Bond Primary School

BOND FIRST SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th - 29 th March 2001

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BOND FIRST SCHOOL

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

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BOND FIRST 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. Bond First School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bond Road Mitcham Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Cllr. A. P. Holt

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: September 1998 Bond First School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr D J Curtis Registered inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage; English as an additional language; Information and communication technology; Physical education. What sort of school is it? How high are standards? (Results and achievements) How well are pupils taught?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Dr F Hurd Lay inspector How high are standards? (Attitudes, behaviour and personal development) How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mrs J Cousins Team inspector English; Art; Design and technology; Special educational needs. How good are curricular and other opportunities? Mr I Hancock Team inspector Science; Geography; History. How well is the school led and managed? Mr M Leyland Team inspector Mathematics; Music; Religious education; Equal opportunities.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bond First School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Bond First School is situated in the London Borough of Merton and takes pupils from the ages of three to eight. There are 322 pupils on roll in twelve classes, with 165 boys and 157 girls. This is an above average sized primary school. In addition 44 children attend the nursery each morning and another 44 each afternoon. There are 132 pupils from homes where English is not the first language. Thirty-three different languages are represented in the school. There are 133 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs; as a proportion this is above the national average. There are three pupils with statements of special educational need under the terms of the DfEE Code of Practice 1 ; this is about average. One hundred and four pupils are entitled to free school meals; this as a percentage, is above the national average. Pupils enter school with standards which are below average. Eight of the teachers have joined the school since September 2000.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school which is effectively led and managed by a headteacher who is committed to improving standards. Pupils show good attitudes to their learning. Standards in the Foundation Stage 2 and Year 1 are good, with standards in Year 2 and Year 3 improving steadily. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, although the percentage of very good teaching has improved since the previous inspection, with a corresponding decrease in unsatisfactory teaching. The school now provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching in the Foundation Stage and Year 1 contributes to good progress. • Pupils’ attitudes to school are successfully encouraged. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Pupils with English as an additional language are supported effectively. • The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. • The leadership and management of the school, including the support of the governing body, are effective. • Procedures for child protection are good. • The implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy is effective in raising standards in mathematics.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English and science at the end of Year 2 and Year 3. • Standards in, and the teaching of, physical education in Year 2. • The use of teaching time, particularly at the end of the morning and start of the afternoon sessions. • The number of full time support staff for the reception classes. • The number of computers for children in the Foundation Stage. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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What could be improved

1 The DfEE Code of Practice gives practical advice to schools and local education authorities about their responsibilities to ensure that all pupils who have special educational needs receive the most appropriate help to further their learning and personal development. This is a statutory duty under the 1993 Education Act. 2 From September 2000, the term Foundation Stage refers to children’s education from the age of three until the end of the reception year. Bond First School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since its previous inspection in September 1998 when it was placed into serious weaknesses, and the subsequent inspection by HMI 3 in November 1999. The school has addressed successfully key issues arising from the previous report. Teaching in the nursery and children’s progress have been improved and are now good. Teaching in Year 3 is now satisfactory. Standards in mathematics are now average, with those in English and science below average rather than well below. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is now good. The leadership and management of the school are effective in bringing about improvements.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 7 year olds based on National Curriculum test results.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

Reading D E E E well above average above average A B Writing C E E E average below average C D Mathematics C D D C well below average E

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STANDARDS

Similar schools are those with more than 20 per cent and up to 35 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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STANDARDS

The above table shows the results for pupils who are now in Year 3. Inspection findings show that for the current group of Year 2 pupils, standards in reading, writing and science are well below average, with those in mathematics below average. Standards are improving steadily as the result of good teaching, linked to the successful implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies.

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STANDARDS

Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) meet national expectations. In religious education, standards meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In art and design, design and technology, geography, history and music, standards are satisfactory. In physical education, standards are unsatisfactory.

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STANDARDS

By the end of Year 3, standards in English and science are below expectations for pupils of this age. In all other subjects, standards meet expectations for pupils at the end of Year 3. Pupils across the school apply their literacy and numeracy skills satisfactorily to learning in other subjects.

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STANDARDS

At the end of the Foundation Stage, children meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals 4 , in mathematics, personal and social development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. In communication, language and literacy, standards are below expectations.

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STANDARDS

3 HMI refers to Her Majesty’s Inspectors of schools who are directly employed by Ofsted to monitor schools and the inspection process. 4 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children in this stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of six. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. Bond First School - 8 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning. They are supported effectively by class teachers working in close partnership with learning support assistants. Pupils’ individual education plans set clear, realistic and achievable targets.

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STANDARDS

Pupils for whom English is an additional language make good progress as the result of effective support from the specialist teacher who works in close partnership with class teachers to support pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good, pupils enjoy coming to school and, in most lessons, show positive attitudes to their work. They work hard in lessons and persevere with tasks.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory, most pupils behave well in lessons, when moving around the school and at breaks and lunchtimes. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, behaviour in lessons deteriorates.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Satisfactory, pupils are polite, friendly and welcoming. They relate well to each other and to all adults with whom they come into contact.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory, with high levels of unauthorised absence. However, attendance is improving.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-8 years

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

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-8 years

Teaching was satisfactory or better in 92 per cent of lessons, with 42 per cent good, 14 per cent very good and 1 per cent (one lesson) excellent. In the remaining eight per cent of lessons, five per cent were unsatisfactory and three per cent poor. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. In Year 1, 74 per cent of teaching was good or better and this contributes significantly to the good standards achieved; here there was no unsatisfactory teaching. In Year 2, 43 per cent of teaching was good or better, but 20 per cent was unsatisfactory or poor. In Year 3, 38 per cent of teaching was good or better, with 8 per cent unsatisfactory. Good and very good teaching in Year 2 and Year 3 is contributing to improving standards, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-8 years

Strengths of good and very good teaching include strong subject knowledge, high expectations of what pupils can achieve and detailed planning which meets the individual learning needs of pupils. In lessons, pupils are made very aware of exactly what is to be done and how much, with the result that concentration and application are very good. In unsatisfactory and poor lessons, planning is weak and lessons have no clear purpose, with the result that pupils make insufficient progress.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-8 years

Teaching of key skills, including literacy and numeracy is good. Teachers have a good understanding of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and these are implemented effectively. Expectations are high, with the result that standards are improving steadily. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers work effectively and in partnership with the special educational needs co-ordinator and learning support assistants to support pupils in their learning. Teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is Bond First School - 9 good and contributes successfully to the good progress such pupils make and to them playing a full part in the life of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory, with strengths in the implementation of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies, and in extracurricular provision. However, time is not used productively at the end of the morning or start of the afternoon sessions.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good, pupils’ individual education plans contain clear, detailed and achievable targets. Pupils’ learning is supported by the effective partnership between the special educational needs co-ordinator, class teachers and learning support assistants.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good; this contributes successfully to the good progress made by pupils. Very effective support from the specialist teacher, for example by translating stories into home languages

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall; spiritual and moral development are satisfactory. Social and cultural development are good and contribute well to pupils’ positive attitudes.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good, with particular strengths in the assessment of pupils’ learning and the use of that information to set targets for improving pupils’ performance. Procedures for child protection and pupils’ day to day welfare are good.

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Aspect Comment

The school works hard to involve parents in their children’s learning. However, only 50 per cent usually attend meetings with teachers to discuss their children’s progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides very good leadership and management. She has a very clear vision of creating a school which needs to continue to raise standards. She is supported effectively by the deputy head and senior management team.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good, governors are supportive and effective in the work of the school. They fulfil all of their statutory duties.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good, the headteacher and governors are very aware of the school’s strengths and areas for future improvement,

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Resources are satisfactory and support pupils’ learning effectively. However, there are insufficient support staff and computers in the Foundation Stage. Good use is made of specific grants and additional funding. Best value principles are followed. Bond First School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• They feel comfortable in approaching the school with questions or problems. • The school is well led and managed. • The school has high expectations of their children. • Behaviour is good. • The school helps their children to become more mature and responsible. No significant concerns were raised.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are supportive of the school. However, with only 40 returns out of a possible 366 to the Ofsted questionnaire and 11 parents attending the meeting with the Registered Inspector these may not be representative.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the nursery at the age of three with standards which are well below average, particularly in language development. Many children come from homes where English is not the first language. As the result of consistently good teaching, children make good progress in the nursery and by the time they enter reception, standards have improved to below average. Children continue to make good progress and by the time they leave the Foundation Stage they meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals, with the exception of communication, language and literacy, where standards are still below expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards in the nursery have improved significantly since the last inspection where improving the rate of children’s progress was a key issue. The school has been successful in addressing this issue because the quality of teaching has improved significantly; it is now consistently good. In addition, the management of the Foundation Stage curriculum is a strong feature of the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Results of Year 2000 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 2 were well below the national average in reading and writing. In mathematics, results were below average. When compared to similar schools 5 nationally, results were well below average in reading and writing, but average in mathematics. In the teacher assessments for science, results were well below the national average and well below average when compared to similar schools. These results confirm the trend over the last three years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspection findings indicate that by the end of Year 2, standards in reading and writing are improving and are now below average. Standards in mathematics are average, with those in science below average. The improvement is the result of good teaching in literacy and numeracy as the result of the successful implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Inspection evidence confirms that standards in the school are affected by the following factors:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• Variations within individual year groups in relation to the number of pupils with special educational needs, and English as an additional language; • Supply teachers covering long term absence; • A high turnover of teachers; eight have joined the school since September 2000;

