufficiently referred to at the end of the lesson to demonstrate whether the learning objectives have been achieved or how this theme will be continued in subsequent lessons or through homework.

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99. Behaviour management is a strength of most teachers and support staff and good relationships are established in English lessons. This enables teachers to employ a variety of teaching strategies and receive an enthusiastic response from pupils towards shared texts and associated tasks.

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100. The quality of class libraries is variable across the school. The best practice reinforces the school's literacy aims with well-organised and attractive book corners. However, elsewhere class libraries are poorly organised and do not invite readers. The two school libraries are well furnished but pupils do not use them on a consistent basis to develop library skills of research and referencing. The libraries are tidy but many of the books need replacing. The plan to provide library schemes of work and a consistent timetabled library period for each class to promote pupils' study skills is a good development.

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101. Literacy skills are used satisfactorily across the school. Classroom displays frequently include key vocabulary and an explanation of important terms. This is particularly evident in support of numeracy work. Poems are used effectively to complement a science display about the weather at different seasons of the year and persuasive letters written in history argue against child labour. Curriculum displays in corridors and other areas are annotated and often include suitable examples of pupils’ work. The lower school library contains a well-presented display of book reviews. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 41 102. Subject leadership is sound with the subject manager providing a very good role model for effective literacy teaching. The mechanism for sharing such expertise and improving the quality of teaching is not established and opportunities for monitoring work in classrooms are limited. Good use has

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been made of in-service training opportunities and additional funding to secure the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy which is helping to raise attainment across the school. The overall amount of time given to English is sufficient to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study but there are unexplained and disproportionate amounts of time allocated to English within and between year groups.

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103. The governing body has appointed a link governor for Literacy and he provides support, encouragement and astute judgement in his work with the school.

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104. The senior staff are aware of the need to raise standards at Key Stage 2 and a number of strategies have been introduced to raise performance. These include specialist teaching, assessment practice along test lines and more focused teaching. An improved system for tracking pupil progress in writing is also planned.

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105. Standards in mathematics are well below expectations overall although there is good evidence from the inspection that standards are improving.

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106. At Key Stage 1 in 1999-2000 standards were at average levels when compared with schools nationally and pupils were achieving higher standards than pupils in similar schools. The pattern of attainment over the last three years, as measured by national assessment, indicates that standards have improved consistently to reach the current levels.

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107. At Key Stage 2, the standards attained by 11 year olds at the end of the school year 1999-2000 were below the national average and both boys and girls at the school did not do as well as boys and girls in other schools. There has been limited improvement over the last three years and the progress of pupils has been poor since they were tested at the age of seven. However, the quality of teaching has improved considerably since the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. This is now having a positive impact on the standards attained by the pupils and the progress of the pupils currently in Years 3, 4 and 5 is good. The school has revised its targets for the end of the current year, based on an analysis of the attainment of the Year 6 pupils, and is likely to exceed this. This should improve the school’s position when compared with schools nationally.

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108. The standards achieved in lessons by seven year olds are in line with national standards. By the end of Year 2 most pupils are able to recognise, Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 42 count and order numbers to 100 and understand the place value of two digit numbers. They have good mental recall of adding and subtracting numbers to 20 and are quick to respond to the examples set by their teachers. More able pupils explain the strategies they are using, confidently telling their teacher, for example, that to add 19 to a number, they are adding 20 and subtracting 1. All pupils in Year 1 and 2 have a good appreciation of the pattern of number and apply this when doubling and halving numbers. Most pupils can name and recognise shapes, and are beginning to measure accurately. The analysis of pupils’ work indicated that some less able pupils find this difficult and that they are at an early stage of development in the

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measurement of time, length and capacity. There was some evidence that pupils collect and record data suitably and pupils in Year 2 had recorded this as a block graph.

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109. The standards achieved by 11 year olds in some lessons and in their books are below average. By the end of the year most pupils can use decimals and percentages satisfactorily and are secure when adding and subtracting numbers. However, a substantial minority of pupils, cannot divide a three- digit number by a single digit. They are not confident in solving problems and some pupils still have difficulty remembering their multiplication tables. This affects their progress in lessons. In years 3, 4 and 5 the standards achieved in lessons are average. The pupils are confident in using the four operations of number, applying them to problem situations, and are well able to explain a variety of methods, for example, of dividing numbers. They are developing a good understanding of fractions, including equivalence. Pupils in Year 5 plot co-ordinates in all four quadrants, recording these well. The analysis of

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pupils’ work indicates that these pupils reach average standards in measurement and shape. They estimate and measure well. They recite their multiplication facts confidently and apply them in problem situations. Standards in mental calculations at Key Stage 2 are average. In one lesson, more able Year 6 pupils were observed mentally doubling numbers in the thousands, very quickly and accurately. There are some good opportunities for investigating the pattern of number and some Year 6 pupils are beginning to appreciate the patterns of squaring and cubing numbers through their explorations using plastic cubes.

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110. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in mathematics. They are well supported in lessons and this enables them to achieve their targets. Some gifted and talented mathematicians are however under achieving in relation to their mathematical ability as teachers are missing opportunities in lessons to extend their learning. There are no significant differences in the standards attained by pupils whose first language is not English when compared with other pupils in the school.

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111. Pupils throughout the school use their numeracy and measurement skills confidently across the curriculum and this enhances learning in other subjects. In science pupils accurately measure weight, capacity and temperature. In information technology, they collect information and program Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 43 it effectively to draw block graphs. Pupils use their understanding of scale when studying maps in geography.

