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100328
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Strengths
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- Teachers are consistently good at questioning children perceptively to ensure that their learning is secure, and most are very effective at ensuring that the children gain a good grasp of the correct numerical terms, and can use them effectively in their explanations of the tasks they are undertaking. p.42
- Music makes a strong contribution to the excellent provision that the school makes for children's cultural development. p.18
- Music makes a very strong contribution to the excellent provision that the school makes for p.49
- There are very effective systems and procedures in place to support these children and, as a result, they make good progress in their learning and achieve well, especially in the basic skills of speaking and listening. p.19
- The exceptional way in which children from so many different backgrounds and cultures are helped to work and play together is a particular strength of the school. p.7
Concerns
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- This is due to a combination of inadequate resourcing, a lack of confidence amongst some staff in using ICT to support work in other curricular areas and children not having the necessary skills to use computers as they wish. p.14
- Learning resources are good in many areas but there are an inadequate number of computers available to support information and communication technology. p.25
- Teachers try hard to incorporate ICT activities into their lessons but are hindered by this inadequate resource provision. p.47
- 145 The curriculum lacks suitable balance as there are important areas that are not suitably covered and, as a result, ICT is not used effectively to support and enhance other subjects. p.48
- meaning of the word ‘anonymous’ because they had met it before but do not yet know the word ‘post’ as in ‘the letter came by post’ because this is a word they have not yet met. p.14
Next steps
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- The school was last inspected in September 1997 and has made good improvement since that time and has the capacity to improve further. p.8
- It has maintained many of the strengths identified previously, especially in relation to its ability to deal effectively with so many children from different backgrounds. p.8
- It has improved substantially on the quality of teaching and learning. p.8
- Teachers are using more strategies to deal with any behavioural issue that arise and there is no unsatisfactory teaching evident now compared with more than 10 per cent previously. p.8
- The way teaching is being checked has improved with much more support and information available to individual teachers to help them with their work. p.8
- The school has successfully implemented the many new national initiatives that have occurred since the time of the previous inspection. p.8
- This improvement has helped the school to ensure that all children are achieving well, a key issue identified in the previous report. p.8
- The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with p.8
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- Pages
- 51
- Words of findings
- 24,937
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- Fairly hard
- Flesch 51, typical 45
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- typical 5
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Full report text
FLORA GARDENS PRIMARY SCHOOL
Dates of inspection: 12-15 th February 2001
p.1
FLORA GARDENS PRIMARY SCHOOL
Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.
p.1
FLORA GARDENS PRIMARY SCHOOL
Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Flora Gardens Primary School - 3
p.2
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Appropriate authority: The Governing Body
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection: September 1997 Flora Gardens Primary School - 4
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities
p.4
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
3639 A C Davies Registered inspector English What sort of school is it? Art How High are Standards? The School’s Results and children’s achievements Design and Technology How well taught are the children? The Foundation Stage of Learning How well is the school led and managed? 9214 J Garland Lay inspector How well does the school care for its children? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 12908 D Halford Team Inspector English as an Additional Language Special Education Needs Equal Opportunities Mathematics History Geography Religious Education 16761 M Hemmings Team inspector Science How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to children? Information and Communication Technology How High are Standards? Children’s attitudes, values and personal development Music Physical Education Flora Gardens Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was: Focus Inspection Services The Court 8 Bar Meadow Dobcross Oldham
p.4
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:
p.5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division
p.5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM
Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Flora Gardens Primary School - 6
p.5
PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7-11
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
p.6
HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12-15
The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development
p.6
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Flora Gardens is an average-sized primary school, with 233 children on roll. There is a nursery, which most of the children attend before having one, two or three terms in the reception class according to their date of birth. The school has an international setting with 33 different languages being spoken by the children. There is a high level of mobility with children of any age starting school having recently moved from many different parts of the world. There is a large proportion of children (51.7 per cent) who speak little English before starting school. Specialist teachers and staff support these at different times of the day. The school is situated in West Hammersmith in London and children come from a range of social and ethnic backgrounds. A growing number of children (nearly 25 per cent) are from the families of asylum seekers. More than half the children are entitled to school meals free of charge.
p.7
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
There is a large proportion of children on the special educational needs register (31 per cent) and 4 children have statements. The initial assessments of children at the age of five indicate that they have an exceptionally wide range of ability when they start school. When looked at as a group the children’s academic and personal skills at the beginning of reception is below that expected for their age. It is also important to emphasis that many other children who start school in different years will have little experience of speaking English.
p.7
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
This is an effective school where the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses. Children start school at a range of different points in terms of their ability or levels of English acquisition but nearly all make better than expected progress in most areas of their work. The headteacher is very experienced at recognising the diverse needs of the children resulting in staff being well briefed to help them focus on children’s learning. This results in teaching and learning being consistently good with good attention to communication leading to increased confidence amongst the children. The exceptional way in which children from so many different backgrounds and cultures are helped to work and play together is a particular strength of the school. The school provides good value for money.
p.7
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
What the school does well • There is a strong determination for children of all abilities and from different backgrounds to achieve well in all areas of the curriculum. • The headteacher successfully enables all staff to share in a vision, which puts emphasis on raising standards as well as making children feel proud of their achievements. • Children who have English as an additional language are helped to become confident communicators within a relatively short period after they start school. • The support staff, including teachers with specific responsibility for children in the early stages of English acquisition as well as for those supporting children with learning difficulties, provide very effective assistance for children and teachers. • The school maintains a truly international dimension where the values and beliefs of all are recognised and respected. • Careful tracking of children’s progress helps teachers to focus on the academic as well as
p.7
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
What could be improved • The good quality of more able children’s written work is not sustained beyond the opening few passages and often finishes too abruptly. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are not high enough and ICT is therefore not used effectively to support work in other subjects. Flora Gardens Primary School - 8 • Due to the many staff changes that have occurred recently many teachers are not in a position to have a good overview of the subject they co-ordinate. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.
p.7
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
The school was last inspected in September 1997 and has made good improvement since that time and has the capacity to improve further. It has maintained many of the strengths identified previously, especially in relation to its ability to deal effectively with so many children from different backgrounds. It has improved substantially on the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers are using more strategies to deal with any behavioural issue that arise and there is no unsatisfactory teaching evident now compared with more than 10 per cent previously. The way teaching is being checked has improved with much more support and information available to individual teachers to help them with their work. The school has successfully implemented the many new national initiatives that have occurred since the time of the previous inspection. This improvement has helped the school to ensure that all children are achieving well, a key issue identified in the previous report. Levels of attendance
p.8
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
and punctuality have also improved and are part of the school’s initiatives within the ‘Excellence in Cities’ funding.
p.8
STANDARDS
The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with
p.8
STANDARDS
Performance in: all schools similar schools Key
p.8
STANDARDS
English D E C A well above average above average A B mathematics D C D A average below average C D science C E C A well below average E
p.8
STANDARDS
Analysing the national test results for 7 and 11 year olds has to be done with guarded caution. Within any year group there is a substantial number of children who will have only been speaking English for a relatively short time. This will naturally have a major influence on the overall attainment of children when compared to national averages. However in 2000, the school’s test results for 11-year-olds do not vary greatly from the national average in English or science. This shows good improvement over the past few years. This is confirmed by the present Year 6 group, which is attaining at similar levels to the 2000 group. In mathematics the present Year 6 group is attaining at the levels expected for their age, which is an improved position compared to the 2000 cohort. When compared to similar schools, the school’s results are well above average for all three-core subjects. At the age of 7 the test results,
p.8
STANDARDS
when judged against national averages, are below average. This is due to larger numbers at this age being at very early stages of English acquisition and an unusually large percentage of children identified with learning difficulties. An appropriate numbers of children are attaining at the higher levels but clearly there will be larger than expected numbers still at the very early stages and not yet performing at the level expected for their age. Standards in information and communication technology throughout the school are not high enough. Flora Gardens Primary School - 9 Children of different abilities and from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds make at least good progress. Children who have English as an additional language make very good progress and achieve extremely well. They quickly learn to become confident communicators and listen especially attentively in lessons. They learn to read individual words competently although they take a little longer to
p.8
STANDARDS
comprehend what they have read. Children who have special educational needs make good progress. The vast majority of children learn to organise their work effectively and are confident enough to experiment with new words when writing stories. A substantial number of children who have been at the school for some time are attaining at levels those are beyond that expected for their age. This indicates that these children also achieve well. The more able children achieve well in most areas although some of the writing could be even better if good descriptive openings were maintained throughout the whole story. There is good progress made by most children in their nursery year and this results in many children being in a good position to build on the solid foundation provided as they move through the school.
p.9
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Attitudes to the school Good. Children are extremely enthusiastic about their work and most are fully involved in their lessons. Children work hard and are proud of their achievements.
p.9
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The vast majority of children are well behaved, courteous and polite. Lunchtimes are generally social and calm periods.
p.9
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Personal development and relationships Good. Friendship groups are made up of children from different backgrounds and cultures. Children show good initiative and provide sensible suggestions to help make their school even more interesting.
p.9
PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Attendance Satisfactory. Children are punctual and attendance rates are in line with national averages.
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
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.
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Teaching and learning are good overall. It is very good in 12 per cent of lessons, good in 41 per cent and satisfactory in 47 per cent. It is never unsatisfactory. There is particular good expertise in the way staff work with children who have English as an additional language. Teachers are very clear about the way they communicate with these children, thereby raising their confidence levels. This helps these children improve their learning and encourages them to work hard. Similarly, the teaching for children with special educational needs is very good. The staff supporting these children focus on what they need to do to improve their work and encourage them to try hard. There is also challenging work provided for more able children who make good progress in most areas of their work. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very secure with the basic skills being well taught. There is very good use
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
made of materials and equipment to help staff make learning interesting and stimulating. In each class there is very effective use made of support staff to help children have the help needed in order for Flora Gardens Primary School - 10 them to make good progress. In each class there are children who are difficult to manage. The teachers have a good range of strategies to ensure that children are working productively and there is constant praise for those who do well. One of the other strengths of the teaching is the way teachers plan effectively to meet the needs of all children who are at such different stages of their learning. The newly introduced target-setting system is helping children have a good understanding about what they need to do next to improve their writing and number work. There is some insecurity in the teaching of information and communication technology (ICT). This, together with insufficient number of computers
p.9
TEACHING AND LEARNING
restricts the amount ICT is used to support work in other areas of the curriculum.
p.10
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
The quality and range of the curriculum Good. There is appropriate attention given to the basic skills of literacy and numeracy with effective emphasis given to speaking and listening. In art and music, in particular, the staff focus on work from a range of different cultures. Very good use is made of the many exciting and stimulating places of educational and cultural interest in the immediate area to add to the children’s learning experiences.
p.10
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very Good. Tasks are very carefully matched to the needs of individuals in lessons and there is very good support provided when children are withdrawn for specialist work.
p.10
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
Provision for children with English as an additional language. Very Good. This is a particular strength of the school with the good level of expertise being used to good effect to help children be more confident in communicating and taking a lead in asking questions.
p.10
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very Good. The school is particularly alert to helping children understand about each other’s cultural diversity. There is every opportunity provided for children to show initiative and to take responsibility for a range of decisions about the life of the school. Children are helped to behave appropriately and have respect for each other’s faith.
p.10
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
How well the school cares for its pupils Very Good. The very good tracking system that exists helps staff be very well aware of the progress made by each individual child. Procedures to encourage good behaviour and attendance are very well established and working well.
p.10
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL
Parents play an active role in the education of their children. They are very willing for the school to call upon their expertise and experience when dealing with the range of backgrounds and cultures represented within the school. They also support the school’s effective homework system and play a prominent role in working with the school to raise additional money or participate in visits to places of interest.
p.10
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very Good. The headteacher’s clear vision is one of the main reasons why this school is so successful. She sees the interesting mix of different backgrounds and cultures as a particular strength and works tirelessly to ensure that every child is able to achieve well and give their Flora Gardens Primary School - 11 best. As a consequence of so many recent changes in staff, co- ordination of many foundation subjects as well as science is not comprehensive enough.
p.10
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are knowledgeable and have established effective systems to help them gain a clear understanding about how well the school is doing.
p.11
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The test results are very carefully analysed and there are appropriate procedures in place to help the school make sense of the information that they gain from the analysis. The quality of teaching and learning are regularly checked and action taken to help and support staff, when needed.
p.11
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
The strategic use of resources Very Good. The school is able to benefit from a range of funding sources. The impact made on children’s achievement is carefully checked against the additional funding awarded for areas such as support for children with English as an additional language, special educational needs and excellence in cities.
p.11
HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED
The school has recently undergone a major turn-over of staff after a period of relative stability. This has meant that the school has many teachers who are currently on temporary contracts or on short- term fixed contracts. This has naturally had its impact on the way the school is able to organise its teaching and learning. It is a testament to the school’s leadership that so much that is good has been maintained. The school benefits from an outside environment that is envied by many other London schools. Learning resources are generally adequate with much thought given to providing children with images in literature, art and music that takes account of multi-cultural issues. However, there are limited numbers of computers available to support work in information and communication technology.
p.11
PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The way the school is led and managed. • Children enjoy coming to school and feel part of a very unique community. • Children are expected to work hard and behave well. • Children achieve well and make remarkable progress in their acquisition of English. A few parents commented that: • Homework arrangements were not consistent. • The range of after school activities is too narrow. • They are not well informed about how their children are getting on.
p.11
PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL
The inspection team agrees with all the positive points made. The homework arrangements are effective and better than those found in most schools. Similarly, the range of additional activities provided for children is good. Parents are given good information about the progress made by their children and there are extensive opportunities for parents to discuss their child’s work with teachers or members of the senior management team. Flora Gardens Primary School - 12
p.11
The school’s results and achievements
1 There is a need to appreciate that children of different ages, many of whom speak little English, are joining and leaving the school throughout the year. The mobility of children is high and although the ability range is very wide, the one common feature is that new children joining the school often have little experience of conversational English. This factor makes it difficult to measure the achievement of children only by the progress made by groups of children as they move through the school. However, it is clear that children who do have English as an additional language make very good progress and that the vast majority of children achieve well.
p.12
The school’s results and achievements
2 The children who start school in the nursery or reception classes make good progress during the foundation stage of learning. In the nursery, in particular, the practical and carefully planned activities helps children acquire confidence in their speaking skills. They have opportunities, through play, to retell familiar stories, such as ‘The Billy Goats Gruff’. The children gain a great deal from such activities with those who are confident in speaking English being able to play prominent roles in ‘acting’ out different parts using key phrases from the story. Others participate without words, miming the roles as they gradually gain in confidence to use words. The children who have had at least a full year in the nursery or reception class are on course to meet the learning goals anticipated for each of the six areas of learning by the time they finish the foundation stage of learning. However, children join the group at different
p.12
The school’s results and achievements
times and this results in each group that start in Year 1 displaying a wide range of skills in English acquisition.