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 Schools with more than 20 per cent and up to 35 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals. Bond First School - 11 • Poor attendance by 13 per cent of pupils who attend for only 80 per cent of the time; • Only 50 per cent of parents attending parents meetings with teachers; • 15 per cent of pupils joining or leaving at times other than normal admission or at transfer.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the end of Year 2, standards in information and communication technology (ICT) meet national expectations. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Art and design, design and technology, geography, history and music, meet expectations for pupils of this age. However, standards in physical education are unsatisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Year 3, standards in English and science are below expectations for pupils of this age. In mathematics, standards meet expectations. Standards in ICT meet national expectations for pupils in Year 3. In religious education, standards meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. In art and design, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education, standards meet expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs make good progress. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection where a key issue was to improve the support for this group of pupils. The school has addressed successfully this issue and pupils are supported effectively in lessons by teachers, classroom assistants and the special educational needs co-ordinator. Pupils’ individual education plans set clear and achievable targets.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress in their learning as the result of very effective support from the EMAG 6 teacher who works in close partnership with class teachers. Pupils make clear gains in the acquisition and use of English which, in turn, contributes to good progress made in all subjects. Six pupils who started school with no English are now on the school’s register of more able pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The previous inspection placed the school into ‘serious weaknesses’, partly as a result of low standards in English and mathematics and the lack of progress made in the nursery and Year 3. The subsequent report by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) in November 1999 judged that the school was making ‘good progress’ in addressing these issues. Current inspection findings confirm that the school continues to make good progress, but recognises that the factors outlined in paragraph 4 of this report do have a bearing on standards in the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Current inspection findings show that standards achieved by pupils in the current Year 1 are good as the result of good and very good teaching. Taking these findings together with the good progress made by children in the Foundation Stage, the school is well placed to continue to improve. Inspection evidence is consistent with the school having the quality of teaching, particularly in the Foundation Stage and Year 1, and the effective leadership and management throughout, which will allow it to meet its realistic targets for future improvement.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Parents are confident that their children enjoy school, and the atmosphere is happy, if quite often boisterous. Where teaching is good, pupils enjoy learning and show enthusiasm for their studies. Good examples were seen in a Year 1 design and technology class, where pupils showed great pride in the moving models they had made, and a Year 2 library session, when three girls curled up together to share a poetry book one of their friends had recommended. Examples of very good relationships between staff and pupils were seen, as well as amongst children. When questioned, children felt confident that they could approach their teachers for help if they had a problem, and that the school would deal firmly with any bullying. Most children enjoy school most of the time.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6 A teacher who is funded by the Ethnic Minority’s Achievement Grant to support pupils with English as an additional language. Bond First School - 12 However, a significant number of pupils find it difficult to maintain concentration and quickly lose interest if they find the lesson confusing or dull.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Very few instances of unsatisfactory behaviour were seen during the inspection, and these were in lessons where teachers were hesitant about managing behaviour, and once or twice in the playground, where there is very little to occupy children, apart from climbing apparatus. No oppressive behaviour was observed, and neither parents nor children thought that bullying was a significant problem at the school. Children are well aware of what behaviour the school expects of them and accept the sanctions which poor behaviour brings. There have been no exclusions in the last two years. Pupils respond well when they are interested in what they are learning, and many examples of good, and very good, behaviour were observed in lessons. Behaviour in the lunch hall was always good, although a number of pupils tend to run in the corridors and race to get through doorways. Behaviour in the reception and nursery classes was good or very good without exception. Overall, behaviour

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ personal development and relationships are satisfactory. Pupils respond well when the school gives them opportunities for responsibility, which range from taking registers to the office or tidying up the classroom, to the more complex tasks allotted to monitors in Year 3. In some classes, pupils and teachers have developed strong relationships, which greatly aid learning: in others this has not developed to a marked degree. Classroom assistants, who move from class to class, were seen to have won the trust and affection of the small groups they were working with.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The attendance rate for the last academic year was well below the national average (91.7 per cent against 94.4 per cent). The unauthorised absence rate is well above average (3.7 per cent against 0.5 per cent), which means that attendance overall is very unsatisfactory, as at the time of the last inspection. However, since September 2000 the school has been working hard to improve these figures, and has recorded the biggest improvement within the local education authority. Punctual arrival in the mornings is still a problem for a minority of families: although most children arrive on time for school, a study of the ‘late arrivals book’ since October 2000 shows the largest number of pupils arriving late on a single day to be 17. However, the majority of late arrivals are less than 15 minutes late, although the latest arrival noted in the book was 10.40 a.m. (almost two hours late), and a few families regularly arrive about 9.30 a.m.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The previous inspection report judged that ‘20 per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory overall’ and this was one factor which placed the school into ‘serious weaknesses’. Fifty per cent of teaching was judged to be ‘unsatisfactory’ in one of the nursery classes. In Year 3, 50 per cent was found to be ‘unsatisfactory’, with 66 per cent unsatisfactory in two of the three classes. In reception and Year 1, teaching was stronger with 40 per cent ‘good’. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs was found to be ‘unsatisfactory’. However, the teaching of pupils with English as an additional language was judged as ‘good’. Weaknesses were identified in:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• Poor subject knowledge and assessment (Nursery); • Poor planning, behaviour management and in failing to engage the whole class in lessons; (Year 3) • Planning, the writing of individual education plans and recording progress. (Pupils with special educational needs)

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The subsequent HMI follow-up inspection in November 1999 judged that the school was making good progress in improving the quality of teaching, with 17 out of 18 lessons being satisfactory or better, with nine being good. One lesson was judged to be unsatisfactory. Bond First School - 13 17. Current inspection findings are that the quality of teaching is now satisfactory overall, with some significant variations between year groups. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 92 per cent of lessons, with 42 per cent good, 14 per cent very good and 1 per cent (one lesson) excellent. In the remaining lessons, five per cent were unsatisfactory and three per cent poor. Teaching in the Foundation Stage was good. In Year 1, 74 per cent of teaching was good or better and this contributes significantly to the good standards achieved; there was no unsatisfactory teaching. In Year 2, 43 per cent of teaching was good or better, but 20

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

per cent was unsatisfactory or poor. In Year 3, 38 per cent of teaching was good or better, with 8 per cent unsatisfactory. Good and very good teaching in Year 2 and Year 3 is contributing to improving standards, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The excellent lesson observed was in physical education in Year 1 where pupils made significant progress in their games skills. Examples of very good teaching were seen in literacy, numeracy, ICT, design and technology and physical education. In these lessons, pupils made good progress because work was planned effectively and pupils knew what was expected of them in terms of work and behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. One unsatisfactory lesson was observed in reception, with two in Year 2 and one in Year 3. Two lessons in Year 2 were poor. In all cases, there were weaknesses in teachers’ planning. The purpose of the lesson was not clear with the result that pupils made insufficient progress. In addition, they lost interest and concentration and standards of behaviour deteriorated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good and makes a very significant contribution to the good progress made. Teachers work effectively as a team and plan the children’s work jointly. Nursery nurses and classroom assistants support teachers very effectively. Planning is good and ensures pupils are taught all the areas of learning. Relationships are good between children and teachers which contribute to children being happy, secure and confident. The EMAG teacher provides very good support for children who have English as an additional language: for example by translating story books into their own languages.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching of literacy is good in Key Stage 1 and satisfactory overall in Key Stage 2. There was no unsatisfactory teaching and some very good teaching was seen in Year 1. Teachers throughout the school have a good understanding of how to promote reading and writing skills. Teachers’ weekly planning is of a high standard with specific learning targets for pupils being identified and activities planned to challenge all abilities.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In numeracy, teaching overall is good, and is reflected in the good progress made by pupils. Over fifty per cent of lessons were good or better, with one lesson being very good and one unsatisfactory. Lessons in Year 1 were consistently good, with some good lessons in Year 2 and Year 3. A key factor in the best lessons is the quality of pupil management, particularly in oral and mental sessions and the teacher input for the main activity. There is a good relationship between teacher and pupils which is fostered by consistent strategies, such as questioning aimed at pupils of different abilities and good use of praise.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Pupils make good progress because teachers write individual education plans with clear, realistic but achievable targets. Teachers work effectively with the special educational needs co-ordinator and classroom assistants to support pupils in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is good and remains a strength of the school. The EMAG teacher has a very good knowledge and understanding of pupils’ needs; she speaks four of the most common home languages of pupils in the school. In lessons, she supports pupils effectively: for example by translating into their own languages. In addition, she translates stories into other languages. She supports class teachers in their planning for pupils’ learning. As a result of this impressive support, pupils are Bond First School - 14 confident learners and they make good progress. They play a full part in the day to day life of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. In the best lessons, teachers’ daily planning is detailed and sets out exactly what is to be taught in the lesson; this is a significant feature in Year 1. In addition, teachers share the purpose of the lesson and this contributes to pupils being aware of their own learning. For example, in a Year 1 lesson on writing, pupils were told that they would have to write a weather report which was to be organised in sentences and that they would have to read it aloud. In lesson introductions, teachers use skills of demonstration and explanation effectively to teach pupils new skills. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and this is passed on to pupils with enthusiasm. For example in the same Year 1 lesson, the teacher made good use of a flip-chart to show pupils how to join letters correctly in their handwriting. As a result, pupils made good progress in improving handwriting skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers usually manage pupils well, especially where planning meets the individual learning needs of pupils. In the middle part of lessons, group work is planned carefully, with the result that pupils are challenged and make good progress whatever their ability. For example in a Year 3 design and technology lesson in making sandwiches, more able pupils explained in detail which flavours worked well and drew well labelled diagrams of their sandwich designs. Average pupils described their likes and dislikes using between five and ten words and pupils with special educational needs could verbally explain their preferences.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Relationships are good and pupils feel confident in their learning. Teachers make good use of resources to support pupils’ learning, including the use of classroom assistants. Teachers make very good use of the ‘IT Assistant’ to support learning in information and communication technology. Through effective joint planning, the ‘IT Assistant’ supports small groups of pupils in the ‘IT-Suite’ and makes a strong contribution to their confidence and progress in the use and application of computer skills.