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112. At Key Stage 1 pupils are making satisfactory progress in relation to the standards they achieve at the end of the reception year. Where the tasks are well differentiated to meet pupils’ learning needs, more able pupils make good progress by the age of seven. At Key Stage 2 the pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are now making good progress in mathematics. The well-focused and improved teaching has helped to accelerate the progress of pupils. Pupils in Year 6 have made less than the progress expected of their age group, although where the teaching is good, the progress in lessons is satisfactory. The most able pupils in all year groups however, are not making sufficient progress in their mathematical learning.

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ENGLISH

113. Pupils’ attitudes to mathematics are good throughout the school. They enjoy their mathematics lessons and are motivated to learn. They respond well to the challenges set by their teachers and listen attentively to the class teacher’s explanations. In lessons where the mental work moves at a good pace, pupils are engaged and quick to answer the set questions, making good progress during this part of the lesson. Pupils grow in self-esteem with the praise and encouragement they receive from their teachers and this has a positive effect on their learning. In a small number of lessons, when the tasks are not matched to the learning needs of all pupils, some pupils do not pay attention and this affects the standards attained by those pupils.

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ENGLISH

114. The quality of teaching of mathematics is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Overall the quality of teaching is good. This is a considerable improvement since the last inspection. Very good teaching was observed in Year 5 and in these lessons pupils were excited and motivated by some creative teaching of co-ordinates. Unsatisfactory teaching was observed in two lessons where the teaching was not focused and the pupils lost interest in the work.

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ENGLISH

115. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of both the National Curriculum and the National Numeracy Strategy are good. Lessons are well planned and move through a sequence that is supportive to learning. The objectives are suitable for pupils of all abilities, enabling them to make progress in their learning. Pupils are challenged to explain the methods they use to solve problems and they remain on task in lessons. Teachers use the language of mathematics well and their explanations of new concepts are good. There are good opportunities for pupils to investigate number and to play number games, contributing to the standards attained.

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ENGLISH

116. Lessons move at a good pace, other than in the some mental activities where the pace can be slow and not well focused. Overall the sequence of the lesson enables teachers to assess the attainment of pupils and in the best practice, teachers readjust their teaching where necessary and give additional help and support. The tasks and activities in some lessons, however, are not always suitably differentiated and this results in some able pupils practising Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 44 skills unnecessarily. The use of information and communication and information technology to support teaching and learning in mathematics is limited.

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ENGLISH

117. The assessment of attainment and progress in mathematics lessons is satisfactory although formal assessment procedures are in an early stage of development. The school plans to use a new computerised programme to record attainment against the year group objectives of the Numeracy Framework. Suitable training for staff is planned to assist teachers with the use of this to inform future planning and to improve differentiation in lessons.

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ENGLISH

118. The presentation of mathematics work across the school is unsatisfactory and there is no standardised way for setting out mathematical examples. At Key Stage 1 there is evidence of pupils incorrectly forming numbers and rushing through their workbooks too quickly, making unnecessary mistakes. This then affects their attainment in lessons. At Key Stage 2, in those classes where teachers have high expectations of the pupils, presentation improves. Work is not always marked satisfactorily and targets for improvement are not consistently noted.

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ENGLISH

119. The subject leader has worked hard to develop a positive ethos for the teaching and learning of mathematics. All teachers have received training on the National Numeracy Strategy and have fully implemented this in their teaching. They have a clear sense of purpose and are generally confident in the teaching of mathematics. The monitoring of classroom teaching and the setting of targets for pupils have contributed to the overall improvement in the progress made by the pupils and the school is now well placed to continue to raise the standards of mathematics at both key stages.

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ENGLISH

120. In 2000, teachers assessed standards at the age of seven as being above those of other schools nationally for the number of pupils who achieved the expected and higher levels in science. These results were well above the results of similar schools and indicate that the recent trend of improving standards is being maintained.

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121. In the same year the results for 11 year olds were well below the national average in the standard attainment tests. These results were also well below the average when compared to other schools like Woodgate. This was despite a trend of improving result that over the past three years have risen by 30 percent.

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122. This school year much effort has gone into improving science attainment at Key Stage 2. Current Year 6 pupils have been given past papers from national tests as revision, so the school can see how effective their efforts had been. The pupils’ results indicate a rise of another 20 percent. This brings them much closer to the national average of last year and shows a Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 45 marked improvement in the required standards. This has been achieved mainly by the science co-ordinator teaching all the Year 6 classes as a subject specialist.

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123. In lessons at Key Stage 1 pupils achieve standards that are in line with national expectations. They are able to draw and label the structure of a plant accurately. They know that plants need certain conditions to grow and some of the more able pupils can predict how the plant might be affected if some of these conditions, such as the amount of light and water, might change.

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124. Pupils at Key Stage 2 also achieve standards in lessons that are in line with national expectations. On occasion their standards are higher when they show that they have not only learned important facts but are able to apply them well to a wider context. Year 5 pupils understand the need for a healthy lifestyle and understand that a balanced diet and exercise are key factors in achieving this. They know that exercise affects both respiration and pulse rate and appreciate that regular exercise is important to the heart’s fitness.

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125. The recent tests undertaken by the Year 6 pupils have shown that boys are now attaining higher standards in science than the girls at Key Stage 2. The co-ordinator is aware of this and plans to ensure that all pupils are able to work at a suitable level of challenge. In lessons boys, girls and the very few pupils with English as an additional language are all making equal progress. Pupils with special educational needs also make satisfactory progress, often due to the good support they receive from the classroom support assistants who are well prepared by the teachers for their role in supporting the teaching and learning. In some year groups the rate of progress that the most able pupils make in lessons is limited by the lack of work that is designed specifically to help them reach their full potential.