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The school’s results and achievements
3 The national tests for 7-year-olds indicate that the school’s results fluctuate greatly, due to the changes already described. Standards in reading and writing have been well below the national averages for the past two years but this does not give a true reflection of the achievement of children. A few of the children who took the national tests will only have been at the school for a short time and did not speak English before they started. The analysis of the school’s 2000 reading results shows that there is an extremely wide ability range. More than half the group has reading skills that is well below that expected for their age while a quarter of the group is reading at levels that is well above that expected for their age. There is a direct correlation between the length of time the children have been at school and their standard in reading. The common feature of reading is that children who are at the early stages of English acquisition
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The school’s results and achievements
are gaining in confidence in being able to ‘decode’ words. However, their comprehension skills take a little longer to develop. A similar picture is seen in writing. More than half the 2000 cohort did not reach the level expected for their age while the percentage who attained well beyond the level expected was above the national average. It is difficult to make any overall judgement about the trends because each group is so different to the preceding one. What is clear is that children of all abilities make good progress in their reading and writing during their time in Year 1 and 2. The analysis of children’s results against their relative position when they started school shows this to be the case.
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The school’s results and achievements
4 In mathematics, the national test results for 7-year olds show that there are huge variations between different cohorts. The results for the past two years have been well below and below average respectively. However, three years ago they were well above the national average. A closer analysis of the 2000 results shows that fewer children are at very early Flora Gardens Primary School - 13 stages of understanding number, that is well below the level expected for their age. More children are around the levels expected for their age but the wide variation of attainment still exists, with one child attaining at the level expected for an 11-year old. Children who are at early stages of English acquisition find aspects of mathematical language difficult to cope with. They need a little longer to appreciate that phrases or words like ‘taking away’ or ‘difference’ will result in the same numerical operation needing to be used to find out the answers. In
p.12
The school’s results and achievements
science, the teacher assessments for 7-year-olds show that children’s knowledge and understanding of science is more advanced than their science investigations.
p.13
The school’s results and achievements
5 The present Year 2 group shows a huge a variation in standards just as is seen with each preceding cohort. However, the overall picture sees that the vast majority is attaining in line with that expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. In science, the vast majority of the present Year 2 is able to carry out scientific investigations to the level expected for their age and this has helped to improve standards in science.
p.13
The school’s results and achievements
6 The national tests for 11-year-olds show that the gap between the school’s overall attainment and that seen nationally has closed appreciably when compared to the tests at the age of 7. Standards in English have fluctuated between being well below to being in line with the national average. The 2000 results matched the national picture and were well above that of similar schools. The wide variations in children’s performance still exists with the percentage that attained above the level expected for their age and those who attained below the level expected matching the national statistics. There is again a direct correlation between high attainers and those who have been at the school the longest. There are however examples of more able children’s writing containing very interesting and exciting openings which are not sustained throughout, often resulting in stories and accounts finishing too abruptly. There is
p.13
The school’s results and achievements
very little difference between the attainment of boys and girls, which is not in keeping with the national trend of girls attaining better than boys. However, this is quite understandable when appreciating the fact that most children learn to speak English within the school and are less influenced by outside factors. Children achieve well in English. This is because those that have relatively little experience of speaking English are helped to be confident communicators in a relatively short time.
p.13
The school’s results and achievements
7 In mathematics, the standards of 11-year-olds have fluctuated between being below or in line with the national average for the past few years. The 2000 results were below average with almost the identical pattern of above and below average performance noted for English being seen in the mathematics results. When compared to similar schools the 2000 results are well above average. Boys’ performance over the past three years is slightly better than that of girls. In science, the 2000 test results matched the national performance and were well above those of similar schools. In each of the three core subjects, the tests for 11-year olds show that the percentage of children attaining above the level anticipated for their age is similar to that noted nationally.
p.13
The school’s results and achievements
8 The group that is presently in Year 6 has a wide variation in attainment as with previous cohorts. However, the overall attainment in each of the core subjects is in line with that expected for their age. Children of all abilities make good progress throughout Key Stage 2 (7 to 11 years) and achieve well.
p.13
The school’s results and achievements
9 Throughout the school children who have English as an additional language achieve well and make very good progress. This shows that the school has maintained and built on the strong position noted for this area at the time of the previous inspection. This is particularly the case amongst those who are at very early stages of English acquisition. A combination of good Flora Gardens Primary School - 14 teaching and determination by individual children are mainly responsible for this. Many children move from a position of joining the school speaking very little English to a position of attaining well above the level expected for their age within a relatively short time. The growing confidence these children have in their spoken English and their willingness to engage others in conversation is a particular strong feature. Many children are learning at such a quick rate that a group of Year 6 children who have only recently joined the school are able to explain the
p.13
The school’s results and achievements
meaning of the word ‘anonymous’ because they had met it before but do not yet know the word ‘post’ as in ‘the letter came by post’ because this is a word they have not yet met.
p.14
The school’s results and achievements
10 Children who have special educational needs make good progress and also achieve well. These children are able to make the necessary progress because work is well matched to their individual needs. Work is prepared for them that takes account of the areas that they need to work on and good levels of support help them to overcome their problems. Similarly, more able children are very well challenged. This is very evident by the way more demanding questions are directed to individuals. In one case, a Year 3 child responded to a question about making lists very specific by answering that lists need not conform with other forms of writing because of the need to ‘emphasise the imperative’. Another strong factor to support the good progress made by the more able children is the use of specific targets that are written for children to help them in writing and mathematics. The targets make it clear what they need to do next to
p.14
The school’s results and achievements
improve their work and the children relate well to these and focus their attention on the areas noted.
p.14
The school’s results and achievements
11 Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are not high enough. This is due to a combination of inadequate resourcing, a lack of confidence amongst some staff in using ICT to support work in other curricular areas and children not having the necessary skills to use computers as they wish. The school is aware of its deficiencies in this area and there is an appropriate plan to help improve the situation. By contrast, there is effective use of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum. Written accounts in history, geography and religious education contain good descriptions, which show that children are able to use the skills taught in literacy lessons to influence their other work. There are also examples of charts and graphs used in history and geography, which have been developed well because of the influence of the work going on in their numeracy lessons. In all other foundation subjects standards match
p.14
Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
12 The attitudes, behaviour and personal development of the children are good. They obviously enjoy coming to school and respond very well to the very good ethos promoted by the school, which has a positive effect on their progress and the standards that children attain. This overall position has been maintained since the previous inspection.
p.14
Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
13 While they are in the nursery and reception classes, the children make good progress in their personal and social skills and learn how to relate well to one another and to adults. They show respect for property and resources and are able to take turns and share equipment fairly. Children show a lot of interest and enjoyment in their work and, during play activities, show good levels of self-control. They demonstrate that they can sustain interest for appropriate periods of time, work collaboratively and show some personal responsibility. Children grow in confidence, as they are encouraged to act out familiar stories. Although those who are at an early stage of English acquisition tend to mime the story initially, this type of activity is helping these children settle to school life and to participate in activities. Flora Gardens Primary School - 15 14 The attitudes of children aged five to eleven to their learning are good. They show a positive
p.14
Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
approach to their work and demonstrate interest and enjoyment in what they are doing. They apply themselves willingly to their tasks, are very enthusiastic and keen to answer questions and join in discussion during introductions and plenary (summary) sessions in lessons. This is particularly the case with children who have English as an additional language. These children have gained confidence in being able to ask and answer questions from early on after joining the school. This was most evident during literacy and numeracy sessions. They show reverence when listening to, or saying prayers in the hall during collective worship, as was seen in an assembly on the theme of caring for others. Most children are able to sustain concentration throughout the lessons, enjoy their activities and co-operate well with their teachers and each other. This is especially the case when they are involved in practical
p.15
Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
experiences, as was evident in a Year 6 science lesson on investigating how sieving can separate a mixture of solids. Children show confidence when speaking to adults and to each other, which is a testament to the hard work of all staff in developing children's speaking skills that, in many cases, are below average when they start school. The attendance rate is in line with the national average, which shows improvement since the last inspection. Children are punctual enabling lessons to start on time.
p.15
Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
15 The behaviour of the vast majority of children is good and they are happy to work and play within the discipline of the school community. They have a say in the behaviour policy through the school council and, as a result, see any rules and sanctions as fair and there for the benefit of all. Children respond well to the high expectations set by staff in terms of relationships, conduct and mutual respect. This has a positive effect on standards of achievement and the quality of life within the school. Children behave well in the dining room, in the playground and when moving around school and also show a great deal of self-discipline. They show respect for the building, books and equipment. Most children are polite and show genuine interest in others, initiate conversations and listen politely to responses. There is a minority of children who show anti-social behaviour at times but the staff deal with any such instances quickly and
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Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
in a sensitive manner. In the year prior to inspection there were two temporary exclusions of children from the school. There were no incidents of bullying during the inspection but children are very aware of the procedures to follow if bullying does occur, and they have confidence in their teachers that bullies will be dealt with firmly and justly. Children with special educational needs respond well in class, particularly where additional support is provided for children with behavioural difficulties. They try hard with their work, concentrate well on the tasks provided and are mostly well behaved.
p.15
Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
16 The school's provision for the children's personal development is good. There is a secure framework in which they are encouraged to be co-operative, trustworthy, and tolerant. They show a good respect for other people's feelings, values and beliefs and are prepared to listen to the opinions of others. This has resulted in a great sense of children who originate from all over the world coming together to work and play in harmony and respecting each other’s faith and culture. Relationships within the school are good and children relate very well to others and to adults. They are willing to take responsibility, as was seen when they were taking registers to the office and when children in Year 6 were looking after younger children during wet playtimes. The children are willing to work collaboratively and are beginning to show initiative and to take some responsibility for their own learning. The school stresses the
p.15
Children’s attitudes, values and personal development
uniqueness of each child but also helps him or her to appreciate and celebrate the talents of other children. The school is a very friendly and harmonious community, to which children contribute fully. Flora Gardens Primary School - 16
p.15
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
17 Teaching and learning are good overall. There are particular strengths in Year 6, Year 2, the nursery and the specialist teaching for children who have English as an additional language and for children with special needs. The teaching of literacy and numeracy has many positive features, which helps move on children’s learning. The way children are encouraged to communicate is a major strength in literacy. In numeracy there are particular strong features associated with teaching mental and oral number work. Overall, teaching is very good in 12 per cent of lessons, good in 41 per cent and satisfactory in 47 per cent. This shows significant improvement since the previous inspection with far more very good and good teaching now evident and no unsatisfactory teaching compared with 10 per cent previously.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
18 One of the most impressive features of the teaching is the way in which children of different abilities and those who are at different stages of English acquisition are supported. The planning clearly indicates the way the lessons intend to take on their learning. For example, in a Year 6 literacy lesson about writing theatre reviews the more able children are expected to focus on the style of language used by critics. They have the opportunities to examine a range of reviews written about different plays in the London areas before attempting to write their own based on recent visits to a local theatre. The response is most impressive with these children being able to interweave their emotional responses with factual information. The same lesson enables children who are not as proficient in writing to respond verbally for a longer period because there is effective deployment by the learning mentor and the special needs
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
classroom assistant. In this way all children are benefiting from the carefully structured planning that has taken place. The children who are on the special educational needs register benefit from the careful planning that takes place to meet their individual needs. The intended learning is set out in small steps within their plans and the class teacher works effectively with the specialist teacher and classroom support to meet these needs.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
19 In other lessons the same type of effective support is provided for children with English as an additional language. In one lesson a small group of four older children who have only recently moved to this country were being encouraged to use words in their conversation that they had not used before. The quality of the support was such that each of the children felt comfortable about making mistakes. For example, one child mistook the word ‘suspense’ for ‘spend’. The teacher skilfully ensures that the response is seen in a positive way so that these bright children, who lack the width of experience in the English language, are not discouraged from trying again. The same specialist teacher in another context successfully captures the interest of another group of children and encourages them to ask and answer questions so that the range of their known English vocabulary is increased. The same expertise is evident with very
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
young children as they listen to the story of ‘Mrs. Wishy-Washy’. The teacher carefully explains the meaning of words that may be unfamiliar to the group, such as, rolled. Once this is explained the children’s eagerness to participate in joining in the action is markedly increased. Apart from the good support provided to children when they are withdrawn for specialist support they are equally well supported in classroom situations. One of the most positive features of the learning that takes place is the way in which children who are at early stages of English acquisition are explained the meaning of certain key words before being read to. In this way they are given full access to the text used by the whole of the group and do not feel unsure about aspects of their work.