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PUPILS?

28. The quality of the school's curriculum is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. It is sufficiently broad and balanced with all subjects represented including personal, health and social provision on a regular basis. The main focus this year has been on developing literacy further. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented well and there are improvements in the development of mental and oral arithmetic. The National Literacy Strategy is well developed and there are many activities targeted to pupils’ particular needs in reading. In other subjects, national programmes of study or the school's own schemes of work are used satisfactorily, except in physical education and music. The mathematics termly planning has been written, integrating the National Numeracy Framework, which is an improvement since the last inspection. Religious education is based on the locally agreed syllabus. There is no scheme of work for personal, health and social

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PUPILS?

education, but the school has utilised ‘circle time’ 7 for some time to promote this area and raise pupils’ self esteem. Recently reviewed policies are in place for all subjects of the curriculum and many aspects of school provision. However, the policy for ICT has not been reviewed for two years. Displays are used effectively to promote pupils' work and to demonstrate how one subject effectively intermingles with another, such as when pupils paint book covers for Roald Dahl stories they have studied in literacy sessions.

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PUPILS?

29. The overall planning of the curriculum is satisfactory and supports teaching well. Since the last inspection the school has reviewed its long term planning incorporating many new national schemes of work. Every class has a daily literacy and numeracy lesson based on national guidelines. Staff consistently plan together to ensure that pupils in the same year group, who are in different classes receive the same curriculum. The monitoring of the

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PUPILS?

7 In these lessons, pupils sit in a circle and through agreed rules, have the opportunity to speak and listen to each other talking about issues, which touch them all. Bond First School - 15 curriculum is satisfactory. However, the use of time at the end of the morning and start of the afternoon is not utilised consistently well to support pupils’ learning.

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PUPILS?

30. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is appropriate and closely linked to their individual education plans. Such pupils are given access and included in the full curriculum. Teachers and learning support assistants give good quality support in literacy and numeracy lessons. The support given by learning support assistants is most effective when the special educational needs co-ordinator sets up an appropriate programme for phonics 8 and reading. Work is set at a level closely matched to pupils' prior attainment and to any specific targets. Class teachers and the special educational needs co-ordinator carefully set and monitor progress. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good overall.

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PUPILS?

31. Extracurricular provision is good. Pupils enjoy art, environmental science, Year 2 and Year 3 games, Years 1 and 3 football, ICT, breakfast and after school clubs. There are a number of visitors who enrich the curriculum from music to drama groups. Visitors from different faiths come into the school to talk about Christianity and Judaism. School visits linked to curriculum studies take pupils to a variety of places: for example the Natural History Museum. 'Book Week' included many fun activities linked to storybooks where pupils made glove puppets.

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PUPILS?

32. Equality of opportunities within the school are satisfactory. Pupils benefit equally from all aspects of the curriculum. There is support for all groups of pupils, from special educational needs to more able pupils placed in ability groups (sets) from the age of seven years old, in literacy lessons once a week. Some gifted pupils have been identified and relevant targets have been set for them; the school has a register of more able pupils. The school has analysed results for different groups and has found no significant variations in the attainment of boys and girls over time. English tests for seven year olds have been analysed and the school has supported lower attainers in Year 3 suitably.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. The school's ethos is one of care and a high priority is placed on pupils’ personal self esteem. Pupils' opinions are sought whenever possible and opportunities are provided in lessons for them to ask and answer questions freely. There are social development sessions and through them the self esteem of pupils is thoughtfully enhanced. Pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactorily catered for. Citizenship is satisfactorily developed when pupils’ harvest gifts are given to the local centre for the homeless. The school assists effectively with the teaching of sex education and pupils learn about the misuse of drugs.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. Links with the local community are good and they enrich the curriculum for pupils. There is a parenting class for parents, which is poorly attended by parents, despite a warm welcome from the school. The school has developed links with local businesses, for instance a local cement manufacturer is supporting a project on recycling materials. Reception children visited a local supermarket, so that they could practise using money and purchasing food for a party. Pupils have visited the Monument in London and are involved in promoting this attraction with the local tourist information office. Visits are made to neighbouring environmental areas and the Wandle River. Pupils in Year 3 have e-mailed teachers and pupils in Australia. Close ties have been made with the playgroup, and the middle schools, which pupils transfer to.

p.15

PUPILS?

35. Since the previous inspection there have been considerable improvements in the provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is now good overall. Spiritual development is satisfactorily promoted through opportunities for pupils in religious education lessons and collective worship. These offer good opportunities for pupils to reflect on questions such as ‘Why are mothers important and what do they do for us?’ Pupils’ responses develop values such as the need to care and help each other. Pupils think deeply about less fortunate people when they take produce to the homeless in the area. Pupils sing uplifting songs in assemblies such as ‘Who put the colours in the rainbow?’ A Year 1 circle

p.15

PUPILS?

8 The teaching of letter sounds. Bond First School - 16 time was spiritually uplifting when pupils eagerly offered suggestions about why one member of the class was special.

p.15

PUPILS?

36. Moral development has satisfactory provision throughout the school. The reasons for classroom rules are explored and occasionally these rules are written with pupil input. Literacy hours make a valuable contribution, where stories such as, ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’, are analysed for moral elements. All staff provide good role models and set high expectations for pupils’ morals. Teachers assist pupils to see the difference between right and wrong. Staff are very quick to sort out any misunderstandings over pupils’ lost money.

p.16

PUPILS?

37. Social development is well provided for. Lunchtime in the hall offers pupils the chance to sit and socialise informally. Personal and social education gives pupils opportunities to discuss why they like being a part of this school. One pupil in Year 1 wrote the following response, ‘Bond First School makes me happy and I feel proud at Bond First School.’ Pupils learn to work together as a team or in pairs during literacy hours when they read their writing to each other. Good behaviour at lunchtimes is rewarded with certificates in whole school assemblies. Pupils have a wide variety of extracurricular activities to socialise in. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities on a daily basis.

p.16

PUPILS?

38. Provision for pupils to understand their own and others’ culture is good. Visits to the local community and to places such as the British Museum and Natural History Museum enhance pupils’ knowledge of our culture. Aspects of work in music, geography, science, art, religious education and literacy offer good opportunities to explore our own and other cultures. Pupils read a wide variety of stories about our culture, past and present, in literacy. British artists are studied such as William Morris, and Waterhouse’s painting, 'The Lady of Shalott'. Pupils write about Shabbat while studying the Jewish faith. They learn about festivals in Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Chinese faiths. The Christian story of Easter is thoughtfully explored in whole school assemblies when a visitor from the local church joins them.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for child protection and pupil welfare are good, as they were at the time of the last inspection. The headteacher is the child protection liaison officer, and briefs all members of staff fully when they join the school. She regularly undertakes training to keep herself up to date, and the deputy headteacher is booked to undertake initial training shortly. The school policy is closely based on local education authority guidelines. The school always works closely with parents in any situation of this kind. All staff are given clear guidance on procedures to be followed in the case of accidents, and there is a very detailed health and safety policy outlining everyone’s responsibilities, which is reviewed annually. Anyone who helps in school is police checked. First aid provision is good: there is one fully qualified first aider, who is on duty in the medical room at all lunchtimes and playtimes, and a second one

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

is just completing the course. All lunchtime supervisors have completed a one day first aid course.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The reception teaching staff showed a good awareness of safety when organising a trip to the local supermarket, ensuring that children were accompanied by an appropriate number of helpers, and briefing the children thoroughly on safety beforehand. Pupils know they cannot use the playground climbing apparatus unless wearing trainers. There was very good supervision of lunchtimes by canteen staff and a member of the teaching staff, and of the younger children’s playground. Regular checks are carried out on fire alarms, the lightning conductor, electrical equipment, the boiler and kitchen equipment. There is an appropriate depth of bark chippings under the playground apparatus. The governors’ premises committee take their duties very seriously, and do a termly health and safety walk around the school. However, there is still no means of access to the first floor classrooms for disabled pupils, as at the time of the last inspection.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The site has a running problem with vandalism and graffiti: playground equipment is regularly stolen or damaged, and occasionally broken glass from windows or bottles strewn Bond First School - 17 about. A local education authority survey of April 2000 noted that the paving slabs, entrance drive and playground tarmacs all needed resurfacing as they constituted trip hazards and because of the poor surface drainage. These problems are unresolved.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for monitoring and improving behaviour, and for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour, are satisfactory. The behaviour policy has been regularly updated and links closely to the code of conduct, which is promoted at class and whole school level. The responsibilities of school, children and parents are clearly stated in the policy and in the home-school agreement. There are separate class and lunchtime reward systems. The lunchtime supervisors are well briefed on behaviour management and keep good order. A member of the senior management team is always on duty in the lunch hall. However, behaviour is not managed consistently in lessons. The school is still a harmonious community, as was noted at the last inspection, and no evidence was seen of racial tension or of any group being disadvantaged in any way.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Procedures for monitoring and promoting pupils’ personal development are satisfactory. All classes have regular circle times, and staff had training on how these periods should be managed earlier this year. The results of National Curriculum assessments are analysed to identify ethnicity, class and special educational needs issues: the achievement of particular groups is focused on and appropriate targets are set. Support for pupils for whom English is their second language is good, as it was at the time of the last inspection, and support for pupils with special educational needs has greatly improved. However, reporting on personal development is inconsistent. Some teachers show confusion between reporting on personal development, and reporting on pupils’ progress in learning in subjects such as history, geography and religious education. The school has useful drugs and sex education policies in place.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. At the time of the last inspection, procedures for monitoring attendance were unsatisfactory. They are now good. A cup is awarded weekly to the class with the best attendance, and stickers and badges for outstanding attendance and punctuality are awarded to individuals. The school uses a computerised system to monitor attendance: class teachers use pre-printed register sheets which are read by the optical mark reader. The registers are closed at 9.05 a.m. – everyone after that marked as late. All registrations fulfil statutory requirements. The software system produces individual printouts on pupils with poor attendance and these automatically generate follow up letters, the first from the child’s teacher, the second requesting the parents to come for a meeting with the headteacher, who monitors attendance across the school on a weekly basis. The school has been working closely with the educational welfare service and the Travellers’ Education Service to try to