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ENGLISH

126. At both key stages pupils have not been doing as well in the experimental or investigative aspects of their work as they have in other areas of the science curriculum. This has been a focus of recent teaching and in Year 6 in particular, pupils can now decide how to plan, organise, undertake and evaluate an investigation. They can also find ways of recording their results that identify the key areas of learning. When undertaking an investigation to find out what happens when nightlights burn, the most able pupils can confidently enter their accurately measured findings into a spreadsheet program and produce a computer generated graph. However, the use of ICT to support science teaching and learning in other areas of the school is under-developed.

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ENGLISH

127. Pupils across the school are making satisfactory progress in their learning. In lessons and throughout the science projects the work they undertake shows that they are using increasingly varied ways of recording their gains in knowledge and understanding. Pupils are using their numeracy skills well to undertake their science work by, for example, measuring carefully and recording their findings as graphs and charts. They are also using their literacy skills equally well when doing work such as writing up their findings. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 46 However, the standard of the pupils’ presentation in their workbooks is not good.

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ENGLISH

128. Across both key stages the standard of teaching is never less than satisfactory. At Key Stage 2 the overall standard of teaching is good with half of the lessons reaching this standard. This has a positive effect on the pupils’ learning. This good teaching is characterised by: • carefully planned lessons that support the teaching and learning; • lessons that have good pace and interest for the pupils; • clearly defined learning objectives that are used for feedback to pupils at the end of the lesson and referred to in the marking of their work; • effective and differentiated questioning to involve pupils of all abilities; • good attention being given to the essential skills of experimental and investigative science; • guidance give to the pupils as to how to lay out their work and clear expectations of presentation; and teachers having good subject knowledge.

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ENGLISH

129. When this level of teaching is evident, the pupils are interested in the lessons, they listen carefully and follow instructions, they co-operate well in practical work, they behave well, work safely and show good attitudes to their learning.

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ENGLISH

130. In a Year 6 class investigating the force that is required to move trainers and other shoes across a variety of floor surfaces, the teacher sets up the experiments and monitors the pupils carefully as they work. Pupils are encouraged to explain what they have discovered and are then given carefully targeted questions that make them think further and apply what they had learned to a wider context than the immediate experiment. This gives the pupils confidence in their work and ensures a higher level of understanding.

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131. An area for development in the teaching of science is the marking of the pupils’ work where often the comments are general and not related to what the pupils were expected to learn. Pupils are pleased to have “Excellent work” and other encouraging phrases written in their books but they did not know what they had done to merit such comment.

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ENGLISH

132. The co-ordinator provides clear leadership for the development of science across the school. She has had the opportunity to monitor science planning and teaching and this has been very helpful in identifying the support that some teachers need in delivering the new science schemes of work that have been introduced this school year. Although in Year 6 there has been well targeted assessment of the pupils’ learning to improve standards, the rest of the school does not use assessment so effectively. Assessment procedures are not sufficiently rigorous to be used to inform future curriculum planning in most year groups.

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ENGLISH

133. The science curriculum benefits from the school’s broad approach to the curriculum. Sex and relationship education, drugs education, health Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 47 education and environmental education are all used well to support science teaching and learning. The close links with Bartley Green Technology College are also exploited for pupils, and the Year 6 pupils have benefited from using the specialist accommodation of this school for undertaking some of their more specialist work on electricity.

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134. At Key Stage 1 standards overall are in line with national expectations. By the age of seven pupils are able to make well observed drawings of people, places and objects. These drawings are moving away from stereotypical images and concentrating on detail and proportion, and identifying features that are particular to that person so they can be recognised.

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135. At Key Stage 2 overall standards are also in line with expectations, but displays and sketchbooks indicate a wider range of attainment ranging from below expectations to well above expectations. The replica willow pattern plates created by Year 5 indicate that some pupils are able to maintain a high level of detailed drawing throughout a single piece of very detailed work.

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136. Although there are examples of high quality painting in both key stages, including, from Year 6, some very competent painting of moving water when painting whales, the standard of painting is generally below that of drawing. Standards of craftwork at both key stages are well developed. At Key Stage 1 the woven “dreamcatchers” indicate that these pupils are able to maintain a constant tension whilst working with various coloured and textured threads. At Key Stage 2 pupils design sculptures that show a good understanding of the materials needed to realise their ideas.

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ENGLISH

137. The standard of work at both key stages is directly attributable to the quality of the teaching. When the teachers focus on relevant skills and have high expectations of the pupils which are based on good subject knowledge, the standards the pupils achieve are often above expectations, as shown by the Year 3 block printing and stencil work. The best teaching is characterised by: • effective planning which supports the teaching; • quality resources available for the pupils to use; • pupils having a real challenge and ensuring they have the skills to achieve it; • teachers giving realistic and encouraging feedback to pupils as they work and; when reviewing the work at the end of a session and thoroughly briefing classroom support staff as to their role in the lessons.

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ENGLISH

138. In a Year 5 lesson the teacher provided the pupils with well chosen examples of William Morris’s textiles for them to analyse for pattern and colour. He used a secure subject knowledge to teach the skills of the water soluble pencil crayons the pupils were to use. He then moved from group to group monitoring the work and checking the pupils’ progress and helping them to identify how their work could be further improved. He also used some of their Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 48 work very effectively to indicate to the rest of the class how different pupils were developing their work. At the end of the lesson he gave the class and individuals realistic praise and encouragement against the lesson objective. This very positive approach resulted in pupils feeling justifiably pleased and proud of the high standard of drawings they had produced.