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
20 The correct use of vocabulary is a significant feature in each lesson. This applies to words in common usage, such as, post or more technical vocabulary, such as, temperature or Flora Gardens Primary School - 17 thermometer in science. This leads to children being able to recall very specific technical language associated with particular features of literacy. One bright Year 2 child remarks that the author ‘uses the refrain’ when asked about the style of the text used in a story. In another lesson associated with the same theme, Year 2 children respond with very well thought-out ideas when asked to consider the type of questions they would ask one of the main characters from a story they are studying. For example, one child suggests that she would ask the wolf in the story of the Three Little Pigs, ‘What would you feel like if you were one of the pigs?’ This shows that the children are able to bring in their own interpretation to stories that they have
p.16
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
studied because the teacher has given careful thought to the use of language and to stimulating much interest in the text.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
21 All staff are confident in teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. There is careful evaluation of children’s work that has helped to identify the deficiencies noted in more able children’s writing. There is very effective teaching of mental and oral number. Children are helped to widen their mathematical vocabulary and very young children are familiar with words like, ‘subtract’, ‘take-away’ and ‘difference’ and essentially know that they can mean the same mathematical operation. In literacy, there is very effective use of text to help children be motivated in exploring different aspects of texts. For example, the consideration of the same story from different points of view, as in the ‘Three Little Pigs’ and ‘Wolf’s Tale’ with Year 2 and examination of fact as against opinion when studying reviews in Year 6.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
22 Another major enhancement to children’s learning in literacy and numeracy is the use of specific targets. Children have carefully chosen targets, which have been especially designed to link with their next area of learning. These are written in ‘child-friendly’ phrases and are placed inside the cover of literacy and numeracy exercise books. They have a good impact on children learning because they make children aware of what they need to do next in order to improve their work.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
23 In the nursery there is very effective use of play as a vehicle to help children improve their communication. This is seen at its best when a small group of children are encouraged to act out the story of the ‘Three Billy Goat’s Gruff’. Here the adults working with the children are encouraging the children to participate as much as possible. They are sensitive to the different confidence levels of the children, especially in relation to their stage of English acquisition. They encourage them to have a go either by speaking parts or just acting out the story in mime. This enables the activity to be relevant for all children and each is supported or challenged accordingly. In another activity nursery-aged children are building structures to accommodate small, plastic teddy bears. Some aim to build a structure, which will be the home for six bears, others are happy for four to live in their house. During these sessions the quality
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
of conversation is good with children whose first language is English sharing thoughts with those who have only just started to learn English. The same quality of interaction is seen in a personal, social and emotional development lesson when children consider happy and sad facts before moving on to consider being frightened. The children focus on the ‘Troll’ to help them with the word frightened and many start to ask very perceptive questions to help them put the word into context. The teaching in the reception class is effective in helping to develop children’s basic skills. For example, nearly all children successfully trace the letter ‘b’ in the air and then show good pencil control when writing underneath the letter in their books. Similarly, all children competently count up to 10 and show that they understand words like, ‘before’, ‘after’ and ‘between’ when using a counting stick. However, too often there is a lack of
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
practical experiences for these children and very limited opportunities for them to participate in play activities. This results in some children getting ‘tired’ and finding it difficult to concentrate when they spend too long on the carpet being given instructions. Flora Gardens Primary School - 18 24 In the rest of the school there is very good use made of materials and equipment to help staff make learning interesting and stimulating. In each class there is very effective use made of support staff to enable children to have the help needed in order for them to make good progress. In each class there are children who are difficult to manage. However, teachers manage these children well using an appropriate range of strategies when doing so. This minimises any potential disruption to the flow of lessons.
p.17
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
25 The majority of teachers have a good range of strategies to ensure that children are working productively and there is constant praise for those who do well. The teachers that have been at the school for some time are much more confident in their handling of children who have the potential to be difficult. Occasionally staff who are new to the school, or who are on temporary contracts, initially find the management of children difficult. They are however provided with good support from their colleagues and the school is particularly vigilant at helping new staff settle into the school’s way of working.
p.18
HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?
26 The teaching of music benefits from the good level of expertise available from a member of staff who works on a part-time basis with the school. She is very effective in inspiring children and they play a range of musical instruments and sing enthusiastically. The quality of the music is good and the teaching successfully instils a love for music in children. By contrast, there is some insecurity in the teaching of information and communication technology, which restricts the amount ICT is used to support work in other areas of the curriculum. The lack of appropriate resources has handicapped the school’s developments in this area. However, plans are well advanced to provide staff with the professional support they need to help them take on children’s learning.
p.18
PUPILS?
27 The curriculum provided in the foundation stage of learning is good. The school has already taken the necessary steps to ensure that recently produced guidance for working with children of this age is fully implemented in the nursery. At the moment this is not as evident in the reception because of the lack of opportunity for children to have practical experiences. There is good attention in both classes to the communication needs of children. Speaking and listening are given very high priority and this enables all children, including those with English as an additional language, to develop confidence in communication, language and literacy.
p.18
PUPILS?
28 The curricular and other opportunities provided for children aged 5 to 11 are good, which shows improvement since the last inspection, and meets all the statutory requirements. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are being implemented well, with particular emphasis given to teaching the basic skills of speaking and listening. This has been a key feature in ensuring that the provision for children from different ethnic backgrounds and those who are at an early stage of English acquisition is very good. The planning takes full account of the prior attainment of children and in any literacy and numeracy lesson there is a good range of activities aimed at children of different abilities and those who are different stages of English acquisition. The more able children, in particular, are helped by the specific targets that are set for them so that they can see how they can improve still further their work. This is
p.18
PUPILS?
working well despite examples of written work sometimes finishing too abruptly after interesting and exciting openings. Flora Gardens Primary School - 19 29 There are some aspects of information and communication technology that are not sufficiently covered, but the school is working hard to improve the provision for this subject. The children are provided with a wide range of rich experiences in art, drama and music that involves work from a variety of cultures. This is particularly the case in music in which children are able to learn how to play instruments from around the world. They are also able to appreciate music from other cultures, such as when listening to a Zimbabwean drumming group that visited school. Music makes a strong contribution to the excellent provision that the school makes for children's cultural development. This is another indication of the school being particularly sensitive to the rich diversity of cultures that the children bring with them to school. The
p.18
PUPILS?
demands of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education are met in a satisfactory way. The curriculum effectively helps the children to make good progress in their academic and personal development.
p.19
PUPILS?
30 There is very good provision for the children's personal, social and health education. There are many opportunities for children to relate to others in a variety of situations, in and out of school, and, as a result, they learn to respect the values and beliefs of other children and adults. This provision for social education is enhanced by a good range of extra curricular activities, and is a significant factor in promoting the harmonious relationships to be seen throughout the school. Friendship groups are made up of children from different ethnic backgrounds and from different cultures. This is what helps to give the school a truly international dimension. The children are helped to develop good attitudes towards healthy eating and effectively learn about how medicines are drugs that can be helpful but are dangerous when misused. Each year all the children have lessons aboard the 'Life Bus' mobile classroom when they learn
p.19
PUPILS?
about healthy choices and how to make sensible informed decisions about drugs. The school provides for sex education in a sensitive and supportive manner that emphasises family values within a very caring community. The children are given responsibilities from the time they enter school and this has a positive impact on their personal development. A good example of this is the way that children can be elected onto the school council, whose responsibilities include choosing the annual charity to be supported and putting over the views of children as to how school life can be improved. All classes have weekly 'Circletime' activities in which they sit in a circle with their teacher to talk about such issues as bullying and the importance of caring for others, which effectively supports their personal development.
p.19
PUPILS?
31 The provision for children with special educational needs is very good, with the school successfully ensuring that all children have equal access to the curriculum. The tasks provided for children are very well matched to their abilities, because the children's strengths and weaknesses are well known by all staff, who work well together as a team. There are very effective systems and procedures in place to support these children and, as a result, they make good progress in their learning and achieve well, especially in the basic skills of speaking and listening. Children's records are very detailed, which enables work to be effectively targeted to their individual needs. The processes for review are well planned and involve all the appropriate people and outside agencies. The needs of the more able children are also effectively met, with the carefully arranged worthwhile activities making sure that they make
p.19
PUPILS?
32 The school has a very good planning structure in place to ensure continuity and progression of learning in all subjects, being particularly strong in English and mathematics. There is a long term planning framework that provides an overview of the aspects of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study delivered by each year group over the year. The medium term consists of schemes of work that outline the learning objectives to be taught. Short term planning is taken from these schemes and details the key learning objectives and skills to be taught. The Flora Gardens Primary School - 20 work is effectively matched to the abilities of children and is a notable feature in the good progress that they make.
p.19
PUPILS?
33 The provision for extra curricular activities offered to children, including competitive team games, is good and includes football, netball, recorder, dance and green fingers club. Appropriate thought is given to matching the type of extra activity with the children’s own cultural heritage, for example, dance. The high quality of this provision was evident in a dance club session taken by a member of the Royal Ballet Outreach scheme. The school gives all children opportunity to take part in an extensive range of educational visits that enrich the curriculum by providing further significant learning experiences. There is good use made of nearby places of educational interest such as museums, art galleries and theatres such as the Lyric. School journeys have taken place every year from 1989 to Farms for City Children at Nethercot, Devon or Wick Court in Gloucestershire. These residential visits for older children
p.20
PUPILS?
develop their personal and social skills. The school arranges for visitors to come to school and these include theatre groups, dance troupes, musicians, authors and storytellers.
p.20
PUPILS?
34 There are very good links with the community that makes a strong contribution to children's learning. The school works very closely with community groups such as:- Groundwork; Urban Studies Centre; community policing and local police schools' liaison; local fire station; town hall road safety team and library services. The children are actively involved in raising money for a variety of charities, including ''Help the Aged' and the 'National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children'. Within these activities the children gain a good understanding of the needs of others. There are satisfactory links with the local secondary schools and these prepare children in Year 6 for when they transfer to these schools.
p.20
PUPILS?
35 The provision for children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good, showing improvement since the last inspection, and is now a strength of the school.
p.20
PUPILS?
36 The children's spiritual development through the curriculum and acts of collective worship is good, with children having opportunities for reflection in assemblies and at other times of the day in classrooms. This was seen in an assembly in which children had time to think about the importance of caring for others and through the story of the 'Good Samaritan'. Spirituality is also promoted through links with the local churches, with ministers from various denominations visiting school to take assemblies and to talk to the children. An example of this is the way the pastor from the Baptist Church comes into school to work with children during 'Christian Aid' week. The last report indicated that the contribution of religious education to the spiritual life of the school was weak but the adoption of the new agreed syllabus has effectively addressed this issue. The rich experiences that children have access to in music play an effective part of
p.20
PUPILS?
the school's provision for spiritual development. All teachers value children's ideas and efforts and this is shown by the way that all children are encouraged to make contributions during lessons and by the way their work is attractively displayed around school.
p.20
PUPILS?
37 The school's provision for moral and social development is very good, featuring in many aspects of the curriculum and being an integral part of the school ethos. The children are encouraged to develop good moral values through the behaviour policy and through the good examples set by all staff. The teachers work hard to promote a sense of fairness among children and are successful in teaching them to be tolerant of each other, as is evident in the harmonious relationships throughout the school. There is a consistent approach to dealing with children who do not behave appropriately or are not attentive in lessons and this enables these children to be well integrated into class and to learn right from wrong. ‘Circletime’ activities are used well to promote good moral values with children who are able to discuss issues such Flora Gardens Primary School - 21 as bullying and how to care for others. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their
p.20
PUPILS?
actions and to work and play together with respect and tolerance. The children are consulted on various school issues such as school uniform, playground arrangements and improvements they would like to see. They are encouraged to listen to and respect the opinions of others, as was seen during the introductions and round up sessions of most lessons. From the start of their time in school children are provided with very good social development opportunities, with the staff providing good role models. The good opportunities for children to take part in extra curricular activities and residential visits effectively supports their social development.
p.21
PUPILS?
38 The provision for children's cultural development is excellent. The children have outstanding opportunities to learn about their own culture and the traditions and beliefs of the many other cultures represented in the school. There is very good use made of the many appealing and stimulating places of educational and cultural interest in the immediate area to add to the children's learning experiences. They also have many opportunities to work with visitors that include theatre groups, artists, authors, storytellers and musicians from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Music makes a very strong contribution to the children's cultural development, as they are able to listen to and appreciate music from around the world. People from a variety of faiths have been invited into school to talk about their beliefs and this has effectively developed the children's understanding and tolerance of other people's religious convictions and cultural
p.21
PUPILS?
traditions. All the children are prepared, in an outstanding way, for life in the multi-cultural society in which they will grow up. Flora Gardens Primary School - 22
p.21
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
39 This is a strong area of the school’s work, which is underpinned by its educational approach and attention to how all children develop during their time in school. A safe and welcoming atmosphere is created by a well-ordered, yet sympathetic philosophy, which is shared by all the people who work in the school. The school gets to know its children well, including the number of children who join the school at varying points in the year, most of whom have English as an additional language and some of whom are asylum seekers. A system of ‘buddies’ ensures that new arrivals are introduced to the school as easily as possible.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
40 The school’s arrangements for health and safety are very good. Child protection procedures are secure, well known and disseminated to staff and the school is good at working with outside agencies to support its work.