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

improve attendance. Parents who want to take their children out of school during term time understand that their child will be taken off the school roll if they are absent for more than two weeks. These new procedures have had a notable impact on the attendance rate so far this year, and the school hopes this will continue. 45. The school has effective arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. There has been good progress since the previous inspection when the need for systematic use of assessment and rigorous recording practices were key issues. A helpful assessment policy clearly outlines the methods and tests to be used in each year group. The school has concentrated on assessment for English and mathematics, with the result that science and other subjects do not have effective systems. Important improvements have been made during this school year, through the work of the newly appointed deputy

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

headteacher, as assessment co-ordinator, and the mathematics co-ordinator who has only joined the school this term. Good work has been carried out on the analysis of test results, in order to ascertain particular strengths and weaknesses. This has enabled the school to set targets for improvement for groups of pupils, as well as to focus on particular curriculum areas, such as writing, to raise standards. Good use is made of the home-school reading record, in which teachers note progress and set targets for improvement. The quality of marking is variable because the new policy is not used consistently. Teachers using the best strategies encourage pupils by providing helpful guidance to improve their work. Bond First School - 18 46. As the school becomes more familiar with assessment software, it is planned that computers will be used increasingly, to provide helpful information on all pupils individually. At

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

present, pupils’ progress in each area of mathematics can be proved. Each pupil’s strengths and weaknesses are recorded through a series of helpful graphs, which make the task of setting individual targets much more manageable for teachers. Pupils’ profiles have previously been established through the collection of samples of work in order to provide a helpful example of assessed work. The school plans to update this work in order to help staff to work together to arrive at a mutual understanding of each level of attainment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Continued improvements in planning have been made which include the provision of planned assessment opportunities in lessons. This has had some impact, but is inconsistent at present. Good use is made of assessment during lessons, when teachers question pupils to check on their understanding. This is completed as the lesson progresses or in the summary at the end. Some teachers alter their planning for the next day’s lesson, so that individuals or groups of pupils have further opportunities to acquire knowledge in a particular area. This is good use of assessment to inform planning, but is carried out in only a few classes.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Little has changed in the quality of the partnership with parents since the last inspection, when few parents bothered to return questionnaires or attend the pre-inspection meeting, although the responses received indicated general satisfaction with the school. On this occasion, only eleven parents attended the pre-inspection parents’ meeting and just over 10 per cent (40 out of 366) returned questionnaires to the Registered Inspector. The responses from this small sample indicate that parents are still satisfied with the school, although a few feel that homework is not handled consistently between classes in the same year group. Parents think that the teachers work hard and that their children enjoy school, behaviour is well managed and the importance of attendance is strongly promoted. They find the school approachable, and the after school and breakfast clubs are particularly appreciated.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school provides a satisfactory range of information for parents. The prospectus is well designed and friendly, and the governors’ annual report gives a clear account of progress over the previous year. Both documents fulfil statutory requirements. All year groups send out curriculum information at the beginning of the school year. There are weekly newsletters giving full details of school activities. The school ensures that parents who cannot read English are still given the information they need, often through the help of the Ethnic Minority Support teacher. Annual reports are inconsistent in quality: only a few offer parents guidance on how to support children’s learning, and do not always include targets for pupils to aim at. Most include too much detail of the curriculum covered rather than giving a clear idea of pupils’ progress.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The school has established effective links with parents. It has offered two courses in parenting skills, although few parents took up the offer, and is currently holding a course intended to help parents support children’s work in literacy and numeracy. Class teachers and headteacher are available informally at the start and end of each day. There are termly parents’ consultation meetings, and the school has held information evenings on aspects of the curriculum and National Curriculum assessments. Parents are encouraged to get involved in events like ‘Book Week’.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Although about six parents help regularly in school, and four others, who originally came as volunteers, are now employed as classroom assistants, the impact of parental involvement on the work of the school is too limited and unsatisfactory. Some parents hear their children read and record their comments in reading record books, and a few parents make comments on homework in Year 3 homework diaries. The ‘Friends Association’ is currently in abeyance, although the headteacher will approach individual parents to help with fundraising events which she organises. Only about 50 per cent of parents attend Bond First School - 19 consultation evenings, and parents of children with special educational needs do not always turn up for meetings or sign forms as requested.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Attendance and punctuality are more the responsibility of parents than children for pupils of primary school age, and although these aspects have improved since the beginning of this academic year, both are still unsatisfactory. In addition, families originating from other countries want to make lengthy visits abroad with their children, which can seriously disrupt education.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The headteacher is effective and provides very clear direction for the school, which focuses on providing equal opportunities for its pupils to develop as individuals and to continue to raise standards. She is well supported by a senior management team that meets regularly and works effectively as a team and provides good role models to pupils. Since the last inspection, the role of subject co-ordinators has significantly improved. Many new co- ordinators have been appointed who have clearly defined roles. They are fully involved with the whole staff in preparing policies and schemes of work and most have a good knowledge of their subject by analysing pupils’ work throughout the school. The literacy and numeracy co-ordinators have had good opportunities to monitor and evaluate pupils’ attainment and progress through classroom visits. Other subject co-ordinators have not had this opportunity, which limits their effectiveness in raising standards in teaching and learning. However, the

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

headteacher visits classrooms on a regular basis to monitor teaching and improve classroom performance.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Governors are very supportive of the school and provide very good support for the headteacher and staff. The chair of governors visits regularly, is very well informed and has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The governors regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their initiatives on standards achieved. The governing body fulfils all its statutory obligations and all statutory requirements are fully met. There are nominated governors for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs. There are regular presentations by staff on different aspects of the curriculum. Governors have set up a number of committees, with clear written terms of reference, to help them discharge their duties. The leadership and support given by the governing body have a very positive impacts on the work of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher, staff and governors have successfully identified the school’s priorities in the well presented school development plan. This is a good working document which contains appropriate detail on costings, timescales and success criteria to judge effectiveness. The school makes good use of specific grants and additional funding provided for school improvements, including for special educational needs, and for pupils with English as an additional language. Decisions on spending are appropriately linked to educational priorities such as to staff training and increasing the number of classroom assistants to support teachers in literacy and numeracy lessons. However, time is not always used effectively to support pupils’ learning. Some lessons are either too long or too short or arranged at inappropriate times where pupils find difficulty keeping their concentration, particularly younger ones who have no opportunity for an afternoon break.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is unsatisfactory, notably the ratio of classroom assistants and nursery nurses in the reception year. There are weaknesses in the subject knowledge of teachers, particularly in Year 2 physical education, and in science. There is good provision of teaching and support staff for pupils with special educational needs, and for pupils with English as an additional language.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The induction of new staff and newly qualified teachers is good. The school has a very helpful handbook and policy for induction and development of teaching staff. The handbook and policy have been especially important since September because nearly half of the teaching staff have been appointed during the present school year. Newly qualified Bond First School - 20 teachers have good support through the school mentor system and have taken full advantage of courses organised by the local education authority. They have felt well supported by the school and appreciate useful opportunities to observe other teachers.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Staff development is an important part of the school’s good strategy for performance management. A helpful policy is in place and all staff have been set personal targets for development. The governing body is responsible for setting appropriate targets and for reviewing them on a termly basis. These targets are managed well through the staff development policy and the school development plan. Teachers attend courses in order to promote both personal and school development.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The accommodation is satisfactory, with two very useful halls for physical education and assemblies, with one being used for dining. Classrooms vary in size but provide adequate accommodation for learning. Movement around the school is quiet through the provision of carpets in all corridors and on stairs. The rolling programme for redecoration has ensured that half of the school is smartly painted. The corridors and halls are enhanced by pupils’ work, colourful posters and attractively painted murals. The field and playgrounds are flat and provide adequate space for playtime and games lessons. The nursery has good facilities for outdoor play, including a useful covered area, but the playground surface is rather pitted. The school is kept clean and tidy and well maintained by the caretaker and staff. The library and computer suite provide useful areas for work.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The resources for learning are satisfactory. English and mathematics are resourced well, but there are weaknesses in history and geography in both key stages and information and communication technology hardware and software for the Foundation Stage. Visits to places of interest and visitors to the school enrich the curriculum.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The small percentage of the budget spent on learning resources has a negative impact on pupils’ learning in subjects such as geography and history where resources are unsatisfactory. Currently, the school library is underused to support pupils’ learning. The office staff are efficient and appropriately use new technology for financial control and school administrative work. The headteacher and governors effectively apply best value principles but recognise consultation is a relative weakness which they intend to rectify in the near future. The governors take appropriate advice regarding contractors and suppliers and gain tenders on larger items of expenditure. The school is now well placed for future development and provides satisfactory value for money. At present the school’s financial carry forward at nearly seven per cent is above average. However, this is earmarked for changes in the school’s status in near future.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

62. In order to raise standards and improve the quality of education, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Continue to raise standards in English and science by:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching in order to improve unsatisfactory and poor teaching in science; • Improving pupils’ writing skills by giving pupils more opportunities to write at length; • In science, improving the quality of teachers’ planning. Paragraphs: 4, 6, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 91, 92, 94.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve standards in, and the quality of, teaching of physical education in Year 2 by: Bond First School - 21 • Introducing a scheme of work to show how skills are to be taught as pupils move up through the school; • Improving teachers’ planning for units of work and individual lessons; • Providing in-service training in the teaching of gymnastics. Paragraphs: 5, 19, 124, 125, 128, 129.