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139. The subject manager does not have the opportunity to monitor and evaluate teacher’s planning and lesson delivery as well as the pupils’ finished work. She is not able to work with individual teachers to ensure that the most talented pupils in art and design reach their full potential. As a result, the standard of work is not consistently developed across the school.

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ENGLISH

140. Pupils are interested in their art and at both key stages they show positive attitudes to their work and are keen to share and explain it. At Key Stage 2 pupils are confident and will justify why they have chosen to work in a particular way, often evaluating their finished work and identifying how it might have been improved.

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ENGLISH

141. The art curriculum covers all the necessary areas and pupils learn a wide range of skills and experiences based on the government's schemes of work. However, as yet, not all teachers are secure in the demands of the content of these schemes. The last inspection indicated that pupils were not gaining knowledge of a sufficient range of cultures across the curriculum. Art now involves pupils in the work of established artists from a range of cultures and eras. The work on display indicates that Year 3 pupils have studied Egyptian art and crafts and Year 6 have produced drawings based on the work of Australian Aborigines. These drawings in particular show a clear understanding of the images and processes used in the original work. Pupils at both key stages have also studied the work of artists including, Chagall, Matisse, Renoir and Van Gogh and have produced their work in a similar style without resorting to producing slavish copies of the originals.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

142. Standards in design and technology are below average overall. Standards of seven year olds are in line with national expectations. Standards of 11 year olds have improved since the last inspection but pupils are not yet meeting the expected standards in all areas of their design and technology work. There are however, examples of good achievement at both key stages.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

143. At the age of 11 pupils are developing ideas against a design brief and are starting to communicate these ideas through annotated drawings. They are creative and are beginning to show that they have thought about the needs of the user. The detail of the interior of the model homes they have designed for their pets showed they have considered very carefully what their pets would need. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 49 144. At the age of 11 pupils are creative in their ideas and they understand what needs to be done to move from their first ideas to making a finished product. They are beginning to apply their knowledge and understanding to design and make a wide range of products. They apply their knowledge of mechanisms when designing and making moving toys and their knowledge of materials when making oven gloves. In the Technology Tree project Year 5 pupils carried out research with the Fire Service and Royal Society for the

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Prevention of Accidents to help them to develop their design ideas. When making cards with moving parts some pupils made models to test aspects of their design to help them to refine their plans and improve the Easter cards. They evaluate their work sensibly.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

145. Teaching is satisfactory in both key stages. Teachers have a good understanding of the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study and of the processes involved in designing and making. They teach this aspect well. Teachers are enthusiastic and motivate pupils and provide stimulating products for pupils to evaluate to help them develop their own creative ideas. Teachers make sure that pupils can talk about their work at the end of each lesson and this encourages them to share their ideas and extend their learning. Teachers’ prepare effectively to ensure they have sufficient knowledge for the design and make tasks they undertake. This means that pupils usually succeed and make progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

146. Teachers’ knowledge and skills lack sufficient depth in some areas of design and technology and this results in pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 especially, not reaching high levels of attainment in all their work. This lack of teachers’ knowledge and skills has resulted in: • pupils’ knowledge and understanding of materials, components, systems and control being under-developed; • pupils not being skilled enough to work accurately and precisely to make quality products; and teachers not using assessment to monitor the pupils’ progress and inform future planning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

147. Pupils have a positive attitude and enjoy their design and technology tasks. They work hard and persevere with these tasks and their work shows that they think about their designs and try to solve problems as they arise. They are keen to share their work and talk about the decisions they have made. They produce creative and individual products. Behaviour is good. Pupils work well together sharing resources and helping one another. They make satisfactory progress and their work shows that they are able to undertake increasingly complex tasks as they move through the key stages.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

148. A new curriculum plan ensures design and technology is now taught systematically throughout the school and the programmes of study are now in place. There is a wide range of tasks in both key stages that enable pupils to work with different materials. There is a satisfactory balance between designing and making. The tasks are increasingly challenging and provide suitable opportunities for pupils to investigate and evaluate existing products, Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 50 develop skills through focused practical tasks, and to design and make a range of products. This is leading to improved attainment.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

149. A new subject manager has been appointed and she has been effective in supporting teachers and bringing about improvements. However, she does not monitor teaching and learning so that she cannot identify effectively what needs to be done to make sure that improvements in attainment are maintained.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

150. Some improvement has been made since the last inspection in that the pupils are now taught the full National Curriculum programmes of study. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 51

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GEOGRAPHY

151. Standards in geography lessons at both key stages are at least satisfactory and at times at Key Stage 2 they are good. At the time of the inspection the lessons for Years 2 and 6 were mainly concerned with developing the geographical skills associated with map reading and map making. Year 2 pupils are able to trace accurately the route of a recent walk the class had undertaken. They plot key features on these maps to show where bus stops, open areas and particular buildings are located. The most able pupils describe the order of the route saying when they have to turn left and right, and they have a very clear idea of giving directions .

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GEOGRAPHY

152. The Year 6 pupils appreciate that the scale of the map dictates the degree of detail and they are able to identify the benefits of a variety of scales and suggest who might need them. They understand the need for maps to have a key and use them well to identify features from Ordnance Survey maps. They understand that different types of roads are represented on the maps in different ways and appreciate that the most direct route might not always be the quickest route. These Year 2 and Year 6 lessons indicate a clear progression in the pupils’ learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

153. Standards in pupils’ books at both key stages are not impressive. At neither key stage does the amount of work adequately chart the progress the pupils are making and the unsatisfactory presentation skills in many of the books makes it difficult to identify key facts. There is also an over-reliance on worksheets that are often too simple to provide a suitable challenge for the more able pupils. The teachers’ marking rarely indicates exactly what the pupils have achieved or not achieved, and seldom refers to how the achievement relates to the lesson objectives reinforces these problems. The pupils’ books at both key stages also indicate that there are not enough planned opportunities for more able pupils to develop a greater geographical knowledge and understanding, and show their initiative through extended pieces of work.