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
41 The school’s behaviour policy works very well, resulting in a calm, ordered community where children can flourish. It is effectively monitored. There is a shared expectation of good behaviour throughout the school. Oppressive behaviour is eliminated through close attention to children as individuals. Any problems are talked through at length with the children concerned, and resolved in a successful approach, which includes parental involvement. The school’s personal and social education, including a school council, underpins the approach to personal responsibility. Arrangements at lunchtime encourage good social attitudes where children mix in a convivial atmosphere and are welcoming to visitors.
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
42 The school monitors attendance closely and is rigorous about only authorising legitimate absences. This has resulted in its unauthorised absences being slightly higher than the national average, though attendance overall is at the national level. The appointment of a learning mentor is already having a positive impact on individual children’s attendance, which together with home visits and the identification of target groups, is a positive move to further enhance support. This initiative is part of the school’s involvement in the ‘Excellence in Cities’ funding.
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
43 Academic progress is very well addressed through rigorous assessment of children’s learning, which is underpinned by very good support for children who are learning English. Close attention to children from nursery onwards results in targeted work on language acquisition to enable them to access the curriculum throughout the school. Skilled teaching, individual plans and personal attention results in good progress being made by all. Likewise children with special educational needs are very well supported. The school carefully tracks the progress made by defined groups of children, such as those with English as an additional language and those who are at an early stage of English acquisition. This helps the school to know how much support they need and indeed how successful support already in place is. There is very good attention given to checking on the progress made by more able children. This has already
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
identified issues related to more able children’s writing. Similarly, the reading requirements of children at the very early stages of English acquisition are effectively identified through the process of monitoring academic achievement of these children. A new policy and monitoring procedures has helped the school to focus attention on the needs of different groups of children throughout the school.
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?
44 Resources available are used very well, including high calibre help from governors and parents. The quality of expertise within the staff, to help the needs of the children of different ability and those from a range of different backgrounds, is adding to the school’s ability to care for all children. Flora Gardens Primary School - 23
p.22
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
45 The school makes very effective links with its parents. A point strongly endorsed by parents in the pre-inspection meeting and through the questionnaires sent out before the inspection.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
46 Parents were overwhelmingly positive about the school. They choose it for its international dimension and appreciate the welcome and information they receive. Links with parents are a priority and staff, including the headteacher, make themselves available to the parents and get to know them from the time children start at the school. There are facilities available for parents to use, and there is a very committed and active group who fundraise, organise activities and produce admirable records of what has been achieved for parents to enjoy.
p.23
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
47 The ethos of the school is based around equal opportunities and educational inclusion, and this is maximised by clever use of the language skills of existing parents to ease the passage of new arrivals. Many parents give valuable help in classrooms and the vast majority support their children’s homework. Governors are closely involved with activities in school and the ‘surgeries’ they organise are starting to increase their impact.
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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
48 Information provided by the school is useful and there is care to ensure that it is clearly and simply written. Sessions are arranged to explain the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies and details of topics to be studied are published every half term.
p.23
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
49 Parents are involved in target-setting discussions and they are encouraged to consult with the specialist special educational needs teacher and the teacher supporting children who are at an early stage of English acquisition. A large number of parents attend the regular feedback provided for them to find out about the progress their children are making. Annual reports are informative about personal development, contain a lot of detail about curriculum information, and include some targets for improvement.
p.23
HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?
50 The school is proactive in seeking feedback from parents on matters such as assemblies and acts on that information. There is a strong emphasis on celebrating the different cultures in the school, and parents appreciate this ethos. Widespread consultation about the introduction of a new uniform resulted in a large number of replies and flexible arrangements, which parents like.
p.23
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
51 It is a great testament to the leadership and management of the school that the standards attained by the children and quality of education provided has remained high despite the incredible changes to staff that have occurred in the past eighteen months. At the heart of the continuity that has been retained is the headteacher. Her clear vision and commitment to the children of the school has ensured that new staff, some very unfamiliar with working with children from such diverse backgrounds, have quickly settled into school routines and recognised the uniqueness of the school. She is extremely well respected by the parents, governors, staff and children. Her visible presence about school plays a major part in giving the school a sense of stability. The strengths outlined in the previous inspection report have been maintained and built upon. Flora Gardens Primary School - 24 52 There is a shared vision amongst staff that all children, irrespective of their stage of English
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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
acquisition or levels of learning difficulties, are able to achieve well. As a result the progress made by different groups of children, including the more able, is carefully checked and any necessary adjustment made to the curriculum so that children are able to do as well as they can. The headteacher is very clear about how test results and other information can be used to help children succeed. The careful analysis of results, which is undertaken by her, the deputy headteacher and the co-ordinator for children aged 4 to 7, ensures that all staff are very focused on helping to raise standards. As a result of the recent changes to the staff some of the teachers have had to take on management responsibility for subjects on a temporary basis and others will not have had much time to develop the skills necessary to help them be as effective in their role as they would wish. However, the senior management team is aware of
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
this and is putting in place the necessary measures to support individuals as they adjust to their new role. This support will need to be continued as the co-ordinators begin to take on added responsibilities, especially in the areas of science and most foundation subjects.
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
53 There are effective procedures in place to support teachers through carefully focused observation of lessons by senior staff. The teachers are provided with very good feedback about their teaching, aimed at helping them recognise their strengths and to provide appropriate support so that they continue their professional development. The school’s deputy headteacher and the co-ordinator for younger children are very good practitioners and they are used are role models to help others to develop their teaching. In this way there is continuity in the school’s teaching and learning provision as staff changes occur. The other strong feature is the expertise provided by the teachers with specific responsibility for English as an additional language and the special educational needs co-ordinator. Both offer very focused support to all staff. The specialist teacher for children who are at early stages of English acquisition helps
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
staff be clear about the way they communicate with children. There is a very good level of information available to staff to help them work as effectively as possible with these children when specific in-class support is or is not available to them. Similarly, the special education needs co-ordinator helps staff identify the small learning steps needed to be taken by children with learning difficulties. Individual plans are very specific for these children. These are regularly reviewed and updated with parents being fully involved in the process.
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
54 The senior management team, aided by the good expertise available from other staff members, helps the school to identify priorities. The school development plan is therefore clearly focused on school improvement and takes account of the need to maintain high standards as well as deal with the changing nature of both staffing and children who are starting at the school. The school has also taken full advantage of the services provided by the Local Education Authority and is able to draw on a wider level of expertise as a result. The present school development plan is well written so that it is easy to check on how the school is making progress in meeting the priorities identified. All staff and governors are involved in its development and its evaluation.
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
55 The school has a set of aims that is very relevant for a school serving the needs of children from such diverse backgrounds. They emphasise the need for children to grow in self-esteem through the promotion of academic, personal and social development. Within this there is an expectation that children will make decisions within a moral code of tolerance, equal opportunities and respect for others. Anyone visiting Flora Gardens will be left in no doubt about the school’s commitment to such aims. Children are provided with many opportunities to make decisions and to work and play in harmony with each other. As a result of the commitment to its aims the school’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity is one of its main strengths. Flora Gardens Primary School - 25 56 The governors are knowledgeable and deeply committed to the school. Many have long- standing connections with the school and are very proud of its reputation locally as well as its
p.24
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
achievements. They have established effective systems to help them gain a clear understanding about how well the school is doing. They are very aware of the potential problems of staff changes and have been very active in seeking new staff at a time when recruitment is not easy. Their appreciation of the problems has given the headteacher confidence to be able to recruit quality staff from further afield than might otherwise have happened.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
57 The school is able to benefit from a range of funding sources. The school receives funding from ‘Excellence in Cities’ aimed at, amongst others, improving levels of attendance and punctuality. The specific funding gained for supporting children with English as an additional language is successfully focused on helping these children achieve well. Similarly, money allocated to children with special educational needs is having a good impact on their learning. The school has effective measures in place to check on how well it uses its funds to raise standards. This careful analysis and appropriate use of funding helps the school to provide good value for money.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
58 The school’s administration staff are most effective in helping the school keep appropriate records of spending trends. They also help to keep checks on children’s progress and use appropriate technology when doing so. The day-to-day running of the school is aided by the warm and friendly manner with which the administration staff welcome people.
p.25
HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?
59 The school is well staffed so that appropriate support is available to children who require it. There is a large number of classroom assistants available, all having good levels of expertise to provide effective support in classrooms. The accommodation is good with outside areas that allow children to play safely and in appropriate space. The school has been involved in many initiatives over a period of many years to work at making the outside area as ‘child friendly’ as possible. This they have succeeded in doing with the many children spoken to remarking positively about the surroundings. Learning resources are good in many areas but there are an inadequate number of computers available to support information and communication technology. Flora Gardens Primary School - 26
p.25
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
60 In order to maintain its strong position and build on its good work, the governors, headteacher and staff need to:
p.26
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
• Focus on the quality of written work, giving particular attention to the way stories are developed and the way they end. Paragraphs 6,43,and 98-99
p.26
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
• Improve standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and help to develop staff confidence in teaching the subject. Paragraphs 11,26,29, 114,119, and 142-145
p.26
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
• Review the roles of co-ordinators and provide opportunities for staff new to the role to develop their skills. Paragraphs 52,121,132,136, 141
p.26
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
The school has already recognised that each of the three issues identified require improvement. In the case of the issue related to ICT there is an appropriate action plan already in place to help with improvement.
p.26
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
In addition to the main key issues, there is a need to involve reception aged children with more practical activities as they work towards meeting the learning goals identified in the foundation stage of learning. (Paragraphs 23,27 and 61-90) Flora Gardens Primary School - 27
p.26
Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection
Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 55
p.27
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor
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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 191
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Information about the school’s pupils
Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 107
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6
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Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 3
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 71
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Information about the school’s pupils
English as an additional language No of pupils
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with English as an additional language 132
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 27
p.27
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 28
p.27
Attendance
National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5
p.27
Attendance
Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Flora Gardens Primary School - 28
p.27
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 14 15 29
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Boys 9 10 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 12 12
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentage of pupils School 62 (72) 76 (76) 76 (72) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Boys 10 10 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 12 12
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentage of pupils School 79 (72) 76 (72) 76 (69) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1
Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 16 12 28
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Boys 12 10 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 8 10
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Percentage of pupils School 75 (39) 64 (61) 86 (57) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Boys 11 12 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 8 10
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Percentage of pupils School 69 (39) 71 (61) 82 (54) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)
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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2
Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Flora Gardens Primary School - 29
p.28
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage
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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – African heritage 15 Black – African heritage
p.29
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Any other minority ethnic group 38 Other minority ethnic groups
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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11 Financial year 1999/2000
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.4
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 585,336
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of education support staff 8 Expenditure per pupil 2459
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total aggregate hours worked per week 139 Balance brought forward from previous year 44,000
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Balance carried forward to next year 24,901
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26
p.29
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of education support staff 1
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Teachers and classes Financial information
Total aggregate hours worked per week 25
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Teachers and classes Financial information
FTE means full-time equivalent. Flora Gardens Primary School - 30
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Results of the survey of parents and carers
Percentage of responses in each category
p.30
Results of the survey of parents and carers
Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
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Results of the survey of parents and carers
My child is making good progress in school. 55 43 2
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Results of the survey of parents and carers
Behaviour in the school is good. 58 36 4 2
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Results of the survey of parents and carers
My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 51 34 13 2
p.30
Results of the survey of parents and carers
I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 46 11 1
p.30
Results of the survey of parents and carers
I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 66 26 4 4
p.30
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 28 2 2
p.30
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school works closely with parents. 43 45 4 8
p.30
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school is well led and managed. 79 15 6
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Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 72 19 2 2 5
p.30
Results of the survey of parents and carers
The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 19 43 15 2 21 Flora Gardens Primary School - 31
p.30
AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
61 The children in the nursery and reception classes form the early years unit in the school. Since the recent guidance related to the foundation stage of learning these two classes have started working closely together to provide greater continuity in children’s learning. The nursery has 15 children attending full-time and 22 children attending part-time. At present, the reception class has 18 full-time attenders, with a further group joining the reception from the nursery after Easter. This reflects the Local Education Authority’s intake policy.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
62 At the time of the inspection, despite the work that had already taken place to provide a greater amount of continuity in children’s learning, there are distinct differences in the provision between nursery and reception. Each class has its merits but the greater amount of practical opportunities provided for nursery aged children is more appropriate for the needs of the children in the foundation stage of learning. In both classes, however, there is very good attention given to the needs of children who are early stages of English acquisition.
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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE
63 Planning within both classes takes full account of the six areas of learning identified in the foundation stage. The staff are fully aware of needing to track the progress children are making towards the learning goals in each area and have appropriate systems in place to enable them to do so. There is much liaison taking place between the two class teachers and this is aided by the added expertise provided by the Year 2 class teacher who has a management responsibility for the foundation stage of learning. The careful planning and the good quality tracking of progress is helping children of all abilities, as well as those at early stages of English acquisition make good progress.