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the use of teaching time at the end of the morning and start of the afternoon by ensuring that the time is used to maximum benefit for pupils’ learning. Paragraphs: 29, 81, 93.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the ratio of classroom assistants and nursery nurses to children in the reception classes. Paragraphs: 56, 72.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Increase the provision of computers for children in the Foundation Stage. Paragraphs: 60, 72, 117.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition the governing body may wish to consider the following for possible inclusion in its action plan: • The use of the library by pupils. Paragraphs: 61, 75. • Resurfacing the tarmac areas of the outside play area for the Foundation Stage. Paragraphs: 41, 59. • Providing more resources for teaching history and geography. Paragraphs: 60, 61. • Continuing the good work, already in hand, to improve attendance and pupils’ punctuality. Paragraphs: 4, 9, 14, 52. Bond First School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 45

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 44 322

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 104 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 133

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 132

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Bond First School - 23

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 45 45 90

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 27 25 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 35 31 40

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 69 (77) 62 (67) 84 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 30 35 32 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 35 35 34

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 72 (66) 78 (81) 73 (71) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 28 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.23

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. Bond First School - 24

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15 Financial year 99/00

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y3 Total expenditure 803,148

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff Expenditure per pupil 2,207

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week Balance brought forward from previous year 31,784

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 56,003

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE)

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Bond First School - 25

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 49 41 5 5 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 40 55 5 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 52 13 5 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 44 10 2 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 38 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 33 3 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 42 45 10 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 55 45 0 0 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 44 3 3 0

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 41 13 0 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Due to rounding percentages do not total 100. Bond First School - 26

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

63. Children settle quickly into the day to day routines of the nursery. They come into school at the beginning of the morning or afternoon and sit on the carpet ready for registration. They reply politely to the teacher when their name is called and they join in confidently when they talk about which day of the week it is and the weather outside. Children enjoy working with adults, especially listening to stories and joining in with familiar songs and rhymes. They work happily on their own or in pairs or groups: for example when role playing in the ‘restaurant’. Teachers and nursery nurses are very aware of children’s needs and encourage them to join in all activities.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

64. In reception, children build successfully on their experience in the nursery. They become more confident and independent and show that they can concentrate and listen for longer. They are keen to ask and answer questions. For example, on a visit to the supermarket to buy ingredients for their end of term party, children confidently asked an assistant to show them where the pizza bases were. Children listen attentively to stories and to instructions which they carry out sensibly: for example by going to the correct activity. They are particularly helpful in tidying up at the end of each session. Teachers and classroom assistants support children effectively and encourage them to play a full part in the day to day life of their class. As a result of good teaching children make good progress in this area of learning and meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

65. In the nursery, teachers place great emphasis on developing children’s speaking and listening skills. In particular, children with English as an additional language are supported very effectively by the EMAG teacher. During the inspection, she had translated the story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ into four languages, which meant that all children could listen to the story and take a full part in the activities based around this story. Children enjoy looking at books and know that books are read from left to right. They develop confidence in ‘telling the story’ from the pictures: for example one girl told the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ with good understanding. Children make good attempts at ‘writing’ and a few show good skills in forming letters correctly and in making good attempts at writing their own name.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

66. Children make good progress in reception in developing the skills learnt in the nursery as a result of good teaching. They are more confident in asking and answering questions. Children learn familiar songs and rhymes and join in confidently and enthusiastically in singing and performing the actions to ‘Five Green Bugs Sitting in a Tree’. Writing skills improve, and many children write their names unaided, with a few able to copy correctly sentences written for them by an adult. Most know and read what they have written, although it is mainly a mixture of random letters and marks. Children make good progress in learning letter sounds and show a good range of knowledge when they suggest to the teacher words beginning with ‘b’, ‘d’ etc. A few more able children are established on the school’s commercially produced reading scheme. They read words accurately and use pictures and their knowledge of letter sounds to help them with unfamiliar words. Teachers develop

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

literacy skills successfully, particularly the basic skills of learning letter sounds. Although progress is good, most children do not meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals.

p.26

Mathematical development

Bond First School - 27 67. Children develop a good understanding of number in the nursery through good teaching, and a good range of activities provided by teachers and nursery nurses. At the start of each session, children count the number who are present and, in this way, they learn to count up to 24. More able children know that if you put a ‘2’ and a ‘6’ together it makes ‘26’ which is ‘today’s date’. Most know the days of the week, with more able children putting them into the correct order. Children are introduced to graphs when they make their own showing their favourite ‘minibeasts’.

p.27

Mathematical development

68. In reception, children develop their mathematical skills successfully and make good progress. On the visit to the supermarket, many read the price labels accurately for example, “That’s ‘67p’ and that’s ‘85p’”. When paying for their goods, most recognised and named the coins and made a good attempt at putting together the correct amount. More able children knew whether or not they should expect change. Children are confident in counting and recording accurately the number of flowers in the garden, with most confident in counting beyond 10. They show a good understanding of common two-dimensional shapes, including ‘squares’, ‘rectangles’, ‘triangles’ and ‘circles’. As a result of good teaching, they meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

69. Children make good progress in their learning. In the nursery, children understand from the story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ the life cycle of butterflies. In reception, children develop a good understanding of the life cycle of chickens. They develop good skills in using the computer, and control the mouse accurately: for example when drawing pictures of spiders. In reception, children build on these skills successfully and use the mouse to ‘dress a teddy’ by using ‘click and drag’. They draw colourful pictures on the computer of chicks hatching and the teacher writes their descriptions for them: for example ‘This is a chicken. It’s got feathers’. Children develop a good understanding of the immediate locality and they recognise key features, including ‘the library’, ‘traffic lights’ and ‘flats’. They learn to use maps by recording their journeys when they do work around the story, ‘We're Going on a

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

Bear Hunt’. Children develop a good understanding of the world around them: for example by learning about the Chinese New Year. Teachers and nursery nurses provide an exciting and interesting range of learning opportunities and children make good progress as a result of good teaching, in meeting the expectations of the Early Learning Goals.

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Physical development

70. Children are given many good opportunities to develop their physical skills and by the end of the Foundation Stage, they meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. In the nursery, children have regular opportunities to climb, tunnel and jump using the indoor equipment. They have regular opportunities for outdoor play and are confident in riding tricycles and other large wheeled toys. Children have many opportunities to develop their skills in cutting, pasting, modelling and constructing. In reception, although at present they have no regular outdoor play, children use the hall for developing physical skills. In class, they enjoy using construction kits and one boy was proud to construct a tower that was, “Bigger than me”. Teaching is good.

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Creative development

71. Children make good progress in their creative development and, because of good teaching, meet the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. In the nursery, children make very exciting models of the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ using egg trays, lolly sticks and tissue paper. They use paper plates and paper to make models of spiders. Children create imaginative collages in the style of Matisse and show good skills in their charcoal observational drawings of spiders. In reception, children use charcoal to draw accurate representations of key features of the locality. They produce imaginative tissue paper collages to represent Monet’s ‘Water Lily Pond’. In painting, they show good imagination in producing pictures in the style of Monet’s garden. Bond First School - 28 72. Provision in the Foundation Stage for children’s learning is good and a strength of the school. Significant progress has been made since the previous inspection. Strengths of

p.27

Creative development

provision are: • The quality of teaching; • The quality of relationships; • The assessment and recording of children’s progress; • The use of nursery nurses and classroom assistants; • Provision for children with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language; • The use of resources, including the locality.

p.28

Creative development

Areas for improvement are: • The provision of full-time support staff for each reception class; • Provision and access to computers (at present, there is only one computer for two nursery classes and one for three reception classes).

p.28

ENGLISH

73. Standards in English are improving. Standards in speaking and listening have improved considerably and reading standards have improved so that they are average in Year 1 due to the effective use of the literacy hour over the last three years. Results in the 2000 national tests for seven year olds for reading and writing are well below average as are these results when compared to similar schools. Inspection findings show that reading standards have improved to be below average for present seven year olds. However, writing standards for present seven year olds are still well below average due to insufficient opportunities for writing being planned within the curriculum. There is no significant difference in achievements of boys and girls over time. Test results over the past four years in reading have improved overall, but writing standards have not.

p.28

ENGLISH

74. When pupils enter the school, they have poor speaking and listening skills. Despite their limited vocabulary pupils achieve average standards at seven years of age due to effective teaching. Pupils in Year 1 stand up in assembly and narrate small sections from the story ‘Can’t You Sleep Little Bear’. In Year 2, pupils explain the basic plot of books they have read and say why they like particular characters. Pupils in Year 3 enjoy working with partners and discussing how to create pop-up cards while reading instructions for guidance.

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ENGLISH

75. Records of the present Year 2 class, show evidence that a very high percentage of pupils had underdeveloped reading skills when they entered the school. Given the limitations of pupils’ skills on entry, pupils make good progress even though standards are below average. Lower attainers in Year 2 have been given extra input in the form of a special phonic programme to assist them develop their reading skills. Average pupils have a satisfactory grasp of phonics and they use them to sound out unknown words. They keenly answered questions about the poem ‘The Most Important Rap’ they have read together, and learn how to clap out the syllables in words sensibly. Reading skills of more able pupils enable them to order correctly a set of instructions to make pizza. The reading skills of many pupils with special educational needs are weak, but these pupils are making good progress with their recall of basic high frequency words. Pupils for whom English is an additional language are

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ENGLISH

found in all ability groups due to the school’s good provision. The oldest pupils know how to use a contents and index page, but they rarely use the school library. Use of the library is unsatisfactory. Few pupils know how to use the colour coded index system. Comprehension skills are less well developed and pupils do not often record their answers to questions about texts.