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GEOGRAPHY

154. Only two lessons were observed at Key 1. In one lesson the quality of teaching was satisfactory, in the other it was unsatisfactory. When teaching is unsatisfactory it is because the teacher spends too much time organising the lesson and managing the pupils’ behaviour and insufficient time teaching. When standards of teaching are effective the lesson objectives are made clear to the pupils, the tasks are explained with care, and the teacher uses questioning skills skilfully to check the pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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GEOGRAPHY

155. Standards of teaching at Key Stage 2 are never less than satisfactory and in the majority of lessons teaching is of a good standard. This good teaching is characterised by lessons being well resourced and moving at a good pace, teachers being secure in their subject knowledge and helping pupils to discover facts rather than telling them. They also monitor the pupils carefully as they work and give realistic feedback on the their achievement. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 52 156. A Year 4 class were studying the different geographical features of highlands and lowlands, and due to the well-structured and resourced lesson the pupils were interested in what they were learning. The teachers’ effective use of questions to check the pupils’ understanding indicated her secure subject knowledge and enabled her to move the pupils’ learning even further. By the end of the lesson guided support from the teacher helped even the less able

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GEOGRAPHY

pupils to identify and locate the main features of highlands and lowlands using correct geographical terms.

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GEOGRAPHY

157. The subject manager does not monitor and evaluate planning, teaching and the pupils’ work in books against clearly identified expectations. As a result she has little influence on teaching and standards.

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GEOGRAPHY

158. At both key stages the emphasis the school has placed on the immediate and extended community has given the pupils a good understanding of places other than where they live. This is further enhanced through day and residential visits that are organised to support the teaching and learning in geography. Good use is made of Woodgate Country Park and the rangers from there are regular visitors to school to support the work of the curriculum. The school has a week each year when pupils study a world country one year and a European country the following year. Pupils at both key stages are able to recall much pertinent geographical information about the particular countries that they have studied at these times.

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GEOGRAPHY

159. The school has a well-developed environmental education programme where pupils are actively involved in practical activities to improve the school and local environment. This is supported with a special week each year when the environment is the focus for much valuable work across the school in geography, science and art. Projects such as “Safer Routes to School” are also used to develop the pupils’ understanding of the local environment and this project has resulted in new traffic calming procedures being installed outside the school.

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HISTORY

160. By the age of seven the pupils' standards of attainment are broadly in line with national expectations. They are below expectations for 11 year olds. At Key Stage 1, pupils are developing a sound understanding of chronology. They understand the difference between then and now. Year 2 pupils talked confidently about cars and bicycles of the modern era and earlier times. They can offer some explanations for differences. At Key Stage 2, pupils have good knowledge and re-call of a range of topics, including the Greeks, Aztecs and Victorians. However, there was very little recorded work available for scrutiny, and this was largely in the form of undifferentiated worksheets. There was little evidence of pupils using skills of research and enquiry. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 53 Presentation is of a poor standard with handwriting and layout not being consistent and seemingly careless.

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HISTORY

161. The progress of the most able pupils at Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory. Tasks are not challenging enough to meet their needs. For example, there is a lack of planned activities for the pupils to show initiative through extended pieces of writing and develop their understanding and thinking. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

162. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. It is satisfactory at Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 2 teaching ranges from unsatisfactory to very good. In the best lessons, teachers plan effectively, lessons are well structured and have clear learning objectives, which are shared with pupils and evaluated during the plenary session. Questioning and explanations are used well to confirm the pupils' understanding and to promote further learning. Lessons are well paced, which enables pupils to work productively. Relationships are positive and behaviour is well managed. Literacy skills are promoted well, for example, Year 5 pupils wrote persuasive letters as part of their topic on the Victorians. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, teachers rely too heavily on providing information, tasks are not sufficiently challenging and do not engage the interest of the pupils or enable them to develop historical skills.

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HISTORY

The pace of these lessons is too slow and pupils spend too much time listening to the teacher and therefore become restless and lose concentration. The teacher then adopts a supervisory role in the main activity and there is little direct teaching. Overall at Key Stage 2, insufficient attention is given to ensuring a suitable standard in the presentation of work.

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HISTORY

163. Monitoring of pupils' progress in history is unsatisfactory. There is no clear system of assessment and recording. Some assessment opportunities are identified in lesson plans, but these are not consistent and the outcomes are not consistently used to inform planning. Although learning objectives are in place most teachers do not use them to judge how successful the progress of most pupils has been. Marking is often cursory and is insufficiently specific to help pupils to know how they can improve.

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HISTORY

164. There is an imbalance in the time allocated for history within and between year groups and the overall amount of time given to the subject is generally low. In some cases it is not enough to deliver the curriculum effectively. This is affecting standards and progress particularly at Key Stage 2. There is no strategic management of resources with the result that some areas are well resourced whereas others have insufficient resources. The library has a suitable range of history books but many of these are out of date and uninviting.