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Personal, Social and Emotional Development
64 There is understandably much attention devoted to this area of learning. Many children start school with very little experience of speaking English and there is much attention given to building up their confidence levels. Similarly, there are a few children who have high levels of confidence and are used to doing things for themselves. The staff in the nursery are particularly aware of the full range of abilities of the children and which children require additional help in order to settle to routines.
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Personal, Social and Emotional Development
65 The way in which the 15 children who stay for lunch in the nursery are supported is a feature of the importance the staff give to this area of their learning. During this session there is emphasis placed on using appropriate manners and using the correct cutlery. This is a special and enjoyable time because two adults stay and join the children for their lunch. There is no sense of children being rushed or being made to wait too long. There is also much time given to the use of ‘circle time’, which is a period when children sit together in a circle and share several thought and feelings. For example, in the nursery a teddy bear is used to help children focus on sad and happy times. They respond well to this and move on to use a puppet to consider other emotions such as being frightened. The children focus on the Troll from the Billy Goats Gruff book to aid their thinking. From this starting point they can move on to talk
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Personal, Social and Emotional Development
about times when they feel frightened. The staff have worked hard to put children at their ease in this session and their carefully timed interventions enables the activity to move on when necessary. In the reception, the children are participating in similar sessions. Here the emphasis is moved on so that there is more focus on listening to each other. During the Flora Gardens Primary School - 32 session the teacher is able to reinforce positive points by praising children who have worked hard and who have contributed appropriately. The teacher’s skill ensures that all children have contributed, including those who are at very early stages of acquiring English. More able children, in particular, show good levels of patience and understanding as they wait eagerly for their turn but support those who need time to gain enough confidence to say what they want to.
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Personal, Social and Emotional Development
66 Greater level of independence is expected from reception aged children. They also are expected to respond to written messages and to taking turns in helping in the class. There is appropriate links with spirituality as children complete a book entitled ‘Why they are special’. The use of the golden rules is an important feature with all children being able to talk about them and reception aged children knowing them. Despite the good progress made in this area there is still a significant group who will not meet the learning goal anticipated for their age by the time they finish in the reception class. The good teaching ensures that all children make good progress, especially when appreciating that some very young children start from a point of not being used to sharing and have to have one to one adult support until they settle.
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Communication, Language and Literacy
67 Not surprisingly the staff see that this is a very important area for them to work on as they seek to develop children’s skills. The ability range of children when they start in the nursery is very wide. This is made that much more difficult when recognising that children start school at different times of the year and many have very limited experience of speaking English.
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Communication, Language and Literacy
68 In the nursery, there are several opportunities for children to rehearse their speaking and listening skills. For example, the focus on the dramatisation of the story of the ‘Three Billy Goat’s Gruff’ offers opportunities for children to speak or mime according to their stage of confidence and English acquisition. In the main, the children are very willing to participate because they are familiar with the story and are building up confidence due to the support provided by the adult working with them. Most children join in the actions but few are prepared to use words without being prompted. However, they have more than one opportunity to join in the activity and it is noticeable that the children who join in the second and third time are more prepared to use speech. The organisation in the nursery allows the children to do this and therefore helps their learning. The teacher is quick to realise that some children
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Communication, Language and Literacy
need additional time to contribute and has therefore enabled children to participate in the activity on several occasions if it is helpful to them. It is also noticeable that some children are quick to take the lead without dominating others. The more confident children are able to help those less confident in ‘having a go’.
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Communication, Language and Literacy
69 Nursery aged children have many opportunities to write with the classroom being set up to allow many mark-making and writing tasks to take place. The use of the ‘home play’ environments helps in this respect. The teacher is able to see children move from a point of using drawings only to begin to write individual letters as they move through the nursery year. The good awareness of the prior attainment of children in this area helps in this respect. Reading is a very important activity in the nursery, with children being provided with at least one formal time each day when they share a story. The session is set up to resemble some of the features seen in the text level work of the Literacy Hour. That is, a big book is used to draw children’s attention to the words and to put emphasis on expression.
p.32
Communication, Language and Literacy
70 As children move into the reception class many of the positive features noted in the nursery are further developed by the teacher. In particular, the work related to reading and writing is Flora Gardens Primary School - 33 continued with more formal opportunities for children to use letters and to read together. However, the lack of an appropriate play environment does limit the opportunities for children to develop their speaking and listening skills. There are times when children are expected to stay on the carpet for too long, resulting in a few children finding it difficult to remain interested and motivated.
p.32
Communication, Language and Literacy
71 On the whole, the children still make good progress in their communication, language and literacy throughout the nursery and reception. This is particularly the case for children who have little English when they first start school. The good expertise provided by the specialist teacher ensures that children are introduced to appropriate vocabulary at the right time and at the right pace. The confidence levels of these children are also enhanced by the form of support they are given.
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Communication, Language and Literacy
72 By the time they start Year 1 there are many children who have reached the expected learning goal for this area of learning but there are a significant number who have not. Only a few have exceeded the learning goal.
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Mathematical Development
73 Most children are familiar with counting or reciting rhymes by the time they start in the nursery. However, the majority have learned rhymes associated with number in their own language. The nursery staff are very aware of this and use this as a positive building point as children begin to increase their English vocabulary.
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Mathematical Development
74 There are several practical tasks and games provided for these children as they work at developing their number, shape and space as well as their mathematical language. The use of play environments is also an important feature of the mathematical development of nursery- aged children. A recent ‘baby clinic’ allowed children to explore weighing and measuring. There is much emphasis given to counting with good use of resources to support these activities. Many children at the end of the nursery year are able to recognise numbers, such as 8 but are not at a stage where they can give 8 objects to an adult. The good teaching of mathematics in the nursery is helping children make rapid progress in this area of learning.
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Mathematical Development
75 In the reception class, mathematics is developed through a range of activities within their daily numeracy sessions. All reception aged children count competently to 10. They have developed their vocabulary so that they use words like, ‘before’ and ‘after’ accurately. They can tell which number comes before or after a given number on a counting stick. During the reciting of the rhyme, ‘Ten in a Bed’ they demonstrate that they can take away one and keep a count of how many they have left. The majority of children can show six with their fingers and can relate to questions such as, ‘What is one less than 6?’ Despite this good attention to basic number there is a lack of opportunity for children to learn from direct experience. There is a noticeable lack of resources used to help children when they carry out formal number operations involving additions or simple subtractions. The lack of an appropriate play
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Mathematical Development
environment also limits opportunities for children in the reception to learn from first hand experience. The teaching is satisfactory overall but greater emphasis needs to be given to more practical tasks.
p.33
Mathematical Development
76 By the time the children are ready to start Year 1 there is a group that has met the learning goal with a few exceeding it. However, the vast majority have not yet reached the learning goal for the area. Flora Gardens Primary School - 34
p.33
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
77 It is in this area that several children start in the nursery with very limited experiences. Much emphasis is placed on daily routines such as recording the weather or growing plants. Good use is made of the immediate environment during different times of the year to help children understand about how plants grow. There are good links with finding out about the world by using a Teddy who sends postcards to the classes. The teachers are quick to seize upon the children’s own experiences and particularly that of their parents, who have come from different parts of the world.
p.34
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
78 During a very exciting and interesting session on looking at how materials change the reception class made ice balloons. They filled balloons with water and then placed them in the freezer. They then handled and played with the ice blocks and watched them turn back to water. This enabled them to have a good understanding about the way things change.
p.34
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
79 Nursery aged children use building materials to good effect when creating a house for teddy bears of different sizes. They predicted how many teddy bears they could accommodate and set about finding out. This type of activity is helping them to develop good scientific enquiry skills as well as helping them understand about conservation of space.
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Knowledge and Understanding of the World
80 The good teaching does enable the children to make good progress. However, as with other areas there are still many children who do not attain the expected learning goal for the area by the time they start Year 1. A few will have exceeded it and about half will meet it.
p.34
Physical Development
81 The majority of children are able to meet the learning goal anticipated for this area of learning as many start from more secure positions when they start in the nursery. Children in the nursery are provided with ample opportunities to use the outside environment to develop their physical skills. The children in the reception also benefit from the use of the large hall and take full advantage of this. Teaching is satisfactory for this area of learning.
p.34
Physical Development
82 In the nursery, children are provided with many opportunities to use a range of equipment to help their manipulative skills. For example, scissors are in frequent use as children participate in making a range of apparatus for themselves, either in play or during table-top activities. They show good skills and control when using construction apparatus and when using paint brushes.
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Physical Development
83 In the reception, children are able to participate in an appropriate warm-up as they explore the large hall. During a game of ‘duck, duck, goose’, which is played around a circle with children running after each other when they have been touched, it is noticeable that about half the children are finding it difficult to confine their runs as tightly around the circle as they should. These children do not have the necessary control of their bodies when they run fast. Others are able to participate very well and are economical with the space they use and often catch up with the person that has touched them.
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Creative Development
84 It is in this are that the greatest gap exists between the provision in the nursery and that in the reception. The majority of children start in the nursery with under-developed skills in this area. There is good provision in the nursery and the children benefit from this and make good progress. However, the provision is not as good in the reception and although the progress Flora Gardens Primary School - 35 gained in the nursery is not lost, many do not reach the learning goal anticipated for this area of learning.
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Creative Development
85 In the nursery, a great emphasis is given to this area of learning. There are several examples of children using paint in a creative way to explore various textures. For example, washing up liquid has been mixed with paint and spread across a table. Children use their fingers to explore the texture and create patterns. They use two different colours and mix with their hands. The activity helps children gain a tactile experience. The use of paint in such a creative manner is not as evident in the reception class although there are good examples of children experimenting with using wet and dry paper to paint on.
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Creative Development
86 The creative effort that children give to retelling or re-enacting the story of Billy Goats Gruff is helping children with their creative effort. The children independently play-act the story using small puppets. The confidence levels of children are very evident as they experiment with language and the drama. Most are able to recall the main events but others have to rely on others in their group to enable them to participate. When they come to act out the story with an adult they take on different roles, with the puppets having helped them to focus on the phrases that they might use. There is a limited opportunity for similar activities to occur in the reception class, which sometimes leads to some children finding it difficult to improve their creative skills.
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Creative Development
87 Overall, by the time they are ready to start Year 1 many children display creative skills which match the learning goal but a significant number have not reached the goal.
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Teaching and Provision
88 Teaching is good overall with particular strengths noted in personal, social and emotional development in both the nursery and the reception. The teaching is stronger in the nursery because there is greater attention given to practical activities. This is particularly benefiting creative development and mathematics.
p.35
Teaching and Provision
89 The school has adjusted its planning to take account of the foundation stage of learning and there is a growing awareness amongst staff of the need to work more closely in planning for progression and continuity. The needs of children who are at early stages of English acquisition are well met with particular good support being available form the specialist teacher.
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Teaching and Provision
90 Parents are very involved in their children’s education. There are several parents who regularly work in the nursery and good use is made of the cultural backgrounds of parents to improve children’s knowledge and understanding of ways of life of different groups of people across the world. Flora Gardens Primary School - 36
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ENGLISH
91 All children, including those who are at early stages of English acquisition achieve well in reading and writing. Children who have recently arrived in the country with very little experience or knowledge of speaking English make very good progress in their spoken English. This is due to the good teaching that occurs giving every opportunity for children to learn. The impact of the good teaching and learning is reflected in the national test results for 11-year- olds, which do not vary greatly from the national averages. The 2000 tests results, for example, shows that the percentage of children attaining above the expected level for their age matches the national average as do the percentage who do not reach the expected level. When compared to similar schools the English results are well above average for 11-year-olds. The present Year 6 is on line to attain just as well, if not slightly better than the previous cohort.
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ENGLISH
92 The test results for 7-year olds are not as impressive because the vast majority of children have not had as much time to experience speaking English when these tests occur. In 2000 for example, the reading results were well below average, which on the face of it reflects a drop in standards compared with previous years. However, this does not take account of the changing nature of the school’s intake with a growing number of children starting school with very little English and more starting at different times, that is, some will only have been at the school a matter of months before taking the tests. The present Year 2’s reading standards is slightly better than the previous cohort but is still below that expected for their age. In writing, the results have been slightly better compared with the national average. This is mainly as a result of the reading comprehension handicapping children who are early stages of English
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ENGLISH
acquisition more so in reading than in writing. When compared to similar schools the reading results for 2000 are below average and the writing results are above average. However, this does not reflect a true picture because the school is in quite a unique position and it is difficult to find appropriate comparisons. What is clear is that the school deals very well with the wide range of abilities of the children. The school recognises children who are gifted and talented and provides appropriately for children who make exceptional progress, as in one 7-year-old achieving at the same level as typical 11-year-olds in the national tests for 7-year-olds.
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ENGLISH
93 The vast majority of children start school speaking very little English. Many are asylum seekers or refugees. They start at different ages and this needs to be taken into consideration when analysing the school’s performance. In other words the group that take national tests at the age of 7 will have changed greatly by the time they are 11. It is therefore with caution that test results of 11-year-olds are compared with their equivalent results four years before. What is apparent is the rapid progress made by different groups. For example, Year 6 children who have been in the country a matter of months are using their English to ask and answer questions in class, showing how quickly they have gained confidence. Similarly, a significant number of asylum seekers who have been at the school a little longer are attaining above the level expected for their age. Children with special educational needs make good progress and
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ENGLISH
very few are well below the level expected for their age by the time they are 11. The high percentage of children who attain at levels above that expected for their age indicates that more able children also make good progress and achieve well. When compared to the previous inspection this reflects a much improved position with children of all abilities and from different backgrounds now achieving better than reported at that time.