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ENGLISH

76. According to records the present Year 2 pupils had weak writing skills when they entered the school. Progress has been made, even so standards in writing are not sufficiently high from the contextual point of view. The school has not planned enough writing lessons for pupils to practise and develop their skills throughout Key Stage 1. Weekly writing Bond First School - 29 sessions have only been added to the curriculum since September 2000. Writing opportunities in other subjects such as history or science are under used. There are too many pupils in Year 2 who cannot write words for themselves and create simple stories or factual accounts. Due to the recent extra emphasis on writing and consistently effective teaching, pupils in Year 1 are demonstrating improving standards. More able pupils in Year 1 write weather reports independently using a variety of adjectives such as stormy and snowy. Average and below average pupils complete sentences when given a selection of adjectives

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ENGLISH

that describe weather. Pupils with special educational needs, and those in the early stages of learning English, identify words that describe weather conditions and copy single words to complete a given sentence.

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ENGLISH

77. Standards in Year 3 are well below average overall. The most able pupils are achieving high standards due to the use of challenging tasks set by teachers, and ability setting once a week. A Year 3 pupil wrote the following opening to a story entitled “The Terrible Giant”, using paragraphs: “Yesterday at 9.00 a.m. a terrible enormous spider came to our street number 5. Mr. Stevens saw something coming down his street, he opened his front door, suddenly something happened. A giant spider ate his car. When he cried the spider came towards the house. Quickly he ran home and slammed the front door.” Average pupils write satisfactory descriptions of characters using some adjectives effectively. Less able pupils only write a few sentences explaining the story of the ‘Trojan Horse’.

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ENGLISH

78. Handwriting standards are satisfactory. Younger pupils regularly practise forming their letters correctly and useful letter formation reminder sheets are stuck to the tables in Year 1. Older pupils in Year 3 are developing a fluent, mature style using ink. Spelling is satisfactory and the recent extra emphasis on phonics is helping pupils learn to spell phonetically. More able pupils in Year 3 are learning spelling rules such as, ‘ife words change to ives’ when in the plural. Pupils with special educational needs, and English as an additional language regularly practise high frequency words with classroom assistants and teachers in lessons.

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ENGLISH

79. The teaching of literacy is good in Key Stage 1 and in Key Stage 2 satisfactory overall. There was no unsatisfactory teaching and some very good teaching was seen in Year 1. Teachers throughout the school have a good understanding of how to promote reading and writing skills. Teachers’ weekly planning is of a high standard with specific learning targets being identified and activities planned to challenge all abilities. The best teaching incorporates many of the following characteristics: • Learning targets are shared with the class at the beginning and end of the lesson; • Good use of resources, where particular words in big books are hidden by coloured paper highlighting unnecessary words in a set of instructions; • Open ended questioning is used to make pupils think carefully about advantages and disadvantages of particular texts; • Classroom assistants are used well to focus on a group of pupils, such as when they

p.29

ENGLISH

learn to write the letter ‘t’ correctly; • The last part of the lesson is used to develop speaking and listening skills: for example when Year 1 pupils read out their weather reports to the class; • Good behaviour management focuses on positive reinforcement and ensures that pupils concentrate on tasks carefully.

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ENGLISH

80. Teachers use marking particularly well when they highlight effective phrases or words in pupils’ writing and record the strengths of pupils’ work clearly. Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ attainment are based on examples of work which have been matched to National Curriculum levels. ‘Story Time’ at the end of the day is a valuable experience and pupils enjoy sharing stories with the class. Most pupils enjoy reading and are enthusiastic to volunteer adjectives to improve descriptions of famous paintings. Pupils with special educational needs have specific and measurable targets which are followed carefully, regularly monitored and tested by teachers and the special educational needs co-ordinator. This ensures that these Bond First School - 30 pupils have good provision and make progress in learning to read and write accurately. ICT is used satisfactorily to teach aspects of literacy.

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ENGLISH

81. Time is not used well at some points in the day, for instance, before lunch when pupils are expected to read to themselves after an hour’s literacy lesson. Some pupils read to their families at home regularly returning their books to school daily, but others do not have this support at home.

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ENGLISH

82. The management of English is very good. The co-ordinator sets a very good example by the high quality of her teaching. Careful monitoring of pupil progress means that below average pupils have been given extra input this term. Early findings from the new setting arrangements are good. The co-ordinator’s action plan for the subject is effective.

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MATHEMATICS

83. Standards by the end of Key Stage 1 in the 2000 national tests were below the national average, but in line with those of similar schools for mathematics. This is a slight improvement over standards at the time of the last inspection when pupils’ attainment was well below national standards and those of similar schools. A good improvement was seen in attainment at the higher standard of Level 3, where standards were in line with average. In the tests, boys have improved from well below average to average, while girls have done less well, their standards declining from slightly below average to below average.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

84. During the inspection, standards were found to be in line with the national average by the end of Key Stage 1, and in Year 3, but with fewer pupils attaining the higher level in Key Stage 1. This is a good improvement on the previous inspection when standards were below average in both key stages. No significant differences in standards were seen between girls and boys. There is good progress in pupils’ standards in Key Stage 1, particularly in Year 1. Pupils with special educational needs, and those with English as an additional language, make good progress.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

85. The school has made a good improvement in standards due to reaching successfully the majority of targets set in the well organised action plan, arising from key issues of the previous inspection, with an improved curriculum and support for teachers. There has been a good improvement in the quality of teaching, due to the effectiveness of the numeracy strategy, a well balanced curriculum and improved planning. The target for better management has only recently been reached with the appointment of a co-ordinator, who has made an immediate impact on standards of teaching and learning, through monitoring of pupils’ work, help with planning and improved assessment and recording systems.

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MATHEMATICS

86. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are achieving standards in line with national averages in number and shape, space and measures. Standards are below average in using and applying mathematics. There is a similar picture in Year 3. This is because teachers do not provide pupils with enough open ended questions to help them to decide for themselves which operations and strategies to use to solve problems. An exception to this is found in Year 1 classes. Class teachers use questions well, to encourage pupils to think for themselves and to explain their thinking: for example in a lesson on estimating and ways of counting to check their estimations. Standards in number are enhanced throughout the school through the use of the National Numeracy Strategy. Oral and mental calculation sessions provide pupils with a good range of strategies to help them with the basic skills of number. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils halve and double numbers to help calculations

p.30

MATHEMATICS

and the majority of pupils give change up to £1 and add and subtract successfully using tens and units. Pupils of lower attainment use practical aids for these calculations. Year 3 pupils recall 2, 5 and 10 times multiplication tables and number bonds up to 20, but many pupils cannot complete these tasks very quickly. Data handling standards are in line with average in Year 3 and by the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils in Year 3 interpret information from pictograms, block graphs and bar charts satisfactorily and more able pupils interpret graphs confidently. Bond First School - 31 87. The quality of teaching is good overall, which is reflected in good progress since September. Over fifty per cent of lessons were good or better, with one session being very good and one unsatisfactory. Lessons in Year 1 were consistently good, with some good lessons in Year 2 and Year 3. A key factor in the best lessons is the quality of pupil

p.30

MATHEMATICS

management, particularly in the oral and mental sessions and the teacher input for the main activity. There is a good relationship between teachers and pupils which is fostered by consistent strategies, such as questioning aimed at pupils of different abilities and good use of praise. Where a teacher’s use of the behaviour policy is inconsistent and questioning is not briskly paced and examples not relevant to all pupils, behaviour can be unsatisfactory and a hindrance to learning. Many of the mental mathematics sessions are stimulating and pupils respond very positively to teachers’ enthusiastic teaching of basic skills and strategies. Main class activities are well planned and organised to help pupils acquire new knowledge and understanding.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

88. In the best lessons pupils are well motivated, self confident and work independently. For example, the organisation of a Year 1 lesson enabled groups of pupils to make very good progress in sorting, classifying and presenting information through well structured activities. Good use is made of resources, including the helpful support of well briefed learning support assistants. There is satisfactory use of on going assessment when class teachers intervene to check pupils’ progress and to give appropriate help. Intervention can be used well to boost a pupil’s confidence, as in a Year 3 lesson on data handling, where the strengths of a pupil’s work were emphasised, rather than the weaknesses.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

89. The majority of lessons are timed well to achieve a satisfactory balance of the three parts of the lesson, but occasionally the oral presentation is too long and pupils’ written and practical activities are not given sufficient time. This hinders learning, as pupils are not able to develop fully their knowledge and understanding by working through examples. Summaries at the end of lessons vary in quality and are sometimes too rushed to be of full value. In a Year 2 data handling lesson, time was used very well to analyse pupils’ common difficulties, with helpful reference to learning objectives.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

90. The co-ordinator has a clear understanding of the subject’s strengths and weaknesses and a precise action plan for improvement. Analysis of test results and the setting of targets to help groups of pupils with perceived weaknesses have only recently been established, but are being used well by the school. The use of ICT is beginning to give valuable information to help the school to plan the setting of targets for improvement for individual pupils. The system provides a very good record of achievement for pupils and a very clear picture of their strengths and weaknesses. A useful portfolio of pupils’ work matched to National Curriculum levels is in place, but the co-ordinator plans to update the samples of work and improve the consistency of teachers’ assessment. There are good examples of teachers using assessment to inform future planning which are to be shared with the staff as examples of good practice. The school is well placed for the future and

p.31

MATHEMATICS

governors and staff are determined to continue the present improvement in the quality of teaching and standards of learning in mathematics.