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HISTORY

165. There is currently no subject manager for history. This lack of leadership has resulted in limited development and standards have slipped since the last inspection at Key Stage 2. There is no monitoring and evaluation of the Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 54 history curriculum or of standards. There are plans to appoint a new subject manager from September 2001.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

166. Overall, standards in ICT are below national expectations. Work shows that standards are in line with national expectations for seven year olds. Whilst standards are improving at Key Stage 2, 11 year olds are not meeting national expectations. Pupils do not have enough time using computers to develop their knowledge and skills fully because there are too few up-to-date machines. The ratio of computers to pupils is significantly below the national average for primary schools. Computers in most of the classrooms are old and will not run up-to-date programs. There is no access to the Internet for pupils, this limits what pupils can learn and achieve. The pupils do not have the opportunity to: • use CD ROMs or the Internet to find things out; • send or receive emails to improve their communication and writing skills; • use sound and pictures to enhance their writing; • use computers to write instructions and procedures to control events;

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

• and use devices with sensors to monitor and measure external events. This means that even though a wide range of activities are provided, with the available resources, pupils cannot progress to the level required.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

167. At Key Stage 1 pupils work with a range of ICT tools. They use paint programs to draw well developed self-portraits and create images of trees. They use a data-handling program effectively to collate and store information collected on their walks around the local area. They produce graphs to help them consider the different types of homes they see and how many have garages and gardens. They record and store information satisfactorily about plants and animals that they see in the environment. They use word processing with growing confidence to change prepared texts. They are able to delete and insert new words and change the style of the text. They are able to write instructions to make a programmable toy move.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

168. At Key Stage 2 pupils increase their knowledge and skills by using a wider range of programs with more features. They confidently use graphics packages to draw. When they use word processing, they satisfactorily draft and change their work, copy and paste words and drawings, change the style of their writing, centre text and check their spellings. They produce and present graphs in various forms; they use spreadsheets to record findings. They write accurate instructions to program a screen turtle to draw a shape. One group of Year 5 pupils used a digital camera effectively to record pictures of their trip out to the botanical gardens and were able to print and display the pictures using the more up to date computers in the resources room. When provided with opportunity and challenge, pupils demonstrate good levels of ICT capability as shown by the slide presentations produced by two pupils in

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Year 6. They were able to talk about and demonstrate the work they had Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 55 undertaken in the ICT suite at Bartley Green Technology School. They load their work from a CD-ROM, explain carefully how they created their slide presentation, as well as how they combined text and pictures, changed the background and made text and pictures move. They describe how they use the Internet to research for the information for their presentation. They are able to review their work and talk about the way in which they could improve future presentations.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

169. Pupils with special educational needs who are withdrawn for additional support have the use of portable computers and specialist programs. These pupils make good progress and most are enthusiastic and confident users of computers. In a Year 3 lesson a pupil on the special educational needs register explained the current ICT activity for the class and confidently demonstrated how to combine a simple picture using a draw package with text from a word processor. He understood that the picture and text had to be simple because the computer did not have significant memory to complete the task successfully if complex pictures are drawn.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

170. Overall the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers manage the limited resources in their classrooms effectively. Teachers use a satisfactory range of strategies. They demonstrate the activity to all pupils; they pair pupils so those with higher levels of ICT capability help those who are less confident; they use pupil experts to remind the next pair what they have to do; they provide instructions for pupils to use as prompts when it is their turn to use the computer. Routines are well established to ensure all pupils have access to the classroom computer. Teachers do not systematically monitor pupils’ achievements and use the information to better inform their planning.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

171. In some areas of ICT teachers lack a sufficient depth of knowledge and this means that they are not always able to support pupils in extending their learning in those areas. Teachers are increasingly using ICT in their own work. They prepare planning and teaching resources and on screen activities for pupils. They are beginning to use a beam projector connected to a portable computer to support their teaching in a range of subjects. This is helping to increase their confidence.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

172. Pupils’ attitudes to ICT are good. They are keen to use computers and settle immediately to the task when it is their turn. They are confident with the equipment and concentrate on the task that is set and this helps them to learn. Their behaviour is good. They persevere even when they get into difficulties and when things go wrong they discuss reasons for this with their partner and try again. When pupils work in pairs they help one another, checking out procedures and discussing the content of the activity before making choices on the screen.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

173. The curriculum for ICT meets the statutory requirements. The revised scheme of work provides for a wide range of opportunities in both key stages and activities are drawn satisfactorily from all areas of the National Curriculum programmes of study and provide for progression as pupils move through the Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 56 key stages. The scheme satisfactorily identifies the knowledge and skills pupils should acquire in each year group. This helps teachers to focus on learning objectives for ICT and ensures pupils improve their performance as they move through the school. Teachers are beginning to use ICT to extend pupils’ learning in art, science, English, mathematics and religious education.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

174. The subject manager provides effective support for teachers. However, she is not involved in the monitoring of teaching, learning and standards.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

175. There is a shared commitment to making further improvements. The school’s ICT development plan has been approved by the Local Education Authority for funding through the Government's National Grid for Learning Initiative. This will lead to a significant increase in resources. Suitable training for teachers is planned through the national training scheme.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

176. Some improvement has been made since the last inspection in that the pupils are now taught the full National Curriculum programmes of study.

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MUSIC

177. Attainment in music is broadly in line with national expectations for seven and eleven year olds. At Key Stage 1 pupils talk confidently about their experiences of music making. They understand the role of the conductor and can read simple graphic scores. They know the names of many untuned instruments. At Key Stage 2 pupils play a range of untuned percussion instruments using the correct technique and can sustain rhythms with confidence. They compose simple tunes, for example when Year 5 pupils are working effectively with the pentatonic scale. Many pupils understand simple musical notation and use it satisfactorily when composing. Pupils know some musical terms, such as forte and pianissimo, and apply them in their music making. Pupils enjoy listening to music and respond to it by for example, painting and poetry. An example of this is Year 4 pupils who painted pictures in response to Sibelius' Finlandia. Performances are of a good standard.