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ENGLISH
94 When they first start school, the children display a very wide range of abilities in communication, language and literacy. The good progress they make in their spoken English, in particular, helps many attain the expected learning goal for this area by the time they are five. However, many children are not able to reach this goal and are working at levels below that Flora Gardens Primary School - 37 expected for their age when they first start in Year 1. One of the most important features of the work that occurs with all children, especially those who have English as an additional language, is the emphasis given to raising their confidence levels when communicating. As a result children of all abilities and from different backgrounds make very good progress in this area. This is partly due to very effective teaching, especially from the teacher with specific responsibility for English as an additional language, and the determination demonstrated by
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ENGLISH
children to learn to speak English fluently and confidently.
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ENGLISH
95 In all classes the precise use of language by the teachers is helping children to acquire good models of speaking. In Year 1, for example, the teacher puts appropriate emphasis on certain words to highlight to the children exactly what she wants. A question such as ‘Which letter comes before c?’ sees the teacher put emphasis on the word ‘before’ so as to remind those who are at early stages of English acquisition what she is asking for. This use of precise language is a feature in nearly all lessons. It does have a good impact on the more able children who come out with very exciting answers to questions posed. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, one able child remarks in response to a teacher’s question about the style used by the author that, ‘she uses the refrain’. The same teacher in another lesson takes time to consider the meaning of the word ‘innocent’ and does not move on until explanations are clear and
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ENGLISH
precise. Older children also benefit from the careful consideration given to specific words or phrases. For example, a Year 3 child responds to the teacher’s question about why lists can sometimes be written without including all the words by stating that, ‘it puts emphasis on the imperative’. In Year 4, the teacher is using the poem ‘Sugarcane’ written by a Caribbean poet to help children understand how phrases and words can change according to dialect. A discussion ensues about the saying of their own parents and grandparents, such as, ‘money doesn’t fall out of the sky’ or, ‘as useless as a chocolate fireguard’. The discussion shows that children have understood that sayings are familiar in every language and indeed vary greatly across the same country. One of the most common features in all classrooms is the way children listen. Their listening skills are well advanced and make a positive contribution to their
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ENGLISH
learning in all aspects of English work.
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ENGLISH
96 The influence of the specialist teacher for children who are at early stages of English acquisition is very apparent when it comes to speaking and listening. Each time she works with small groups outside the main class there is emphasis on use of correct phrases and introducing new vocabulary in a carefully structured way. She helps children gain access to a width of vocabulary. Many of the children working with her are very keen and tend to be very good at remembering words they have met. For example, an older group was able to use the word ‘anonymous’ in everyday conversation but were not yet familiar with the word ‘post’ as in post office. When these children return to their own classes, they are confident enough to ask questions, even though they may stumble over some expressions. Each teacher is fully aware of their role in aiding the asking and answering of questions by these children.
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ENGLISH
97 Children of all abilities and those with English as an additional language make good progress in their reading. From early on there is effective support given to help children learn how to ‘decode’ unknown words. This results in many children who are at early stages of English acquisition having a reading vocabulary that exceeds their oral vocabulary. Indeed this causes one of the main difficulties of children not being able to comprehend as well as they sight-read. Teachers throughout the school use good techniques to help overcome this problem. When reading to the class, for example, teachers are quick to give emphasis to words within the text that children are likely to be unfamiliar with. In this way the text becomes accessible to all children. There is a good balance struck with regard to the range of reading experiences that children are to meet. For example, in Year 6 the teacher uses newspaper cuttings about
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Flora Gardens Primary School - 38 reviews written about theatre productions as a way of involving all children. The more able are expected to scrutinise the text for the style of the language used while others give greater consideration to ‘fact’ as opposed to ‘opinion’. There are different levels of support provided to make the text accessible to all children. In Year 2 the children respond very well to considering the issues when the same story is written from two points of view. The story of the ‘Three Little Pigs’ is contrasted to ‘Wolf’s Tale’ and children make same very pertinent points. When asked what sort of questions they might ask the wolf if they were involved in questioning his sincerity they come up with, ‘What would you feel like if you were one of the pigs?’ The children’s enthusiasm for stories is a major factor in helping them improve their reading standards. This enthusiasm is generated by the opportunities made available for them
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use a wide range of texts giving emphasis to different cultures.
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98 Children’s written skills are good with good progress being made through the school. All abilities achieve well. However, more able children do not maintain the very good openings throughout their stories or reports. By the time they are 7, the more able children are able to retell familiar stories. Examples of ‘The Enormous Strawberries’ written on the same lines as ‘The Enormous Turnip’ includes descriptive phrases such as, ‘so they heaved and tugged and yanked.’ They are able to use speech marks appropriately and much of their punctuation is accurate. Most are able demonstrate that they are able to hold the reader’s attention by using a rhythm to their stories. Middle ability, Year 2 children show many of the same qualities but their descriptive vocabulary is not as wide. Less able children do show that words that they spell incorrectly can still be read because they have used reasonable spelling alternatives, for
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example, sed for said; dey for day; or, tuk for took. Children aged 7 who are early stages of English acquisition show interesting use of words or phrases, such as, ‘suddenly..’ or ‘one day’. This shows that they are already familiar with written style. However, they do struggle with tenses and phrases like, ‘one day they was three..’ are not uncommon. They have however, made enormous progress when checking on their work a few months earlier. Their growth in confidence is reflected in their keenness to read back to the teacher what they have written.
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99 Older children also make good progress in their writing. In Year 4 the more able children are particularly good at using descriptive phrases, such as, ‘breath rising slowly in the freezing air’ or, ‘crisp, orange leaves lying on the ground’. However, their stories tend to finish abruptly. This is the same issue with more able Year 6 children. These children write effectively for a range of purposes. Their stories contain very powerful passages, including mature use of adjectives and adverbs. For example, ‘everyone backed away not taking their eyes off the cup for a mini-second.’ However, the disappointing feature is the lack of maintenance of these good openings. For example, stories that successfully build up a sense of suspense and alarm finish too abruptly with the second half of the story not holding the reader’s interest as well as the first half. Children in Year 4 and 6 who are at early stages of English acquisition show that
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their handwriting and what they want to say is far in advance of their spelling, grammar and punctuation.
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100 The quality of the teaching is good overall but with examples of very good teaching evident. This is a much improved position compare to the previous inspection. The teaching is at its best in Years 2 and 6 and when the specialist teacher for children with English as an additional language is working with small groups. A small group of children working with the specialist teacher benefit from her expertise and learn well because of the attention she gives to making the text they are using relevant and interesting. She rewrites stories so that the main characters are people they know. In one case, themselves. The teacher is conscious of the children’s known vocabulary and introduces new vocabulary very carefully and at an Flora Gardens Primary School - 39 appropriate rate. Children’s reading is improved by the way she works at expression in reading with the group. The most impressive feature is the way their confidence levels are improved.
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The teacher does not only help them in the small group situation but gives them enough encouragement to ask or answer questions when they return to the full group.
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101 One of the most consistent features of the good teaching is the way work is organised to take full account of the range of abilities in each class. This is a positive feature throughout the school. There is very effective use of classroom support from many different sources. This enables children to learn more efficiently because the staff are fully aware of their prior attainment. In Year 6 for example, the teacher uses the same stimulus with the whole class but as the children move on to their tasks the level of challenge takes full account of the more able as well as those with learning difficulties. The focus on the style of language used in theatre reviews is carefully considered by the most able before they attempt their own review of a recent visit to a local theatre. The least able group is working with adult support looking at what actually happened and what the author’s opinions were. The teachers are very conscious
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of using resources effectively. This is both in terms of directing the additional adult support available to them and in using learning resources well. In Year 2 there is very good use made of two ‘big books’ to focus children’s attention on two contrasting views of the same story. Not only does this generate much enthusiasm but it also helps children to raise questions and to consider different points of view in a mature manner.
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102 Children’s learning is also enhanced by the target-setting system that is in use. Children know what to do and how they can improve their work because there is a set of specific targets outlined for them in the front of their writing books. These targets are very specific and linked to the children’s level of attainment. In this way the school has used the good practice already in place to support children who have special educational needs and extended it to all children. The steps required to help them with their learning are outlined for them and the children know what it is they need to do next to improve. Teachers use this system well although it is still at a relatively early stage of development. This practice is working well and is linked very effectively with the record keeping system that exists. Homework is used most effectively to help children develop their skills. This is much better than seen in most other schools with staff
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being very conscious of linking homework with work that is on-gong in classrooms.
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103 Children are enthusiastic about their work. They give good attention to their tasks and work hard. There is very good use made of the children’s range of backgrounds with teachers using the children’s own cultural background to good effect in the content of the work. For example, good use is made of poetry from different parts of the world and books reflect the cultural diversity of the children. In addition, there is very good reinforcement to multi-cultural issues in every classroom.
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104 The school makes effective use of the National Literacy Strategy. The provision for English is given much emphasis throughout the school. There is particular good attention given to developing children’s speaking and listening. There is also much attention given to using children’s literacy skills throughout the school. Resources are good with an impressive range of books, which take account of children’s background as well as levels of ability.
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105 The subject is well led. Teachers are provided with much support to help them with their planning and any specific additional help they require to deal with the ability range of the children as well as the particular focus they need to give to those at early stages of English acquisition. The headteacher has taken specific interest in the quality of teaching and learning that is happening and has observed teaching and provided appropriate feedback and support to Flora Gardens Primary School - 40 individual staff. This has helped with aspects of continuity in the last year in particular as staff changes have occurred. Work is often scrutinised and there is much emphasis placed on helping the children to move on with the developments within the target-setting system being one of the new strategies used to help this process.
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MATHEMATICS
106 Over the past few years the school’s test results for 11-year-ods have fluctuated between being well below average to matching the national averages. There has been steady improvement over the past few years, although the 2000 results were not as good as the previous year. When compared to similar schools, the results are well above average. At the age of 11, boys’ results are better than that of girls. Children between the ages of 7 and 11 achieve well. This includes the more able, most of whom attain above the levels expected for their age. Children with special educational needs also achieve well, making good progress in the way they handle number. Children who have English as an additional language make good progress with effective attention given to mathematical vocabulary so that they are not confused by terms, such as subtraction and difference.
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MATHEMATICS
107 Just as with 11-year-olds, the test results for 7-year-olds have fluctuated greatly over the past four years being well above average in 1997 and well below average in 1999 before rising again in 2000. However, when compared to similar school the results are above average. The great fluctuation is due to the great range of ability within each cohort and new children joining the school at different times of the year. When children demonstrate they are gifted and talented the school provides opportunities for that chid to make maximum progress. Consequently, a Year 2 child attained at the same level as a typical 11-year-old in the 2000 national tests. Over time, boys have performed better than girls in the national tests, with the boys exceeding the national average for their age and girls falling below it. There is no discernible reason why this is so apart from boys being more prepared to make mistakes and
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having a go. Children currently in Year 2 and Year 6 are attaining standards, which match those expected for their age; they are also achieving well.
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MATHEMATICS
108 The school has good systems for tracking the progress of individual children, both in terms of their developing experience in using English and their confidence in handling number. This enables targets to be set, which are appropriately challenging. The school has set particularly challenging targets for 2001 and the early indications are that they are likely to meet them.
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MATHEMATICS
109 By the age of 7, children’s attainment in numeracy is broadly in line with what is expected for their age. Children in Year 1 can count accurately and show a good understanding of place value. They use resources well as they move beads on strings to show the number bonds to 10. They are able to correctly interpret the meaning of the terms ‘inside’, ‘outside’, ‘behind’ and ‘middle’. They show from their activities in placing teddy bears in different parts of a room that they have a secure understanding of directional language. This activity is supported well by an appropriate use of a computer. The activity presents a demanding task for some children who are at an early stage of English acquisition, and for whom the precision of directions can prove very difficult.
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MATHEMATICS
110 In Year 2, mental agility exercises form a brisk and challenging start to a lesson. Good use of small white boards enables the teacher to see immediately which children have secured the knowledge she is imparting. Odd and even numbers, up to one hundred are required to be written at speed. Some more able children are confident enough to select numbers up to one Flora Gardens Primary School - 41 thousand. There is an impressive number line (of substantial proportions, effectively partitioned into tens on coloured backgrounds) to assist children secure their understanding of a number ‘before’ a selected place or a number ‘after’ it. The special needs coordinator successfully undertakes a very similar lesson, but using smaller numbers, with a small group of children in the library. In both situations children respond particularly well, show good levels of confidence and learn effectively. The structure and pace of these lessons for these children in the early
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MATHEMATICS
stages of National Curriculum mathematics are strong features and have a clear and positive impact on the learning of these children, both in terms of their developing mathematical understanding and of their increasing knowledge of English.