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SCIENCE

91. The 2000 teacher assessments in science for pupils aged seven indicated that the proportion of Year 2 pupils achieving the expected level was well below the national average but above for the higher levels. In comparison with similar schools, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level was well below the average, but well above the average for the higher level. Inspection findings indicate that the attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 and Year 3 is below average and there is no significant gender difference in attainment. Last year, more able pupils in Year 2 were given extra tuition to help them reach the higher level. There have been significant staff changes, including the appointment of supply teachers in the past, which have had a negative impact on standards achieved. Many teachers particularly at the upper end of the school lack subject knowledge and confidence where there has been no

p.31

SCIENCE

Bond First School - 32 recent opportunity for training. This has a negative impact on standards where not all aspects of science are covered in sufficient depth and many pupils are unchallenged.

p.32

SCIENCE

92. Younger pupils of all abilities including those with special educational needs, and English as an additional language, make sound progress. However, the limited opportunities for older pupils to become actively involved in first hand experiences such as, experimental and investigative science, has an adverse effect on their progress. Pupils in Year 1 describe the texture and appearance of various materials to produce their own material book. They know that light comes from a variety of sources and make good use of their own dark room in the classroom to discover sources of light at night. In Year 2, pupils name household items that use electricity as a source of power and more able pupils make a simple electrical circuit to light a bulb. In Year 3, pupils know that materials are used for different purposes and begin to learn about their properties. They know that seeds and plants need soil, light and warmth

p.32

SCIENCE

to grow and water is taken in through the roots, by simple experiments. However, many pupils find difficulty in expressing themselves with appropriate vocabulary and only more able pupils predict how water is transported through a plant.

p.32

SCIENCE

93. Most pupils have positive attitudes to their learning including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language. However, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are variable when lessons are not planned with appropriate tasks to capture their imagination or when pupils are not actively involved in the lesson. In such instances, pupils were seen to lose concentration when sitting on the carpet for too long or when they were tired at the end of the day, with no opportunity for an afternoon break, and became disruptive. This has a negative impact on both their learning and that of classmates. Where teaching is good pupils sustain concentration, share resources and co-operate well.

p.32

SCIENCE

94. The quality of science teaching is satisfactory overall but, as identified in the previous report, examples of unsatisfactory and poor teaching were seen during the inspection. Where teaching was good pupils made good progress in their learning. Teaching is best where purposeful tasks are set, with high expectations, confident class management and good subject knowledge. In unsatisfactory or poor lessons, time was not used effectively; teachers had poor management and gave answers rather than allowing pupils to find information themselves. Insufficient attention is given to plan different work to challenge the ability of all pupils, particularly the more able, which has an adverse effect on the quality of learning.

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SCIENCE

95. The new co-ordinator is enthusiastic and has a clear vision of how to raise expectations and the status of science in the school. She has identified appropriate priorities including the provision of good guidance for teachers in planning work that builds continuously and progressively on pupils’ previous learning, by producing a draft scheme of work. She has identified the need for more training to improve teachers’ confidence and is developing assessment procedures to ensure that appropriate challenging tasks are set for individual pupils. Currently, the co-ordinator has no opportunity to monitor teaching and learning across the school and to see how science is taught at different age groups. She hopes to start a science club in the near future to support pupils’ learning and develop cross- curricular links more effectively with other subjects including information and communication technology.

p.32

ART AND DESIGN

96. By the end of Year 2 and Year 3, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age in art and design. Only one lesson was observable during the inspection, but displays around the school and a discussion with pupils formed the basis of this judgement. Inspection evidence supports the judgement that the quality of teaching is satisfactory. The school is filled with beautiful artistic displays, which demonstrate pupils' considerable skills in drawing and sketching, painting and modelling with clay and various materials. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language, are well integrated into all lessons and make satisfactory progress. Bond First School - 33 97. A strength of the work created by pupils used their observational sketching skills to good effect when they made beautiful pictures of teddy bears in Year 1 using pencil to add depth. In Year 2 there are attractive sculptures of shapes made by combining wooden sticks.

p.32

ART AND DESIGN

Three-dimensional masks are carefully and brightly painted. Mouldable materials are effectively used to create model animals. Collage is used satisfactorily, such as when sunflowers are produced using rice and paper to bring them to life. However, the use of fabric is underdeveloped at the moment in the school.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

98. Examples of the work of famous artists are well used within the school to develop pupils’ drawing skills. Pupils sketch in the style of Paul Klee, taking a line for a walk across the page and using coloured pencil to add colour to sections. Irises are well sketched in the style of Van Gogh using pencil. However, pastels are rarely used to add colour to pupils’ creations. There are sketchbooks for pupils to record their initial ideas, but pupils do not write evaluations of their own or others’ work. At present ICT is underused to support this subject.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

99. Pupils’ attitudes to art are good. Pupils enjoy colouring and drawing slices of fruit. They concentrate well and share fairly when they handle clay tools. Pupils are interested in art from other cultures and they colour Rangoli patterns effectively.

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ART AND DESIGN

100. The school has developed a scheme of work since the previous inspection using the new national guidance. Teachers have worked hard to maintain many aspects of art teaching. The leadership and management of art are good and there is a detailed action plan to further improve provision. Art club is used to enhance the co-ordinator’s skills as well as pupils. However, there is little monitoring of the curriculum, but an analysis of displays of work has occurred.

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Standards in design and technology meet expectations for pupils aged seven and eight years and result from good teaching. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, and English as an additional language achieve satisfactory standards. In Year 1, teaching promotes effective designing skills. This was evident from the labelled diagrams of pupils’ mechanisms to create moving models that pupils had drawn. Design and technology planning is held in books and there are some particularly good new planning sheets, which guide pupils through this process thoughtfully.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. The final products made by Year 3 were of a satisfactory standard and demonstrated accurate measuring, cutting and joining skills. Finishing skills were carefully used to decorate the cover of fold-out books with fabric, which were made in connection with ‘Book Week’. Levers were well used by Year 1 to create an ice cream model, which moved up and down. However, the use of wood by pupils is underdeveloped.

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. The evaluation of pupils’ products has not been a prominent part of pupils’ work. There is little evidence of written evaluations, but many pupils' writing skills hamper them in recording. Teachers are beginning to provide opportunities for pupils to write evaluations when they create evaluation boxes on planning sheets. Teacher use effective learning methods when they ask pupils to describe what is good about their model, at the end of the lesson. Other effective features of high quality teaching include: • Basic skills are well developed when pupils learn how to use pieces of card and split pins to incorporate levers into mechanisms; • Pupils are effectively managed when they work with each other co-operatively sharing materials when they add a variety of coloured paper to their models; • High expectations of pupils mean that they are asked to write a detailed list of materials required to make Christmas boxes;

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

• Classroom assistants are well used when they support the learning of pupils with special educational needs to research and write about different types of bread; • Effective use of resources enables pupils to combine different foods to create interesting flavours in their sandwiches. Bond First School - 34 104. Evidence indicates that information and communication technology is underused to support pupils in design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Since the previous inspection, a scheme of work has been developed for the school incorporating the national guidance. The creation of a long term plan of topics means pupils have opportunities to develop skills appropriately throughout the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Pupils enjoy the practical activities in this subject and work sensibly and safely together when they handle tools. This reflects the teaching well. However, pupils do not always receive the feedback they need to improve, because teachers are inconsistent in their use of assessment in lessons. The co-ordinator works effectively to encourage and support other teachers and has been influential in improving standards in the subject. Sharing the most effective practice more widely and greater monitoring of the curriculum by the co- ordinator would assist the school to further develop this area of study.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

107. Standards in geography and history are similar to those expected nationally for pupils of the same age in both subjects. In the previous inspection, due to the lack of evidence, no judgement could be made on standards achieved. During the inspection, due to timetabling arrangements it was only possible to see one history lesson and a few geography lessons but no lessons for older pupils in Year 3. Additional information was gained from other sources including policy documents, discussions with staff and examination of past and present work including displays.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

108. In Key Stage 1, pupils develop an awareness of differences between the ways of life now and in the past by comparing old and new toys. They learn about the everyday life of famous people in the past such as Florence Nightingale, where they begin to appreciate some of the conditions in Victorian times. In Year 3, pupils’ knowledge of daily life and customs is extended by studies such as about the Ancient Egyptians. In geography, pupils learn about different types of transport needed to travel to different countries where many more able pupils identify different countries in Europe. They extend their knowledge to places and countries throughout the world where many name hot and cold locations and describe appropriate clothing for these climates. Older pupils develop a sound understanding of their own environment by making a simple plan of the playground and conducting a survey of the local area of Mitcham. During 'Eco-Club' pupils consider ways to improve the environment by

p.34

GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

making their own posters to display around the school.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

109. Most pupils including those with special educational needs, and English as an additional language have positive attitudes in geography and history lessons. They behave well and show high levels of interest when they listen to historical stories or use geographical maps. However, when lessons are not well matched to pupils’ abilities with low level activities, or when pupils sit too long and are not actively involved, they lose interest and become disenchanted.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

110. The quality of teaching is satisfactory with occasional good lessons seen during the inspection. Most teachers manage their pupils well and use visits appropriately to support pupils’ learning. However, work is not always planned effectively to challenge and stimulate all pupils, here learning is unsatisfactory. Resources including artefacts are unsatisfactory which limits the opportunities for teachers to provide sufficient breadth and challenge in their work to support pupils’ learning. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped and assessment is not used effectively to plan future work. As a result, work is not always matched to the ability of all pupils, including the more able, those with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language. This has a negative impact on pupils’ learning.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

111. The new co-ordinators acknowledge that new schemes of work need to be developed to avoid repetition and ensure that there is a systematic development of skills and Bond First School - 35 progression. The co-ordinators have no opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in lessons throughout the school to support teachers and raise standards. Insufficient use is made of geography and history as a means to extend pupils’ writing and cross-curricular links are underdeveloped with literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology, to improve the quality of pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