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MUSIC

Pupils enjoy performing to an audience and work hard to achieve good results. Singing is good at both key stages. In the whole school assembly, pupils sang well and in tune, with good tone and diction. A group of Year 6 girls provided a descant to the hymn and maintained this additional part with confidence.

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MUSIC

178. Pupils make satisfactory progress across the key stages. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress and music provides a good vehicle for them to develop their self-esteem.

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MUSIC

179. Pupils have a good attitude to music and generally behave well in lessons. Relationships between pupils and their teachers are very good, especially in extra-curricular activities. Pupils co-operate well in their music making, for example Year 5 pupils composing their pentatonic scales in pairs. Pupils organise and use the instruments responsibly with care and respect. Pupils Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 57 enjoy music, they work hard to perfect their performance and take a pride in what they can achieve. They respond well to music when it is offered as a stimulus, for example when Year 6 pupils produced paintings in response to Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.

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MUSIC

180. Teaching is satisfactory overall in both key stages. At Key Stage 2 it is often good. In the best lessons, teachers have good subject knowledge, which enables them effectively to support pupils’ learning. They use praise and encouragement to promote pupils' self-esteem and give them confidence in their work. They explain clearly and demonstrate what the pupils have to do. They share the learning objectives with pupils and use them in the plenary session to help the pupils gauge their success in the lesson. A positive feature is the constructive evaluation of pupils' performance, which enables them to improve. Lessons are well paced and have a variety of activities, and this maintains pupils' interest and engagement in the lesson. Relationships are positive and behaviour is generally well managed. Where teaching is less effective, teachers are not confident in the subject material, and pupils

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MUSIC

are unclear about what is expected of them. There is insufficient evaluation of performance. Some lessons are too short to achieve the objectives. The most able pupils benefit from targeted extra-curricular provision, for example the keyboard club and achieve good standards.

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MUSIC

181. There is no systematic assessment and recording of pupils' attainment and progress in music. The school plans to put in place a system for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment in music. Teachers make informal assessments, but do not use the information to plan future lessons. There are some good examples of constructive evaluations of pupils' performance. However, this good practice is not widespread .

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MUSIC

182. The school uses the government’s teaching plans for music but they are not implemented systematically. Some staff are not yet sufficiently confident to interpret the schemes and deliver quality experiences to the pupils. There is an imbalance in the time allocation for music within and between years, for example there is a 30 minute difference between the Year 3 classes and this affects the progress pupils make. There is good extra-curricular provision for Key Stage 2 pupils including a choir, keyboard club and recorder clubs. Annual visits by the choir to the National Indoor Arena and involvement in a local festival enrich the curriculum. Other visits are planned to support the curriculum, for example to the Symphony Hall. The most talented pupils benefit from good extra-curricular provision, for example the keyboard club, and this helps them to achieve good standards.

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MUSIC

183. Music makes a valuable contribution to pupils' personal development. They reflect on music and are able to talk about how it makes them feel. They collaborate well, for example in their compositions. Their cultural development is enhanced when they consider the music of other cultures, for example, Year 6 spoke enthusiastically about playing a digeridoo and knew about the cultural significance of the instrument. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 58 184. The subject manager provides a good model for the subject. She is enthusiastic and skilful and offers good support to colleagues when asked. She has a clear view of future needs but is not involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the music curriculum.

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MUSIC

185. There is no dedicated music room. Teaching takes place in classrooms, or in the hall or spare classroom where poor acoustics do not support either the teaching or the pupils’ performance. There are insufficient tuned percussion instruments, and there are too few books on music in the school library.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

186. Standards of attainment for pupils aged seven and eleven are in line with national expectations. This reflects the position noted at the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

187. Seven year olds are developing a satisfactory range of skills. In gymnastics lessons they show a satisfactory degree of control in their development of a suitable range of movements. They are able to successfully link three movements together, involving a jump and a balance, finishing with a controlled stop. They have developed sound spatial awareness and they move around, and alongside, others sensibly. They are able to appraise their own work and that of others identifying success and how the movement might be improved. They understand the need for safety when jumping and landing and use the apparatus safely when developing their movements on it. They demonstrate their work confidently to others. In a games lesson the pupils demonstrate a satisfactory range of ball handling skills and they catch, and send balls, with a suitable degree of skill. When dribbling the ball they are less successful initially but through practice the control is improved. By the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

age of eleven pupils’ games skills are developing progressively and satisfactorily and team games such as rounders, are used to develop a team spirit and effective throwing and catching skills. They are satisfactorily developing their fielding skills. The pupils know how exercise affects the body and appreciate the importance of warming up. In one lesson the pupils devised their own warming up sequence and explained the importance of suppleness, stamina and strength. They confidently and sensibly appraised their performance and those of others.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

188. Progress is generally satisfactory but the rate of progress in systematic skills’ development is better at Key Stage 1 than at Key Stage 2. This is partly due to the lack of leadership and management in Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 1, a good feature in two lessons was the support given by the learning support assistants to enable pupils with special educational needs and physical disabilities to be fully involved in the lessons and make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

189. The pupils enjoy participating in lessons and are mostly keen to perform well. They generally work co-operatively in teams and in pairs and their behaviour is good. Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 59 190. Teaching is satisfactory. This is an improvement on the previous inspection where a number of unsatisfactory lessons were seen. The pace of lessons is satisfactory and the pupils are kept suitably active. Clear instructions are giving and the objectives of the lessons are always explained to the pupils. There are clearly established routines which the pupils follow and this has a positive effect on the quality of learning. Suitably planned lessons always follow a similar structure of a warming up activity, a period of skill development, followed by practise to improve the skills and finishing off with a calming down activity. Teachers use demonstration effectively to introduce and develop skills. Through the timely use of coaching and genuine praise