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MATHEMATICS
111 By the age of 11, most children are showing high levels of confidence in their mathematical skills. They use good mental agility by successfully generating the table of 29. They use good skills of doubling and halving, finding number patterns between 8, 16, 32 and 64. They know the pattern of 10 times 29, and know that 5 times 29 must be half of that. Therefore a simple addition enables them to calculate 15 times 29 mentally. The teacher gives a correct emphasis on the correct usage of mathematical language – for example, quotient, when dividing and product when multiplying. A list of appropriate mathematical vocabulary is written on the board, and the children use it very well. Good clear teaching enables children to grasp successfully the relationship between 17 remainder 1, and 17.25, when calculating the quotient of 69 divided by 4. Tasks are matched well to the attainment of particular groups of children,
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and good support is offered by the newly appointed Learning Mentor – funded as part of the ‘Excellence in Cities’ Project – to a group of identified children. Children work effectively with calculators, and a pupil identified as not particularly confident explains her understanding with real clarity, when asked by a visitor to explain what she understands by a ‘recurring decimal place’ on her calculator. Children in Year 5 are able to plot coordinates on a graph. They know and understand the relationship between the ‘x’ axis and the ‘y’ axis. They start to work with letters and numbers, but as the lesson progresses they show good understanding of working with two numbers as coordinates. Children in Year 4 explore a wide variety of units of measurement, weight and capacity, and children in Year 3 use a calendar effectively to gather data and interpret information. This lesson was particularly well served by a wide range
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MATHEMATICS
112 Children within the early stages of English acquisition are supported very effectively by a talented teacher who maintains detailed records of their individual progress and challenges them very effectively to develop their understanding of numeracy. The special educational needs co-ordinator worked with a group of children identified as ‘gifted’. They were very involved in their tasks, and summed up the major features succinctly in the plenary session as the lesson ended. Other children, who find learning more difficult were supported well by a classroom support assistant who had been well briefed as to the requirements of the lesson.
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MATHEMATICS
113 Children with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Individual education plans are appropriately targeted to the needs of the individual children. They are supported very well and are regularly engaged on tasks of a similar nature to their peers. High attaining children are identified clearly and are appropriately challenged in their work. They too make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior attainment. Children who have English as an additional language are supported very well by teachers and support staff who know their needs, keep accurate records and are committed to their constant development. These children make very good progress through the structured programmes, which are available to them. Flora Gardens Primary School - 42 114 Children throughout the school show consistently good attitudes to their work in mathematics. They use their numeracy skills well in other subjects, for example in history with timelines and
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in geography with coordinates. Insufficient use is made of computers in mathematics lessons and as a result children do not develop sufficiently advanced skills to use ICT effectively in other subjects.
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MATHEMATICS
115 The quality of teaching is consistently good in both key stages. This represents an improvement on the position reported when the school was last inspected. The school has successfully embraced the structure of the National Numeracy Strategy, and this has provided a firm guideline for staff to follow. The school has been subject to significant levels of staff movement in recent times, but the Numeracy Strategy has provided a secure structure to the work undertaken in mathematics. Teachers are consistently good at questioning children perceptively to ensure that their learning is secure, and most are very effective at ensuring that the children gain a good grasp of the correct numerical terms, and can use them effectively in their explanations of the tasks they are undertaking. Children in need of help, either with their learning or with their understanding of English, are supported very effectively and consistently
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well by teaching and support staff. The newly introduced target-setting system is helping children understand what it is they need to do to improve their work.
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MATHEMATICS
116 The leadership and management of the mathematics provision are good. The coordinator is the deputy headteacher. She is experienced and has a good grasp of the subject. She has a good understanding of the standards the children are attaining and monitors the subject well. Teachers’ plans, samples of children’s work and classroom observations of teaching and learning are all features in a comprehensive programme of monitoring. Accurate records are kept and there is good liaison with the specialist support staff who are actively involved with a large percentage of the children. Overall, the current mathematics provision is good, and this represents an improvement on the position reported when the school was last inspected.
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SCIENCE
117 There is a need for caution when analysing the test results for 7 and 11-year-olds as, in each age group, there is a substantial number of children who have been speaking English for a relatively short period of time. However, in 2000 the school's results do not vary greatly from the national average and this shows good improvement over the last few years. This is confirmed by the present Year 6 class, which is attaining at similar levels to the 2000 group. At the age of 7 the results are below average when judged against national standards. This is due to larger numbers at this age being at very early stages of English acquisition.
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SCIENCE
118 There has recently been a major turnover of staff after a period of relative stability, which has meant that many teachers are on temporary, or short-term fixed contracts. Despite this the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, but is stronger in Year 6 and, as a result, older children are able to make better progress in their learning and achieve well. The teachers of children in Years 1 and 2 show secure subject knowledge, prepare their lessons well and stress the importance of the correct use of scientific language. This was evident in a Year 2 lesson in which children were finding out how toy cars travel on different surfaces. As children pass through Year 2 they learn how to handle simple scientific equipment carefully and safely and to take part in discussions about scientific topics. Within these activities the children show enjoyment and interest and are keen to take an active role in the lessons.
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SCIENCE
However, most of the children have only a limited scientific vocabulary and this hinders their ability to develop the skills of being able to talk about their work in an appropriate manner. Flora Gardens Primary School - 43 There is also a problem caused by the children recording their findings in a topic book along with history and geography, which results in some confusion in children as to what is their science work. As a result, by the time that they are 7, the children do not show appropriate skills in recording their findings in a variety of ways.
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SCIENCE
119 There are more opportunities given to older children to be involved in practical investigations, and to learn how to handle a wider variety of scientific equipment and resources to develop their knowledge and understanding. This was seen when children in Year 3 were using a variety of torches to investigate how the length of a shadow changes according to the position and distance of a light source. In this lesson, as in others, the teacher used questioning effectively to focus the children's attention and develop their speaking and listening skills. The teachers have secure subject knowledge, as is evident in the effective way that children in Year 4 were taught how to use simple classification keys to identify different organisms. There is good quality teaching in Year 6, in which the teacher effectively shares the learning objectives with the children so that they have a good understanding of what they are to learn.
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SCIENCE
She is able to set stimulating work that effectively challenges children of all abilities, enabling them to make good progress and achieve well. This was evident when children in her class were effectively developing their investigative skills when finding out how to separate mixtures of solids by sieving. In this lesson, as in many others, there is good use made of support staff to ensure that all children have a high proportion of direct teaching, and this is an important factor in the good progress that they make. Most children are eager to answer questions, are well behaved and show enjoyment in their work, especially when involved in practical activities. There is a minority of children in each class who misbehave at times but the teachers deal with any such instances quickly and in a sensitive manner. There are not enough opportunities for the more able children to be involved in activities that develop the investigative skills of making
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SCIENCE
evaluations and conclusions based on prior scientific knowledge. Through the school there is also insufficient use of children's skills of using information and communication technology to enhance their work. However, by the time that they are 11, most children do show an appropriate ability to identify the need for a fair test and to be able to plan and carry one out independently of the teacher.
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SCIENCE
120 The progress of children with special educational needs and with English as an additional language is good, as a result of the well-structured support that they are given. The activities given to these children are very well matched to their abilities, because their strengths and weaknesses are well known by all staff, who work well together as a team. The needs of the more able children are also effectively met and they are given challenging work that enables them to make good progress and achieve well. There is suitable use of literacy skills by children in their report writing and in their labelled scientific drawings and diagrams. Children also show that they are able to make satisfactory use of their numeracy skills, as was seen in the ability of children in Year 3 to take accurate temperature readings from a thermometer during investigations into insulation.
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SCIENCE
121 The curriculum that is provided for the children is satisfactory, being broad but in need of better balance so that there are more opportunities for children aged 5 to 7 to be involved in investigative activities. The co-ordinator has only been in role for a few weeks and consequently does not yet have an effective overview of the quality of education in the subject throughout the school. There is not a comprehensive system to effectively monitor the attainment and progress made by individual children as they pass through the school. Consequently, there is not always enough information for teachers to set specific targets for individuals or groups of children to improve their performance. There is good use made of the wildlife areas within the school grounds, to develop the children's knowledge and understanding Flora Gardens Primary School - 44 of life processes and living things. This is seen in the work of children in Year 4 who have
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SCIENCE
been finding out about the habitats that different creatures prefer. Despite the upheavals in staffing in recent times, the school has been able to maintain suitable provision for science, which shows satisfactory improvement since the last inspection.
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ART & DESIGN
122 By the age of 11, children have been provided with a full range of experiences in art and are attaining standards that are in line with that expected for their age. Children in the 7 to 11 age range make good progress and there is good achievement evident amongst children of different ability. The art programme has been carefully designed to take account of the large range of cultures present within the school. This shows a considerable improvement since the time of the previous inspection when standards were not in line with that expected for their age and progress was generally unsatisfactory.
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ART & DESIGN
123 Children have opportunities of working with different groups or associations in an attempt to develop work in different media and from different parts of the world. For example, Year 3 has worked with Henry Moore’s ‘Family Group’ using inks and pastels before developing clay sculptures. The finished work is of a high standard. Year 4 have focussed on the work of Andy Goldsworthy and the Forest of Dean Sculpture trail before using different textured paper to print objects found in the playground. Year 5/6 visited the Millennium Dome and Year 5 made replicas of the Dome in clay. Year 3 worked with artists and dancers from the Serpentine Gallery and the Rambert Dance Company. As a result of the link children explored the work of the Japanese conceptual artist Yayoi Kusama. They made a paper plate installation following the theme of shape, colour and dots. The children’s artwork and dance-piece was integrated with that of students from a nearby college and a joint
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ART & DESIGN
performance given at the collage before an invited audience. This range of work shows that the school is constantly seeking to enhance children’s imaginative skills and working at providing children with as full a range of cultural experiences as is possible.
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ART & DESIGN
124 There was very little opportunity, through discussion with children or through observations of lessons, to make judgements about the work that is happening for children between the ages of 5 and 7.
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ART & DESIGN
125 In Year 3 the children use fabrics to create a repeating pattern. The use of ink is helping the children to focus on a new media. They have studied a range of patterns before developing their own. They use ink dye, pastels and pencils to create their pattern. They give greater emphasis to the pattern making by choosing a small part of their larger pattern to create a repeating pattern on fabric. The children evaluate their patterns and most are able to relate to the strong and weaker elements in their work. The good teaching is helping the children learn. The teacher is well organised and is insisting on high quality work. In a Year 4 lesson where children are about to start making a sculpture the teacher uses the visit to Ravenscourt Park as a starting point and gets children to consider light, colour and shade. The lesson is the first in a series, but it is clear that the teacher has already established high expectations and the children
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ART & DESIGN
126 The good knowledge shown by teachers when handling potentially difficult activities is helping the children make good progress. Each teacher gives very careful consideration to the elements of art, such as, colour, shape, line, texture and tone. This helps children to be highly motivated. Flora Gardens Primary School - 45 127 Children are provided with many opportunities to visit galleries and places of interest to help them with their art work. The school has used the national guidance that is available to help them with their planning, aiming at progression and continuity in children’s learning. There is limited monitoring happening at the moment although the previous art co-ordinator has left the school with a useful action plan. The staff recognise that there is a need to develop their own professional knowledge in the subject although the lessons that were observed during the inspection gave every indication that teachers are confident in teaching the subject.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
128 Only two lessons were observed during the inspection and since the design and technology co- ordinator had recently left it is difficult to make an overall judgement about the subject’s provision and standards. However, from the limited evidence available there is good progress made, which is an improvement on the position at the time of the previous inspection.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
129 The two lessons seen give indication that children have developed skills over a period of time and that they are able to apply these skills to their present work. The lesson in Year 2 was very good. The quality of teaching was very good enabling children to construct some very interesting and exciting moving models from egg boxes. The work shows that children had designed their model after much thought had been given to the materials they had available to them. They also evaluate their work and talk maturely about how they could be improved. There is careful consideration given to the language used so that all children, including those who are early stages of English acquisition are able to appreciate the difference between terms, such as, planning and designing.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
130 In Year 6, the other lesson observed, some of the same qualities are seen. This good lesson sees children making their own drinks after taking due account of healthy ingredients. They have considered what is used in commercially produced drinks and have studied the labels carefully noting the range of ingredients used. The lesson is towards the end of a series and the children have already made their own drinks and are at the testing stage. They move around the class and talk to their friends about the quality of their drinks.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
131 Children work co-operatively and develop good working habits. They also use tools sensibly and safely. The teacher is very well organised and this is paramount to the success of the lesson. Good use is made of children’s literacy and numeracy skills as they write up their evaluations and designs.
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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
132 The co-ordinator is new to her role. There is a scheme of work in place based on the national guidelines. An action plan has been drawn up by the previous co-ordinator and a portfolio of work for one Year group has been created. At present there is limited monitoring of the subject and leadership is unsatisfactory.
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GEOGRAPHY
133 Children aged 7 and 11 attain standards that match those expected for their age. This represents an improvement on the position reported when the school was last inspected, when Flora Gardens Primary School - 46 geography was included amongst a number of foundation subjects where standards of work were reported as below average.
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GEOGRAPHY
134 Children in Year 2 were seen undertaking one of a series of lessons about life in contrasting locality. They were looking closely at the town of Tocuaro in Mexico. They could remember much from the previous lessons. They know the town is in Mexico and people spend money called pesos. They know the area contains mountains and volcanoes. They know the people use stone slabs to help them when they are washing clothes and they know that ‘Adobe’ houses are constructed from mud. ‘It is like mud that has been cooked,’ contributed one boy. Their teacher has visited Mexico, and they press her for details of Tocuaro – although she has not visited the specific town. She treats their questions sensitively and works hard to maintain their obvious interest, but yet guide them to the focus of the lesson. They can make effective comparisons between life for the families in Tocuaro and life for their own families in
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GEOGRAPHY
Hammersmith. They write about the comparisons, although the quality of the content of their writing is lower in standard than the quality of their oral discussion. The group are at ease orally and speak with confidence, recognising major features and making good links. In Year 4, children have undertaken a survey of waste collected during one week. They have weighed it daily. They enter into a good and detailed discussion concerning food disposal. The school has a compost heap in the wild garden. They consider ways of reducing the amount of waste the class collects. They consider means of re-using some of the waste and recycling other elements of it. The discussion is good and lively. The teacher does well to maintain it at a high level. Ultimately the class decide that they may put a proposal to the school’s council, with suggestions of recycling for the benefit of the environment. Children are really engaged and
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GEOGRAPHY
very interested. Their written responses, confined to a worksheet are rather limited, the oral discussion was at a much higher level of thinking and reasoning.