112. By the end of Year 2 and when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 3, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language make good progress in their learning. The school is making very effective use of its ‘IT-Suite’ and its ‘IT Assistant’ to support pupils’ learning. The previous inspection report made no judgement on standards or the quality of pupils’ learning in ICT.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

113. Pupils develop and apply their literacy skills successfully in word processing. Pupils in Year 1 create labels to identify the major parts of the human body and they write sentences describing their pets. By Year 3, pupils use word processing skills well when they send e- mails to friends in a school in Australia.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

114. A significant feature of pupils’ learning in numeracy is the regular opportunity (four days each week) to spend fifteen minutes working on an individual mathematics program which assesses their knowledge, skills and understanding. Pupils are totally absorbed by the program and take great delight if they score ‘100’ by the end of the time. They have to listen carefully to instructions and literacy skills are developed through having to read and understand problems: for example ‘How many spots are there altogether?’ (A picture shows 5 ladybirds each with 10 spots). Teachers use the information gained from the program to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and to amend their teaching accordingly.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

115. Pupils know how to load, print and save their work and are confident in the use of the mouse and keyboard. In Year 1, pupils make good use of ‘click and drag’ to put the map of Great Britain together correctly and then to label accurately each of the countries. Pupils use the computer successfully to draw graphs showing their favourite pets. Pupils in Year 2 build on these skills and use pictograms, block graphs and pie charts to show, for example, the colour of children’s hair. They use CD-ROM successfully to research information about the life cycle of frogs. Pupils make imaginative use of graphics programs: for example to extend a computer image of jellybeans.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

116. Teaching is planned effectively between the class teacher and the ‘IT Assistant’ who supports pupils in the ‘IT-Suite’. Inspection evidence is consistent with the quality of teaching being good and contributing to pupils making clear gains in acquiring and then using key information and technology skills. Teachers give pupils good opportunities to apply skills taught in the ‘IT-Suite’ on computers in their own classrooms. During the inspection, the only lessons observable were those where groups of pupils were working independently on the numeracy program.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

117. The subject is managed effectively and there is a clear development plan to improve teaching and learning. Resources are good, with the exception of the Foundation Stage where they are inadequate. Pupils enjoy and benefit from opportunities to attend the ‘IT Club’.

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MUSIC

118. Standards by the end of Key Stage 1 meet expectations for pupils of this age in music. This is comparable to the judgement of the previous inspection. As no lessons were seen in Year 3 because of timetable arrangements, no judgement can be made.

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MUSIC

119. The curriculum is based on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority scheme and is satisfactorily covered through the use of a commercially produced scheme, which ensures Bond First School - 36 that pupils have experience of the full music curriculum. CDs are available so that pupils get good opportunities for listening and appraising. The title and composer of music played in assemblies is displayed for pupils’ interest and referred to by teachers leading the assemblies to augment music heard in music lessons.

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MUSIC

120. Pupils sing regularly every day in assembly and perform confidently and accurately, songs they have learned previously. Several pupils benefit from keyboard lessons given by visiting teachers. Pupils had good experience, singing and playing instruments to entertain parents at the annual parents’ meeting with governors. Similarly, at Christmas the Nativity performance and Carol Concert gave pupils good opportunities to rehearse and learn songs to perform to an appreciative audience. The choir and recorder lessons have ceased since the music co-ordinator left the school last July.

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MUSIC

121. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils can follow simple rhythmic patterns either clapping or using percussion instruments. They have a satisfactory knowledge of the names of several instruments and explain how they are played. For example, in a Year 1 lesson, pupils explained how particular instruments are plucked, struck or scraped in order to make the appropriate noise. Pupils respond satisfactorily to symbols, changing the pulse or the volume appropriately when playing untuned percussion instruments.

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MUSIC

122. The quality of Key Stage 1 music teaching is good, with two thirds of lessons good and none being unsatisfactory. Teachers are very enthusiastic and organise lessons well so that all pupils are actively involved. Pupils respond to teachers’ keen approach and enjoy lessons, trying their best to perform well. Good use is made of resources such as prepared cards to help pupils acquire new knowledge: for example playing from notation in the form of symbols. Occasionally, the same activity takes up the whole of the lesson, which means that pupils lose the benefit of balanced sessions, with some listening, singing and performing to stimulate interest and help them acquire a range of skills through regular experience. Good use is made of open ended questioning by teachers: for example in a Year 1 lesson when pupils reinforced their learning on how pulses, or rhythmic beats, were produced, through having to explain why they liked a particular beat.

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MUSIC

123. The headteacher is acting as co-ordinator at present and supplies confident piano accompaniment to singing in assemblies. She ensures that regular lessons are planned, and provides advice to teachers on using the commercial scheme. A satisfactory supply of percussion instruments is available and there are good quality keyboards for instrumental lessons. The profile of the subject is kept up by visitors to the school, such as an African drummer who organised workshops which were much enjoyed by pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. By the end of Year 2, standards are unsatisfactory in physical education and below expectations for pupils of this age as a result of weaknesses in teaching. By the end of Year 3, standards meet expectations for pupils of this age. At present, standards in Year 1 are good as the result of significant strengths in teaching. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve at the same levels as other pupils in their year groups. Progress in learning is very good in Year 1, satisfactory in Year 3, but unsatisfactory in Year 2.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. By the end of Year 2, pupils do not have a good awareness of space or change of direction when moving around the hall. They do not have a clear understanding of the importance of responding to the teachers’ ‘stop’ command. Listening to, and following instructions is not good enough and pupils make far too much noise in lessons. As a result, they make little progress. Skills in running, jumping and holding a balance are underdeveloped both on the floor and on apparatus. Pupils have insufficient opportunities to plan, perform and refine their own gymnastics sequences; they are too teacher directed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. In Year 1, pupils use space exceptionally well and change direction sensibly and safely as they move around the hall. They listen attentively and know why they must work in Bond First School - 37 silence. They follow instructions immediately, including responding to the teacher’s ‘stop’ command. In games, they show good skills in controlling a small ball and in passing the ball to a classmate. Skills in throwing and catching are good. In one lesson, pupils made good progress in developing a sequence of ‘throw in the air, clap, and catch’.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. In Year 3, pupils show satisfactory skills in creative dance. However, their awareness of space is not good; they tend to bunch up too much and they are not all confident in planning their own sequences, with many copying someone else. Pupils do, however, persevere and in one lesson observed, they produced good movements to represent ‘moving machinery’: for example by being ‘cars’, ‘washing machines’ or ‘irons’. Pupils link movements together successfully by, for example, showing ‘a car getting faster’.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. The significant variation in standards is linked to the quality of teaching. In Year 1, it is very good and, in one lesson observed, excellent. In Year 1, planning is very good, with detailed lesson plans showing exactly what is to be taught in each part of the lesson. In addition, teachers have very good subject knowledge and very high expectations of how pupils should behave and what they should achieve. In Year 2, teaching is unsatisfactory or poor because lessons are not planned in detail and subject knowledge is weak. Teachers do not reinforce their expectations of, for example, “In this lesson we’ll work in silence,” and they are inconsistent in their use of the ‘stop’ command. Too much time is wasted in managing pupils’ behaviour, or in giving instructions to which pupils are not listening.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. At present, there is no detailed scheme of work which shows the skills to be taught as pupils move up through the school. This contributes to weaknesses in planning and variations in progress. Pupils benefit from coaching from members of Wimbledon FC, and extracurricular football clubs and the opportunity to take part in a country dancing festival.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. The previous inspection report made no clear judgement on standards in physical education and so comments about progress, or the lack of it, are not possible.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 and in Year 3 are in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education. This is similar to standards in the previous inspection. There is no significant difference between the attainment of girls and boys. The school uses the locally agreed syllabus as a helpful scheme of work at present. There is satisfactory coverage of Christianity, as well as Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. Aspects of pupils’ religious education are enhanced with their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in circle time and in assemblies.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils show a satisfactory knowledge of the Christian customs such as the festivals of Easter and Christmas, and make some comparisons with Eid and Diwali. They have some understanding of religions being based on worshipping God and Allah and are aware of Hindus worshipping several gods. There is a good knowledge of the names of the places of worship, such church, temple and mosque. In Year 3, pupils satisfactorily describe life in a Jewish home during Shabbatt, beginning at sunset on Friday. Pupils explain sensibly how special bread called challah is eaten. More able pupils have a good recall of the story of the Hindu gods.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, with nearly half the lessons seen being good and none unsatisfactory. Teachers have a sound knowledge of the subject and plan lessons carefully, showing clear learning targets. Religious education lessons are rather short; so much of the pupils’ knowledge and understanding is reinforced through discussion, rather than written recording. Pupils’ learning is motivated by stories, visitors, input from pupils of various religions, and direct teaching. Pupils find talks from parents or other children very stimulating, as they are accompanied by special clothes and artefacts which create great interest. A good example was seen during the inspection, when a Muslim parent and a Year 2 pupil showed their clothes worn for worshipping at the mosque and talked about them to two Bond First School - 38 classes. Pupils were fascinated to hear that the Muslim boy was wearing clothes from the

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Punjab and that he could read and write in Arabic. Pupils listened with interest, and acquired good knowledge and understanding of Muslim customs. Two pieces of extended writing, showing good cross-curricular links with literacy, were undertaken by Year 3 pupils last term, as a good form of assessment, but there is little time for pupils to record in writing what they have learned. Occasionally, drama is used to good effect as an enjoyable stimulus and reinforcement of learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. The co-ordinator has only been in post since September and is keen to attend religious education co-ordinators’ meetings to help her amend the scheme of work to match the school’s needs. She has monitored weekly plans but has not observed lessons or samples of work to check standards in teaching and learning. The school has a small number of useful artefacts for Christianity and other religions. Books in the library are of good quality, but not very numerous.

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