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

the teachers encourage the pupils to improve. However, in one lesson there were too many pupil demonstrations and they slowed the pace of lesson. This prevented progress in the lesson being as good as it could have been and resulted in a potentially good lesson being only satisfactory. Although staff make some assessments during lessons there is little evidence that they are using them to inform planning. An effective development in some lessons is an observation sheet that is given to pupils who are unable to take part in the lessons. This sheet enables the pupils to be involved in the lesson through monitoring things, such as what the class is learning and the pupils who worked well, and why.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

191. The subject manager for Key Stage 1 is knowledgeable and is well able to support other members of staff with their planning when asked to do so. However, her role is underdeveloped and does not involve the monitoring of planning and its implementation or teaching. There has been no subject manager at Key Stage 2 for two years. This is unsatisfactory and has limited the pupils’ achievements.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

192. The school has adopted the government’s teaching plans. However, staff have not been given any training in interpreting the scheme and some have rightly fallen back on the previous scheme to help their planning and ensure there is sufficient depth and progression in skills development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

193. There is an imbalance of the time allocated for physical education within and between year groups, for example in Year 4 there is a 25 minutes difference between the times allocated in the two classes. Resources have improved since the last inspection and are generally adequate. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities in physical education for older pupils and the football team has enjoyed considerable success this year. However, there is a lack of comparable activities for younger pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

194. Pupils’ attainment throughout the school meets the standards required by the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus in those aspects covered from the programmes of study currently used by teachers to plan religious education lessons. The school adopted the government’s schemes of work at the beginning of this Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 60 school year. Since then, there has been no attempt to match the contents of these schemes with the requirements of Locally Agreed Syllabus. Aspects of the schemes do enable the pupils to achieve some of the targets in the Agreed Syllabus. In the absence of a long-term plan, or detailed weekly plans for religious education, it is difficult to judge whether the religious education curriculum totally meets the specific requirements to teach both Christianity and other world religions in the depth required by the Agreed Syllabus. The school is therefore currently not complying with its statutory

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

responsibility to fully implement the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

195. At Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress in their learning about religion and they confidently discuss their knowledge and understanding of Christianity. The recent visit to a local church had a significant impact on Year 2 pupils and they are able to reflect on religious symbols they have seen and the significance of the symbols. They had tasted a communion wafer and understand the symbolism of the bread and the wine. They know that the priest wears different colours on special occasions, recalling the purple for funerals and the gold for celebrations such as Easter Day and weddings. Pupils can describe in detail what happens at a christening. A very able pupil in Year 2 knows the symbolism of the water and the candle given to the person baptised. Pupils’ understanding of other faiths is more limited. They can describe a Mosque and remember the calling bell for prayer. They know

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

that Muslims use a prayer mat. The plans submitted for the key stage indicated that the pupils had studied aspects of Judaism. The pupils can not recall this when questioned.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

196. At Key Stage 2 pupils make satisfactory progress building on their knowledge and understanding. By the age of 11, they have developed an empathy with the other major world religions, asking sensible questions and offering their own interpretations of the use of religious artefacts. In Year 3 most pupils understand that personal experiences make a difference to what people believe. In a lesson in Year 4, where pupils are studying Judaism, the pupils reflect well on previous learning. They remember the significance of holy books and their teacher is then able to introduce the Torah and the Ark very effectively. By the end of this lesson all pupils were able to discuss features of Judaism confidently describing a synagogue in good detail. The more able pupils understood what Jews value and were able to discuss this sensibly with each other and with adults. In Years 5 and 6, pupils reflect on their own

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

emotions. After studying the story of Adam and Eve, pupils can explain their feelings about temptation accepting that they share similar experiences. The pupils have not had opportunities to visit places of worship other than the local church. This limits the progress made in the development of knowledge and restricts the opportunity to enrich the learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

197. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 is satisfactory overall. Teachers plan well and are secure in their knowledge of the major faiths, researching the information they need before the lessons. They confidently ask good questions to enable pupils to reflect on their own ideas and beliefs and this impacts well on their learning. In one lesson in Year 6, music was used well Woodgate Infant and Junior School - 61 to enable pupils to link creativity with an emotional response. This led pupils to consider the place of prayer in their emotional responses to life experiences. The tasks set in religious education lessons are varied. They do not always challenge more able pupils to become independent in their learning with opportunities missed for these pupils to research aspects of world religions for themselves. Less able pupils are helped to record their work through the use of writing frames. The quality of resources to support

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

teaching and learning is not good enough and the available artefacts were little used during the inspection. There are discrepancies in the amount of time devoted to the subject, for example there is a 20 minutes difference in Year 4.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

198. Pupils’ attitudes in religious education lessons are good. They enjoy lessons and are interested in the work. Where the teaching is good, there is a sense of reverence and anticipation in the lessons which contributes to pupils’ spiritual development. They listen well and have good relationships with their teachers. On rare occasions individual pupils make inappropriate comments in lessons. Teachers handle these sensitively and well.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

199. There has been no improvement in the teaching of religious education since the last inspection and the developments planned relating to the assessment of religious education have not been implemented. The monitoring of pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory. There has been no subject leader at the school over recent years and the new headteacher has taken over this responsibility since his appointment last term. He is well aware of the need to improve the overall provision and to ensure that the school’s new scheme is matched to the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus.

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