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GEOGRAPHY
135 From two lessons, there is insufficient evidence to reach a secure judgement about the overall quality of teaching, but the teaching, which was observed, was good. Children were actively involved in lessons, which were well structured and had clarity about what it was the children were expected to learn. Perceptive questioning and knowledge of individual children – particularly in Year 2 – were strong features to the teaching. In both lessons, good links were made with other subjects. In Year 2, key words were written on the board and children used them effectively. Children are comfortable in the routines in this room and their confidence builds well. In Year 4, good data handling work complements their work in mathematics, and the information gathered was programmed into a computer to produce good quality bar charts. In both classes children displayed a confidence in attempting to express themselves. They used
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GEOGRAPHY
the correct language and showed pleasing development in their understanding of English. The oral elements of both lessons were good, but the written part was less challenging.
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GEOGRAPHY
136 The coordinator, who teaches part-time, also coordinates history. The geography policy has been reviewed to meet the requirements of the new Curriculum 2000. The coordinator is only recently in post and has yet to develop a working knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the geography provision. Despite their being work to do in developing this working knowledge, the subject is shows significant improvement from the last inspection, when it was the subject of a key issue for action.
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HISTORY
137 During the inspection only a very limited amount of history lessons were observed, and so it is not possible to reach a secure judgement about the teaching of history. However, from looking Flora Gardens Primary School - 47 at children’s work and talking to the children it is clear that standards of attainment in history are appropriate for children aged 7 and aged 11. This maintains the position outlined when the school was last inspected.
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HISTORY
138 The review of children’s work shows that children in Year 1 develop a secure sense of chronology as they compare toys they play with today against toys that were played with in the past. They know about the materials used to make them and can successfully separate them into categories of ‘then’ and ‘now’. Around school are a good variety of time lines which help to develop the children understanding of the passing of time. This is followed up, in Year 2, with work on puppets. Use is made of the locality as children in Year 1 consider different types of homes in the past and at present. Special times, such as Poppy Day are considered in some detail as Year 2 children begin to understand that this is a time when people who lived in the past are remembered. Children in Year 3 undertake work on the Egyptians, and develop an understanding of pyramids and methods of farming at the time. Vikings, Tudors and Greeks
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HISTORY
are studied as children progress through the school. Year 6 study maps of the Hammersmith area, comparing a map of 1865 with one of 1915, using the area, which the children know, to develop their skills of historical enquiry.
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HISTORY
139 There is clear evidence that children use their developing literacy and numeracy skills well, recording their work in a variety of ways through drawings, completing appropriate worksheets, generated specifically for the lessons, and writing their own accounts of what it would be like to live at a different time. More opportunities to use extended writing would be helpful, as some children writing skills are not fully developed. Map work in Year 6 effectively develops the numeracy skills of children, in the working with coordinates and in developing a sense of scale.
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HISTORY
140 Whilst there is insufficient evidence to reach a secure judgement on the quality of history teaching, children do give the impression of being interested in the work. They enjoy the subject and can place events in the correct chronological order.
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HISTORY
141 The coordinator works in school on a part-time basis and has only recently taken responsibility for the subject, together with geography. The policy is of good quality, having been reviewed by her predecessor and is in line with the new Curriculum 2000. The co-ordinator believes that resources for history are good, but she has yet to develop a full awareness of the areas for development.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
142 By the time they are 11, most children are attaining the expected standards in word processing but have underdeveloped skills in other aspects of the subject. This is a result of some important areas not being suitably covered, a lack of confidence and expertise by some teachers and children not having enough time on computers to effectively develop their skills in the subject. The school recognises this as a priority area for development and has planned intention to provide training for staff and improve resources to widen provision and to raise standards.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
143 There was very little teaching of information and communication technology (ICT) observed and consequently there is insufficient evidence on which to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching. However, it is obvious by talking to the co-ordinator (a long-term supply teacher – new to the school) and staff that some teachers lack confidence and expertise in Flora Gardens Primary School - 48 some important aspects of the subject. As a result, children are not receiving enough direct teaching to improve their skills. There are not enough computers available to enable children to spend sufficient time on them to effectively develop their knowledge and understanding in the subject. Teachers try hard to incorporate ICT activities into their lessons but are hindered by this inadequate resource provision. This was evident in a satisfactory lesson when children in Year 3 were learning how to use a CD-ROM to gather information about letters and words.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Despite the difficulties of having a whole class crowded around one computer the teacher enabled the children to make suitable progress in learning how to use the programme. However, because there is only one computer for them to use it will be a relatively long period of time before the children will be able to practice the skills learned. As a result, children aged 5 to 7 do not have sufficient opportunities to enter and store information on computers in a variety of forms and then retrieve the information. Most children can use computers for simple word processing of stories and poems. However, by the time they are 7 most children do not show suitable confidence when using computers and are limited in their ability to produce their own ideas through tables or pictures, or retrieve, process and display information. They do not show appropriate skills in using information technology to control devices or to be able to talk
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
about what they have done using suitable technological language. For children aged 7 to 11, there is little opportunity to learn how to use ICT to explore and solve problems in a range of subjects. Children are limited in their ability to use information technology to organise and present their ideas and to share and exchange information in a variety of ways. By the end of the key stage children can use computers for word processing and some information gathering.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
144 The children's attitudes to learning in ICT are positive and when given the opportunity of working in pairs on the computer they collaborate well. They treat equipment with respect, are well behaved and show interest and enjoyment in their work. This was evident when children in Year 2 were working in small groups with the classroom assistant to develop their skills of control technology by using the 'Roamer'.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
145 The curriculum lacks suitable balance as there are important areas that are not suitably covered and, as a result, ICT is not used effectively to support and enhance other subjects. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped, which means that teachers do not have a clear view of children's attainment in the subject. The headteacher has a clear vision for its development, which at the moment is frustrated by the current state of resources that restricts the teachers' abilities to effectively develop children's skills in the subject. Flora Gardens Primary School - 49
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MUSIC
146 The majority of children achieve standards that are average for their age by the time that they are 11 and make good progress and achieve well throughout the school, which is a direct result of the good quality teaching provided by the specialist teacher for music.
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MUSIC
147 The younger children learn to sing a range of songs from memory and, in so doing, demonstrate suitable rhythm and pitch. They handle instruments in an appropriate way, work together well when performing and show that they can respond well to a beat and use a variety of untuned instruments to accompany their singing. Children in Year 1 showed that they could improve their performance by practice when singing a variety of nursery rhymes. Older children sing clearly, tunefully and with enthusiasm. They learn how to use musical notation and can use suitable musical vocabulary to talk about their musical activities. The children in Year 6 showed an appropriate ability to work in small groups to compose a melody for a variety of lyrics, and in so doing were able to evaluate and suggest how their performance could be improved. In this lesson the children were able to use instruments, including the keyboard and xylophone, in a satisfactory manner. By the time that they are 11
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MUSIC
the children can sing expressively, with controlled phasing and are able to improve their performance by practice. Children's response to music is good, showing enjoyment in their singing and when experimenting with sounds. They listen attentively, are keen to follow the teacher's instructions and are willing to listen to and appreciate the musical talents and contributions of other children. The specialist teacher has good subject knowledge and high expectations of the children's performance. Her planning is good, with a variety of activities that are motivating and challenging for children of all abilities. She teaches with enthusiasm and is obviously instilling a love of music within children.
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MUSIC
148 The children are offered a rich and varied musical environment and have opportunity to join the choir and to take part in musical presentations for parents and members of the local community. All children are able to take part in musical productions, such as the spring festival assembly, Year 6 leavers' presentation, harvest festival and the infant and junior carol service. The experiences that children have access to in music, play an effective part of the school's provision for spiritual development. The children are also offered a wide range of experiences in music that involves work from a variety of cultures and they are able to learn how to play instruments from around the world. They are also able to appreciate music from other cultures, such as when listening to a Zimbabwean drumming group that visited school. Music makes a very strong contribution to the excellent provision that the school makes for
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MUSIC
children's cultural development. The high quality provision has been maintained since the last inspection and music remains a strength of the school.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
149 By the time that time they are 11 the children attain average standards, having made good progress and achieving well through the school
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
150 The quality of teaching is satisfactory, with teachers having secure subject knowledge and suitable expectations of children's behaviour and of what they can achieve. The planning of lessons is thorough, with clear learning objectives linked to suitably challenging activities. Teachers set good examples by dressing appropriately for physical education lessons and, as a result, are able to demonstrate techniques in an effective way. This was evident in a lesson for children in Year 1 when they were learning to put together a sequence of dance movements to Flora Gardens Primary School - 50 music. There is suitable emphasis placed on the teaching of basic skills, as was seen in lessons in Years 5 and 6 on developing children's volleyball and tennis skills. In these lessons, the children were able to demonstrate the ability to move in a variety of ways with a suitable awareness of space. The children's attitudes to learning are positive, showing enjoyment and
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
enthusiasm in their activities. They co-operate well and recognise the need for safety when using equipment. Children with special educational needs and with English as an additional language are fully involved in physical educational activities and they also make good progress. As they pass through the school the boys and girls are equally exposed to a wider range of activities, which gives them confidence and many opportunities to learn from each other. The older children are able to develop their swimming skills on a regular basis at the nearby Janet Adegoke Centre. By the time that they are aged 11, most children are able to practice, improve and refine their skills in small game activities to a satisfactory standard. They can follow instructions and watch others carefully in demonstration and use it well to improve their own performance.
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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
151 The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to all the children. The co-ordinator has only been in role for a few weeks and consequently does not yet have an effective overview of the quality of education in the subject throughout the school. The scheme of work is successful in ensuring continuity and progression of children's learning. Recording and assessment procedures are underdeveloped, which means that teachers do not yet have a clear view of children's attainment in the subject. There is a good programme of extra-curricular activities, including competitive team games, that enriches the subject curriculum. The provision is enhanced by the use of outside agencies, such as the involvement of the London School's Cricket Association to provide sports training. The current provision shows that the school has maintained the standards reported in the last inspection and has made satisfactory
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
152 Children in Year 6 and in Year 2 are working at the levels expected for their age as set out in the locally agreed syllabus for religious education. This represents an improvement of the position reported when the school was last inspected, when standards were reported as below average.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
153 Children come to school from a wide diversity of faith backgrounds. Collectively they are knowledgeable and many show a great interest. They are willing to share the knowledge they have of their own faith, and many show a great interest in others. This was highlighted during the first whole school assembly of the inspection, when children listened intently to the headteacher recounting the Christian parable of the Good Samaritan. Many showed an appropriate understanding that the Samaritan, who was kind to the traveller who fell among thieves, was the true neighbour. In Year 2, children were eager to hear the story of Krishna and the Butter Jars. They were able, easily to recall, in great detail, other stories they had heard about Krishna. They followed the story with rapt attention as the teacher told it, using good quality vocabulary and at a pace, which ensured that the children maintained their
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
understanding. Key words were written down so that children could follow. ‘Yasoda – Krishna’s mum’; ‘Balarama – Krishna’s brother’. Good links to the structure of a literacy lesson were employed, which secured the children’s understanding and had a very positive impact on their learning. By the end of the story telling, one boy said, ‘I thought God was good but this God was naughty!’ The children were excited by the thought that they might act out the play – something they did with real enthusiasm the following day. Children in Year 3, were shown three different ways of writing the name of ‘Allah’ and invited to draw one of the Flora Gardens Primary School - 51 representations. The teacher quietly and sensitively outlined to the children that when a Muslim wrote the name of Allah, the paper on which it was written became holy. She suggested that the children should write with great care, and not rub out, so that this was not
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
disrespectful. The children, from a wide variety of faiths and cultures, drew with immense care, and no rubber could be seen. Children in Year 5 considered the Bible story of Ruth and Naomi. This is a difficult story for children of this age, and whilst some tried hard to follow it, some lacked the appropriate motivation and hindered the learning of the majority.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
154 Throughout the school, the children show a good level of interest in religious education. Some think deeply about the faiths and beliefs that are new to them. The younger children, particularly, are very motivated to learn new things and show real pleasure in recounting their new understanding. They show very good levels of reverence to elements and artefacts, which are sacred to their friends and they are eager to learn.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
155 Teaching is never less than satisfactory, and is sometimes very good. Good structure to lessons, particular for younger children, enabled them to learn effectively within routines with which they are familiar. As with mathematics and science, teachers are consistent in using the correct terminology and in speaking to children in language, which they understand. These features have a strong impact on children’ learning and it builds children confidence and self- esteem particularly well.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
156 A teacher who has good levels of expertise and knowledge coordinates the subject. She is enthusiastic. She is, however, new to the school and new to teaching, and as yet has had too little time to get to grips with the requirements of the subject. She is beginning to look at the range of resources available in school and match them to the requirements of the good quality locally agreed syllabus. She needs time to get established before addressing the requirements to take the subject forward.
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